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Wednesday, April 8, 2026
TopicTamil cinema

Topic: Tamil cinema

MG Ramachandran redefined the relationship between cinema, people, and politics

MGR’s charitable donations and generosity percolated through generations, with many remembering even his decision to become Tamil Nadu CM as an act of ‘large-heartedness’.

Are Tamil films lazy or nostalgic? Retro hits from Kaithi to GBU wearing thin

Old hits have long featured in Tamil films, usually to evoke a certain era. But in the last four or five years, these blasts from the past often arrive without rhyme or reason.

MN Nambiar, Tamil cinema’s most convincing villain wielded swords with MGR, worshipped Ayyappa

MN Nambiar acted in more than 1,000 films, often cast as the archnemesis of MGR with iconic fight sequences. A trained martial artist, Nambiar used real swords in these scenes.

Silk Smitha challenged South Indian orthodoxy. For that, she was reduced to a sex symbol

Silk Smitha worked in more than 450 films, with the likes of Kamal Haasan, and Sridevi. But even today, she's only treated as an actor to objectify.

Ghilli to Vallavan—Tamil Nadu’s Gen Z watch old movies in theatres. It’s a dance party

Theatres in Chennai engaged with cinema lovers by fulfilling their demands to repeat the songs and even muting the music at times, allowing the crowd to shout out the lyrics.

‘It comes from anger’. Tamil singer Chinmayi Sripada isn’t afraid to speak her mind

Chinmayi Sripada was among the most fearless voices at height of MeToo movement. In this interview, she talks about her childhood in Chennai & why she does not shy away from speaking her mind.

Lokesh Kanagaraj is Tamil Tarantino. His hit-machine universe is ready & ripe

Vikram and Kaithi have become part of what his fans call the Lokesh Cinematic Universe or the Lokiverse

Mohan G’s Bakasuran is outdated. Selvaraghavan makes it mildly bearable

It is a template borrowed from when women were deployed as objects to satiate details of an over-sexualised plot.

Varisu is a long tribute to Vijay’s superstardom. Director Vamshi has nothing new to offer

Varisu repackages an old story and serves it using an outdated template. But fans of Vijay will get their money and time's worth.

Ponniyin Selvan-I: There is no guidebook to make a Chola period movie, researchers say

Mani Ratnam’s PS-1 has motivated senior citizens who had grown up listening to their parents read the novel trek over to cinema theatres after years.

On Camera

Rahul Gandhi wants to jail Himanta Sarma but Congress has a Bihar-sized problem in Assam

The Congress has promised Rs 50,000 assistance to each woman but as we've seen in many recent elections, voters seem to be conscious of the proverb: 'A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.'

Stocks fall, oil prices climb as Trump issues fresh threat to Iran ahead of his deadline

Fears that an escalation of the conflict could heighten a fuel squeeze & endanger the economy unnerved traders, with NYT reporting Iran stopped negotiating a truce with the US.

UAE walks away from financing Rafale F5 due to restricted access to technology, reports French media

French newspaper La Tribune earlier last week indicated that UAE withdrew from deal to fund EUR 3.5 billion. India is looking to order 114 new Rafales, which could include the F5.

China insulated itself against energy shocks. India is ‘all talk, no walk’

China patiently invested capital, skill and technology in coal gasification. Unlike it, we won’t move from words to action. As crude prices decline, we lose interest.