Siruthai Siva is a name that has baffled Tamil cinema enthusiasts for far too long. In an industry filled with directors who leave a distinct mark, who push boundaries and redefine genres, Siva stands out for all the wrong reasons. His career trajectory is not one of growth or innovation but of mediocrity and repetitive storytelling that somehow continues to survive in a competitive landscape.
His career began with "Siruthai", a remake of SS Rajamouli’s "Vikramarkudu". While the film was decent, it owed its success more to Rajamouli's original than to Siva's creative input. After this, Siva’s filmography reads like a list of uninspired, sentiment driven dramas that lack any form of originality or vision. And that is where the problem lies. what is his standout contribution to Tamil cinema? None.
A director is often defined by a signature style or a genre they excel in. Mani Ratnam is synonymous with romance, Gautham Menon with layered characters, Shankar with socio-political commentary. When you think of Siruthai Siva, nothing comes to mind except a half-baked layer of emotion that he slaps onto every story. That is his only specialty, and even that fails to resonate most of the time.
Take a look at his major works. "Veeram" was a predictable village drama sprinkled with some sentiment. "Vedalam" followed, a gangster film that leaned heavily on an overused sister-sentiment trope. "Vivegam", which was supposed to be an international spy thriller, drowned in illogical sequences and misplaced emotional beats. "Viswasam" was essentially "Veeram" with a father-daughter angle. Then came "Annaatthe", a complete disaster where family sentiment became the prop to cover an incoherent narrative. And finally, "Kanguva", his recent period drama, once again built on the same foundation of emotion, proving that Siva has absolutely no interest in evolving as a filmmaker.
On the surface, it might appear that Siva experiments with genres like village dramas, gangster tales, spy thrillers, period dramas. But dig deeper, and you will see that every single film follows the same formula. His inability to stay true to a genre or explore its depths reduces his attempts to shallow mess. Siva is not experimenting instead he is floundering. He does not build a cohesive narrative but rather creates isolated “mass” moments and then forces a story to connect them. This approach is not filmmaking, it is pandering, and it is insulting to the audience’s intelligence.
Yes, Siva might have some technical knowledge, and he certainly knows how to shoot visually pleasing sequences. But cinema is not just about technicalities. It is about storytelling, about engaging the audience on a deeper level, and Siva has repeatedly failed to do so. Even an amateur with a camera can capture a visually striking shot, but that does not make them a filmmaker.
What is even more troubling is the damage he has done to the careers of some of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars. Ajith Kumar, one of the industry’s most celebrated actors, spent some of the most pivotal years of his career in Siva’s hands, only to deliver films that, while commercially successful, offered no growth or depth. Rajinikanth, a name associated with larger-than-life cinema, was reduced to mediocrity with "Annaatthe". And now, with "Kanguva", even Suriya finds himself caught in Siva’s web of predictable, uninspired storytelling.
There is also the question of why actors, especially stars of such caliber, continue to work with him. Ajith has often spoken about how “comfortable” Siva is to work with. But what does this comfort mean? Is it about not demanding anything challenging from the actors? Allowing them to sleepwalk through roles without pushing for better performances? This comfort might be easy for the stars, but it is a curse for cinema. Creativity thrives on challenges, on pushing boundaries, and Siva offers none of that.
Siruthai Siva has had more than his share of opportunities to prove himself, yet he continues to bring out films that are barely watchable. His overreliance on sentiment, lack of originality, and refusal to evolve make him a liability to Tamil cinema. At this point, there is nothing left for him to prove because he has already proven that he has nothing more to offer.
Tamil cinema deserves directors who respect the craft, who respect their audience, and who strive to create something meaningful. Siruthai Siva is not one of them. Enough is enough. It is time for him to step aside and let the industry breathe.
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