Recently I came across a proverb "Those who cannot understand a look will never understand a lengthy conversation..". Am not sure under what context this was framed but what comes to my mind immediately to suit this saying is "Men and their insensitivities in a relationship"..In my opinion both go hand in hand!
All important men in my life, be it my dad, my brother, V, have been dutifully living upto this maxim. Am excluding Jay from this list for the time being and I hope for his own sake, he turns out to be in that 1% exception lot.
Am sure everyone one of us (read girls) must have heard this line "you should have said, I would have done" atleast once from the men in your life. I agree that communication is the only key to have a conflict free relationship but communication doesn't mean opening your mouth and spitting out the words all the time.
Every part of the body is a medium of communication. Eyes are the second best to one's mouth. Many a times I have felt eyes are the most truthful communicators than the aperture on the face.
When the men have their mood-swings which in any case they claim is rare, we are the first ones to find it out even before they understand what is going on with them. We are so sensitive to even the minutest of all changes they display in any form - A look, an expression, a tone, body language, whether we respond positively or not is a different story, but at the least we acknowledge they are not their self and leave them alone.
Why is it so difficult for the men to return this favor to us? Can’t they really recognize it or is it that they just dont want to do it..I have neither been able to understand nor extract an explanation from all the important men in my life. It makes me wonder, aren't we all the same "Human Beings"??
The sun reverberated off the buildings with the brilliance of a handful of diamonds cast against an iceberg, the shimmering white was blinding as we took off for the hr drive in the July heat of NJ to watch the latest flash, Madharaasapattinam. On hitting the theatres, we were welcomed by the empty chairs and an operator who was debating whether to call his girl friend or just hang around due to an assumed no-show. At that exact moment the 3 of us (read Jay, V and me) were clear intruders to his big picture.
I was ecstatic as it would be the first time I would have had an entire show screened only for myself. Clearly my family didn’t share my feelings - Jay was terribly upset not to see his partners in crime and V was annoyed for having played the chauffer for a worthless movie. He is a strong believer in the adage if there is no crowd the movie can be no good.
An exquisite love story that spans across an era with a graceful narration of happenings over the generation is Madharaasapattinam. Its like an unfinished puzzle that almost turns the lead pair into Romeo and Juliet escaping the Montagues and Capulets, in this case Amy's folks, which the lead lady tries to finish during the last phase of her life time. What she discovers when hunting around for the missing pieces is disclosed with what leaves behind a "titanic" effect.
Arya - has he mastered the art of choosing the right scripts or is it time to thank his lucky stars? Whatever it is this dude is a paragon of a good output. With not much of a costume and not many dialogues which actually is a blessing, he has done his part just fine. There is nothing critical to report on Arya as he is heavily overshadowed by the lead lady. To quote Jay, Arya is the masculine "pull-up uncle" in his shortie short dhoti!
Amy Jackson - the true essence of the movie. The charming ingénue with the body of an eighteen-year-old, spirited and self sufficient was casting a magic spell on the audience. You can just watch her because of the way she looked, the way she moved and the enormous presence she had about herself. Everything about Amy is beautifully done - even the simplest of all accessories, a hat looked so elegant on her.
I have never had a great regard for the hats as an accessory. Unless it really sits on you well, it will make a spectacle of yourself. The hats this lady wore were pulled low over her face, just low enough to give her an aura of unbearable mystery enhancing her innate sexiness.
I have recently come to believe that the tinsel world has nothing to offer the lead ladies in terms of acting and all the latest movies testified my theory. After watching Madharaasapattinam I have a revised theory - tinsel world has nothing to offer the home grown lead ladies. Everyone else will be given a great role with a good scope that earn them a name, big enough in the country for exclusively their acting skills!
Directors who cast comedians in the movie with the believed abstraction that they will do any good should take some serious lessons from Vijay. There are no such unwanted elements in the movie yet there is good enough humor which make people really laugh.
One movie that I genuinely liked, enjoyed every bit and part right from the story line to the picturisation, cast, screenplay and even the music / BGM is Madharaasapattinam. In my opinion this kid GVP's talks are inversely proportional to his professional output. To my own disbelief he has finally proven his worth in this movie. Well tuned, sweet sounding songs coupled with a very appropriate intense picturisation is a value add to the odic journey.
