Most Expected Movies of 2024 - Tamil

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While Rajinikanth's had his hits and misses over the years, his box-office pull was a factor which was never questioned in Tamil cinema. However this changed post Annaatthe (2021), and at a time when even the inside trade had made no bets on Jailer, the movie served as nothing but the metaphorical Phoenix bird's rise from the ashes. Putting a full stop his critics is something a Superstar like Rajini has done multiple times over the decades, but doing it as a septuagenarian, at the "young" age of 72, is what is making us take notice of the now-73-year-old's upcoming movies*.

* - Thalaivar 171 [tentative title], would be atop this list had it been releasing in 2024. The film raises expectations over the union of Rajinikanth with top-of-the-game talents like director Lokesh Kanagaraj and music composer Anirudh Ravichander. Thalaivar 171 also marks the reunion of Rajini with his Jailer film producer (Sun Pictures) and composer (Anirudh), who served as major backbones in the film's success.  

 

Vettaiyan's first glimpse looked promising, and 2024 will reveal how the one film old TJ Gnanavel has utilized a star power like Rajinikanth. 

 

3. Thangalaan

Actor Vikram and director Pa. Ranjith are the two names in Tamil cinema that are synonymous with painstaking effort and seamless execution. When these two join forces, the result is expected to be nothing short of everything synonymous with 'cinema'. Thangalaan teaser was in tune with this standard, and the movie is expected to be no less either.  

4. Captain Miller

Dhanush has been on a career high these past few years, what with churning hits, raking in acclaim be it  in domestic or international waters, theaters or OTT platforms. The actor also keeps upping his game, while maintaining a consistent success streak, and Captain Miller is the latest addition to his versatile portfolio.   

A period action adventure is rare in Tamil cinema, and the interesting combination of Dhanush and director Arun Matheswaran has invoked attention. While GV Prakash's music has so far been checking all the right boxes, all eyes are now on how the film will end up performing this year. 

  

5. Ayalaan

On the heels of a fantasy hit like Maaveeran, Sivakarthikeyan will next be seen next in science fiction, another genre that is not often seen in Tamil cinema. Ayalaan director R. Ravikumar has previously handled this sci-fi genre (Indru Netru Naalai), and came out with flying colours.

It remains to be seen how this duo has upped this game this time around. Ayalaan's pivotal alien character, shot with an actor in a suit and digitally painted in post-production, has raised interest in the movie as well.      

 

6. Kanguva

Despite raking in the acclaim for his direct OTT releases like Jai Bhim (2021) and Soorarai Pottru (2020),  actor Suriya is yet to make a box-office comeback in the post-pandemic era. Signs of the same were witnessed, when a cameo role of Suriya's brought in scores of audience to theaters running Vikram (2022). Kanguva as a result is riding on a lot, and its the first look has aided in raising expectations.

A lot of interest also lingers over Kanguva for it marks the first time union of a commercial director like Siva, with a versatile actor like Suriya, in a movie that has adventure fantasy as its sub genre. The ensemble cast list and scale of production (costliest Suriya film yet), has added to the curiosity. 

7. Indian 2

It has been 6 years since ace director Shankar's last film in Tamil, and the filmmaker's Indian 2 with Kamal Haasan in the lead, is expected to mark his comeback with a bang. Kamal Haasan and Shankar had collaborated on Indian 28 years ago, and that film had set several benchmarks in cinematic novelty. The movie having attained a cult status since, there is a natural curiosity over how its sequel will make a mark.  

 

Kamal Haasan also has highly exciting projects like KH 233 [tentative title] with H. Vinoth, whose previous outing was the hit actioner Thunivu. Thug Life [aka KH 234] on the other hand has piqued interest with its Star Wars-coded first look. Ace director Mani Ratnam has regrouped some of his Ponniyin Selvan team for his reunion with Kamal Haasan after 25+ years. Both these films are expected to release in 2025-2026.    

8.  Vidaa Muyarchi

Actor Ajith Kumar's filmography in the last 8 years has been directed by only 2 filmmakers, with whom he collaborated consecutively on 3 movies each. A much needed break from this cycle has come in the form of Vidaa Muyarchi, which marks Ajith's union with director Magizh Thirumeni, whose forte is thriller movies.

Trisha who is on a comeback high with the success of Ponniyin Selvan movies and Leo, is part of Vidaa Muyarchi too. The onscreen pair has given only hits all the four times they've collaborated so far, and it remains to be seen if their success streak will continue with their 5th movie together as well. 

9.  SK 21 [tentative title]

Kamal Haasan and Sivakarthikeyan are significant players in the Tamil cine field, and a team up between these two stars albeit in the roles of a producer and lead actor respectively, is sure to turn heads. Added to this, SK 21 is being directed by the one film old Rajkumar Periyasamy, and Sivakarthikeyan is cast opposite first time collaborators like Sai Pallavi and Rahul Bose. 

 

The film being buzzed to be about the late Indian army veteran Major Mukund Varadarajan, who was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra for eliminating three terrorists during the 2014 Shopian encounter in Jammu and Kashmir (before the 2019 reconstitution of the state into 2 union territories - Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh), has added to the curiosity. 

10. LIC (Love Insurance Corporation)

Romance is a strong suit for director Vignesh Sivan who hasn't had a release since his last hit Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal (2022). His Love Insurance Corporation aka LIC is pegged as a comeback of sorts for the director, and in a first, he will be directing another filmmaker in the lead role.

 

Vignesh Sivan's team up with Pradeep Ranganathan who is also coming off the success of a romantic hit like Love Today (2022), and film's music by the hitmaker Anirudh has certainly sparked an interest surrounding the movie. 

 

Special Mentions: 

 

11. Lal Salaam

Lal Salaam may be a Vishnu Vishal, Vikranth starrer with Aishwarya Rajinikanth at the helm, but the film has generated a ton of expectations over Rajinikanth's cameo appearance that is an important part of the movie.  In a film that is set around cricketing sport and communal clashes, composer AR Rahman also raised the experimental music bar by giving out a single exceeding 7 minutes of run-time.    

12. Dhruva Natchathiram

Despite Dhruva Natchathiram being the poster child of production hell and release delays, director Gautham Vasudev Menon's spy action thriller starring Chiyaan Vikram in the lead, still holds a lot of interest for the freshness it maintains (albeit a ton of tweaks). Even after 6 years, there is ample interest to witness the 145 minute Dhruva Natchathiram: Chapter One - Yuddha Kaandam anytime it hits theater screens.