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From Karnan to Jai Bhim and Master: Best of Tamil cinema in 2021

Here are eight tamil releases of the year 2021 which are definitely a must watch for not just the fans of the tamil cinema but for cinelovers from all walks of life. .

As 2021 comes to a close, we take a look at Tamil films that made an impact, went beyond entertaining audiences and managed to appeal to a large section of the viewers without requiring the backing of a star. From Vijay’s Master to Dhanush’s Karnan and Suriya’s Jai Bhim , here are the best Tamil films of the year in no particular order.

Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Master is one of Vijay’s most entertaining films in recent years. After proving his mettle with films such as Maanagaram and Kaithi, which worked even though they didn’t feature stars, Master is Lokesh’s maiden attempt at true-blue commercial cinema with one of the industry’s biggest stars, Vijay. He proves himself yet again, even if Master panders to Vijay’s fans more than the director's own. Master is a largely entertaining star vehicle, and one that’s devoid of the chest-thumping heroism Vijay’s films usually scream of.

Debutant writer-director Madone Ashwin’s Mandela, which premiered directly on Netflix, is a political satire that’s both entertaining and extremely impactful, especially in the ways it addresses issues such as caste-based politics. The film makes one realize the importance of a single vote, and why it’s essential to understand modern-day politics in Tamil Nadu. One of the prime reasons why the film works effectively and mostly stays relevant is because of its comical treatment. Yet, it does strike an emotional chord without getting overly sentimental.

Mari Selvaraj’s Karnan, which features Dhanush in one of his fiercest roles, is a bold, powerful portrayal of a flawed system letting down its people, caste-based riots and police brutality. Loosely based on the 1995 caste-riots in Kodiyankulam; Karnan paints an extremely hard-hitting story of a village fighting for its recognition. Karnan raises several valid questions – all equally important- about the state of the oppressed community in our society.

Leena Manimekalai’s Maadathy (streaming on Neestream) is a simple, straightforward film about the life of a carefree teenager who belongs to the ‘unseeable’ community in her village. But while Maadathy is the coming-of-age tale of the girl (and about her sexual awakening), it is also a hard-hitting commentary on caste and gender discrimination. Leena does not sugarcoat the way she portrays the horrors of caste pride. Leena doesn’t hesitate to ask all the uncomfortable questions. She questions how we build temples of goddesses but don’t treat the women in our lives with dignity.

Sarpatta Parambarai

Pa Ranjith’s Sarpatta Parambarai, unlike his recent movies, doesn’t openly discuss things like oppression and caste discrimination which had branded him as an anti-caste filmmaker. Breaking away from the image trap, Ranjith’s film is a straightforward, highly absorbing boxing drama about the clash between two popular clans - Sarpatta and Idiyappan - that ruled the North Madras in the 1970s. At the same time, it’s also an important story about one man’s fight for equality and glory. The film features Arya in a career-defining role.

TJ Gnanavel’s Jai Bhim will go down as one of the most important films in Suriya’s career. It’s one of those rare occasions where the star hasn’t flexed his heroism and let his co-stars steal the spotlight. Jai Bhim talks about the state of the oppressed, and even though the story takes place in 1995, the film points out how even today, nothing much has changed when it comes to the lives of the marginalised.

Filmmaker Venkat Prabhu makes a very strong comeback with Maanaadu, which is a highly enjoyable, crowd-pleasing, and accessible time-loop thriller. It isn’t easy to take a concept like time-loop, and make it accessible for the masses. Venkat Prabhu cracks this formula successfully and that’s what saves Maanaadu from becoming just another novel attempt gone haywire. It is this formula that makes the film highly enjoyable, but at the same time uses the concept of time-loop in such a way that it never leaves the audiences wondering about what’s happening.

Also read: Master movie review: Vijay delivers a largely entertaining star vehicle

Debutant director Franklin Jacob’s Writer is one of the most important films of Tamil cinema, a polite answer to chest-thumping cop movies. Cut from the same cloth as Vetrimaaran’s Visaranai and Jai Bhim, Writer shines the spotlight on different aspects of the police department. Tamil cinema has always used police force as a medium to glorify its heroes without touching on their truly human side. Writer turns this trope on its head and gives us a protagonist who has been in police service for over 30 years but has never left the desk.

• Tamil Cinema
• Yearender 2021

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• ENGLISH HINDI MALAYALAM TAMIL TELUGU KANNADA BENGALI  

Top Critic Rated Tamil Movies of 2021

Vinodhaya Sitham Movie Review: Thambi Ramaiah, Samuthirakani present a heartwarming tale of the last ride

Rating: ( 3 / 5).