Madharaasapattinam - it’s dramatic, tough and brilliant. It’s not mealy mouthed or funny, there's nothing halfway about it. A slow nevertheless a steady product. A once-in-lifetime movie with a pleasing rhythm and beauty!
With an assemblage of my personal favorite stars - Maniratnam, ARR, Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Prithviraj, Karthik I had made up my mind eons ago to watch this movie come hell or high water. Little did I know then that all the faces were only pleasant on the posters and would not even come close to an acceptable package when brought together under the leadership of a reputably able captain.
A plot from the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana entwined with the tale of Indian Robin Hood, notorious dacoit Veerappan makes Raavanan aka Raavan.
Though Aishwarya Rai traces her ancestry back to a small village in the South India, it feels like she is the Alice in Wonderland in Raavanan.A square peg on a round hole. Adding insult to injury is the missing chemistry of this beauty with Ram and Raavan. All the director needed was a girl next door head turner but by casting Aishwarya he ended up with a supreme cosmopolitan edition that just didn’t gel well.
She is too sophisticated for the Ragini/Kuruvamma that the director has tried to showcase through her with an incredible amount of over action. She is no longer a delight to watch on the silver screen - the awkward wrinkles on the still flawless creamy face add to the distress. The only solace is her ability to move her feet and body effortlessly to the mesmerizing tunes of the Mozart of Madras!!
Why is Mani obsessed with the Bachchan family? He seems to be hibernating for ever and once in 3 years when he wakes up and decides to grace his audience, he gets stuck with the B's. Hasn't he learnt his lessons from the earlier stunts?
Vikram has finally got a break after his series of box office fiascos. But for the familiar animal sounds which reminded me of Ko Ko Ko Ko kandhaaa, Raavanan is a character neatly crafted and written for Vikram. I am mentally paralyzed to imagine a different soul performing this role, let alone the junior B.
The rule of thumb is if the hero is an agitated dude, he HAS to have a flashback and if you happen to see a second heroine name on the title card who hasn't made her appearance until intermission, she HAS to be a sexually harassed sister whose death episode will explain the hero's psychotic actions.
Every director plants this masterpiece in their venture with the idea that they are exploring a virginal territory. What they fail to see or choose to ignore is how much they have tired the audience out becoming easily predictable with an overall accomplishment of losing their credibility. Mani has also fallen a prey to this atrociously moronic meat scheme. Priyamani with her little over 15 minute appearance leaves a better impression that most of the other characters.
Karthik - Prabu, the once popular duo who created a sensation with the same director nearly 2 decades ago in Agni Natchathiram have come together in this movie only to paint a downright sorry picture. Karthik who plays the Hanuman and Prabu the Kumbakarnan equivalents could have easily been avoided as neither the actors nor their roles were pivotal.
Raavan's saving grace is ARR and the cinematographer. Both have made a significant contribution which is probably the only accolade for the movie. The picturisation of the whole movie aided with an exceptionally accurate music is truly an audio-visual enchantment.
Sketching a story line based on excerpt from already popular mythological stories or political happenings seems to be the trademark of the director. Its time to bid farewell to this formula or at least park it aside for a few years and hit the spot with a romantic feast.
Raavanan is creative yet simply a wander over the conceptual landscape.
Everyone in the tinsel world seems to know the sacred mantra - "Discover your winning formula and use it endlessly till you tire your audience out". When stars can follow this animatedly why not directors!! Director Hari has intently executed his working principle and fairly succeeded in his attempt sided with the marketing stalwart Sun Pictures who can package even the worst nightmare to look and feel like your most enticing dream.
Hari can duly be nominated for the best copier award who has managed a flawless remake of his own Blockbuster Saamy with different lead artists and a very few tweaks mostly insignificant to the actual plot and audience. There are too many familiar takes from the real McCoy that it gets very difficult not to see Saamy in every frame when you have actually spent $16 for Singam!!!
Surya, as always looks handsome. There is nothing much to look forward with his acting as he is played his part just fine. With the exception of a few places, when tackling the bad elements where he literally roars in an undesirable high pitch breaking with a croaky effect, he is passable.
