K Balachander - The Director who revolutionized tamil cinema

K B - A small Tribute (Image source - https://www.tumblr.com/search/k.+balachander)

What influences the thought process of a growing child? In the late 90s in addition to the parents and teachers, there was another medium that more than influenced the growing child! It was 'the television'. For a child growing in a middle class family in Tamil Nadu, the television everyday had atleast a film or a TV serial either written, directed or produced by K Balachander or simply known as KB. So when one returns from the school, it would be Bhama vijayam running in classic matnee, A roja on Republic day / Independence day or watch Marma Desam on Thursdays, Kasalavu Nesam on Wednesdays, Premi or Kailavu Manasu. This, my readers is 'the influence'. Watch this bit where Crazy mohan talks about KB in a recent Coffee with DD episode. Cant put things better!!

 He was, probably, one of the few directors who worked on themes which had strong connection with the day to day life of the common man. The result was that most of his films have gone well with the masses. He made films on subjects to satisfy his own ego unmindful of its success commercially.KB changed the content, context and the actors in the Tamil Film Industry and infused a new breath of life into the movies. He also started the revolution of serials in the small screen. Not many people, had directorial success in both small screen and silver screen. His characters portrayed the nuances of middle class predicament perfectly.  Sadly, he is no more. It is indeed a pleasure for me to write about him, a celebration of the cinematic journey of a simple man, from humble origins, achieving monumental success. 

He never lost in touch with contemporary film making! "He is in conversation with Amir after his Dhobi Ghat"

Jonathan Swift once said, "Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others." Going by that definition, KB would mean visionary in every thesaurus. Let me give an example. Having been KBed into comedy in Thillu mullu Tamil Cinema, Rajni kanth added comedy to his repertoire, which truely made him connect to the masses.  Even Rajni, on the back of successes like Muratu kalai and Billa was not sure of taking up a full time comic role. The way he shaped the career of Kamal Hasan requires a separate post in itself. Its not just Rajni and Kamal, the list of people who got their breaks because of KB is a long one!! Special mention must go to 2 people - Major Sundararajan and Nageesh, the 2 character artists who got to explore and experiment without any problem in his films.

In between KB has won Nine National Awards  and innumerable State government and Filmfare awards, for his films, which he made not only in Tamil but also in other languages such as Telugu(Maro Charitra, Aakali Rajyam, Andhuleni Katha) , Kannada( Benkiyalli Aralidha Hoovu),Malayalam and Hindi ( the iconic Ek Duuje Ke Liye). 

Lets talk about favorites!! Let me list out my favorite movies and serials Chonologically!! I am  going to limit myself to 10!!

1. Server Sundaram
A movie written by BB about how a server( Nagesh ) from being a waiter turns into an actor and excels in his life. Some classic comedy scenes in this movie include Audition Scene, Acting Scene with Manorama. The movie ends on a rather tragic note, a constant feature of his earlier movies!

2. Bama Vijayam 
A refreshing satire on the middle class mind set, with uniformly good performance by all the lead as well as supporting actors. Each and every role is to be cherished in the film and this legendary song!!

3. Avargal

Arguably the best story written by KB. Excellent performances from Sujatha, Rajinikanth and Kamalhaasan. The movie portrays the emotional struggle of Anu (Sujatha) with 3 men in her life. Kamal is also said to have learnt the art of ventriloquism to portray his character perfectly. The movie keeps you guessing right till the very end and every guess you make ends up being wrong ! Along with Aval Apadithan, this movie portrays the acting brilliance of Rajni Kant. He outperforms Kamal and even overshadows him in almost every scene.

4.Thaneer Thanner
A movie about deprivation, greed and corruption. Also subtly mocks the system in failing to protect the weak!!  Arguably one of the best female performances in Tamil cinema by Saritha. There was a copy of this movie in my college local LAN. For writing this post, I wanted to watch it again, but could not find a copy!! If some one has one, pls do share!!

5. Thilli mullu
Along with Bhama Vijayam the best comedy directed by KB!! I need not write anything, just watch this scene.

6. Varumain Niram sivappu.
KB, the director of this flick has delved deep into the problem of unemployment in the 80's period of India. Easily one of Kamal best in the early 80s late 70s. The license restrictions made unemployment further higher in the country and this story deals with a well-educated youth who is extensively ideal and does not lose his morality for mere survival. A period I have not seen, but heard stories from my dad.  There are some melodrama and cliches, but the movie ends on the right note. Pratap potan in another awesome sadist kind of a role!! Thengai Sreenivasan appears for a few incredibly funny minutes, proving that there are no small roles -- only small actors.

