This was so unexpectedly delightful! It was as lively as the source text demanded — one major reason why this almost came close to the 1995 adaptation for me in some moments was because of how Lizzy actually looked and sounded 20.

Another reason was because it took some liberties which paid off well. The interaction between Lady Catherine de Burgh and Mr Collins, where she implored him to set an example for the parish and get married was as funny as we have all imagined over the years. And, instead of writing Lizzy a letter, Darcy just tells her everything himself — which I know is a little out of character for him (overall, the Darcy character was way less awkward than mother Austen intended) but it worked. It just did!

Vivian Pickles is a good predecessor to Alison Stean as Mrs Bennet, and it's comedy gold whenever she is on screen. I was looking forward to the Lydia-Wickham drama just to see her expressions.

Oh but I forgot to mention my favourite little detail about the series, the departure from the text that really made it stand out: Charlotte Lucas being sly! Yes, she hears the news of Lizzy rejecting Collins, there is a SLY LITTLE SIDE LOOK (missed by Lydia and Kitty, of course), and she runs off to Mr Collins!!! Like she saw her opportunity and ran!!!! Yes, she is kind, a good friend, and very much aware of Collins' inadequacies, but she is also out to secure her place in life the best way she knows how. A complex portrayal of a character I feel we don't discuss as much outside the classroom, achieved in a single shot. This is why we need the female gaze on screen.

Definitely worth watching if you're in love with Jane Austen and/or Pride and Prejudice!

So I found this interesting for a lot of reasons, not least because it stars my girl failure idol Tina Munim. It gave my braincells some much needed exercise, in pondering over the relation between identity and appearance, thanks to Tina's Sunita being nothing at all like Poonam's Sunita (the voice is not counted, since it's all Jaya Bhaduri and Asha Bhonsle anyway) — if you get a whole new face one day, are you even you? Is your name your marker or your face? Can one exist without the other?

The movie answers none of these questions, but maybe it's enough that it made me think about them anyway. All of you who look down at watching "trash" cinema do not know the mental exercise you're missing out on,

Another aspect of the movie I particularly enjoyed thinking over is the notion that it's better for a woman to die than to have her beauty destroyed. What the fuck, patriarchy?? Are women useful only in so far as we fulfil some incel fantasy? And just how deep-rooted are these notions anyway? Do they find primacy in cinema, a medium that made visuals the dominant form of expression, or do they exist before it too? Like I said, there's so much to unpack!

Oh also, Rakhee jumpscare is real. Shammi Kapoor, though, is the opposite of a jumpscare: he came on screen and I was immediately delighted! It's Shammi, a treat every second and more. And while Tina is purely "go girl, give us nothing!", Shammi is purely "I WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING I HAVE, THIS IS FOR THE GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The phenomenon of the two of them together on screen is unreal.

Lastly, I cannot go without mentioning one of my favourite songs ever, 'Tu Tu Hai Wahi/Yeh Vaada Raha'. I have always thought it's one of the most romantic songs ever written, and after watching it picturised on Tina Munim, I now know it's one of the best songs ever too!

PS: I may or may not be warming up to Rishi Kapoor. Strictly in his prime, chocolate boy days.

It seems quite disingenuous to be reviewing a rarely-talked about movie from decades ago that adds nothing of value to my life or the career trajectories of its stars (this one stars a bright young Revathy and a Mammootty when he wasn't the actor we know him to be today) — it's boring, clichéd, melodramatic without any substance to back it up, and simply put, there's a reason no one talks about it. Except me, of course, the dumpster diver of 80s Indian cinema.

Why did I watch it? I wanted to see a nice youth romance, and this one seemed to fit the bill. But the youthfulness lasted barely half an hour, and it was all "father pretends his daughter's child is dead to save honour and subjects both to horrors unknown" from thereon. Well well well. I shall find my next undiscovered gem some other day.

That rare warm film that's also somehow representative of an entire generation and its perspectives on life, love and all that jazz. I didn't exactly like Deverakonda's character in the first hour, but Prashanth grew on me with his wonderful coming-of-age arc, his capacity to change and his want to become a better person (not just a successful one).

