The first 2 and a half months of 2020 were actually when movies from the Tamil film industry had full potential of leaving behind a shiny mark. Nevertheless, they persisted through the magic of digital and OTT platforms. From documented success stories to fresh new angle to romance and relationships and slices of Tamil culture, different genres were explored this year yet not the brightest of years for Kollywood.

Films - Hits and Misses

Darbar which released in the very first week proved to be quite the dampener, possibly setting the tune for big entertainers this year. Dhanus's Pattas fared no better for Pongal in theaters, giving the Tamil audience a very mediocre start, Mysskin's Psycho was the only saving grace of the month, partially impressing with some intense portrayals but not-so-good-plot.

The leap-yeared month of 2020 had a totally different pace and three films worked with various levels of success. While the National award winning Baaram garnered the attention of the critics, Oh My Kadavule and Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal were just the light-hearted rom-coms, audience needed to rave about through the rest of the year.

Dharala Prabhu, a remake of the cult hit Vicky Donor struck a chord with the Tamil audience and had the right head-start with its 2-day theatrical run. The film was received well when it released later on streaming platforms. OTT originals like Putham Pudhu Kaalai and Paava Kadhaigal had good directors steering the narrative towards easy audience engagement.  

However the clean winner so far this year both from audience and critic perspective was Soorarai Pottru. Coming from director Sudha Kongara, the film managed to capitalize on its strengths like music, cinematography, strong characters and stellar performances. 

Performance - Male

Suriya's Soorarai Pottru was the only big hero film that released during the OTT season this year and Suriya brought out the star performer side of him in full force. He left the audience mighty impressed especially since it has been a while since he had the opportunity showcase his emotional-acting talents.

The shoes Vivek had to fit into were big and he filled in like a glove, proving yet again his talents beyond comedy. Despite having limited time to perform, MS Bhaskar made the most in an ensemble and stood out with his endearing yet impressive performance.  and proved why he is a veteran.

It was a good year for Kalidas Jayaram too who managed to win hearts with his versatile choice of characters this year.