This is not a movie for the die-hard Rajni fans expecting their hero to whoop the baddies, bring the roof down with his comic sense or play the universe savior – but this is one for those who would love to see Rajni in a matured role that prognosticates his abilities on screen – what the star is capable of at this stage of his career in a well-presented story. Is our movie-watching public mature enough to understand and accept that this is one of the better performances of a star who does more than enough even without doing what he usually does? – that is something that the money coffers will answer.

It is not often we get films in India that have Sci-Fi, Action, Romance, Comedy & emotional drama bundled into a single film but still not fall under this overly abused tag of ‘Masala Film’. This is where Vikram Kumar and actor-producer Suriya score by giving us a fantastic whirlwind experience over the course of 160 odd minutes.

Kanithan is the classic case of a commercializing a wonderful core story that spoils the tempo and ends up being unable to sustain audience interest by completely messing up the third act. What could have been a taut thriller ends up exasperating the viewer as the curtains are drawn!

Uppu Karuvadu works primarily as it has the audacity to cast actors in unconventional roles putting them in unusual situations & letting them mouth dialogues that seem natural. All this set in the midst of a premise-conflict-resolution template means fun film overall!

In today’s world, movies usually can satisfy either the critics or commerce. But when there is a movie, that can adroitly balance both these immoderations and doesn’t test the intelligence of the audience, it can be marked as one-of-a-kind – Thoongavanam falls into that category.

Kamal Haasan as CK Diwakar rightly steals the limelight. A tranquil introduction and an even subdued start to his role doesn’t really tell the audience what’s in store from this evergreen performer. He plays a role that aptly fits his age and makeover. As a narcotics cop and a caring father he juggles between the roles with an affluence that only this man can manage.

Thani Oruvan is one of those rare Good vs Evil films that manages to toe the line between Commercial and Masala exceedingly well. Even if the taut script and the impactful dialogues do not impress you, it is guaranteed that Aravind Swamy’s superlative performance will bowl you over!

Gour Hari Dastaan is a film that deserves a wide release for staying so close to the truth yet never being flat or disengaging. The fact that the film was able to arouse the National Spirit of the audience without being ever manipulative or preachy makes it not just award-worthy but National-Award worthy.

Masaan is an audacious tale of mistakes, mishaps & redemption in life. The perfect choice of locations (Banares for letting go & Allahabad for confluence), able performances from the cast and the script replete with other symbolic subtleties make it a classic debut for its promising director.

S. S. Rajamouli has managed to produce a mighty masterpiece, scaling high in all areas that one can expect him to. If Magadheera was all about his story telling skills, Baahubali is more proof of what he can do with serious technical brilliance at his disposal. This will definitely rank as one of the path-breakers in Indian Cinema and a priceless feather in the caps of all those associated with the movie!