Keeping aside the Coronavirus COVID-19 situation, it has not been a great year for Tamil cinema. The industry which had already been witnessing a massive decline in the quantity of film releases, hit an all time low this 2020. Nevertheless there were a few that prevailed and here are the movies that put out their entertainment-cape for Kollywood this year.

1. Soorarai Pottru (MC Rating: 69%)

Tamil audience were starved of a good entertainer this year and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that this Sudha Kongara directorial was their only solace. A real-life underdog drama amped up by a star performer like Suriya and a convenient means of accessing it from home made Soorarai Pottru the best bet of 2020.

2.Oh My Kadavulae (MC Rating: 64%)

A full blown romantic-comedy after long, this movie by director Ashwath Marimuthu came with a breezy take on modern relationships and endearing performances from Ashok Selvan and Ritika Singh.

3.Kaanum Kannum Kollai Adithaal (MC Rating: 63%)

Another light-hearted entertainer from a debutant director (DeSingh Periyasamy) that hit all the right notes this year, Kannum Kannum Kollai Adithaal follows the story of two online scammers getting to have a taste of their own medicine. The movie stars Dulquer Salmaan, Ritu Varma and director Gautham Menon in pivotal roles.

4.Baaram (MC Rating: 61%)

A lesser known movie that left an indelible mark was this National award winning movie. Baaram followed the tale of an old security guard who circumstantially becomes invalid and is murdered via 'mercy killing'. The film is directed Priya Krishnaswamy and stars R Raju, P Samanaraja, Sugumar Shanmugam, Su.Pa Muthukumar and Jayalakshmi.

5. Dhaarala Prabhu (MC Rating: 61%)

A faithful remake of the acclaimed Vicky Donor, Dhaarala Prabhu did its bit before the pandemic struck and was forced to stop its run in the movie theaters. Harish Kalyan and Vivek put up an impressive show, making the movie a fun-filled watch.

Special Mention

There were also some good attempts this year - films which reflected on societal issues while still engaging its viewers. 

• Mookuthi Amman : A fantasy satire starring Nayanthara and RJ Balaji, Mookuthi Amman struck a chord because of its silly treatment that the Tamil audience weren't used to with 'devotional movies'. Lessons on religious scams and societal faults were added takeaways from the movie.
• Kaaval Thurai Ungal Nanban : A decent movie about police brutality and power abuse, this one kept it real for the most part. The film is written and directed by RDM and stars Suresh Ravi, Mime Gopi and Raveena Ravi in pivotal roles.

Best of OTT Originals

Besides films taking a detour from movie theaters to OTT platforms this year, there were movies specifically made for digital release and these are some of the best releases among them.

• Paava Kadhaigal : Not only did it bring four gripping stories from names like Vetrimaaran, Sudha Kongara, Vignesh Shivan and Gautham Menon, it also brought in memorable performances from the likes of Sai Pallavi, Prakash Raj and Kalidas Jayaram among others.
• Putham Pudhu Kaalai : Tamil cinema had its own share of anthologies this OTT season and this movie from Sudha Kongara, Gautham Menon Suhasini Mani Ratnam and Karthik Subbaraj was an easy watch among them. A delightful look at relationships and life during lockdown, the movie offered nothing more, nothing less.
• Sethum Aayiram Pon : This movie that romanticized 'death' to an extent, released at a time when most of the people were stuck at home, faced with a pandemic at large. The timing and debutant Anand Ravichandran's storyline highlighting the importance of relationships, worked in favour the movie.