Let's admit it. Tamil cinema has had a fervent obsession in finding the next AR Rahman, at least for the last half decade. As if ARR's days in the industry are ever numbered, every flower that sprouted in the music arena in Kollywood has been tagged as the next big thing, and then settled into certain commonplace spheres. The best examples would be the sound rise of Yuvan Shankar Raja before he settled in becoming a composer on his own right, and also of ARR's own nephew GV Prakash, who has shown glimpses of brilliance so far. I am not excluded from the list of criminals who took some albums of young composers wanting to hear a next Rahman, only to half-meet expectations, the other measured by how far that composer has fared from Rahman's standards.
Thankfully, that trend has laid to a rest now (the Oscar and the Grammy probably made many realize gems like Rahman comes once in a lifetime and you don't simply find replacements in the nick of a finger). Before anyone reading this assumes it, I'm not on this to blabber about a next Rahman, but simply a composer who is showing much promise, and in my views, deserves greater opportunities to deliver on the large frame.
Ever remember the sexually mischievous plump boy who probably became the reason why many household parents (including mine) deem that Boys isn't a film appropriate for watching? Yes, that very boy is whom I am talking about- Sai Thaman. A product of the Shankar camp, he quickly faded after Boys, and has come back in a different avatar- that of a music composer.
He debuted last in year in Shankar's own home production- the subtle thriller 'Eeram' which featured much fresh, non-celebrity faces in the lead roles. Thaman's work was received with such accolades that grapevines had it that Kamal Hassan considered him to compose for his 'Yaavarum Kelir' (now re-titled as Karunyam)-- and I was probably the most dissapointed soul around when the Karunyam team, in an act that resembled false promise- went for typical instant churner Devi Sri Prasad instead. Not that DSP is a bad choice, but stars with big attractions ala Kamal are the ones who can really expose a slew of young musical talents in the offing for Kollywood. I'm not talking about Devi Sri Prasad or Srikanth Deva, or anyone in that melee, who attained fame with the fast-paced compositions. What about the composers who come in with striking quality compositions- melodious, heartfelt, yet your heart ache when you know they are not getting the attention they deserve for the supreme quality of their work. Given their age, people like Thaman show great promise, and even if they are not born gems- given the right opportunity, they can be honed into gems.
In a thriller like 'Eeram' where there was very minimal usage of music or songs for that matter, Thaman's 'Mazhaye Mazhaye' stood out as a musical statement for the entire film. The striking matter of this song is not only that its pleasing to the ear- but it really does bring the resemblance of rain/water when you listen to it. You can come almost feel the mist descending upon you, that's the aura and atmosphere that the song created, so fitting with the tone and the theme of the entire film. (He did do exceptional background score for the film as well).
And now you have 'Mudhinam Paartheney'. Of course, you might not even have heard of this film, but kudos to Thaman for staying off the music frame long enough, and comitting to a project like MDP. The film, made by a newcomer director with newcomers on the cover, has been receiving rave reviews since its release, and probably demonstrates Thaman's ability to choose films that can express his musical vistas. Again, the pity of the moment is that you probably have not heard MDP's songs- as they are not even aired on the radio channels frequently enough to attain the kind of exposure that it deserves. Instead, 'dappankuttu' or hardcore songs from low-budget, nonsensical, brainless movies get aired in order to beef popularity for that hopeless reel of 2 hours made without an ounce of creativity.
'Indre Indre' probably is the best melody of the year, second only to ARR's magical 'Hosanna' from VTV. The song is so soothing it left me cursing when I knew the length is just short of four minutes- too short for a song that leaves you asking for more. In fact, every song in MDP leaves a distinct variety about it- even though all of them are love songs, but Thaman brings out a different atmosphere with each of them- and all of them seemingly made to fit the narration- not one of them sound like they need to be taken out to Switzerland and be shot with lavish picturization. It's an art by itself to be able to convey the story and the theme of the film through its songs yet ensuring the songs remain catchy and pleasing to the ears. Every song in MDP conveys the urban romantic drama laced with realism that it is- and I could feel this even without watching a single motion of the film's promos to date.
'Manadhin Adiyil' is a combination of an urban journeyman song laced with classical fusion, another mark of Thaman's clear eye for creativity. The theme song reveals to us that Thaman sounds just like ARR. Does that tell us something? No, it doesn't. For once, let ARR be ARR, and Sai Thaman be Sai Thaman.
But it's time Kollywood grabs a blossoming young composer, and adorns him with opportunities of the highest to showcase his talents- not by composing mass-masala numbers for money-spinning heroes- but composing for fresh, off-the-trend films which still features big stars and big banners. Doing the former would only rust the apparent creativity Thaman has in himself. He'd do good to stamp his own forte before moving to mass-masala films where he would be allowed to experiment as he wishes to and bring different sounds without having to be rigid.