But the real star of the show was obviously Ritu Varma. I loved how Chithra seemed like two different people (during the Vikram era and after it) — it's not an easy task to pull off without going overboard, especially for someone so early in their career. Chithra is honestly one of the best written female characters in Telugu films I have seen, and it's such a shame that it feels like we get women like her once every 5 years or so (that's me being generous).

Anyway, I am so thankful to have finally watched this. An immediate comfort film, especially when it's a love letter to both growing up and food.

The lousy acting performances from everyone except Nimisha and the lack of a tight screenplay let the movie down.

I had a lot of expectations from this after the first half-hour, but everything gradually went downhill and left me feeling quite dissatisfied. The lack of female and queer gaze in the writing and direction was so obvious, it honestly overshadowed the actual plot of the film.

The age gap between Rajkumar and Rekha (40 years) was a lot more than Rekha's actual age when this was filmed and released (15 years). Indian cinema owes us all reparations.

Moving on from that, I found this excellently made, entertaining, and a good example of how adaptations actually work — it had all the glamour of the James Bond movies, but still managed to bring in the local flavour. I hope this, and the other films in Rajkumar's CID 999 series, get restored soon. They would definitely make for a fun revisit (not to forget that they seem much more interesting than most of the "spy" movies being made today).

I don't think Kishore's voice suited anyone as flawlessly as Sanjeev in 'Meri Bheegi Bheegi Si' (yes, I am very much including Kishore himself in this list). The song, the sequence, its moment in the film is so well done, it left me reeling for a couple of hours after finishing the movie. It's like the Lata-Meena combo for Paakeezah's 'Chalte Chalte' track — sure, both the singer and the actor have had excellent sequences with others, but this one is perfect in and of itself, and also through the significance it holds in the overall narrative of the film.

Jaya is a lot of fun as Anamika et al. But when is she not, in this phase of her career? Like this is what I came for, and Jaya absolutely delivered. I love her, and I am just waiting for the feral Jaya renaissance that we, as a society of people who hate having fun, desperately need.

Also, I wish marketing was a real thing back then and they got someone to write Deven's goofy little misogynistic Hindi novels as a publicity exercise.

I don't know why I keep coming back to this Polavaram propaganda film. Is it the young Allu Arjun charm? Is it the Prakash-Raj-as-villain insanity that I find soothing (I do, with all my heart I DO)? Is it the general V V Vinayak brand of cinema that I have come to somewhat enjoy over the years?

It's probably a combination of all three, with the added advantage of Telugu films being predictably unhinged, unlike real life. Thank you for your service, TFI, I love you more with every stupid year.

I loved watching this so, so much!

You probably wouldn't expect grumpy Prakash Raj and Sneha to work, but they just do. Their chemistry hits you just like having a really excellent biriyani or dosa after months of not having the good stuff does. I liked the Meghana-Navin sub-plot too, but wasn't too fond of the adivasi one. I get it, Kalidasan is a self-righteous man who makes up for his loneliness by possibly indulging in the idea of finding his own family, but it seemed too much and ultimately went nowhere in of his trajectory. Plus, the whole idea of a non-tribal person "saving" an indigenous man from his own family is kind of highly problematic, and is what ultimately makes me not want to give this movie a full 5 stars.

But back to the good times: when Sneha asked "Who is this villian?" referring to Prakash Raj, I laughed harder than I thought was possible at such an old and obvious joke. Timing really is everything.

Campy fun, masquerading as a thriller. Throw in a couple of songs, and this could have been a really decent Bollywood film, especially with the Bette-Gary chemistry!!

Unfairly overlooked album — even though every single song (except 'Jaan Pehchaan Ho') acts as a disruptor to what was supposed to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller (at least, as per the source material), you can't help but groove along. After a point, I gave up on the plot and gave my full attention to the music, a decision I do not regret at all.

Apart from the album, the real heroes of the film are Helen, Mehmood and Pran. The sheer joy of watching Helen be an infectiously delightful it girl more than balances out the insufferable moral preachings of the male lead who brands her as "bad" and forbids his love interest from becoming like her. Guess what bro, she already got drunk with her AND HAD FUN!!!!

