Half-Yearly report: GV Prakash Kumar to Eswari Rao, best performances of 2018

With the Kollywood strike stalling the release of many Tamil films, the first half of 2018 hasn’t been great for the Tamil film industry. Although a lot of films managed to get a theatrical release, only a handful were profitable at the ticket window. Apart from the success ratio, the performances of actors/actresses have left an impression on the audiences. From GV Prakash Kumar in ‘Naachiyaar’ to Eswari Rao in ‘Kaala’, we look at some of the best performances in the first half.

After appearing in a series of masala entertainers, Suriya teamed up with Vignesh Shivn for a heist-comedy ‘Thaana Serndha Koottam’, inspired by the Bollywood blockbuster, ‘Special 26’. Even before its release, the film created a lot of buzz, thanks to its intriguing teaser. Upon its release, the film was unanimously appreciated for Suriya’s stellar performance, with some critics mentioning that it was refreshing to see the actor back in fine form. What made the remake click was how Shivn turned a serious film into a true-blue comedy. Apart from Suriya, actors Ramya Krishnan, Sathyan, RJ Balaji and Suresh Menon were also praised for their performances. Released on the occasion of Pongal, the film made decent numbers at the box office.

Written and produced by Mysskin himself, 'Savarakathi' was officially launched in 2015. However, due to delays in production, the film's release was pushed more than once. A black-comedy of sorts, ‘Savarakathi’ created positive vibes when the makers released its trailer. Like Mysskin’s other films, this bizarre comedy talks about the lives of the owner of a barbershop and his family, who rub a gangster (played by Mysskin) the wrong way. Directed by Mysskin’s brother GR Adithya, the critics couldn’t stop praising the performances by its lead actors, particularly, scenes which featured Mysskin and Poorna.

Ace filmmaker Bala’s ‘Naachiyaar’ was one of the most awaited releases of 2018. It tells the story of a ruthless police officer, played by Jyothika, who is in charge of a rape case. It is only later that she realizes that it is nothing more than a mere love story between two youngsters Kaathu (GV Prakash Kumar) and Arasi (Iavana). Upon release, ‘Naachiyaar’ was widely appreciated for the performances by lead actors, Jyothika and GV Prakash Kumar. In fact, the latter’s moving performance was praised by a list of celebrities including ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay. Even though the Kollywood strike was still on, ‘Naachiyaar’ brought in the masses to the theatres and became a successful venture at the box office.

Filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj’s ‘Mercury’ made the right noises before its release. Marketed as a "silent-thriller", it received rave reviews from critics. Based on the infamous Kodaikanal poisoning, the film was lauded for its gripping screenplay and beautiful visuals by cinematographer Thirunavukkarasu. ‘Mercury’ stars actor-choreographer Prabhudheva in the lead role of a blind man. The film was praised for performances of its supporting cast that included Indhuja, Sanatha Reddy and Deepak Paramesh. Jointly produced by Stone Bench Films and Pen Movies, the film has music by Santhosh Narayanan. Made on a small budget, ‘Mercury’ became reasonably successful at the box office upon its release.

Keerthy Suresh is one actress who has received a lot of criticisms for her ‘loosu ponnu’ performances in films like ‘Remo’ and ‘Bairavaa’. In fact, when it was announced that Keerthy will be essaying legendary actress Savitri on screen, many criticised filmmaker Nag Ashwin’s decision to cast her. However, she proved her critics wrong and won over the audience in ‘Mahanati’, which was released in Tamil as ‘Nadigaiyar Thilagam’. The biopic chronicled both the personal and professional life of the actress. Popularly known as ‘Mahanati’, Savitri ruled the roost in the ‘50s and ‘60s and was often paired opposite Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan. One of the main highlights about the film was its strong cast that included Dulquer Salmaan, Samantha Akkineni and Vijay Deverakonda in pivotal roles.

More than anything, ‘Kaala’ brought back the vintage Rajinikanth on the screen. Directed by Pa Ranjith, the film won praises for its story, backed by strong performances. Superstar Rajinikanth and Eswari Rao were unanimously praised for their crackling chemistry. Among the other cast, Anjali Patil, Manikandan and veteran actor Nana Patekar were well appreciated for their respective roles in the film.

‘Kaala’ opened to positive reviews from critics and audiences, and became a successful venture at the box office. The film particularly fared well in multiplexes and the overseas market. Produced by Dhanush’s Wunderbar Films, the film has an ensemble cast that also included Huma Qureshi, Samuthirakani and Pankaj Tripathi in supporting roles.