For every KGF 2, there's a Jai Bhim. A balance that South has, Bollywood doesn't

After Baahubali, a handful of films from the South have dominated the Hindi belt and the global market. But for every RRR or Pushpa or KGF, there's a Jai Bhim. Here's how South cinema manages this intricate balance.

Let's go back to 2010. Enthiran (Robot in Hindi), starring Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and directed by Shankar, managed to set the screens on fire. Enthiran is probably the first film to attain pan-India success. In 2015, SS Rajamouli's Baahubali: The Beginning made everyone sit up and take notice of regional cinema. Rajamouli followed it up with Baahubali: The Conclusion, which received greater critical acclaim and commercial success.

Today, films from the South have become super hit ventures in the Hindi belt, normally dominated by the Khans, Kumars and Kapoors. Allu Arjun's Pushpa: The Rise, Jr NTR and Ram Charan-starrer RRR and Yash's KGF: Chapter 2, despite being regional cinema, have performed exceptionally well in the North belt. In short, South films have breached northern territory.

The common talking point in all these films is its larger-than-life scale and hypermasculinity. So, is South cinema bringing the 80s back?

IS SOUTH CINEMA BRINGING THE 80s BACK?

To understand that, let us tell you what we mean when we say '80s cinema'. In the 80s, films were mostly about the hero overcoming all odds and emerging as the saviour of the masses. Are films in the 2010s and 2020s following the trend? The answer would be a big no.

Commercial films have always been about superheroic, larger-than-life heroes. Be it Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam or Kannada, our heroes are capable of anything and everything. Our heroes survive bomb blasts, bash up 100 people and yet remain unscathed. This trend will never go away as it is ingrained in our blood and minds.

Then, why do films like RRR, Pushpa and KGF work well in the Hindi belt? It is safe to say that Bollywood's recipe for a masala or mass film has been failing for over a decade. None of the commercial films has been able to make a mark beyond a certain point. This is where South films differ.

Directors down South nail the perfect recipe for a mass film. Of course, there are duds. But, commercial films, when done right, will transcend borders. And the recent examples are a testament to the theory. Take for example RRR's interval block, who would have thought that Jr NTR's Komaram Bheem would unleash a bunch of wild animals in his attack against the British. Here, we must give credit to SS Rajamouli's wild imagination. He also executed the scene with the utmost perfection. So much so that it made us jump from our seats.

Similarly, when Yash's Rocky in KGF fires bullets against the villains, you cheer, hoot and whistle for him. That is the magic of commercial cinema. And it takes a lot of imagination, conviction and perseverance to get it right.

SO, IS SOUTH CINEMA JUST THAT? MASSY?

Is South cinema all about mass and commercial films? Again, a resounding no. For every RRR, Baahubali and Pushpa, there are films like Jai Bhim, The Great Indian Kitchen, Kaala and Pariyerum Perumal. In the South, there's a market for every kind of cinema. Be it commercial or art house films, the audience embrace them with the same love.

VERSATILITY IS THE KEY

Malayalam cinema has been spearheading a change in the way films are being conceived and told. Films like Premam, Kumbalangi Nights and Jallikattu have proven the fact that content is king. One can take a simple story, but when it has solid substance, it does wonders at the box office.

Coming to Kollywood, Suriya's Jai Bhim, which skipped theatrical release, moved the audience and created a lasting impact. The film did ruffle a few feathers. But, at its core, Jai Bhim had a solid story. Similarly, filmmakers like Vetri Maaran, Pa Ranjith, Mari Selvaraj and Ram have stayed away from the 'conventional' tropes and developed their own film language.

This is probably one of the main reasons why South films get wider recognition, irrespective of the medium.

Let's go to the Telugu film industry, which was all about commercial cinema once. But, not anymore. There's a wonderful balance there. If films like Pushpa, Akhanda, and Aravinda Sametha are made, there are films like C/O Kancharapalem, Pelli Choopulu and Awe, which are also being given their rightful due.

Who would have thought that KGF: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 would put Kannada cinema on the global map? But, director Prashanth Neel and actor Yash believed in it. Films like Kirik Party, Rangitharanga and Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana, among others, have highlighted the best of Kannada cinema.

In the South, there's a space for everyone. Be it ideological films or films that highlight left-wing politics, directors can make a film on diverse topics, and with conviction, unapologetically, unabashedly. And, there lies the success.

(Source: India Today)

Rajinikanth in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, to feature in ‘Man vs Wild’ with Bear Grylls

Speaking to The New Indian Express, a senior forest department official said permission for the shooting has been given for six hours in a day for January 28 and 30 with a special guest each day.

Popular movie star Rajinikanth is now busy and so is Bandipur Tiger Reserve. The actor and a team of documentary makers from the popular international series Man Vs Wild are in the tiger reserve to shoot the documentary since Monday evening. The shooting is scheduled for six hours on Tuesday and again on Thursday.

After PM Modi, Rajinikanth to shoot ‘Man vs Wild’ with Bear Grylls. (Photo | PTI)

The series caught Indian attention after Prime Minister Narendra Modi shot for the series in the forests of northern India with British adventurer Bear Grylls.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, a senior forest department official said permission for the shooting has been given for six hours in a day for January 28 and 30 with a special guest each day. On Tuesday it is with Rajanikanth and on 30th noted Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is also expected.

"Permission for the shooting has been given for Sultan Batteri highway and ranges of Mulleholle, Maddur and Kalkere ranges. They will be shooting in the non-tourism zones. If permission to was given to Wild Karnataka shooting, then this is also permitted and besides chief wildlife warden has given permission. Also, no tourism or regular forest patrolling and fire line creation activities will be affected. The shooting Wil be done under special forest protection and no one will be aware of the locations," the official said.

The permission for the shooting of films and documentaries inside forest areas of Karnataka is only increasing, the department must exercise caution, this will only lead to more man-animal conflict, said, conservationists. 

(Source: TNIE)

Pizza guy to mass hero to villain: Vijay Sethupathi’s range of roles is phenomenal

Vijay Sethupathi, who turns 41 today, has portrayed the kind of diverse characters that some actors take their entire career to play out.

During Petta’s audio launch, Rajinikanth spoke about all his co-artists. But he was particularly vocal when he started talking about Vijay Sethupathi. He finished saying, “After a long time, I am having a feeling that I have worked with a very good actor.”

It comes off as a surprising comment because the Superstar has acted with the likes of Nana Patekar only very recently. But it is obvious that Rajinikanth, like most of us, is floored by the performer in Vijay Sethupathi. He might have been equally stunned that Vijay Sethupathi decided to do such a small role in Petta despite his current stature in the industry. It goes without saying that what makes Vijay Sethupathi a standout in Tamil cinema today is his selection of scripts and roles.

Vijay Sethupathi, who turns 41 today, started off as a junior artist and small-time actor in 2004. He struggled for many years till he found his foothold. It was in 2012 that the substantial roles in Sundarapandian and Pizza helped us know about the actor. But look at the characters he has played since then.