For once, I'm not hyping Sai Thaman's ability up. He has a long way to go. But he has made a textbook start to his career, and he needs to get noticed now. Let's hope that happens. Kollywood isn't hyping him up, which relieves great burden off his shoulders for once.
For a prospective career ahead.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya- Movie Review
One a many had expected that Vinaaithandi.. would be Gautham's throwback days to Minnale, a winding up, feel good film with plenty of entertainment on offer, that doesn't take itself too seriously. But VTV definitely isn't a revisit of any kind towards Minnale, nor a throwback- Gautham tries to push another envelope forward in terms of his own accomplishments as a film-maker.
VTV, for the most part, is a films that resembles life in a poignant, unspectacular fashion. It's simple, not done with any over-the-top elements, extracts enaction of characters rather than performances. Gautham knows his characters like the back of his skin, and that translates onto the screen- he knows the story like the back of his skin, he knows what exactly he feels about the wafer-thin story, and tries to make the audience feel and experience the very same at the end of the movie. And he does succeed to a great extent.
The story, as mentioned, is wafer-thin. Yet without resorting to typical commercial fares to somehow pump excitement to a seemingly non-existent story, Gautham tries to appreciate the very subtleness and the thin story, and pay tribute to the tiny details of relationships, romance and love. The result would translate for some as slow and tedious, and for many as being nostalgic.
The story is not contained with good, bad archetypes of characters, that is so often portrayed as such in Tamil cinema; every character is adversely human. The male lead as someone who, despite his love and conviction, appears unable to force a happy ending to his see-saw love episode, the female lead as someone who is torn between loyalties, and tries to do what she thinks is the best for everybody- even the parents who fiercely oppose the relationship appear only as individuals is a cluster of pre-set notions and requirements that wouldn't be broken down with consummate ease. It's just the story about two individuals whose relationship did not work.
The film demonstrates quite effectively the complications that ensue through relationships, the psychological and mental delusion that follows when problems and fierce opposition starts knocking the door. It is a knock-down on the fairytale ingredient that we are so accustomed to seeing in Tamil cinema over the years- and thus, a fresh change.
Simbhu's performance is an acutely measured performance. Every minute detail is taken care of in his portrayal. Gautham ensured that his performance doesn't border on exaggeration- he behaves exactly the way a man at that young age, torn between a burgeoning desire to attain a woman he loves and his own career aspiration- would behave. Most of the sadness and pain taken intro stride within the character without any verbal expression, Simbhu fits the character, or its more fair to say the character was tailor made for him.
Trisha, though convincing at most parts, could have improvised more on her performance in comparison to the occasional stoic expression that is etched on her face.
VTV does fall at some places, with some scenes inducing a wonder as to whether the pace of the story will change anytime soon, and so on. With one too many songs crammed in the first half, that is another aspect that Gautham could have avoided. Manoj Paramahamsa's camerawork is a delight, as he captures the scenes in Kerala with consummate delight, while AR Rahman's fresh combination with Gautham results in a livelier and more varied BGM work, which can only get better with more films.
VTV, for the most part, is a films that resembles life in a poignant, unspectacular fashion. It's simple, not done with any over-the-top elements, extracts enaction of characters rather than performances. Gautham knows his characters like the back of his skin, and that translates onto the screen- he knows the story like the back of his skin, he knows what exactly he feels about the wafer-thin story, and tries to make the audience feel and experience the very same at the end of the movie. And he does succeed to a great extent.
The story, as mentioned, is wafer-thin. Yet without resorting to typical commercial fares to somehow pump excitement to a seemingly non-existent story, Gautham tries to appreciate the very subtleness and the thin story, and pay tribute to the tiny details of relationships, romance and love. The result would translate for some as slow and tedious, and for many as being nostalgic.
The story is not contained with good, bad archetypes of characters, that is so often portrayed as such in Tamil cinema; every character is adversely human. The male lead as someone who, despite his love and conviction, appears unable to force a happy ending to his see-saw love episode, the female lead as someone who is torn between loyalties, and tries to do what she thinks is the best for everybody- even the parents who fiercely oppose the relationship appear only as individuals is a cluster of pre-set notions and requirements that wouldn't be broken down with consummate ease. It's just the story about two individuals whose relationship did not work.
The film demonstrates quite effectively the complications that ensue through relationships, the psychological and mental delusion that follows when problems and fierce opposition starts knocking the door. It is a knock-down on the fairytale ingredient that we are so accustomed to seeing in Tamil cinema over the years- and thus, a fresh change.
