Tamil Movies Become Box Office Hits because They're Fantastic?

 

For many, Love Today’s high rating and box office status are indications that it’s a “fantastic, good film.” I’m here to say why it’s not the case.

Many problematic Tamil movies have become superhits.

1. Padayappa

I am neither going to talk about Padayappa’s dialogue about how a woman should be nor his Sanskrit classification of women. Neelambari kisses him without his consent and his father blames him for it. The movie is a massive hit.

2. Minnale

There was a time when I swooned about this movie. However, it glorifies stalking and lying, and manipulating to get a girl. Rajesh sees a woman playing in a thunderstorm with a bunch of kids and declares that she’s his kind of girl. <Jackie Chan confusion moment> Minnale had a high rating and was commercially successful just like Love Today.

3. Naatamai

From telling a rapist to marry his victim, how women are not equal to men no matter how more educated the former is, to checking if the woman they want to marry to their son stutters, this movie is a complete red flag. But it became a trendsetter and is considered an all-time popular Tamil movie.

4. Enthiran

A sci-fi Tamil film that preaches the modesty of a woman is more important than her life. This movie is one of the highest-grossing Tamil films with a sequel, 2.0.

5. Papanasam

This movie demonstrates how a girl’s modesty and honor are so important, her whole family hatches an elaborate plan to protect them after they accidentally kill a sextorting guy. They could’ve ignored the guy’s threats or gone to the police, but no - family honor is at stake. The Tamil remake received positive reviews.

6. Bigil

They said this movie is for “women empowerment.” The movie preached how women must have their own identities. And then it went on to show the exact opposite - women are mere shadows of a man - 1 man can beat 11 women. The football coach even body-shames one of his players. Bigil is the top grosser of 2019.

Like Love Today, these movies were successful because it hits a chord with culture that's followed en masse and the psyche of the population. The current zeitgeist is boy bestie atrocities, feminism is cancer coz it makes girls unfaithful. #notallmen, boys will be boys, and communication tech. Love Today is successful only because it plays up these current factors and delivers what the average Tamil 20 something males think, want, and expect.