Best of 2022: Kamal Haasan's Vikram to Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan 1, Tamil movies that impressed viewers

Like many other film industries, Kollywood, too, took some time to revive after it was brought to a standstill owing to the lockdown implemented as a result of COVID-19. Though a handful of movies survived the onslaught of the pandemic in 2021, it was 2022 which brought the much-needed cheer to moviegoers and exhibitors.

The year witnessed the terrific comeback of the two legendary icons Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam. Apart from high-octane action flicks and movies that featured larger-than-life characters, 2022 also witnessed a few unexpected films clicking at the box office. With a couple of more weeks left to bid adieu to the memorable year for Kollywood, OTTplay brings you the top 10 films that left cinephiles excited.

Vikram

Streaming on: Zee5 

It isn't an exaggeration to say that the Lokesh Kanagaraj directorial turned out to be the saviour of Tamil cinema, especially when the industry was reeling under the below average box office performances of a few much-expected movies. The action drama opened to unanimous positive response, thanks to outstanding performances from Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil and Suriya aided by an amazing screenplay. The movie also marked the most-awaited, sensational comeback of the Ulaganayagan.

Ponniyin Selvan 1

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

The big-budget multi-starrer project showcased the expertise of a maverick like Mani Ratnam after a long hiatus. The right choice of actors and technicians helped the filmmaker to bring Kalki's epic novel to the big screen. The presence of Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Karthi, Trisha and Jayam Ravi among others proved what talented actors could do to an engaging screenplay. Rahman's magical music, Ravi Varman's splendid visuals and Thota Tharani's art direction left the viewers wanting for more.

Thiruchitrambalam

Streaming on: Sun NXT

At a time when larger-than-life heroes were ruling the roost, this feel-good family drama stood out with its sincerity in narration abled by stellar performances from Dhanush, Nithya Menen, Bharathiraja and Prakash Raj. The chemistry between Dhanush and Nithya was a treat to watch and Mithran Jawahar's effective screenplay made the audience relate to various emotions and sequences effortlessly. Anirudh's popular songs and breezy background score were pillars of the film.

Gargi

Streaming on: SonyLIV

Gautham Ramachandran's hard-hitting family drama was one of the riveting dramas this year, thanks to its taut screenplay with a shocking climax which was complemented by the presence of Sai Pallavi, RS Shivaji, Kaali Venkat and Saravanan. The slow burning drama leaves you in disbelief with the unanticipated revelation in the third act. A young woman's struggles in saving her rape accused father was lapped up by the audience as its twists and turns haunt you like never before.  

Love Today      

Streaming on: Netflix

When one-film-old director Pradeep Ranganathan announced the rom-com with cheeky first look posters, little did the audience expect that the movie would take the box office by storm. Pradeep himself played the lead in the film along with Ivana. The story that revolved around a young couple in their early 20s exchanging phones for a few days was more than enough to bring the house down because of a set of well-written sequences that struck the right chord with the audience.  

Natchathiram Nagargiradhu

Streaming on: Netflix

The one-of-its-kind movie helmed by Pa Ranjith opened to huge critical response, thanks to the manner in which he handled a plethora of pertinent social issues organically in a love story that was set against a theatre group. Dushara Vijayan came up with a scintillating performance in the film which had a great supporting cast including the likes of Kalaiyarasan and Kalidas Jayaram among others. 

Kadaisi Vivasayi

Streaming on: SonyLIV

Manikandan's much-appreciated film touched upon the plight of an 80-year-old farmer who faces several hardships to provide grains for a temple ceremony in his village. The film's sincere and effective approach to the plot was enhanced by the performance of Nallandi who passed away before its release. The technical aspects, including Santhosh Narayanan's music and Manikandan's cinematography, complemented the film which threw light on a few social issues in a constructive and entertaining manner.  

Saani Kaayidham

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

Arun Matheswaran's sophomore film which had a direct-OTT-release garnered the love of action movie lovers ever since its promo videos were unveiled. Keerthy Suresh and Selvaraghavan played two revenge-seeking characters to perfection. The gritty visuals and uncompromising violent nature in some of the stunt scenes were prime highlights of the movie which impressed many cinephiles.

Don

Streaming on: Netflix

With his debut flick, Cibi Chakravarthi proved his knack of coming up with a commercially viable project which has a bankable star in it. Sivakarthikeyan pulled off a jovial character who undergoes various emotions with ease and scored another super hit in his kitty. The presence of other cast, including Samuthirakani, was a backbone to the movie which had solid music from Anirudh as well, another instrumental factor to its success.

Taanakkaran

Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar

Tamizh has directed the film based on a few real life incidents. Vikram Prabhu played the lead role in the movie which revolved around the inhumane training activities aspiring cops are subjected to by senior cops. The intriguing screenplay which narrated their struggles was elevated by inspiring performances from Vikram, Lal, Madhusudhan and MS Bhaskar.