7. Achamillai Achamillai
Personally the least favorite of the 10. But I am including this in the list just because of Sarita. Hands down a national award winning performance. It is a moralistic tale of how politics and power can corrupt the best of men. To be honest, the latter part of the movie is a bit cliched but the first half an hour is very absorbing. Sarita, Rajesh and Delhi Ganesh throw in wonderful performances, and VS Narasimhan's melodies remain fresh even today.

8. Puthu Puthu Arthangal
A brilliant tale of search for companionship. The definition of companionship is put to true test in this movie. In the conservative India, not many directors have tested post marriage affair as beautifully as done in this movie. This film features, one of the most brilliantly written on-screen couple, Sowkar Janaki and Poornam vishwanathan!! Add to mix some soul crunching melodies from Raja, this is easily one the most underrated KB films.

9. Jathi Malli
During the time when the caste and religious clashes were reaching their peak, KB came up with a movie that hit the bulls eye in this issue.  

10. Vaname Ellai
 My favorite KB movie - the last of the master pieces directed by him. Its the story of a group of 5 youngsters, frustrated by the filth around them, decide to commit suicide in 100 days. But they want to spend the last 100 days to the fullest. It was kind of a first time in tamil cinema,  the 5 protagonists, 3 men and 2 women live together without any romance brewing in between.  Even if released today it will not be out of place/space. KB has always been a "dheergadarsi". This movie subtly passes on the message of hope. I would watch it over again and again and definitely one of the path breaking movies of Tamil Cinema. Sadly this movie was overshadowed by a couple of other movies released around the same time. "Anamalai and Roja". And oddly all the three movies were produced by KB. 

There are many more movies, that did not make it to my list. I have watched almost all the tamil movies KB has been associated with, and definitely leaving out movies like Manmatha leelai, 3 mudhichu, Unnal mudiyum tambi, poova thalaya has been pretty difficult. 

KB would be definitely living as long as Tamil cinema exists. But how can I finish writing a tribute without this photo??? Hats off Mr. KB!! Its also an honour for me to write my 100th post as a tribute to KB :).

KB with two of his favorite prodigies!!

Vishwaroopam Review

Vishwaroopam - One of the best tamil action movies

The wish of any creator would be to have a wider audience (Inspite of what my blog title says). The creator would be satisfied when those audience understand his work. But a creator's true triumph lies when his work creates a multitude of interpretations with his audience, sometimes a few which he/she never envisioned personally. Now kamalhasan has achieved that ultimate success as a creator and that very success is the biggest stumbling block for the economic success of his work. Coming back to the actual work, I leave it to the audience to decide if it deserves the opposition its getting.  The movie as such is a stylish action entertainer that is taut with a few really touching moments and a few logical loopholes. But what takes it to a higher level than most of the movies releasing in India is the very obvious touch of the genius Kamal Hasan.

Coming back to the story (Will keep it to the bare minimum), its about a classical dance teacher Vishwanathan alias wiz and his adulterous nuclear oncologist wife Dr . Nirupama.  Its a marriage of convenience for the two, and is on the rocks because of Deepak, Nirupama's Boss.  Viz has his own little league of friends in Ashmita (Andreya), his Kathak student, his uncle (Sekar Kapur) and a British guy named Dawkins. There is Omar (brilliant Rahul Bose) along with Salim, who are the chief antagonists of the movie who want to blow up the entire of New York. Simply put, it is the Cat and Mouse game between Viz and Omar and how one outplays the other. More than the cat and mouse game it is the characterization of the two main characters that keeps the viewers glued to the movie. 

Coming to the performances, Rahul Bose as the chief antagonist is simply brilliant. He is not a typical  villain one finds in any international movie. He is as much humane as any of us. His crooked stance, his interaction with his family, his non-vociferous yet impactful speeches and commands, he really made the role his own. Another brilliant antagonist in a kamal movie following Devar Magan, Kuruthi punal and the most recent virumaandi. Look out for the scene where he cries like a baby after his family's death, but in no time goes out to stop a fight brewing between two of his subordinates. Also the scene where he warns the guy against teaching his son English. Non-Gory yet brilliant.  Kamal, the actor is on the top of his game. As a kathak dancer he blows over all of us. His eyes, mannerisms and dialogue delivery are top notch. But in the second half he looks a bit tired and loses a bit of spark like Kamal the director. Another character that shines is that of Omar's brother Salim. 

