Janani K

How does one lead a life when you forget your routine and even the mere existence of your loved ones? Bougainvillea, directed by Amal Neerad, is a film that revolves around a couple, Royce (Kunchacko Boban) and Reethu (Jyothirmayi), that gives you an insight into a pair that is trying to overcome this kind of an unusual situation. In the initial few seconds, we see Royce and Reethu meet with a nasty accident. The after-effect of the accident: Reethu suffers from Anterograde and Retrograde amnesia. Reethu’s life is defined by Royce’s ideas. Her day-to-day routine and details about her family are written in a diary. And house help Rema (Srinda) oversees her at home when Royce, a doctor, is at the hospital. One day, David Koshy (Fahadh Faasil) turns up at Reethu’s home and asks her about the whereabouts of a missing girl. His interrogation hits a roadblock because of Reethu’s memory. But, there’s more than what meets the eye.

Jr NTR, fondly called the ‘Man of the Masses’ by his fans, is back as a solo lead after six years, choosing director Koratala Siva’s Devara (now a two-part film) for his big moment. Devara explores the theme of fear and its impact on an entire generation. Fear is the strongest emotion in Devara, but how is this translated into a cohesive script? Let’s find out! Set in 1996, the story follows a police officer (Ajay), who along with his team are on the hunt for criminals, Daya and Yethi. Their investigation leads them to Singappa (Prakash Raj), who lives in Errasamudram (Red Sea) and recounts the story of Devara (NTR) and Bhaira (Saif Ali Khan). Cut to the 1970s, Devara is a righteous man, who thinks twice before taking a life, while Bhaira, on the other hand, is brutal and kills without hesitation.

In the world of Indian web series, the Hindi show Panchayat managed to earn one of the top spots. This year, the third season of Panchayat was released and opened to positive reviews. Now, Panchayat has come to Tamil as Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam. Directed by Naga, the show is a light-hearted entertainer, with simplicity as its greatest asset. Siddharth (Abishek Kumar) is a city-bred youngster who has been posted as the panchayat secretary in Tirunelveli’s Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam. The village still lives in the past with no tinge of modernism or westernisation. Meenakshi Devi (Devadarshini) is the panchayat’s chairperson. But, for some reason, she is stuck to doing household chores while her husband, Meenakshi Sundaram, carries out the chairperson’s responsibilities.

Ajayante Randam Moshanam aka ARM features Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas in triple roles. Directed by Jithin Laal and written by Sujith Nambiar, the film generated significant interest through its posters and trailer. But has ARM lived up to everyone’s expectations? Let’s find out! The story begins with Kunji Kelu (Tovino Thomas), an exceptional warrior, whois granted the opportunity to request for a special gift from the king. He asks for a deity crafted from a unique rock that fell from a meteorite and struck their village, Haripuram. The story then shifts to Maniyan (Tovino Thomas), a clever thief who is accused of stealing the deity.

‘The Greatest of All Time’ aka ‘GOAT’ is Thalapathy Vijay’s penultimate film before he fully commits to politics. Tracing his career, one would truly understand why ‘GOAT’ is probably the perfect title for Vijay. Director Venkat Prabhu’s spy thriller further establishes Thalapathy Vijay as truly ’the greatest of all time’. Gandhi (Vijay), along with Sunil (Prashanth), Kalyan (Prabhudheva) and Ajay (Ajmal Ameer), forms the Special Anti-Terrorism Squad (SATS), led by Nasser (Jayaram). A fun and efficient team, they get the job done without much hassle. However, when Gandhi takes his pregnant wife (Sneha) and son Jeevan on a mission to Thailand, he faces a tragic loss, prompting him to seek a less risky job.

Watching a neatly woven commercial cinema is therapeutic in every sense. And when it is headlined by powerhouse performers, Nani and SJ Suryah, you know you’re in for a treat. ‘Saripodhaa Sanivaaram’ marks Nani and director Vivek Athreya’s second collaboration after ‘Ante Sundaraniki’. While ‘Ante Sundariniki’ was a cute rom-com, Nani and Vivek went all out for ‘Saripodhaa Sanivaaram’ by picking a masala entertainer with a family backdrop. Surya (Nani) is a loved elder child to his parents (Abhirami and Sai Kumar). But, his anger is his problem. His mother, who is counting her days, teaches him a unique way to keep his anger in check and let it out only on Saturdays. Surya makes note of people who wronged him on the rest of the days and gets time to process his anger till Saturday. And when he feels his anger is justified, he thrashes the people who angered him.

Director Mari Selvaraj, on several occasions, called ‘Vaazhai’ his best film. He stated that it was the film he wanted to make first, before ‘Pariyerum Perumal’, ‘Karnan’ and ‘Maamannan’. ‘Vaazhai’ is a biographical film that explores a significant incident that changed Mari’s life. Mari is absolutely right, as ‘Vaazhai’ is his career-best film and a perfect answer to the trolls that targeted him. Sivanaindhan (Ponvel), with his charismatic and innocent smile, lives with his mother (Janaki) and elder sister Vembu (Dhivya Duraisamy). Sivanaindhan juggles between school and working at a banana plantation over weekends to make ends meet. He excels at school, consistently achieving first rank, but he does not enjoy working at the plantation for obvious reasons. The strenuous labour and the way he’s ripped off of his childish joys take a toll on him. But, Sivanaindhan understands.

Director PS Vinothraj announced his arrival in Tamil cinema with ‘Koozhangal’, a film which won the coveted Tiger Award at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam. His second film, ‘Kottukkaali’, brings together Anna Ben and Soori for the first time and has already garnered appreciation in the international market. Now, Kottukkaali is set to make its mark in the Indian market. Meena (Anna Ben) is confined to her home, with everyone around her speaking in hushed tones. She refuses to speak and appears distressed. Her relatives claim that she is possessed by a spirit. Meena, her mother, her fiance Pandi (Soori), and others embark on a journey to a temple to ward off the evil.