Janani K

There was a time when romantic dramas offered a comforting escape, especially amid the flood of hypermasculine action thrillers dominating the screens. Over the years, however, the genre has evolved to reflect changing relationships and sensibilities. Director Kishore Kumar’s Heartin is one such attempt to tell a love story rooted in modern-day relationships. Shiva (Sananth) is the head chef and partner at a Jaipur restaurant owned by his close friend Mani (WhatsApp Mani) and Mani’s wife, Ankita. During a heritage walk, he crosses paths with Sadhana (Emaya). A series of charming meet-cutes blossoms into friendship, which eventually turns into love. Yet, even as their relationship deepens, Shiva remains emotionally guarded: he rarely smiles, carries a brooding aura, and initially hesitates when Sadhana confesses her feelings.

Over the years, films centred on scams have found love among fans in Tamil cinema. From Sathuranga Vettai to Doctor to Lucky Baskhar to Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal, several such films have remained favourites with fans. This week, Arjun Das, Anna Ben, Yogi Babu and Vadivukkarasi are exploring this genre with director Harish Durairaj’s Con City. Did they succeed? Let’s find out! Saravanan (Arjun Das) and his wife, Mithra (Anna Ben), run a humble mess in Mangalore. They are the parents of a young, physically challenged Jeeva (Akilan) and live with Mithra’s brother, Jackie (Yogi Babu), and Janaki (Vadivukkarasi). We are shown that Saravanan and Mithra are not on talking terms, but they continue to co-parent their kid. One day, Jeeva goes missing from school, and a look at the CCTV video reveals a dark secret that unravels everyone’s backstory and how they found each other.

Ananthan Kaadu takes us back to the Sri Lankan civil war, when several crores of people were beaten, killed and raped. The initial stretches, featuring rebel group leader Vetri (Arya) and his gang being ambushed by the Sri Lankan Army, show officers behaving like sexual predators and killing machines. Right when you gear up for a film on one of the darkest chapters in Sri Lankan history, it turns into a formulaic revenge thriller. In 1989, during the Sri Lankan war, Vetri (Arya) loses his family and escapes to Kerala seeking a life where his identity is hidden. Krishnan Kutty (Indrans) and his team take him in. The group, which works as mercenaries for Kerala Chief Minister KK Menon (Vijayaraghavan), also run a music troupe as a cover.

Director Sasi and actor-composer Vijay Antony reunited for Nooru Sami, 10 years after Pichaikkaran, a film that ended up as a sleeper hit for the actor. Pichaikkaran is an emotional drama about a mother and son, while Nooru Sami explores the concept of remarriage for a widow in a conservative world. Selvi (Swasika), a widowed mother, raises her two sons Bhaskar (Ajay Dhishan) and Vivek (Sakthi) on her own. She watches them come up in their lives only for them to be consumed by ego and hating each other. One day, Selvi, in passing, mentions that she might like to remarry, much to the shock of her two sons.

An orthodox family preparing for a wedding. A couple who eloped three years ago returns to the family and their village, hoping for acceptance. The protagonist is worried if all will go well. Meanwhile, the protagonist’s past comes to haunt the family. And the character, backed by a massy background score, is ready to put her life on the line to protect the family. Sounds like a usual commercial drama, isn’t it? Now, picture a woman, in a saree, holding guns, and machetes and sickles, all for her family. That’s what Maa Inti Bangaaram is all about. Swarna (Samantha) and her ‘green forest’ husband Anirudh (Diganth Manchale) arrive at her in-laws village home to attend her sister-in-law’s wedding. The couple is meeting their family for the first time in three years after getting married against their parents’ wishes. In an attempt to win the family’s acceptance, Swarna does everything to impress her new family.

A middle-class family full of Karate fighters. A Rs 7,000 crore mining project on the line. A corporate villain. And his assassin to get things done for him. When all these collide,you get a script with ample scope for a wild ride. Director Subash K Raj attempts an action-heavy thriller about a happy family that just wants to mind its own business. Blast, at a runtime of nearly two hours and 30 minutes, is a blend of multiple genres. At one point, it is about a middle-class family fighting to protect their peace. When Nila (Preity Mukundhan) is young, her father (Arjun Sarja) teaches her the most important lesson in life: stand up for the victim, even if they are not related to you. This, along with karate training from her father, makes her impossible to dislike.

How long can a man outrun the ghosts of his past? A middle-class family man who once went to unimaginable lengths to protect his family now finds himself battling a past that refuses to stay buried (literally). This is what Jeethu Joseph’s Drishyam 3 is all about. Does Jeethu Joseph have a few more tricks up his sleeve to make the third film in the franchise as interesting as the first two were? Let’s find out. Producer Georgekutty (Mohanlal) has successfully released his first film, which is based on the events that happened in his family. As he is hounded with congratulations and offers for overseas release and remakes, there’s also a looming threat for his family. This time, it’s not the police or Geetha Prabakar (Asha Sharath), who lost her son Varun, who is coming after Georgekutty.

It’s the 90s and early 2000s. Do you remember watching the Amman movies getting replayed on KTV? Ah! Nostalgic, right? Director RJ Balaji took us to the same time period with Nayanthara’s Mookuthi Amman in 2020. With Suriya’s Karuppu, he has returned to the same space, but mounted it as a stylised commercial entertainer. But, does Karuppu hit the jackpot? Let’s find out!