Raavan- Movie Review

Do we judge the qualities of our lives and that of our own self with a contrast as simple as black and white, good or bad? That is what Mani Ratnam had tried to bring out with his densely shot 'Raavan'. It took Mani and his team a grueling three years to complete this flick, which says alot about the kind of effort it took to shoot the movie in the dense forests of Madya Pradesh.

First of all, Raavan is one of those movies that can't be compared with Mani's previous works. Some may claim it is not on par with his other movies, while some may claim it is as good as any. Admittedly Mani's best movie to date, Iruvar, had a similar response during its initial release before it picked up steam and played to the gallery of classics around a decade later. Raavan might fall in the same mould- few years from now, it'll be seen as a classic.

Mani seems to cut loose whatever is left of the thin veil of ropes that tied him from fully expressing his ideas in his previous movies, and he executes Raavan with a newfound freedom- thus pushing the envelope further as far as the qualities of his own movies go. We all saw what happened when Mani went bold in Iruvar- the movie collapsed on a commercial structure, and like someone who failed in a first real jump, Mani was very subtle in the movies that he made after 'Iruvar', and it took him some time to attempt something with complete boldness again- and by some time I mean 13 years. Because it's only in Raavan that he rediscovers that touch.

Even Iruvar wasn't a perfect movie, but it was classic- so much to the extent that even the unanswered grey aspects of the movie, the hanging threads, and the flaws have come to be accepted to be part of what makes the movie even greater- and Raavan's imperfections might work the same way, they will dissolve as time passes by- and the movie will be accepted as one to be remembered for a long time to come.

To begin with the story- Beera (Abhishek) is another one of Mani's Nayakan moulded character. A man who stands firmly at the wrong side of the law, but not necessarily at the wrong side of life on a larger scale. He is at logger heads with Dev (Vikram), a ruthless local policemen who is hell bent in killing Beera, and thus erasing the image of a lawbreaker ruling the roosts in the rustic rural area of Lal Maati. Once Dev and his fellow policemen contribute heavily to the ill-fated death of Jamuniya (Priyamani)- Beera's stepsister, Beera goes out for revenge. He savages few of Dev's colleagues, and abducts Ragini (Aishwarya Rai), Dev's apple of the eye. Beera vows to kill Ragini within 14 hours of abduction to avenge for his sister, but when Ragini's lack of fear strikes him like a bolt of thunder, Beera retracts from the stance and instead keeps her alive- an act that would set a motion of unprecedented events and upturn of emotions leading to an emotional and poetic climax.

Abhishek Bachchan without doubt is Mani's personal favorite, and Beera was tailor made for him. He plays the character with such effervescence that his facial expressions alone are sufficient to deliver the kind of emotional turmoil he goes through when he starts falling in love with Ragini. He gives a weak look full of love at one glimpse of his vulnerable moment, and at the very next, he returns to his sadistic smile that is his trademark. He comes across as a good-hearted character who shouts out loud to the world that he is indeed a ten-headed Raavan, and a devil in order to hide his own soft side. You start by despising Beera's madness, slowly get intrigued by the layers of emotions he has within himself, and you start adoring him towards the end of the movie. On another day and at the hands of a lesser actor, the character Beera can easily come across as just being a pure psycho, but Abhi prevents that with great deliverance. Every little detail of his performance is polished put exceptionally, so much so that when he finally strings together a dialogue to express himself, no matter how short or incomplete, you'd know what he was actually saying. This is Abhi's best career performance to date, and betters even Guru in many aspects.

Aishwarya Rai never lost an ounce of elegance even after all those years, she looks genuinely charming even in the scenes where she is thrashing about in torn clothes with dirt smearing all over her body. And her performance is no less elegant as well. She stands out well in the plethora of visually poetic scenes between Abhi and her, and yet she stands her ground, and makes the duel and the battle of eyes even more interesting. She is convincing in the latter half when she is torn by her blossoming care for Raavan and also her existing love for Dev, as the two men seem to be heading on a collision course- she struggles to differentiate black and white anymore, which is what the film is all about. In short, Mani tells us the story through Ash's bewildered eyes- the entire darkness and gray shades about it.