Simbhu's performance is an acutely measured performance. Every minute detail is taken care of in his portrayal. Gautham ensured that his performance doesn't border on exaggeration- he behaves exactly the way a man at that young age, torn between a burgeoning desire to attain a woman he loves and his own career aspiration- would behave. Most of the sadness and pain taken intro stride within the character without any verbal expression, Simbhu fits the character, or its more fair to say the character was tailor made for him.
Trisha, though convincing at most parts, could have improvised more on her performance in comparison to the occasional stoic expression that is etched on her face.
VTV does fall at some places, with some scenes inducing a wonder as to whether the pace of the story will change anytime soon, and so on. With one too many songs crammed in the first half, that is another aspect that Gautham could have avoided. Manoj Paramahamsa's camerawork is a delight, as he captures the scenes in Kerala with consummate delight, while AR Rahman's fresh combination with Gautham results in a livelier and more varied BGM work, which can only get better with more films.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Eternal Ray of the Blossoming Minds
Love? Yes, that is important, but the warrior went about his ride, telling himself along the way that finding a princess who would understand his burning desires and passion to conquer uncharted mountains and beyond would be an arduous task. If he had set in a sole journey to find her, it would distract him from the quest of conquering mountains.
So he went about, perceiving that love will just not come anytime soon. But life throws you surprises, in a way that you could never expect. By chance, traveling through the zillions of cybernetic data s that get sent and received everyday, the warrior found a woman, a traveler on her own right- an amazing blend of boldness and talkativeness. He had met her before, long before his journey as a warrior started, when he was still a young prince with eons of dreams waiting to be set loose from a world of rigid education, he saw her- a little girl with a tail that crossed continents. From far he watched, smiled to himself, and continued the journey. And now he marveled, and soon realized that she was a good companion to travel with. A cordial meet turned into a burgeoning friendship. The tail has shrank, the woman blossomed, yet she retained a fierce uniqueness that had always set her apart from the many women he had witnessed in his life. He adored the qualities, and enjoyed her company.
The journey continued. Despite having the woman close by, the warrior's heart yearned for a different woman he had met not so long ago. He did not pursue, instead, allowed the journey to unfold in its own pace, but struggled as the desires of his heart held him back from reaching his dreams. He couldn't travel. The woman he had wanted was making him unable to travel. His sword rusted, his horse laid rest, the warrior seemed lost in a world where the way forward wasn't visible, where his current desire had swallowed him and destroyed the dreamer within. The unique woman had moved on- she found a suitor for herself. She was lost in her own world soon enough. She was back in her own fierce world, as the warrior drifted into a world of uncertainty.
But she did not go away. She came back occasionally, gave the warrior a helping hand, told him that he has to move on to reach his dreams. The warrior was still uncertain, but later on, circumstances allowed him to finally mount his horse once again. His sword took its own sweet time to lose its rust and shine glaringly once again. The unique woman had helped him out.
The warrior did not forget the unique woman since then. He was grateful, thankful. And later, the unique woman realized her suitor wasn't the right one. They were both back in parallel paths, and traveled together, giving each other company, not knowing what the future destination might be. The warrior did not think much. He felt great to have a companion, and used the presence of that companion to great effect. They grew closer.The unique woman had gotten cautious. She sensed the possibilities, so did the warrior. They were reaching a point in the journey where they can't just be companions anymore, instead they need to proclaim to hold each other's hands and prolong that journey together.
The unique woman took a break, she drifted away from that journey. She rested her horse, sat idle, and the warrior, bespectacled, looked upon wondering and pondering what drove her to drift away. The woman said she will be back soon. She will join him again. But the warrior had lost the passion that he had had for her company. When she did rejoin him, the distance was apparent. The warrior couldn't return to normalcy. But he did not want to journey without her, and so the distance shrank once again. Months later, the warrior and the unique woman reached the same point of no return again. This time, the warrior ceased to hesitate. He had to make the decision. He disembarked his horse, and asked for the unique woman's hand to travel with him for the rest of his journey; finding her destination along the way.
She hesitated- her fears and uncertainties clouded her, but warrior knew what his heart, and also her heart- had wanted. Rest were just waves of details, and the warrior knew that in order to reach the destination together, both of them needed to exorcise their demons. He was ready for that inner battle, and conveyed to her that he was.
And she finally dismounted and took his hand, as dawn was setting upon that one opaque day. Yet beyond that cloud, the warrior knew what the setting sun had wanted him to do, and as the last spray of light vanished from the sky, the unique woman became the first woman of his life.
