The year 2014 was a fascinating turning point for the Tamil film industry (Kollywood). Sandwiched between the industry's transition from formulaic masala to content-driven cinema, 2014 offered a mixed bag: massive star-driven vehicles that shattered box office records, medium-budget films that won critical acclaim, and a few high-profile disasters that left producers wary.
In the box office race, and Dhanush’s VIP emerged as the clean hits, while Rajinikanth’s Lingaa won the collection war despite poor reviews. For the neutral moviegoer, Jigarthanda and Madras remain the gold standards of 2014—films that dared to be different in a star-obsessed industry.