Vikram is convincing as the ruthless policeman, and also manages to bring out well the demonic obsession that consumes him towards the end of the movie, when he was killing people at the snap of a finger just to get Beera. His need to get Beera weighs over his need to find Ragini, the kind of obsession not associated with a typified 'good guy'. As Raavan shows love and care for the woman, Dev shows more thirst for blood that tends to be justified by his khaki uniform. The gray shades of Dev were so effortlessly brought forward by the National-award winner.

Priyamani leaves a lasting impact despite her brief appearance, and manages to evoke sympathy for her ill-fated character- a good cameo to get herself introduced in Bollywood. Govinda is underutilized, but manages to evoke humor in the eariler scenes that he was part of- as the story focused more on Beera's side of things.

Technically the film is too good, in one word. Santosh Sivan returns to wield the camera for the larger part of the movie, for the first time since 'Dil Se', and his camerawork is simply mindblowing, not to take any credit away from V.Mani Kandan, who was also the joint cinematographer. The denseness of the jungle, and the depth of the river are simple natural settings, but the way the shots are composed makes this one of the most, if not the most visually poetic movie ever made in Indian cinema. Scenes between Abhi and Ash especially deserve special mention- the shots used for the song 'Behene De' steals your breath away. Mani stays true to his common principles of using natural lights for his films and it is evident again in Raavan.

Kudos should go to every member of the production team for executing the film with such a natural look in such a difficult location- every actor is made to work and go through genuine physical barriers to enact their roles, as it is evident in the movie.

AR Rahman's music as usual carries the film forward almost single handedly at times. There is a variation of music for every different setting, for every different mood, and what tops it all is ARR's own slow humming song 'Uduja' that is used heavily during the climax, bringing out the exact emotional content of the moments.

'Thok De Killi', 'Khilli Re' and 'Kata Kata' carry Mani's usual trademark of songs being executed exceptionally well, as the choreography of all three songs captivates a great deal.

Mani excels in writing the couple of plot twists in the lead up to the climax, and perhaps his biggest achievement would be that despite the plot twist, he doesn't lose the core emotional content that sets the film running. Mani may have not written the dialogues himself, but staying true to his trademark of minimal dialogue usage, the dialogues are great whenever delivered, especially around the climax and the emotional scenes between Ash and Abhi. Vijay Krishna Acharya lost so much credibility after his Tashan flopped that he was sacked from Yash Raj Productions, but with his dialogues for Raavan alone, has attained himself from credibility again, as it looks like he is still Mani's trusted ally in that particular department.

All in all, Raavan has its flaws and unfinished threads- but it is by no means a cumbersome movie- in fact it is a classic for that very reason- the film ends like an open ended question, a question that reverts back to the audiences, to pick up the pieces and find the Ram and Raavan within their own selfs as they makes their way home. Some might say this movie is not for everyone- it is in fact for everyone. But some might find it hard to stomach or dismiss it. But give it sometime and it'll grow back on you.

Mani Ratnam is a gem for the Indian film industry. And with a great deal of help from his actors and technical team, he proves that once again with Raavan.

A couple of cheers and now the wait begins for the next Mani Ratnam film. :)

Rating: 9/10

p.s.- don't listen to the critics. They don't make movies. Mani Ratnam does.

Taran Ardash, please humbly quit reviewing movies.

Raavanan- Music Review

Mani Ratnam and AR Rahman are probably two names that the industry most desperately want to see come together- there is never a bad time for both of them to come up with an album on all respects. The music of Raavan was already creating ripples in the Bollywood arena, now it is time for ARR-Mani to grace Kollywood for the first time in almost six years (let’s discount a dubbed version of Guru out of the way).

Though it turns out hard enough to judge one version over the other, the Tamil, for one, doesn’t come across as even remotely inferior to the Hindi version- probably a repeat of the 2004 scenario, when the music of Aayitha Ezhuttu were more at home compared to the Hindi Yuva. More at home? That seems to be the case with at least few of the songs, while others seem to have fitted the Hindi version better.

Veera Veera (Vijay Prakash, Keerthi Sagathia)

The opening song of the album which has already become a catchy sensation in Bollywood, Veera retains the same tune, beat and length. The lyrics are uncharacteristic of a Mani movie for a start, probably a clear indication that the number was composed originally for the Hindi version. A change of singers was made clearly to fit a more southern environment, and lyrics which exude reference to Ram and Raavan makes it intriguing nevertheless, even though words such as ‘Veera’, ‘Sura’, and ‘Kala’ seems a little over the top. A good number but not great.

