A Life-Changing Movie: How One Film Shifted My Perspective on Cinema for worse

I was born into a lower-middle-class family in the south, and growing up, I watched a lot of Tamil movies, especially during weekend matinee shows with my Amma. Later, with the rise of cable television, I continued watching a wide range of films. I’ve always had a soft spot for Rajini and M.R. Radha because of their strong personalities.

After graduating, I got my first job in Bangalore in November 2005, earning 12,000 rupees a month. With family commitments, money was often tight, but I still made time to watch a movie every weekend. I also downloaded and watched a lot of English films from IMDb’s top 100 list to improve my language skills.

One evening, my friends and I went to PVR Cinema in Forum Mall, Koramangala, to watch the night show of Aadhi, starring Vijay. That night changed my perspective. The movie was so bad, and after spending around 350 rupees, including food, it made me reflect on many things in my life. From that day on, I drastically cut down on watching movies. For years, I watched fewer than five films annually, and I haven’t seen a single Vijay film since. For example, this year I only watched two films so far. The experience of Aadhi movie left a lasting impact on me. Has anyone else had a similar life-changing experience with a movie?