When money and power talk...

That title is an indication of what politics is all about. Summarized and characterized by just 2 very simple but very important words. When money and power talk, anyone, absolutely anyone will have to shut up. That s the pity of it all.

A very well educated person. Probably he/she might have topped the I.A.S (Indian Administrative Services) exam, but that person can do nothing but just advice the stupid minister on what should be done. Of course, even if the person is very well educated, there are always 2 ways to get work done. 1- Money (read as bribe). 2- Power (read as threats).

It was a few days back that I was reading these couple of articles in a newspaper. Something that really proves that one can do absolutely anything with these 2 weapons- Money and Power.

As people who might be reading this blog from my hometown, Chennai, would undoubtedly know that Tamil movies which have their title as a proper Tamil name would be granted a tax exemption by the state of Tamilnadu. 1st of all. What's this rule going to bring? A renaissance of sorts for the Tamil movie industry? or is it going to increase the vocabulary? or is it going make our newsreaders and actors say words such as "pazham, vazhkai" properly? or is it going to bring down the pricing of movie tickets at multiplexes? or is it going to reduce the price of petrol? All that it's going to do is just give the movies a good for nothing tax exemption, even when the movie made is hardly of even the lowest possible standard. There are certain big shots in the movie industry who get the tax exemption despite the movie not having a proper Tamil title. The reason- money and powerful positions and people. Now that's politics.

One other article is one which shows how poor the law and order situation is in Chennai at the moment, is one on eve-teasing. Rowdy elements have always been a part of Chennai, but wreaking havoc on ladies travelling in trains is the height of it. Spitting, commenting on the ladies and making sure that other passengers who try to oppose these rowdies are given a hard time and a piece of their minds makes passengers want to desert the trains forever. The railway police are very efficient in sanitizing the trains of vendors and beggars, but are not so very inclined to ensure the safety of the passengers by any means. How come these rowdy elements have a field day? Political backing and support. Politicians need these rowdies and criminals to do their dirty work and in return they get immunity from arrests. Wonder if politicians and policemen would allow these rowdy elements to even exist if they dared to touch their daughters/sisters/friends.

There have been so many girls who have died due to this menace of eve teasing. This will not end until and unless there are good cops who dare to stand up against such anti social elements, good politicians who do not need rowdies and anti social elements to help them win elections and make money for themselves. In fact, it all begins with us- the people- by voting for the right person. Lets make our city, our state and our country a better place for all of us.

P.S: With all due respect to the Chief Minister of TamilNadu (I know you will not be reading this article sir, but it would be nice if action is taken against such anti social activities).

Why Endhiran's parking lot collection = Anjaana Anjaani's box office collection.

Now, I guess the euphoria of Endhiran's release has died down to an extent that I can actually see people looking at other movies these days. A Rajini film is always special to anybody who has watched the SuperStar's movies all these years, but now he has surpassed from being a Star in just the Tamil Cinema industry to become a SuperStar that the world now knows.

There have been so many people who have been wondering why Endhiran has become such a worldwide hit. Eclipsing the box office collections of so many other movies, showcasing a worldwide presence and making it an international phenomenon. Some of the reasons include:

1. Absolutely phenomenal marketing. Thanks to Sun Pictures' marketing team, this movie has been released all over the planet and people who don't know a word of Tamil/Hindi are watching it with subtitles in theaters in the US, Canada and other parts of the world. No other Indian movie has been marketed like this.

2. Starcast. Needless to say. Super Star Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai. This combination can't get any better. Probably the most charismatic Indian actor with one of the most beautiful women on the face of the earth. Who wouldn't want to watch these 2 people share a screen?

3. Shankar. Shankar's other name is Grandeur. Any movie that he has made till now has a high standard of grandeur - with special attention to the sets that he uses for the songs. This is one director who has a penchant for presentation. He has always made movies which really send out a message to the public. Endhiran has been his pet project for over ten years. Due to various circumstances he had not been able to make this movie, but today, no one can make a movie as grand as this one and if anyone can better it, it has got to be Shankar himself.

4. A.R.Rahman. The Shankar - A.R.R combo clicked once again. Rahman's music combined with some good lyrics has made anyone who listened to the songs tap their feet. All the songs were presented brilliantly and noone wants to miss Shankar's special touch for the songs.

5. This is not a typical Super Star movie. This is Shankar's movie rather than showcasing Rajinikanth. Somehow the name of the scientist character, Vaseegaran (meaning one who entices all) seems a little cliched.

6. Special effects - Stan Winston studios did a not so bad job with the special effects for the robots. This could have only been a little better. Had it been a little better, it would certainly have given Terminator a run for it's money.

7. Last but not the least. Even the best of movies, with the best star cast, marketing and music can flop if media do not advertise the movie that much. It's media hype and yes of course word of mouth which makes people go watch the movie in the theatres. The media hype surrounding Endhiran has been positive and has made the movie live quite up to expectations.

The bad guys that I like....

Noone likes bad guys. You like bad guys? I think there might be at least one bad guy from the below list that you, my dear reader might like.

