Promising debutantes who made an impact in 2020

With movie hall downing their shutters this year due to the coronavirus-induced pandemic, the number of films that released this year took a major dip. Shoots were put on hold and and many films didn't even see the light of the day. But, despite all the hurdles, the industry saw some promising debutants this year

Rajkumar Pitchumani was definitely the shining star of Mysskin's psychotic thriller, Psycho. His performance as the psychotic serial killer Angulimala, who murders women and beheads them, is quite impressive. At the same time, when we hear the story of his tragic past where he was abused as a child, instantly makes us feel sorry for him. Rajkumar is menacing as the ruthless killer and seems hapless as a child, and manages to switch between the two emotions effortlessly.

Yet another talent from music composer AR Rahman's family to make her debut this year was Bhavani Sre. Rahman's niece and GV Prakash's sister made her debut as Vijay Sethupathi's sister in Ka Pae Ranasingham. The story that revolves around a woman (Aishwarya Rajesh) who fights with the government to bring back her husband's body (who had died abroad), despite all the stacks against her won praises. Giving her apt company in the quest for justice was Bhavani Sre, who supports her sister-in-law in every step. The actress made quite an impression in her debut.

Keerthy Suresh's Penguin might have received mixed reviews by the critics and audience, but there was one thing that impressed everyone- the film's cinematography. Cinematographer Karthik Phalani had not only captured Ooty at its best, but was also quite a revelation in some of the scenes there, especially the one where Rhythm (Keerthy Suresh) sees her son Ajay on an empty road after six long years. Karthik Phalani's experiments with wide angles and shots, coupled with Santhosh Narayanan's score set the eerie mood and tone for the film.

Naan Sirithal, which was billed as a complete entertainer, had come good moments of laughter.The premise of the story, which revolves around a happy-go-lucky youngster who suffers from pseudobulbar affect goes topsy-turvy after he unintentionally locks horns with a dreaded gangster. The film was appreciated for its unique plot and storyline, by debutant Raana.

Rakshan, who has hitherto impressed us with his performances on stage, seems to have made his transition into the big screen really well. Playing Dulquer's bestie in Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Rakshan managed to stand out and is quite a find. His bromance with Dulquer worked so well, that you keep rooting for them throughout the film. His comic timing too was perfect giving us feel-good moments

Just like Rakshan's bromance with Dulquer worked well in Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal, Niranjani Ahathian's chemistry with Ritu Varma too seemed perfect. Niranjani, who is also the film's costume designer, breezes through her portions. Though her character might not have been etched as well as Rakshan's, she manages to do justice to her character. It's good to see that her character is not just a prop.