Usure Pogudhey (Karthik)

Forums and listeners were full of ‘Behene De’ when it came out last week, many comparing it to the same breath as ‘Satrangi Re’ from ‘Dil Se’. Usure Pogudhey meanwhile seems to go even a notch higher than the already famous and highly appreciated Behene De. This has the potential to be another sparkling song to add to Karthik’s CV, which he sings with such panache that all the infusing passion is almost tangible. Vairamuthu’s lyrics are spot on, bringing out a distinct rural feel about them (which is where the movie is set). Karthik alone carries the song on his shoulders and his modulation and timely stressing at certain stanzas and certain words makes this one of the quality compositions to have come out from the Rahman stable in recent times. Two thumbs up.

Kodu Potta (Benny Dayal)

Though ‘Thok de Killi’ sounded decent in the Hindi version, it got monotonous after some time with Sukhwinder Singh’s singing keeping the song with the same tone variation throughout. However, with Rahman’s own favorite Benny Dayal crooning here, Kodu Potta sounds more unique and pleasant. Once again, lyrics that represent a rustic rural environment prevail and even the tune seems to have been tailor-made to suit a southern environment. Combined with synthesized Arabian sounds, Kodu Potta is a good number.

Kaatu Sirrukki (Shankar Mahadevan, Anuradha Sriram)

Talk about using the same tone and composing a number which would fit a rural Bollywood setting and also a rural southern setting, no one does it better than Rahman. Ranjha Ranjha was an instant hit when it came out last week, and although Kaatu Sirrukki takes a little longer to grow on you, it eventually strikes a chord and looks every bit like a hit that will stay there for an awfully long time. Look out for Anuradha Sriram’s unique voice modulation at different parts of the song, singing again under ARR after such a long absence from his albums. Shankar Mahadevan infuses more life to the song than Javed Ali did to the Hindi version, proving once again that his experience definitely counts for something. Another quality composition. Whether it will become an instant market hit remains to be seen, but any music enthusiast would never deny that this is one composition off the top shelf.

Kalvare (Shreya Ghosal)

The lone classical number of the album, that should immediately appeal to those who love to listen to such classical, almost pure compositions. Rahman opted for Shreya Ghosal for the Tamil version and she seems to be able to bring out more emotions and more variation here than the Hindi version ‘Khilli Re’.

Keedaikari (Benny Dayal, Tanvi, Reyhana)

Just like in ‘Kaatu Sirrukki’, ARR tweaks masterfully to make ‘Kedaikarri’ sound just as southern, original and catchy as the Hindi version ‘Kata Kata’. Understandably, Bollywood wedding songs have the tendency to run at a higher tempo and for that very reason, the Hindi version sounded extremely catchy. Should the same tempo retained in the Tamil version, it might have looked a little out of the place, but ARR’s tweaks works the song wonderfully, sounding as refreshing as ‘Kummi Adi’ from ‘Jillendru Oru Kadhal’.

All in all, AR Rahman and Mnai Ratnam have definitely not disappointed, with the Tamil version of the Raavan album not sounding even an inch like it is a translated version of Raavan in Hindi, but instead sounding just as fresh and infusing as the Hindi version sounded, and even in certain parts, better and more variated, and ultimately sounding more like at home. Maybe because this is home. Mani Ratnam’s home. And also Rahman’s. And no composition elsewhere can better the ones they are able to produce in Tamil (for an original film that is).

Sai Thaman- young and vibrant

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.

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.

Deciphering The Thousandth Man

It is no secret that the current talk that is presiding over the tinsel town is definitely Selva Raghavan’s Aayirathil Oruvan. While many have given their take on the movie, and much has been said, written, praised and criticized about it, I feel the necessity to conjuncture my own views and understanding that I have derived in the film. This purpose of this article is mainly to aid viewers who might have missed out or may have had trouble comprehending some parts of the film; and to help them appreciate what I personally think is a landmark achievement in Tamil cinema.

My friends have mainly directed plenty of questions as to what they believe to be loose ends that exist in the film, and though all my answers may not be accurate, I do have a faint idea about all the ropes that ties the movie together, so here are my two cents.

