KOLLYWOOD 2018
In my opinion, 2018
was a healthier year than last year with increasing number of quality films
that were delivered by young filmmakers who dared to explore with their
content. We also saw experienced, proven filmmakers like Mani Ratnam, Shankar
and A.R.Murgadoss churning out films from their hearts with the biggest actors
of Kollywood. And here are my sincere thoughts on Kollywood 2018 as we wrap up
the year.
*Ranking are based
on profits, critical acclaim and my overall opinions on the films
20) THAANA SERNTHA
KOOTAM
Consensus:
Vignesh Sivan and Surya combo garnered lots of attention due
to the former’s previous film, ‘Naanum Rowdy Thaan’ which elevated Vijay
Sethupathi’s character. The film was entertaining and was a clear Pongal winner
thrashing Sketch and Gulebagavali to emerge as a box office hit.
The only problem I had with this film was the over use of commercial elements,
especially the climax that diluted the original idea of Special 26. Nevertheless,
the film marked a positive and a healthy start for the year, giving a much needed
hit for Surya.
Celluloid Meter:
3.25/5
19) PYAAR PREMA
KADHAL
Consensus:
Yuvan Shankar Raja turned into a producer in this film and
it really looked like he was aggressively working extra harder for the musical
aspect of the film. Riding on the oozing chemistry between the Big Boss fame
Harish and Raiza, Pyaar Prema Kadhal was spot on to attract the younger
crowd into the cinema with its youthful treatment. The film was a case of an
old wine in a very well packaged, attractive bottle. More than just a candy
floss romance, the film carried strong characters that made it stand out from your
usual run of the mill love stories.
Celluloid Meter:
3.25/5
18) U-TURN
Consensus:
It’s never an easy task to remake a successful film,
especially a thriller. U-Turn got it all right from its cast, amended
screenplay and the treatment. It might not have been a big commercial hit, but
I really felt that the Tamil version had its own heart and novelty with a few
extensions of character arc and climax. Special mention to Samantha and Aadhi
who carried the film on their shoulders with their earnest performances.
Celluloid Meter:
3.25/5
17) IRUMBU THIRAI
Consensus:
At one point of time, Vishal was doing a series of similar
commercial, masala thrillers that were dangerously stereotyping his style of
acting. Even when Irumbu Thirai was announced, I felt that it might be
one his regular flicks but this film surprised everyone. The length and its preachy
nature was one minor problem the film had.
However, the amount of detailing and message embedded in the screenplay
was high commendable and relevant in this tech era.
Celluloid Meter:
3.25/5
16) KADAIKUTTY SINGAM
Consensus:
Kadaikutty Singam
was a clean family favourite that proved that straight forward family dramas
with novelty and good performances still can do wonders at box office. Even
though section of the audiences might find it melodramatic, for me this film was one
of the most feel good film of the year that gave a much needed break for Karthi’s
middling career.
Celluloid Meter:
3.25/5
15) KANAA
Consensus:
Arunraja Kamaraj proved that he is not only a good comedian or a singer but also a solid director through this debut sports drama film. With a predictable flow and emotions, the film's strength came by through the thought provoking narration and timely message that it reflects about the society in Indian villages. The hard hitting dialogues and the message about agriculture, were very well received by the masses. Aishwarya Rajesh continued her dream form this year by heading the film as the lead lady.
Celluloid Meter:
3.25/5
14) SAVARAKATHI
Consensus:
Savarakathi was a shocker from Mysskin who is known for his
dark, serious films. Directed by his brother, Adithya, the film’s visual
comedy, eccentric characters and solid performances, made many smile and at the
same time reflect on certain social themes that it carried.
Celluloid Meter:
3.5/5
13) IMAIKKA NODIGAL
Consensus:
Led by the lady Super star Nayanthara, ‘Imaikka Nodigal’ was a solid thriller that kept audiences at the
edge of their seats from start to end. Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap made a
stunning debut as the terrifying, formidable villain who stood on par with
Nayan. Demote Colony fame Ajay
Gnananmuthu proved once again that he is a talent to watch out for. And of
course, who could forget the bittersweet cameo episode of Vijay Sethupathi?
