Jai Bala-nath

"Naan Kadavul" - words that director Bala has himself uttered through the movie. He can very well be considered the God of tamil cinema, one of the Gods atleast, speaking from a polytheistic point of view. The movie is most certainly a masterpiece, a masterpiece restrained by the Censor board. Rarely do you see an audacious movie in Tamil cinema these days, with the hero appearing on screen for less than 30 minutes and creating such an impact. Arya has been patient during the making of the movie for 3 years and rightly so. A very powerful character, needless to say.


This is not a movie for the "god-fearing", the ones who take offense in blasphemy. Because this movie is blasphemy at its very best. Movies like Anbe Sivam and Periyaar were subtle when it came to cursing God, but Bala makes no bones about it. He is so supremely confident of the movie and its theme that a line from one of the characters explicitly cursing the creator received an applause from the audience. That was heart-warming, to say the least, for a non-believer. I was for a moment dumbstruck, just as everyone in the hall must have been. If there was one thing the censor board did right, it was not blanking out those words, purely for the impact it creates.

The movie is about two elements - the mind of an Agori, and the pitiful world of disabled beggars, who are thrust into the world. The mind of an Agori is the mysterious part of the movie. The real life of an Agori is gruesome and is not for the faint-hearted. So it is justifiable that the real Agori is not shown(eating corpses), but it's questionable why even the concept is not mentioned. Is cannibalism so taboo a topic in Indian cinema? Arya had the potential to be an even more powerful character, akin to Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the lambs(where he too had a very short screen time). This is one reason why you feel the impact at the end of the movie is not all that hard-hitting as it was expected before the release. All we are shown are Arya's hysterics and his chanting of mantras. One is baffled by how such a character could exist. The answers are not provided, and even if they were provided, they would go over the head for an average viewer like me, who has neither read the Vedas nor ever had dope.

Coming to the other element of the movie, the world of poor disabled people, who are thrust into begging by a cruel underworld lord(the villain character - he's cruelly brilliant). Bala deserves to be thoroughly commended for assembling such a cast for this section. The amount of research that should have gone into the lives of these people is unfathomable. Some of the visuals are disturbing, however just like a typical Bala movie, comedy is one of the key aspects that make this movie an entertainer. Even with such pitiable characters, the only reason you would shed tears in the movie is because you're laughing so hard at the jokes they crack. One particular boy, especially steals the show. Guess he was Bala's favourite. Terrific dialogue and sense of timing throughout the movie. Pooja as the blind girl has played her part well and has even acted, but for some reason she doesn't create a lasting impact - for one, her Tamil is terrible and she just doesn't fit the image.

The music by Maestro Illayaraja jells so well with the movie. The old songs that appear in the movie(Kannai Nambadhey, Kadavul yaen kallaanan?) are also well-picked. Camerawork by Arthur Wilson is stunning. The way he has captured the scenes in Kasi and picturised the stunts adds tremendous value to the visual appeal of the movie. Talking of stunts, Super Subbarayan proves he's the genius. It is said that some of the actors were really hurt badly during the filming. No wonder Arya's attacks looked so natural.


Any movie-buff would certainly be satisfied by the cinematic and thematic elements of the movie. The movie's reach would be across all classes, and except for the comedy track, the movie can be universally understood. Comparisons with Slumdog Millionaire are natural, but unwarranted. Though this movie also talks about the life of beggars, the underlying reason for showing it in this movie is about the pointlessness of the existence of a God. "Naan Kadavul" will stand in Tamil movie history as the most daringly blasphemous movie ever made, and I have no reason to doubt our chief minister would ensure this movie bags all the awards it deserves.

Jai Bala-nath!!!

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire, as the name implies is a rags-to-riches story of a boy named Jamaal who goes from being a slumdog to becoming a millionaire through a TV show. The storyline may seem ingenuous, but the way the story is told is ingenious. We've seen many rags-to-riches stories, but this one is special in terms of its simplicity, credibility and the effect it has on the viewer. Adapted from a book, Q & A by Vikas Swarup, the movie is a joint venture by Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandon.

Most of the movie weaves between the hero sitting on the "Who wants to be a millionaire" show and flashback scenes that show his journey to the seat. It is this interweaving that makes the story engrossing in the first half. The events portrayed in the childhood of Jamaal leave a lasting impression. The life in the slums and in Mumbai in general are shown very convincingly. The child actors(The three musketeers) have done a thoroughly commendable job.