Director Kamal overpowers almost everyone in the movie in the first half that is filled with subtle moments.  Watch  out for the scene where kamal plays two youngsters on a swing. I dont think there has been a better representation of the importance of education in Indian cinema. Lack of melodrama is another high point of the first half. Technically the movie is the best to come out of indian cinema. There are lots of blanks in the story telling that leaves it to the viewers' imagination. Cinematography is simply brilliant. Special mention should go to the action choreography. Please watch out for the action sequences, which is possibly one of the best in indian cinema.  The action scenes can be named the anti-mimick of "Tamil Padam". I would watch the first action scene a zillion times and still be blown over by the artistry. Shankar-Eshaan-Loy's music is adequate. 

What brings down the quality of the movie is the second half. Since the movie banked more on the characters and not on the twists in the story line, the second half fizzles out a bit. And there are a few logical loopholes that mares the proceedings. Another drawback is the improper characterization of the smaller roles. None of the smaller characters stand out. Nazar has been wasted in an insignificant role.  Dr . Nirupama's characterization looks caricatured, but not as irritable as asin of dasavatharam. You hardly notice the presence of Andreya. 

So does it deserve to get banned in TN? Absolutely not. Does it show muslims in a poor light? Only those that live in a fantasy world. "Fantasy, abandoned by reason, produces impossible monsters" is what he tries to say. If people are uncomfortable with that, then I am not sure, if I belong to a secular country. Its a must watch for every Tamil Cinema fan.

P.S I watched it in Netherlands!!

Barfi - A Review

Barfi - Poetry on Screen

A trailer that gets the people buzzing is always wonderful, but  if the movie fails to live up to the expectations, then its a bigger disappointment. But this is an exception. The movie was better than the trailer. A simple story said in an absorbing manner with a delightful mix of romance, comedy and emotions is a perfect "cocktail". By the time some of you might read this review you would have heard great things about the movie and I can vouch that all of it is true.

The movie tells the story of Barfi (Ranbir kapoor), a deaf and dumb happy go lucky charmer,  from Darjeeling. Set mostly in Darjeeling and Kolkata, his story is narrated by his acquaintances. Named after the his mom's favorite Murphy radio, his name gets transformed to Barfi. He has the knack of being chirpy even in the most serious of situations. And his happiness is epidemic!! We audience, like the rest of the characters, are the gleeful victims. Entering his life is the gorgeous but engaged Shruthi (Illeana), whom he falls for instantly. She is also charmed and falls for him slowly. Their interaction scenes are a delight to watch. But reality strikes and she ends up with the more affluent Ranjeet ( Jishnu Senguptha) leaving Barfi broken.

Then there is Jilmill (Priyanka Chopra), a childhood friend of Barfi, who is mentally challenged and seen as an embarrassment even by her own parents. A twist in the fate makes Barfi kidnap Jilmill and spend more than intended time with her. Jilmill is a complex grown up child who is in awe with Barfi and he also slowly but surely realises that he has been second time lucky in finding love. They move to Kolkata and start afresh. In the mean time they are continuously pursued by a police officer (The brilliant Saurab Shukla).  Another twist in fate, Sruthi enters their life as Mrs Senguptha. What follows is the story of bitter sweet relationship of the three and how this turns their life upside down.

The caste is wonderful starting from the irresistible Ranbir Kapoor. His off screen persona could be under question, but on onscreen he is an absolute delight to watch. With this performance he has left most of his contemporaries trailing in his wake. Then Illeana as Sruthi has given an adequate performance. Her transformation of Shruthi to Mrs Senguptha to Post - Mrs Senguptha (But why should liberated women end up as social workers?? - its getting cliched) is truly wonderful. Just like Mrs.Senguptha Illeana's acting matures throughout the movie. Its a complex character and Illeana does justice to that role. Hopefully bollywood has got its new Dream Girl. Now coming to the actual screen stealer - Priyanka chopra. This has to go down as one of the best performances ever seen in Bollywood and possibly Indian Cinema. One has to watch the movie to really appreciate the beauty of the portrayal of Jillmil. You can run out of superlatives. But Jillmil will stay in your heart for a long time. The supporting cast is wonderful lead by Saurab shukla. Special  mention should also go to person playing Jillmil's caretaker. The ensemble of able actors have delivered a masterful performance.