Celluloid Meter:
3.5/5
12) KAATRIN MOZHI
Consensus:
Radhamohan is one director that we can all put our faith to
deliver a quality, family film with good performances. ‘Kaatrin Mozhi’ is no less to his previous hits such as ‘Mozhi’ and ‘Abhiyum Naanum’. Many would have questioned on how the team could
pull off to transcend a hit film like ‘Tumhari
Sulu’, but this film trashed all doubts by displaying its own flavour and
energy to the similar theme dealt by the source material. For me this was
Jyothika’s best comeback film compared to '36 Vayathinile’ or ‘Magalir Mattum’.
A true, official comeback I would say!
Celluloid Meter:
3.5/5
11) KAALA
Consensus:
Eventhough Kaala didn’t reach the box office mark as
expected for a Super Star’s film, it was a better outing for the Rajini-Ranjith
combo. Right from the themes, style, dialogues and story, one could see the
details that were worked for. Without focusing too much on Rajini, the film
also had layers of storytelling and symbolism that collectively elevated the
entire experience of the film. The theme of ‘movement over a leader’ was very
well etched out. An underrated gem I would say.
Celluloid Meter:
3.5/5
10) SEETHAKATHI
Consensus:
Vijay Sethupathi’s choices of films are mostly very well
engineered and thought over. ‘Seethakathi’ is another feather on his cap this
year that showed his hunger for acting and cultivating good stories than
bankable ones. Even though he appears only about 40 minutes in the film (for
a 25th film), his stellar makeover and measured performance will
ensure that his presence can be felt throughout the film. Balaji
Tharaneetharan’s thought to project such a novel concept and pay tribute to
drama artiste must be commended. Even though the length was a concern, the
whole idea is charmingly original.
Celluloid Meter:
3.5/5
9) CHEKKA CHIVANTHA
VAANAM
Consensus:
After the disappointing show with ‘Kaatru Veliyidai’, Mani Ratnam bounced back with this technically
fine, star studded action flick that brought back his masterstroke in layered
storytelling. The four lead casts gave their best competitively that boosted
the film to become the most commercially successful film of Mani Ratnam in the
recent decade.
Celluloid Meter:
3.5/5
8) 2 POINT O
Consensus:
Shankar is one director who pioneered in pushing the imaginative
boundaries, creating milestones in Indian cinema. Being the most expensive film
in Indian cinema, ‘2.0’, smashed all
the doubts on the profits by earning 750 crores in the worldwide box office and
still continuing with full power. The film ticked off many technical milestones
in country’s film industry and paved way for many other filmmakers to dream big
without doubting the market. A true cinematic experience by the visionary
director and our Super Star!
Celluloid Meter:
3.5/5
7) KOLAMAVU KOKILA
Consensus:
Nayanthara’s star power rose a notch higher with this solid,
black comedy. Director Nelson made a flying debut displaying a good flair for
writing and an eye for tasteful aesthetics. With Anirudh’s music as a backbone,
‘Kalyana Vayasu’ song went on to
become a chart buster. Be it the quirky situations, music, performances or the
dialogues, the film got it all perfect and was thoroughly engaging from start
to finish.
Celluloid Meter:
3.75/5
6) THAMIZH PADAM 2
Consensus:
Some might be wondering why a spoof film has made it to such
a high ranking. In my opinion, ‘Thamizh
Padam 2’ can never be written off as just as a time-pass flick. It takes so
much of research work and detailing to create a coherent screenplay with
fitting extracts of Tamil films. Be it the dialogues or the production design, Thamizh Padam 2, went on an extra notch
in detailing compared to its predecessor. As a fan of Indian cinema, I loved
it. Of course the degree of entertainment the film gives, depends on each
audiences’ exposure to the dynamics discussed in the film. That said, the film
went on to do wonders in box office too.
