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        The headline is not just for effect. Indeed, if you are talking about films churned out by Kollywood, most of them belong to what the trade calls as 'action movies'. In real terms, it is what the likes of MGR and early day Rajnikanth had made famous —— flying fists. Of course, in this age of digitalization, fists alone don't fly. The actions are well choreographed and technically enhanced to give a feel of heightened excitement. It appeals to the child in every viewer and is not very taxing on the mind. Naturally, the modern film-goer is seen to be partial to this form of entertainment. And such action sequences, also allow the heroes to mouth punch dialogues, and with the hero jumping all around, it also gives the heroine a chance to fall in love with him.

        How facile!

        This Pongal, Vijay's Pokkiri, Ajit's Aalwar and Vishal-starrer Thamirabarani hit the screens. All the movies shared one thing in common. They featured excessive action scenes and bloodshed.

        'We just give what the audience wants. Action-packed movies have clicked well among the masses these days, It is the easy way to reach the masses,' opine the directors.

        The big stars are after a mass appeal. It is a commercial compulsion to ensure that such a hero is portrayed as a one-man army bashing the baddies.

        It is what the fans of the popular stars expect, they say and add, 'even the remakes that the actors show interest in are predominately action-flicks. With youngsters thronging the theatres, we are compelled to given such genre of films to sustain their interest, a leading director points out.

        Thanks to the mega-serials in small screen, sentiments and family-dramas reach the drawing rooms of every house. To again dwell on such themes in films is not a commercially viable option.

        However, a section of the audience thinks differently.

        'In the name of action movies, directors and actors go overboard these days. They fail to understand that they wrongly influence the youngsters'.

        There are very few directors today in Tamil cinema, who adopt a realistic approach,' they say.

        They also dismiss the notion that only masala entertainers click. The success of movies like Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi, Chithiram Pesuthadi, Ram, Kaadhal and Veyyil prove that audience are ready to welcome different genre of films.

        Also they express their grouse against the censor board. 'It is the duty of the censor board to ensure that no gory action sequences find a place in the films. Unfortunately they seem to fall in their duty. The children watching such movies are psychologically affected'.

        With women and children watching movies, it is time that actors and directors show some concern and cut down on violence in their films.

        But when the dirctor hollers 'start, camera, action', the last word, in most cases, is the operative one.