Anurag Basu comes back after souless Kites with a wonderful story. The attention to the details is absolutely wonderful. Like Barfi learning words (so that i guess a predominantly righthanded ranbir made to write in left), the dyslectic 'B' taught to him by Jillmil, the trams of darjeeling and many more. This is a story that made me think a lot while viewing. This is something of a rarity in Hindi movie where everything  happening on the screen is blared out atleast twice. That leads to the next point that should be applauded. The dialogues for this movie would be as long as this review. Such a strong impression without dialogues is first of a kind in Hindi cinema. The scenes involving Jillmil and Barfi in the second half were shot without a word spoken and viewers are captivated. Pritam comes up with a BGM that stirs our soul. Cinematography capturing Darjeeling is a feast to our eyes. Technically, this movie must be up with the best.

On the downside the first half drags a bit towards intermission, the tortuous chronology of events tests viewers' patience as well as shoddy make up for the characters in their oldage is an eyesore. Also few scenes have the influence of Notebook and Charlie chaplin comedies. These minor irritants are plastered by a wonderful end product on screen. Its a story about inherent goodness of the people in a utopia envisioned by Anurag. After watching the movie many of us will fall in love with falling in love. But lets not carried away as we are not the Ranbirs and illeanas and we dont have puppeteer like anurag making us that charismatic. Like any good poetry just enjoy this journey w/o too many questions and you are sure to get your moneys worth.

The pianist - A review

For a long time I was under impression that cinema is a medium that makes us happy and that just entertains. This was untill I watched a movie called Varumain Neeram Sivappu . After watching that master piece, My outlook towards cinema has transformed. An art form where a creator has the license to present a motley of emotions to novice viewers to experience his inner most fears and absolute bliss, cinema is a powerful tool indeed. Unlike books this has a profound impact in a very short time. Reading a novel gives you a completely different experience than watching a scene unfold on the screen. When used intelligently cinema can disturb you, lingering long after you have finished viewing. Such a wonderful tale that is powerful enough move even a solid rock is a masterpiece called "The pianist". The protagonist in the movie, one incredible Mr.Władysław Szpilman is neither a man of celestial brawn nor cognitive ability. He is an average human being living an average life who was forced to through an extraordinary ordeal for no fault of his.

Before watching it for the first time I was under the impression that is going a movie about an altruistic surperhuman who made a telling contribution in saving several lives or something melodramatic about the supreme sacrifices during the the Warsaw uprising against the Germans like many of the movies about holocaust. But how wrong I was. I went through a journey that can be hardly put into words. The pianist is a man whom we can relate to. We share his insecurities, fear, patriotism, and almost every other feeling.

Directed by Roman Polanski, it describes the life of a Jewish pianist from 1939 to 1945. As viewer you coast along with him who has been reduced to fight for his most basic of the needs - the right to be alive. Germany gains control over Poland in 1939. The Germans start the ethnic cleansing against the jews gradually. The pace at which the dread of the situation creeps into the people is brilliant. Hopeful of seeing light at the end Szpilman and his family try to remain calm most of the time. The Germans slowly instill dread into the polish and Warsaw is made a living hell for the Jews around. The pace at which their life deteriorates is insane to say the least. Arguably from 15 to 50 min in the movie is the most depressing I have ever seen. Its definitely not for the faint hearted. You as a viewer actually live with the protagonist for those 35 minutes and see your family drift out of the face of the earth for ever. Getting back to the story, Szpilman luckily evades the extermination camp, ends up in a german construction site. He volunteers in an uprising against the Germans and he helps in smuggling arms. Almost getting caught at one point, he escapes during the uprising. Long story short, the rest is the tale of his survival.

Adrien Brody as the pianist who is motivated by the most primal of the need - to sustain and survive, gives an incredibly moving performance. He got a deserved oscar for this portrayal. Brody captures the character's desperation, his anger and grief, his willpower and perseverance, his passion and love of music. In latter part of the movie you can really understand why human beings are called "Social animals". The director gives us the chance to know his shock and disbelief, his ordeal and tragedy, his hope to be alive at the end. The actors who play his family are apt and realistic. The haunting background score and the brilliant use of silence as a means to convey expressions, escalates the film viewing and makes the audience become part of the struggle. I was watching this movie alone and suddenly I wanted to be around my friends and family. I was very thankful that I live in a free society. India got independence on 15th August 1947. I have not been more grateful for that.

Special mention should go to the Director of the movie Roman Polanski. The fact that he was a survivor of the holocaust makes it more personal for him. And he does a brilliant job. At no point the movie is melodramatic or instils patriotism. In no place he takes a stand. He just depects the facts and accurate facts. He brings in a compelling aura into the narration. And deservedly both Polanski and Brody won Oscar for this work. Towards the end the Russian soldiers almost kill szpilman because he was wearing a German overcoat. Where quizzed being polish why he was wearing that, he just replies "I am cold". Simply Brilliant. For 150 minutes I was spellbound and finished off with a heavy heart. Arguably one of the best movies ever made. Try it out for sure If have not watched it already.

