Where are the big bangs? Tamil cinema feels like a damp squib

ONCE upon a time, a Tamil Diwali release was an event.

- SARANYA DEVAN

You didn’t just watch the movie; you lived it. You booked tickets days in advance, ironed your new outfit, stood in serpentine queues, and joined a theatre full of strangers screaming as if they were all family. Now? You scroll through the list of this year’s releases and wonder, huh ... is this it?

Once, Diwali meant Sivaji: The Boss lighting up screens with Rajinikanth’s trademark swagger; Mersal giving us message and magic in one breath. Even Vaaranam Aayiram and 7aum Arivu had something cinematic to offer. There was spectacle, sound and a sense that Tamil cinema is alive, sparking and lighting up the skies during Diwali.

But this year, what do we get? A forgettable lineup headlined by something like