Half-Yearly report: ‘Thaana Serndha Koottam’ to ‘Kaala’, the hits of 2018

Six months have passed and Kollywood has seen its fair share of both critically acclaimed as well as commercially successful films. While some Tamil films became a profitable venture at the box-office, the rest turned out to be a distant memory. As we gear up for the second half of 2018, we take a look at some of the films that became a successful venture. Right from Suriya’s heist-comedy ‘Thaana Serndha Koottam’ to superstar Rajinikanth’s political-drama ‘Kaala’, here’s a list of films that received lots of love from the audience.

Much to everyone’s expectations, the Suriya-starrer ‘Thaana Serndha Koottam’ opened to a decent response from the audience when it released on the occasion of Pongal earlier this year. It marked the first collaboration between Suriya and Vignesh Shivn. Projected as a heist comedy film, the core of ‘Thaana Serndha Koottam’ was inspired by the Hindi film ‘Special 26’. But what made the remake click is how Shivn’s screenplay turned a serious film into a true-blue comedy. Suriya received appreciation for playing the role of a conman Uthaman, as did actors Ramya Krishnan, Sathyan, RJ Balaji and Suresh Menon. Released on the occasion of Pongal, the film made decent numbers at the box-office. In fact, Suriya presented Vignesh Shivn with a luxury car after the success of the film.

Director Sundar C's 'Kalakalappu', which released in 2012, was a laughter riot of sorts. After six years, the makers came up with a sequel, 'Kalakalappu 2', which opened to good response from fans. Despite getting mixed reviews from critics, the film made terrific numbers at the box-office and was declared ‘super hit’. While the first part had Shiva and Vimal in the lead, the sequel went through a minor change and starred Jiiva, Jai and Shiva. Apart from the story, Sundar C was praised for roping in a host of actors like Radha Ravi, Sathish, Robo Shankar, VTV Ganesh, Singamuthu, Ramadoss and Vaiyapuri for supporting roles. Though the comedy was comparatively weak in ‘Kalakalappu 2’, the film sure entertained the audiences.

After two years, ace filmmaker Bala came up with ‘Naachiyaar’, starring Jyothika and GV Prakash Kumar in the lead. The film released in February to glowing reviews from critics. ‘Naachiyar’ tells the story of a ruthless police officer, played by Jyothika, who is in charge of a rape case. Only later does she realises that the case is nothing but a mere love story between two youngsters Kaathu (GV Prakash Kumar) and Arasi (Iavana). ‘Naachiyaar’ received an extremely positive response from the audience and subsequently became a box-office success. GV Prakash’s performance was well-received by fans. The film was appreciated by a host of celebrities like veteran actor Sivakumar, Karthi and Vijay. 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 ‘Mercury’ became reasonably successful at the box-office. The film, which was supposed to release in Tamil Nadu, was delayed due to the industry strike that lasted for over 48 days. However, ‘Mercury’ released on April 20 and received positive reviews from critics. Tipped to be a silent-thriller, Karthik Subbaraj was praised for his novel attempt to bring back the genre. Some of the critics also appreciated ‘Mercury’ for its beautiful visuals by cinematographer Thirunavukkarasu. ‘Mercury’ stars actor-choreographer Prabhudheva in the lead role, while actors Indhuja, Sanatha Reddy and Deepak Paramesh in supporting roles. Jointly produced by Stone Bench Films and Pen Movies, the film has music by Santhosh Narayanan for his working with Subbaraj for the fourth time.

Santhosh P Jayakumar’s second directorial ‘Iruttu Arayil Murattu Kuththu’ created a lot of controversies when it released earlier this year. An adult-horror comedy, the film was collectively panned by critics for its crap humour. Despite negative reviews, ‘Iruttu Arayil Murattu Kuththu’ got decent response from youngsters and became very successful at the box-office. Post release, a transgender activist filed a case against the film for its objectionable content. In fact, veteran director Bharathiraja also slammed the director. Produced by Studio Green, ‘Iruttu Arayil Murattu Kuththu’ stars Gautham Karthik in the lead, while actors Vaibhavi Shandilya, Karunakaran, Bala Saravanan and Rajendran play important roles.

After much delay, Vishal’s cyber-crime thriller ‘Irumbu Thirai’ released on May 11. Even before its release, the makers hosted a special screening, where the first half alone was screened for the press. Upon release, ‘Irumbu Thirai’ received a fantastic response from critics and audience. Directed by debutant PS Mithran, the film was highly praised for its layered screenplay and meticulous research about the dark internet. Produced by Vishal Film Factory, ‘Irumbu Thirai’ is now said to be the biggest hit in Vishal’s career. A Telugu dubbed version titled ‘Abhimanyudu’ too became very successful among the Tollywood circuit. In fact, superstar Mahesh Babu heaped praise on Vishal and the film. Also starring Samantha Akkineni, Arjun Sarja, Robo Shankar and Delhi Ganesh, the film has music by Yuvan Shankar Raja.

Superstar Rajinikanth’s much-awaited ‘Kaala’ finally hit the screens on June 7. Much to everyone’s expectations, the film opened to a very great response from the audience. ‘Kaala’ opened to unanimously positive reviews from critics, who appreciated Pa Ranjith for coming up with a solid political thriller. The film was equally praised for Eswari Rao’s portions with Rajinikanth. If reports are anything to go by, ‘Kaala’ grossed Rs 100 within a week after its release. 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 musics were are also received well by fans. ‘Kaala’ is touted to be the major hit of 2018.