Rajisha Vijayan's Thagappan joins Anna Ben film on December 24

Two Malayali actresses will lead Tamil films in theatres on Christmas Eve. Jiiva's Thagappan, featuring Rajisha Vijayan, is set for a worldwide release in cinemas on December 24, Lark Studios and Jiiva announced on X with the hashtag #XMassThagappan. That puts it on the same date as Coimbatore Mappillaii, the Anna Ben film.

The film

Thagappan is directed by Ra Venkat. Lakshmy Ramakrishnan is tagged in the release posts, and the music is reportedly by Marshall Robinson. Beyond that, the makers have kept details light so far, and we are not filling the gaps.

Two Malayali leads, one date

The December 24 date means Malayali viewers have a reason to watch the Tamil Christmas lineup closely. Rajisha is in Thagappan, while Anna Ben plays the female lead in Coimbatore Mappillaii, which we covered when its date was announced.

The two films come from very different places. Thagappan is a Jiiva film from Lark Studios. Coimbatore Mappillaii is a romantic comedy that marks the first production of a new banner. What they share is a release day, and a Malayali actress in each cast.

For Malayali audiences, that makes Christmas Eve an unusual date. Two familiar Malayali faces will be on Tamil screens on the same night.

Rajisha's Tamil run

Thagappan adds to a Tamil filmography that Rajisha has been building since 2021. That year she appeared in both Karnan and Jai Bhim.

In 2022 she followed with Sardar, in which she played Indhrani, the wife of Karthi's Agent Chandra Bose.

She also has another Tamil project in the works. Her untitled film with Soori, tentatively called Soori 7, is directed by Ravikumar, the filmmaker behind Indru Netru Naalai and Ayalaan, for Mythri Movie Makers. The film had its pooja on October 14 in Chennai, where Sivakarthikeyan clapped the first shot.

With Thagappan on December 24 and the Soori film under way, Rajisha has two Tamil projects on the go at once.

Meanwhile, in Malayalam

The Tamil date is fixed, but the Malayalam Christmas picture is still taking shape. Joju George's Paripadi has a December release planned, but no date has been announced yet. Until it is, December 24 belongs to the two Tamil films with Malayali leads.

If Paripadi lands in the same week, viewers in Kerala may end up choosing between a Malayalam release and two Tamil films with Malayali actresses in the lead. For now, the only confirmed Christmas Eve releases in this story are the two Tamil ones.

What to watch for

The next updates to look for are a trailer for Thagappan, and a release date for Paripadi. Both will decide how crowded the Christmas week becomes for Malayali audiences.

Also read: Soori 7 launch: Rajisha Vijayan joins Ravikumar's film