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From Por Thozhil to Good Night, best Tamil films of 2023 so far
In the past six months, some of the much-anticipated films like thunivu, vaathi, and pathu thala have let down fans in terms of quality despite raking in big numbers. it is the small-budget ventures that have managed to stay with the audience..
After the pandemic, the success of Ponniyin Selvan 1 and Vikram brought back hope to theatre owners and other stakeholders of the Tamil film industry. It was further reinforced by the overwhelming response to small-budget films like Thiruchitrambalam and Love Today. It was a sign that despite the advent of OTT, theatre-going audiences are still out there and willing to spend money on tickets. However, out of over 200 films that were released in 2022, not more than ten per cent of it turned out to be box office hits. To put it bluntly, despite having record-breaking films like PS 1 and Vikram, the overall performance of Kollywood in 2022 was anything but average. But even last year looks pretty bright when compared with what’s happening in Tamil cinema in 2023. It is all gloom except for a few infrequent flashes.
While star vehicles like Varisu, Thunivu, Pathu Thala and Vaathi have raked in big numbers at the box office, the numbers are not reflective of their quality. While a lot of hope was pinned on H Vinoth’s Thunivu, it was utterly disappointing and lost the box office battle to Vijay’s Varisu, a generic affair. Dhanush ’s Vaathi and Silambarasan’s Pathu Thala were other letdowns, While the stars failed, the small-budget films have punched above their weight. Most of our top picks of 2023 (till June) comprise these ventures. Here’s our pick of the best Tamil films of 2023 so far:
There have been many reports about wives/husbands filing for divorce just because their partners snore at night. Debutant director Vinaya Chandrasekaran has made an engaging movie with one such premise that easily acquires your emotional investment. The film wins your heart even before getting into the conflict. The lead characters, the blossoming of romance between them, and all the drama in Good Night are heartwarming and convincing. Mohan (Manidkandan) develops an inferiority complex because of his snores. Though his wife Anu (Meetha Raghunath) is accepting of him, his self-doubt creates a huge gap between the newlyweds. Though the climax tests your patience, it is a worthwhile trade-off for the other beautiful moments in the film.
Viduthalai Part 1
Though not the best work of director Vetrimaaran, Viduthalai Part 1 is easily one of the best Tamil films to come out this year so far. Based on Jeyamohan’s short story Thunaivan, the gut-wrenching film is about a tribal village that suffers due to police brutality. It follows a new naive police constable posted in a remote village, who witnesses the atrocities committed by the men in power in the name of preventing acts of terror. Even without his knowledge, he becomes an enabler of such violence. The film is extremely disturbing because it doesn’t look away from the truth.
Por Thozhil
Easily the most entertaining film of the lot, Por Thozhil, another low-budget film on the list, follows all the tropes of a buddy cop film. With brilliant casting choices and focused story-telling, debutant director Vignesh Raja has delivered an engaging film that doesn’t disappoint from start to finish. Prakash (Ashok Selvan) is a newly-appointed DSP, who suffers from anxiety issues. On the very first day, he is made to work with a reclusive but efficient SP Loganathan (Sarathkumar), who prefers working alone. The two different personalities come together to catch a serial killer who targets women. With no clue in sight, the two have to act before the killer strikes again.
- Ponniyin Selvan 2
Perhaps, PS 2 is the only film on the list that is made on a big budget. While the first part went on to set box office records earning close to Rs 500 crore, the second part couldn’t even touch the Rs 400 crore mark. Yet, more than the first part, the second part was more true to the craft. Mani Ratnam took a lot of creative liberty with the climax and diverged from the source novel (of the same name, written by Kalki Krishnamoorthy), which left the readers upset. Nevertheless, PS 2 was more organic than the choppy first part. There were more good moments here, notably the brilliant interval sequence.
While Mani Ratnam enthralled the Tamil audience with Ponniyin Selvan’s impressive production design and big budget, director Dharani Rasendran showed such historical fiction doesn’t require big money. Yaathisai, despite having a small budget and featuring fresh faces, found many takers in a short span. If PS films are about the glory of Cholas, Yaathisai is about Pandyas and a tribal braveheart named Kothi (Seyon), who captures the mighty empire for a brief period. Despite the limited budget and a few technical glitches, the film is effective in narrating the rise of an underdog and effortlessly depicts the culture, bravery, and politics of ancient Tamil Nadu .
