Masala Films in Kollywood

Tamil actor Vijay in a poster for his blockbuster masala film, Mersal

Hero. Send the bad guys flying. Beat the don. Get the girl. Crack some jokes. Sing and dance in bangers. Touch the fans’ hearts. Mass monologues. Rile up the crowd. “I’M WAITING.”

Growing up, that was the secret formula that got me hooked to Tamil cinema, and perhaps nobody has mastered this to the extent of Thalapathy Vijay in the last 20 years. Masala Vijay films mesmerized me with their ability to combine comedy, action, romance, altruism, and heroism. For a socially awkward brown boy growing up in America, there was some indescribable feeling of gratification from seeing this combination that gave me an alternate reality to live in: one in which I was the well-rounded good guy who always won. I was so infatuated with this style of film that I blocked out other types of films. Such was my predicament for being a Thalapathy fan growing up.

Vijay’s “Golden Era” of films – Thuppakki, Kaththi, Theri, and Mersal – never got boring as I kept watching them over and over again. If you had told me two years ago that Vijay masala films would get redundant, I would have laughed at you and continued watching Thalapathy in his infamous coin fight scene from Kaththi.

And then Sarkar released.

Followed by Bigil.

Too much of anything is a bad thing, and nothing proves this Law of Diminishing Returns better than Sarkar and Bigil. These films overdosed the recipe with masala, leaving me with a bad aftertaste. Too many mass speeches. Awkwardly-timed comedy scenes. Inadequate use of female-leads. There was a lack of creativity, genuine story-telling, thought-provoking themes, and real acting. These films lacked a sense of authenticity and emotional captivation that made Vijay’s best masala films so successful, and I realized that the more Vijay reused the same concept and film style, the less appealing it became to audiences.

Since then, I have explored the other genres of films that Kollywood has had to offer over the past two years, from heart-touching family movies to mysterious thrillers that focused on film-making as an art and a form of self-expression, rather than a commercial means of money. My reverence for actors like Vikram and Vijay Sethupathi have immensely increased because of their willingness to step outside of the typical roles and present us with different personas.

If you find yourself stuck in this cycle of masala films, I encourage you to read our past post (“10 Entertaining Tamil Films to Watch During this Pandemic) that sheds light on a diverse mix of comedy, thriller, masala, and family films. Kollywood has so much more to offer than the same formula that the masses are used to, and it’s up to our generation to appreciate and uplift these artistic films that don’t receive the applause and recognition they deserve.

Until then, I’M WAITING.