Perceptions play a major role in helping people decide whether they want to see a particular film. With films coming by thick and fast, there are often many that don’t quite get their due. With the year almost at its end, this seemed like a good opportunity to present you with films that we feel deserved more attention, even if not praise.
Pulikkuthi Pandi
While this Muthiah directorial might seem like yet another addition to the ever-growing Muthiah Cinematic Universe, a proverbial twist in this tale keeps it a cut above the rest of his work. There are neat subversions that we don’t quite expect to see in a Muthiah film. While the titular role is played by a convincing Vikram Prabhu, it is Lakshmi Menon’s fiery Pechi and the final act that helps Pulikkuthi Pandi find a place in this list.
Sarbath
Cliches exist for a reason… They work. And sometimes, there comes a simple film that ticks all the checkboxes but is injected with enough freshness to make us past its generic nature. Sarbath, starring Kathir, Vivek Prasanna and Soori, is a comfort film, the kind that we grew up watching on cable television. The humour is largely harmless in this comedy-of-errors narrative.
3:33
Despite releasing just a week after Maanaadu, this time-travel film was a completely different take that didn’t quite get much love. It also brought to the fore the importance of good promotions and a deal with a decent streaming platform deal for a film’s longevity in today’s times. Sandy Master’s first film as a lead is a true-blue paranormal film that makes the most of its limitations, including pandemic-related restrictions. It is flawed but deserved a better run at the cinemas and will hopefully find an OTT home soon.
Maadathy
All films need an audience, but some deserve it more than others. Leena Manimekalai’s Maadathy is a film that enriches the viewer. While the film might seem like just another story on oppression, look close enough, and you will see a masterclass on the importance of gaze, representation, and perspective. While it might not have got a widespread release, the onus is sometimes on us to seek and support these films. These voices deserve to be amplified.
Theethum Nandrum
This story of two small-time crooks, searching for that final crime with which they can retire, missed out on the hype train. There was a lot of heart in this film quite reminiscent of Vishnuvardhan’s Pattiyal. Very much like that film, there is much blood, brotherhood, and betrayal in this film too. Yes, it did succumb to some commercial cinema requirements but largely came out unscathed.
Kadaseela Biriyani
Every year there is a film that comes out of nowhere to make quite the impact. This year, that tag perhaps belongs to Nishanth Kalidindi’s debut film, Kadaseela Biriyani. Despite the glowing reviews, the film, a theatrical release, was pushed out to accommodate the bigger films. A profane-laden, violent yet supremely campy film that beautifully hits some unexpected high notes, Kadaseela Biriyani is polarising for sure, but these projects are the wind beneath the wings of similar ‘small’ films.
Lift
Full points to director Vineeth Varaprasad for treating this horror film with the respect it deserved instead of opting for transgressions into comedy. Lift was a neatly made effective horror thriller, which definitely had problems, yes, but the positives outweigh the negatives. Also, it showed us how social media and television clout can translate into feature film responses, and it has already set the ball rolling for an avalanche of such transformations.
Mughizh
One of the braver attempts of Tamil cinema this year, Mughizh worked for its simplicity. Considering it was a theatre release, the short runtime was spoken about perhaps a bit too much, in commentary about this film. But when the dust settled, we could see a heartfelt film that spoke about grief in a way that is rarely done in our cinema. It treated kids as kids, and adults as adults, and didn’t deter from showing parents as individuals first. More than being a showreel for Vijay Sethupathi’s daughter, Mughizh became one for Regina Cassandra and Vijay Sethupathi himself.
Malaysia to Amnesia
Radha Mohan’s cheeky film had some fine comedic performances by MS Bhaskar, Karunakaran, and Vaibhav. Despite old-fashioned plot points, Malaysia to Amnesia largely worked because it, again, felt like a ‘comfort film’, the likes of which they don’t quite make anymore.
Kalathil Santhippom
Kalathil Santhippom, starring Jiiva and Arulnithi, was one of those rare two-hero subjects that was able to provide equal importance to both characters without the writing feeling coerced. It also managed to provide space for both Priya Bhavani Shankar and Manjima Mohan to shine, and so they did it. A simple friendship story with a semblance of a sports drama, this was a neat little film that did not aim for the stars but achieved its objective nevertheless.
Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum
Vasanth has reinvented his craft and risen leaps and bounds over many of his contemporaries. He has remained not just relevant but has created a niche for himself with his recent work, including his contribution to Navarasa. But it all started with Sivarajiniyum…, which after multiple delays, finally found a streaming partner. A compelling tale on patriarchy and the importance of feminism, SISP doubles up as a mirror that shows the ugly nature of our society. SISP shows us how the spirited confluence of craft and content always triumphs.
Vinodhaya Sitham
When Samuthirakani and Thambi Ramaiah, two regulars and almost pioneers of ‘preachy message films’, joined hands for Vinodhaya Sitham, it was expected that the film would be similar to their previous work. However, Vinodhaya Sitham took a surprising detour into a world of possibilities. It was loud as expected, but it was also uncharacteristically subtle. It had an over-the-top performance that somehow fit into this world. It was a preachy film, but it also had some great performances and a strong emotional core.
Kayamai Kadakka
While the streaming giants continue to exert a monopoly over the OTT space, we are also seeing movie-on-demand culture slowly seeping into Tamil cinema. One such indie gem that found its way into our homes was Kayamai Kadakka. Made on a shoestring budget, it showed a lot of character and intent that is often missing even in some of our big-budget extravaganzas. It is a minimalistic and well-acted tale of morality and social media personas. Was Kayamai Kadakka perfect? Nope. But the film never tries to be either.