Tamil Cinema - underrated movies that I will watch again and again

I am Tamil movie buff. I started watching tamil movies from the age of 5. Over the years I have graduated myself to watching national and international movies. But still as a person who started his with tamil cinema, kollywood is very close to my heart. I am at present bit disappointed that last few years the quality has gone down. Nevertheless this is a pyre that can never ebb and will hopefully get better and new directors will try out different genres beyond commercial masalas and mindless romcoms. Now I will list out a few movies that I have enjoyed a lot, but have not got much recognition in terms of commercial success. I am not sure about the critical success as I never used to read Friday reviews till my 10th/11th grade.


Vaaname Ellai

The last of the master pieces directed by the greatest creator tamil cinema has ever seen, KB-the phenomenon. Unfortunately by the time I became mature enough to enjoy and appreciate the legend, he was past his best. But this was a movie of very high quality that has been hardly matched. Its the story of a group of 5 youngsters frustrated, decide to commit suicide in 100 days. They decide to spend the last 100 days to the fullest. The beauty of movie was that of the 5 youngsters - 3 men and 2 women. It was kind of a first time in tamil cinema. More than that the entire movie is a masterclass. Even if released today it will not be out of place/space. KB has always been a "dheergadarsi". And this movie subtly passes on the message of hope. I would watch it over again and again and definitely one of the path breaking movies of Tamil Cinema. Sadly this movie was overshadowed by a couple of other movies released around the same time. "Anamalai and Roja". And oddly all the three movies were produced by KB.

Kuruthi punal
Initially I wanted to write a separate post for underrated kamal movies. But i couldnt resist myself from including a few. This was the first of pure action cop movies. The rappo between kamal and Action king arjun was simply awesome. The plot was so compelling and it never had a dull moment. But its fate was decided by another blockbuster "Muthu" which released at the same time. Rajnikanth scoring over Kamal has been the trend in the recent years. Nasser deserves a special mention as well. As a disgusting villain he surely tests ur nerves. A very nice movie for any weekend.

Kaikodukum kai
Yes its a Rajni kanth movie. And yes this is the only Rajni movie that can make to this list. Thalaivar was at his handsome best in this one. Accompanying him portraying the role of a blind Damsel in distress was my all time favorite actress Revathi. Raja sir music was scintillating. Thanzhampoo is the most popular of the songs. This was the last flop for Superstar before BABA. It had a controversial ending and audience did not accept it.

Uruvam
Most of the horror movies in Tamil are hilarious. But this one is an exception. I was seriously surprised to see an IMDB page for this movie and fans appreciating it. Its a Mohan film and worth watching if you are a fan this genre.

Ponnyin Selvan
A Radha Mohan film. It stars Ravi krishna and Gopika. Its a simple feel good movie. It was a big dud at the box office. Radha Mohan's only flop till date. It has some nice songs. Vennila my favourite.

Kannukul Nilavu
I have been a vijay fan for a good 13 years now. This is one of my favourite!! Vijay Shalini Combo simply rocked and Illayraja's music was first class.Vijay as a mentally de-raged youth steals the show. His scenes with Raghuvaran are a treat!! Thalaivasal Vijay as the villian impresses. On the whole a very nice movie. But when ppl talk about vijay's acting skills, they forget that he was part of this Fazil master piece.

Other movies worth mentioning
1) Meera
2) Kalabha Kaadhalan
3) Desiya Geetham
4) Thalolam
5) Guna

There could be many more movies, that I would have missed. Pls do share a list of yours if you have one!!

Nagesh - The Comedian and more.

In this blog I have written my tributes to the greats of tamil cinema, Sivaji Ganesan and Illayraja. Third in the series is the tribute to one of my favorite actors of all time.

Last year when one Nagesh, the comedian par excellence died, I was not mourning, rather a comedy of his came to mind and I was smiling. This is the charisma of the legendary comedian. He is one of the actors I have seen in person. I saw him in a GURUPOOJA (for going to Sabarimala temple) in chennai. He was humility personified. Ironically The Great Kamal Hasan Reciprocated my thoughts saying,
"The greatness of the man is that even as we are mourning his passing away and crying, you are reminded of some 'Nagesh joke,' which will make you laugh instantly. The only photograph I have in my office is that of him and me. I am such a huge fan."
In spite of having a very crappy personal life, his on screen exploits left the audiences in splits. Mostly self taught, his inspiration was the American actor, Jerry lewis. But most of his quirks were borrowed from daily life instances. The famous climax of the movie "Server sundaram" was inspired by his real life. His biggest regret is that he could not meet his mother in her death bed. The scene in the movie in which as an actor he completes the scene knowing that his mother had died melts the hearts of millions even today.



