Best in Tamil movies - 2016

Best Movie -Joker
The satirical movie effectively conveyed the social issues of the benefit schemes not reaching the end meant to and that of bureacratic apathy affecting the common man's life.It also broght to focus the lack & need of sanitary facilities in the rural stretch.

Best Director -R S Durai Senthil Kumar (Kodi)
Kodi,an ably directed political thriller was presented primarily through three characters with contrasting & diverse ideals .The director was able to bring out an engaging and exciting movie.

Best Actor -Dinesh(Visaranai)
Dinesh came out with a greatly appreciable act as a hapless & victimised immigrant trapped in a web of legal deceit and subjected to brutal torture for agreeing to a crime which he is not party to.

Best Actress -Varalaxmi (Tharai Thapattai)
As a fiercely independent folk artist with her share of struggles,emotions and difficulties,varalaxmi did an excellent job.

Best Supporting Actor - Samuthirakani (Visaranai)
As a cop who is very much part of the corrupt and crooked system but has to finally succumb to the very system,samuthirakani came out with a convincing performance.

Best Supporting Actress - Lakshmi Ramakrishnan(Ammani)
As a senior citizen struggling to make ends meet and also has to deal with self centred money minded wards Lakshmi did a very good job .She also foresees her possibly scary future in lady who's around and her attitude towards it.

Best Script -Vikram Kumar (24)
The best thing about 24's script was that it made the concept of time travel easy to the viewer.At the same time the script was engaging and crisp as well.

Best Debut (Male) - Shirish Saravanan (Metro)
Shirish made a commendable debut in this revenge thriller where he has to take on the chain snatchers.

Best Debut (Female) -Nivetha Pethuraj (Oru Naal Koothu)
Nivetha had a decent debut as an it professional who's bit stern bit stubborn and bit indecisive at times.

Best Music -D.Imman (Rajni Murukan)
R M was a complete commercial music package with  beautiful kuthu,romantic and comedy songs.

Best in Hindi movies -2016

Best Movie -Airlift
Airlift showed mass evacuation of Indians from kuwait during Iraq-Kuwait war.It dealt with the trials & tribulations those people  faced during that time and was based on real life incident where an ordinary indian rose upto the occassion to be the unlikely hero.

Best Director -Udta Punjab
Director Abhishek Chaubey looked at how the drug menace and associated crime is affecting the life of youth in punjab as well as the economy there.The hard hitting film efficiently brought out the mafia political nexus.

Best Actor -Aamir Khan(Dangal)
Aamir did a brilliant portrayal as the compulsive father ,an ex-wrestler who is quite strict and insisting in his ways. Aamir was able to effectively manage his physique as well as portray the emotions as would suit the character,including in scene where he loses to his daughter in a duel.

Best Actress -Alia Bhatt(Udta Punjab)
Alia convincingly portrays the role of a migrant labourer who plays hockey and gets caught up in the drug menace.

Best Supporting Actor -Anurag Kashyap (Akira)

Anurag made the portrayal of corrupt wily cop in Akira look easy.

Best Supporting Actress - Shabana Azmi(Neerja)

The ever dependent Shabana effectively enacted the role of  the concerned,strong and supportive mother of Neerja.

Best Script -Neerja
The movie based on the real life story of the Air Hostess Neerja Bhanot who laid down her life during the Pan am flight hijack and saved the passengers on board was very engagingly written by Saiwyn Quadras.

Best Debut (Male) - Diljit Dosanjh (Udta Punjab)

Diljit,a huge star in Punjab made his bollywood debut very convincingly as a cop in Udta Punjab.

Best Debut (Female) - Ritika Singh

Ritika a martial artist herself debuted as a slum dweller taking up boxing for money and gave a convincing performance.

Best Music - Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

Seven songs by Pritam including melodies,sufi,pop(break up pop actually) ,rock and the electric guitar-dholak pairing makes this the album of the year.

Best in Malayalam Movies - 2016

Best Movie- Ozhivu Divasathe Kali
Odk looks at the hypocracies prevalent in the society of kerala through its social fabric.The movie starts as a buddy movie and grows on to you and aptly delivers the message it intends to.
Best Director- Rajeev Ravi (Kammattipaadam)
Rajeev defies the rules and set patterns to tell a raw,gritty story without comprimising on the detailing and the aesthetics.The gangster movie looks at the whats before of cosmopolitan cities and how it has crushed those from the lower economic and social strata.