OK. Lets get down to business. There's no top ten here- just the list off the top of my head. If I miss YOUR favourite bad guy, I'm so sorry about it.


BILLA

A list of bad guys would start with Billa. A negative character played by SuperStar Rajinikanth and later on by Ajith. The charisma of Rajinikanth was replaced by the style of Ajith. The negative roles played by both of them exudes such a dark glow to the character himself that you would certainly like one of the 2 Billas.

VAALI

The deaf mute elder twin brother, who wants to get his younger brother's wife,  is yet another memorable negative character. Though not a character which people would like, but certainly a role that cannot be forgotten by anyone who has watched the movie.

JEEVAN- KAAKA KAAKA/ NAAN AVAN ILLAI

One truly spectacular actor for a negative character would be this man, Jeevan. Acting as Pandya, a gangster who seeks revenge for his brother's killing, he showcased a villain that Tamil cinema had not seen before. With a rather unkempt and flowing mane, he instilled a sense of dislike for the character that he played in Kaaka Kaaka. His role in Naan Avan Illai brought some comic relief but yes it is a negative character, which might make people just forget that he is no negative character.

PARATTAI- 16 VAYATHINILE

Probably one of the best roles that the SuperStar has played till date. A brute rowdy who picks on a mentally retarded person (played by Kamal Haasan). One of the more popular negative characters in the history of Tamil cinema.

CHRISTIAN FLETCHER- DASAVATHARAM

Playing 10 roles in a single movie is not the easiest thing. Not when each role requires a different makeup and mind set. This particular negative character has impressed one and all to an extent. The gun toting, trigger happy, ex-CIA agent, who works as a mercenary is probably one of the most impressive negative roles played by Kamal Haasan.

INBA- AYITHA EZHUTHU

Madhavan may not have a huge fan base in Tamil, but he certainly showed that he can do a good job even with a negative role. Yet another mercenary, who doesn't mind deserting his wife, so that he can become big in politics.

ANAKIN SKYWALKER / DARTH VADER- STAR WARS FRANCHISE

Who on earth can forget Darth Vader? The background music that he has when he enters? Possibly one of the best bad guys that one can ever remember. Scheming, intelligent and so annoying that Darth Vader can be either hated so much or can be liked a lot.

MUTHUPANDI- GHILLI

"Chellam I love you." The role that catapulted Prakash Raj to being the most wanted villain in the Tamil and Telugu cinema industries. He may not have been playing that bad guy role so as to make a person hate the character, but he certainly gave one good performance which took him to the top. That character was made by Prakash Raj. Though he went on to play negative roles in several other movies, it's this one movie which made him very popular.

VINOD - KADHAL KONDEN.

Armstrong said "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." This is so very true in the case of Dhanush, who played a psychopath negative character who takes all steps that he possibly can from keeping his lady love (who loves someone else) from going away from him. One terrific negative character. One great performance. An absolute stunner.


VEERA & DEV - RAAVANAN

Tough to decide who does the negative role. Veera- the forest brigand, nicknamed Raavanan or is it the daring police officer Dev? Veera kidnaps Dev's wife and kills several policemen as a part of his revenge for the rape of his sister on the day of her wedding by some policemen. While Dev showcases his negative side by setting his wife up so that he can kill Veera. Absolutely brilliant character that man Veera.

THE JOKER- THE DARK KNIGHT

"Why so serious son? Lets put a smile on that face." Heath Ledger took villainy to a new high. A psychotic villain, bent on destroying the hero. One of the most deadly bad guys who has ever been featured in the movies. Gives you a bit of a chill, doesn't it?


CHITTI VERSION 2.0 - ENDHIRAN.

"Who is the black sheep? Meeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh." A role of a lifetime that no actor other than the SuperStar himself can do. I'm not telling you all about this role. Find out for yourself if you guys haven't yet seen the movie.

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.

Friend, Dost, Nanban..

There are so many proverbs about friendship. "A friend in need is a friend in deed", "Tell me who your friends are, I will tell who you are." All that. Really. There are so many great examples of great friendships.

Some of the ones that people who watch movies (any language) regularly will know are- in Thalapathy- Superstar Rajinikanth and Malayalam Idol Mamooty. In Rang De Basanti- the group of friends who avenge the inglorification of Madhavan (Air Force officer Ajay Rathod who gets killed in flight crash). In Chennai 600028. There are so many examples.

All of us do have our own close friends, best friends, etc. Some of us may not talk regularly with some of our closest friends, but we do have that understanding. An understanding that, ok he's busy, but when he does call- i'm gonna ask what took you so long. Some of us may have friends who have been with us for a very long time, but still they may not be as close as people who have been with us just for a few months.

My best friends are 2 guys. 2 guys' whose opinions matter a lot to me. One of these 2 guys has been my classmate since my 4th standard till 12th standard. The other guy I knew him from my 8th standard, but we studied together only for 11th and 12th. And all 3 of us were together in the same class, same school in 11th and 12th. Inseparable really. All 3 of us would roam together, and at times, even study together. lol. It was pretty hard to digest at first that all three of us would be going to different colleges, but still, since we were really close with each other, we did not lose contacts.