The star's forte is his charisma in romantic clippings or at least that was how he came across to a few fans of his like me until he tied the sacred knot. He used to be an on-screen romantic delight with a spectacular co-star chemistry leaving a deeper impact than the movie itself. Of late the star's dancing skills are much better than his romance in the movie.
In Singam, the director has avoided chummy scenes with forethought honoring the obvious height difference which would most likely bring on criticism rather than appreciation. Thus, Anushka's presence is felt only in the few songs where she single handedly entertains the audience with her ample anatomy coupled with sensuous movements.
Comedy has taken a new definition with the so-called comedian Vivek. The scenes where this clown appears evokes every feeling but laughter with annoyance topping the list. All his scenes are a deliberate inclusion on a confirmed drooping mission. The movie would have been better off if VT Vijayan had considered using his "Cut" tool seriously on this buffoon's scenes.
With such a pathetic delivery, the Chinna Kalaivanar was bragging his soul out on the Cassette release function telecasted on Sun Channel a few days ago. His speech was so reassuring that I had my hopes very high only for an awful disappointment. He is the proverbial empty Vessel!
Surya's dance needs a special mention. It is not easy to have forgotten the Aval varuvala stunts by Surya which was called dance in those days. The star has scaled up enormously that he can very well be added to the league of dancer-actors in the industry - my personal favorites being "She stole my heart" and "Kadhal Vandhaale". Music was neither great nor boring..but DSP could have avoided singing in every song. He didnt spare the BGM either!!
I have a great regard for Prakash Raj who has played the anti role. In my opinion, he is one of the few versatile stars this industry has been gifted with. There are movies that I have watched including one starring Sibi Raj in the lead role, only because Prakash Raj was one of the casts. But for Prakash Raj, I wouldn't have cared to watch it even on Sun TV!! But neither was he convincing nor justified in the movie. The Prakash Raj air was completely missing. Looks like he had played the role just to add on to his bank balance!!
If you haven't watched Saamy, which I would think is inconceivable, then you might find Singam terrific. For those of you who are obsessed with Saamy (like me), Singam is yet another movie.
Being born into a Brahmin family, not being associated with any form of art is considered the biggest sin. To escape the disparage, my parents tried to push me into classical carnatic music at an age when I was hardly able to say a few words comfortably without any hesitation.
My dad strongly believes in "see yourself in your child". Probably that was one of the reasons he volunteered for my music classes when I was absolutely passive about the whole deal. Music is my dad's passion and enrolling me for the music classes was the duo's joint decision, filled with all the usual hopes and promises that never turned out quite as they planned, and too often brought out to be disappointing.
Undoubtedly music has always been a part of me - I should say in my blood. My lineage is packed with music heads whose prime hobby is to discuss the intricacies of music over a cup of coffee just as I would update V with the latest cinema gossips. It is quite a norm that at least one soul in every extended family circle has been making it reasonably big in music in their own territories and we (read me and my siblings) are probably the only ones who were not known for the music but everything else. A few of my kith and kin breathe, speak and live music, sing raga alapana, neravals and kalpana swaras so effortlessly when relaxing or calling friends over for a dinner.
This was the profile my parents had dreamt for us and did everything possible to get us there. Remember the proverb "you can take the horse to the water, you cannot make him drink"! Well here we are the horse and the mares. My parents did their parts fine on the nose - manage to hire a teacher in a town where music was a luxury, pay the fees they demanded though they were well aware that it would take a hit on their monthly budget, shepherd us diligently to the classes every week on time and in all excitement failing to see that their efforts alone will not help in the making of Chithra's and Susheela's at our household.
We were not even in the tolerable limits of singing though we ended up wasting dad's money for 7 full years:) It is "us" because dad didn’t want any disparity between his girls - so wherever we went, we went in 3's, a custom in my house that I hate till today.
Honestly, I was inclined more towards dancing and better off with it until recently when I have started thinking myself as a better singer. Well, this is only my thought and people who have heard me sing, feel it’s a nightmare worse than their worst nightmares.
To pursue my singing interest, I started on a music teacher hunt and tried my hands with several ones in town. A few of them did enroll me but for various reasons I couldn’t continue to be a part of their music school. Finally my dutiful search has paid its dues and come to a fruitful halt - I have found a teacher who to me is more than a teacher.