Celluloid Meter:
3.75/5
5) NADIGAYAR THILAGAM
(Tamil title)
Consensus:
More than a celebration of one of the most talented actress
in Indian cinema, the film portrayed the emotional state of the film industry
in the 1950s and 60s. So much of tears were shed to witness the rise and fall
of a true artiste like Savitiri and Keerthy Suresh pulled off as the legend
with so much of conviction. Director Nag Ashwin must be commended for
spearheading this mammoth project at such a young age and creating a beautiful
theatrical experience.
Celluloid Meter:
4/5
4) 96
Consensus:
Taking a knot about two childhood
sweethearts, director Prem Kumar crafted a poetic, meditative romantic film
that explored the idea of destiny with a bittersweet nature. Vijay Sethupathi
and Trisha sweet chemistry tied in with Govind Vasantha’s soulful music,
ensured a magical experience for the audience. More than the screenplay, Prem Kumar's execution of momentary emotions was simply great!
Celluloid Meter:
4/5
3) RATCHASAN
Consensus:
Who would have thought that a guy who directed a laugh riot
like ‘Mundasapatti’ can pull off such
a straight shot suspense flick? It is very rare for a commercial thriller film
to sustain the suspense and stay focused in his narration without any
deviations to create crowd pleasing moments. ‘Ratchasan’ encompassed this rarity, but also kept us in fear from
the first scene till the last. It gave a refreshing turn in Vishnu’s career
that was filled mainly with mindless masala flicks. Kudos to Ghibran’s eerie
BGM that gave us the chills at scene by scene. No one would ever see a gift box
the same again!
Celluloid Meter:
4.25/5
2) VADA CHENNAI
Consensus:
Vetrimaran - the pride of Tamil cinema, we say! He has proved that once again with a solid grasp of film language and complex narration that
stings your heart at many places. In fact, he gets better and better by each
film. Dhanush capitalized on this golden opportunity and has given his life to
get into the skin of the character which grows gradually. Kudos to the solid
cast ensemble (Ameer, Samuthirakani, Kishore, Andrea, Aishwarya Rajesh, Daniel
Balaji) who have given some career peak performances with this flick. Crafted
as a trilogy, we really hope that the team starts work for the sequels after
Dhanush-Vetrimaran’s next film, ‘Asuran’.
Celluloid Meter:
4.25/5
1) PARIYERUM PERUMAL
Consensus:
Yes, you read that right. ‘Pariyerum Perumal’ tops the list as the best wholesome film with
full marks! This hard hitting, anti-caste film embeds its message through deep
characters and situations that makes us reflect on the stated society in the
film. As a message heavy film, none of the scene were crafted in a blatant or
preachy way. Mari Selvaraj’s beautiful, striking narration was beautifully
elevated by Santosh Narayanan’s subtle score and songs. Of course, Kathir, the man who made this
drama a powerful one, deserves more accolades and opportunities to emerge as
a promising star in Kollywood.
Celluloid Meter:
5/5
SPECIAL MENTIONS:
SILA SAMAYANGALIL
Consensus:
Crafted to project
awareness about AIDS, ‘Sila Samayangalil’ was another powerful drama by veteran Priyadarshan who rides on his strength of visual storytelling to convey the
emotions of 7 individuals who are eagerly waiting to get their HIV test
results. Each of the lead casts seem to be carefully handpicked with Prakash
Raj, as expected stealing the show. The film was released in Netflix straight
after going around on festivals. Might have been a limited release but this silent gem
warrants a watch!
MERKU THODARCHI MALAI
Consensus:
Produced by Vijay
Sethupathi and helmed by debutante Lenin Bharathi, ‘Merku Thodarchi Malai’
received high acclaims for its realistic portrayal of people living in the foothills
of Western Ghats. The striking thing about this film is the high level of realism
it possess in terms of scene staging and performances by non-actors. The long
takes and wide shots reminded me of films that made during the highly
influential Italian Neo-Realism period. The earnest attempt was even well
received by the masses to a certain extent, given the limited screens it was
entitled.
