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Wednesday, March 18, 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Mohan G’s Bakasuran is outdated.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Varisu repackages an old story and serves it using an outdated template.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

Strait of Hormuz crisis shows limits of US, say Chinese. ‘India most vulnerable’

Chinese online discourse situates the crisis within a broader geopolitical context, particularly the hesitancy of US allies to support Washington.

Amid supply crunch, govt offers 10% additional commercial LPG to states. But there’s a condition

India faces LPG shortage amid supply disruptions from Strait of Hormuz closure due to prolonged West Asia conflict.

Indian borders to US schools, Indian firm bags orders to supply surveillance drones to Texas schools

The company had secured orders worth over Rs 100 crore from the Indian Army in November last year. Its UAVs are deployed along India’s borders with Pakistan & China.

Peaceful power transfers followed uprisings in India’s neighbourhood. It’s a sign of mature democracies

Rating democracies is a tricky business. I am only using the simple metric of who in the Indian subcontinent has had the most peaceful, stable, normal political transitions and continuity.