Gone was the era when people taught an art for the art value of it. In a world that is extremely commercialized, the only factor that keeps people still interested in imparting skills to the next generation is the almighty dollar. Interestingly art costs you an arm and leg - it is easy to provide an education but not an art. So, indubitably it is mighty tough to resist the lucrative temptation associated with this deal.
Am not blaming anyone here as commercialism seems to be the way of life. Amidst this economic crowd that exploit every possible means to spread the art right from voice chat mediums to in-person classes, Mrs.Gayathri Govind is everything that defines dedication and commitment without any monetary expectation.
I have never known my art classes back home that started on time - either we would be late to the class or the teacher would be heavily back logged due to an unexpected neighbor making an appearance for a quick trivial talk or borrow a spice that she forgot to add to her grocery list the day before or share a dish that she had made, not with an intention of sharing but to fish for compliments so that she could be the talk of the town for the next few days - sheer attention seeking gimmick. Won’t they even know that the teacher has students waiting for something slightly better than their agenda??
Old habits die hard - so accustomed to a convenient custom defined promptness, it never even occurred to me that music classes can also start on time and that I should be there on the dot. Gayathri's music classes always start on schedule. If am 5 minutes late I can be sure-enough to miss the first song. She emphasizes on being sensitive to other people's time, a lesson that I should have learnt in one of the Moral Science classes in my 5th Grade but then who took those classes seriously:) She can never afford a delayed start even if it means there is none in the class.
She not only teaches the songs but also treats you to plenty of impressive information right from the history of the poet, the meaning of the song/shlokas, the significance of the composition and much more, that let alone to myself I would hardly go in search for. Her zeal and enthusiasm for music when she wears the teacher hat needs a special mention.
She cherishes every moment she is with her students and relishes when her kid students walk into an alreay in-progress class reciting the shloka rather than having a fit over losing their favorite spot or express avidity in extracting more details from her like the hungry little sponges soaking up every drop of learning and gobbling every morsel.
It is a blessing to be acquainted with this lady and I consider myself fortunate by all means!!
The impression that this movie's audio track left behind is phenomenal that it would want anyone, even those who cannot comprehend a word from the language purchase the tickets for the FDFS. I was no exception to this fallacy. Excited by the banner (Read Gowtham Menon and ARR only) I was so desperate to catch up on this movie, that I even felt miserable when I missed the week it was released in NJ. Only after I spent 2 hrs and 45 minutes in the theatre last week (missed the first 15 minutes as always:)) did I realize that my lucky stars were trying to save me some money and time which I refused to see!
A satisfactory attempt backed up heavily by the music and a capable lead lady makes VTV. I wonder if all those raving reviews I read were just to confuse the readers. "Feel Good", Magical" are the adjectives one gets to hear round the globe for this movie making it sound as though this movie is a "once in a blue moon" effor and can be straight nominated for the next Oscar. In reality this movie is just tolerable and definitely a very different attempt in having the same story line in both the halves with different cast.
The second half is the story of an aspiring director (Simbu) who shoots his own story which is the first half of the movie. This is a movie within a movie with identical halves and a twist which is very insignificant that it would be better off if I don’t mention it here. Don’t get me wrong - am not trying to keep up any suspense, it’s just not worth.
The feel good nonsense is what the director propagates about his own movie (read first half) post intermission which can only be thought of as a new strategy to trumpet. It has become GM's signature to have a good start and then drag the movie as though he is clueless and finally manage to somehow pick up all the loose ends and tie it to one big knot leaving a benumb effect. That’s what he has done in VTV too.
It starts off very well with pleasing numbers, magnificent picturisation and an illusion that you are finally watching a great movie. The illusion lasts only a couple of minutes when his express gets derailed and switches to the drag track which after a fashion reaches its destination when the audience is overwhelmed and restless to see the end card.
Simbu has done a fair job but if the director has tried to associate any class with him then he has awfully failed. His timing on the humor along with Gnanesh was mind-blowing. He needs a special mention for playing subtle and not his usual over engineering self. Kudos to the director for keeping this guy well under control which is an added plus to the movie. Simbu's foot work in the songs is a visual treat.
