Mid-year report: ‘Good Bad Ugly’ dominates, ‘Tourist Family’ surprises

Arjun Ramachandran Jul 15, 2025 Movies

[{"selector":"#anim-882b8a4f-beaa-4f0e-a387-5e75b78d5860 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Movies The Tamil film industry had a rough year in 2024, with major releases like Indian 2, Kanguva, and The Greatest of All Time (GOAT) receiving largely negative reviews. Read the article

[{"selector":"#anim-dbc036b6-f1e2-4232-ac7f-8c6b2c29f822 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-68.33333314118123%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] Movies A similar pattern has continued in 2025. Smaller films are striking a chord with audiences, while several big-budget projects have failed to deliver. Read the article

[{"selector":"#anim-9557efa2-6e26-4caf-818f-a50f12b6d326 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Movies In the first half of the year, six films have been declared superhits — with Ajith’s Good Bad Ugly being the only one headlined by an A-list star. Read the article

[{"selector":"#anim-5f162e57-87e2-4101-bfe7-63889a1e3073 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-45.93505852271218%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Movies Meanwhile, Sasikumar and Simran’s Tourist Family emerged as a surprise hit, grossing ₹86 crore worldwide. Read the article

[{"selector":"#anim-12a945de-f388-4d3b-a129-2d96a43eea2b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-6.054687233341542%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Movies Pradeep Ranganathan continued his winning streak with Dragon , directed by Aswath Marimuthu. Read the article

[{"selector":"#anim-45ae5c74-32b2-488b-9184-56592367d9a8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Movies The underperformance of several big-budget films at the box office highlights a clear shift in audience preferences — star power alone is no longer enough. Read the article