Kushi

S. J. Suryah's 2000 Tamil film follows two university friends who part over a misunderstanding and cannot come together despite knowing they love each other, because of pride. It became one of the most cited examples of this template in Tamil cinema and set a pattern for many films after it. What Suryah builds is a balance that makes both characters right and wrong: nobody is exactly the villain, and both are stubborn in equal measure. The rapport between Vijay and Jyothika carries the film. Deva's music was among the most listened-to albums of its time. Seen now, some comic passages and the scenes in which the woman is policed sit uncomfortably. Who it's for: viewers who like Tamil romantic comedy of the 2000s and Vijay's early work. Who it's not for: anyone troubled by the gender conventions of the period, or wanting a short narrative.