CE Year in Review: Here's looking back at Tamil Cinema in 2021

As 2020 drew to a close, the prospects for Tamil cinema began looking up. Theatres seemed set to be opened, the big-ticket releases were gearing up for the new year... And then 2021 happened.

Tamil cinema this year was like an underdog fighting against the system and coming up trumps. So, let’s trace the year that was in a format that we all have a love-hate relationship with – the masala film.

The Intro Song

Irrespective of how the film unfolds later, it is important that the masala film begins with a foot-tapping, fun opening number. That came to us in the form of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Master. The juggernaut paved the way not just for Tamil cinema but opened up theatres across India. Vijay’s superstardom and Anirudh’s music ensured that audiences returned to the theatres. On the OTT front, we had the likes of Madhavan (Maara) and Jayam Ravi (Bhoomi) reaching our homes directly to mixed results. These films set the tone for what would shape to be an interesting year for Tamil cinema with comebacks, twists, controversies, ups, downs, fun, romance, and everything in between.

The introductions and setups

Residual films from the previous year were forced into schedule, and we got bombarded with an avalanche of films. Much like in some masala films, there were one too many characters with most of them not getting prominence. Take, for instance, Anbirkiniyal, a remake of the Malayalam film Helen, which didn’t really get its due despite being a largely faithful adaptation. Another such remake was C/O Kaadhal. While films like Kalathil Sandhippom and Kamali from Nadukaveri gained traction, the attention shifted to films with better promotional strategies. Tamil cinema also had to contend with the ever-growing list of releases on OTT, and people just couldn’t keep track. That’s why a well-intentioned Thaen, and those like Sangathalaivan and Theethum Nandrum never really got their due. But then again, can you blame the audience, when you have as many as 60 films coming out in one quarter?

The laughs!

It appears that this quintessential aspect of masala films didn’t quite meet its due this year in our cinema. With pandemic restrictions in place, filmmakers opted for thrillers and chamber dramas and left comedy hanging high and dry. We had the rare Aelay and Parris Jeyaraj, but filmmakers seem to be moving away from the Sundar C-style of films and opting for social satires like Mandela and Sarbath. Films like Dikkiloona and Sabaapathy only served to make us wonder if we were even right in desiring comedies.

The love track

Tamil cinema of 2021 also gave romance the cold shoulder. Yes, we had Teddy, which was a heady mix of fantasy, action, and an undercurrent of romance. We got a twisted take on romance in GV Prakash’s Bachelor; we got a faithful remake of a successful romantic film in Oh Mana Penne. We got a thrifty allusion to love in Kasada Thapara, but where were the 96s and Oh My Kadavules and Pyaar Prema Kaadhals and Ispade Rajas and Idhaya Ranis?

The pre-Interval buildup

Tamil cinema hit a snag in April, and it almost felt like an extended intermission till September. The pandemic took a new turn, and it meant congregations had to be controlled and the first casualty was the cinema theatres. This period was used for ironing out OTT deals for films that preferred to come to our homes. And just earlier, Tamil cinema found its mass pre-interval high in the form of two successes: Sulthan and Karnan. Both films were sophomore efforts—of filmmakers Bakkiyaraj Kannan and Mari Selvaraj respectively—but the paths chosen couldn’t have been more different. While the Karthi-starrer catered to the basic commercial cinema fan in us, the Dhanush-starrer was a movement in itself. Every moment in Karnan screamed cinema at us, and it was a brilliant piece of art that made us question status quo. It also gave rise to the first controversy of sorts in the form of a timeline referenced in the film. Just like the hovering eagle shown in the interval block of Karnan, the triumphant return of Tamil cinema to normalcy wasn’t going to be smooth sailing at all.

