Kollywood was once dominated by mass-masala movies. These films worshiped heroes, and dished out songs, fights, drama and humour at regular intervals. Though such movies satisfied the appetite of the front-benchers at such movies, the ones craving for meaningful cinema were often left starving.
Things are no more the same today, as Tamil cinema is witnessing a change. Movies that give more importance to the script than the hero, and still present well within the commercial format, are making a beeline for cinema halls.
In the last few months, movies such as Vazhakku Enn 18/9, Kazhugu, Marina, Aravaan, Naan Ee, Attakathi and Naan have hit the screens. And all of them have been well received.
"When I decided to make my debut as an actor, I was aware that it was a risk. But I was ready for the game since I was impressed with the script and had immense belief on the audience," says music composer Vijay Antony, who has donned the greasepaint for the first time by taking on the lead role in Naan.
Balaji Sakthivel, the director of Vazhakku Enn 18/9, started his journey in the industry with Vikram-starrer Samurai, which was a masala entertainer. But after that, he changed his route and focused on script-driven movies. In fact, it would be no exaggeration to say that it was his Kadhal that set a new trend in Tamil cinema, as the film made it big without the help of big stars.
He says, "The response to Vazhakku Enn 18/9 was so overwhelming. This shows the audience are ready to welcome different attempts."
If Vazhakku... can be considered a hit, then the blockbuster is surely Naan Ee. Though its director S S Rajamouli was popular in Tollywood, he was new to Kollywood before the film's release. The hero Nani was just one-film old (Veppam), and the heroine Samantha did not yet have a hit. Despite all odds, the film made record collections, thanks to its innovative script and impressive presentation. And whats more? The bilingual also set an example that such script-oriented movies can be made in more than one language, and end up in making more money.
Ramanarayana, who has been tracking the Tamil cinema industry for more than three decades, confirms this change in movie trends, "A new set of directors and actors are acting as catalysts. This is a welcome thing as change is inevitable and this will result in Tamil cinema winning global accolades.
The impact of today's Kollywood directors in other languages is significant. This became visible when Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap thanked Bala, Ameer and Sasikumar in the titles of his recent flick Gangs of Wasseypur. Also, some young actors who come from a theatre background are really good and on par with international standards."
One such actor is Dinesh, the protagonist of Attakathi, a film which hit the screens on Independence Day and is running to packed houses. In a happy-go-lucky-role, the young man has impressed and is tipped to go places given his fine performance. Dinesh attributes the accolades to his stint in theatre and to director Vetrimaran, who introduced him to the world of plays.
With many such meaningful attempts making it big in the recent past, the future looks promising for Tamil cinema. Some upcoming projects that seem to promise a good script are Paradesi, Irandam Ulagam, Aadhi Bhagavan, Sundarapandian and Vada Chennai.
Things are no more the same today, as Tamil cinema is witnessing a change. Movies that give more importance to the script than the hero, and still present well within the commercial format, are making a beeline for cinema halls.
In the last few months, movies such as Vazhakku Enn 18/9, Kazhugu, Marina, Aravaan, Naan Ee, Attakathi and Naan have hit the screens. And all of them have been well received.
"When I decided to make my debut as an actor, I was aware that it was a risk. But I was ready for the game since I was impressed with the script and had immense belief on the audience," says music composer Vijay Antony, who has donned the greasepaint for the first time by taking on the lead role in Naan.
Balaji Sakthivel, the director of Vazhakku Enn 18/9, started his journey in the industry with Vikram-starrer Samurai, which was a masala entertainer. But after that, he changed his route and focused on script-driven movies. In fact, it would be no exaggeration to say that it was his Kadhal that set a new trend in Tamil cinema, as the film made it big without the help of big stars.
He says, "The response to Vazhakku Enn 18/9 was so overwhelming. This shows the audience are ready to welcome different attempts."
If Vazhakku... can be considered a hit, then the blockbuster is surely Naan Ee. Though its director S S Rajamouli was popular in Tollywood, he was new to Kollywood before the film's release. The hero Nani was just one-film old (Veppam), and the heroine Samantha did not yet have a hit. Despite all odds, the film made record collections, thanks to its innovative script and impressive presentation. And whats more? The bilingual also set an example that such script-oriented movies can be made in more than one language, and end up in making more money.
Ramanarayana, who has been tracking the Tamil cinema industry for more than three decades, confirms this change in movie trends, "A new set of directors and actors are acting as catalysts. This is a welcome thing as change is inevitable and this will result in Tamil cinema winning global accolades.
The impact of today's Kollywood directors in other languages is significant. This became visible when Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap thanked Bala, Ameer and Sasikumar in the titles of his recent flick Gangs of Wasseypur. Also, some young actors who come from a theatre background are really good and on par with international standards."
One such actor is Dinesh, the protagonist of Attakathi, a film which hit the screens on Independence Day and is running to packed houses. In a happy-go-lucky-role, the young man has impressed and is tipped to go places given his fine performance. Dinesh attributes the accolades to his stint in theatre and to director Vetrimaran, who introduced him to the world of plays.
With many such meaningful attempts making it big in the recent past, the future looks promising for Tamil cinema. Some upcoming projects that seem to promise a good script are Paradesi, Irandam Ulagam, Aadhi Bhagavan, Sundarapandian and Vada Chennai.