Selection of scripts and roles
Pizza delivery guy in Pizza. Man with retrograde amnesia in Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom. Kidnapper with an invisible companion in Soodhu Kavvum. Driver in Pannaiyarum Padminiyum. Old lonely man in Orange Mittai. Hilarious rowdy in Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum. Doctor in Dharma Durai. Journalist in Kavan. Small-time crook and lover in Naanum Rowdy Thaan. Mass police hero in Sethupathi. Cunning criminal in Vikram Vedha. Unfaithful husband in Iraivi. Unemployed with dreams of working abroad in Aandavan Kattalai. Villain in Petta. Man who never got over his lost love in 96. Ageing actor in Seethakathi. Transgender woman in (upcoming) Super Deluxe.

These are the kind of diverse characters that some actors take their entire career to play out. Vijay Sethupathi has played them all in 6 years and 3 months now, since Pizza in October 2012.

Vijay Sethupathi enjoys this freedom of choices by walking a path different from the other top league actors in the Tamil film industry. Most others have a familiar pattern to their career graphs. They start with earthy characters. They get to do experimental roles and just be a part of the screenplay in the initial part of their careers. But once they attain stardom, popularity and fan following, things change. They get fitter physiques and better looks. No matter what the story-line is, their movies will feature action sequences and song-and-dance routines at regular intervals.

Now take Sethupathi (2016), which was a significant movie in Vijay Sethupathi’s career. This movie could have decided the direction in which the actor could go next. It was a mass action entertainer. He played a police officer and the movie was a big hit. It is the kind of make-or-break movie where any other Tamil actor would have finally transformed into the “Star”. But Vijay Sethupathi decided to stay to his roots.

In his very next movie, Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum, the actor walks in slow-motion into a bar. He then gets beaten up by all the guys. But he stands up, puts on his sunglasses and then again walks out in slow-motion. Which other top actor does that anymore?

In Vikram Vedha (2017), his character ‘Vedha’ gets a good build-up and a stylish slow-motion introduction, which is typical for a big star. In theatres, it was greeted with cheers and applause, which indicates the mass fan following he has now. Still Vedha doesn’t have a heroine in the movie. In fact, he asks other characters in the movie whether they want to hear his love story and no one seems interested! Even after Vikram Vedha’s big box office success, the actor is still content playing a small part in Chekka Chivantha Vaanam or Petta or a restrained lover in 96.

A phenomenal actor
What complements Vijay Sethupathi’s choice of roles is what a phenomenal actor he is! His impeccable comic timing is one of his biggest strengths. In Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom, his character, Prem Kumar, tells the lines that start with “Enna achu, cricket velayadinom” so many times. Yet it is a gift to have an expressive face that ensures that the viewers are not bored by it.

In Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum, Yazhini (Madonna) asks him to mug up a few lines to narrate in front of her parents. When he muddles them up and messes it up, the actor has a straight face. But the viewers just couldn’t stop laughing. In Kavan, the actor’s attitude is hilarious when he doesn’t give a damn about the politician he is interviewing. All he cares is to expose him in front of the television viewers.

In Soodhu Kavvum, when Das is introduced, we think he is a big-time kidnapper. He takes a girl into the back of his van. Just as he returns to the driving seat, the girl comes out and beats him left and right. It is a scene that leaves you in splits every single time.

In Naanum Rowdy Thaan, his gestures are uproarious in the sequence where he brings Rs 10 lakh when the don (Anand Raj) had only asked for Rs 9 lakh! Aandavan Kattalai is perhaps his most underrated movie. His character Gandhi reminded you of the kind of comedy roles that Kamal Haasan used to do in the 90’s. The movie had no slapstick or crass humour. But the laughs were derived out of situations, dialogues and the body language of the actor.

After 96, it perhaps doesn’t have to be proved further that Vijay Sethupathi is a natural in romantic scenes. A few hours before Jaanu (Trisha) is about to return to Singapore after their class re-union, the power goes off. Ram walks into a room to find a torch. After years of persuasion, it is then where Jaanu finally sings ‘Yamuna Aatrile’. Ram breathes heavily and loses his mind. He rushes back inside the room to take the torch and stumbles into things. He then finally returns to her. It takes an exceptional actor to let us go through the character’s mind in those moments when it is also actually dark on screen. Vijay Sethupathi’s performance in 96 was superb.

Trademark style
The actor won the 2012 Tamil Nadu State Award for Best Villain in Sundarapandian, in his first breakthrough role itself, which shows that negative roles also come quite easily to him. Vijay Sethupathi is often beautifully restrained in emotional scenes, letting his eyes speak. In Vikram Vedha, whenever Vedha talks about his beloved brother, his voice stammers and our hearts melt.

Even the actor’s stunt sequences have his own trademark style. How often do you see a romantic melody like ‘Yennai maatrum kadhale’ in the background as in Naanum Rowdy Thaan, when he gathers his strength, gets up from the ground and starts hitting back at the bad guys? In Vikram Vedha, there is an instance where you don’t see the actual fight. But after that, Vedha is sitting there to ask Vikram (Madhavan), “Are these factory godowns made for work or for people like us to just fight?”

Vijay Sethupathi has had his share of mediocre movies, such as Junga, Rekka and Karuppan. But the actor has often found ways to bounce back from a failure immediately. You cannot keep a skilled actor with a keen eye for scripts off his game for long.

In a Facebook post from December 2010 that became viral recently, director Karthik Subbaraj expressed his excitement and wished his friend Vijay Sethupathi prior to the release of Thenmerku Paruvakaatru, his first movie as a main lead. A cinegoer commented on the post and asked: “Who is Vijay Sethupathi?” To which Karthik replied with a smiley – “You will know him soon.”

Just like that person, we did not know about Vijay Sethupathi’s existence in 2010, despite the fact he was already a part of the industry for several years. Today, as Karthik predicted, Vijay Sethupathi has become such an inevitable presence in Tamil cinema. From Mani Ratnam movie to Rajinikanth movie. From comedy to romance to thrillers. From hero to villain to side characters. Vijay Sethupathi is just everywhere in Tamil cinema.

(Source: TNM)

Suresh Krissna’s moving tribute to actor Raghuvaran

On Raghuvaran’s 60th birth anniversary, filmmaker Suresh Krissna pens an emotional note, reminiscing his early days working with the actor

The year was 1994. It was the week leading to the release of Veera when Rajinikanth unexpectedly called for a press meet, announcing that his next film would be Baasha. Rajinikanth had immense confidence in our combination following back-to-back hits such as Annamalai and Veera. Naturally, the title Baasha sent fans into a tizzy and expectations rose to mammoth proportions. Ever since its inception, I was clear on one thing — the villain has to match the hero’s might. And hence, I began developing the character arc of the villain after sketching out Manickam and Baasha.

I zeroed in on the name Mark Antony for the villain’s character. We did approach a few names in Bollywood, but nothing was working out. At one point, it dawned on me that the battle between Baasha and Antony was not between fists, but minds. It was only at this juncture that Raghuvaran's name popped up. Something was unique about him — he was tall and had a deep voice. When someone mentioned his name, both Rajini and I agreed instantly. Then I met Raghuvaran at his residence for the narration. He was intently listening to me without even batting an eyelid. I finished the narration, but he didn’t react. I wondered if he liked it or not, because the silence was killing me!

