Kalidas Jayaram, Arjun Das to Anand Deverakonda: 10 actors who took South cinema to the next level in 2020

The year 2020 has been a roller coaster ride for most people across the world. However, for some, life turned upside down and they reached Himalayan heights in a jiffy. Especially for the South entertainment industry, this year has been an eventful one though the entertainment industry received a major blow during the COVID-19 crisis. This year, a handful of movies had a direct release of OTT platform and movies reached a wide range of audiences. Here are 10 actors from the South entertainment industry who have taken cinema to the next level in 2020.

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1. Kalidas Jayaram

Kalidas Jayaram featured in two Tamil anthologies this year namely Putham Pudhu Kaalai and Paava Kadhaigal. In both the anthologies, he appeared in portions directed by Sudha Kongara. While he was seen as a young lover boy in Putham Pudhu Kaalai, he made heads turn with his outstanding performance in Paava Kadhaigal.

2. Arjun Das

Arjun Das made the headlines for his jaw dropping performance in the film Kaithi, which was released on Diwali 2019. In the year 2020, he collaborated again with the same director Lokesh Kanagaraj for Master which is yet to hit the big screens. However, with his jaw dropping performance in Andhaghaaram directed by V Vignarajan, Arjun Das shot to a huge fame and it goes without saying that he will shine bright in the upcoming year.

3. Shanthnu Bhagyaraj

Though Shanthnu made his debut in 2008, the actor roared loud with his acting powers in the recently released anthology Paava Kadhaigal. He acted in the portion directed by Sudha Kongara. It is anticipated that the year 2021 will be eventful for Shanthnu as he is set to appear on the big screens in a key role in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Master.

4. Aparna Balamurali

Soorarai Porrtu changed the OTT game as it was the first Tamil film with a mega star as the lead actor to release digitally. Directed by Sudha Kongara, Sooraraio Pottru featured Aparna Balamurali as the leading lady and she was lauded for her role as Bommi in the film.

5. Anand Deverakonda

Anand Deverakonda’s Tollywood film titled Middle Class Melodies had a direct release on OTT platform this year. Directed by Vinod Anantoju, the film narrates the story of a middle-class family and how they all struggle to achieve their dreams. Anand was seen as an aspiring youth with business ambitions. He received applauds from several biggies for his role in the film.

6. Ashok Selvan

Rom-com Oh My Kadavule hit the big screens as Valentine's Day treat for fans this year and it also marked the directorial debut of newcomer Ashwath Marimuthu. The film had Ashok Selvan as the main lead. As soon as the film hit the big screens, pandemic gripped the nation. However, after it was released on OTT platform, Ashok received laurels from fans and critics alike for his role in the film.

7. Rakshan

Debutant director Desingh Periyasamy’s Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal is one of the films that received a blow due to the COVID crisis. However, the lead actors Dulquer Salmaan, Rakshan, Rithu Varma and Niranjani Ahathian received praises for their performance in the romcom.

8. Darshana Rajendran & Roshan Mathew

Beating the pandemic odds, makers of C U Soon gave us an edge of the seat thriller. The film was lauded for its crisp writing, however, the performance of Darshana Rajendran and Roshan Mathew held the audience engaged throughout and they both were one of the reasons for the film’s massive success.

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9. Harish Kalyan

Though Harish Kalyan shot to his fame after his entry to the Bigg Boss Tamil, his popularity multiplied by so many numbers after his film Dharala Ptabhu hit the big screens. With his role as a cute chocolate boy with the right dose of dignity and maturity, Harish Kalyan managed to captivate fans’ hearts.

10. Siddu Jonnalagadda

Krishna And His Leela was directed by Ravikanth Perepu, who has co-written this film along with the lead actor Siddhu Jonnalagadda. Other than his brilliant writing, Siddu did a wonderful job playing as a man in confused relationships. The film was a romantic drama in which it was no more a sin to spell out the names of ex-girlfriends/boyfriends and Siddhu pulled off the role like a walk on the cake.