Now that the Thai Pongal clash between Vijay and Ajith’s films is over, here’s a look at some other great Kollywood offerings in 2014:

"Aaha Kalyanam"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qUqCR0tmiU

Director: A. Gokul Krishna Starring: Nani, Vaani Kapoor Music: Dharan Kumar
The film is a remake of the successful Hindi film “Band Baaja Baaraat”. As well, it is Yash Raj Films’ first South Indian venture. The film centres around a wedding planning duo and the trials and troubles they face as they try to become successful in their business, while exploring their own potential relationship. The original film was fresh, bright and fun. With the production house being the same and the script being altered to suit the Tamil culture and audience, we’re hoping Aaha Kalyanam will be just as good as the original. The music, which recently released, has been well received.

"Kochadaiiyan"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyt_V_UZfvI

Direction: Soundarya Ashwin Starring: Rajinikanth, Deepika Padukone, Sarathkumar Music: A. R. Rahman
The film is a 3D motion capture- animation film. Motion capture has been used in many Hollywood films but it is new to Indian cinema.  In fact, “Kochadaiiyan” is the first Indian movie to be filmed entirely using this motion capture technology. The teaser, which released in September, has received mixed reviews because of its animation. Many claim that the animation looks amateurish and pales in comparison to Hollywood. I guess we’ll have to wait and see the final product! The story is written by K.S. Ravikumar and cinematography is done by Rajiv Menon.

"Nimrindhu Nil"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyt6tNFnRUE

Director: Samuthirakani Starring: Jayam Ravi, Amala Paul Music: G.V. Prakash
After giving us films like “Naadodigal” and “Poraali”, which were both unique and rustic films with solid stories, Samuthirakani returns with Nimrindhu Nil. The film is a Tamil-Telugu bilingual with Jayam Ravi and Amala Paul in the lead roles. Not much is known about the story of the film, but it is said to be an action-thriller with an important social message, as Samuthirakani’s films usually are. Samuthirakani’s unique story-telling style is why you should look out for this one. As well, Jayam Ravi is said to be playing a dual role in the film.

"I"

Director: Shankar Starring: Vikram, Amy Jackson, Suresh Gopi, Santhanam Music: A. R. Rahman
After the 2005 blockbuster “Anniyan”, Director Shankar and Vikram come together again for “I”. Both of these giants need no introduction, their track records speak for themselves. With Shankar we can expect a grand, magnum-opus type film. Recent pictures of Vikram show that he has lost a considerable amount of weight for this role; he was also seen at events sporting a shaved-head look.

“Rummy”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LRWtY3Lv6o)

Direction: Balakrishnan Starring: Vijay Sethupathi, Gayathrie Shankar, Iyshwarya Rajesh Music: D. Imman
Why should we look out for this film? One name: Vijay Sethupathi. After struggling in the early years of his acting career, Vijay Sethupathi has gone on to give us one unique film after another. From “Pizza” to “Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom” to “Soodhu Kavvum”, Vijay Sethupathi has established himself as an actor whose most important concern is the script of the film. At this point, I look forward to any Vijay Sethupathi film. Vijay Sethupathi has a couple of other films scheduled to release this year: “Purampokku”, “Pannaiyarum Padminiyum”.

"Jigarthanda"

Director: Karthik Subbaraj Starring: Siddharth, Lakshmi Menon Music: Santhosh Narayanan
After his successful debut film “Pizza”, Karthik Subbaraj is all set to bring us his second film “Jigarthanda”. Not much about the story is known, but “Pizza” was a successful thriller because it kept us guessing the whole time, and that climax was not one to expect. With such a successful and much-talked-about debut film, it’s no wonder we are looking forward to this one!

"Vishwaroopam II"

Director: Kamal Haasan Starring: Kamal Haasan, Andrea Jeremiah, Pooja Kumar, Rahul Bose, Waheeda Rehman Music: Ghibran
Amidst all the drama surrounding the release of Vishwaroopam, Kamal Haasan announced that he had begun work on the sequel. Technically speaking, the making of the first film was brilliant. It was stylish and the cinematography and editing of the film were fantastic.  “Vishwaroopam” had that Hollywood-esque feel. It’ll be exciting to see how the sequel turns out. I, for one, am hoping for a more intriguing storyline.

"Anamika"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4rps_VTk2M

Director: Sekhar Kammula Starring: Nayanthara Music: MM Keeravani
Sekhar Kammula, who has directed many Telugu hit films, is remaking the 2012 Hindi thriller “Kahaani” in Tamil and Telugu. Nayanthara will play the titular character of Anamika. The story is about a pregnant woman who arrives in India, from London, to find her missing husband. The clues lead to dead ends and people try to convince her that her husband doesn’t exist. It is rare that remakes live up to the standard and success of the original, but it’ll be interesting to see how “Anamika” measures up to “Kahaani”.