NIMIR
Consensus:
Written off by the
public, I felt that ‘Nimir’ was an earnest remake of the award winning
Malayalam film, ‘Maheshite Pathikaram’. Priyadarshan captured the
essence of the dark comedy that had all the elements to transcend in any
language. Udhayanidhi Stalin’s measured emotions fitted the lead role played by
Fahadh Fazil in the original film. The feel good factor was very well retained
and the songs by Darbuka Siva were fairly catchy too. Even though the film
didn’t do well in the box office, this should be given another chance if it
gets released in any VOD platforms.
SARKAR
Consensus:
A.R.Muragadoss and
Vijay joined hands again after their blockbuster outings, ‘Thuppaki’ and
‘Kaththi’ to churn out this action packed political thriller. Even
though the film might not possess the same standard as their previous films and
came out as a preachy affair, it gave Vijay his biggest box office hit in his
career with a whopping 253 crores (estimated) at the box office.
KALAKALAPU 2
Consensus:
Sundar C remains to be one of
the most bankable directors in Tamil cinema and he proved that once again with
a sequel of his successful franchise. For me, the film was far behind in terms
writing compared to its predecessor but he somehow managed to set the box
office on fire by getting all the glitz, glamour and other commercial elements
on point.
TIK TIK TIK
Consensus:
Even though ‘Tik
Tik Tik’ got released after many delays and problems, it managed to grasp
the audiences through its striking visuals and quality VFX for its scale and
budget. Jayam Ravi continued his healthy box office run through this film and
also later in the year with ‘Adanga Maru’. The film might not be strong in writing, but Shakthi Soundar Rajan continues to show that
he loves thinking out of the box (previously directed ‘Naaigal Jaagarthai’ and
‘Miruthan’)
MAJOR
DISAPOINTMENTS OF 2018:
VISHWAROOPAM 2
Consensus:
No one would have
guessed that this film would bomb in the box office. The highly repetitive
scenes, dry and experimental screenplay did not get the attention of the
audience who just wanted a high octave action flick like the predecessor. Even
though the story was decent, the film lacked the conviction the first installment had. Kamal Hassan’s dynamic presence couldn’t save the film from
sinking.
SEEMA RAJA
Consensus:
There will always be
a dead end for any successful templates and that what exactly happened with
‘Seema Raja’. After successful films such as ‘Varuthapadatha Vaalibar
Sangam’ and ‘Rajini Murugan’, Ponram-Sivakarthigeyan combo failed in
engaging the audience by their tiring jokes, similar love tracks and beaten to
death masala story. The period portion was criticized to be forced
despite the hard work on the visuals. D.Imman’s hit album couldn’t save this
film from becoming Sivakarthigeyan’s first disaster.
SAAMY SQUARE
Consensus:
Hari used to be
called as producer’s director who churned out back to back hits with family
swarming in to see his films that carried many good values and sentiments.
However, nowadays his films have been highly revolving around the ‘Singam’
franchise style of over the top treatment that has been gradually receiving
negative reviews from the audience. ‘Saamy Square’ pushed this threshold
too much with loud dialogues, zero logic and forgettable story. Hari got
carried away, losing the entire essence of the ‘Saamy’ franchise that
worked against the film, big time. Made with a high budget of 50 crores
(estimated), this film ended up as one of the biggest flops in 2018.
CELLULOID
CRITIC's PICK
The following list compromises a few categories of talents whom I wish to mention and also pick the best out of the lot. The nominees are not arranged by any order.