The real surprise to me came in the form of TRISHA. Honestly till date with the exception of 3 movies (Aayudha Ezhuthu, Ghilli and Saamy) she has always failed to impress me as an actress. She is one of those heroines who turn me off very badly and I have skipped a few movies just because she was playing the lead star. In VTV she has displayed breathtaking competence and was the perfect Jessie. I am easily convinced that anyone else in that role would certainly fall short.
She and Simbu play the contrast very well. Trisha is everything that defines class and Simbu is everything but class. It is so difficult not to notice this variation when both these stars appear on screen especially in scenes where they are seen together. She carries the air of dignity all through the movie with so much ease.
The best part I liked about Jessie is her characterization as a confused person. It is absolutely true with most of us and we (read girls) are still a mystery to ourselves. GM might have failed as a director with a poor execution of what could have been a powerful script but at least he has nailed down the presentation aspects of the lead lady with so much proficiency.
The one reason for which many didn’t mind the 3 hr mumbo jumbo is the music and ARR, in no uncertain terms is the real hero in the movie. His background score was tranquilizing and I loved the way Omana Penne blended into the screenplay. If at all this movie sees a successful 50 days, ARR would be the sole reason.
VTV - An average, can be watched once movie with the usual extensive publicity only this time blown out of proportion!!!
If I need a class movie to remember for my lifetime, a movie that would find its place in my evergreen DVD collection, a movie that I can watch any number of times for the substance and not just as a filler in the background to keep me company when am doing my chores, an out of the box subject with mind-blowing creativity then obviously Vijay starring movies will not be my choice. His latest venture Vettaikaran is no different to any of his earlier attempts with a tolerable first half and an ignoble second half.
The star has conveniently settled down in his adopted formula which he thinks will scale him up to the superstar status and is adamant about breaking his shells open. His own fans and general audience have done everything possible to discourage him of his insanity but it is evident that he is refusing to let go of it. He needs to get away from his absolutely failing blueprint for his own survival. Sir, please wake up and see the mishap it is causing to your own film career before you drown completely.
A tawdry storyline which might have been a chart-buster during the salad days of my parents with obvious twists, predictable flow, usual masala, an overdose of violence and peppy numbers make up Vettaikaran.
The star definitely has a good potential which we have witnessed in the past in a very few films like Ghilly, Pokiri. His comedy timing is something he can improve upon instead of wasting time on punches, unnecessary fights and replicating other successful stars efforts.
The songs are the only bait in the movie. Very energetic and ebullient that makes even one with 2 left feet rock n' roll! The star's so-called mass factor is felt in all the numbers. The one with his junior on screen is a visual treat!
Anushka looks very cute and thats it. There is hardly any scope for her to act in the movie which has now become the garden-variety of the tinsel world. Do not expect anything significant from the lead lady seems to be the mantra and Anushka has wholeheartedly lived up to it. She is a part of the movie package just for romancing around with the star in a couple of duets.
If you have to be accepted as a hero in the Kollywood, a fight sequence is the sine qua non. Probably for mass heroes the requirement is mandated heavily. How can Vijay, having been accepted as the mass hero not fulfill this fundamental mark? So to address this element, in all sincerity, he is seen fighting different set of goondas, every 3rd minute in the second half.
The director needs special mention for the choice of characters for the roles. The villain is definitely threatening and a good challenge to the hero. But that alone doesn’t justify the 1 hr twinge (read second half).
After 3 colossal flops in a row, the star has tried hard to make a come back but unfortunately hit the skids. The cast and crew of Vettaikaran thought they have given their edition of Vetrikaran but it turns out that all of them were crazy.
If the movie had maintained the same pace as how it started, it could have carried through better. But looks like the star and the director suffered a partial amnesia in the beginning that they completely forgot the star's recipe and fortuitously were in the right track. But close to the intermission they have regained their heed and resorted dutifully to the stars modus operandi which is a disaster.
The effort is a blatant Vijay movie made exclusively for his fan base with a fair to middling start and a nauseating end. Relax, take a break and it’s not bad at all to skip this one if you are not a Vijay fan!! If you are still desperate, try torrents or even better wait for the next religious celebration. For all you know, to retain their house Sun TV might treat you to this movie!!
