Top 10 Tamil Movies In 2021

In many aspects, this year was a comeback for Tamil film after the catastrophic year of 2020. The releases were more consistent, and films like Master and Doctor, which had been waiting for a 'theatre release' for a long time, finally got their chance. OTT had a regular production as well, competing well as a Tamil film alternative channel. In retrospect, this year produced numerous excellent films, 10 of which I'll discuss shortly. But it also had its fair share of the truly awful. Sundar C had the guts to make Aranmanai 3, a dreadful event that we could all do without. Jayam Ravi's bumbling Bhoomi insulted the audience's intelligence. Santhanam ripped away whatever little fun he had with Parris Jeyaraj this year with Dikkilona, a blatantly misogynistic — and just uninteresting — time travel film. Netrikann, Nayanthara's film, lost its potential. Udanpirappe, Jyothika's Udanpirappe, came dead. The fans' loyalty was tested in Dhanush's Jagame Thandhiram and Rajinikanth's Annaaththe - I'm relieved to see that even Tamil movie devotion has its limits.

1. Kutty Story

Because it was released in theatres, Kutty Story is an unusual anthology. We get an inane Gautham Menon romance and a misguided AL Vijay abortion narrative among the four shorts that make up the film. If we can get over it, we'll get a surprising Venkat Prabhu love storey as well as a fantastic Nalan Kumaraswamy family drama. Lokham, a short film by Venkat Prabhu, is about a man and a woman who meet while playing a computer game. It's well-considered, mature, and in many ways contrary to what we've seen in Venkat Prabhu's work as romance/relationships. The analogies are lovely, and Venkat Prabhu's portrayal of a younger guy falling in love with an older woman is sweet. The melody of Premji Amaren makes it enjoyable without being silly.

Nalan Kumaraswamy's Aadal Padal, on the other hand, is a deftly handled tale of a cheating husband and his no-nonsense wife. The pace is near-perfect, and the language is snappy in Nalan's writing. Both Vijay Sethupathy and Aditi Balan are excellent. The film's popularity, however, is due to the fact that it does not pass judgement. So much so that it doesn't even settle the tension, leaving us to construct our own interpretations of what we're viewing.

2. Mandela

Mandela, directed by Madonne Ashwin, is a film for the apolitical. It's a metaphor of our country's suffering set against a little village's backdrop. It's a look at the several levels of discrimination we apply to those who are marginalised. It's a call to take personal and communal responsibility for our lives.

It isn't ideal, though; for example, it confuses welfare programmes with giveaways at one point. Despite its weaknesses, it is a serious social analysis. It taunts and mocks everything we've grown to accept as usual, without blaming a single culprit. Yogi Babu's performance as the titular hero is fantastic, both hilarious and tragic at times.

3. Jai Bhim

Jai Bhim is a short film with a major star. Small is notable not only for its out-of-the-blue release, but also for how it handles its star. We get very little backstory, only a few mass moments and a punch line here and there, but Tha Se Gnanavel is cautious about deifying his hero. Surprisingly, Suriya devotes himself totally to the role that has been written for him. The movie isn't without flaws. It's nearly hard to watch the torture pornography, and it's largely unneeded to illustrate the point. The text makes a conscious effort to elicit pity and guilt. Nonetheless, it is a picture that does not completely sacrifice its cinematic ambition on the altar of goodwill. Its politics are in a good spot. The format, which is similar to that of an investigative thriller, keeps us interested. The moment in which Sengani (Lijomol Jose) walks back from the police station while being pursued by a jeep is hopeful.

4. Maanaadu

The first 40 minutes of Maanaadu are typical Venkat Prabhu fare: a self-absorbed hero with undeserved adoration, a cute heroine who suddenly grabs a stranger's hand on an aeroplane, Premji cracking Premji jokes, a dance number, a bride eloping, and so on. It's exhausting to sit through. That's why it's such a shock when, once we get to the main tale, the movie goes off like a rocket!

Venkat Prabhu not only keeps it surprising, but he also maintains it tight enough that we have no time to predict anything. The action sequences are thorough, yet not too difficult to follow. He convinces Simbu to underplay — an achievement in and of itself — so that SJ Suryah can act the psychotic villain. And he does so in the most Venkat Prabhu-esque way possible: simple, controlled, and effective.

5. Mughizh

Because of its simplicity, this is my favourite film of the year. Karthik Swaminathan, the writer-director, is acutely conscious of his limitations, sticking to a small cast of actors, genuine dialogue, and a 62-minute running length. Within that, he delivers a touching storey of ordinary people's lives. Radhika (Regina Cassandra) and Vijay (Vijay Sethupathy) are a typical married pair. They don't have much in the way of romance, but they fill the screen with the kind of comforting affection and comfort that can only come from two people who've grown up together.