PS: I will never forgive the makers for including that attempted r*pe scene. So unnecessary, even by old Bollywood standards.

One of those masala movies I forgot as soon as I finished it.

This comes as close to Nancy Mitford's wit and charm as one can without resuscitating her from the grave. A fun watch, with the Bolter being the most fun of them all!!!!

Almost perfect melodrama, especially in the scene where the father dies on the staircase while the daughter plays music so loud that the railing vibrates and he loses his grip and falls to his death.

I think it could have been perfect, and not almost, if Lauren's character had more to her than being the "love interest of two best friends". She is a dream anyway, and for that, I am always grateful.

1) Quite ableist in its treatment of Shobana's "sacrifice" arising out of her complete self-rejection due to her disability (what even was the refusal of medicines and treatment all about?!) and definitely leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

2) Unlike other Malayalam movies, this one actually has a happy ending (no spoilers!) which took me OUT. After 2 hours of tragedy/tragic foreboding, you're telling me things somehow actually turned out the way I wanted them to? Wow. 4 stars literally just for that, it has been so worth wading through Malayalam cinema for this long to finally feel GOOD after a movie like this ends.

Tennessee Williams was so real for writing this role specifically for Anna Magnani, like that's the perfect ode to an actress of her calibre and the kind of feelings she can evoke in her viewers.

I had an absolute blast with this, my silly little camp romance! Serafina was clearly out of it, that's literally her character description, so I don't think there's any point in analysing her motives (everything boils down to her ex husband anyway). Instead, I think it's a better option to just enjoy the wild ride her histrionics and complete lack of emotional maturity take you on. And when paired with the utter clownery of Burt Lancaster, it's truly a sight to behold.

So glad Anna got an Oscar out of this.

Three of my OG British favs in the same film! I am so glad this exists for that reason alone, but apart from that, it is also an above-average political/whistleblower thriller, something we just don't see enough of.

And as a journalist, I can testify that sometimes the worst thing the print desk can do is run a spell-check on the page (based on a true story).

Fun rom-com on paper, but unfortunately, David and Minnie barely had any chemistry, which was made worse by the fact that the story didn't really flesh out a story for them falling in love beyond the restaurant meet-cute.

There is somehow always a Prakash Raj masterclass where you least expect one.

The race themes in this were so weird that they seemed quite out-of-place and unnecessary. Yikes.

I love how I know the movie so well that I can tune out during the really gruesome bits and come back to find comfort in Vijay being a DILF.

Rani trying to girlboss her way out of an arranged marriage was a big mood, but literally nothing else in the movie was. Fun premise, though.

Excellent vintage 90s vibes, especially the humour. God bless every filmmaker who did Shobana's comedy abilities justice.

And yes, Rajendra Prasad in this era continues to be a wild mood. The way I can sense his angst, frustration, and relate to his hare-brained schemes of making the world a little more palatable to someone as unhinged as him.

Timothy Dalton was born to play the most brooding, smouldering Brontë (anti) heroes.

As devoted as I am to the 2005 version (Keira! as Lizzy Bennet!), I have to say it: this is the superior adaptation!! From the vibes to the performances to the chemistry between all of the main characters (not just Lizzy and Darcy!!), it's all so immaculate and perfect and the most comforting ode to the genius of Jane Austen.

PS- Colin Firth was born to play Mr Darcy.

Was a bit too incoherent for my liking. 'Dailamo Dailamo' brought me here (like many others)!

Cheeky, unsubtle, hilarious and tiring* look at how white people are the most obsessed with aliens, when for most of history they have BEEN the aliens.

Minus points for the Steven Yeun sub-plot, I don't see why that was necessary at all.

*Tiring because... well, this is pretty much our reality, our daily discourse and our frustrations stylised by Bong Joon-ho and enacted by R-Patz (he will never grow out of that name for me), Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, and others.

work in progress

• Madam Fashion
• Pearl Necklace
• Jeevan Swapna
• Hamari Beti
• Chandirani
• Chhabili
• Chinnari Papalu
• Kuzhandai Ullam
• Jadu Ka Shankh
• Geetaa Mera Naam

...plus 281 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

shocked and surprised by the person most represented on this list 🫣

also favourite does not equal best. read the notes if you want to know more!

also, making this list made me realise i need to watch more movies from certain years, so maybe that could be a new project soon!