1. The Cholans are NOT zombies.

This is like a popular myth that has been spreading among many who watched the movie in their first viewing, assuming that the Cholans in the film are zombies who had somehow defied logic and stayed alive for 800 years. The Cholans have extracted themselves to the isolated island back in 1279 pending invasion to their hometown of Tanjoor. But they are not the same generation. In a normal human cycle, they have gone through the regular cycle of life and death for many generations, hiding themselves in the caves. The only person who has remained alive all these years is the saint, who is the protector of the entire dynasty, protector of the King and the prince, who, in turn, are protectors of the people. Thus, they are not zombies.

2. Why then, are they so dark?

The reason is simple. The Cholans have lived their entire life in the caves, without any exposure to sunlight or rain. Plus, all of them are shown to be thin and barbaric because they are suffering from malnutrition. One scene where the woman touches Andrea’s breasts while she tried to converse to Parthiban shows the result of malnutrition- The Cholan women could not produce milk and only blood will flow from their breasts.

3. Why did they abandon the Cholan city which is so nearby and live in caves? Why they refuse to return to the city at least, when it is so near, and still protected by their curses?

As one can see, the archeologists pass by two monumental ruins before the caves. First is a grey stone ruin where they are attacked by snakes, and the second a more recent ruins of a city where they are struck by the madness curse. As history in the film reads, The Pandyas never gave up in their efforts to trace down the Cholas. Thus, the first ruin that they pass through is where the Cholans lived in the island when they arrived there first, but upon discovery by Pandyas, they retreat further to that deserted city, and place extra curses in the path. If one could remember the seven obstacles mentioned in the story, the quicksand by theory is the seventh and final obstacle. Thus the madness curse is possibly an eighth. Thus the seven obstacles are what the knowledge of previous pursuers have told; with no-one discovering that they have abandoned the small city, placed another curse upon it and retreated into the caves; which must have happened much more recently, possibly only one or two generations ago.

And they are not seeking to return to the ruins of the old city within the island itself, they are waiting for a messenger to come and guide them back to their original hometown of Tanjoor, which is where they extracted themselves from in the first place.

4. How did Reema Sen make the tiger symbol appear and disappear?

As Reema narrates her flashback and intentions, one could easily notice the part where she mentions she is thought how to use her body well. This is not only about the art of seduction, but also the art of black magic. The Pandyas are aware of the Cholan prophecy, and believe that the Cholan people will only come out from hiding if their prophecy is proved true. Thus, Reema uses this knowledge to deceive the Cholans.

5. What is with Karthik miraculously killing the attacker at the battle coliseum?

As one could observe in the film, Karthik simply refuses to die on many occasions. When a Red Indian comes close to killing him, his uncle sacrifices his life for him. When Reema shoots him after their confrontation in the forest, the loaded gun doesn’t release a bullet. When Reema does shoot him with a bullet during the madness curse, he still doesn’t die despite the bleeding. In the coliseum scene, the saint, who is now bedridden, telepathically transfers his powers to Karthik, having identified him as the genuine messenger. The powers enables Karthik to judge the movement of the chain ball, and also see all the audiences as mere skeletons (an allegory that people who take pleasure in watching a game of blood are mere skeletons), and thus enables him to easily evade distraction and concentrate on judging his opponent’s movements. It is Karthik’s destiny to be the messenger and he simply refuses to die.

6. Why Reema Sen refuses to let Karthik leave?

Well, this is the fishy part. Is Reema aware that he is the original messenger? Is she trying to get rid of him in some way? This parts are unexplained much but they remain fishy. A second viewing might enlighten some on this.

On an overall note, it is important to add that it is hard to find a Tamil movie in the vicinity that makes us think so much and ask for a second viewing. That being said however, some of our audiences might term the film as being obscure or badly made rather than appraising its effort and intelligence. AO is an important step forward for Tamil cinema; however, this effort will only reach global shores if we, the audiences and consumers of this industry, give it its due credit.

A Kamal Life

A few days ago, as I was watching Kamal Hassan’s 50 years in cinema commemoration event; Mamootty was giving a simple and straightforward speech about the man himself- stating that if so many people can praise and humble themselves in front of him, the sole reason that he is an actor, an artist of great caliber doesn’t justify all the praise Kamal gets, but instead, Kamal must have been a ‘great human being also’ in order to justify all that people shower on him.

I have read in various spaces how people constantly have waxed lyrical about Kamal’ s achievements and his credo that has taken him to great heights, and how his attempts influences and induces courage in some, and admiration in others. But how many of us had really given any kind of credit to Kamal Hassan for the man that he is, the person that he is?