Now, all three of us are in different parts of the world. Sad. I don't even know if either of them would read this post. Even sadder. But one thing I know is that I'll be in their memory forever. Happiest thing in life- someone remembers you.

There are some lines about friendship which I like a lot. Particularly this one from Chennai 600028, "Unnum sorru nooragum, ondruku ondru veragum, uppu illamal enna aagum, uppai poley natpai ezhthuvom." Then there is ultimate scene in Thalapathi, where Mamooty asks Thalaivar Rajini's as to why he didn't join up with his family, even after knowing that he has a family. To which Thalaivar replies "Enna nee en nanban." That- according to me is the best scene ever in Tamil cine history, which defines the true meaning of friendship.

Even Hindu mythology has its example of friendship. Mahabharata, in which Karna knows Duryodhana is a bad guy, but still sticks around with him for the only reason that Duryodhana is Karna's friend. The movie Thalapathi is loosely based on this great Hindu epic.

I have a lot of friends, who are now successful in different spheres and in different parts of the world. But to be honest and frank with everyone of my friends who might think they are not remembered- I'd just like to tell, I remember each and everyone of you guys. It's just that 2 guys who made a lot of difference to my life pipped the others to take the post. Sorry to all my other friends whom I couldn't mention here, but a huge thank you to each and everyone of you, because all of you have made some difference to my life and have given it some meaning.

Not everyone gets everything...

I'm not good at this philosophy thingy, but something just prompted me to write this post. I'm sure all of us have experienced this feeling and also have said it ourselves that I haven't got this, I haven't got that.

Well, something that I strongly believe in (which has also been quoted by Thalaivar Rajinikanth in some of his movies) "What god has given you- noone can take it away from you and what he has not given you, noone can give it to you." And also "Everything that happens, happens for good."

Well, the above philosophy "Everything that happens, happens for good" has been interpreted in a different way (or is it my perspective- I don't know) in the movie- Dasavatharam. There is this climax scene, where the Tsunami occurs, as the villain is about to unleash a deadly virus, which can be killed only by NaCl (Sodium Chloride- common salt, which the bush portrayed in the movie doesn't know) and the richest source of it is the ocean as anyone might know. In that final scene, one of the characters (the movie has 10 characters- all done by the legendary Kamal Haasan), argues saying that god could have saved the world not by unleashing such a tsunami but by not giving scientists such brains to produce deadly viruses or by preventing bush from pumping in huge amounts of money for bio weapons research. Strictly, looking at the perspective of each event in the movie- I could only say that tsunami took comparatively lesser lives than what would have happened had the virus been unleashed.

Anyways, I think that s too complex an example, some people may not understand. Simpler one- day to day life- You are starting to college/ office or whatever. Due to some reason you are delayed and somehow you miss your usual bus. And you, by nature start cursing that you missed the bus and take some other mode of transportation to reach your office. Finally when you reach office you learn from someone that there was a huge traffic jam on the route that the bus normally takes and everyone in that bus have not yet reached their destination. Then, you give a huge sigh of relief.

Another simple one. There was this movie which had just released and the hype surrounding the movie was such that it would be the movie of the year. So, all of my friends decided to bunk classes and go, while I, due to some reason couldn't bunk that day. When I got back home, I called one of my friends to ask about the movie. My friend said-"Thank god you didn't come. It was that bad."

Well, some people do get somethings for a reason too. We all get some problems in everyday life, these problems- strengthen us from within. Once we surpass that problem, it gives us the confidence that we can do anything after that. Some people get things very easily. And once again to quote one of Superstar Rajnikanth's dialogues "What man gets without working hard for it- will not last and what man gets for working hard- lasts till the time he dies." Such is the truth of the philosophy that you can actually see it staring right at you. Open your wallet and you see Gandhi staring at you, my friends, how did he end up on the Rupee note? Well, he worked hard for India's independence and got his face printed on the national currency. Thats when somethings last even after you are dead.

Now take the case of a rich guy, who has tons and tons of money. He would have to live in constant fear of being robbed, being cheated. He eyes everyone with suspicion, including his wife and kids. Now- he was given wealth and of course the talent to maintain and expand his wealth. he was not given peace of mind. Similarly, think of the guy who hasn't too much money with him- he has no fear of being robbed or cheated. He lives happily with what he has. But at the same time he would certainly have his own problems.

I have seen certain live examples myself- some guys who are so damn intelligent and good looking as well, but due to some reason- they don't have those close friends who would support them. They obviously would have friends who would have used them for homeworks, assignments, etc. At the same time guys with the dumbest of brains have all the friends in the world. There were a few guys whom I know well, they studied extremely well, but just due to lack of communication skills (this is the case of so many students studying in good colleges), they did not get placed, but something good has happened for them as well. Such is life that noone gets everything. Everyone misses out on something.

Not everyone gets everything. Not everyone gets everything.