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‘Star’ Review: Kavin, Elan’s coming-of-age film falls short of excellence
Director elan’s much-awaited film, ‘star’, starring kavin, lal and aaditi phankar, is a coming-of-age movie about a youngster who aspires to become an actor. the struggles and the curveballs that life throws at him are what ‘star’ is all about. read our review..
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- Director Elan and actor Kavin's 'Star' released in theatres on May 10
- The coming-of-age film is about a youngster who aspires to become an actor
- The film, despite having potential to be an excellent film, has some shortcomings
Release Date: 10 May, 2024
2024 has been particularly dull for Tamil cinema. Except for one of two, none of the movies that hit theatres managed to create an impact. However, Kavin’s ‘Star’ was one such film, which piqued everyone’s curiosity, thanks to Yuvan Shankar Raja’s killer music and the brilliantly cut trailer. Will director Elan manage to impress the audience again after his debut film, ‘Pyaar Prema Kadhal’? Let’s find out!
Kalai (Kavin) loves cinema and the influence comes from his supportive father (Lal), who is a photographer. From selling tickets to Thalaivar Rajinikanth’s films to taking photos with cut-outs of him, Vijay and Ajith, Kalai does everything that a cinephile and an aspiring actor would do. He also goes to an engineering college to know that cinema is his true love, much like many youngsters.
He starts working towards it with great support from his family (except his mother), friends and girlfriend. When he gets an inch closer to achieving his dream, life throws a curveball at him. This destroys his confidence and takes him away from the cinema. How he re-discovers his zeal and runs towards his dream forms the story.
The coming-of-age film by director Elan chronicles Kalai’s life from 1989 to 2015 and beyond that. Elan’s story is so relatable as we would have all come across that one friend who hails from a middle-class background but wants to make it big in cinema. And it’s still so fascinating as cinema is one of the prime modes of entertainment. It is because of these factors that ‘Star’ generated positive buzz months before its release.
However, ‘Star’ remains superficial despite having so much potential. The struggles that Kalai goes through don’t linger. The screenplay feels rushed, and it jumps from one emotional scene to another without giving the audience time to process it. That said, certain moments in ‘Star’ do grab your attention. Be it Kalai and his father’s camaraderie or his banter with his mother (Geetha Kailasam), the emotions are conveyed beautifully. The portions where Kalai goes to an acting school in Mumbai add much-needed gravitas to his struggle.
The main grouse with ‘Star’ is that the story meanders to a different tangent in the second half, which gives in to many clichés. While the first half stays true to the genre and Kavin’s dream, the second half lags because of this tonal shift. While it's justified that it is also Kalai’s struggle, it subverts the feeling it created in the first half.
After a while, the struggles become superficial. We get to see the Kalai’s problems in familial life and mental health, but not how the cinema industry functions, especially when a newcomer is trying to break in without solid backing.
The makers of ‘Star’ promised three surprises in the film. And all the three surprises become our favourite moments in the film. They become proper theatrical comments, which would evoke apllause and screams.
Kavin’s performance as Kalai works well for ‘Star’. It is mostly effective and also shows he has improved as a performer. It is Lal, who plays Pandian, who has our hearts with his act. Preity Mukundhan, who played Meera Malarkodi, has a great screen presence and her chemistry with Kavin is laudable.
Aaditi Pohankar does the classic ‘loosu ponnu’ (read: bubbly naïve girl) role with much conviction. She also scores in some of the emotional sequences.
Composer Yuvan Shankar Raja is the backbone of ‘Star’. His songs and background music elevate the film in many places. While they work as a standalone album, sometimes, his music forces us to feel the emotion. Cinematographer Ezhil Arasu’s frames took us back to the 90s and 2000s. Editing by Pradeep E Ragav complimented the vision of the filmmaker.
‘Star’ could have been a great coming-of-age film about an aspiring actor. However, it ended up as a showreel more than a emotional and inspiring documentation of his life.
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Lens feels experimental because of its risqué subject and setting, but, at heart, this is a conventional film.
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- This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor. Share
- This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor.
- This is the second time Arjun Kapoor is playing a double role, the first being Aurangzeb (2013).
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Tamil Movie Rathnam OTT Release Date Confirmed, Claims Report
By Rohan Verma
Following its theatrical run, Rathnam is gearing up for its digital debut on two OTT platforms. Directed by Hari and released on April 26, 2024, the film received mixed reviews from audiences and critics. However, recent reports have confirmed that audiences will soon have the opportunity to experience it digitally.
