Gone are the days when the heroine was expected only to dance around the trees with the hero or get lost in the action where the males take the centerstage in Tamil cinema.  The past few years have seen a healthy number of heroine oriented films that have importantly become money spinners that have paved way for more such films.  Jyothika's '36 Vayadhinile' and Nayanthara's 'Maya' collected as many crores as front line hero films.

It was Nayanthara again who headlined the cast of 'Aramm' which not only got critical acclaim but also made the right kind of box office music which gave confidence to producers and distributors.  Last month Nayanthara cemented her position as the Lady Superstar removing even an iota of doubt by the resounding success of 'Kolamavu Kokila' following it with 'Imaikka Nodigal' within a fortnight.

This week its Samantha's turn as she plays the hero in 'U-Turn' that hits the screens on September 13th.  Even in her other film 'Seemaraja' releasing on the same day she has been given more importance than the usual even having her own action sequences. 

The upcoming women centric films include 'Kaatrin Mozhi' starring Jyothika, 'Aadai' and 'Adho Antha Paravai Pola' both starring Amala Paul and 'Kanaa' starring Aishwarya Rajesh.  There are projects in development with Kajal Agarwal, Hansika Motwani, Anushka, Trisha and others. A sure sign that the role of the heroine has changed for the better and her space has grown more equal to the hero in Tamil cinema.