• Yes Boss

  my comfort movie, always — just thinking about it relaxes me sometimes

• Dil Se..

  honestly, it's a tie between this and kuch kuch hota hai, but i think there's more interesting stuff going on here + it's also my favourite album

• Biwi No.1

  insane repeat value, probably my favourite david dhawan!

• Josh

  crazy crazy fun, and those shots of shah rukh his bike in the moonlight with a rose are some of the best renditions of being down bad i have ever seen on screen. plus, apun bola is the first song i just knowing all the words to. why hasn't he sung more?? aren't his fans deprived enough already???

• Tum Bin

  best vibes ever and an album that's ageing like the finest wine

• Devdas

  peak bhansali maximalism, peak acting, peak feminism. also peak udit narayan in his part of 'hamesha tumko chaha'

• Chalte Chalte

  maybeeeee kal ho naa ho deserved this spot but priya and raj and their songs and their antics literally raised me

• Main Hoon Na

  choosing between this, veer zaara, and swades almost made me give up this project. srk's 2004 has gotta be any actor's dream run!!

• Paheli

  moral of the story is that if the man seems too good to be true, he's probably a ghost who's abducted the real human who you were supposed to be with but who cares anyway now you got your simp for life!

• Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna

  stone cold arushi cult classic

...plus 18 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

i'm just out here wishing they fall for each other instead

• Virasat
• Kandukondain Kandukondain
• Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya

the thespian™️ of our times!! 💅🏽✨️

ps- this is a work in progress + do check out the notes!

• Iruvar

  he had chemistry with lalettan and tabu??? in the same film????? in my birth year???????? ofc, national award HAD to be won!!!!!

• Aasai

  prakash raj going from normal to creepy faster than you can say "aww" at baby thala

• Okkadu

  that scene where he confronts mahesh and bhumika on the road is my go-to scene when i want to feel something

• Ghilli

  HAI CHELLOM!

• Elektra

  what having feelings for prakash raj can do to a girl

• Nuvvu Naaku Nachav

  good intersection of "prakash as father" and "prakash as villain

• Bommarillu

  THE PRAKASH AS FOTHER MOVIE!!

• Parugu

  wig snatched

• Villu

  another excellent intersection of "prakash as father" and "prakash as villain"

• Abhiyum Naanum

  prakash's iterations of overprotective fathers are so comically insane i can't even be mad

...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

yeah there are movies i absolutely despise and couldn't sit through, but i get if other ppl find something redeeming in them. this list is not about those movies. this list is for those movies that are so terrible that i will be horrified to know they have fans, or even ppl willing to defend them. (will hopefully not be updated regularly)

• Lucky: No Time for Love
• Abhayam Thedi
• Khuda Kasam
• Hawa
• Farishtay
• Ente Upasana
• The Forest of Love
• Podaa Podi
• Lakshmana Rekha
• Ek Villain Returns

...plus 4 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

films i loved/appreciated deeply that were released in 2024

1. Merry Christmas

   love is mad, love is divine, love is indescribable, love is unattainable

2. All We Imagine as Light

   what i wouldn't GIVE for someone to make a movie like this about delhi

3. Amar Singh Chamkila

   kan kar gal sun makhna, pyaar da tainu main vall dasna

4. Do Aur Do Pyaar

   the disruptor in my movie watching experiences this year

5. The Greatest of All Time

   A FEVER DREAM. A FEVERISH NIGHTMARE. BEST TIME AT THE MOVIES

6. Girls Will Be Girls

   girls 👏🏾 will 👏🏾 be 👏🏾 girls 👏🏾

7. Crew

   women will also be girls!

8. CTRL

   really needed this one to be more psychotic

9. Kalki 2898-AD

   interesting™️

10. Premalu

    very important in my romcom canon

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

a good ddlj reference can make an already good movie better, or brighten up a dull one. suggestions welcome!

