South Indian movies to look out for in 2024: From The Greatest of All Time, Kalki 2898 AD to Kantara Chapter 1 and Malaikottai Vaaliban

Tamil

1) The Greatest of All Time: Of course, the list is going to have Vijay’s next film with Venkath Parbhu. This collaboration has been teased ever since the director made Mankatha with Ajith. With an intriguing cast that has the 80s’ hit hero Mohan, Prashanth, Prabhudheva, Laila and Sneha, this one has got the attention of not just Vijay fans but even the masses.

2) Vidaa Muyarchi: If you have one of ‘Thalapathy’, it goes without saying that the list will have one of ‘Thala’. Lately, Ajith has been steering away from the numbers game and has chosen to do one film for a year. Thunivu, in 2023, ended up as a disappointing venture. One has to see if Magizh Thirumeni turns things around for the actor.

3) Viduthalai Part 2: All set to premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, the second part of Vetrimaaran’s hit film Viduthalai will delve deep into the lives of the alleged vigilante Vaathiyar (Vijay Sethupathi) and novice police constable Kumaresan (Soori).

4) Kanguva: Actor Suriya is joining the pan-Indian race with this one, directed by Siruthai Siva. The film’s producer, K. E. Gnanavel Raja is so ambitious with the project that he is planning to dub the film in 38 languages. It is still unclear whether the film is an out-and-out period venture or just has a portion of it set centuries ago.

5) Thangalaan: Another film produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja, which has Pa Ranjith and Vikram. The film is set in Kolar Gold Mines during the pre-independence era. Like Pa Ranjith’s Madras and Kaala, Thangalaan will be another film in his stable about the politics of land and ownership. The film is releasing on January 26.

6) Captain Miller: This one, starring Dhanush and directed by Arun Matheshwaran, is another period film set in the pre-independence era. Dhanush plays the role of a rebel, who is seen fighting the colonisers in the promos of the film. Kannada superstar Shivarajkumar has an extended cameo in the film, which will be released on Pongal 2024.

7) Indian 2: The long-delayed film of Kamal Haasan and Shankar, who teamed up after a gap of 25 years, came close to being shelved like many of the actor’s projects. The success of Vikram enabled Kamal to reboot the film, which was lying in the cans after the deaths of three stuntmen on the sets. The movie follows the story of a vigilante Senapathy, who killed his son in the first part.

8) Vettaiyan: Rajinikanth and TJ Gnanavel Raja’s film has another highlight: Amitabh Bachchan. Like Jailer, Vettaiyan also features stars from other film industries including Fahadh Faasil and Rana Daggubati. While Gnanavel might come across as a serious filmmaker, the promo of Vettaiyan has assured his fans that Vettaiyan will be a Rajinikanth film with scope for his style and mass moments.

Telugu

9) Guntur Kaaram: Guntur Kaaram marks the reunion of Mahesh Babu and director Trivikram Srinivas after blockbusters Athadu and Khaleja. The film brings Mahesh Babu back to the silver screen after two years, with the last one being the 2022 film Sarkaru Vaari Paata. The action drama stars Sreeleela as the female lead. The movie is slated to release on the auspicious occasion of Sankranthi 2024.

10) Kalki 2898 AD: This much-awaited pan-India film is set in the future as the title suggests. Going by the first look of the film, it features Prabhas as a messiah of sorts. The movie, directed by Nag Ashwin, brings together high-profile actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan and Deepika Padukone, making it a highly anticipated film. The futuristic film’s first look was launched at San Diego’s Comic Com festival.

11) Pushpa – The Rule: This sequel to the 2022 pan India blockbuster Pushpa The Rise brings Allu Arjun back as the titular character. The film’s teaser showed a nationwide search for the character, who comes back to claim his people in style. Directed by Sukumar, the first part of the film won several National awards, making the sequel one of the most awaited ones in the history of Telugu cinema. The movie also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil in pivotal roles and is slated to release in August 2024.

12) Game Changer: After globally making India shine with RRR, Ram Charan’s next film has all the attention of fans and movie buffs. He will soon be seen in director Shankar’s film Game Changer, in which he will star alongside Kiara Advani. The movie is currently under production and the final release date hasn’t been announced yet.

13) Family Star: After the release of Vijay Deverakonda’s romantic drama Khushi in 2023, the actor will next be seen in the film Family Star. The film’s teaser was released recently and showed Vijay in dual roles of a family guy and a hero who beats up the bad guys. Directed by Parasuram Petla, the film stars Mrunal Thakur as Vijay’s wife. The movie is expected to release on Sankranthi 2024 but so far there has been no promotional buzz for the film, hinting at a delay.

14) G2: Adivi Sesh returns as Agent 116 in this sequel to the 2018 blockbuster Goodachari. The film titled G2 has gone on floors and will be shot at several locations within India and also internationally. The movie, helmed by debut director Vinay Kumar, will also star Banita Sandhu in the leading role. While so far the release date hasn’t been announced, the film’s production is in full swing. The poster of the movie looks swanky with a lot more detailed design than its prequel.

15) Devara: What Game Changer is for Ram Charan, Devara is for NTR Jr. This film marks NTR Jr’s first project after the Oscar-winning film RRR. The movie’s first look shows the actor in a fierce avatar. Directed by Kortala Siva, the film will be released in two parts. The director had recently announced that one part won’t do justice to the characters. The movie also has a substantial Bollywood presence in it. The film marks the Telugu debut of Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan will be seen as the antagonist. The first part of the movie will release on April 5.