It takes a very brave man, especially in an easily vindictive society like ours; it does take a very brave man to carve out his life entirely based on his ideologies. And that man was Kamal Hassan. One a many wouldn’t prefer to go to those areas which they consider ‘grey’ about him and discuss about it at any length, but I am more than happy to do so- and praise him with it as well. And the reason I had already stated above- it takes a very bold person to base his life upon his ideologies.

Kamal’s biggest point of controversy, as has been pointed out all these years- is that he was an atheist. First of all, let us acknowledge that fact that none of us, lest you or me, are aware of the entire truth as to what life breaks down to and what it is all about. All of us are travelers searching for that same faraway answer, and those hints we get, we keep them in our knapsack. Some of us have more hints (knowledge) than the others, but none, I can heartily and boldly state, knows the whole truth of it. Some find their calling and their purpose within the realms of religion, and Kamal finds his (as per his own words) in the society itself. There is nothing wrong in embracing those than you can see and attain a spiritual viewpoint based on that point itself. For the record, I’m not an atheist. But I will give all the credit in the world to Kamal for his ideas and his stronghold of them. I always say it takes a very strong person to be completely spiritual in a religious realm and also to be an ideological atheist. The former is because it takes a great man to be humble, non-assertive and completely submit himself to the powers that be above him. My friend once remarked to me that religion is a foundation and which we can fall upon, usually in times when life seems to be out of our control. All of us face hardships in life, but it does take a great man to discard that foundation so early in his life. What would that man fall back on? To entirely keep faith all by himself- that quality is as admirable as any.

His ideologies are universally adaptable- you can tell them to a Christian, a Muslim, A Hindu, and a Buddhist and it would ring true every time- Love is God. I have seen plenty of people who know perfectly well how to love God, but are the worst when it comes to loving those around them. Love each other- that credo is the same in every single religion in this world, and Kamal lives beyond the confinement that keeps us separated from each other with sensitive barriers. If everyone takes that credo and believes Love is God, will there be any terrorists left in the world? Will there be Any soul that would wield a knife and stab someone without being wretched by guilt for what he has done?

Some like to point to his family life as an indication of his imperfection- but which of us are perfect? The path Kamal has threaded was a path that he wants depending only on his passion and his ideologies. It wasn’t a familiar path- in fact I might say, he alone took up that road and travelled in it. He is bound to have made mistakes along the way- and lest I assert that he has paid the price and faced the consequences of his own mistakes. I have visited layman houses in India and find they do not think highly of that man just because he was married twice and at one stage of his life;was having children out of wedlock. But still for the young generation that would like to travel that same path, his journey is marked before us, so that we know what mistakes we could avoid to reach his heights. Normally we point at a loser and say- ‘Look, don’t do what he did, and you’ll be fine’. And yet today, we stare with such glaring amazement at the pinnacle of a mountain- despite stumbling, and being discredited along the way, he still conquered that mountain, and he has left for us the indication on what mistakes we could avoid, so that our journey is a much smoother one.

There is a saying in English- Success is measured by how much others measure their success using you as a yardstick. Kamal Hassan has given a very expensive value to success indeed, and me, and many other who adore him, use him as a yardstick to measure ourselves.

A great person is someone who manages to inspire and teach one of his students; but what do you call Kamal when he inspired me and many other (among my friends), whom he had never seen or heard about in his life? The mark of his legacy lives on us, for we acknowledge that flawed human that he was, and the great pains he took to improve himself and come out of that rut and proceed to his destination. And we know that even if Kamal has already conquered that mountain; he is already setting off to conquer another, and we shall continue behind him. Whichever path we may take when our calling comes, we do not know, but lest assured a piece of him will live on in those paths.

What have I expressed here is my personal testimonial of Kamal Hassan. Some may have assumed that I am a wannabe actor, but lest you are wrong. I am only a wannabe director, and a novelist, but nevertheless in terms dedication to the profession you are involved in, and as the complete artist that he is, he is still my idol. As Vivek so rightly asks in his poem of Kamal- ‘Is there any department that you do not know?’

I apologize beforehand if I had offended anyone with my views, but nevertheless I felt the necessity to express my views. And I take my leave with another one of Kamal’s credo- ‘No pain, no gain’.