• Ninne Pelladatha
• Duplicate
• Jungle
• Bachna Ae Haseeno
• I Hate Luv Storys
• Chennai Express
• Ramayya Vasthavayya
• Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
• Dilwale
• Son of Satyamurthy

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Pokkiri
• Pushpa - The Rise
• Alludaa Majakaa
• Biwi No.1
• Kaththi
• Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule
• Dulha Mil Gaya
• Coolie No. 1
• Bigil
• Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

...plus 6 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

deeply personal list, based on a parasocial relationship that has lasted longer and will probably last longer than anything else in my life.

• Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
• Yes Boss
• Chalte Chalte
• Paheli
• Jawan
• Main Hoon Na
• Veer-Zaara
• Chak De! India
• Baazigar
• Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa

...plus 3 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

criticism will not be entertained.

1. Rhythm

   only kaatrae en vaasal can convince me to be romantic in the desert

2. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa

   adding it feels controversial to me also but the only way i can express it in a non-essay format is this: neither the album nor the film can exist without each other.

3. Swades

   the only astronomy i know is YEH TAARA WOH TAARA HAR TAARA

4. Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

   HE IS BACK HE IS BACK OH MY GOD HE IS BACK

5. Iruvar

   no one:
   absolutely no one:
   me at 2 am: POONG KODIEN PUNNAGAI

6. Rang De Basanti

   you just had to be there broooo

7. Zubeidaa

   thank god rahman was around for lolo's finest hour

8. Kadhal Desam

   no one gets the tabu yearning more than the guy singing the anbay song

9. Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na

   the title song is literally the best thing rahman has ever given his voice to pls do not fight me on this

10. Kandukondain Kandukondain

    enna solla pogirai is LIFE

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

what a girlie's dreams are made of

• Bobbili Raja
• Kshana Kshanam
• Malliswari

don't even ask me why a particular movie is here, it's all about my vibes (in the notes)

• The Journey

  to love in the face of hostility 💔

• Jab We Met

  that final kiss... HAAAAAASSHHH

• Mahal

  EK JANAM AUR SAHI

• Veer-Zaara

  if you don't lose your mind at srk "JAANAM DEKH LO MIT GAYI DOORIYAN" entry, should you even be celebrating valentine's day?

• Madhumati

  lover boy dilip kumar meets haunting beauty vyjayanthimala

• Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

  oh the power of the sarson ka khet as as setting for running into your insane lover's arms!

• Naanum Rowdydhaan

  "are you okay baby?

• Ninne Pelladatha

  for my telugu cinema scholars.

• Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna

  finest example of "love is selfish" that i have ever come across. a karan johar masterclass.

• Kushi

  for my situationship girlies

...plus 9 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Merry Christmas
2. Andhadhun
3. Ek Hasina Thi
4. Johnny Gaddaar
5. Badlapur
6. Agent Vinod

makkal selvan MASS!

[will update as i go through his filmography/ suggestions welcome!]

• Naanum Rowdydhaan
• Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum
• Master
• Pizza
• Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom
• Soodhu Kavvum
• Jawan
• Vikram
• 96
• Merry Christmas

...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

there's a lot i still have to get through, i know, but had to document all that i went through this year anyway! will make a separate list for fav first-time watches, this one is only for 2023 releases.

• Jawan

  i mean... tunak tunak takna kyu jhijhak jhijhak jhakna kyu, BANDA HO ZINDA HO! kept my sanity intact for a majority of the year, thank u srk, atlee and nayanthara🤍

• Leo

  my darling vijay breaking down and calling himself a loser and also my darling vijay sitting down in that chair in the beginning of 'naa ready'... another film that kept me and my mental health from slipping further

• Maaveeran

  artists are the real superheroes

• Bottoms

  the lesbian high school mass sex comedy we all needed (get out of here if you didn't like it, i'm so serious!!!)

• Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

  a core memory of 2023 will be going to watch this after work, all alone, and crying silently in the theatre, marvelling at the beauty of it all

• Month of Madhu

  simultaneously acknowledges the power of being alone, and the beauty of connections, two things i thought about a lot this year. this is the one film from this year i'd go back in time to watch for thr very first time again, if i could.

• Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

  BUT OBVIO

• Kathal

  sanya malhotra girlies, let's go!!

• Maamannan

  i find myself thinking about this film a lot, specifically vadivelu and how the film depicts trauma. need to revisit sometime soon, probably as a double feature with pariyerum perumal

• Khufiya

  tabassum fatima hashmi, you will always be my queen, but especially when you're gay af

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

my favourite films i watched this year which didn't release this year. going through my diary on letterboxd also made me realise just how easily i move on from films i might have liked and rated highly when i watched highly but don't consider "favourite" anymore even if i do see myself watching them in the future... is this just another manifestation of commitment issues?

• Kaakha Kaakha

  when i say i was obsessed with this film, i mean utterly obsessed to the point i was watching it during work hours at my office!!!!!!!!!!

• Sankarabharanam

  probably k viswanath's best work— i loved the intensity with which it looked at art, caste and how they affect each other.

• Vasu

  WHY DIDN'T I GROW UP LOVING THIS MOVIE!!!! why did i only discover it in 2023!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Kannukkul Nilavu

  one of the best ever vijay performances, and shalini and director fazil just make it all better!

• Teesri Kasam

  i have honestly not been able to stop thinking about waheeda and the unfairness of love in a fractured society ever since i saw this movie

• Teesri Manzil

  a proper bollywood bop!

• Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam

  quintessential mammukka masterclass!

• Bhaji on the Beach

  what does it mean to be indian when you're actually not? very curious to know what my diaspora besties would think about it

• Thillana Mohanambal

  if i was a little less drowning in work, i would have made mohanambal my entire personality

• Bajrangi Bhaijaan

  the way i was shook to discover that this was actually a great movie... a humbling experience

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

one of my favourite directors, no one can do proper mass like him currently. based strictly on personal preference!

• Theri

  if you know me, you know this movie. atlee went off, and made the transition from ilaya thalapathy vijay to thalapathy vijay so smooth. when i say few directors know how to present their hero like atlee does, i mean it!

• Jawan

  it took me almost 4 months to come to this decision, but as much as i love and will always love jawan, theri truly has been there for me at my rock bottom. it shall stay at the top!

• Raja Rani

  another actor whose filmography has benefited from an atlee association is nayanthara! it's so obvious he loves her and wants to bring out a side of her not explored much before this film. the film is essentially a mouna raagam au, and nayanthara's character here feels as fresh as revathi's in the original— that's how you pay a tribute. need atlee to do a romance again asap.

• Bigil

  despite how all over the place this film is (and i say this as a fan), atlee manages to score well with vijay (not so much with nayan, so jawan better be an apology!)

• Mersal

  as the number one believer in atlee's vision, i see where he was going with it... but i can't see more thanks to all the information that is thrown during the almost-three hours of its runtime.

inspired by my dearest sandi garu + fav actor mentioned in notes (YES I DO HAVE A LOT OF FAVS WHAT ABOUT IT) + when i say "only", i mean ONLY (which excludes dilwale because apart from srk, i was also pumped for an srk-kajol reunion or an established bad movie which i as a trash movie connoisseur only watched to see how bad it can get, like this list is meant for films i walked into blinded by LOVE)

• Guddu

  srk; the ones we love the most... truly hurt us the MOST. i have usually found something to appreciate in every srk film, even if it is how he has been styled but this was truly irredeemable

• Udanpirappe

  jyothika; i feel asleep within 20 minutes and didn't even bother restarting it because i just felt furious with this film for wasting some of the precious free time i had back then

• Annabelle Sethupathi

  vjs; as i mentioned in my review, after this film, i stopped complaining about my favourite actors not working enough

• F2: Fun and Frustration

  venkatesh; only frustration!!!!!

• Podaa Podi

  shobana; oh i am laughing at myself too, don't worry!

• Khuda Kasam

  tabu; i always slightly disliked sunny deol, but this film ramped it up to full-on hatred

• Laaga Chunari Mein Daag: Journey of a Woman

  rani mukerji; i am still SCARRED

• Hawa

  tabu; oh she has hurt me so deeply i can't even begin to tell you!