Best Actor-Mohanlal(Oppam)
As a visually challenged person who is at the same time,the witness of a crime,has the responsibility to save the murderer's next target and hence chases him Mohanlal gives out an outstanding performance.
Best Actress-Nayantara(Puthiya Niyamam)
As a victimised lady turning stern to settle scores with the perpetrators Nayanthara has come out with a stunning performance in the movie.
Best Supporting Actor-Vinayakan(Kammatipadam)
Vinayakan excellently portrayed the role of  Ganga,who is very raw and whose emotions range from elan to arrogance to distress.
Best Supporting Actress- Rohini (Guppy)
As a handicapped single parent,Rohini did full justice to the role entrusted to her.
Best Debut(Actor)- Manikandan Achari(Kammatipadam)
Manikandan with theatre background didnt find it much difficult in his debut as a local goon Balan.
Best Debut (Actress)-Rejisha
Rejisha made her debut as the clingy girlfriend Elizabeth as Eli and gave an impressive performance.
Best Script- Syam Pushkaran(Maheshinte Prathikaram)
The revenge saga set in the rural milieu was engagingly scripted.
Best Music-Maheshinte Prathikaram
Maheshinte prathikaram had beautiful melodies including one song on Idukki.

Debut actresses in hindi movies/films-2016

Shriya Pilgaonkar 

Shriya,a stage and film artist and winner of Maharastra state award for best debut actress in Marathi films made her bollywood acting debut in Shahrukh starrer Fan.

Waluscha Desouza

Waluscha a known model made her bollywood acting debut as the female lead in Shahrukh starrer Fan.

Navneet Kaur Dhillon

Navneet,the femina Miss India 2013 made her hindi movie debut in Loveshuddha.

Mawra Hocane

Mawra,a pakistani actress made her bollywood debut with the movie Sanam Teri Kasam.

Gizele Thakral

Gizele,a model and big boss fame mafe her hindi movie debut in adult comedy
Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3.

Ena Saha

Ena Saha,a bengali actress made her hindi movie debut with the critically acclaimed film Chauranga.

Tanvi Vyas

The Femina Miss India Earth  2008 made her hindi film debut with the erotic movie A Scandall.

Ankita Makwana

Ankita,a Swiss -Indian had her first full fledged hindi movie role in the film Fever.

Caterina Murino

Caterina,an italian actress' first hindi as well as first indian movie was Fever released in 2016.

Gemma Atkinson

Gemma an English actress,television personality and glamour model started her bollywood stint with hindi movie Fever.

Best in Hindi Movies 2015

Best Movie -Manjhi
Manjhi showed the story of a real life gritty strong willed person who made a road through a mountain on his own challenging all odds.It depicted the social  and bureaucratic evils that stand against development and progress sensibly.

Best Director - Kabir Khan(Bajrangi Bhaijaan).
The cross border story of human bonding where a mute child from pakistan gets lost in india and an indian who had his upbringing amidst fundamentalist thoughts takes upon the responsibility and challenge of getting the kid back home was directed well and aesthetically.

Best Actor -Nawazudin Ziddiqui(Manjhi)
Nawaz potrayed the role of a man from economically and socially lower strata of  the society single handedly building a road through a mountain against all the odds just by his will power.In many scenes you could really feel the pain,the desparation and the emotions of the character.

Best Actress - Deepika Padukone(Piku,Bajirao Mastani)
Deepika  very convincingly portrayed both the roles; of daughter taking care of her kinda strange septeugenarian father and that of a warrior princess in love with another kingdom's married prime minister respectively in the movies piku and bajirao . 

Best Supporting Actor - Manish Choudary (Bombay Velvet)-Manish was very good as the wily and shrewd media reporter Mistri in the movie.

Best Supporting Actress - Priyanka Chopra (Bajirao Mastani,Dil Dhadhkane Do)-She had to enact  desolate and distressed wives in both the movies.The ailing and helpless but sympathetic Kashibai,wife to a Maratha Peshwa in Bajirao and the rich desolate Ms.Mehra married to a narcissist.Both the roles were safe in her hands and she did full justice to the opportunity.

Best Script - Reema Kagti-Zoya Akhthar (Dil Dhadkane Do)- The movie dealt with human emotions ,so intertwined,so entangled in the background of a couple's 30th wedding anniversary on a cruise ship.As everyone gets into limited mobility physically their inner beings comes out of shades and shadows.Well written.

