Mahanadhi

This 1994 Tamil film, directed by Santhana Bharathi and written by Kamal Haasan, tells the story of an honest provincial man. Krishnaswamy is drawn into a fraudulent investment scheme, goes to prison, and while he is inside his family falls apart. The second half is harsh to a degree rare in Tamil cinema. When Krishnaswamy is released he learns that his daughter has been taken to Calcutta and forced into prostitution. The film neither turns that section into spectacle nor leaves it vague. Kamal Haasan's performance is among the most cited of his career. The further the narrative moves from the commercial mould the heavier it becomes; it did not draw the expected audience and was reassessed in later years. Who it's for: those who like hard social drama and Kamal Haasan in serious roles. Who it's not for: viewers who need to avoid child abuse and forced prostitution; the film places both at its centre.