Kannada

16) UI: Upendra will be back this year with UI. The film became the talk of the town in September after the release of its teaser which had no visuals and only a voice-over. Upendra will also don the director’s hat for this film. The movie features Reeshma Nanaiah, Nidhi Subbaiah, Murli Sharma and P Ravishankar. According to reports, Bollywood star Sunny Leone might also make an appearance in the film.

17) Richard Anthony: After back-to-back successes with SSE 1 and 2, Rakshit Shetty will next star in Richard Anthony. The film is reportedly based on Rakshit’s character from Ulidavre Kandante. He had announced the film two years ago. It is produced by KGF and Salaar makers Hombale Films.

18) Kantara Chapter 1: The prequel of last year’s runaway success Kantara, the film is expected to be released in 2024. Written and directed by Rishab Shetty, it will star Shetty and Saptami Gowda in pivotal roles. The film is produced by Vijay Kiragandur.

19) Yuva: Despite an expected release in 2022, this highly anticipated debut film of Yuva Rajkumar would only arrive in theatres next year. Yuva is directed by Santosh Ananddram. Kantara star Saptami Gowda would feature as the female lead. Yuva Rajkumar is the son of Raghavendra Rajkumar and nephew of Sandalwood stars Shivarajkumar and Puneeth Rajkumar.

20) Bagheera: The film is written by KGF director Prashanth Neel and stars Srii Murali and SSE fame Rukmini Vasanth. The teaser was released in December and has already raked in more than seven million views on YouTube. Neel and Sri Murali previously collaborated for the 2014 film Ugramm.

Malayalam

21) Malaikottai Vaaliban: The most awaited Malayalam film of the year which marks the first-ever collaboration between Mohanlal and ace filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery. Though Malaikottai Vaaliban’s promotional materials maintain a sense of suspense, all of them hint at something significant, never seen before in Malayalam cinema. The film is slated to hit the screens on January 25.

22) Barroz: This epic fantasy will witness Malayalam superstar Mohanlal donning the director’s hat for the first time. Penned by Jijo Punnoose, renowned for writing the first Indian 3D film My Dear Kuttichathan, the film revolves around a mythical figure named Barroz, who has been guarding Vasco da Gama’s treasure for over 400 years and will hand over the treasure only to the true successors of Gama. The film is scheduled for release on March 28.

23) Bramayugam: As Mammootty collaborates with Bhoothakaalam director Rahul Sadasivan, expectations are already high for Bramayugam. The anticipation soared when the makers unveiled the Malayalam megastar’s first look from the movie, setting social media ablaze. Touted as a complete horror film, Bramayugam is a rooted film set in the dark ages of Kerala.

24) Turbo: It is doubtful if any other actor can captivate the masses with charm and swagger as effortlessly as Mammootty does, even at the age of 72. The first look poster of Vysakh’s Turbo attested to this. Penned by renowned writer-director Midhun Manuel Thomas, this action drama also features Telugu actor Sunil and Kannada actor-filmmaker Raj B Shetty in pivotal roles. The movie is expected to be released in January.

25) Baazoka: Billed as a stylish thriller starring Mammootty, Bazooka is directed by debutant Deeno Dennis, the son of veteran scriptwriter Kaloor Dennis. The film’s first look poster itself sparked curiosity, depicting Mammootty in a black suit, standing with his back to the audience, encircled by men aiming their guns at him.

26) Aadujeevitham: The most anticipated film in actor Prithviraj Sukumaran’s career, Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) is directed by veteran filmmaker Blessy. The movie is an adaptation of the acclaimed novel of the same name written by Benyamin. Drawing inspiration from a true incident, the film follows a Malayali immigrant labourer forced into slavery as a goatherd on a deserted farm in Saudi Arabia. Aadujeevitham is set to hit theatres worldwide on April 10.

27) Ajayante Randam Moshanam: A fantasy period drama crafted on a giant canvas featuring an expansive ensemble cast, the teaser of Ajayante Randam Moshanam garnered widespread attention for Tovino Thomas in a never-seen-before avatar. Set in three distinct historical periods, Tovino plays three characters in the film directed by debutant Jithin Laal. According to reports, the movie is expected to be released in May.

28) Varshangalkku Shesham: Vineeth Sreenivasan’s sixth directorial endeavour, Varshangalkku Shesham is either entirely or partially set in a bygone era, as implied by its poster, and hence the title “Years Later”. Boasting a substantial ensemble cast, including Pranav Mohanlal, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Aju Varghese, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Basil Joseph, Nivin Pauly and Vineeth himself, the film is set to be released in April.

29) Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer: Helmed by Rojin Thomas, this two-part period fantasy thriller stars Jayasurya and Anushka Shetty in the lead roles and chronicles the life of Kadamattathu Kathanar, a legendary Christian priest known for his magical abilities, believed to have lived in the 9th century.

Other major Malayalam titles to look out for in 2024 include Jithu Madhavan’s Fahadh Faasil-starrer Aavesham, Midhun Manuel’s Kunchacko Boban film Aaraam Paathiraa, Vipin Das’ Prithviraj, Basil Joseph-starrer Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil and Lal Jr’s Tovino movie Nadikar Thilakam. Though there are reports that Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Mohanlal-starrer L2: Empuraan, a sequel to their 2019 film Lucifer, might release towards the end of 2024, but chances are high that the film will hit the screens only in 2025.