CHENNAI: For Tamil cinema, Deepavali has always been an important time for film releases. Families visit theatres, fans celebrate their favourite stars and producers look forward to a big opening at the box office. Over the years, the festival has seen big-star films, small-budget surprises, box-office clashes and disappointments.

Vijay has been a regular presence during the festive season. Actors such as Dhanush, Karthi, Rajinikanth and Sivakarthikeyan have also had memorable Deepavali releases. The pandemic brought a change, with some films choosing OTT platforms instead of theatres. Here is a look at some notable Tamil films released during Deepavali over the past 11 years, from 2016 to 2026.

2016: Kodi and Kaashmora
Kodi: Dhanush played two brothers in this political thriller directed by RS Durai Senthilkumar. One is a politician, while the other is a schoolteacher. Trisha played Rudhra, a politician who becomes Dhanush's rival. Her performance received a lot of attention. The film opened well and was appreciated for its story and performances. It also did reasonably well at the box office.

Kaashmora: Karthi played multiple roles in this fantasy entertainer directed by Gokul. The film also featured Nayanthara and Sri Divya. It mixed comedy, horror and period drama, with Karthi playing both a present-day character and a warrior from the past. The film was made on a grand scale and drew attention for its visual effects and unusual story. Though reviews were mixed, it opened well and collected good numbers in its first few days.


2017: Mersal and Meyaadha Maan
Mersal: Vijay teamed up with director Atlee for this action entertainer. He played three roles, and the story dealt with medical corruption and the problems faced by ordinary people. Samantha, Kajal Aggarwal and Nithya Menen played the female leads. AR Rahman composed the music. The film created a lot of excitement before its release and opened to packed theatres. Despite facing some controversies, Mersal became a major box-office hit and was among the biggest Tamil films of the year.

Meyaadha Maan: This romantic comedy, directed by Rathna Kumar, starred Vaibhav and Priya Bhavani Shankar. It told the story of a young man dealing with unrequited love. Though it was a smaller release compared with Mersal, its simple story, comedy and music helped it find an audience. Positive word of mouth worked in its favour, and the film went on to become a commercial success.


2018: Sarkar, Kalavani Mappillai and Billa Pandi
Sarkar: Vijay and director AR Murugadoss teamed up for the third time after Thuppakki and Kaththi. Vijay played an NRI businessman who returns to India to cast his vote but ends up getting involved in politics. Keerthy Suresh and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar played important roles. The film opened to huge crowds and created a lot of discussion because of its political theme. Though reviews were mixed, it performed well at the box office and became one of the year's major hits.

Kalavani Mappillai: This comedy-drama starred Dinesh and Adhiti Menon. Directed by Gandhi Manivasagam, the film followed a young man who faces problems because of his difficult relationship with his prospective mother-in-law. It aimed to offer light family entertainment during the festival. However, it failed to attract much attention and had a limited run at the box office.

Billa Pandi: RK Suresh played the lead in this film about an ardent fan of actor Ajith Kumar. The story focused on the fan's life and his admiration for his favourite star. However, the film did not attract much attention from audiences and failed to make a strong impact at the box office.

2019: Bigil and Kaithi
Bigil: Vijay and Atlee teamed up for the third time for this sports drama. Vijay played a father and son, with the younger character taking on the responsibility of coaching a women's football team. Nayanthara played the female lead, while A R Rahman composed the music. The film drew huge crowds, especially from Vijay's fans. Though reviews were mixed, it had a strong box-office run and became one of the biggest Tamil hits of 2019.

Kaithi: Karthi starred in this action thriller directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The film followed Dilli, an ex-convict who gets caught up in a dangerous situation while trying to meet his daughter. The story takes place over one night and moves at a fast pace. Without conventional songs or a romantic track, Kaithi offered something different to audiences. It received good reviews and became a commercial success. The film also helped establish Lokesh Kanagaraj as one of Tamil cinema's leading directors.

2020: Biskoth, Irandam Kuthu and OTT releases
The pandemic made 2020 a difficult year for Tamil cinema. Theatres had remained closed for months and were only beginning to reopen. Many filmmakers chose to release their films on OTT platforms instead of waiting for theatrical releases.