I stole a glimpse at his manager who seemed equally clueless. In a split second, our eyes met. His eyes went wide suddenly. He was also clenching his teeth since his jaw was visibly shaking. I had heard stories of how lonely he was and that he was prone to mood swings. All these thoughts were running in my head when Raghuvaran, in his now-signature baritone voice, said, “Antony...Mark Antony.” Wow. It was a killer moment! The Antony that I imagined was sitting right before me. After my initial excitement, I shook his hand and hugged him. And that's how my Antony was born.

Raghuvaran was brilliant throughout the shoot. Whatever little that he spoke, he conveyed through his powerful eyes. Rajinikanth loved everything about Raghuvaran — his look, voice and performance. It was such a pleasure to see two great actors acknowledging each other’s talent. Be it the scene at the Gateway of India or the one where he looks at Devan after escaping from jail, there are so many moments that I could share.

When Antony is left alone at the five-star hotel, his expression was amazing. While watching the final copy, there were instances where Rajinikanth would swear at him for putting out an impressive performance. We all would laugh... Raghuvaran made the character immortal. During this film, I became good friends with Raghuvaran. I hardly imagined a film without him. That’s why I wanted him to play the elder brother in Aahaa, which was a contrast to what he was doing then. It was also about this time that he married Rohini. He looked so charming and handsome that he gave a wonderful performance in Aahaa too. I cannot forget Raghuvaran’s spontaneous reaction to the lyric ‘Azhagiya Raghuvaraney’ in the antakshari sequence. It was just lovingly done. We went on to collaborate again in the Telugu version of Aahaa and Oruvan in Tamil.

In fact, we were supposed to work together for Baba as well. When we were discussing about the casting, both Rajinikanth and I wanted Raghuvaran to play the role of the bad Chief Minister. Raghu, too, was excited about the prospect. However, since he was a great devotee of Sai Baba and there were scenes that required him to curse the hero, Raghuvaran was apprehensive about playing that character. We finally agreed not to cast him and zeroed in on a Hindi actor to play the role.

Even after all these years, Raghuvaran remains one of the finest actors we had. He died too soon. Had he been alive today, he would have definitely played a variety of characters, of course, in his own style. His screen presence was par excellence. His deep, resonant voice was magical. Whenever he used to call me, he would say, “Hi Suresh...This is Antony...Mark Antony.” I still hear that voice.

ps: The writer is a noted filmmaker and has worked with actors like Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan

(Source: The Hindu)

2.0' review: Shankar and Rajinikanth's sequel is visually grand but underwhelming

While Rajinikanth is fun to watch as 'Chitti' once again, Akshay Kumar's villain is a let-down.

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...Pakshirajan! Shankar's 2.0 , the sequel to Enthiran, is larger in scale and ambition from the first film. It feels like Shankar is making a statement - yes, we can combine our local 'Vada pochey' jokes with visual effects that can compete with international films. It's an ambitious project whichever way you want to look at it. This is a Rajinikanth film without an introduction scene or song. This is also a Rajinikanth film where the 67-year-old actor sports a flaming red tuft of hair and incredibly manages to own it yet again. There's a lot riding on the film and you can see the kind of effort that has gone into it, but one suspects that this could also prove to be its undoing. If the first film was Man Vs Robot, the second is Man and Robot Vs....? Mobile phones? Human greed? Human apathy? Human disregard for Nature?

In the sequel to Enthiran, Dr Vaseegaran (Rajinikanth) is up against a strange Birdman (he's named 'Pakshi'rajan) who is obsessed with snatching people's mobile phones away. Ironically, Vaseegaran's girlfriend Sana (who seems to have mythical levels of patience with him) from the first film, played by Aishwarya Rai, is reduced to a tinny voice in the mobile phone. Their romance, which played such a big role in the first film and gave us some truly memorable songs (2.0 has just two full-fledged ones, neither of them as good as the first film's album), is a mere footnote in this one. As mobile phones start flying from everyone's hands, scientist Vaseegaran is called to weigh in on the phenomenon. We know where this is going. It's a set up for the dismantled Chitti (also Rajinikanth) to be put back again and brought to life. Shankar exploits the 3D technology to a hilt - cellphones rising like a tsunami wave to engulf roads, homes; cellphones swarming to form shapes that dissolve and re-organise into looming threats, cellphones gliding into the insides of human beings (is that a comment on how we're consumed by technology and it also consumes us?) and ripping them apart.

It's not until the interval point that we're told why. Why is all this happening? Who is this villain who seems to abhor cellphones even more than the average principal of an engineering college? Unless you'd been living in an island without any cellphones for the past few years, you'd know the character is played by Akshay Kumar. You can see why the Bollywood plug is there. This is India's most expensive film made till date and it needs a pan-Indian appeal to make its money back. But Akshay Kumar's Pakshirajan is a complete let-down as is minor villain Sudhanshu Pandey whose acting batteries need urgent recharging.The lip sync is off in many places and neither of them is able to make an impact despite the imaginative fight sequences that Shankar conjures up. This is because we don't care about any of the characters on screen - when the bad Chitti comes in towards the climax, you can feel the audience responding at last. Here's someone they finally feel something for, because they remember how much fun he was in the first film.

Pakshirajan's back story is visually beautiful (in a poignant frame, we see him doubled up over mounds of tiny bird graves, each honoured with a white flower) but written in such broad strokes that you really don't connect with his angst about the birds. I wish Shankar had invested more effort into making the science convincing. The vague references to 'energy' and 'aura' rather reminded me of the bizarre pseudo-science videos on 'Avatar Clicks' that we see a bunch of young people listening to early on in the film. In the second half, especially, the growly voice that Akshay's character employs is distracting and you can barely make out what he's saying through the background score.

Amy Jackson plays Nila, a "domestic" robot (of course, it has to be a female robot), who comes to the rescue of both Vaseegaran and Chitti at different points in time. She's also the one to provide some unexpected comedy in the film, making Tamil pop culture references that are invariably funny, coming as they do from her. The first time Nila hears Chitti's name, her hair flies, just like a human heroine's would. And though the film somewhat confines her to being a "minsara samsaram" (you've got to applaud the brilliance of that line) to Chitti, at least the script gives her something to do other than look pretty. I did wonder though why Chitti had to molest her as soon as he turned into his "bad" avatar - in a perfect universe, a female robot would have some kickass self-defence techniques coded into her and she wouldn't have to resort to an exasperated expression.

The mokka jokes in the film land well most times - the scenes with Kalabhavan Shajohn (despite the pronounced Malayalam accent) and Mayilsamy, for instance. When a cellphone "invades" their home and "Unknown" flashes on the screen, Shajohn asks, "Who is this Unnikrishnan?". It's absurd comedy but it's also what gives a human touch in the midst of the graphics overdose. Rajinikanth is restrained for most of the film but Shankar unleashes him in the climax - the robot who did the "mehhh" lamb bleats in the first film mocks a bird's call in this one. It's impossible not to be entertained when Rajinikanth is playing the bad boy; he does it with so much relish. But the climax also gives one a sense of deja vu. The exponential number of Chittis running and forming armies was new when we watched Enthiran; we're now a pampered audience which wants more, something that will make us sit up again.