That, in as simplest as four words could do, sums up Kamal Hassan- the person, the legend, the actor and everything else.

Dillema of a Kill

There seems to be a new trend that has been haunting Indian cinema nowadays, the dilemma of killing characters. My cousin sister hardly ever watches Tamil films- having it in her genes maybe to criticize everything about Tamil films (even Vaaranam Aayiram failed to impress her), so I was surprised when I found out that she was pretty hooked to Venilla Kabadi Kuzhu when she had watched it last year. However, when she discussed the ending, she threw me a bewildered look, and I couldn’t find any explanation as to why the director deemed the best way to end the story is by killing the main character. Venilla Kabadi Kuzhu is just a mere drop in the sea as far as killing characters in Tamil films goes in recent years. What exactly started off that trend, I am not exactly sure of- it should be either Paruthi Veeran or Subramaniapuram. Blood and gore or nativity has been the only two subjects ruling the roosts for all the successful Tamil films for the past two years or so (I’m excluding typical commercial fares i.e Ayan out of the equation). Probably only Eeram, Vaaranam Aayiram and Unaipol Oruvan could be classified as good hits which didn’t have blood, gore, and nativity as their subjects. And it seems whenever such subjects are being discussed, even at a mile’s radius, a sound conclusion is reached that someone at the fulcrum of the story has to die at the end, or something violent should happen.

These films seem to give a false idea that violence is very much part of the Tamil Nadu lifestyle. I am still fresh off my trip to India, and I have seen plenty other stories that can be told rather than beating around the same bush again and again. It is a cruel world out there, people die. This line describes what ‘good’ movies out there is doing nowadays, and to add to that- they simply coat it as reality. Kill someone, and chop, you have realism. Show blood, you have realism. As much as movies do have to be realistic, one does watch movies to induce hope as well. Paruthi Veeran wasn’t a movie glorifying violence, but rather a movie that depicted so accurately the consequences of violence. But that same motivation doesn’t exist behind all the other movies being relased after that, they are good works, but they seem to thread a very misleading formula. Firstly, you should never have a formula to make a good movie.

The greatest recent example would be Delhi 6, where the whole story judgement seem to balance itself on why the main character wasn’t killed at the end of the movie. Killing Roshan doesn’t make Delhi 6 a masterpiece, neither does keeping him alive makes it a disaster. Killing someone alone doesn’t elevate a work to masterpiece status. The biggest concern for me in this aspect is that once again, Tamil producers are showing an unnering tendency to make a ‘formula’ out of everything. If we already have formulas for commercial Tamil films, now even movies trying to be different have a formula about them as well. So much so that Yogi came across as being such a predictable movie in my eyes, and also demotivated me from watching Renigunta. I do not deny that this reality exists, but you can’t point to one end and claim that it is ‘the reality’. Reality is not something you can ever achieve as a whole in making films- films are afterall, works of fiction. You need reality in films because you would want the audience to relate to your story, but at the same time, he film must be able to send out a message, a useful message to the audience. Watching Paruthi Veeran, according to what I read, made a Madurai goon change his ways after realizing the consequences of his actions. Now that is what movies should achieve. These others movies do not do the same. Fairytales are no crime, a bit of fairytale is needed if you want to seed hope in the eyes of those who are watching.

This trend is not only unhealthy, but it is dangerous to entire psychology of viewers and also makers. If you see a youth slashing someone else and claiming he did it because they do it in the movies as well, then do not be surprised.

There seems to be an universally accepted pessimism when movies like this are being churned out. It all boils down to the same Slumdog Millionaire argument maybe- movies are making a pornography of poverty in India. What we are seeing here is a pornography of violence and knife-wielding goons, cold men with a thirst for blood. Do not mistake me, I did not support India’s attack on Slumdog Millionaire. But Tamil films seem to unable to shake off the rust and move on. The coin on the table is not being turned over, it simply remains there, with only one side of it being exposed. I’m not saying no to movies like Subramaniapuram or Yogi, but it would be nice if these movies come out in occasional intervals in line with movies such Unaipol etc. Why do we have to wait so long to get an Unaipol Oruvan while movies like Yogi are coming thick and fast? Isn’t there a serious lack of balance here?

Everything that I had said here varies from different spaces of arguments, it’s difficult to piece them altogether and single out a main argument. But I guess my question at the end of the day would be simple- why so much pessimism? Why is pessimism becoming realism?