The interval block

Before returning to the theatres, we found some gems of 2021 in Pa Ranjith’s sports drama, Sarpatta Parambarai, that easily made it to almost every top-ten-year-ender list of Tamil cinema. Similarly, Maadathy, Leena Manimekalai’s compelling drama on oppression and discrimination, found itself in the annals of Tamil cinema 2021 as the starkest mirror to our own privilege and place in society. We saw some googlies in the form of Vaazhl and Thittam Irandu. The abstractness of the former, and the earnestness of the latter more than made up for the flaws in them to deliver singular cinema-viewing experiences. It was not all hunky-dory though as we had damp squibs like Chasing, Vanakkam da Mappilei, and Paramapadham Vilayattu. We also saw two prolific directors make a comeback, as Radha Mohan and Chimbudevan gave us Malaysia to Amnesia and Kasada Thabara, respectively. Just as the interval was nearing, we were struck by star-studded thrillers like Nayanthara’s Netrikann and Aishwarya Rajesh’s Boomika. There was the anthology, Navarasa, that mostly missed the mark, but superstar names in the cast and crew prepped us right in time for the second half of this masala film.

Easing us back into the plot

After an extended lull (May-August) that only saw 15 films come out, Tamil cinema plonked us right in the middle of a chaotic September that saw 19 films coming at us, and Vijay Sethupathi was in three of those. Meanwhile, another Vijay—Vijay Antony—with his Kodiyil Oruvan reignited the interest in theatres. While Thalaivii, one of the most-awaited biopics, came out at the time, it was Kodiyil Oruvan and, to an extent, Hip Hop Tamizha’s Sivakumarin Sabadham that further added momentum to the ‘come back to theatres’ movement. We were ready for the final punch from the last quarter of 2021.

The messaging

Tamil cinema loves its message movies. They can be tearjerkers, satires, legal dramas, or even hard-hitting anthologies, but this year had messages for everyone. We had Tha Se Gnanavel deliver a gripping social drama fronted by Suriya in Jai Bhim. It questioned our collective consciousness and opened up conversations about a neglected section of our society, while also leading to noteworthy reforms. We had Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum pose uncomfortable questions that we didn’t have answers to. Some other ‘message’ films, with varying degrees of impact ranging from ‘Wow, this is impactful’ to ‘Are you kidding me, right now?’, include Endraavathu Oru Naal, Vinodhaya Sitham, Yennanga Saar Unga Sattam, Rudra Thandavam, Raame Aandaalum Raavane Aandaalum, Jail, and the like.

Climactic showdown ft. Fresh Blood, Old Guard, and Others

As the year clamoured to a stop, the final stretch of 2021 will be remembered for the ascension of a young star to superstardom, the comeback of a superstar, the first steps of actors with super-starry dreams, and the OG Superstar once again showing who is the boss. After a couple of hiccups, Sivakarthikeyan’s Doctor finally hit theatres, and the audience response was heartening. This acceptance was further cemented with the stupendous success of STR’s comeback vehicle, Maanaadu, directed by Venkat Prabhu. Both successes showed that well-made experimentations within the masala film genre still have takers. Rajinikanth showed real superstardom when Siva’s Annaatthe, which followed the tried-and-tested template of brother-sister sentiment raked in the money despite mixed critical responses. Vishal and Arya too delivered a convincing cat-and-mouse film with Enemy, with almost all of the big guns making a mark in the final stretch of 2021. However, this phase also saw young filmmakers deliver brilliant pieces of cinema that showed that Tamil cinema is truly on the cusp of something, hopefully, different. We saw the much-hyped Rocky, directed by Arun Matheswaran, living up to all the hype. There was Franklin Jacob’s Writer that was a worthy addition to the legacy of Pa Ranjith’s Neelam Productions. We then had Kadaseela Biriyani and Kayamai Kadakka, two interesting films that made a lot of noise. Success and failure notwithstanding, it was the climax of Tamil cinema 2021 that saw it revelling in the variety of it all. The Tamil versions of films like Pushpa,
83, and Shyam Singha Roy, which harboured pan-Indian ambitions, were received with wide-open arms. Tamil cinema was ending the year on a supreme high, and it definitely felt like the happy ending that a year like 2021 deserved…

Post-credits

Omicron is here. Theatres are being shut down in parts of the country, the occupancy might be cut down, the release plans of big-ticket movies might be up for a toss, and well… a few more vaccination drives are right around the corner to ensure safer congregations. It appears that the sequel to 2021 is coming up in 3…2…1