Best Debut (Male) - Karan Johar(Bombay Velvet) -Karan Johar in his first full fledged role as a cunning cool sophisticated villian made an appreciable act.

Best Debut (Female) -Bhumi (Dum Laga ke Haisa)-The movie was supposed to be carried on the heroine's shoulder and so it was.Bhumi did not show any problems of a debut and did an excellent job.

Best Music - Sanjay Leela Mastani (Bajirao Mastani)-The romantic songs,a song where a Prime Minister dances with his army,the courtesan song and the controversial Pinga all were nice to hear and actually helped in the convinciblity of the story.Yes it did.

Best in Tamil Movies -2015 (MovDet List)

Best Movie -Kutram Kadithal 

The movie which won the award for the best feature film in tamil in the 62nd National Film Awards, told the story of a school teacher who slapped a student,consequentially leading him to unconsciousness.The movie was inspired out of Thiruvalluvar's Thirukkural Chapter 44 on preventing the occurrence of negative consequences out of character weakness.The story looks at different people with different perspectives and how each influences the other's lives knowingly or unknowingly for his/her own bad.Though the direct focus is on the school system and its shortcomings,on a broader level,it looks at the adults and their shortcomings,pompousness and esoterity leading to unaccomodative and immature stances.The movie was written and directed by Bramma G and the lead roles were all impressively handled by theatre and stage artists.

Best Director - M.Manikandan (Kaakka Muttai)

The movie was about two boys from slum who initially gives into all the notions preset by the commercial and worldly standards only to realize there is actually more substance to things at hand,all without losing their innocence.The movie was accepted both by the critics as well as the public.It is a bit difficult to get both critical and commercial appreciation with such a subject and the director M.Manikandan was able to achieve both with ease.Whereas normally slums are shown in movies to be either realistic or evoke sympathy or sometimes disgust,Manikandan shows slums from the slum dwellers' point of view,so it evokes interest and makes you understand even that can be charming depending on your perspective.There is struggle and survival still there is hope.Their economic and social status or the lack of it makes their set of hopes and focus different from the privileged class.The kids are called PM and CM,the common acronyms for Prime Minister and Chief Minister,but in this case as for Periya Muttai and Chinna Muttai,as the kids are known for stealing crow's eggs since they cannot afford the eggs otherwise.Society is least bothered about why they cannot afford primary education and for them the names PM and CM have some element of sarcasm in it.The director has to be appreciated for telling all these without being preachy and the comedy does not fall flat at any place.Its a movie which is targeted at the adults as much as at the children.It questions the adult sensibilities and places an alternative into the children's sensibilities.The movie was honoured with the National Award for Best Children’s Film.

Best Actor -Vikram(I)

1. Vikram is known to commit long times of period for his roles and as usual his dedication shows in his role in the movie I. His character in the movie is as a body-builder who turns into modelling and then becomes a disfigured person owing to conspiracies of the antagonists and who is on a revenge trail.The movie basically becomes a Vikram show,thanks to his stupendous performance as a hunchback in the movie.He effectively shows how to emote with eyes,body language & voice.

Best Actress -Radhika Prassida(Kuttram Kadithal)

Radhika had to do the role of  a teacher who accidentally sends a student into medical coma,while punishing him.Radhika literally lived out the role of the conscious struck teacher who is newly married and is both the cause and the insensitive blame for the mishap.The theatre artist proved whether its stage or reel,she is here to stay.

Best Supporting Actor -Vijay Sethupathi(Puramboku Engira Podhuvudamai)

As the reluctant hangman who is a drunkard with careless attitude and his own fears,but witty nevertheless,Vijay Sethupathi was a scream in S P Jananathan's movie Puramboku Engira Podhuvudamai.

Best Supporting Actress - Ramya Krishnan (Bahubali-The Beginning)

Ramya Krishna easily carries off the intense and commanding character of Sivagami in the movie Bahubali.Even with all the muscles,blitzkrieg and glamour,it was Sivakami who was the life of the first part or beginning of Bahubali.

Best Script -Pawan Kumar(Enakkul Oruvan)

Enakkul Oruvan is a psychological thriller in a commercial format which deals with the life of a person who chooses to live in between his dreams or fantasies,(which comes as the side effects of a drug) and the reality.The risk is that at some point of time the dream world may take over the real world for the person thereby affecting his responses and responsibilities in the real world.What normally leads individuals to become such fantasy prone persons is the isolation,loneliness and prejudices they are subject to,which normally comes from insensitivity of people aroud.It is quite difficult to take such a subject to the mass that too in a non-linear format.It is here where the scriptwriter has to be appreciated.It sticks to the normally accepted rules of a psychological thriller,so the protagonist is in a medical condition nearing death,there is a stock character (a detective),but these things doesn't take away the focus.The conclusion in the climax is medically sensible and commercially viable.