• Rajaputhran

  shobana; she had clearly stopped giving a fuck about her career at this point lmao

• Farishtay

  sridevi; one of the worst, worst, worst films i have ever seen.

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

from best to worst

1. Ghilli
2. Master
3. Sendhoorapandi

personal preference + only based on what i have seen so far + read the notes!

last updated: december 13, 2023

1. Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule

   Oh, the way he owns this movie despite playing the biggest loser. Who could hate him?! 

2. Kshana Kshanam

   My first ever Venky movie and my first reaction was "wow the lead actor is so handsome". Chandu stan forever!! 

3. Dharma Chakram

   I don't understand Telugu fluently, but his performance is so compelling that I didn't feel like I missed out on anything. 

4. Nuvvu Naaku Nachav

   Half the reason this movie is a classic is Venky's acting. The poem scene lives rent-free in my head. 

5. Drushyam

   So much in the Drishyam story depends on the main hero, and Venky is as reliable as ever. Loved his performance the most out of everyone who attempted it. 

6. Vasu

   full meal performance

7. Devi Putrudu

   Carried it on his shoulders, and made it memorable: I can't see anyone else doing justice to this movie like Venky did. 
   

8. Raja

   Another movie where Venky gets to display the full extent of his comic skills. Also, his chemistry with Soundarya is too precious for words! 

9. Swarnakamalam

   His character here made me feel quite annoyed and frustrated, but I can't deny how good he was here. The movie belongs to Bhanupriya and Ilaiyaraaja but he leaves his mark anyway. 

10. Prema

    Young, hot, fresh, and extremely talented. Wish he had been paired opposite Revathi again, those two were everything.

...plus 24 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

suggestions welcome! i'm also not talking about films that are inspired by mouna raagam, but films that directly reference it in some way (raja rani fits both ok)

• Raja Rani
• Master
• Custody
• Leo

unsuccessfully, but it still counts!!

• Kushi
• Dum Dum Dum
• Sillunu Oru Kaadhal

double role movies don't count (jawan is there because of the nayanthara-srk fight scene)

• Darr
• Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
• Jawan

• Theri

  mild-mannered cafe (bakery) owner whose violent past life is revealed after sth brutal... yeah, that's literally my favourite film.... bring it on loki, bring it on!

• Baasha

  the og mild-mannered family man whose flashback was steeped in violence of tamil cinema

• Maanagaram

  lokesh kanagaraj's debut!

• Kaithi

  i think this was the film that really made kollywood's bigwigs sit up and take notice of lokesh

• Master

  my introduction to lokesh, and one of my favourite vijay AND vijay sethupathi performances!

  fun fact: i have a poster of this in my room :)

• Ghilli

  THE trisha and vijay film everyone needs to watch

• Kuruvi

  KGF could NEVER, even in its wildest dreams

• Aathi

  i've only heard universal derision for this film, so be warned

• Thirupaachi

  trisha-vijay! do we really need another reason to watch this movie?

• Mankatha

  trisha and arjun in one film

...plus 6 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

the definitive list of the og indian superstar's films you should watch

• Moondram Pirai
• Sa
• Mr. India
• Kshana Kshanam
• Varumayin Niram Sivappu
• English Vinglish
• Chaalbaaz
• 16 Vayathinile
• Jaag Utha Insan
• Kandhan Karunai

...plus 28 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

i hope there won't be more films in this genre!

• Dil Dhadakne Do
• JugJugg Jeeyo

• The Daytrippers
• Eight Days a Week
• Lovely Rita
• Lovely Rita
• Hey Jude
• Belle épine
• And Your Bird Can Sing
• All You Need Is Love
• Yesterday

there is also an excellent train station scene

• Maya Memsaab
• Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna

do not comment with manichitrathazhu remakes/adaptations.

