There are many online resources for choosing a Tamil film to view. These sources contain movie reviews of current releases. There are also selections of older downloadable movies to choose from. Those with an appreciation of particular film stars or the work of specific filmmakers can find updates about the actors’ upcoming films or a director’s latest project. Some websites contain other film goers’ reviews of recent movies.
The Tamil movie industry, affectionately known as “Kollywood,” began in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is India’s second largest industry. Most of its very devoted audience resides in the southern Tamil states. Tamil movies began relatively early — Kollywood has been producing films since 1917.
Chennai reports box office statistics of Tamil movies online. The top 10 new releases are ranked each week, and the net gross of each film is indicated. Newly released titles also note the director, the production company, and the cost of the film. Links provide a summary of the movies, bios of the actors and directors, and brief history of the production company and some of its previous films.
Some Tamil movie websites contain the comments of movie goers who have seen a recent release. They are generally very frank. Brief movie reviews are available online from publications like the New Indian Express. Independent film critics also have detailed online reviews of Tamil movies. Sometimes they contain comparisons to previous films of the actors and directors.
There are numerous sites about film stars and their latest and upcoming film projects. A viewer can also find biographical information about actors, actresses, producers, and directors. There are always stories about any personal or professional crises in their lives posted by Indian Broadcast News Live. Just as in the US, Tamil movie fans have a deep devotion to their favorite films and stars — virtually anything that happens regarding them can be found online.
Some Tamil film critics believe that the quality of film criticism in the region has not risen to the level of that achieved in the US for instance. They cite the history of Tamil movies and Indian culture for this. The innovation of film as an art accessible to everyone regardless of caste or class was not readily accepted. Early attempts at film criticism were not taken seriously by the cultural elite. Other countries like the US and the EU did not have this problem. Indian film criticism had failed to keep pace with other countries but is beginning to improve.