Best Debut (Male) -G V Prakash Kumar (Darling)

G V Prakash, who is a noted music director and who has appeared in few of his own songs had his full fledged acting debut in the horror comedy Darling.As the guy who is in love with the female lead but at the same time is fearful of her,since she is possessed by a ghost,he put up an engaging show.

Best Debut (Female) -Amyra Dastur (Anegan)

Amyra made her tamil debut with a triple role in the movie Anegan,a re-incarnation drama.She was both lively and lovely in the movie.She matches Dhanush,a National Award winner and does an appreciable job.

Best Music -Harris J (Anegan)

Anegan was a re-incarnation drama spanning across different coutries.Be it "Danga Maari" or "Roja Kadale" or "You Live Only Once" or the other songs,Harris was equal to the task.

Note 

Blogger's opinion based on what he felt was the best in 2015.No claims of virtues to assess a movie or its aspects,but an exercise as an ordinary viewer and could be influenced by individual biases and prejudices .Thank you.

MovDet's Favourite Tamil Songs 2014

1. Oruthi Mele (Jeeva)


2. Ippadiye (Poojai)


3. Mazhakaatha (Oru Oorla Rendu Raja)


4. Yaen Ingu Vandhaan (Meaghman)


5. Ammadi Un Azhagu(Vellaikaara Durai)

MovDet's Favourite Tamil Songs 2015

Best in Malayalam Movies 2015.

Best Movie- Pathemary

The movie looked at the Non resident keralites contributions to the society and economy through the life of Pallikal Narayan and his personal struggles and woes.Rome was not built in a day, neither was Kerala(regardless of how small or little),nor was the Middle east. The movie is a tribute to the generation who had toiled and in the process made the foundation for the next- gen. The movie evoked nostalgia among a generation, created interest in another generation and educated them of the middle east life’s struggles,four decades before.
Best Director -R S Vimal(Ennu Ninte Moideen)
Ennu Ninte Moideen was based on a real life love story of Kanchana and Moideen of whom Kanchana is still living unmarried as Moideen had died and carrying on with social work in his name.The director didnt compromise either in casting or in the technical aspects and it showed on screen.He ably managed the love story inters

Best Actor -Mustafa (Ain)
Mustafa was realistic and actually lived  the role of  Maanu,a butcher's assistant who witnesses something untoward and then flees for his life.

Best Actress - Parvathy (Ennu Ninte Moideen,Charlie)
Parvathy convincingly conveyed the emotions of Kanchana living in the memory moideen doing social activities as well as that of carefree rebellious and lovely tessa.

Best Supporting Actor - Suresh Krishna (Anarkali)
Suresh very easily managed the slang ,body language and the emotions of the Lakshwadweep Sports Secretary Atta Koya.
Best Supporting Actress - Ann Augustine (Nee-Na)
Ann Augustine did an excellent job in the role of a wife who fears losing her husband to a rebellious admirer co-worker lady but keeps her confidence in their strong bonding .She would have had made the heroine a second fiddle if not for the script.
Best Script -Charlie
Charlie followed charlie through tessa and said many things in the process,so socially relevant,so politically correct,and so spiritually satisfying.And to pull all these together in a commercial format without breaking the fun string.Kudos to that!.
Best Debut (Male) - Padmaraj Ratheesh(Fireman)
Yesteryear actor Ratheesh's son made an impressive debut as a villain in Fireman.
Best Debut (Female) -Parvathy Ratheesh
Yesteryear actor Rateesh's daughter started her career very convincingly in the role of a Srilankan refuge Tamara in a gulf country.
Best Music -Charlie
Charlie's music was by Gopi Sundar.Talented  gopi made an ear soothing melodious fusion of western and tribal music.

Best in Malayalam Movies -2010 (MovDet List)

Best Movie - Athmakadha

Athmakadha is a movie which looks at the life of a blind person in a positive way.Though we have popularised the words differently abled and visually challenged in place of  the words disabled and blind,how much the attitude have changed is a different thing.In that case just think of a situation where a person with a good eyesight would gradually lose his vision and he/she is aware.Any person would be in a state of denial at first and feel his/her world turning upside down.Such a movie holds value for everyone,since anyone would face such a situation in their life.Director Premlal has taken care to keep the momentum of the movie in compatibility with the sequence of the happenings and also end the movie on a positive note defying the normal reality,which is also appreciable.