Despite the convincing VFX, we don't feel invested in the gladiator-style battle between the two, our relationship with the characters remaining robotic. I also didn't care much for the forced EVS lesson in the end - I wish our filmmakers would write scripts that make us feel the message rather than hold it up in neon towards the end like the moral stories we read as kids.

2.0 looks and feels like an extravaganza. It's the kind of ambitious film that you wish would succeed if only for the obvious effort put into it by the team. But if you ask me which film I prefer, Enthiran or 2.0, I'd go with the first one any day. Dot.

Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.

(Source: TNM)

The women of 'Kaala': How Pa Ranjith's film breaks gender moulds in Tamil cinema

Whether it's Zarina, Selvi or Puyal, Pa Ranjith's women characters are refreshingly different from the usual ones we see in Tamil cinema, writes Sowmya Rajendran in The News Minute. Read on: 

Note: This is not a review. Spoilers ahead.

Pa Ranjith's Kaala will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Kabali, his first collaboration with Rajinikanth. Kaala, which released on Thursday, sees a more confident and assertive director, someone who appears to have figured out how to use Rajinikanth's larger-than-life image to make films that challenge the mainstream.

Social thinkers and anti-caste revolutionaries like BR Ambedkar and Periyar have spoken extensively about the intersection of caste with other identities, especially that of gender. Ranjith, who has been vocal about caste oppression, in his art and real-life actions, also recognises this.

His women characters in Kabali came as a pleasant surprise, given the levels of misogyny usually present in a Rajinikanth film.

Kumudhavalli (Radhika Apte) and Yogi (Sai Dhansika) defied several stereotypes of women characters in Tamil cinema. They were not merely decorative; they talked back to Kabali (Rajinikanth), and Yogi even protected him from the villains. Ranjith also did away with ideas of purity and honour that are considered vital for women characters in Tamil films - Kabali goes in search of Kumudhavalli despite knowing he might find her in a brothel; he adopts Meena (Riythvika) who allows men to molest her for money so she can buy drugs; he does not lecture Yogi on her appearance or behaviour, as far from the norm in Rajinikanth films as they are.

In Kaala, too, Ranjith's women characters rise above the roles usually relegated to them.

It starts right from the animation strip we're shown at the beginning of the film, explaining how war began with the origin of private property. It's common for popular art to depict the evolution of 'mankind' only through male representations. However, the animation strip in Kaala shows women hunters and gatherers along with the men. Interestingly, the women disappear as the wars for land become an established practice.

Patriarchy is intertwined with the origin of private property; and though poets have waxed eloquent about a beautiful woman 'triggering' war between nations, the actual reason has simply been a desire for land and power.

Kaala, which revisits the Ramayana and sets it in the hotbed of contemporary politics, sets the tone with its little hark back to history.

Zarina
Interestingly, though the film makes overt comparisons to the Ramayana, it is difficult to say who Sita is in it.

The only character who comes closest to the Sita of the epic is Huma Qureshi's Zarina - she is someone Kaala (Rajinikanth, who plays Ravana) desires but cannot have. They were meant to be together but they are separated by flames twice in the film (like Lanka going up in flames during Rama's righteous war in the epic). Kaala is married to Selvi (Easwari Rao), who is kind towards Zarina though she has her insecurities about her - much like Ravana's wife Mandodari.

Zarina is also a single mother, like Sita was, after she was abandoned in the epic.

The Rama in Kaala, represented by Hari dada ('Hari' is another name for Vishnu), is not romantically interested in Zarina. The first time he hears her Muslim-sounding name, he asks her to repeat it, with a slight distaste on his face. He displays his abject disrespect for women with that casual line on a 'pombala' (woman) not being able to survive on her own. Then, he humiliates her by expecting her to touch his feet. Zarina's version of a trial by fire she must endure for the greater good?

Was Zarina merely added to the script to give Rajinikanth another heroine to boost his ego? I don't think so. Zarina is a fair-skinned, assertive woman who was educated abroad. She is also romantically interested in Kaala, despite knowing he is married. In a Rajini film, this would automatically make her the villain - remember Nilambari of Padayappa?

Instead, we have a Zarina who calls Kaala by his name, has agitated political disagreements with him (this is important, too - women rarely have such discussions with men in Tamil cinema), but is still his friend who understands her boundaries. And surprise, surprise, it is Kaala who jokingly compliments her on how young she looks - a certificate that's reserved for the Thalaivar in his films.

There's a scene when she speaks in English to Selvi, Kaala's wife, and translates it to Tamil - a perfect opportunity to showcase her condescension or arrogance. But Pa Ranjith changes it to an endearing moment of bonding between these two women.

Zarina also reminds Kaala that just as he has changed, she too isn't the Zarina of the past. When Kaala recounts their first meeting as young people, he tells Zarina that he noticed how she draped her shawl over her shoulders when he set his eyes on her. In the shot after Hari dada humiliates her by expecting her to fall at his feet, an angry Zarina drapes her dupatta over her shoulder as she walks out of the house - but the expression on her face is sheer rage and defiance. Not shame, not modesty.

Selvi
Selvi has shades of Kumudhavalli to her, but she doesn't have the latter's sophistication. She is the only one Kaala is afraid of, the only one who can shout him down.

The casting of Easwari Rao in this role in itself surprised several people. Though she is at least two decades younger than Rajinikanth in real life, she is much older than the women who've usually played his heroine. She is also much darker than the average Kollywood heroine, a factor which held her back in her career.

Selvi may not advise Kaala on his political moves; she may even strike us as naive. But it is Selvi who points out to her daughters-in-law that though Hari dada looks like a nice man, he is a casteist person who won't even drink water at their home.

It's also Selvi who orders everyone to leave the room so Kaala and Zarina can have a private moment together when they meet after years. This is in sharp contrast to how the women in Hari dada's home behave - they are kept to the background, confined to their quarters when the patriarch of the family is having his discussions in the drawing room.

When Kaala comes back after a dinner with Zarina, an annoyed Selvi tells him to book her tickets to Thirunelveli. Why? So that she may see her past lover, too! The scene is tender, comic and surprising all at once. It's not what one would expect Rajinikanth's heroine to say at all. She is also not the overly sentimental mom you find in Tamil cinema, even slightly mocking her sons when they are being dramatic.

Puyal
Kaala's to be daughter-in-law, the fiery Puyal (Anjali Patil) stands up to goons and politicians without fear. She's also a delightful subversion of the 'marumagal' role, calling Kaala by name and openly pooh-poohing her to-be-mother-in-law. And nobody reprimands her for the sass.

Because Puyal isn't just Kaala's son's girlfriend. She's an activist who has a mind of her own. She is in the front line of every protest in her area, speaking out boldly even as her boyfriend tries to rein her in.

The defining scene in Kaala's gender politics is when Puyal is stripped by policemen trying to quell a protest. They remove her salwar bottom and throw it. The senior cop watches in sadistic pleasure as she crawls towards the piece of cloth. But Puyal does not pick up the cloth, she picks up the stick next to it. She rises, partially undressed, and rushes towards the police to beat them black and blue once again.