The transition from childhood to adoloscence is brilliant, with a touch of Bollywood, in the scene where the hero and his brother are pushed off a train and after rolling on the ground for a few seconds, they get up as teenagers. The teenage Jamaal is played by the kid who played Ishaan's friend Rajan in Taare Zameen Par. He does a good job in the Taj Mahal scene where he becomes a guide, yarning bizarre stories about how the Taj Mahal was built. In this phase of the film, the focus is more on how the kids evolve and what they evolve into. You see Jamaal's brother Salim becoming a gangster and Jamaal himself becoming a chaiwala in a call-centre. The screenplay lags a bit in this part and you somehow feel the pace of the movie is lost. The movie tries to convey that young Jamaal would go to any extent to get what he wants(if he could do THAT for getting the autograph of Big B, he would do anything to get the love of his life). But due to the poor chemistry between the lead couple, it's hard to really sense that feeling of love. Just that Latika(played by Freida Pinto) is the most beautiful woman in the eyes of Jamaal is not reason enough to believe in the effect of love. With better actors perhaps, better chemistry could have been created. Dev Patel fails miserably in this regard.

The "Who wants to be a millionaire" scenes are really well-made, the set being that of Kaun Banega Crorepati, and Anil Kapoor playing Big B. He does a good job pretty much in the mould of Big B. The build-up to the show and its huge following are certainly justified as one can't forget that the show did create a similar wave in India. The music is simply out of the world, which is no wonder when it is by A.R.Rahman. The background pieces add great value to the scenes, be it Latika's theme or "Paper planes" by M.I.A or even the "Ringa Ringa" in the brothel scene. A definite contender for the OST award in the Oscars. Dialogue in the movie is more Indianized naturally, but as it is a Hollywood movie and as it has to reach a global audience, most of the dialogue is in English. It is pretty irritating to see local Indians(constables and young kids) speaking in English in Mumbai and leaves you wishing all the dialogue was in Hindi(which would have been more realistic and which would have meant the movie was directed by an Indian).

That is the thought I am left with after watching the movie. The resignation that Indian movie-makers haven't reached this level of sophistication yet. Never has a simple rags-to-riches story based in India been told so effectively by an Indian director. The spirit of Mumbai conveyed so beautifully by a Hollywood movie. Though there is the contribution of an Indian co-director, the major credits go to Danny Boyle. We can certainly expect this movie to bag a few Oscars and Golden Globes.

Vaaranam Aayiram

Much-awaited Vaaranam Aayiram from Gautham Vasudev Menon turns out to be a class movie, very different from his earlier works, yet maintaining many of his trademarks. The plot revolves around the life of Surya(that's the character's name as well), his relationship with his father Krishnan(played by Surya himself). It's quite hard to see the father and son as two different entities, as young Surya is almost totally in his father's mould, character-wise. Appearance-wise, Surya has blended into the characters of different ages(from 16 to 60) quite well.

The first half of the movie is vibrant and entertaining. The first song(Mundhinam) shows the elder Surya in his youth, wooing Simran(Malini) and marrying her. "Ivlo azhagai yaarum paathurukkamaattan" seems a little too much for the aged Simran. Then the movie goes on to show the early years of Surya and how his character develops gradually. The young Surya takes inspiration from his father, who is portrayed as a true role model(the movie itself is a dedication to Vasudev Menon). The father sentiment is conveyed in the right degree, neither overplayed nor underplayed. Surya steals the show as a youngster, having toned down his body for the school and college student appearances. The romance in the first half between Surya and Meghna(Sameera) is engrossing, though not exceptional. What Madhavan did to adolescent girls through his first film, Surya is still able to do the same after 20-odd films, which is quite an achievement. Talking about Sameera, she is a lot less revealing in this movie, but does look pretty(Gautham has an extra-ordinary knack of making ordinary heroines look appealing). They say there is no comedy in the movie. I beg to disagree. What do you call it when Sameera(seeing her in a movie after Race) utters a dialogue "Exam puttukka chancey illa. I'm a university topper. 99% ku keela vaangavey maaten". This line generated the most laughter in the audience. Why, even Sameera was grinning when she said that, and Surya even more. Gautham should not think the audience is so gullible(maybe he has a fascination for ultra-intelligent girls, but things such as this add unintended humor to the movie(remember Jothika being an IIT-Madras maths graduate(Surya couldn't suppress his grin back then too)))

Returning to a serious note, Surya's acting is quite impressive in the movie, especially in the drug rehab (cold turkey) scenes. I don't remember any other Tamil movie portraying the harmful effects of drugs more effectively. Inspiration seems to be drawn from Shantaram(I could actually see the book in the background in one of the shots). Perhaps if one takes a screenshot of that still, we could find out many of his inspirations for this movie. The transition Surya undergoes in the second half(after the obvious tragedy) is interesting, something which perhaps those who have gone through such hardships would understand the most(I'm not saying I have, but the effect of the movie would be more pronounced on such people). But the impact is not all that great(not comparable to other movies like 7G, Kaadhal or Parutthi Veeran), it is lost somewhere in the plot in the second half. The movie is more like a personal diary or an autobiography(that's where the effect is lost). The screenplay could have been done a lot better. Divya's role in the second half as a gap-filler is questionable, but as it's a personal diary, we can't have any complaints.

