The film created quite a buzz when its music, by Anirudh Ravichander, came out, and soon enough, the trailer too garnered enough curiosity. Reviews, too have been favourable towards Nayanthara, someone who has been proving her mettle and busting myths that a sole woman starring in a film is capable of creating waves.
There’s a perception that female-led films don’t do as well as male-led ones, thus propagating the notion that an actress cannot solely carry a film on her own but needs a man, an actor, to put it on the map. However, Nayanthara has reinforced the belief that one must go beyond looking at mere actors on the silver screen. In the past, her films such as Maya, Dora, Aramm, and now Kolamaavu Kokila, are perfect examples.
Read Kolamavau Kokila’s Review here.
While Nayanthara might have had a hoary start in cinema, it took her a while till she established herself as an actress who chooses her films wisely, where one needn’t go for mass masala-filled films that eventually pander to the audience. Her upcoming projects, too, speak volumes.
Nayanthara in a still from ‘Imaikka Nodigal’
In Imaikka Nodigal, she plays a CBI officer trying to track down a psychopath. The trailer showcased that she’s not someone to be bogged down by lewd comments or sexist notions, she is someone who has a mind of her own and will do whatever it takes to catch a criminal. Ambitious and with her own team, it’s no surprise that the role was originally written for a man. But, given her excellent track record, one can’t imagine but her in this Ajay Gnanmuthu film. Her other projects, albeit commercial, are meticulously picked and include one with Sarjun KM, Aramm 2, Viswasam with Ajith, one with Sivakarthikeyan, and Sye Raa with Chiranjeevi.
Other successful female-led films:
Most recently, Alia Bhatt’s Raazi won the audience and the box office. It crossed the Rs 100 crore mark with ease, a feat that no other female-led film had done in the past and received a lot of applause. On that note, even Jyothika in 36 Vayadhinele, Magalir Mattum, Anushka Shetty in Bhaagamathie have featured in films where their characters were perfectly okay without a male figure “guiding” them to do the right thing. A mind of their own and better-written characters, these films are the harbingers of better times for actresses, where they are more than just supporting characters or props.
Other female-centric films to look forward to:
Kaatrin Mozhi
Jyothika in a still from ‘Kaatrin Mozhi’
Kaatrin Mozhi starring Jyothika is the Tamil version of the Hindi film Tumhari Sulu that starred Vidya Balan. The film is directed by Radha Mohan and is about a housewife who longs to do something for herself and is then introduced to the world of RJing. She becomes a late night show host for a radio channel and becomes an instant hit. The film will release on October 18.
U-Turn
Samantha Akkineni in a still from ‘U-Turn’
Samantha Akkineni plays a journalist who investigates a series of deaths of motorists at a particular flyover. Directed by Pawan Kalyan, the film was widely appreciated when it was released in Kannada and has thus been remade into Tamil and Telugu. The film is slated for a September 13 release.
Kanaa
Directed by Arunraja Kamraj, the film will be about a young girl who aspires to be a cricketer. The film stars Aishwarya Rajesh in the lead and Sathyaraj in an important role, playing her father. Apart from cricketing aspirations, the film will also delve into a farmer’s plight.
