2024-03-08 15:16:00
Last Friday in February. Eight films are releasing in Tamil Nadu. A Malayalam film was also released in the same week. The seats are emptying as fast as those eight Tamil films. The same is the case with the films released in the previous week. But that Malayalam movie is even playing extra shows in the same theaters for days. Manjummal Boys is the name of the film which has crossed 100 crore mark in Kerala in the second week of its release.
Manjummal’s rise has made films like Jayamravi’s Siren, Kalidas’s Por, and Gautham Menon’s Joshua ineffective. The Guna movie reference and Kanmani song placement played a big role in the film’s success. Not only Manjummal Boyz, but the films Bhramayugam and Premalu released before it are still being screened in various parts of Tamil Nadu.
Here is a big time-honored mistake. It replicates the routine of Tamil-populated Kerala theatres. What is happening to Tamil films in Tamil Nadu where Malayalam is overflowing? Many theaters are re-showing old hit Tamil movies. Films like Varanam Ahiyal, Vaali, Kathaluk Maryadai, Thirumalai, Annamalai etc. are re-released and screened in theaters for days. Tamil YouTubers are posting many videos on this topic. What will happen to Tamil cinema at the beginning of 2024?
The last months of 2023 saw box office hits Leo, critical and commercial success Jigarthanda Double X, social media buzz Irugapatru, Parking and critically acclaimed Koozhangal. The jailer came and took the money. Tamil industry loses this strike rate in December. There was no success to speak of in Tamil last December. The continuation of that is seen in the first three months of 2024.
There is a small relief in this in the month of January. Dhanush’s film Captain Miller, Sivakarthikeyan’s film Aylan and Vijay Sethupathi’s bi-legal film Merry Christmas are coming as Pongal releases. After Rocky and Sani Kaidam, Dhanush’s film with Arun Madheswar was hyped for Captain Miller. Aylan was also hyped as a sci-fi film and as a film starring Sivakarthikeyan, who has created consecutive box office successes. Director R Ravikumar spent eight years as Aylan. There was a lot of talk that the fight was going to be seen at the box office in the beginning of 2024.
But there was no such heavy fight at the box office. Captain Miller stood out from the crowd. Captain Miller was praised for the making and politics of the film. There were some criticisms against the film that the script did not go along with the making. Anyway, for Captain Miller to enter the 100 crore club. Aylan received a mixed response. While the VFX was praised, Aylan was criticized for its outdated story. It was discussed that Rahman’s music also had flaws. Eight years delay in release could also be a reason why the story is outdated. Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif starrer Merry Christmas failed to create much movement. In early January, Captain Miller and Aylan were fairly safe, but that didn’t last. Ashok Selvan’s Blue Star, which was released in January itself, became the talk of the social media but did not create any movement at the box office.
Lal Salaam directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth hit the theaters in February. Vishnu Vishal and Vikrant, who are the main characters of the film, gained attention with their cameo role of Rajinikanth. But Lal Salaam was a disaster at the box office. Despite spending around 90 crores, the film could not earn even half of the investment. The 2023 hit film Lover, which reunited the Good Night team, did not create as much success or waves as Good Night.
Since January, 46 Tamil films have been released. Only two films were big hits. At the beginning of 2024, Tamil is also facing the same crisis that Malayalam cinema faced in 2023 and previous years.
But the reality is that 2024 Tamil cinema cannot be measured in just two months. To make matters worse, there were no big star films in these months. Film buffs have many upcoming films to look forward to like Vijay’s Greatest of All Time, Suriya’s Kangwa, Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2, Taglife, Vetrimaran’s Vithutalai 2, Rajinikanth’s Vettayan, Ajith’s Vithamuirchi, Sivakarthikeyan’s Amaran, Vikram’s Tangalan… Hope is uplifting.
Tamil is one of the most creative industries in Indian cinema, producing and succeeding commercial films as well as art films, experimental films and political films alike. Let’s not forget that during the current criticism. Tamil also has a recent tradition of leading the way even before Malayalam in the arrival of new wave movies. That’s why this movie era will also run. Tamil cinema will surely find its way to success.
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