'Kaaka Muttai', '36 Vayadhinile' and 'OK Kanmani': Here are the 10 best Tamil films of 2015

2015 has been a great year for Tamil cinema, despite rains and flooding affecting the box-office. A total number of 202 Tamil films released up to December 25, the last Friday of the year. Big and small films alike have created an impact with the audiences. Here is a list of 10 films of 2015 that successfully created an impression: 1. Kaaka Muttai [caption id=“attachment_2558192” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from Kaaka Muttai.[/caption] Undoubtedly, Kaaka Muttai is the film of the year from debutant director M Manikandan. It is a film seeped in reality, but at the same time very entertaining, and written very well. The stunning performances of its lead actors, kids Ramesh and Vignesh, and Ishwarya Rajesh, who plays their mother, is another major plus. 2. Baahubali [caption id=“attachment_2558196” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from Baahubali.[/caption] SS Rajamouli’s action fantasy adventure struck a chord with viewers for its style and awesome special effects. The performance of Telugu star Prabhas and Tamil character actor Sathyaraj, along with Ramya Krishnan, was woven well into the story by writer KV Vijayendra Prasad. Baahubali was also packaged as a complete entertainer by Rajamouli. 3. Thani Oruvan [caption id=“attachment_2558206” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from Thani Oruvan.[/caption] Director Mohan Raja who has been remaking Telugu films into Tamil, came out with a winner with an original script in Thani Oruvan. Aravind Swamy decided to make a comeback this year, playing the deadly villain Siddharth Abhimanyu, along with Jayam Ravi and Nayanthara in pivotal roles. 4. Naanum Rowdy Dhaan [caption id=“attachment_2558214” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan.[/caption] This film worked well with the young audiences for its writing and packaging. Vignesh Sivan, the director, had an author backed role for Vijay Sethupathy and Nayanthara, his real life lady love. Plus the supporting cast made it crackle along with peppy music of Anirudh. 5. O Kadhal Kanmani [caption id=“attachment_2558218” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from O Kadhal Kanmani.[/caption] The master Mani Ratnam returned back to form with this film featuring Dulquer Salman and Nithya Menon. Ratnam is known as the king of romance and was in familiar moorings with O Kadhal Kanmani. Nithya’s performance along with AR Rahman’s music was much appreciated. 6**. Papanasam** [caption id=“attachment_2558222” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from Papanasam.[/caption] Director Jeethu Joseph kept this film faithful to his original Drishyam in Malayalam, and with Kamal Haasan’s performance, this film worked. For a change Kamal was not a super hero and his portrayal as the ordinary family man clicked. 7. 36 Vayadhinile [caption id=“attachment_2558228” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from 36 Vayadhinile.[/caption] Jyothika’s comeback film, after her marriage to Suriya was much appreciated. A women centric film on female empowerment and the role of 36-year-old Vasanthi Tamizhselvan, this film fit Jyothika like a glove. 8. Demonte Colony [caption id=“attachment_2558232” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from Demonte Colony.[/caption] Debutant director Ajay Gnanamuthu came out with a refreshing horror film that is bound to scare you. It is well-written horror thrillers that have the potential to keep you engaged throughout its crisp running time of less than two hours, and Demonte Colony fits the bill. 9. Vedalam [caption id=“attachment_2558234” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from Vedalam.[/caption] Ajith Kumar provided the right commercial mix to this masala entertainer. Director Siva knew exactly how to package a Thala (as the hero is lovingly called by his fans) film. Ajith is a one-man entertainment troupe, and he provided the action, comedy, punch lines and sentiments. 10. I [caption id=“attachment_2558238” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from I.[/caption] I is definitely not the best of Shankar but it is Vikram’s towering performance that made it watchable. Technically, it is slick with eye-popping action scenes, never seen before locations and breathtaking camera work by PC Sreeram. (All images are screen grabs from Youtube)