He was born in Tumkur, Karnataka. Chasing his dream, he came to chennai. There he stayed in a one-room bed-sit at West Mambalam with lyricist Vaali and actor Srikanth. He found a small time job in the Railways and this was not sufficient to keep himself and to feed him three meals a day. He used to work in dramas and also in films in small roles. He got a big break in a Balaji film. But it was director K. Balachandar who gave a turning point in Nagesh's career. He believed that an actor can learn from watching life and it's characters. He often sat in his car in busy roadsides and watched the people on the streets to grasp the mannerisms of people that he would later reproduce on screen.His career spanned several decades, across successive generations of heroes and directors. While there is no doubt about his contribution to comedy, his fans recall his ability to play serious roles evocatively, as in Neer Kumuzhi and Ethir Neechal.



He was widely respected by his contemporaries. Mehmood, once introduced Ngesh to his friends and said ' This is Nagesh the man responsible for my existence as an actor. Everything i know i have learn t it from him' He is close friends with Actors Kamal, Cho Ramaswamy and Manorama (THough after a small difference of opinion they stopped acting together). Nagesh is very well known for his dancing skills. But few know that when he entered the tamil cinema is hardly knew anything about dancing. Choreographer Sundaram once recalled how Nagesh turned from a no dancer to a good dancer in just one movie (Server Sundaram) through his determination and hard work.

No one can portray a character with Inferiority Complex like him. Most of the Comedian actors always make fun of others, or delivering uncouth dialogues, but Nagesh never chose to do that. In his latter years, he portrayed character roles with aplomb. His roles in "Nammavar", "Devar magan", "vassol Raja" proved his worth as an character artist. Eventually his chronic drinking and smoking habits led to his Death. He had notable personal feuds with MGR and "achi" Manoramma.

Sadly he was never recognised with awards by either the state nor central governments. Government should at least posthumously award him a Dada Saheb Palke award and a Padma Shri. Thanks Nagesh Sir for giving us Years of Happiness through your unforgettable roles. What Kannadasan said will fit you perfectly 'nee niranadharamanavan azhivadhillai, endha nilaiyilum unaaku maranamillai'. As expected I will finish this article with a smile in my face.

Thillalangadi - Movie Review

I am a movie buff. I love watching movies that are entertaining at the same makes you think a little bit. So when I entered this movie, my expectations were almost zilch. The track record of the most original copy-cats (The brothers Raja- Ravi's 5ht remake from gult flicks.) of tamil cinema has been simply awesome. They are yet to taste sour grapes. The movies they selected for remakes have also been very sensible. But for once they have erred. This is an inspired scene to scene remake of the telugu movie "kick" by Ravi teja. This movie is devoid of all the basic logic. Normally, Raja is very careful about the remakes he chooses for Ravi, as he knows his brother’s pluses and minuses, like the back of his hand. However this is the weakest film of the brothers to date.

Story is as dumb as a person with an IQ of 30. A guy and girl meet in the train to discuss abt their possible nuptial bond. They talk abt their life. (Possibly the dumbest ever dialogues you could ever hear in a movie.) They as usual tlk aout the same person. For nisha (Tammanna ) he was an eccentric lover who broke her heart. And for Krishna kumar (Poor Shaam ) its a con man whom he is not able to catch not becas shaam is incompetent or Krishana (Jayam Ravi ) is ET, its because our protagonist is hero and the writer wanted him to win :P. They decide to marry each other.

And as usual our super hero ends up in Malaysia, where the crap had been happening. And this hero is the nth portrayal of Robin hood, n tending to infinity wins back his gal and finally ends up being a cop. U are confused. U are sure to be. To be entirely honest, we don’t quite understand what the film was trying to say in the first place. Is the hero justified by his activities for the simple reason that he does it for the kick of it? Ok, you want to establish the hero as a Robin Hood who robs from rich politicians and help poor children in need of medical attention. Nothing wrong in it, but make it a little more convincing. The humour is ordinary, and the climax heist that the hero attempts is the most embarrassing one you can remember in recent times.

