2006 Review: A year of dark horses in Tamil cinema

By Aparna Nath Dec 24, 2006, 12:22 GMT

Chennai, Dec 24 (IANS) The Tamil film industry has every reason to smile as 2006 draws to a close with the year having witnessed quite a few super hits and many profitable ventures.

Of these, at least three films weren't expected to do well at the box office when released.

'Vettayadu Vilaiyadu', directed by Gowtham Menon and starring Kamal Haasan, Jyothika and Kamliniee Mukherjee, had to face many hurdles before it reached theatres. The film became a blockbuster, completed 100 days, and is still going strong.

Director K.S. Ravikumar's 'Varalaaru' is another film that nobody thought would see the light of day. Even Ajith, the film's hero, had lost all hope. But surprisingly, the film released this Diwali.

And what an opening the film had! It was the best opening that a non-Rajnikanth film could get. Ajith was back at the top with this film. Asin, the heroine in the movie, was also happy because it was her only release in 2006.

'Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikesi', directed by Simbudevan, was also a surprise success. When news surfaced that Shankar was producing a historical comedy, that too with Vadivelu as hero, many wondered what had happened to the ace filmmaker. The film, however, turned out to be another blockbuster.

Of the two other notable hits, Murugan's 'Em Makan' completed 100 days and proved that a film with a good story does not need too much publicity. Bharath as the son and Nasser as his strict father made a mark in the movie.

'Thimiru', directed by Tarun Gopi, was a typical action entertainer that became a huge hit and made Vishal the future king of action.

© 2006 Indo-Asian News Service