In April 2023, Rathnam officially marked Vishal’s 34th film as the lead actor under the tentative tile, Vishal 34. Filmed at various locations, including Trichy, Karaikudi, Vellore, Triputi, and Chennai, production concluded in late January 2024. With an approximate budget of $6 million, the film has been produced by Stone Bench Films and Zee Studios.
The cast includes Vishal, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Samuthirakani, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Yogi Babu, Murali Sharma, and others. Rathnam’s story revolves around a man who works as a bodyguard for an MLA. When an outsider girl arrives in his village for an interview and faces an attack by gangsters, Rathnam takes it upon himself to protect her.
When will Rathnam arrive on OTT?
Didn’t know this. Took me by surprise. my office ppl started the day with their regular tea but with a twist. I can’t escape me guys. lol. . We are in tea bags too. Good one dearest producers. Leaving no stone unturned. Thank u #chaikings for collaborating with us. Will… pic.twitter.com/LpcQGRNpJv — Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) April 24, 2024
Recent reports from Telugu Hindustan Times suggest that Rathnam will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video starting May 24, 2024 . Additionally, it will be available only in Tamil and Telugu. The website further confirms that Netflix has secured its digital streaming rights, indicating that it may also be available on that platform. However, official confirmations from the two are still pending.
Regarding its box office collection , the film earned around $293,000 on its opening day, slightly declining to $257,000 on Day 2. Its first-week collection reached $1.5 million in India’s net collection. In the international market, Rathnam has earned around $1.9 million till date.
In a recent interview, director Hari discussed his techniques and said , “When you remind your audience of such facts, they are surprised and happy. When you tell them things they didn’t know, it might make them surprised but not necessarily happy. I want to make my audience happy. That is why I prefer working with the known.”
As of now, audiences await the official announcements of the film’s OTT debut. It will be intriguing to see when the platforms officially confirm its arrival.
Rohan Verma, widely known as Wrestling Hindi News, is a multifaceted content creator with a thriving YouTube channel boasting over 100,000 subscribers. While his digital presence is synonymous with the pulse of the wrestling world, Rohan is more than just a sports journalist; he's a versatile content writer and author with a distinct flair.
Beyond the adrenaline of the wrestling ring, Rohan Verma has a deep-seated passion for the Indian movie and TV industry. His unique perspective and keen insights into the intricacies of the entertainment world make him a notable voice in the realm of pop culture.
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The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.
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Solar Storm Intensifies, Filling Skies With Northern Lights
Officials warned of potential blackouts or interference with navigation and communication systems this weekend, as well as auroras as far south as Southern California or Texas.
By Katrina Miller and Judson Jones
Katrina Miller reports on space and astronomy and Judson Jones is a meteorologist.
A dramatic blast from the sun set off the highest-level geomagnetic storm in Earth’s atmosphere on Friday that is expected to make the northern lights visible as far south as Florida and Southern California and could interfere with power grids, communications and navigations system.
It is the strongest such storm to reach Earth since Halloween of 2003. That one was strong enough to create power outages in Sweden and damage transformers in South Africa.
The effects could continue through the weekend as a steady stream of emissions from the sun continues to bombard the planet’s magnetic field.
The solar activity is so powerful that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors space weather, issued an unusual storm watch for the first time in 19 years, which was then upgraded to a warning. The agency began observing outbursts on the sun’s surface on Wednesday, with at least five heading in the direction of Earth.
“What we’re expecting over the next couple of days should be more significant than what we’ve seen certainly so far,” Mike Bettwy, the operations chief at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, said at a news conference on Friday morning.
For people in many places, the most visible part of the storm will be the northern lights, known also as auroras. But authorities and companies will also be on the lookout for the event’s effects on infrastructure, like global positioning systems, radio communications and even electrical power.
While the northern lights are most often seen in higher latitudes closer to the North Pole, people in many more parts of the world are already getting a show this weekend that could last through the early part of next week.
As Friday turned to Saturday in Europe, people across the continent described skies hued in a mottling of colors.
Alfredo Carpineti , an astrophysicist, journalist and author in North London, saw them with his husband from the rooftop of their apartment building.
