Mani Matters...

It's so hard to write about a man who talks very less. However, I find it very compelling to write about one of the greatest directors in Indian cinema- Mani Ratnam.

Many of Mani Ratnam's movies have been top award winners, most notably Nayagan, Roja and Mouna Ragam. Mani Ratnam is credited with making some of the best movies that have come out in Tamil Cinema. However, he is also known for the dialogues which are so sparingly used in his movies. One thing that stands out his movies is the characterization of his actors. Some of his characters which have been created have become so etched in the memory, that it is very hard to forget Velu Naickar (Kamal Haasan in Nayagan), Surya (Rajini Kanth in Thalapathi), Devaraj (Mamooty in Thalapathi),Anjali (Shamili in Anjali), Karthik (Madhavan in Alaipayuthey), Inba (Madhavan in Ayitha Ezhuthu), Michael Vasanth (Surya in Ayitha Ezhuthu), Gurukant Desai (Abhishek Bachchan in Guru) and quite recently- Veerayya a.k.a. Veera (Vikram in Raavanan).

If there is one man who can make even a stone act it's Mani Ratnam. His performance as a director is overshadowed by the performance of Shamili, who played the role of an autistic child who is loved by her family, detested by her society earlier and later how the same society learns to like her and love her. Such stories do not come every day in Indian cinema and such stories are very very hard to direct.

There have also been some movies of his which have been critically acclaimed such as Bombay, which is based on the Mumbai riots of 1993. One other critically acclaimed movie is Iruvar- featuring Mohanlal and Prakashraj in lead roles, a story loosely based on the lives of Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister- Mr. M.G.Ramachandran and current Tamil Nadu Chief Minister- Mr. M. Karunanidhi. This movie did not make it big at the box office, however, it is known for the directorial brilliance showcased by Mani Ratnam. Probably one of the finest movies that Indian cinema has ever seen or known, for ages to come.

Some of his other efforts include the movies- Kannathil Muthamittal and Dil Se, which form the terrorism trilogy alongwith Roja. The 3 movies- Roja, Kannathil Muthamittal and Dil Se- focus on 3 of the Sub-continent's most violent areas. Roja- Kashmir, Kannathil- Sri Lanka and Dil Se- North East India. Mani Ratnam is also credited for the blockbuster romantic story- Alaipayuthey and for one other movie treading on political lines- Ayitha Ezhuthu (Yuva in Hindi).

Everyone has a peak and a crest. That goes the same for even Mani Ratnam. The latest position that Mani Ratnam has got himself into is that he has apparently forgotten how audiences receive movies in various parts of the country. Raavan and Raavanan (the tamil version of Raavan) was released simultaneously. Raavanan did better than its Hindi counterpart, thanks to some apparently better acting by Vikram, who plays the "title role". One flaw with the Mani Ratnam of recent times is that he is more intent on creating movies as bi-linguals and tri-linguals, mindless of who acts in the movie and how well a movie is accepted in each region. For example: Raavanan need not have been made as a tri-lingual. It seemed more of an effort to showcase Ash-Abhi on screen, after a good one in Guru. It must also be noted that there was a lot of effort for Raavan- the sets, the stunts, the entire crew which had put in months of hard work to make such a movie must be praised.

Adding to that is the legendary A.R. Rahman - Mani Ratnam combination. It has worked so well in the past but somehow failed to live up to expectations with the Tamil audio of Raavanan. It was so apparent that the lyrics was not given much of importance, as they were just made, or rather forced to suit the music that had already been created for Raavan.

Despite all those recent flaws, Mani Ratnam still remains one of THE BEST directors of all time. I know I am not even in the league, where I can critique his works, but still, as an admirer and an avid movie goer, all I can say is Mani Ratnam stands tall among his peers and contemporaries. Let's just hope his next one is far more successful and probably the best to come from him.

Iru thuruvangal... 2 different people...

As the name of my blog suggests- 2 sides to every coin, there is one coin- Tamil Cinema- that has 2 heads. Possibly the only coin to have two heads, but 2 very different heads.

The 2 men in the above image- need no introduction at all. They were both introduced by one of the greatest directors Tamil cinema has ever seen. Both the actors- way too different from each other.

Padmashri Kamal Haasan- known for his aesthetic acting. Pure acting- literally. Having acted in so many movies, he had learnt the in depths of almost every field of Tamil cinema. Aged over 50, but still is the indisputable king when it comes to conceptual acting. Each of his stories are so well designed and intricate. Some of his movies are strictly meant for the insanely intellectual public. Kamal Haasan, controversy and women are inseparable from one another. His personal life apart- Kamal Haasan's contribution to Tamil cinema has been invaluable, thanks to producing some stellar performances in almost any role that he has acted in. 

It has even been said that even Kamal doesn't know his true face. He has donned so many roles, each so very different from the other. One classic example is his movie- Apoorva Sagotharargal, in which he plays the role of both a 6 feet tall man and also a dwarf. The way Kamal Haasan works for each of his movies can never be matched by any other actor. His latest release- Unnaipol Oruvan, though a remake, does not follow the stereotype followed by some actors of remaking the movie down to the hilt. There were quite a few changes and loads of work involved with even that remake movie.

On the other hand- Superstar Rajinikanth. The indisputable baadshah of Tamil cinema. Known for his style and his unique mannerisms, he has won over the Tamil movie industry and has managed to build a palace in the hearts of many a Tamil movie buff. The frenzy and the fanaticism of his fans can never be matched by another actor's fans. Rajinikanth has a truly contrasting style compared to Kamal Haasan. While Kamal is pure acting, the superstar is pure style combined with his own unique style of acting. Some of his best roles include that of the don- Manik Baasha in the movie Baasha, Surya in the Maniratnam directed Thalapathy and also in the movie Mannan. 

Rajini's movies are typically known for the style content rather than for the acting part of it. His meteoric rise to the top of the Tamil movie industry was fuelled by a series of hits starting with the evergreen hit- Billa. Rajinikanth has stayed at the pinnacle of Tamil cinema ever since- thanks to his style and the fanatic fan support that he has. While Kamal has always kept a safe distance from politics, Rajini nearly stepped into the political scenario. Rajinikanth's fan base is located world wide, including Japan- where Muthu (the dancing maharaja) became a massive hit. The superstar has always attracted the younger generation who instantly fall in love with his style (to be honest- I was avoiding saying this, but I cant avoid it anymore- I'm a big big big superstar fan.) The superstar is also a Padma awardee- he won the Padma Bhushan award, for his services to the Indian film industry. Rajinikanth is also the only Tamil actor to feature in a Hollywood movie- namely bloodstone. Also he is the actor to feature in most caricatures and parodies. However, the superstar knows that he cannot be replaced by anyone. 

One thing to admire about the great man is his simplicity. He has been so successful in life, but he still dresses in a white kurtha-pyjama and at most times travels in a white ambassador car (maybe he s still the only one in chennai who has a white ambassador). He has never let his successes get to his head. The superstar is ardent devotee of baba, while Kamal is an atheist. So many differences, small and big, but both of them are such great actors. To be honest- I can be very proud that I have grown up watching these 2 great actors at their peaks.

Truly speaking these two actors can never be compared, but just take a look at their different styles. Despite all their differences, fanatic fan followings, all that, both of them are till date- very good friends, with a lot of respect for each other. Todays' actors have a lot to learn from them- professionally and personally. Hope god gives us all one more chance of watching them together on the same screen in a movie.