Rotterdam Film Festival to Showcase Women-centric Tamil Movie

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 4 February 2026

• Mayilaa is the first feature film by actor Semmalar Annam, who is 35 years old
• The movie is a drama that portrays the strength of a woman in the face of poverty, abandonment, and emotional distress

In the last few decades, Tamil cinema has seen a growing trend towards filming in rural parts of Tamil Nadu, giving viewers a truthful portrayal of the everyday lives of real people.

The latest film to be produced within this trend is a feature film by 35-year-old actor Semmalar Annam (who previously featured in films Pariyerum Perumal, Koozhangal, Seththumaan and Angammal) called "Mayilaa".

"Mayilaa" is set to be shown at the International Film Festival Rotterdam from January 29th, 2022 through February 8th, 2022, and tells the story of a woman who has faced incredible adversity in her life through domestic violence, poverty, and trauma.

Mayilaa is a young mother of a secondary aged child and an infant who has an extremely abusive husband, as well as a young daughter with a severe constipation problem.

The movie explores the micro-world of a woman’s life, but also deals with the larger issues of how women, despite the hardships they face, are able to hold their communities together and support each other in times of need.

Mayilaa is a Newton Cinema production, known for their movies such as Paradise and Family, and is presented by Pa Ranjith. The movie is shot by Vinoth Janakiraman, with Sreekar Prasad as the editor and Anand Krishnamoorthi as the sound designer.

In an email interview, Semmalar Annam revealed the motivation for the movie: “Before I made Mayilaa, I conducted interviews with many women from rural areas. Their experiences and the way they coped with the difficulties they faced had a large influence on Mayilaa’s character.”

The story of the movie is based on real-life events, such as women having scars from domestic violence, making the story extremely relevant to reality. Mayilaa is the representation of women who suffer in life but are not noticed for their pain and stories.

In rural areas, young girls are married off without understanding the full meaning of marriage. The shame of separation and divorce makes women stay in abusive relationships.

The movie has a female-dominated cast approximately 90 percent, and for most of the women, this movie has been an extremely emotional experience. Most women felt that their stories were being told for the first time through this movie.

This experience has further reinforced Semmalar Annam's desire to tell such untold stories and give voice to those who are unheard.