13 most anticipated Tamil films of 2021

Theatre owners across south India are hoping that Vijay’s upcoming action drama will bring back the crowd to theatres even as concerns over the new strain of coronavirus continues to grow. If not for the pandemic, Master would have lit up the screens worldwide in April 2020. Vijay’s popularity and the huge expectations around Master are expected to revive the business of film distribution and exhibition, which is struggling to get back on its feet in COVID times. The film is helmed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, who has put together a dreamy star cast. Besides Vijay, the film also stars Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Arjun Das, Andrea Jeremiah and Shanthanu Bhagyaraj. Master will hit screens on January 13.

Eeswaran

For most of the 2010s, Simbu struggled with a bad reputation. He was accused of being unprofessional, arriving late to work, delaying production and adding to the woes of producers. However, the actor has clearly crawled himself out of that hole. He finished shooting and dubbing for his portions in Eeswaran within 40 days, making it possible for the makers to release the film for Pongal holiday. Director Susienthiran has written and directed the rural drama, which is slated for a January 14 release.

Jagame Thanthiram

Karthik Subbaraj intended to release his magnum opus Jagame Thanthiram in May 2020. The COVID-induced lockdown since March threw a wrench into his plans. It is only a matter of time before the makers announce the release date of the film. Jagame Thanthiram stars Dhanush in the lead role. It also features veteran Hollywood actor James Cosmo in a key role.

Annaatthe

In March, Sun Pictures announced that it will release the Rajinikanth-starrer Annaatthe in theatres for Pongal. However, concerns over the safety of the 70-year-old superstar did not allow the makers to resume production. In the second week of December 2020, Rajinikanth started shooting for the movie, hoping to finish his portions in a single stretch. A few days later, the shooting was stopped after a COVID outbreak on the sets. The buzz is that the producers have planned to shift the shooting location to Chennai and complete the remaining portions soon.

Valimai

Billed as an action flick, this is Ajith’s second consecutive collaboration with director H Vinoth and producer Boney Kapoor. The trio had earlier delivered courtroom drama Nerkonda Paarvai, which was the remake of Bollywood hit Pink. The makers are yet to release the first look, teaser or any major update about Valimai.

Sulthan

Written and directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan of Remo fame, action drama Sulthan stars Karthi and Rashmika Mandanna. The shoot of the Dream Warrior Pictures production was completed before COVID happened and the producers had originally planned to release the movie during Deepavali. The new release date is awaited.

Laabam:

Described as a sociopolitical thriller, Laabam was another movie anxiously waiting for theatres to operate with 100% seating capacity. Laabam caused a shock-wave in the industry when some reports claimed the film will directly premiere on Netflix. Later, Vijay Sethupathi took to Twitter to clarify that the film will have a “big theatrical release” soon. Laabam is written and directed by National Award-winning filmmaker S. P. Jananathan. The trailer suggests that the film talks about issues faced by the farming community and the ills of crony capitalism. Laabam also stars Jagapathi Babu, Sai Dhanshika, Ramesh Thilak, Prithivi Rajan, and Jai Varman.

Cobra

The makers of Cobra had originally planned to release the film in the summer of 2020. However, the movie was not completed due to the pandemic. The shooting for the film is underway. Helmed by Ajay Gnanamuthu, Cobra stars Vikram in the lead role. It is said that the film will show Vikram in more than 20 different get-ups. Cobra also stars director KS Ravikumar, Srinidhi Shetty, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan, Mrinalini, Kanika, Padmapriya and Babu Antony.

Indian 2

The sequel to the 1996 blockbuster Indian is easily one of the most-awaited movies of 2021. The Shankar directorial brings back Kamal Haasan’s sensational character Senapathy, an aged vigilante with uncanny skills when it comes to killing people. The production of the movie came to a halt before the outbreak of the virus after a freak accident on the sets. A crane with heavy-duty lights came crashing down on the sets killing three people and injuring many in February 2020. There is still no update on when the makers will resume production.

Dhruva Natchathiram

The release of director Gautham Menon’s ambitious spy thriller Dhruva Natchathiram is long-overdue. The film, which is in the post-production stage, is expected to finally see the light of day in 2021. The film stars Vikram, Ritu Varma, Aishwarya Rajesh, Simran, R. Parthiepan and Radhika Sarathkumar.

Maanaadu

Venkat Prabhu directorial Maanaadu is currently in production. The shooting was delayed owing to differences between Simbu and the film’s producer. The filmmakers even announced that they have fired Simbu and the project will go on the floors with a new star. However, Simbu managed to make peace with the filmmakers and got the job back. The film also stars Kalyani Priyadarshan, SJ Suryah, Bharathiraja, S A Chandrasekhar, Karunakaran and Premgi Amaren.

Thalaivi

Thalaivi is based on the life and times of Jayalalithaa. Kangana Ranaut plays the late screen icon and chief minister of Tamil Nadu in the movie, which is written and directed by AL Vijay. Kangana’s uncanny resemblance to Jayalalithaa has already created a lot of expectations around the movie.

Vikram

Director Lokesh Kanagaraj and Kamal Haasan have joined forces for Vikram. They are yet to begin shooting for the film. However, if all things go according to plan, the action flick, which is said to be the sequel to Kamal’s 1986 spy-thriller of the same name, will hit theatres this year.