'Thunivu' to 'Varisu': South Films to Watch This Pongal Weekend

Both 'Varisu' and 'Thunivu' will release ahead of Pongal on 11 January.

Stills from Waltair Veerayya and Varisu

(Photo: Twitter; Altered by The Quint)

Festivals call for celebration. How can a celebration be complete without watching movies of our favourite stars? Here's a look at what's out this Pongal, or Sankranti.

Varisu/ Varasudu

Varisu poster

The Tamil-Telugu bilingual is a masala family entertainer starring Thalapathy Vijay in the lead. Directed by Vamshi Paidipally, the film also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Prakash Raj, Prabhu, and Yogi Babu. Backed by Dil Raju, the film hits theatres ahead of Pongal on 11 January. Vijay was last seen in Nelson Dilipkumar's Beast which received mixed reviews.

Thunivu / Thegimpu

Thunivu poster.

Clashing with his rival superstar Vijay, Ajith Kumar stars in the action drama Thunivu in Tamil, titled Thegimpu in Telugu.

The film is all set for a theatrical release on 11 January and explores an interesting heist thriller genre. It is directed by H Vinoth and also features Manju Warrier and Samuthirakani in important roles. Bankrolled by Boney Kapoor, Thunivu like Kamal Haasan's Vikram is distributed in TN by Udhaynidhi Stalin’s Red Giant movies.

Waltair Veerayya 

A still from Waltair Veerayya

Starring Megastar Chiranjeevi, Ravi Teja, and Shruti Haasan, the film is directed by KS Ravindra (BobbyKolli). It is gearing up to release in Telugu and Hindi on 13 January.

Veera Simha Reddy 

Poster of Veera Simha Reddy 

The action drama is themed around politics and revenge and is directed by Gopichand Malineni. The Telugu film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna, Shruti Haasan, and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar in the lead. With the theatrical release of Veera Simha Reddy on 12 January, Balakrishna also recently made his way to OTT. Making a mark on the digital streaming platform through a talk show called Unstoppable 2 with NBK that streams on Aha Telugu, a special episode with Veera Simha Reddy team will be available to watch on 13 January.

Orchestra Mysuru

A still from Orchestra Mysuru

A young lad from Mysore has a burning desire to become a singer. Is the ambition too big? Will he be able to realize his dreams? Directed by Sunil Mysuru, the Kannada film stars Dileep Raj, Mahadeva Prasad, and Nagabhushana. On 12 January, it will be released in theatres.

Kalyanam Kamaneeyam

Kalyanam Kamaneeyam poster. 

The romantic drama traces the love between an unemployed youth and his independent girlfriend. Directed by Anil Kumar Aala, the film stars Santosh Sobhan, Priya Bhavani Shankar, and Devi Prasad. It hits theatres on 14 January.

Manku Bhai Foxy Rani

A still from Manku Bhai Foxy Rani

Directed by Gagan M, the relationship drama stars Roopesh Shetty, Geetha Bharathi Bhat, and Panchami Rao. The Kannada film will be available in theatres from 13 January.