Here, are the 10 best tamil movies of 2000.
10
Paarthen Rasithen
A superb performance by Simran was the highlight of this, the third successful movie
from Charan. PTC buses provided the backdrop for the interesting love triangle between
Prashanth, Simran and Laila. A nice twist and interesting characters(like Vinu
Chakravarthy) kept our interest from flagging throughout.
9
Vaanathai Pola
This top feel-good movie of 2000 came from the always-reliable Vikraman and started a
hugely successful year for Vijayakanth. The affectionate relationships between Meena
and her brothers-in-law Prabhu Deva and Livingston were delightful and made us yearn for
a family like theirs.
8
Snehithiye
Priyadarshan used an all-woman cast for a tale that started off as an ode to friendship
before turning into a slick thriller with an in-your-face surprise in the villain's
identity. Though things became a little too cinematic when Jyothika and Srabhani went on
the run and there were several plot holes and loose ends, the overall package was fast-paced
and very entertaining.
7
Kandukonden Kandukonden
Rajiv Menon's long-delayed project was a treat for the eyes and ears as the superb cast,
lively photography and catchy soundtrack added gloss to a story that was imported from
Hollywood. Though the movie was littered with unnecessary characters and predictable twists,
good performances(notably from Tabu and Mammootty) rescued it while the climax was sweet
and memorable.
6
Mugavari
This very realistic portrayal of a middle class youth's struggle to achieve his dreams
was enhanced by the realistic depiction of his family members' attitudes and the
down-to-earth dialogs. Inspite of unnecessary interruptions like a fight sequence and
a cheap comedy track, the fate of the hero's love affair and the climax were markedly
different from similar, run-of-the-mill stories and raised the level of movie.
5
Rhythm
Vasanth showed glimpses of his talent with this mature love story marked by good performances
from both Arjun and Meena and great music from A.R.Rahman. The way the past link between the lead
pair was presented was a nice surprise. Characters like Arjun's parents and Meena's husband
(played delightfully by Ramesh Arvind) were well-presented and the pragmatic dialogs were
another plus.
4
Bhaarathi
This movie about the life of Mahakavi Bhaaratiyar offered us a good glimpse into the life of
the enigmatic, genius poet. Marathi stage actor Shayaji Shinde brought Bharathi back to life
with a splendid performance while Devayani provided good support. Sparkling dialogs and
a haunting score by Ilaiyaraja marked the movie.
3
Alaipayuthey
Manirathnam went back to his roots with a simple and charming love story that didn't just stop
with the troubles Madhavan and Shalini face as lovers but went on to show their travails after
their wedding.
Manirathnam's trademark fast-paced screenplay and snappy dialogs were present while P.C.Sriram's
glorious photography and A.R.Rahman's superb soundtrack were icing on the cake. Madhavan
went on to capture the hearts of tamil girls while Shalini showed she would be missed when she
stopped acting. Welcome back Mani!
2
Hey Ram
Kamalhassan's story of a man who goes on a mission to kill Mahatma Gandhi was a courageous
and well-done experience. As director, he painstakingly took us to those turbulent times during
the Partition and his penchant for pushing the envelope was evident at several places. The
dialogs were honest and never one-sided and his change of heart was convincingly portrayed.
While Kamal's was expectedly a tour-de-force performance, Naseeruddin Shah made a
surprisingly believable Gandhi.
1
Sethu
First time director Bala stunned the Tamil cine-world with this masterpiece where he made us
laugh and then cry, both with equal success. There were several standout scenes which took our
breath away and the stunning climax was not easily forgotten. Vikram started his second
innings with a heartfelt performance while Ilaiyaraja's score, especially in the scenes in
the ashram, tugged at our heartstrings.