Best Actor:
 |
| Vijay Sethupathi (96) |
 |
| Dhanush (Vada Chennai) |
 |
| Kathir (Pariyerum Perumal) |
 |
| Rajinikanth (Kaala) |
 |
| Prakash Raj (Sila Samayangalil) |
| |
| Kathir (Pariyerum Perumal) Despite the heavy battle in arena of performances this year, Kathir is my pick as the best actor of the year with his raw portrayal of an angry youngster in Pariyerum Perumal. From start to end, the hold he had on the character was simply amazing. |
Best Actress:
 |
| Trisha (96) |
 |
| Jyothika (Kaatrin Mozhi) |
 |
| Keerthy Suresh (Nadigayar Thilagam) |
 |
| Nayanthara (Kolamavu Kokila) |
 |
| Aishwarya Rajesh (Kanaa) |
|
| Keerthy Suresh (Nadigayar Thilagam) Savitiri was not only a star but also known as 'Lady Sivaji'. She was regarded as an emblem for acting during the 1960s. To carry off that character is never an easy task and Keerthy took it as a challenge and brought back the legend back to our eyes with such detailed gestures and acting. At such a young age, Keerthy showed immense finesse in acting. |
Best Supporting Actor:
 |
| Vidharth (Kaatrin Mozhi) |
 |
| Anurag Kashyap (Imaikka Nodigal) |
 |
| Ameer (Vada Chennai) |
 |
| Arvind Swamy (Chekka Chivantha Vaanam) |
 |
| Sathyaraj (Kanaa) |
|
| Anurag Kashyap (Imaikka Nodigal) Anurag Kashyap showed us that he not only can direct great films but also put up a fine show as an actor through 'Imaikka Nodigal'. Without knowing Tamil, Anurag Kashyap pulled off as the eccentric serial killer with such perfection in expression and lip sync. We really hope he continues to act in more Tamil films and blow us away! |
Best Supporting Actress:
 |
| Jyothika (Chekka Chivantha Vaanam) |
 |
| Andrea (Vada Chennai) |
 |
| Eswari Rao (Kaala) |
 |
| Poorna (Savarakathi) |
 |
| Shirya Reddy (Sila Samayangalil) |
|
| Andrea (Vada Chennai) If last year was 'Taramani', this year was 'Vada Chennai' for this monstrous actress who transforms into any role the director writes for. Her dedication in portraying the complex character of Chandra can be seen in each frame and more than using words, her eyes did all the talking. |
Best Music Album:
 |
| Pyaar Prema Kadhal (Yuvan Shankar Raja) |
 |
| Seema Raja (D.Imman) |
 |
| Kaala (Santosh Narayanan) |
 |
| Thaana Serntha Kootam (Anirudh) |
 |
| 96 (Govind Vasantha) There were many songs that captured our attention this year with catchy tunes. But this particular album captured everyone's soul with its attempt to tell a story in each song. For me, each track was like unveiling a new chapter of emotions of the film. Who can possibly not be moved by the arresting 'Kadhale Kadhale' track? |
 |
| Vada Chennai (Santosh Narayanan) |
|
| Kaala (Santosh Narayanan) |
 |
| 96 (Govind Vasantha) |
 |
| 2.0 (A.R.Rahman) |
 |
| Ratchasan (Ghibran) |
 |
| Vada Chennai (Santosh Narayanan) Vada Chennai was Santosh Narayanan's best BGM after Jigarthanda I would say. The score captured the entire catastrophe the screenplay encompassed. For me it was like attending a masterclass for scoring films! A clear winner! |
Best Director:
 |
| Mari Selvaraj (Pariyerym Perumal) |
 |
| Ram Kumar (Ratchasan) |
 |
| Shankar (2.0) |
 |
| Prem Kumar (96) |
 |
| Vetrimaran (Vada Chennai) |
 |
| Shankar (2.0) The year was filled with many great film makers who emerged as I have mentioned earlier in my article. With due respect to the great works done by the young film makers, I feel Shankar made us proud by pushing our industry further through immense hard work for 3 straight years. Shankar's achievement is not restricted to technical finesse but also in the business boundaries of South Indian cinema in global scale. It's not an easy task to spearhead the most expensive film in the country and not missing out any details in each and every department. Even after 26 years, Shankar continues to explore and break the technical standards set by the industry. A true Auteur indeed! |
OTHER HONORABLE MENTIONS:
 |
Best Cinematographer:
Santosh Sivan (Chekka Chivantha Vaanam)
|
 |
Best Visual Effects:
Srinivas Mohan (2.0)
|
 |
Best Editing:
G.B.Venkatesh (Vada Chennai)
|
 |
Best Screenplay:
Ram Kumar (Ratchsan)
|
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