There is a huge cast in this movie. and the only person who makes this watchable is Mansoor ali khan as the inspector. His sequences are truely hilarious. Vadivelu is at his irritating best, while poor santhanam and shaam have no clue what they are doing!. Ravi has tried hard. But every time he says kick, u feel that he deserves a hard punch right in his nose. Tammana with every passing film has opted to reduce the surface area of her dress. At this rate she would be a baywatch star by her 30th film. Other than being eye candy she is useless. Also for three hours it tests ur patience.

But on the positive side the comedy is good in the first half. Not sure why stalwarts like Prabu and suhasini accepted to do their roles. But I do have a feeling, whether this movie can be treated a spoof movie? If so its a better spoof than "Tamil Padam" . Songs are Terrible. Length is a yawning 3 hours. Man its a movie I would rate as 1/5 just for mansoor ali khan.

An Ode Of Respect to the mastreo

There was a time when I never listened to any sort of music. Every time I watched a movie and a song came, I invariably used to change channels. I somehow never understood the need of songs. I went to music class for 5 years. They say if you are trained in something at a very young age, you master it. But even the most trivial of the adages have exceptions and I sure was one. I went to music classes only to enjoy the play after classes. Testimony to that was I was still in Varnam ( something similar to II level in learning the carnatic music to which people graduate in about 8 months :P) after 5 years of torturing 2 different music teachers. So what made a Gyanasuniam (devoid of a scent of talent) a good listener. There was this song from the film jhonny. "En Vaniley" a beautiful song of a genre I dont know, but with such soulful music , coupled with a soulful voice of Jency (she sang only ard 20 songs),made me listen to a full song in a movie for the first time.U can also listen it here. And it was a different sensation all together. An experience that all of us have gone through and I, for the first time :).

It was composed by my all time favorite composer, the ascetic Illayraja. I wanted to write about him for a long time. I was actually afraid that whatever I write would never befit a man of such herculean persona and musical talent. I can never appreciate the nuances of his musical brilliance. But I had to write whatever I felt about him. Every known emotion to me is associated with a raaja song. It has been just a previlage to be his fan. One of the best things to come out of his music is that I started enjoying my solitude. Leave me to my raaja collection and I can live through worst of times with ease.  For me raaja is just synonyms with music and emotions.

 He is one of the few who comes from a back ground that is different from music. He hails from a family of communists. Once in an interview, SPB had told about how he and illayraja had struggled in their formative years. Like any other musician of his era, he was overshadowed by the shear brilliance of his contemporary MS Vishwanathan, another legendary composer. But instead of waiting for his big breaks, he used his time to to learn about music. He studied western music in the Madras Music college. He also worked as assistant to many music directors through out India. He got his big break courtesy the producer Panchu Arunachalam. And as they say the rest is history.

So what is different in illayraaja that makes him unique? His humility. His dedication to work.  For composing music to any movie, he makes sure that he listens to the entire plot before composing. Another brilliant aspect of his music is the importance he gives to the lyrics. His combo with lyricist vaali is electric. Its sad that nowadays there are very few nowadays who give importance to lyrics. For those who are interested how the combo works, you can listen to a track in "Oru naan oru kanavu" on how the duo came up with the composition and lyrics for the song, "Kaartril varum geetham". Another testimony of the importance he gives to lyrics is the movie "Bommu Kutti Ammavuku". "Uyire Uyirin" song from that movie could compared with the very best of international music. Another one is "kalyana malai" from "puthuthu puthu arthangal". And the list is quite a huge one.

Yes he does have his own negatives. Like sticking to a small group singers, Not venturing out of his comfort zone and doing many solo albums etc. Like many others he has also copied a few songs. Like "kanavu kanum vazkai" was from "Kasme vaade pyar" or the famous "Neer Veezhchi Thee Mootudhae" is used multiple number of times over 10 yrs. Also the Mouna Ragam BGM is inspired from "love theme" by Georgio Moroder.

He is a very private person who rarely interacts with the media. He has admitted that he was an atheist to begin with later to become a staunch believer in his latter years. In one of his recent interviews, he was quizzed what thinks about the new trend of songs that are being dished out! His retorted back saying that if he feels that the new trend is bad and not good, his mind is obsolete and he has no right to compete. His admiration of MSV is well documented. Here is an extract from the Hindu, on the evening when MSV was honored. I cam across a very rare interview of illayraja with the frontline that I am sharing. What ever I write would never suffice a complete testimony. But for me he is someone who made me a good music listener and opened up a whole new world for me to cherish. The Debates like MSV vs Illayraja, Illayraaja vs ARR are all futile and all are great composers. We are lucky to have been contemporaries to them.