Contrast this to Rajinikanth's Endhiran, in which a woman commits suicide because the robot carried her naked to the road (the robot was saving her from a fire, by the way). With this one scene, Pa Ranjith succeeds in demolishing years of morality lessons on 'chastity' and 'honour' that Tamil cinema has delivered.

Kaala's minor women characters, too, are palpably different. Beemji's mother remains defiant even after her son is murdered; women speak vocally about their sexual needs in a discussion on housing facilities; women dare policemen to shoot them dead when they are protesting; even the child who throws the first fistful of black powder on Hari dada in the end (which reminded me of the last scene in Fandry), is a girl. When the people of Dharavi strike, it is the men who cook meals for everyone.

Like Kabali, Ranjith's second film will lead to many discussions in the coming days. Not everyone will embrace Kaala. But at least, Ranjith cannot be accused of not walking the talk. Kaala's women will stay with us longer than box-office numbers and ticket sales. That is the victory of art over time, epic over mere story.

Spiritual Superstar, political war cry: Full text of Rajinikanth’s speech

On Sunday morning, actor Rajinikanth made the dramatic announcement of his entry into politics. Here is the full text of his speech:

To those of you who are giving me life, people of Tamil Nadu, friends in the media, those who are watching me on TV, my love and wishes to you.

First, I don't know how to praise my fans. For the past six days, all of you have been disciplined, without disturbing anyone. This discipline is enough, we can achieve anything.

(Thanks fans, organisers, neighbours, media and police officials for their cooperation during his fan meet.)

There has been too much hype, no? (laughs) (applause)

I did not hype it up, it happened on its own.

I am not scared of entering politics, I am scared of the media.

Even big shots tremble with fear while facing the media, but I am still a baby, imagine how it is for me? Whenever I enter or leave my home, they shove their mics and ask me questions. If I say anything, it becomes a debate. Day before yesterday, one reporter stuck a mic and asked, “Sir, what are your policies?”

Policies? (laughs) My head spun for two minutes. Please leave me, I am small fry. Cho has scared me about the media long back. He told me that you have to be very careful with the media, he told me as a media-person himself. I miss Cho at this moment. If he was near me now, it would have felt like having the strength of 10 elephants with me. His soul will always be with me.

Now, I will come to the point.

“Karmanye Vaadhika-raste, Maa Phaleshu Kadachana,” Krishna told Arjuna in Kurukshetra (Mahabharata). “You do your duty, I will take care of the rest. Go to war, if you win you will rule. If you die, you will die a hero.”

If you don’t go to war, they will call you a coward.

I have already finished everything. I just have to shoot the arrow.

My entry into politics is certain. (“Naa Arasiyal-ku Varuvadhu Urudhi.)

(Wild, extended applause)

This is the compulsion of the times.

In the upcoming state assembly polls, I will start my own political party, and contest in all the 234 constituencies in Tamil Nadu. 

Before that, the local body elections will be held. But there isn’t enough time, so we will not contest in that. As for Parliamentary elections, I will decide when the time comes.

I am not entering politics for money or fame. You have given that to me beyond my dreams, a 1000 times over.

If I wanted political status, I could have taken the throne in 1996 itself. I refused  it, saying I don’t want it. When I did not desire power at 45, do you think I would when I am 65? If I did, am I not a mad man. Will I be eligible to call myself a spiritual person?

So, if not for political power, then what else?

Politics has become very rotten. Democracy has decayed. 

The political events of Tamil Nadu in the past year has made every person in Tamil Nadu hang their head in shame. People from every other state are laughing at us.

At this point, if I don’t take decisive action, the guilt that I did not even attempt to do something good in a democratic manner for the people who have given me life, will haunt me till my death.

It has to be changed, everything has to be changed. The time for political change has come. System has to be changed. We need a truthful, honest, principled, transparent politics, not influenced by caste or religion, we need a spiritual politics. That is my goal, my desire and my aim.

I cannot do it alone. All Tamil people have to come together and support me.

I know this is not easy, to contest elections and win. It s like diving into the deep seas for pearls.

Only if we have the grace of God, the love, trust, respect and support of people, can we achieve this. I am fully confident that we will get the grace of God and the support of people.

In olden days, when Kings go to war and win, they plunder the coffers of the enemy. The commanders and soldiers will loot the people. Today, in the name of democracy people are being looted by politicians. They come to power and cheat people in several ways. Kings used to plunder foreign countries, here our politicians plunder our own country.

This has to be changed, it has to be changed democratically.

The party worker is the most important part of any party. It is the party worker who becomes an MLA or MP or CM. But I won’t call them party workers. I don’t want party workers, I want protectors. I want protectors who ensure that if we come to power, the people get what they are entitled to. I want protectors who do not go to MLA, MPs or officers out of self-interest. I want protectors who hold party workers, leaders and officers accountable, when we come to power.

I will be the people’s representative who will keep the protectors in check. I will be the representative of the people, who will select the right person for the right position at the right time. We need an army or protectors for this, and we need to create it.

I have several thousand fan clubs, in village and cities all across the state. The unregistered ones are twice as many. We need to get the unregistered clubs registered, and unite them all together. This is an important task, and our first task.

This is not cinema, this is politics. It is not enough if we change, we need to bring others on board, including youngsters, women and children. Every corner of the state should have our club. This is our first task. Then we have to prepare for the democratic challenge with discipline and decorum.

Till then, let’s not talk politics, this includes me. Don’t criticise other political leaders and parties until then. Don’t get into political activism. There are others who are there for that. There are already people in the political pond, and they have to swim otherwise they will drown. We know how to swim, but let’s not swim on the ground. When we get into the pond, we will swim.

We will prepare our army, and right before the state elections, we will launch the party, tell the people our plan of action, tell them what we can do and what we can’t, and if we cannot do what we promised, we will resign within 3 years.

Truth, hard work and progress is our motto. My principle is to think good, speak good, do good, and good things will happen.

Our army will be there in the next state assembly elections.

Long Live Tamil Nadu, may Tamil people progress.

Jai Hind.

(Source: TNM)

Rajinikanth enters politics after decades of speculation, to form own political party

On the last day of 2017, the superstar announced his political entry at a fan-packed Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam in Chennai.

The decades long guessing game has finally come to an end. Superstar Rajinikanth, the actor loved by the masses in Tamil Nadu and beyond, has officially announced his entry into politics.

On Sunday, dressed in a white kurta and pants, Rajinikanth walked into the Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam in Chennai’s T Nagar to an audience of excited fans and TV cameras that were ready to finally capture the moment. As Rajini walked on stage, the fans cheered for their ‘Thalaivar’, who had announced an announcement less than a week ago.

And minutes later, the question that Tamil Nadu has been asking for decades was answered in six simple words: "My entry into politics is certain."

To a roaring audience, Rajinikanth said, "I will form my own political party and contest from all 234 seats in the next assembly election."

He further added, "About Lok Sabha polls, I will decide then. I am not here for money or fame, you have already given that to me a thousand times over. I am not enamored by position or post. At 45, I didn't have that, at 68 will I get that? Will I not be a mad man then? Am I not deserving of being called a spiritual?"

Lamenting about the state of politics in Tamil Nadu, Rajinikanth said, “In the past one year, events in TN politics have made people of Tamil Nadu hang their head in shame. At this time if I don't take this decision, it is not fair to the people who made me live. The guilt would have followed me to the grave. We have to change, we have to change everything fast.”

