These 5 movies have achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success
Generally when we think of South Indian film industry, we think of extravagance. Be it romance, comedy or action many films seem to go overboard to make it entertaining for the audiences. But there are also some movies who have broken away from this norm of commercial cinema and delved into different subjects boldly and surprisingly achieved phenomenal success as a result. In 2016, there are 5 such films which you need to watch if you haven’t seen them yet…
Visaranai
The movie Visaranai was and still is one of the most brutal films ever seen in Tamil cinema history. It was screened in international film festivals where it was already receiving rave praise before it released in India on 5 February. Starring Dinesh Ravi, Samuthirakani and many others, the film deals with the concept of police brutality and abuse of power. Many scenes were so gritty and hard hitting that it had a tremendous impact on the audience. Even Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan openly praised the film and no wonder it won the National Award.
Kshanam
This movie created a storm in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh when it came out on 19 February. Kshanam is one film that has redefined the meaning of thrillers in Telugu cinema. It is the chilling tale of a police officer played by Adivi Sesh, who comes back to India to find the missing daughter of his ex girlfriend, played by Adah Sharma. This Ravikanth Perepu gem moves at a breakneck pace and is a thoroughly nail biting experience. Definitely a film Tollywood should be proud of.
Oopiri
Now let’s go the only breezy, feel good film in this list, Nagarjuna, Karthi and Tamannaah Bhatia starrer Oopiri. It is a remake of the French film The Intouchables, but many who have seen both versions even claim that Oopiri was better done than the original. The film is based on Vikramaditya, a quadriplegic billionare who is depressed with life and Sreenu, a convict who is full of life but has no money. Oopiri is based on the bromance that develops between the two as one teaches the other that life is a lot more than what either of them thought. Usually feel good films are only meant to entertain, this one makes you think on a very deep level. So of course, it was a superhit with both critics and the crowd.
24
Suriya’s 24 is also unique in this list, because it is the only fantasy sci fi film to release in 2016. They say that slow and steady wins the race, and this rings very true for 24. The Vikram Kumar film was on the making for more than 5 years and after watching the film, everybody agreed that the wait was worth it. Suriya’s brilliant triple roles of Sethuraman, Athreya and Mani in a film that is based on time travel with a watertight logic, 24 puts some Hollywood movies to shame. Instead of using time travel as a prop, it is the crux of the movie which is also involved with a lot of double crossing and mind games. One of the wittiest Tamil movies to ever hit the screens.
Kamattipaadam
One of the best Malayalam films to release this year, Kamattipaadam is a film that gets as close as it gets to a gangster’s life. This crime drama is based on the life of Krishnan, played by Dulquer Salmaan and his journey from an innocent schoolboy to a feared gang member. The best parts about this film is the intriguing screenplays where the story of Krishnan is shown from three different angles and brilliant performances from the entire cast. In fact, Dulquer was outdone by Vinayaka and Manikandan, who are the real reasons for the film’s success. This movie has brought Malayalam cinema in national spotlight.
So that brings this impressive list to close. Well, what are you waiting for? Start watching these films for they will be the best you will ever see!