‘Nayagan’ to ‘Visaranai’: Tamil films that won over international audiences

Over the years, Tamil cinema’s contribution to world cinema is unparalleled and several Tamil films have been screened at several international film festivals. Recently, director Ram’s forthcoming film ‘Peranbu’ was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival, where it also received a very good response from the audience. In fact, ‘Peranbu’ had its world premiere at the 47th International Rotterdam Film Festival, where it competed along 187 films for the Audience Award category. Here’s a list of popular Tamil films that wooed the international audiences as well.

Regarded as one of the best Indian films ever, ‘Nayagan’ (1987), directed by ace filmmaker Mani Ratnam, is one Tamil film that earned a global audience. More than its cult status, ‘Nayagan’ is more known for the coming together of masters such as Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam and PC Sreeram together. Inspired by the story of the Mumbai gangster Varadarajan Mudaliar, ‘Nayagan’ chronicles the life journey of Sakthivel Naicker (Kamal Haasan) from his teens to death. Upon release, ‘Nayagan’ became a trendsetter of sorts and went on to become a landmark film in the history of Tamil cinema. Kamal Haasan went on to win his second National Award for Best Actor. ‘Nayagan’ opened to terrific reviews and became a monstrous success at the box office. Even after all these years, Haasan has been widely lauded for his careful portrayal of the character Sakthivel Naicker, which also became a pop-culture phenomenon.

There has never been an actor, at least in Tamil cinema, who has played such diverse characters as much as Kamal Haasan did. ‘Pushpaka Vimanam’ would go down in the history as one of the finest written screenplays ever. Touted to be the first Indian film after the silent era, ‘Pushpaka Vimanam’, directed by Telugu filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, is a laugh-riot that serves as a perfect example for ‘demonstrative comedy’. Starring Kamal Haasan and Amala in the lead, ‘Pushpaka Vimanam’ was screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in 1988. Interestingly, the film was supposed to have the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray compose the music. However, he turned down the offer due to other issues. ‘Pushpaka Vimanam’ won the National Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

After establishing a strong foothold in Tamil cinema, Mani Ratnam’s romantic-thriller ‘Roja’ won over the national and international audiences. Upon release, Mani Ratnam became a household name and was unanimously appreciated for coming up with such a brilliant script. The film went on to win three National Awards and also marked the debut of music composer AR Rahman. Needless to say, ‘Roja’ has been screened at several international film festivals. It revolves around the lives of the newly married couple Rishi and Roja. When Rishi is taken as a hostage by Kashmiri militants, Roja decides to fight her own battle and tries to rescue her husband. ‘Roja’ was celebrated by the audiences for talking about such a sensitive issue. The film is still remembered for its chart-busting album.

‘Kannathil Muthamittal’ is widely regarded as one of the best works of Mani Ratnam till date. The film tells the story of the Lankan civil war that is told through the perspective of a young girl. Set amid a political backdrop, ‘Kannathil Muthamittal’ is about a young girl (Amudha) and her foster parents, played by Simran and Madhavan respectively. When Amudha learns about the truth, she decides to meet her biological mother Shyama (Nandita Das), a militant in Sri Lanka. The rest of the story is about Amudha’s journey to meet her mother. ‘Kannathil Muthamittal’ opened to rave reviews and won several national and international awards. The film holds the record for winning a whopping six national awards when it released. Mani Ratnam became a force to reckon with globally when ‘Kannathil Muthamittal’ was screened at several international film festivals.

Strongly rooted in Madurai, ‘Veyil’ became the first Tamil film to be screened at Cannes Film Festival in 2006, after which it was shortlisted for several other film festivals. Directed by Vasanthabalan, ‘Veyil’ opened to rave reviews and became extremely successful at the box office. The film was produced by director Shankar, which eventually won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. Apart from the story and performances, ‘Veyil’ achieved a fan following for its songs composed by GV Prakash Kumar.

Often regarded as a ‘masterpiece’, this neo-noir gangster flick, directed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja, created waves when it released in 2010. It follows the story of two rival gangs who get involved in a drug menace. Interestingly, ‘Aaranya Kaandam’ is known to be the first Tamil neo-noir film that opened to unanimous critical acclaim. Despite good reviews, the film failed to mint money at the box office. However, over the years, ‘Aaranya Kaandam’ has achieved a cult status among fans. More than the story and performances, the film is still remembered for its breathtaking climax fight sequence. ‘Aaranya Kaandam’ won two National Awards for Best Editing and Best First Film of a Director. Ever since its release, the film has been screened at several international festivals as well.

‘Kaaka Muttai’ marked the debut of cinematographer-turned-director Manikandan, who would go on to become one of the finest filmmakers of Tamil cinema. ‘Kaaka Muttai’ was celebrated both by critics and audiences when it released in 2015. Apart from the heartwarming story, Manikandan was immensely praised for coming up with a terrific screenplay that talks about a lot of issues, including urbanism. It tells the story of two slum kids whose only desire is to taste Pizza. ‘Kaaka Muttai’ had its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival, following which it won two National Awards. Made on a small budget, the film also received a very good response from the audience and became a blockbuster success.

This Vetri Maaran directorial became the talk of the town when it released in 2015. Based on true events, ‘Visaranai’ opened the necessary debate on custodial death and police brutality that terrified its audiences. Vetri Maaran was particularly appreciated for handling a sensitive issue and for his audacious portrayal of police interrogation scenes. Upon release, a host of celebrities including Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan lauded Vetri Maaran and ‘Visaranai’, which eventually won the National Award for Best Feature Film. Interestingly, the film was also India’s official entry for the Oscars. Thanks to its positive word of mouth, ‘Visaranai’ was screened at several international films and won the hearts of the global audiences too. The film was produced by Dhanush’s Wunderbar Films.