Talking about his vision, Rajinikanth said, “Devoid of caste, a spiritual governance, spiritual politics, honesty and transparency. That's my goal.”

Addressing his fans, the superstar said, “I cannot do this on my own, this is like taking pearl from sea, God's grace, people's love, respect and cooperation and support, all these are needed to achieve this. I fully believe I will get god's grace and people's support.”

"The party worker is the most important part of any party. But I don't want party workers, I want protectors. I want protectors who ensure that no one acts out of selfishness. I want protectors who hold leaders accountable. I am the representative of a a group of protectors. Every corner of state should have our office that is our first task. Till then, do not talk politics, including me. Don't talk about other politicians, don't protest," he added.

In his vintage style, Rajinikanth told his fans that there has been too much build up regarding his political entry. "I didn't create the build up," he said.

"I'm not scared about entering politics. Only scared of media. Greatest people are scared of media. They ask me something, I reply and it becomes a debate. Someone asked me about my goals and I got dizzy. Cho (Ramaswamy) scared me. He said please be very careful with media," he said.

While there has been speculation for years now that Rajini has a special affection towards the BJP, especially after Narendra Modi met him at his residence ahead of the 2014 General Elections, Rajini did not commit to either joining the party or supporting them.

Rajinikanth’s political entry is seen by many as rather late in the day, especially as he has been flirting with politics for several decades now. In 1996, the actor had taken a strong political stand against Jayalalithaa ahead of the Assembly elections that year. In a speech, Rajini said, “Even God can’t save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa returns to power.” The statement is believed to have turned the tide in the favour of the DMK-Tamil Manila Congress combine in that election.

While Rajini has apologised for the comment in recent years, it has been quoted time and again as an example of the sway that a star like him holds on the people, when it comes to political decisions.

So what will Rajini’s end game be? Political analysts believe that the superstar is likely to announce his own party in a while, and that he will be aiming for the Chief Minister’s chair by the next Assembly elections. However, whether the actor turned politician will be able to sway the votes towards him the same way that he was able to 20 years ago, is a question that many are asking.

(Source: TNM)

Tamil films: How north Chennai marks its presence while Kodambakkam thrives

Chennai was born in the north and grew southward. While places in south and west such as West Mambalam, Adyar or Egmore neighbourhoods of Mani Ratnam or Gautam Menon (kings of the Chennai padam), ruled Tamil cinema for long, north Chennai is fast making inroads into cinematic storytelling.

‘Enga area ulla varadhe… Enga area ulla varadhe!’ sings a school-uniform wearing Dhanush. ‘Pudhupettai, Kasimedu, Ennooru, Vyasarpadi - enga area. Anna Nagar, KK Nagar, T Nagar, Boat Club - unga area.’ “This is our area, don’t you dare enter it,” is roughly how the song in Pudhupettai (2006) goes, demarcating rich neighbourhoods in the centre, west and south of Chennai from ghettos up north.

Chennai was born in the north and grew southward. “North Chennai traditionally had factories - it’s more working class,” says film historian and wildlife conservationist Theodore Baskaran. It was the south that became the new ‘Madras’ with its wealthy residential localities and the middle class. Today, north Chennai lies neglected by fellow residents and the powers that be. And traditionally it used to be neglected by cinema too. “This is because there is just no place to shoot in north Chennai,” says AR Venkatachalapathy, historian, and Professor at Madras Institute of Development Studies. “Unless you want a film to be set in the north, which we’re seeing as a new trend now.”

It’s a substantial trend in a city that defines Tamil cinema and is defined by it. North Chennai was the setting for a bunch of post-2000 movies: Gemini, Pudhupettai, Polladhavan, Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara and Madras. Tamil movies frequently immortalise the abandoned north - usually through unforgettable villains like ‘Pattasu’ Balu (Thiruppachi) and Selvam (Polladhavan), and occasionally through the hero, as in Pudhupettai. “North Chennai is now getting its representation through gaana paatu (city folk songs on poverty, life in the slums, love, loss and struggles) and in movies based entirely on the locality like Irudhi Suttru for example,” Baskaran says.

So when Madras (2014), set in the northern Chennai neighbourhood of Vyasarpadi, arrived, it did a daring thing - saying that north Chennai was Madras, not the West Mambalam, Adyar or Egmore neighbourhoods of Mani Ratnam or Gautam Menon, kings of the Chennai padam. In Madras, filmmaker Pa Ranjith (who went on to make Kabali) detailed a rich account of everyday life in the slums - that it’s not just gangsters who live there as seen in Pudhupettai, but also hip-hop lovers, working class men, women and IT professionals, giving the world a fuller vision of Chennai’s thriving Dalit communities.

But north Chennai has an unexpected older connection to the movies - printing presses. This is where aspiring lyricists and scriptwriters come to start their career. Take 26-year-old Padmavathy, who moved to Chennai from Tiruchi, determined to become a lyricist. Padma loved writing couplets and poems in Tamil, and found her way gradually into films after a chance participation in a TV show and when people started recognising her on the street after.

“I enjoyed the publicity and the praise, but my one dream was to live in Chennai and settle down in Saligramam or Kodambakkam, because it’s where most directors and people from Tamil cinema live. My father wanted me to settle down in Australia.”

She found herself a house in Velachery in south Chennai and made a beeline to north Chennai in search of cheap printing presses for her first book - an accepted mode for the struggling writer. She printed dozens and dozens of copies of her poems and songs, and then handed them to every director she could find. Her friends with more genteel aspirations wondered how ‘safe’ she would be, travelling to that part of the city. “Local area nu solluvaangale… [People would call it ‘local’ in a derogatory way]. I’d buy a 50-rupee bus pass for the day and travel to Parrys, Chintadripet, Pudupet…” And one of those books (ironically printed in a press in south Chennai) led to her first break. Today, Padma assists directors with film scripts and TV series, and writes lyrics.

It’s in north Chennai that 24-year-old assistant director Muthu Rasa Kumar has had the most fun; it was his favourite area in the city, simply because it used to remind him of home, Madurai. His anecdotes of north Chennai are cinematic. “The place is fun, joyous - ellarum sagajam-aa iruppaanga [everyone’s simple and easygoing]. Even a bus ride there is eventful; once a couple of people were talking about a death in their friend’s family; a minute later they broke into a gaana paatu!”

Kumar and Padma are classic strugglers in the Tamil film industry, or Kollywood as it is known, and their knowledge of Chennai is intimate.

When Muthu Rasa Kumar was a student (he was pursuing an MA in Journalism from Madras University; he was innocently convinced this would somehow lead to an AD job), he loved to roam the city - there was the scenic Marina Beach Road in Santhome, which was starkly different at night from what it was in the morning, ECR with its temples and proximity to Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry, Pattinappakkam much further away… “We [friends and I] used to stay overnight on Marina Beach on some days; sometimes the police would chase us, sometimes they’d tell us the good spots for sleeping. I’d talk to the tea sellers and the ice cream sellers, who’d do brisk business at night and they’d tell me all the crime spots,” Kumar says with a laugh.