Music, a definite plus to the movie. Harris Jeyaraj is magical when it comes to Gautham's movies. Every song is hummable. Mundhinam and Adiyae Kolludhe being my favourites. Shruthi Haasan's voice in the latter deserves special mention. The background score is also good, but not as impressive as Kaakha Kaakha or Minnale.

Overall, the movie deserves to be appreciated, not trashed as done by many of the reviews online. It may not have commercial aspects to it, but commercialism is not the only thing in cinema, and audiences should become more sensible to embrace movies such as this and elevate the quality of tamil cinema. I was happy to hear appreciative clapping from one portion of the FDFS audience at Abirami theatre, but disgusted by the voice that shouted "Padam kandippaa odaadhu" minutes before the climax. This reflects the general scene in Kollywood these days. It is that voice that is still ruling the roost, and not the claps, which are easily overshadowed, what with negative reviews from the media as well.

Batman : The Dark Knight

Nolan does it again. He's directed a movie you cannot understand fully the first time you watch it and you want to appreciate the finer aspects of the movie by watching it again and again. And when it's a Batman movie which is so complex, you know what a great job it is. IMDB no.1 within 4 days of its release is no mean feat. Though it is no true reflection of a movie's greatness, what is surprising is that with more than 140000 votes the movie's rating has become more or less stable at 9.4. Now it can simply not go below Godfather, theoretically speaking.

So is the movie really that great, after all? It sure is. No doubt. Be it late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker, or the flawless direction of Christopher Nolan, or the breathtaking visuals and action sequences, everything makes the movie a thorough entertainer. Though I haven't watched all the Batman movies, I am sure I am right when I say the movie captures the essence of Batman like no other movie prior to this has. What is most appealing is that the film resembles a regular crime movie, with the superhero element underplayed to such an extent that nothing seems unbelievable in the movie.

In the acting department, Heath Ledger stands out undoubtedly. The images of The Joker are what remain perfectly clear in your mind after watching the movie. He delivers his lines with such clarity and precision that makes his character all the more impressive. In fact, the reason one would want to watch the movie a second time would be to appreciate the finer details of the movie, apart from The Joker's portrayal. Such is the level of performance Heath Ledger has delivered. Christian Bale fits the bill perfectly and is more impressive than he was in Batman Begins. The Batman voice is a tad annoying though. Aaron Eckhart as Two-face Dent is the other important character in the film. His coin-flipping antics get a little boring(Being an Indian, one can't help wondering if Two-Face was inspired by Sholay or vice-versa) though it is one of the important concepts of the Batman comics - "The world is cruel, and the only morality in a cruel world is chance. Unbiased. Unprejudiced. Fair".

Talking about concepts, the movie also presents several issues related to philosophy/psychology, but the way they are dealt with may not be said to be really awesome or anything. There have been better attempts. However, being a Batman movie, there's less scope for it anyway. All said, it's 2 1/2 hours of pure entertainment. Though Dark Knight can't be called the best movie ever made, it certainly is and will be the best superhero movie ever made.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - as the name implies, this is a movie ideal for those guys out there who're just out of a relationship. Well even those just into a relationship would appreciate it. Not to say that happy and single guys won't have a good laugh watching the movie. I just did.

Starring Jason Segel(who has also done the writing credits), Kristen Bell as the titular character, and Mila Kunis, the movie is about the journey the hero goes through after a break-up with the leading lady and if he eventually overcomes the hangover. Humour is the highlight of the movie, but it's not one of those typical rom-coms. There is no overdose of emotion. Everything is light-hearted. The director, Nicholas Stoller deserves credit for making good use of humor in many parts of the movie. Jason Segel has a body language that suits the style of comedy very well. Russell Brand delivers a great performance as a European pop artist Aldous Snow. Some of his lines are truly hilarious for the timing with which they're delivered and the effect they produce. Mila Kunis is totally ravishing as Rachel the receptionist and will certainly make any guy forget any Sarah Marshall.

Most of the film is shot in Hawaii and this sets a light tone for the movie visually too. Parental advisory: There are quite a few explicit scenes in the movie, even full-frontal nudity. Now guys, don't jump and download the movie immediately. It is male full-frontal nudity. But its use in the movie is just in a humorous manner, which makes it acceptable. Overall, this movie's certainly recommended for anyone looking for a good laugh with one of the movies that released this year.