Biskoth: Santhanam played the lead in this comedy directed by R Kannan. The film also featured Tara Alisha Berry and veteran actress Sowcar Janaki. It followed a young man working in a biscuit factory and mixed comedy with fantasy. Released in theatres during Deepavali, it gave audiences a chance to return to cinemas after the lockdown. However, it received mixed reviews and had a modest box-office run.

Irandam Kuthu: Directed by Santhosh P Jayakumar, this adult horror comedy was a sequel to Iruttu Araiyil Murattu Kuththu. The film featured the director along with Daniel Annie Pope and others. It relied heavily on adult humour and double-meaning jokes. Though it attracted attention before release, it received largely negative reviews and failed to make a strong impact at the box office.

Soorarai Pottru: Suriya's film, directed by Sudha Kongara, was one of the year's biggest Tamil releases, even though it premiered directly on Amazon Prime Video. Inspired by the life of Air Deccan founder GR Gopinath, it told the story of a man who dreams of making air travel affordable for ordinary people. Suriya and Aparna Balamurali received widespread praise. The film became a major critical success and went on to win several awards.

Mookuthi Amman: Nayanthara played the title role in this fantasy comedy directed by RJ Balaji and NJ Saravanan. The film mixed humour with social issues and religious themes. RJ Balaji also played the male lead. Released directly on Disney+ Hotstar during Deepavali, it received a good response from family audiences and became one of the year's popular OTT releases.


2021: Annaatthe, Enemy and Jai Bhim
Annaatthe: Rajinikanth returned for Deepavali with this family entertainer directed by Siva. The film focused on the relationship between a brother and his younger sister, played by Keerthy Suresh. Nayanthara, Meena and Khushbu were also part of the cast. The film opened to huge crowds, showing Rajinikanth's strong fan following. However, reviews were mixed, and it could not maintain its opening momentum. It had a decent theatrical run but fell short of expectations.

Enemy: Vishal and Arya played the lead roles in this action thriller directed by Anand Shankar. The film followed two childhood friends who grow up to become rivals. It also featured Mirnalini Ravi and Mamta Mohandas. The action scenes and the face-off between Vishal and Arya were among its main attractions. However, the film received mixed reviews and struggled to compete with Annaatthe at the box office.

Jai Bhim: Though it was not a theatrical release, Suriya's Jai Bhim became one of the most discussed films of the 2021 Deepavali season. Directed by TJ Gnanavel, it was inspired by real incidents involving police brutality and a tribal community's fight for justice. Suriya played advocate Chandru, while Lijomol Jose delivered a powerful performance. Released directly on Amazon Prime Video, the film received widespread appreciation and brought important social issues to a large audience.

2022: Sardar and Prince
Sardar: Karthi played two roles in this spy thriller directed by PS Mithran. One character is a police officer, while the other is his father, a former spy who has spent years in prison. The film dealt with espionage and the business of drinking water. Raashii Khanna, Rajisha Vijayan and Laila were also part of the cast. It received positive reviews for its story and performances and did well at the box office.

Prince: Sivakarthikeyan teamed up with director Anudeep KV for this romantic comedy. The film followed a schoolteacher who falls in love with a British colleague, leading to several funny situations. Maria Ryaboshapka played the female lead, while Sathyaraj was part of the supporting cast. The film opened well because of Sivakarthikeyan's popularity, but reviews were mixed. It could not match Sardar's success and had a disappointing run at the box office.


2023: Jigarthanda DoubleX, Japan and Raid
Jigarthanda DoubleX: Director Karthik Subbaraj returned with a follow-up to his 2014 film Jigarthanda. Raghava Lawrence played a gangster, while SJ Suryah appeared as a filmmaker who gets caught up in his world. Set in the 1970s, the film mixed crime, humour, cinema and politics. It also featured Nimisha Sajayan. The film received good reviews, especially for its performances and storytelling. Though it did not have a big opening, positive word of mouth helped it find an audience.

