The ‘Saami Padam’ is back: Tamil cinema rediscovers its oldest heroes

“ Hey karuppan vaaraandaa ,” signals the entrance of actor Suriya in the climax of Karuppu , where, in a near-unrecognisable transformation, he appears as lord Karuppasamy. When the RJ Balaji-directorial released in theatres in May, Tamil cinema embraced a long-lost identity — the devotional film, known in the industry as the saami padam .

Karuppu could be the first sign of a larger revival. Seyon , starring Sivakarthikeyan; Mookuthi Amman 2 , starring Nayanthara; Thamizh Murugan , starring Dhanush; Vettaisaamy , starring Arulnithi; and Jiiva’s untitled project on lord Murugan are some of the devotional films in development. Sources say several such projects will be announced in the upcoming months.