Chennai, predictably for a city with a major movie industry (by December 23, 2016, Chennai had produced 196 movies that year), has always attracted cinema hopefuls from Tamil Nadu’s villages, who dream of making it big. Muthu Rasa Kumar bolted from Thenkarai, his small village in Madurai, via the superfast Nellai Express to the crowded Egmore station in Chennai, with hopes of becoming an assistant director. As soon as he arrived, Kumar made his way to bustling Triplicane to stay at a ‘mansion’ with three of his friends, who were already cramped in one room.

A mansion anywhere denotes a ‘large and impressive dwelling’ (think Beverly Hills or Kozhikode or Ahmedabad). But not in Triplicane, where space is hard to come by but rents are cheap, the variety of food never disappoints, and where cows roam with style. In Triplicane, mansions are beehive buildings brimming with bachelors - tiny rooms filled with rickety beds that house at least three people. The mansions have seen a number of cinema hopefuls - from the poet Kannadasan to director Bharathiraja to actor Raghuvaran. Triplicane, an area that’s older than Chennai, is a heterogenous mix with agraharams (traditional row houses occupied by brahmins), the stately residence of the Nawab of Arcot, the Pallava-built Parthasarathy Swamy Temple, the Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, Chepauk cricket stadium and Vivekananda House, a salmon pink building that was originally built to store US-imported ice, but now celebrates Swami Vivekananda.

Triplicane isn’t the only mainstay of mansions - strugglers today stay in and around Vadapalani. There is another mansion in T Nagar, near the Mambalam station, full of hopefuls: it’s where directors Balaji Sakthivel (Kadhal) and KS Thangasamy (Raattinam) stayed when they were trying to make it big. Another in T Nagar called the Club House housed the famous actor-comedian Nagesh and later, lyricist Vaali.

For those who run away from their villages to realise their love for Tamil cinema - like Padma and Kumar - there is a knowledge that their dreams will be made in the Chennai neighbourhood called Kodambakkam. In Chennai’s west lies the greater Kodambakkam area - comprising Saligramam, Vadapalani and Valasaravakkam, and to an extent West Mambalam and T Nagar - home to the Tamil movie industry.

Forty two year old Ajayan Bala’s journey began in Pazhavanthangal, a suburb in Chennai. In 1995, inflamed by directorial ambitions, he moved to Kodambakkam where he stayed in a friend’s room at Director’s Colony and then to Samiyar Madam. Today, Bala, a writer-director resides comfortably in that cosy Kollywood hub, Saligramam.

Kodambakkam and Tamil cinema are inseparable bedfellows, just ask any Tamilian. Kodambakkam, according to one story, derives its name from when the Prince of Arcot kept his stables there. The “unpaved roads were often described as a ‘garden of horses’ or ‘ghoda bagh’” and thus the name became Kodambakkam. City historian V Sriram dismisses this theory and gives us a more probable one instead - that the earliest British records, dating back to 1661, refer to the place as ‘Corumbat’ and ‘Codamback’.

It was here that film studios were set up by the mid-1940s (the first studio to come up here was in 1935). Film historian Randor Guy writes that the Madras Electric Supply Corporation had built a power house in Kodambakkam but found no takers for it, which is why film studios were encouraged to establish their business there - there was Rohini, Film Centre, Bharani Studios, Vikram Studios, Golden Studios, Vauhini Studios and the world famous AVM. That’s how the area became the hub for Tamil cinema. Since studios were self-contained, all the shooting took place on sets. Kollywood was derived as an annoying yet inevitable portmanteau of Kodambakkam and Hollywood. And obviously, Kodambakkam became a subject for many movies and found a place in songs.

Raja Chinna Roja (1989) with Rajinikanth and Gautami in the lead was based on Raja’s (Rajinikanth) struggles to get into Tamil films - the early parts portray how difficult it was for an aspiring actor to find a house in the city while also trying to get noticed: Raja visits studio after studio in Kodambakkam. Recently, Cheran’s Maya Kannadi (Mirror of Illusion) and Velli Thirai (Silver Screen, starring Malayalam actor Prithviraj) portray similar epic scrambles by the heroes.

In that way, Kodambakkam was self-sufficient. Not only did it house studios, but it was also home for costume makers such as Nathrang & Co (which set up shop in 1900) and K Nadhamuni & Sons (established in 1910), which has now shifted to Sowcarpet in north Chennai. Back then there was a need for grand outfits of kings, queens and princes, for swords and wigs. But with the drop in mythology-based films, these shops stick to supplying to theatre companies or school plays.

The same trend is happening with studios. “There aren’t many studios anymore - shooting takes place everywhere else. In fact, in and around Kodambakkam is where a lot of TV actors, not film actors, prefer to stay for the proximity to studios,” says actor-historian Mohan Raman.

T Nagar, that bustling neighbourhood which lies to the south of Kodambakkam, a once well-planned and peaceful locality with parks, temples, playgrounds and housing area, attracted actors such as MK Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, NS Krishnan, Vyjayanthimala, NT Rama Rao, Manorama and Sivaji Ganesan, who all at one point (from the 1930s, Sivaji Ganesan’s family still resides there) took up residence there. Today, T Nagar has been transformed into a major shopping district, comprising Ranganathan Street with its wild traffic, Pondy Bazaar with its even wilder shoppers, Usman Road with its glittering gold shops and Panagal Park’s textile showrooms that never lack crowds.

In this part of Chennai, you can easily navigate by the stars. You could go from Sivaji Ganesan’s house on South Boag Road (now renamed after the actor to Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Road) to Suriya to Simbu’s home. Ganesan’s house is a historic residence bought by the actor’s father 55 years ago which proudly shows off an art deco style facade.

The new crop of actors from Ajith to Dhanush however have expanded their real estate reach to Neelankarai, ECR, CIT Colony, Besant Nagar, in the affluent south.

Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, contemporaries and iconoclasts, have always done things differently - the former lives in Poes Garden in Alwarpet (his very famous neighbour was Jayalalithaa) and the latter on Eldams Road near Hotel Samco, also in Alwarpet - an upscale residential locality in central Chennai. Only recently, has Haasan’s modest landmark house been turned into his office with the actor taking up residence in Neelankarai, far away in South Chennai.

Miles to the east lies Nungambakkam - a leafy residential area complete with commercial establishments that makes it quite central to the city. At the intersection of Nungambakkam High Road and Mount Road lies the Gemini (named after the erstwhile Gemini studios that was situated nearby) or the Anna Flyover (as it’s now known) that is a staple in the establishing shots of most Tamil films. Mount Road has given Tamil cinema numerous locations to shoot at: The LIC Building, which has stood the test of time but has now given way to other landmarks. Spencer Plaza, a cult ‘90s favourite (it was a popular landmark back then; Shankar’s Boys featured the mall in the song Enakkoru Girlfriend Venumada), but for 40-something Ajayan Bala, the Film Chamber at Anna Salai (the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce) is where most of his memories reside, for it’s where he formed many of his scripts.

There was a time when hopefuls used to wait outside directors’ houses (because they couldn’t get into studios easily) to hand them their portfolios, explains Raman, and that there are people who still do - but in offices. “If you go to director Shankar’s office, a bunch of people will be waiting to hand over their photos which will be collected by the AD,” he says.

