Mozhi, Paruthi Veeran rock

The battle at the box - office this February has been a royale one. A host of films including biggies hit the screens and the race for supremacy was at its peak.

Move over Pongal releases, the films that hit the screens this 'Valentine month' witnessed good crowds. The likes of Lee starring Sibiraj and Nila, Jayam Ravi starrer Deepavali, director Gowtham's Pachaikili Muthucharam, Prakash Raj's home production Mozhi and director Ameer's Paruthi Veeran hit the screens.

Interestingly all the movies opened big. However, expectations were high on Mozhi and Paruthi Veeran.

It was a perfect beginning for Studio Greens' Paruthi Veeran and Mozhi from Prakash Raj’s stable. The former, a debut film of Karthi (Suriya's sibling), directed by Ameer has taken a fantastic opening all over Tamil Nadu. Usually, films of debutantes do not have a great opening. This film has successfully re-written the norms and opened to packed houses. It is witnessing housefull shows in rural centres too. The technical excellence in the film coupled with the stupendous performances of the stars has won the movie great accolades. Word-of-mouth publicity about this film is high and this film is not just being critically acclaimed, it is also proving to be a big commercial success.

Not far behind is Mozhi.

Prithviraj's elegant performance and Jyothika's effervescent histrionics as a deaf and dumb girl are the talking points of the movie. A noteworthy aspect of this film is the dialogues which combine sensibility and sensitivity. Director Radha Mohan’s films have always been dialogue-oriented and his forte seems to be blending light-hearted humour in a shrewd storyline. Interestingly, both Paruthi Veeran and Mozhi carry good reviews and the good run is expected to continue without a hitch.

Pachaikili Muthucharam shows Sarath Kumar, the mass hero, in a totally different light. While the attention grabbing factor for A centres is Gowtham Menon, for B and C it is Sarath Kumar. Not to forget, this shows Jyothika in a different role too and she has done her role with aplomb. The film is having a decent run.

Shrewd publicity and persistent hardwork which is apparent in Sibiraj’s performance have worked for Lee. This is Sathyaraj’s first production and director Prabhu Solomon’s second directorial venture, after he got a good name with Kokki. All these seem to have worked in the film’s favour and the film is doing reasonably well. This film is safe stake and no one is injured in the game.

Lee is reportedly drawing steady crowds thanks to the director and the producer who are opting for various avenues to reach out to the movie-buffs.

Director Lingusamy's maiden production venture Deeppavali is doing well particularly in the A centre. This romantic and clean entertainer has won the admiration of the youngsters. A big plus of this film is the performance of the lead stars Jayam Ravi and Bhavana, music by Yuvan Shankar Raja and a climax which is not clichéd. Ezhil, who is known for his feel-good love stories, has arrived into the scene again with this film. Good publicity has helped this film’s cause to a major extent.

Meanwhile, though a Pongal release, Vijay's Pokkiri is still drawing good crowds. A remake of the Telugu blockbuster titled the same, the movie directed by Prabhudeva is a mass film and thanks to Vijay fans- the film has been maintaining a good run. A racy screenplay and action which is aplenty, has helped the film retain its charm despite many newfound competitors. There are enough and more ingredients in the film that keeps the audience happy-Vijay’s action, a fast-paced narrative, an alluring Asin and peppy music.

However, there is a threat now and it is all set to come in the form of annual examinations and the World Cup cricket match, which would kick off early next month. The cricket frenzy is already catching up and this is worrying news for those in the industry.

But then, nothing can be predicted for sure at this stage. All that we can do now is this- Wait and watch! We will do just that and keep hoping that there is no slump in the collections for the films.