During one scene, Vijay pulls Radhika's sleeves during a conversation, an odd yet endearing act of closeness. In another scene, he comes home from work, removes his belt and places it on the table before pulling his pants up and sitting down — hardly a theatrical moment, but Mughizh is going for a certain level of everydayness. Radhika isn't the sacrificial wife, either. In a good way, she is envious. She makes a strong case for attention without coming across as a pest. Mughizh is a non-heroic celebration. It's the kind of movie that makes me admire Vijay Sethupathy wholeheartedly. I'd see a dozen awful Vijay Sethupathy movies if there was one Mughizh and one Kutty Story among them.

6. Writer

Thangaraj (Samuthirakani) insists on his new student being a "makkala nesikkara kaavalan" (protector who loves his people) throughout Franklin Jacob's Writer, a sentiment Franklin weaves into the picture with startling tenderness and razor-sharp impartiality. He creates an universe that is complex, inefficient, unfair, and exploitative with the keen eye of a documentary filmmaker. Despite this, he maintains a stoic demeanour in the face of horror, assuming that his audience has compassion. Franklin Jacob makes a strong debut in this regard, scripting a crisp film that plays out the components one by one, building tension but not agitating the audience. He is assured as a director, constructing sequences with masterful clarity. Pratheep Kaliraja, the cinematographer, prefers broad angles and pays close attention to the environment.

Govind Vasantha gives the film a new tone, even in its most emotional moments, by maintaining a respectful distance and allowing us to mourn. Writer's best quality, like that of most of Pa Ranjith's storytellers, is their belief in revolution and courage in the face of adversity. Devakumar (Hari Krishnan), Saranya (Ineya), Maruthamuthu (GM Sundar), and Thangaraj himself fight back in whatever manner they can, never succumbing to the approaching cynicism. Even when the odds are stacked against you, Writer represents optimism.

7. Karnan

The fact that filmmaker Mari Selvaraj's earlier film, Pariyerum Perumal, was a liberal appeasement picture was my major beef with it. It depicts atrocities while being extremely careful not to upset anyone's sensibilities. It almost succumbs to the illusion of the ideal victim. Mari Selvaraj gives less of a damn with Karnan, which is great.

He weaves together aspects of magical realism and mainstream Tamil film to produce an engrossing storey. He creates a society of characters, each with their own tale and inner life. They may live in a secluded village with little access to public transportation, but they are fearless, angry, and symbolise resistance. Lal, Yogi Babu, GM Kumar, Rajisha Vijayan, and Dhanush himself all contribute to the film's success. 

8. Maadathy

Maadathy, an independent film by Leena Manimekalai, combines folklore, horror, and drama into a cohesive whole. Rafiq Ismail and Yavanika Sriram, who wrote the storey with Leena Manimekalai, take their time to establish each character's life. They write Yosana (Ajmina Kassim) with the tenderness and empathy that comes with a young woman discovering herself as well as the world around her. They place her tale in an obviously exploitative atmosphere without using it for sorrow. With a strong feminist lens, Leena catches the social, political, and humanitarian excesses. Maadathy is a daring picture, both in terms of storey and cinematography. The only surprise is that the Tamil public hasn't embraced it more enthusiastically.

9. Doctor

The biggest surprise of 2021 will be witnessing Sivakarthikeyan resist the urge to spit venomous retorts. Nelson does this in Doctor. I had great hopes for Doctor because I like the director's earlier film Kolamavu Kokila, which featured a brilliant Nayanthara and Saranya Ponvannan. It met all of those expectations and then some.

Nelson takes the same concept — don't dismiss a struggling family — and expands it to a broader, more ambitious canvas. He makes it more mainstream without sacrificing its eccentricity; the metro fight scene is an excellent example of this. He improves the jokes, making them more accessible to the Lollu Sabha audience. Plus, he has a healthy and endearing contempt for the familial unit.

10. Sarpatta Parambarai

Pa Ranjith, Tamil cinema's finest modern filmmaker, creates a beautifully detailed piece of work in Sarpatta Parambarai, which should come as no surprise. He jams it full of tiny surprises that lend themselves to multiple viewings.

Tamizh Prabha skillfully weaves a deep drama out of what should have been a simple storey about a struggling boxer, touching on class, caste, gender, and political implications. While Arya is adequate, the performances of Pasupathy, John Vijay, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Dushara Vijayan, and Anupama Kumar elevate the film. Murali G's cinematography is slow and unobtrusive. The editing of RK Selva is meticulous. Anbariv, a stunt choreographer, creates art.