In Sivaji , Rajinikanth says, “ Saagara naal therinju pochu na, vaazhara naal naragamaaidum .” And there is no doubt that the idea of death is an existential theme of the human race that gives birth to a number of questions. What happens after we die? Where do we go? Will people remember us after? Despite death being the only certainty of life, we are never quite ready for it. In Vinodhaya Sitham , Samuthirakani’s latest directorial, he asks us a simple question about life and death. Is death really the last great adventure?

Cast: Thambi Ramaiah, Samuthirakani, Sriranjini, Munishkanth

Director: Samuthirakani

Streaming on: Zee5

Centred around the life and times of Parasuram (a brilliant Thambi Ramaiah), Samuthirakani weaves a tale that questions the idea of free will, fate, luck, and ultimately, death. But it isn’t all grim as Samuthirakani leaves us with a lasting message of hope. It makes us believe that the ones who left us weren’t going through the journey into the beyond without a companion. They weren’t alone. Of course, it might all seem hokum, and there might not be an afterlife after all. But, these stories are like folklore... it is familiar and comforting, even if it is cooked up. 

Parasuram is like the father from Santhosh Subramaniam, but only on steroids. He decides everything for his family -- wife (Sriranjini), son (Deepak), daughters (Sanchita Shetty and Yuvasri Lakshmi). The hyperactive Parasuram who takes the proverb - Time and tide wait for no one - too seriously is confronted by time itself, played by a stoic Samuthirakani. As time actually waits for Parasuram to finish off his worldly duties, we are shown how little we eventually matter to the overall scheme of things. Now, these concepts can be questioned for their basic veracity, but in this world, these exist and it is on its principles that we see Parasuram's well-constructed life crumble and reconstruct in front of our eyes. 

Samuthirakani’s Vinodhaya Sitham is based on a theatre play of the same name, written by Sreevathson, and has a similar 90-minute runtime. Although certain one-liners and the overall flow of narrative remains the same, the changes that are made truly enhance the film. It is impressive how Samuthirakani stuffs in a lot more layers into the film without it feeling overly bloated or… since it is a Samuthirakani film… preachy. There is a small twist in the stories of Parasuram’s prospective son-in-law (Hari Krishnan) and daughter-in-law (Sheriina). There is a small twist in why Parasuram's younger daughter (Yuvasri) agrees to a hurried marriage. There is a small twist in the story of Parasuram’s wife. There is a small twist in terms of Parasuram’s office promotion. There is a small twist in terms of Parasuram’s final regret. Even Time's non-mincing of words comes with a moral lesson here, and a preachy undertone there. But each of these twists and messages is neatly wrapped in the cloak of sentiment with a surprisingly effective layer of comedy. 

Vinodhaya Sitham is easily the most subtle Samuthirakani film since Unnai Charanadainthen, but we do see some garden-variety sentiment. It is the performances of a solid ensemble that manages to elevate the stereotypes to refreshing flourishes. On the surface level, it might not seem that Thambi Ramaiah is doing anything that we haven’t seen him do earlier. In fact, the OTT-ness of his performance might be reminiscent of his previous works — Saattai, Adutha Saattai, Appa — with Samuthirakani himself. But, Thambi Ramaiah's grounding and affecting performance allow us to look beneath the caricaturish nature of Parasuram and find a lot more depth. The same can be said about Sriranjini’s performance too. It is Samuthirakani’s writing that ensures that roles that run the risk of being just cardboard characters are anything but in Vinodhaya Sitham . 

Of course, since there are many layers and subplots packed in, the 90-minute runtime doesn’t really do justice to it all. The setting up of the premise and introducing us to the multiple players takes up so much time that the final resolution feels rushed. But, full points to composer Sathya for giving us a rather sobering soundtrack as opposed to the bombastic background scores we are used to in recent Samuthirakani films. 

Over the past two years, our ideas of life and death have undergone a drastic change. Now, we step out of our houses more aware of our mortality than ever before. We know how little our well-laid future plans actually matter. We know how our lives can turn upside down in a matter of just days. Our idea of eventuality is being questioned. But is there something that can actually be done?  Through Vinodhaya Sitham, Samuthirakani and Co tell us that although there is very little we can do, it shouldn’t stop us from being… well, nice people. As Albus Dumbledore says in Harry Potter , “For the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure.” Did I ever think I’d be using a Harry Potter quote to sum up a Samuthirakani film? Well... that’s one Vinodhaya Sitham indeed.

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