• Thillana Mohanambal

  sorry shobana, but ur auntie pi belongs on the top of this list because at least 3 of her performances felt so climactic they made me hold my breath

• Manichitrathazhu
• Nagina
• Pakeezah
• Vaidehi Kathirunthal

  Special mention: While Revathi's dance does not technically fall into the film's climax, it is iconic and has a very climactic feel to it anyway.

i love cinema!! and i love girls who love cinema!!!!!

• Ai
• Anupama
• Yeh Raat Phir Na Aaygi
• Phool Aur Patthar
• Devar
• Bandini
• Two Acres of Land
• Madhumati
• Heera Moti
• Chetna

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

a superior genre

• Dil Se..
• Aarya

as the title suggests, this list is about shobana's performances, not the movie as a whole. personal preference + based on what i have seen so far + read the notes!!

• Innale

  if there is one actress who could personify memory and its faultlines, it's shobana, the eternal ethereal enchantress.

• Manichitrathazhu

  changed cinema as we know it. no one who followed came close (ily jyothika, but i gots to be real)

• Thenmavin Kombath

  comedy queen dance queen fashion queen AN ICON THROUGH AND THROUGH.

• Minnaram

  the ending broke me, but shobana... u chaotic yet tragic icon...

• April 1st Vidudala

  i will not lie, shobana acting in a film that has MY BIRTHDAY in its title is a big part of its charm for me... all that aside, i appreciated how fierce but soft her character was here, and how she managed to show true evolution despite not having enough scenes

• Ee Thanalil Ithiri Neram

  baby girl went off and held her own against mammukka (both character and acting wise) and i was rooting for her throughout!! such a sweet and melodramatic film also

• Appula Appa Rao

  i'm an indie shobana fan because what most people feel about her and mohanlal is what i feel about her and rajendra prasad

• Makalkku

  broke my heart. wouldn't have been half as impactful without her

• Manathe Vellitheru

  she's a superstar

• Varane Avashyamund

  this movie should have been ONLY about shobana, no one cares about her daughter

...plus 25 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

personal preference + only based on what i have seen so far + read the notes.

1. The Namesake

   It's the way she owns the movie despite not being the "main character". Also this was the movie that made me realise Queen T's power so it had to be on top.

2. Kandukondain Kandukondain

   My favourite scene ever is the Manohar-Sowmya climax. And my second favourite is when they meet for the first time.

3. Haider

   As a wise person once said "ofcourse everyone wants tabu".

4. Ninne Pelladatha

   Mahalakshmi aka Pandu is my comfort character (and Tabu-Nag are my comfort pairing but let's not go there).

5. Andhadhun

   Who is immune to Miss Simmi? Not me! 

6. Cheeni Kum

   Every !! Time !! She !! Flips !! Her !! Hair!! 

7. Maqbool

   She was so insane for this!! 

8. Astitva

   Queen T saving a movie from itself, and making it a classic in the process. 

9. Hu Tu Tu

   A better performance than Maachis, but not as good a movie. 

10. Snegithiye

    SHE HAUNTS ME. Also I need pics of Tabu & Jyothika having fun on sets. 

...plus 39 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

personal preference + subject to change + read the notes!!

1. Sarpatta Parambarai

   not gonna lie, i was quite confused between this and attakathi, but the way kabilan is easily one of the best men ever written (if not the best) convinced me to put this on top 

2. Attakathi

   two of the strongest debuts in the history of cinema, and the beginning of a goat collaboration. can't wait for ranjith sir to make another rom-com, it's been 10 years already! 
   

3. Madras

   kalaiyarasan kingu kingu. karthi too, but him more <3 

4. Natchathiram Nagargiradhu

   almost like conversing with ranjith himself.

5. Kaala

   still wish a middle aged actress had been cast in huma's role. me if u need help in the middle aged actress dept pls. 
   

6. Kabali

   kinda breaks my heart that this is at the bottom of this particular list, but can't deny that the last half hour of this is the weakest link in the ranjith cinematic universe.
   

movies that try to meaningfully engage with mental disorders and general mental health. suggestions welcome.

• Raat Aur Din
• Ulladakkam
• Aapadbandhavudu
• Manichitrathazhu
• Makalkku
• Karthik Calling Karthik
• Dear Zindagi
• Bhoothakaalam
• Sharapanjara