Let’s show us some light at the end of the tunnel. We all know there are plenty of dark tunnels, but there is some light at the end of it as well.

Let’s go for Oli, not Irul.

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya- Music Review

Here we go. A start to the new year with an album by AR Rahman, that too for a film that has romance written all over it. It has been almost two full years since ARR last composed for a Tamil movie (we can take the abysmal Sakarakatti out of the equation), and this would the first album in Tamil for Rahman since his Oscar triumph last summer. The music has created such expectations that a drafted version of ‘Hosana’ which leaked out on the net itself became such a big hit among enthusiastic downloaders. Vinnai…will witness ARR’s first collaboration with established director Gautham Menon, who is coming on the back of a ‘divorce’ with Harris Jeyaraj, but also riding high on the success of Vaaranam Aayiram. However, Gautham fans expecting a Minnale-like album with instant chartbusters are in for a shock, and so do typical music listeners expecting catchy numbers. This album might remind one of Kangalal Kaidhu Sei, an album that took a long time for the listeners to wind up to and appreciate its quality. Similarly, ARR has threaded and daringly experimented with new feels for his songs once again with this album. The whole album creates a very different environment. It’s not just about one or two songs taking you someplace else, but in this case, almost the whole album does. It’s soothing, unspectacular, and needs to be appreciated by an ear for great music.

Omana Penne

Benny Dayal, Kalyani Menon

Sets the tone for the whole album. A simple, soothing love number laced with Malayalam lyrics in the middle. ARR clearly experiments in the middle stanzas, and mixes beats with carnatic and classical beats. Benny Dayal is a favorite of Rahman for such songs, and he delivers the goods with panache, especiall in the middle stanzas. Reminds me alot of Behka from Ghajini, another unique Rahman number sung by Karthik, but only difference is that Omanna Penne is even better than Behka. Benny is in top form, and ARR assures that the music and the tempo remains at a soothing level thoughout with minimal beats.

Anbil Avan

Devan Ekambaram,Chinmayi

Reminds one about Azhagiya Tamizh Magan songs. No, this not folk village beat, but a fusion that is hard to classify. Lyrics suggest this is a wedding song, and just like how you can’t classify Yaaro Yarodi from Alaipauthey or Kummi Adi from Jillendru Oru Kadhal, this song threads on the same path. Unconventional beats all over, but the end result is nevertheless catchy. Might take some time to grow, but won’t take long for you to appreciate this number. The choice of singers is expectionally good. Devan and Chinmayi both excel. Very Good.

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya

Karthik

Listen and close your eyes. Appreciate. Lyrics are almost non-existent, but Karthik is in wonderful form. The minimal instrument usage is the mark of a maestro. A pure blues number by ARR. Creates a great environment all through. Don’t expect this to be catchy, but this is pure upliftment. Music is simply brilliant. One would only wish there is a instrumental number using this tune. Brilliant. Pure ARR. His own league.

Hosana

Vijay Prakash, Suzzane, Blaaze

If you are already in love with the drafted Hosana, then you will fall head over heels with this. A striking improvement when Rahman tones down the song to fit the tempo with the rest of the album, additional orchestra and strings work wonders for it further. Vijay Prakash steals this song from the offing, and Suzzane and Blaaze both do admirable jobs. Will be in the charts for an awfully long time to come. Pick of the album.

Kannukul Kannai

Naresh Iyer

A fusion again. It looks like it will be hard to categorize ever song in this album, Kanukkul Kannai borders the closest to western sounds in the whole album. Music is catchy. Naresh Iyer is such an unique choice to sing a song like this. But ARR is no newcomer to experimentation isn’t he? And Naresh justifies the selection as well. A favorite of Rahman’s, he sings with panache and adds an extra appeal to the fairly appealing song.

Manipaaya

Shreya Ghosal, AR Rahman

Look at the two singers’ name. Arguably the sweetest young female voice nowadays, and one of the most soothing male voices in a single song. A class composition. Creates a great environment. Lyrics by Thamarai are great as well, the melody astounding. Credit should go to ARR for not overdoing the tempo and maintaining it to complement with the entire album. Soothing-ness at its best. Shreya is simply wonderful, her sweet voice giving goosebumps all over. ARR provides adequate support as usual.

