By Jagmohan Singh Barhok
Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood, forms part of Hindi cinema as the leading regional partner in the country. The first Tamil silent film, “Keechaka Vadham”, was made by R. Nataraja Mudaliar in 1918.Tamil cinema later influenced residents of the neighbouring countries comprising Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and part of middle east with a sizeable Indian population.
Veterans like NTR, Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth & later Prabhu, Madhavan, Dhanush did wonders. Some of the earlier actresses included the likes of Savitri, & later young , talented & glamorous actresses like
Sariya Saran, Anushka Shetty, Tamannah Bhatia, Keerthy Suresh, Trisha Krishnan, Nayanthara, Kajal Aggarwal & Prabhu Ruth appeared on the film horizon to add grandeur.
In recent years “Baahubali: The Beginning” & “Baahubali: The Conclusion” did wonders at the box office front to strengthen Tamil claim to be the leading film making state with hundreds of young, nubile, beautiful and voluptuous starlets invading Kollywood like honey bees. Anushka Shetty added to her growing popularity with “Baahubali” series.
Earlier sex films ruled the roost with the Malayalam film topping the list of “A” certificate films. Sex films were also produced in Tamil titled “Mirugam” , “Uyir”, & “Kadhal Kadhai”. Some of these may not be characterized as lusty or sheer erotica but they surely touched or highlighted some of the most delicate sexual issues.
The trend seems to have shifted to historical & social films touching burning topics with lavish sets and grandeur . “Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1” (2022) is the recent box office wonder produced & directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Trisha & Aishwarya Lekshmi. Produced with a budget of 500 Crores ( reportedly for both parts), the film has done exceptionally well & already collected more than 460 crores at the Box Office front. More interestingly, the film also received positive reviews from various quarters.
“Gargi” featuring Sai Pallavi as ‘Gargi’ & Kaali Venkat, R. S. Shivaji Kavithalaya Krishnan is another successful Tamil film which received appreciation from critics. The recent success of some films made in South has come as a tocsin or sort of ‘alarm bell’ for the Bollywood filmmakers. Earlier Telugu film “Pushpa” (2021) & later “RRR” directed by S. S. Rajamouli starring N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran & Alia Bhatt had also surprised many with their astounding success. The film reportedly collected more than 1100 crores.
