V'Day Special: Creators for the Resurge of Romance Films
Tamil cinema has provided so many classic romance tales right from the days of 'Haridas' which completed three years of theatrical run and 'Devadas' the character and story that has become the eternal identities of true love. Sridhar, Balachander, Bharathiraja, Balu Mahendra, Mani Ratnam and all the directors who have ruled the roost in Kollywood have been masters of handling romance in the silver screen with their unique style which have ended up as sumptuous treat to young lovers.
In the recent years the horror-comedy genre is seen as the easy way to success which led to a plethora of such films hitting the screens. Superstars and wannabe super stars have considered action films as a indispensable tool to retain their larger than life image in the minds of fans and this has ensured the continuance of this genre.
But it has to be said that Romance as a genre of films has taken the far back seat in the recent years. It will be hard to list even a handful of romance films that have either succeeded or made a critical impact though there have been attempts by new or less known directors and actors in this genre which have backfired.
Still there is a strong ray of hope. The success of young director Atlee's debut film 'Raja Rani' and vetreran Mani Ratnam's 'O Kadhal Kanmani' prove that there are enormous takers for love films if they live up to the expectations. On this Valentine's Day we bring you the list of filmmakers on whom we can rely upon to keep the genre of love alive and relevant in Tamil cinema.