Dasavatharam

When a movie of this magnitude releases, and that too after a million delays, it is bound to carry along with it a lot of hype. The hype could have proved detrimental to the success of the movie, but no, Dasavatharam has proved it wrong in grand style. No wonder K.S.Ravikumar is called a master director. It was a wise thing Kamalhassan didn't direct this high-budget venture. Though a lot of the ideas and concepts in the movie were his(or someone else's), it required someone like K.S.Ravikumar to focus more on the commercial aspect and dumb down the intellectual aspects of the movie to ensure proper reach among all classes. If Kamal had been the director, the converse would have happened and the resultant disaster would have been simply irrecoverable.

Moving away from being judgmental about Kamal's directorial prowess, Kamal as an actor has indeed taken performance to new heights. He has transformed into each of the 10 roles he plays with such ease and professionalism that few others can even attempt to match. What's interesting the first time you watch the movie is how you need to keep a tab on how many Kamals have so far appeared in the movie, what with the added confusion of whether a particular character is really Kamal or not(kudos to the make-up artist Westmore). Each of the 10 avatars in the movie has a significant part to play, except obviously the American President Mr. George W. Bush, who has been parodied brilliantly. Humour plays a very important role in the movie, lightening up the mood at regular intervals. The character of Balram Naidu deserves special mention for evoking laughter through body language itself, notwithstanding the ingenious humour in the dialogues. In the rest of the acting department, Asin has justified her selection for her role as a talkative, annoying, hyperactive heroine. The other actors also fit very well into their roles. Most notable are Napoleon and M.S.Bhaskar. What about Mallika Sherawat, you ask. There couldn't have been a better choice.

Plotwise, Chaos theory which forms the central theme of the movie is not explained explicitly and is left to the viewer to interpret, which is the most interesting aspect of the film, especially as it involves ten different characters each of whom has a role to play in all the chaos. How the 12th century events would relate to the present day events was a question everyone must have had even before the movie released and it's a question whose answer is central to the climax of the movie and the theological discussion/argument that happens between Kamal and Asin in the end.

The movie has also conveyed many messages in a simple manner instead of overemphasising any particular message. Symbolism can be observed at several places too, for example the fluttering butterfly as an allusion to "The Butterfly Effect", a parallel to Chaos theory. Hollywood inspiration is apparent in many places, as is the norm with Kamal's movies. But his constant effort in trying to produce a Hollywood-style movie needs to be applauded. With this movie, he has just gone several steps closer. Overall, Dasavatharam proves to be a thorough entertainer that reaffirms the status Kamalhassan so deservingly holds - a legendary actor, the Ulaganayagan.

Yaaradi nee mohini...

Dhanush-Nayantara starrer "Yaaradi nee mohini", a remake of a Telugu film, which alarmingly is becoming kind of a norm in Tamil cinema proves to be a watchable entertainer with a good mix of romance, sentiment and comedy.

Dhanush as Vasu(reminds you of Thiruda Thirudi) does fit well the role of a software engineer in Chennai. But Nayantara, project manager? You gotta be kidding. The sequences in the first half involving Dhanush's antics in the software company are totally hilarious(Those who've seen the movie would do well to note the sarcasm here.) How can the answers to "What is multi-threading?" or "What is the difference between while and do-while?" suddenly strike you on seeing the face of Nayantara. Ideally, you will only forget whatever answers you remembered. Another funny scene is when Dhanush works through night to make up for a fault of his, writes essays and theses in Java/C/whatever(the screen scrolls at such a speed you can't even notice) and finally a blue-popup comes on screen reading "Code activated". When almost the entire theatre bursts out laughing on seeing this, one can't help but realise the presence of the software industry in the movie-going crowd. Even Karunas' telephone comedy scene didn't evoke as much laughter as this scene.

Raghuvaran, in what eventually and sadly turned out to be his last movie appearance, has impressed in whatever limited scope he had. It is indeed ironic that in the movie he advises Dhanush not to get addicted to alcohol as it is harmful to health. The tamil cinema industry and the fans alike would have wished Raghuvaran himself had realised this truth earlier in his life.

The second half of the movie is family-centred and though funny at times, only drags on a little too much. The characterisation of Anandavalli a.k.a Pooja, Nayantara's young 15-year old sister is done well. It is refreshing to see a flirtatious character being cute and not annoying, though it could very well be my personal opinion. :-) Karthik(Kanda naal mudhal fame) has played the role of a friend well, but in the second half appears a total dimwit in some scenes, though he does make up for it in the end(well the characterisation is done that way).

Yuvan Shankar Raja has provided a good score for the film(Engeyo paartha and Oru Naalukkul stand out). An additional plus is the dialogue by Selvaraghavan, so evident in some scenes(like the one where Vasu advises Puja after her suicide-attempt). Though the film may not have many merits overall for originality or direction, Dhanush has maintained his image as an entertainer, wisely giving up the unnecessary stress on heroism.