It's almost here, you can feel it on your nape and smell it under your
breath. A good 365 days are almost over and we are not too far away from
turning the page to 2014. But on one last look and a peep into the year
that just went by, what is it that enlivened spirits, had us put our
hands up in the air and howl in whistles? It is the super-duper hits
that 2013 has gifted to Kollywood. The big stars did march their way
clearly to success, but much to everyone's amazement, there have also
been some of the not-quite-wonted, which rose up to the esteem of
international familiarity, besides drawing audience back to packed halls
over and over again. Here's to the blockbuster hits of 2013!
It was a spark, and then a flash and finally a boom
which ferried people cross-border. If a film could move people
literally, then it was this one by Kamal Hassan, which opened to
unanimously positive reviews from all corners, and lived up to it in all
the 100 days it filled the theatres. The chronicles of 'Vishwaroopam'
is long and winding, but here is a quick recap on the mega-hit that got
every audience engaged and hooked. It was not a rosy path for the film
till its meeting with the silver screen, which gave way to piracy
enroute. But that was no barrier for anyone, with people from almost all
backgrounds thronging to watch Kamal Hassan in action. Noted as one of
the best made spy-thrillers ever, 'Vishwaroopam' was universally awarded
more than 75% by critics; the film even called in reviews from the
former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, who commented on 'Vishwaroopam'
as "one of the best movies I have seen in years." On paper, the film
speaks of about 12 crore revenue at the end of eight weeks; but if
piracy were avoided by some magic, given the controversy that the film
got entangled in, 'Vishwaroopam' could have easily grossed the highest
for the year, as the proof is live in the masses that thronged to watch
the movie. Besides the unanimous positive reception, which has gotten us
geared up for the release of its sequel, 'Vishwaroopam' also bagged two
National Awards - one for production design, and the other for
choreography.
Next in line is 'Soodhu Kavvum' which took Kollywood
by storm. Marking the first dark comedy of the year, debutante director
Nalan Kumarasamy was gleamed in optimistic responses from everyone. Best
phrased as a comic-thriller surrounding funny kidnaps and scenes that
are certain to tickle your funny bone, 'Soodhu Kavvum' brought in and
got the K-town audience accustomed to the idea of dark humour. Santhosh
Narayanan on the other hand saw roaring success, with people across ages
developing a liking to the film's album, which continues to hold a
favourite spot in the hearts of many. After the phenomenal success of
'Pizza', 'Soodhu Kavvum' was yet another feather on the cap of Vijay
Sethupathi. Happy times didn't end there. The film was also nominated in
Chennai International Film Festival's recent chapter, and was hence
given the unique distinction of international acclaim. In all, the film
was a mass entertainer, consistently voted at more than the good side of
60%, apart from grossing more than four times its budget!
Mid this year saw the welcome to a literal roaring success 'Singam 2'.
Three years after the super-hit 'Singam', director Hari brought the same
team back, with a few additions and some more colour and masala, to be
delivered in an action-packed 2 hours 45 minutes. It is but natural to
draw comparison with 'Singam', given that this one here is a sequel. And
while 'Singam' was savoured with the masala of love, action and comedy,
Hari doubled up the proportions in 'Singam 2', making it louder,
spicier, racier and more colourful than his 2010 flick. However, critics
in general noticed the inclination of 'Singam 2' towards action, as
juxtaposed with 'Singam'. The film completed 50 happy days in August and
a hundred healthy days in theatre in mid October. This brought in the
distinction for the movie for being one among the top five highest
grossers of all time in Tamil cinema; further, the film was declared the
third in the list of movies that made highest profit in Malaysia, next
only to 'Enthiran' and 'Sivaji'. With both national and international
acclaim, director Hari's Suriya starrer 'Singam 2' is yet another pride
of 2013.
Yet another delight for the year is director Ponram's
'Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam'. The film had a slow yet steady
positive reception among audience, which geared up to a good 100 days
run in many packed houses. Treating us this autumn was a funny movie on a
precarious message, which later went on to be accepted by everyone far
and wide. VVS was a clear hit, impressing the masses, though it did not
receive much appreciation in particular from critics, who looked at it
as a film with loosely tied emotions. Yet there was no stopping the film
from getting Siva Karthikeyan to the touted height of leading K-town
hero. Opening up new ventures for the lead characters, the film went on
to sum up among the highest profits of 2013. One of the most recent
achievements of the film has been in picking up the courage for a minor
girl in a Tamil Nadu village, who took to boldly call off the illegal
marriage proposed with her as the bride, taking inspiration from the
film.
Diwali saw the double-dhamaka blast of Kollywood with
two successes back-to-back. Opening on widely lauded reception was the
mass entertainer 'Arrambam'. It was authentic Thala Diwali for fans,
given the raging success of Ajith-Vishnuvardhan action flick, which was
in the making for about a year. The film involved smart hacking, 26/11
Mumbai blasts, love story and a strong shoulder for friendship. As
classy as a revenge story could get, 'Arrambam' continued making
headlines even after weeks from release. Another success that followed
shortly was Vishal's producer debut 'Pandianadu'. From conception to
silver screen, Suseenthiran took only a very brief time in completing
this Madurai-based revenge concept, which has clearly made itself hugely
successful at the box office.
Movies have been one of the finest forms of family
entertainment for years. It takes efforts beyond imagination to deliver a
story convincingly well to the audience who invest their time and money
on silver screen entertainment. There are the big hits, the runaway
hits and also the critically acclaimed, but not once in these many
decades have movies failed to keep us engaged. With that, we wrap up a
100 good years of Indian cinema, celebrating the New Year's Eve, looking
forward to a lot more success stories in the coming years...