A lot has changed in as little as 10 years, explains Venkatachalapathy. “The pool of aspirants has become wide - they’re getting increasingly middle class; they’re graduates. Earlier, no one below the age of 35 could become a director, but now you have all these short cuts.” Short films, according to him, are one. Technology, is another, that has brought costs down. “Today, you can make a film with Rs 1 crore,” he says.

Where do the fans - as storied a feature of Tamil cinemas the heroes - appear in the geography of Chennai? Thirty-year-old Aditya* talks about several instances where AR Rahman’s fans have been known to do just about anything to meet him, wait any number of hours to meet him.

But for those who believe in the more direct, less serendipitous approach there is a new method to the madness.

Social media is the key to get into films, says an executive producer, who did not want to be named. “First, these kids go on Facebook and figure out which one of their friends has a common friend with the director they want to work with. Then they start working on the contact. Once they’ve established someone who will put them in touch with the director, they go all out: Send pictures, links to their Facebook page, short film list, portfolio, etc.”

It has to be also said that young upcoming actors these days are richer or slightly well off. Or they are ‘star’ kids or children of producers. So the requirement to go through rigorous steps of being noticed doesn’t quite exist.

Says Baskaran: “There are many film schools today - Rajiv Menon’s LV Prasad Film & TV Academy, Adyar Film Institute - where youngsters enroll and then get contacts.”

Fans are no different: “It used to be that fans would wait to meet stars like MGR or NTR outside their homes only because the shooting was confined to studios or villages. But now, shooting takes place all over the world. Moreover, actors are more than happy to interact with fans on social media. Or they have their various rasigar mandrams (fan clubs), and actors meet fans on their birthdays,” says Raman.

The need to hang out outside directors’ houses is a thing of the past: Kollywood is online, so are the strugglers and the fans. But every neighbourhood of Chennai is marked by cinema.

(Source: HT)

Ripples in Tamil Nadu after Rajinikanth speaks about 'power'

Superstar Rajinikanth's recent statement about liking "power" sent ripples through Tamil Nadu - till he clarified that he had spoken in context of spiritualism. There has been speculation that Rajinikanth might launch his own political party, reportedly with support from the BJP, which wants to make inroads in the south Indian state. Many believed that the actor, who has stayed away from politics, was unhappy with the current state of affairs in Tamil Nadu politics.

On social media, many clubbed this with the void left by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who died in December last year, after spending months in hospital. Fans even sent him SOS messages after Jayalalithaa's long-time friend and companion, VK Sasikala, was picked for the Chief Minister's post by the ruling AIADMK.

Though Rajinikanth's appreciation for Jayalalithaa grew over the years, in 1996, the superstar's famous statement, that "even god can't save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa was voted to power" led to her defeat. A decade later, his views took a 180-degree turn, when he praised her as "the reincarnation of (goddess) ashtalakshmi". He lives near Jayalalithaa's upscale Poes Garden residence. But the actor has managed to keep his distance from politics.

Even during the campaign for Lok Sabha elections in 2014, when Narendra Modi had met Rajinikanth, the superstar refrained from being actively involved in politics.

The BJP, which does not have much of a presence Tamil Nadu, has been looking an opportunity to make inroads in the state, convincing the 66-year-old actor to join politics. Sources in the party say that efforts in this regard have increased significantly in the wake of the void left by Jayalalithaa after her death.

Rajinikanth, however, clarified later that when he spoke of "power", he meant it in a spiritual sense. "If money and fame are kept on one side and if I am asked whether I would want spirituality instead, I would pick spirituality because it has so much power. I am someone who likes power. Don't mistake me," he added.

(Source: NDTV)

Chennai's last big movie library shuts shop

It was the offline IMDb for over three decades, assisting local film-makers by giving them ideas from around the world, sparking lively discussions about films, and, in those old days, even providing a much-needed break for stressed out doctors. But as the medium changed from discs to the internet, ‘Tic Tac movie Rentals’, the haven for cinema buffs here, is finally downing its shutters on Sunday.

It was in 1983 that the family of movie buffs, who had all of 72 video tapes, thought they could simply rent them out. Within a few years, Tic Tac at RA Puram went on to have over 35,000 tapes, and along with it came streams of regulars both celebrities and the common man, all connected by their love for films.

“Several movie stars are a part of this shop’s growth. Kamal Haasan’s membership number is 846. He used to come with Saritha. Shankar used to come rent movies from me,” said Prakash Kumar, who counts actors including Ajith, Khushbu, Siddharth, Mahesh Babu and Dulquer Salman among his customers.

And then there were the directors. Prakash could tell what genre a director’s next movie would be. “All I had to do was to look into their rental history. If they were going have a bank robbery scene, I would send all movies with bank robbery scenes through their assistants.”

But the cult was built by the film lovers who thronged the shop. Like Rajamani Rajkumar, now a businessman, who still remembers his introduction with Tic Tac. “May 1985. I remember precisely. We were a bunch of rogues who were going on a trip to Kodaikanal and wanted a few films. But there, I found more than what I wanted.

When I saw Prakash’s enthusiasm for cinema and this library, I took a personal interest. We made it bigger by collecting titles from all over the world, from friends and acquaintances. We even had libraries from other parts of the country like Mumbai who came down to check where the hell these people were sourcing their movies from.”

“It used to be a haven. I used to be so crazy about movies that I even worked there for some time so that I could have free access to films,” said another faithful, Krishnan Arumugan.

Added Chetan Shah, a Chennai-based filmmaker who is a regular to the shop, “I used to meet others film lovers who would tell me what I should not miss. We used to have discussions and formed a network.”

Prakash still remembers his doctor clients who would religiously rent movies every day but not fully. “Oliyum Oliyum on Doordarshan was the only entertainment people had then. So these doctors would rent movies and watch the first half an hour to take their mind off work and go to sleep.”

“When internet had not penetrated deep enough, we were the local IMDB,” Prakash quipped.
What changed the game was the transformation from analogue to digital. The shop that lived through times of video tapes, Laser Disks (LDs) and even VCDs and DVDs, was stopped with the advent of the age of the internet. “Each time a new format came out, we would reinvest on the same movie. We simply had to have James Bond in tapes, LDs and CDs and Blu Rays.” But now, Prakash does not see a new format that could fill the shelves again.

“The entry of Burma Bazaar (pirated copies) and big players like Amazon, Netflix and Hotstar streaming online has pretty much-made movie renting a business with a weak revenue model.” From online booking to free delivery and pick up, Prakash tried everything to build a sustainable business model, only to be confronted by a newer threat to the business.

After the news about the shop shutting down spread, several regulars have been flocking the place to visit it one last time and to take a selfie, leaning on the DVD racks. Prakash is overwhelmed by the number of people visiting him ‘one last time’, only to ask him if there was another way he could run the business. “Some even suggested crowd-sourcing funds using social media. But how long will that go on for?”

“I put my best efforts to sustain the legacy of this shop. Right now, the only thing that lives is the legacy, not really the shop.”says Prakash Kumar.

(Source: The New India Express) 

Book review: Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography

My latest is a book review of Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography by Naman Ramachandran. Here's the link.