The journey of the warrior and the unique woman together was already a long one. Having already overcome the bricks of difficulties and distractions, they still traveled together for more than a year, and now are set to do it for the rest of their lives, without the fear of getting too close to each other. When the desires of the heart can be conveyed to someone, the journey of life becomes all the more easier. For you know there's someone ready to hold your hand even when he or she is not near you.
When the absence of someone, can still be perceived as their very presence through your thoughts and actions at certain moments, you know magic has happened.
You know that is the love you'd been waiting for all along.
And the warrior has now made the unique woman his princess, and now is embarking on a journey where he would be able to make her the queen of the kingdom.
For my princess- Rathi Maithily :)
May you become my queen when we conquer the mountains and last forever with me.
So he went about, perceiving that love will just not come anytime soon. But life throws you surprises, in a way that you could never expect. By chance, traveling through the zillions of cybernetic data s that get sent and received everyday, the warrior found a woman, a traveler on her own right- an amazing blend of boldness and talkativeness. He had met her before, long before his journey as a warrior started, when he was still a young prince with eons of dreams waiting to be set loose from a world of rigid education, he saw her- a little girl with a tail that crossed continents. From far he watched, smiled to himself, and continued the journey. And now he marveled, and soon realized that she was a good companion to travel with. A cordial meet turned into a burgeoning friendship. The tail has shrank, the woman blossomed, yet she retained a fierce uniqueness that had always set her apart from the many women he had witnessed in his life. He adored the qualities, and enjoyed her company.
The journey continued. Despite having the woman close by, the warrior's heart yearned for a different woman he had met not so long ago. He did not pursue, instead, allowed the journey to unfold in its own pace, but struggled as the desires of his heart held him back from reaching his dreams. He couldn't travel. The woman he had wanted was making him unable to travel. His sword rusted, his horse laid rest, the warrior seemed lost in a world where the way forward wasn't visible, where his current desire had swallowed him and destroyed the dreamer within. The unique woman had moved on- she found a suitor for herself. She was lost in her own world soon enough. She was back in her own fierce world, as the warrior drifted into a world of uncertainty.
But she did not go away. She came back occasionally, gave the warrior a helping hand, told him that he has to move on to reach his dreams. The warrior was still uncertain, but later on, circumstances allowed him to finally mount his horse once again. His sword took its own sweet time to lose its rust and shine glaringly once again. The unique woman had helped him out.
The warrior did not forget the unique woman since then. He was grateful, thankful. And later, the unique woman realized her suitor wasn't the right one. They were both back in parallel paths, and traveled together, giving each other company, not knowing what the future destination might be. The warrior did not think much. He felt great to have a companion, and used the presence of that companion to great effect. They grew closer.The unique woman had gotten cautious. She sensed the possibilities, so did the warrior. They were reaching a point in the journey where they can't just be companions anymore, instead they need to proclaim to hold each other's hands and prolong that journey together.
The unique woman took a break, she drifted away from that journey. She rested her horse, sat idle, and the warrior, bespectacled, looked upon wondering and pondering what drove her to drift away. The woman said she will be back soon. She will join him again. But the warrior had lost the passion that he had had for her company. When she did rejoin him, the distance was apparent. The warrior couldn't return to normalcy. But he did not want to journey without her, and so the distance shrank once again. Months later, the warrior and the unique woman reached the same point of no return again. This time, the warrior ceased to hesitate. He had to make the decision. He disembarked his horse, and asked for the unique woman's hand to travel with him for the rest of his journey; finding her destination along the way.
She hesitated- her fears and uncertainties clouded her, but warrior knew what his heart, and also her heart- had wanted. Rest were just waves of details, and the warrior knew that in order to reach the destination together, both of them needed to exorcise their demons. He was ready for that inner battle, and conveyed to her that he was.
And she finally dismounted and took his hand, as dawn was setting upon that one opaque day. Yet beyond that cloud, the warrior knew what the setting sun had wanted him to do, and as the last spray of light vanished from the sky, the unique woman became the first woman of his life.
The journey of the warrior and the unique woman together was already a long one. Having already overcome the bricks of difficulties and distractions, they still traveled together for more than a year, and now are set to do it for the rest of their lives, without the fear of getting too close to each other. When the desires of the heart can be conveyed to someone, the journey of life becomes all the more easier. For you know there's someone ready to hold your hand even when he or she is not near you.
When the absence of someone, can still be perceived as their very presence through your thoughts and actions at certain moments, you know magic has happened.
You know that is the love you'd been waiting for all along.
And the warrior has now made the unique woman his princess, and now is embarking on a journey where he would be able to make her the queen of the kingdom.
For my princess- Rathi Maithily :)
May you become my queen when we conquer the mountains and last forever with me.
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