Japan: Karthi's 25th film was directed by Raju Murugan. Karthi played a jewellery thief who becomes the target of a major police search after a robbery. Anu Emmanuel played the female lead. The film created expectations because of Karthi's earlier successes, but the response was disappointing. The screenplay and humour failed to impress audiences, and the film did not achieve the success expected of a milestone project.

Raid: Vikram Prabhu and Sri Divya played the lead roles in this action thriller directed by Karthi, who made his directorial debut with the film. It was a remake of the Kannada film Tagaru and featured Vikram Prabhu as a police officer taking on a criminal gang. Though it offered action and familiar commercial elements, it received a mixed response and did not make a major impact at the box office.


2024: Amaran, Brother and Bloody Beggar
Amaran: Sivakarthikeyan played Major Mukund Varadarajan in this biographical war drama directed by Rajkumar Periasamy. The film was based on the life of an army officer who was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra. Sai Pallavi played his wife, Indhu Rebecca Varghese. The emotional story, strong performances and realistic action scenes connected with audiences. The film received good reviews and became a huge box-office success. It was one of the biggest Tamil hits of 2024.

Brother: Jayam Ravi and Priyanka Mohan played the lead roles in this family comedy directed by M Rajesh. The film followed a young man whose carefree nature creates problems when he moves into his sister's home. Bhumika Chawla and Natti were also part of the cast. The film aimed to offer family entertainment, but its story and comedy failed to impress many viewers. Released alongside Amaran, it struggled at the box office.

Bloody Beggar: Kavin played the lead in this dark comedy directed by Sivabalan Muthukumar. Produced by Nelson Dilipkumar, the film told the story of a beggar whose life changes after he enters a wealthy household. Its unusual story and Kavin's performance created interest before release. However, the film received mixed reviews and could not match Amaran's success.

2025: Dude, Bison and Diesel
Dude: Pradeep Ranganathan and Mamitha Baiju played the lead roles in this romantic comedy directed by Keerthiswaran. The film dealt with love, relationships and family situations, with humour playing an important part. Pradeep's popularity among young audiences helped it attract attention. Released during the Deepavali season, it opened well and went on to become a box-office success. The film further strengthened Pradeep's position as one of Tamil cinema's popular young actors.

Bison Kaalamaadan: Dhruv Vikram teamed up with director Mari Selvaraj for this sports drama. The film followed a young man from a difficult background who dreams of becoming a successful kabaddi player. Anupama Parameswaran and Pasupathy were also part of the cast. It dealt with caste discrimination, social struggles and sporting ambition. Dhruv's performance and the film's subject received appreciation. It also became a notable release during the festive season.

Diesel: Harish Kalyan played the lead in this action thriller directed by Shanmugam Muthusamy. The story was set against the background of the diesel trade and the problems surrounding it. Athulya Ravi played the female lead. The film tried to combine action with a subject that is not often explored in Tamil cinema. However, it received a mixed response and could not match the success of Dude and Bison.


2026: Scene, Mookuthi Amman 2
Deepavali 2026 has brought two notable Tamil films to theatres on November 6, two days before the festival. This year's releases include a crime comedy and a fantasy film. With the films just arriving in theatres, it is too early to judge their box-office performance.

Scene: Suriya stars in this crime comedy directed by Malayalam filmmaker Jithu Madhavan, known for Romancham and Aavesham. The film also features Nazriya Nazim and Naslen. It follows an eccentric police officer and his team as they get involved in an unexpected mission. The film has attracted attention because it brings together actors from Tamil and Malayalam cinema. It also marks Jithu Madhavan's entry into Tamil cinema.

Mookuthi Amman 2: Nayanthara returns as the goddess in this sequel directed by Sundar C. The first film, directed by RJ Balaji and N J Saravanan, was appreciated for its mix of humour and social messages. The sequel takes a bigger fantasy route, with a story involving a queen, her young son, a goddess and a fight against evil forces. Regena Cassandrra, Duniya Vijay, Urvashi and Yogi Babu are also part of the cast. The film has generated interest because of Nayanthara's return to the popular role.