2016 sees Kollywood gearing up for experimental films.
2016 sees Kollywood gearing up for experimental films such as zombie flick Mirudhan, the wacky Jil Jung Juk and others. What are the other genres the industry can attempt, and who can star in them?
A full-on musical:
Granted, there have been adventurous, low-scale efforts in this genre earlier (even SJ Suryah’s Isai was promoted as one), but you think of Kollywood films and their strong associations with music, as well as the array of talented composers we have — are we really that far away from producing a desi movie version of a Pitch Perfect or Glee?
Come on, if Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson could woo the boys with their voices, surely our very own Shruti Haasan, Andrea Jeremiah or Remya Nambeesan could do much better? Not to mention Chennai’s own home-grown set of singing divas, pub singers and performers who’d love the opportunity to showcase their talents and personas on the big screen.
Found footage horror:
Remember how freaked out we first were when The Blair Witch Project phenomenon first was unleashed upon us? And how years later, the Paranormal Activity series still managed to give us the heebie jeebies with the same trick — and using a few shaky handycams at that! Considering horror seems to have made a rousing comeback to Tamil cinema over the last few years — instead of adulterating a scary concept with commercial concepts song, dance and tasteless comedy, wouldn’t it be interesting to go a little further and explore this sub-genre of found-footage?
Recent flicks like Demonte Colony and Maya have pushed the envelope quite a bit — and this should only encourage newcomers and veterans alike to seek inspiration. With talk that director Selvaraghavan may direct a spook fest in ‘16, might we persuade him to make an experimental indie scary? What a delight that would be.
Slick, slicker, slickest:
There have always been huge admirers for periodic films and those which have grandeur written in every frame in Kollywood, and the massive success of Baahubali proved it again in 2015. However, there are intriguing genres like spy thrillers and war movies too, where filmmakers can explore splendour, and showcase a lavish world keeping the audiences on the edge of the seat.
A film, which reportedly was along the lines of a slick ‘James Bond’ thriller, was planned earlier by director Gautham Menon with Vijay in the lead. Though the project was shelved, there are many film buffs that wish it to be revived. Perhaps, the stylish avatar and performance of Vijay in Thuppakki is more than enough to believe that Ilayathalapathy starring in a suave, spy thriller would be a never-before-seen treat for Tamil audiences. Similarly, when Tollywood has been pushing boundaries these days with war flicks like Kanche, the creative minds in K’town should think of one in Tamil too.
Chick flicks, ahoy!
The quintessential heroine in a Kollywood flick is often a traditional girl who embraces virtues and an ethical way of life. Actresses playing irreverent, vampish roles is something that has yet to be perfected, but given the long list of performers we have, it isn’t a Herculean task to churn out such a film. Though there have been woman-centric films of late, a fun chick flick revolving around a young woman and her friends is something that the industry is yet to explore. Films like Mean Girls still find devoted fandom today — could any of our Tamil actresses maybe pull off such roles?
Taapsee Pannu for instance, would be apt to reprise the role of Lindsay Lohan, and how about Akshara Gowda in the shoes of Rachel McAdams aka Regina George?
Oooh.
Namma ooru super hero!
Needless to say, ‘super heroes’ have always fascinated movie buffs across the world. From Superman and Batman who have been enthralling the audiences with their exceptional larger-than-life acts for decades, to the likes of Iron Man, Avengers and others, which joined the bandwagon few years ago — this genre has hit the right note among movie-goers theworld over. Though there have been attempts like Mysskin’s Mugamoodi, which experimented with the superhero concept, Tamil audiences are yet to experience a full-fledged attempt, where a good-looking hero flexes muscles and takes on the baddies to protect people from evil forces and natural disasters. Considering his fan base among youngsters, children and the fairer sex, Suriya would be a good option to pull off a super hero convincingly, given his impressive and successful track record of getting into the skin of any character. Bollywood had launched its hero Krish a decade ago, and we think it’s high time Tamil filmmakers introduce one for us.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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