My Thoughts

Let me begin by paraphrasing something director Prem Kumar said in a recent interview:

“When I wanted to make Meiyazhagan, people advised me to make it in Malayalam and dub it into Tamil if I wanted it to succeed.”

That statement is a sad reflection of where Tamil cinema discourse finds itself today. More than the industry itself, it reflects the mindset of a section of the audience and the content creators who shape conversations around films.

Hiphop Aadhi recently remarked that unless Tamil content creators improve, the film industry will eventually suffer. There is some truth to that. Spend a few minutes on Tamil YouTube and social media, and it becomes evident that a large section of creators are driven almost exclusively by views, subscribers, and engagement. In the race for clicks, honesty is often the first casualty.

Criticism is essential for any industry. Good criticism challenges filmmakers, encourages discussion, and helps audiences engage more deeply with cinema. What we see today, however, is not always criticism. Much of it is content farming.

A section of Tamil YouTube appears to be waiting for a film to fail so that it can be roasted, mocked, and discussed endlessly. When a genuinely good film arrives, the same voices often fall silent. Where are the passionate discussions when films like Madras Matinee, Sirai, Angammal, or Paranthu Po release? Why do these films receive only a fraction of the attention that mediocre commercial failures receive?

The answer is simple: negativity sells.

A thoughtful discussion about a good small-budget film rarely generates the same traffic as a video mocking a star, director, or producer. As a result, outrage becomes the product. Some creators have even resorted to digging up old interviews, taking comments out of context, and turning them into personal attacks. At that point, the goal is no longer film criticism. It is simply content creation for engagement.

What makes the situation worse is the hypocrisy. Many of these creators routinely complain that Tamil cinema lacks quality content, yet they do very little to promote or even acknowledge films that attempt something different. If audiences and critics ignore films such as Madras Matinee, Sirai, Paranthu Po, 3BHK, or Aaryan, do they really have the right to complain that good cinema is not being made?

The problem does not lie solely with content creators. Audiences share responsibility as well. The success of negative and sensational content is driven by the number of people who consume it. Creators make what audiences reward. As long as outrage receives more attention than meaningful discussion, little will change.

Another concerning trend is the increasingly personal nature of film discourse. Criticizing a film, a performance, or a screenplay is fair game. Criticizing individuals, questioning motives, and turning every discussion into a personal attack is not. The line between criticism and trolling has become blurred, and too many creators seem comfortable operating on the wrong side of it.

Ironically, even as some channels urge Tamil filmmakers to learn from Malayalam cinema, they could benefit from following the same advice themselves. The Malayalam industry is often praised not only for the quality of its films but also for the seriousness with which those films are discussed. The focus tends to remain on the work rather than on manufacturing outrage around the people involved.

The reality is that Tamil cinema is not short of talent. New filmmakers continue to produce interesting and ambitious work. Films such as Aaromaley and Aan Paavam Pollathathu show that there are creators willing to take risks and tell different stories. The challenge is that these efforts are often drowned out by a culture that rewards negativity over substance.

If we want better cinema, we also need better conversations about cinema.

Content creators have a responsibility to be honest. Audiences have a responsibility to support meaningful discussion. Without those two things, the loudest voices will continue to be the most negative ones.

Good cinema depends on good audiences. The same is true for film criticism and content creation. Until viewers stop rewarding outrage and start supporting thoughtful discourse, this cycle is unlikely to change.