A lowdown on what's happening in the Tamil film industry.
Blind is a film you are better off not watching, warns Mayur Sanap.
A select 12 matches will also be broadcast in Malayalam via Asianet Plus.
The New Year brings with it a new slate of movie announcements. The stars update us:
Amoolya talks about the Kannada remake of the Tamil film.
If Team Rajini expected Kaala to carry the superstar's political message off-screen, it may have proved counter-productive. If the not-so-infrequent presence of Muslim residents of Dharavi, including that of Kaala's ex-love Zarina, in many scenes is expected to convey a political message, it is a no-brainer, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
Truth be acknowledged, Rajinikanth is not known for wanting to leave his comfort zone to take the politico-electoral plunge, even if it meant his becoming the chief minister of a state that has conferred Tamil cinema's superstardom on him over the past 25 years. Today, his fans belong to the younger generation all right, but their numbers are far fewer than their counterparts in the '90s. They are not devoid of personal ambitions and agendas, unlike what Rajinikanh wants them to be, if he and they were to enter politics, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
The actor talks about his latest movie Appu Pappu.
In a special series, we will put YOU to the test everyday!
If only you had thought ahead, you would have stocked snacks and biscuits, bread and cake, and vegetables suited for Amma or pondatti to make your favourite bajji and pakoda, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
A look at top 5 Tamil films of first half of 2016.
The likes of iconic actor-director Guru Dutt, South star Silk Smitha, actor Jiah Khan and now, Sushant Singh Rajput gave up on life in the Indian film industry.
Haripriya talks about her experiences shooting for Ugramm.
Devi is neither scary nor funny, writes S Saraswathi.
About 30 Tamil films slated for a March release are already delayed.
Sukanya Verma lists everything you can look forward to on OTT this week.
Director G N R Kumaravelan says that he has made a lot of changes to suit the Tamil audience.
Lovingly made, heartfelt stories that speak the truths about our lives.
'It's time to change this system of randomly giving stars and the right to bad critics to run down our products.' 'Two films, even if both get three stars, are very different from each other.' 'I can understand if these stars indicated a level of enjoyment or engagement, but the current rating system is flawed because there are no parameters.'
'If questioning and dethroning hierarchies is your primary motive, why not put an end to the practice of announcing your shining star, your box office draw, in big flaming letters and mentioning everyone else's name in small font at the bottom of the screen?' asks Sreehari Nair.
Catch the action in the Malayalam film industry right here!
It was a quiet reopening with few people venturing warily to watch a mix of regional, English and Hindi reruns such as "Chhichhore", "Thappad", "Tanhaji" and "The Spy".
'Of all artists who openly support the current political dispensation, she is far and away the finest,' argues Sreehari Nair. 'With the exception of perhaps Tabu, no Indian actress has done more to extend the range of the feminine mystique in Hindi cinema.'
The two obvious best choices are to combine OTT viewing time with some good eating, because Joe, Rishi and Co don't have to be the only ones dining well.
'The cross-pollination between the states has always been happening.' 'It's only over the past one or two years that all this talk about South versus Bollywood has been happening.'
In a special series, we will put YOU to the test everyday!
While critics and protestors have multifarious arguments to offer, the defence of CAA has been uni-dimensional and uni-focussed as has been the case with most policies of the Modi government and the political positions of his party. But to be drawn into an issue that has assumed more than local and national dimensions, Rajini has knowingly or otherwise, taken the plunge and in favour of the BJP -- or, so it has come to be seen, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
'He is busy building an image on the social media as an anti-right-winger.' 'But remember: An actor is only good at what he was born to do,' observes Subhash K Jha.
Tamil star Suriya's 7aum Arivu was about a virus from China sent to Chennai to wreak havoc while Kaappan was about a locust attack the hero prevents in time -- both films in a sense foresaw what was to come, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Nah, we're not taking about Amitabh Bachchan's favourite onscreen characters.
As the legendary actor turns 60 today, we look at his finest performances in the last six decades.
'The best way to carry on that good man's legacy is to make films like he did, love cinema like he did, and unearth talent like he did. K Balachanderis frozen forever in Uttama Villain on celluloid,' Uttama Villain director Ramesh Arvind tells Rediff.com contributor Praveen Sundaram.
From Rs 191 billion in 2019, the world's largest film producing industry now stands at Rs 72 billion thanks to the pandemic.
Religion matters. Aspirational India is still poor. India admires strong leaders. India values decency. Shreekant Sambrani highlights the reasons why the BJP pulled off improbable victories in the Hindi heartland.
The question is not if Vijay would enter politics. Instead, it is about his chances of success, if any, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
Singer-composer Bappi Lahiri, who popularised disco music in India in the 1980s and 1990s, has died following multiple health issues. He was 69.
'We didn't expect the film to be recognised at this level; we focused on making an honest and simple film.' 'We didn't have any expectations even like being appreciated at festivals.'
'I am a slave to my instincts.' 'My instincts are determined by how impactful the script has been on my soul.'
Hailed as one of the finest filmmakers of his time, K Balachander, who passed into the ages on December 23, has left behind a rich legacy of hard-hitting films, some of which have been routinely credited with redefining Tamil cinema.