Aaromalae

Alphonse

A full Malayalam number filled with guitar strings. And guess what, its brilliant. Great work by ARR on the instrumentation and the environment again. Every single sound is paid attention to, just an epitome of how a good a composer he is. Alphonse’s voice fits the bill perfectly. Brilliant.

All in all, you can’t ask for a better gift from AR Rahman to start 2010, that is if you are genuine ARR fan, you ‘d appreciate everything about this album that makes it work to the T.I do not know much about the masses, but I loved it. Hosana will definitely ruled the charts though.

****1/2. (Two Thumbs Up)

My Name Is Khan- Music Review

Shahrukh. Kajol. Karan Johar. These three names are enough to raise humongous expectations of a film. Four years after failing to juggle commercialism and radicalism without dropping balls and making a near mess out of it, Karan Johar is returning to the megaphone with My Name is Khan. Everything about this film typifies with Karan’s earlier films- Shahrukh and Kajol, the classic KKHH and KKKG pair teaming up again under his direction, and for the fourth time in a row, the writer Karan has set his story on the backdrop of America. It is worthy to note that even though his previous films were often light-

hearted, Karan showed that he is not afraid to tackle sensitive subjects as he did last time around with KANK. And even at parts in the film, Karan’s execution and handling of the subject showed glimpses of great talent, but trying to make the film another one of his romantic fairytales backfired completely. MNIK takes over where KANK left off- once again, Karan is trying to break the mould that he is only good at ‘Rahul’ melodramas, and create a more versatile image of himself. If the music is anything to go by, then the signs are good. But if you are a typical Bollywood song listener who wants another series of Rock n Roll Soniye, then you might want to change your expectations. Because this time, Karan doesn’t give in to commercialism- there are no Mahives and Pretty Womans or Where’s The Party Tonight. There is only pure, simple, quality music.

Sajda

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ric

ha Sharma, Shankar Mahadevan

Well, that’s the way to start an album. You may have never heard anything like this in a Karan Johar film before- a slow, soothing, enchanting number with heavy Sufi touches makes this a must-hear for hardcore music lovers. Rahat who has been in fine form of late does a great job and Shankar as usual provides adequate cover. A great song to start the year with.

Noor-E-Khuda

Adnan Sami, Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Ghosal

If you listen to Indian music often enough, you’d know that Adnan Sami is not accustomed to singing songs like this one, but he stands out like a shining light, overshadowing Shankar for most of the part, and Shreay as usual is at her effective best. The percussion and keyboard arrangements are the beginning are brilliant, and in so may ways, this song is similar in terms of class and delivery with Khwab Jo from London Dreams, also composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. I couldn’t pick one over the other, but given the fact that these song has three stanzas and mixes classical and synthetically, this one has to take the cherry. Very Good.

Tere Naina

Shafqat Amanat Ali

Similar to Sajda, another soothing, enchanting number about love, only this time, it is heavier with Sufi and ghazal, making it almost a hardcore ghazal number. Listen to it a couple of times and you’ll be hooked for sure. The opening interlude for 18 seconds is a great piece of orchestra and music, and praise has to go to Shankar and co. for that little piece of composition itself. The entire atmosphere and aura of the song takes you someplace else entirely- could go down as one of the best quality composition of the year. Mind it, the year has just started. Pick of the album.

Allah Hi Rahem

Rashid Khan

Khwaja Mere Khwaja. Arziyan. Going on the similar lines is this qawwali devotional mix, and with this song, the fabulous array of talent the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio posses comes forth. If you are an intent music listener, you’d appreciate this, beyond religious boundaries. Class.

Rang De

Shankar Mahadevan

Completely different from everything else in the album. If I am not mistaken, it will probably take place after the climax or during the end credits. A simple, uplifting, meaningful number about peace, and Shankar does his regular bit by rendering with panache for this song. It sort of completes the versatility of the album.

The album concludes with a theme music number, which is an intriguing piece.

A solid start to the year, expect more great stuff from the trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Coming on the back of two solid albums in Wake Up Sid, and London Dreams, MNIK will continue SEL’s good form. As for Karan, the signs are that he has opted for only quality this time, and the results on the screen might be encouraging. And given the fact SRK is just as good an actor as he is a superstar, one can be assured that he has given his all playing an autistic character, and thus there are plenty of reasons for one to watch MNIK. At least I will.

Rating: ***1/2