Top 10 movies of the week

Cast: Tamanna, Akhil, Balamurugan, Hema
Direction: Balaji Sakthivel
Music: Joshua Sridhar
Production: Shankar
Balaji Sakthivel’s second venture with Shankar’s S pictures has been received with decent response, courtesy his matter-of-fact portrayal of socio-economic issues in a rural college milieu sans any skin show that usually accompanies such ventures.

Trade Talk:
Although, it wasn’t like the roaring success of his previous Kaadhal, Kalloori hasn’t been a let down for the distributors.

Public Talk:
They are waiting for a TV premiere!

No. Weeks Completed: 6
No. Shows in Chennai over the Pongal week: 4
Average Theatre Occupancy over this Pongal week: 40 %
Collection over this Pongal week in Chennai: Rs.11,536
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.98 lakhs
Verdict:ok


Cast: Dhanush, Divya
Direction: Vettrimaran
Music: G V Prakash Kumar
Production: Kathiresan
Having been in the theatres for 10 weeks since Diwali, Vetrimaran’s Polladhavan has proved that all Dhanush needed is a down-to-earth movie for a hit.

Trade Talk:
Nallavan as regards to collections!

Public Talk:
Yaaradi Nee Mohini!

No. Weeks Completed: 10
No. Shows in Chennai over the Pongal week: 24
Average Theatre Occupancy over this Pongal week: 45 %
Collection over this Pongal week in Chennai: Rs.1,04,652
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.2.04 Crore

Verdict: Hit


Cast: Surya, Asin, Vadivelu, Lakshmi
Direction: Hari
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Production: M Chintamani
One of the very few movies to have survived since Deepavali at the box office, Hari’s Vel with Surya and Asin is still alive and kicking in a few centers.

Trade Talk:
Hit!

Public Talk:
Surya – Asin chemistry seemed to have worked, yet again.

No. Weeks Completed: 10
No. Shows in Chennai over the Pongal week: 20
Average Theatre Occupancy over this Pongal week: 45 %
Collection over this Pongal week in Chennai: Rs.1,54,692
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.2.11 Crore

Verdict: Hit


Cast: Ashok, Visaka, Ganja Karuppu
Direction: Kanagu
Music: Manu Ramesan
Production: Senbagakumar
With a whole bunch of newcomers and lesser known artistes, Director Kanagu, erstwhile assistant director to Linguswamy, debuts with Pidichirukku. However, everything else is not so new in the flick.

Trade Talk:
The movie has had a below average opening and run during the Pongal week. Future doesn’t look rosy either.

Public Talk:
Hardly any!

No. Days Completed: 4
No. Shows in Chennai over the Pongal week: 36
Average Theatre Occupancy over this Pongal week: 55 %
Collection over this Pongal week in Chennai: Rs.3,56,534
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.4 lakhs

Verdict: Below average opening


Cast: Madhavan, Bhavana
Direction: Seeman
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Production: T. Shiva
Madhavan and Seeman are back -- definitely not with a bang -- after the successful Thambi with a banal formula fare. Madhavan and Bhavana’s chemistry is the only inescapable element of Vazhthukkal.

Trade Talk:
No gung ho!

Public Talk:
Aren’t we tired of guy-meets-nice-girl-falls-in-love type romances yet?

No. Days Completed: 4
No. Shows in Chennai over the Pongal week: 108
Average Theatre Occupancy over this Pongal week: 60 %
Collection over this Pongal week in Chennai: Rs.14,49,491
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.14 lakhs

Verdict: Average opening


Cast: Bharath, Kajal Agarwal, Kushboo
Direction: Perarasu
Music: Srikanth Deva
Production: Sakthi Chidambaram
Forget about Perarasu’s fetish of naming movies after places, his obsession over clichéd and old-formulae commercial fare seems never ending. If you haven’t had enough of those 80s fashioned hero who is the savior of his sister’s pride and the redeemer of his family’s dignity, you will enjoy Bharath in Pazhani.

Trade Talk:
No great shakes about it since Pazhani has had only average business even when it opened.

Public Talk:
So what next? Sabarimala?

No. Days Completed: 4
No. Shows in Chennai over the Pongal week: 112
Average Theatre Occupancy over this Pongal week: 65 %
Collection over this Pongal week in Chennai: Rs.15,08,348
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.15 lakhs

Verdict: Average opening


Cast: Cheran, Sneha, Jeyaram
Direction: Karu Pazhaniappan
Music: Vidyasagar
Production: Gnanam Films
Karu Palaniappan – Seran – Sneha team’s subtle and eloquent family drama seems to be the only buoyant competitor with substance. With a truck load of cast and a beautifully crafted story about a joint family, Palaniappan’s conviction about the script is evident in every frame.

Trade Talk:
Although a tad early for predictions, Pirivom has done decent business during the Pongal week.

Public Talk:
A word of mouth could definitely uplift the movie’s stature, which is more than likely.

No. Days Completed: 4
No. Shows in Chennai over the Pongal week: 108
Average Theatre Occupancy over this Pongal week: 65 %
Collection over this Pongal week in Chennai: Rs.15,41,532
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.15 lakhs

Verdict: Average opening


Cast: Ajith, Nayantara, Namitha, Prabhu
Direction: Vishnuvardhan
Music: Yuvanshankar Raja
Production: L.Suresh
Vishnuvardhan proved that a stylish package could do wonders for a movie, especially when the movie was a remake of an outdated cult classic. Ajith’s sheen hasn’t lost even after the box office is flooded with Pongal releases.

Trade Talk:
With five weeks in the run, Billa has garnered enough profit to be safely pronounced a hit.

Public Talk:
Haven’t we ogled enough about the classy Nayan and sleek Namitha?

No. Weeks Completed: 5
No. Shows in Chennai over the Pongal week: 104
Average Theatre Occupancy over this Pongal week: 65 %
Collection over this Pongal week in Chennai: Rs.17,49,468
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.3.76 Crore

Verdict: Hit


Cast: Silambarasan, Vedhika, Sangeetha, Nila
Direction: Tarun Gopi
Music: G V. Prakash
Production: NIC Arts Chakravarthy
Simbu ended his extended break with Kaalai for Pongal. Directed by Tarun Gopi, Kaalai is packed with a little too much mindless action - and only that - even with an impressive line up of actors. Eye candy Vedhika or sidekick Sangeetha couldn’t help either.

Trade Talk:
Simbu’s charm has pulled in the crowd for the movie’s first week in the run.

Public Talk:
Fans of Simbu seem to have something to talk about.

No. Days Completed: 4
No. Shows in Chennai over the Pongal week: 152
Average Theatre Occupancy over this Pongal week: 80 %
Collection over this Pongal week in Chennai: Rs.35,81,436
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.36 lakhs

Verdict: Good opening


Cast: Vikram, Trisha, Prakash Raj, Raguvaran
Direction: Linguswamy
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Production: A M Rathnam
Vikram’s long awaited release ending his sabbatical of more than two years has finally hit the screens. Predictably, Bheema turned out to be a gangster fare with more brawn and less brain. And the ups being, Vikram’s charisma, Prakashraj’s histrionics, Trisha’s vibrancy, and HJ’s music.

Trade Talk:
Thanks to the hype that was generated owing to Vikram’s absence from the scene, the movie has opened to full houses.

Public Talk:
If only the few ups were enough to save it.

No. Days Completed: 4
No. Shows in Chennai over the Pongal week: 236
Average Theatre Occupancy over this Pongal week: 82 %
Collection over this Pongal week in Chennai: Rs.58,15,710
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.58 lakhs

Verdict: Good opening