CE Year in Review 2022: The Tamil films that deserved more love

In a year, when people returned to theatres in droves, it was clear what made them do it, especially post the pandemic. Honestly, it was the spectacle films that managed to bring in the people and break box-office records. Unlike before, the audience members weren’t really geared up to watch the “small” films that weren’t backed by big stars. But with films coming by thick and fast, we saw a lot of them not receiving their well-deserved due. With 2022 coming to a close, here’s a list of films we feel deserve more attention, even if not praise.

SILA NERANGALIL SILA MANIDHARGAL (Streaming on Aha)

More than anything else, Sila Nerangalil Sila Manidhargal is almost like a showreel for the brilliant cast and crew of the film. While it is expected that veterans like Nasser or Ilavarasu would deliver the goods, SNSM brought to the fore the talents of actors like Ashok Selvan, Manikandan, and Rishikanth.  The hyperlink film did a deep dive into the emotions of unbridled anger, and irrevocable regret. A beautiful ending tied up all the raging sentiments to give us a film that did a lot of it right. Sila Nerangalil Sila Manidhargal definitely deserves the chance for making a lot more people smile and cry their hearts out.

SELFIE (Streaming on Aha)

Points to the makers of Selfie for not going the easy way when it came to mounting a college film. Instead of employing candy floss tropes and saccharine romance, Selfie opts for a rather grim look at a pertinent issue surrounding college admissions. While it opts for a spectacularly ordinary finale, Selfie features one of the more mature performances from GV Prakash, and has Gautham Menon venturing into a new vista of his fledgling acting career. There are enough subversions that work for us to briefly forget the contrivances of the film. All in all, Selfie works for the most part, and it is more than what we can tell about a lot of other films.

KUTTRAM KUTTRAME (Streaming on Prime Video)

Susienthiran is one of the very few Tamil filmmakers who has documented the pandemic in one form or the other. After Eeswaran, he once again sets his film, Kuttram Kuttrame, right in the middle of the pandemic. However, it has nothing much to do with the plot point, except setting the timeline for things that unfold. A simple whodunit is interspersed with some poignant themes including karma and retribution. A subtle Jai, a sophisticated Bharathiraja, and a fiery Harish Uthaman at the centre of things put up a fine performance in the film that directly went to streaming. More than anything else, this gripping drama also indicated a decent return to form for director Susienthiran who was facing a downward slump in his career.

PAYANIGAL GAVANIKKAVUM (Streaming on Aha)

A remake of the Malayalam superhit Vikruthi, Payanigal Gavanikkavum is a faithful reiteration of the film, which spoke about an extremely pertinent issue. SP Shakthivel’s directorial dealt with the repercussions of clout chasers on social media. An innocent man’s family is put into extreme duress because of another man’s urge to showcase his ‘social responsibility’ and improve his social capital. The film was an excellent commentary on how the tables turn on social media and the fickle nature of it all. The film, powered by exceptional performances by Vidharth, Lakshmipriyaa Chandramouli, and Karunakaran, was an OTT release, and despite positive word of mouth, never really realised its full potential. But that’s the thing with the advent of OTT, there is a ‘never say never’ attitude about it, and it is definitely a worthy watch to catch up on after reading this list.

VISITHIRAN

Yet another remake of a Malayalam superhit in this list, and this time it is Visithiran, the Tamil version of Joju George’s Joseph. A sombre whodunit that was also a warning sign for something sinister that can actually happen in real life, Visithiran was fronted by RK Suresh, who delivered more than just a competent performance in the film, which was directed by M Padmakumar, who helmed the original. A largely faithful remake, Visithiran also brought out the potential of Suresh. While both versions are available online, it would do good to have a look at Visithiran because it is yet another film that brings to the fore the belief that an actor’s true potential can be brought out under the aegis of the right filmmakers.

SETHTHUMAAN (Streaming on SonyLIV)

It is interesting how the unsung Tamil content of the year has mostly been direct-to-streaming releases. It alludes to the importance of promotions by the various platforms, and the makers. One such important film of the year was definitely Neelam Productions’ Seththumaan, which was directed by first-time filmmaker Thamizh. The film laid a mirror to both direct and benevolent casteism prevalent in our society, and more impressively, showed that it is not just the men who perpetrate such discrimination. Revolving around a grandfather and grandson from the oppressed community, Seththumaan was about a titular pig, and the two-faced nature of the oppressors whose convenient progressiveness is just a facade, and when it matters the most, justice isn’t the one that prevails.

KANAM (Streaming on Sony LIV)

Billed as the big return of actor Amala back to Tamil cinema, Kanam, a Tamil-Telugu bilingual, was a wonderful attempt at the sci-fi genre. The Shree Karthick directorial stayed true to the world it wanted to create, and even the big logical loopholes were masked by the overdose of sentimentality that thoroughly worked in favour of Kanam. Armed with consistent performances by the leads and the kids playing the younger versions of the leads, Kanam was an emotional rollercoaster fleeting across the past, present, and future, with consummate ease. The film touched upon rather interesting themes and respected the audience to connect the dots and make their own assumptions. But mainly, it was a well-made mother sentiment film, and it once again proved that ‘A mother is the necessity of some inventions.’

AADHAAR

Aadhaar was a rather hard-hitting film that laid bare the problems of red-tapism and lethargic bureaucracy. Fronted by Karunaas, Aadhaar is about a migrant labourer’s effort to find his missing wife. The filmmaker minces no words in showcasing the sheer lack of empathy that pervades society, especially among the more powerful. While Aadhaar does have a few rough edges in the form of its making and craft, the film is kept afloat by its strong core. The film stays close to the Visaaranai territory and is a painful yet poignant reminder of how the system always wins, and every single player is just a pawn in the larger scheme of things. Aadhaar scores heavily on director Ramnath Palanikumar’s belief that the audience is smart enough to catch the details without going into lengthy monologues or unnecessary expositions.


PAROLE (Streaming on Prime Video)

Films on dysfunctional families seem to often strike a chord with the audience, who feel more at ease seeing such irregularities rather than perfect happy families. One such film in 2022 was Parole, which was about two warring brothers, and the crux of their conflict was a parent being over affectionate with just one of them. We might have seen such an assembly line of films over the years, but what sets director Dwarakh Raja’s Parole truly apart is the other layers in the film, especially the gratuitous violence. Also, employing a non-linear narrative is an excellent choice because it not only makes things more engaging but is a telling example of how our own memories work. It also turns into a legal drama along the way and works on that front too. Known for ‘smaller’ films and ‘smaller’ roles, most of the actors of Parole — Linga, RS Karthik, Vinodhini Vaidhyanathan — show what they are capable of, and once again reiterates the fact that Tamil cinema has the right kind of talent, but definitely needs the right kind of opportunities.

RATHASAATCHI (Streaming on Aha)

Rathasaatchi was one of the surprises as the year came to a close. The film offers a compelling narrative on the spread of communist ideology in Tamil Nadu, and how many attempts to thwart the same were enforced by the powers that be. With a solid Kanna Ravi at the centre of things, Rathasaatchi isn’t an easy watch considering the propensity of violence the people faced when fighting for their rights. The oppression in the hands of not just the landlords but also the system is neatly documented in this OTT release. While director Rafiq Ismail shows tremendous restraint in the portrayal of the custodial violence, the extra-judicial killings, and the disdain for the lives of the oppressed, what little we see is disturbing enough. Despite all this, Rathasaatchi highlights the undying embers of revolution that continued to flare up despite unsurmountable odds, and the Tamil cinema of 2022 is only richer by its presence.