At the film's pre-release function, Soori's off-the-cuff tribute to his co-star's comeback became the moment everyone at the event was talking about.
Soori didn't plan a speech. He just started talking about Anjali, and the room at the pre-release event for Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai stopped to listen.
"You know when Anjali has walked into a room. And you know when she's left it," he said, describing how she always arrives smiling, never slips in quietly, never picks at her food two fingers at a time like some stars do. "She's like a friend. There's nothing hidden about her. I hope she stays this beautiful no matter how many years pass." It was a small, funny, oddly moving thing to say at a promotional event, and it's exactly why clips of it spread fast on social media.
The attention makes sense given what this film means for Anjali. She debuted with Kaatrathu Tamil, playing Anandhi opposite Jeeva in a Ram-directed film that got her the best newcomer buzz an actress could ask for. The line where her character asks "nijamathaan sollariya" became one of those moments fans still quote. She followed it with Angadi Theru, playing Kani, and for a while it looked like she'd be a fixture among Tamil cinema's leading heroines.
Then, for reasons that were never fully spelled out, she stepped back from acting for a long stretch.
Her return has been gradual. She played opposite Vishal in Magudam first. Now comes Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai, once again directed by Ram, the same filmmaker who launched her. There's an obvious symmetry to it, and Anjali herself is reportedly hoping this film does for her comeback what Kaatrathu Tamil did for her debut, a fresh identity that resets how the industry sees her.
The film also stars Nivin Pauly, marking a rare Tamil outing for the Malayalam star, alongside Soori in a key role. Its trailer has already picked up a strong response online, and the pre-release event seems to have added to the momentum, even if it was Soori's tribute rather than any footage that ended up trending hardest.
Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai opens in theatres on October 1. For Anjali, whose last extended run as a leading heroine feels like a different era of Tamil cinema altogether, the real verdict arrives at the box office next Thursday, not at a pre-release stage.
Be the first to comment
Join the argument. No password, just your email or a passkey.