Best Director - Lijo Jose Pellissery (Nayakan)

Nayakan was a difficult movie to be conceived as well as to be executed.What makes it difficult is its narrative style.The narrative style follows many of the Kathakali dance form's rituals and sequence namely purappadu (intro of the main character,always a good one),kelikkai (the setting of the premise),thodayam(praying to the gods) and kalasham (where the actor is at max liberty to express his skills),since the protagonist is a kathakali performer.To implant a revenge drama into a movie in such a format is no mean task.The director has been able to overcome minor loopholes and slight elongation of the script.Further the actors,the background music,cinematography and all other technical details matters here, and the director has been capable of holding together all these in an effective manner.

Best Actor - Thalaivasal Vijay (Yugapurushan)

Thalaivasal Vijay literally lives out in the film as Sree Narayana Guru.The fact that the knowledge of the social reforms and the society at that period of time would have been from the makers of the film or the books or articles introduced to him by them since he's from another state does not show up in his performance.His potrayal of the Guru has ample serenity,divinity and charm.The actor is successful in bringing to life both the emotional as well as the physical aspects of the character.

Best Actress - Sharbani Mukherjee(Sufi Paranja Katha)

Sharbani excels as Karthyayani and Suhara,a woman from a feudal family background who is independent still adjusts but gets her way.The portrayal of a woman who goes through several realizations of herself as well as the society and people around her which influence her own responses and expressions is safe with the actress.She is subtly expressive,arrestingly flirtatious and adorably demanding each where the scene requires her to be so.It is Sharbani's portrayal which gives the believability to the character which has to follow various religious customs,dependencies and adjustments yet hold on to her own.

Best Supporting Actor - Jayasurya(Cocktail)

Jayasurya intrigues,irrirates,intimidates and wins our empathy as Venkatesh who has to settle a score with Ravi,the protagonist of the movie.The actor revels as the character which springs into the movie from nowhere and takes on from there keeping us engaged in the proceedings.

Best Supporting Actress - Urvashi (Mummy & Me)

As the over-involving and  confused yet concerned mother of a teenage girl,Urvashi is at home with her performance.Be it the frustrations when her daughter does not pay heed to her words or the fear of a protective mother out of concern for her,you get to see the seasoned performer in actress Urvashi .

Best Script - Mohan Raghavan (T D Dasan Std VIB)
The movie looks,through the verbal interactions between two kids at two different places,at how our minds and thoughts get corrupted as we get older.While on one side,where the kid's minds present positivity and goodness,on the other side the elders think of exploiting or utilizing the available premise and concern for their own commercial success than doing something about it.It also shows the world that if you present a sob story,there would be takers for the story and not for the characters or lives in that story.This would help the story teller to be celebrated and have commercial success while the world moves on doing nothing more than superficial sympathizing.The script effectively says these things as much subtly as it is on the face.The script also has to be appreciated for throwing light on to the underground water exploitation and other social issues without deviating from the main story.

Best Debut (Male) - Nivin Pauly (Malarvadi Arts Club)

Nivin Pauly was the lead of Vineeth Sreenivasan's directorial debut Malarvadi arts club.He debuted among a host of other debutants in the movie and did a fine job,at places outshone the others as well.As the struggler,the friend and the attempter he made a convincing debut.

Best Debut (Female) - Ann Augustine(Elsamma Enna Aankutty)

Ann Augustine made an appreciable debut as a girl who has to take care of her younger sisters  and has to toil for that.At the same time she has her own concepts of social responsibilty and never compromises on that.Ann proved herself the right choice as the bold,friendly and responsible young woman.

Best Music -M.Jayachandran (Shikar)
Shikar told the story of a naxalite revenge creating havoc in a person's life and his efforts to emerge out of it.The songs had to convey the romance, the suspense,the elan and the remembrance all in a commercial format and the task was safe in the hands of experienced M.Jayachandran.So the album had 2 beautiful melodies,a carnival song and a revolutionary song all chartbusters.

Note 

Blogger's personal opinion based on what he felt was the best in 2010.No claims of virtues to assess a movie or its aspects,but an exercise as an ordinary viewer and could be influenced by individual biases and prejudices .Thank you.Ok