‘Irumbu Thirai’ to ‘Kaala’: Best Tamil films in the first half of 2018

The first half of 2018 saw a wide range of films. However, only a countable number of films managed to impress both the critics and audiences. On the other hand, small budget films like ‘Savarakathi’ and ‘Naachiyaar’ have turned out to be a profitable venture for the producers. It’s the same case for star vehicles like superstar Rajinikanth’s ‘Kaala’ to Suriya’s ‘Thaana Serndha Koottam’. As we’re marching towards the second half of 2018, here’s a list of top six films that wooed the audiences.

Suriya and Vignesh Shivn collaborated for the heist-comedy ‘Thaana Serndha Koottam’, which was inspired by the Bollywood blockbuster ‘Special 26’. In the Tamil version, Suriya reprised Akshay Kumar’s role and received appreciation for playing the role of a conman Uthaman. On the other hand actors Ramya Krishnan, Sathyan, RJ Balaji and Suresh Menon were also equally praised for their performances. Released on the occasion of Pongal, the film made decent numbers at the box-office. ‘Thaana Serndha Koottam’ had huge expectations from the audience, especially after the chartbusting album composed by Anirudh Ravichander. According to reports, ‘Thaana Serndha Koottam’ is said to be the first hit of 2018.

One of most awaited films, ‘Naachiyaar’, marked the return of ace filmmaker Bala to silver screen after two years. Like any other Bala film, ‘Naachiyar’ opened to excellent reviews from the audience. Thanks to the Kollywood strike, ‘Naachiyaar’ performed very well at the box-office and became a profitable venture for the producers. It tells the story of a ruthless police officer, played by Jyothika, who is in charge of a rape case. Only later does she realise that the case is nothing but a mere love story between two youngsters Kaathu (GV Prakash Kumar) and Arasi (Iavana). The film was appreciated by a host of celebrities like veteran actor Sivakumar, Karthi and Vijay. Particularly, the film was lauded for GV Prakash Kumar’s stellar performance in the lead role. Apart from the story and performances, music maestro Ilaiyaraaja’s background score was one of the highlights of the film.

Filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj’s highly anticipated film ‘Mercury’ faced a lot of hurdles. The makers were forced to release ‘Mercury’ in all the other states except Tamil Nadu due to the Kollywood strike that lasted for about 48 days. After sorting out issues, ‘Mercury’ released a week later and became reasonably successful at the box-office. Marketed as the silent-thriller, ‘Mercury’ opened to glowing reviews from critics and audiences. Taking the infamous Kodaikanal poisoning as its core, the film is a psychological-thriller that takes place at a secluded factory in Kodaikanal. Apart from the beautiful visuals, the film was highly praised for the performances of its lead actor Prabhudheva, who plays a spirit of sorts, while actors Indhuja, Sanatha Reddy and Deepak Paramesh were seen supporting roles. Jointly produced by Stone Bench Films and Pen Movies, the film has music by Santhosh Narayanan.

Telugu filmmaker Nag Ashwin’s highly anticipated film ‘Nadigaiyar Thilagam’ released earlier in May. A Tamil dubbed version titled ‘Nadigaiyar Thilagam’ simultaneously release in Tamil Nadu and became very successful at the box-office. A biopic on the legendary actress Savitri, the film chronicled both the personal and private life of the actress. Popularly known as ‘Mahanati’, Savitri ruled the roost in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and was mostly paired opposite Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan. Despite opening to positive reviews, the film was criticised for failing to give importance to Savitri’s achievements in Tamil. Actress Keerthy Suresh essayed Savitri on screen and won over critics and audiences. One of the main highlights about the film was its strong cast that included names like Dulquer Salmaan, Samantha Akkineni and Vijay Deverakonda in pivotal roles, while Prakash Raj, Mohan Babu, Shalini Pandey and Krish in supporting roles.

Fresh after the success of the detective-thriller ‘Thupparivaalan’, Vishal teamed up with a newcomer PS MIthran for the cyber-crime thriller ‘Irumbu Thirai’, which was one of the films affected due to Kollywood strike. Upon release, ‘Irumbu Thirai’ got fantastic reviews, followed by commercial success. Vishal plays the role of an army officer, who is pitted against White Devil (Arjun), a notorious hacker. Within its first week, the film was declared a blockbuster and is now touted to be Vishal’s biggest hit in his career. Interestingly, a Telugu dubbed version titled ‘Abhimanyudu’ also became a huge hit at the box-office, clocking in more than Rs 30 crore in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Following the success, superstar Mahesh Babu appreciated Vishal and PS Mithran for the film. Produced by Vishal Film Factory, the film has music by Yuvan Shankar Raja and also starred Samantha Akkineni, Robo Shankar and Arjun Sarja in important roles. ‘Irumbu Thirai’ is helmed by debutant PS Mithran.

After keeping fans with waiting with bated breath, superstar Rajinikanth’s highly anticipated ‘Kaala’ hit the screens in June and opened to an overwhelming reviews from critics. Needless to say, the film received very good response from Rajini fans and became a profitable venture at the box-office. Set in Dharavi, it tells the story of a slumlord named Kaala, who fights for the rights of Tamil people. On the other hand, Hari Dada, a powerful politician attempts to wipe out the entire slum. Particularly, the film fared well in the multiplexes and in the overseas market as well. Produced by Dhanush’s Wunderbar Films, the film has an ensemble cast including Nana Patekar, Huma Qureshi, Samuthirakani, Anjali Patil and Pankaj Tripathi in important roles. Santhosh Narayanan’s songs and background music were also well-received.