“It is incredible to be able to see the aurora directly from one’s own backyard,” he said. “I was hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of green on the horizon, but it was all across the sky in both green and purple.”
Here’s what you need to know about this weekend’s solar event.
How will the storm affect people on Earth?
A geomagnetic storm watch or warning indicates that space weather may affect critical infrastructure on or orbiting near Earth. It may introduce additional current into systems, which could damage pipelines, railroad tracks and power lines.
According to Joe Llama, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory, communications that rely on high frequency radio waves, such as ham radio and commercial aviation , are most likely to suffer. That means it is unlikely that your cellphone or car radio, which depend on much higher frequency radio waves, will conk out.
Still, it is possible for blackouts to occur. As with any power outage, you can prepare by keeping your devices charged and having access to backup batteries, generators and radio.
The most notable solar storm recorded in history occurred in 1859. Known as the Carrington Event, it lasted for nearly a week, creating aurora that stretched down to Hawaii and Central America and impacting hundreds of thousands of miles of telegraph lines.
But that was technology of the 19th century, used before scientists fully understood how solar activity disrupted Earth’s atmosphere and communication systems.
“That was an extreme level event,” said Shawn Dahl, a forecaster at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. “We are not anticipating that.”
Unlike tornado watches and warnings, the target audience for NOAA’s announcements is not the public.
“For most people here on planet Earth, they won’t have to do anything,” said Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
The goal of the announcements is to give agencies and companies that operate this infrastructure time to put protection measures in place to mitigate any effects.
“If everything is working like it should, the grid will be stable and they’ll be able to go about their daily lives,” Mr. Steenburgh said.
Will I be able to see the northern lights?
It is possible that the northern lights may grace the skies this week over places that don’t usually see them. The best visibility is outside the bright lights of cities.
Clouds or stormy weather could pose a problem in some places. But if the skies are clear, even well south of where the aurora is forecast to take place, snap a picture or record a video with your cellphone. The sensor on the camera is more sensitive to the wavelengths produced by the aurora and may produce an image you can’t see with the naked eye.
Another opportunity could be viewing sunspots during the daytime, if your skies are clear. As always, do not look directly at the sun without protection. But if you still have your eclipse glasses lying around from the April 8 event, you may try to use them to try to spot the cluster of sunspots causing the activity.
How strong is the current geomagnetic storm?
Giant explosions on the surface of the sun, known as coronal mass ejections, send streams of energetic particles into space. But the sun is large, and such outbursts may not cross our planet as it travels around the star. But when these particles create a disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field, it is known as a geomagnetic storm.
NOAA classifies these storms on a “G” scale of 1 to 5, with G1 being minor and G5 being extreme. The most extreme storms can cause widespread blackouts and damage to infrastructure on Earth. Satellites may also have trouble orienting themselves or sending or receiving information during these events.
The current storm is classified as G5, or “extreme.” It is caused by a cluster of sunspots — dark, cool regions on the solar surface — that is about 16 times the diameter of Earth. The cluster is flaring and ejecting material every six to 12 hours.
“We anticipate that we’re going to get one shock after another through the weekend,” said Brent Gordon, chief of the space weather services branch at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
Why is this happening now?
The sun’s activity ebbs and flows on an 11-year cycle, and right now, it is approaching a solar maximum. Three other severe geomagnetic storms have been observed so far in the current activity cycle, which began in December 2019, but none were predicted to cause effects strong enough on Earth to warrant a watch or warning announcement.
The cluster of sunspots generating the current storm is the largest seen in this solar cycle, NOAA officials said. They added that the activity in this cycle has outperformed initial predictions .
More flares and expulsions from this cluster are expected, but because of the sun’s rotation the cluster will be oriented in a position less likely to affect Earth. In the coming weeks, the sunspots may appear again on the left side of the sun, but it is difficult for scientists to predict whether this will cause another bout of activity.
“Usually, these don’t come around packing as much of a punch as they did originally,” Mr. Dahl said. “But time will tell on that.”
Jonathan O’Callaghan contributed reporting from London.
An earlier version of this article misstated the radio frequencies used by cellphones and car radios. They are higher frequencies, not low.
How we handle corrections
Katrina Miller is a science reporting fellow for The Times. She recently earned her Ph.D. in particle physics from the University of Chicago. More about Katrina Miller
Judson Jones is a meteorologist and reporter for The Times who forecasts and covers extreme weather. More about Judson Jones
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