Sivaji Ganesan - The colossus of Tamil Cinema

Having seen the Tamil conference being conducted, I want to write my thoughts about the person who made the best impression on me about tamil. With out any doubt he has the best dialogue delivery among all the actors I have seen. Prob Morgan Free man will come close. He is my father's favorite actor and was one the main reason I was attracted to cinema. His portrayal of 9 different characters in Navarathri was some thing special. I have grown up seeing many of his movies. Its none other than Legend Siavji Ganesan.

I am most careful when I mention "the best actor in Tamil film". Though it would be Sivaji in my book, I can't decide for anyone else who it was, or will ever be. Fans are torn between the realistic portrayal of Kamal and his peers, and Sivaji and performers at the time of his peak. There are those who dismiss the stage-like exaggerated performance so abundant in Tamil cinema before the eighties, while there are just as many (probably more) who revere it. The latter will appreciate Sivaji (unless they are still two bickering blocks, another being the backers of MGR), while the former are quite in unity (some grudgingly so) in admitting about Kamal Hassan's superior performance.

There used to be a time when Sivaji's name was associated with overacting. Here was his reaction to it:

"What is acting? It means doing something that is not natural. So then where is the question of overacting? When your mother dies, what do you do? You shout Amma and cry, don't you? Your instant reaction is to cry out loud. Not sit quietly covering your eyes with your hands. That's exactly what I do in my films."

Overacting has been one thing that the legend of Tamil cinema has been often accused of. Even you might have heard such a thing from someone or might have even thought so yourself. It is not really surprising that many of today’s youngsters and those accustomed to new age cinema find Sivaji Ganesan as one who went overboard with his expressions. It is a classical example of the generation gap, the present not being able to digest or accept what was considered great in the past. There can be no two opinions about the fact that Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan is a legend. But there are many who see chinks in that legacy. I believe it is a case of not being able to understand the great man and the times that he was part of.

Coming from a theater background (he acquired the title Sivaji from theater), expressing in a very pronounced manner came naturally to him. Being subtle was not the flavor of those days and if you watch cinema of the early Sivaji era, you will see that what many call overacting now was the norm in those days. Cinema had not evolved enough to accommodate subtle expressions.

The greatness of Sivaji Ganesan comes to light when we look at the range of roles that he has done in his career and the range of styles that he adopted in each of his movies. Not many actors of our times have shown the courage that he has. To do a full fledged hateful negative role while you are still a leading hero takes a lot of confidence and Sivaji Ganesan showed that in Andha Naal. Actors of our times have shown a liking to the negative role, but not the totally despicable type. Even if they have, they have also chosen to have the security of playing a double role with one character being a do-gooder. Andha Naal had Sivaji Ganesan as a completely unscrupulous person who would not even stop short of treason to make money. His detractors (though few and oblivious of his greatness) should take a look at this performance. They also should take a look at Uthama Puthiran where one can see upon close observation, a striking similarity to Rajnikanth’s famous brisk walk.

And if any of you still doubt whether the great man was overdoing it, then take a look at some of his films in the 90s. Cinema had evolved and he had understood the change. His performance in Thevar Magan must count as one of the finest in Tamil cinema, please go back and see the scene where he and Kamal Haasan talk in the courtyard, discussing about the hotel that Kamal proposes to build in the city. Such performances can come only from an actor of brilliance of the highest order, only a true genius can adjust to changing times and Sivaji Ganesan was one. Kamal Had stated With out Sivaji it would have been just Magan and not Devar Magan.

Once the famous journalist and cartoonist Madan was asked, ‘Who is the better actor, Marlon Brando or Sivaji Ganesan?’ He said, ‘Marlon Brando is an actor who delivers to perfection what the director asks of him but Sivaji Ganesan used to do more than just that, he used to analyze and add to the character and performance. So, Sivaji is greater.' Do we need to say more? Another interesting fact is that in a survey conducted long back it was found that Sivaji Ganesan had a greater female fan following than the great M.G.R. Not because he always did emotional family subjects, but because they liked his style. If anyone still feels that the great man did more than what was required of him, then they are in the clutches of ignorance. Perceptions change with time. What was right then need not necessarily be right now and what we celebrate as acts of genius today may be ridiculed upon tomorrow. Wonder how youngsters thirty years from now will react to the patent star mannerisms, intro songs and one liners that we enjoy so much at present. The greatness of Sivaji Ganesan must never be subject to scrutiny. Seldom do men like him grace the screen.