5 essential Tamil movies that Thangalaan star Vikram recommends you watch
Chiyaan Vikram has recommended five Tamil movies that are essential to understanding the roots of Tamil cinema.
Chiyaan Vikram
Chiyaan Vikram recently shared his list of five essential Tamil films that everyone must watch. According to Vikram, these films provide a perfect introduction to the ethos, style, and culture of Tamil cinema.
Here's what Vikram had to say about each of these iconic films:
Nayakan:
"Mani sir's Nayakan is almost like a Godfather, but it's a beautiful film I love to watch. It's a biopic film about a gangster, it shows him at different ages. To think that Kamal sir was actually 35 when he played a 70-year-old man...it's a beautiful film. It's a classic," Vikram said on TRS channel.
16 Vayathinile:
"16 Vayathinile is again a Kamal sir movie, which I like. It's done by Bharathiraja and I like it a lot. It's a very raw, and rustic movie, and very true to the genre. It realistically captures village life in South India. It has Sridevi, Kamal sir, and the villain is Mr. Rajinikanth. Can you believe that? It's iconic to the extent that I remember all the dialogue from that movie. If I can do its remake, I would play Kamal sir's character. He plays a cripple in that movie, a village dauffer. What a performance even though he can't repeat it."
Raavanan:
"Raavanan is a very interesting film that Mani sir crafted. The way he (Mani Ratnam) delved into that character, his unrequited love. In the north, it was not accepted immediately, and because of that, we felt the backlash in the South also. Raavanan didn't do well here, so it also affected the film in the South. But now everyone talks about Raavanan, and calls it a cult film. Mani sir is a fantastic craftsman."
Uthiri Pookkal:
"Uthiri Pookkal is a very old film. Nobody will know the actors in that now, but Mahendran sir. It's about relationships and about a woman who gets wronged. It's one of the classic films, something that everyone should watch in Tamil."
Pushpaka Vimana:
"Pushpaka Vimana, again a Kamal sir movie. Everyone should watch it. It's a silent film, but it's all comic. The way they do it without one word of dialogue is very intriguing and exciting.