Game Over
The Taapsee Pannu starrer thriller-drama is easily one of the best this year. This unique storyline takes us through the journey of a disabled woman who is emotionally traumatised, believing that there is absolutely nothing she can achieve anymore when a twist in events changes her perspective towards life, that she can,
in fact, do anything and bodily obstacles can be worked around with a gritty mind. Taapsee delivered a seamless performance and the film was a large success in all the languages it was released in.
Super Deluxe
Directed by Thiyagaraja Kumararaja, the film stars Vijay Sethupathi, Samantha Akkineni, Fahadh Faasil, Mysskin among others. Four different tales need not necessarily get intertwined and yet they all can make sense when they are a part of the film – that was the sole premise of the film. Vijay Sethupathi as a transgender individual identifying as female, Samantha and Fahadh’s eccentric chemistry, Ramya Krishnan’s terrific personality, and the story of the four adolescent boys just blend beautifully together, keeping the audience engrossed. This was not just a box-office success, but its progressiveness was largely welcomed by the audience with an open mind.
Peranbu
A realistic portrayal of a father and a daughter’s relationship over the years, this film was directed by Ram. The narration was not sugar-coated and that’s revealed the reality of a single father with a daughter. He learns so much about women as she grows when puberty hits when sexual needs are crucial and most of all, as a father with a disabled child, it is an adventure every day. The way the director enigmatically adds the essence of nature to every chapter of the feature film can be creatively disturbing, because of its realism.
Kaidhi
Similar to Super Deluxe, Kaidhi is a film with four different stories, a man convicted for no reason, the story of a little girl in an orphanage, a drug mafia case being investigated by the police and a group of college students getting entangled in the place where the drugs have been hidden. The stories come together in the end beautifully and unexpectedly and that is the signature mark of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s direction. He knows how to nurture his story. Amidst all the thrill and action, the director embeds a serene emotion between father and daughter which makes the film a blockbuster and a must-watch.
Asuran
Set in the 80s, the entire film tells the survival story of a “lower-caste” farmer and his family situated in the region of Kovilpatti, South Tamil Nadu. Sivasamy (Dhanush) is a marginal farmer, a father of three and a rather doting husband. He loves his kids and his wife unconditionally and would possibly do anything to keep them safe. All hell breaks loose when Sivasamy’s elder son Murugan (Teejay) gets into a tiff with a rich landlord of upper caste, Narasimhan (Adukalam Naren). By now, director Vetrimaaran knows Dhanush’s strength quite well and the way he has brought in a whirlwind of emotions through every frame is truly unbeatable.
Nerkonda Parvai
Even with a few commercial add-ons that its original did not have, Nerkonda Parvai, remake of PINK, managed to deliver the message of “’No’ means ‘No’” with the same force. Starring Ajith Kumar, Shraddha Srinath and Abhirami Venkatachalam in the lead, the film did not lose sight of its premise, yielding a well-written, well-conceived and spectacularly performed feature. Fittingly, its reception in the south was massive, especially given Ajith’s exceptional screen presence.
Aadai
Sudhandhira Kodi (Amala Paul) changes her name to Kamini because she believes that Sudhandhiram (Freedom) should be at heart and in the mind. She works for a television channel and runs her own candid-cam-prank show. Her life choices seem to constantly challenge societal norms. As a rebellious, adventure-loving young woman with a sense of humour, she is thrown into an eerie situation with no way to cry for help. Director Rathna Kumar may not have explored the depth of the character but he has surely taken his first big step with Aadai. The writer-director used the crucial mirror scene to convey the struggle and awkwardness women face; the struggle of self-protection in society is far too real for a woman and the writer portrays that with due respect.
To Let
A father, a mother and their little are the happiest family who may not be economically well off but are surely very content. They live in a rented house and the owner is not very friendly to them. The wife then talks about getting a home of their own someday where their son can scribble on the wall, where the family could have their privacy without people walking in to check the house. As they go through a turmoil of caste differences, class differences and a lot of societal trauma, they remain together, just like how a happy family must me. A simple film like this is so deep and meaningful, that even though it is extremely disturbing to see how they are neglected by society, they remain happy and content.
