The Har(r)i(s) Story!!

 “Our Saamy.. Rendu Saamy….. Aaru Saamy!!”.. these words quoted by Rajni in Saamy movie’s 100^th day function reverberated across the whole auditorium. This dialogue as well as the perfect masala story in Saamy made the movie a huge hit 2 decades ago. The success of Arul, Aaru, Vel, Singam series and the lesser known Thamirabarani, Poojai have cemented Hari’s place in as pakka commercial director.

Most of his movies revolve around a large family with the youngest son (played by various heroes) protecting the family against a powerful protagonist. The racing screenplay coupled with some power packed action sequences lead the way through with some beautiful memorable songs running non-stop in Tamil music channels or in tea shops near bus-stands. However, Hari is not all guns blazing as he deftly handles more emotions in Koil and Ayya.

The terrible failure of Saamy 2 for it generic formulaic storyline along the onset of covid wherein the general audience to be more acclimated to more types of stories as well different screenplays has led Hari to look for alternate options, or at least that is what we believed. The reviews coming in from his latest ‘Yaanai’ movie unfortunately do not seem to suggest that.

Another person whose career trajectory seems quite in line and intertwined with Hari’s films is music director Harris Jeyaraj. Starting out with the most popular ‘Minnale’ movie (whose songs are still evergreen) to his rise with ‘Saamy’ movie songs (especially debuting with kuthu song Aarumuga Saamy) , his romantic peppy numbers were quite a rage on any music channel/radiosin early 2000s and 2010s. However, the formulaic mix like Hari’s movies have failed to generate the excitement that it earlier used to.

Their combination was one of the most sought after in their hey-days and the strong belief is that both of them will bounce back together soon. Old is Gold sometimes!!

 

 

Vikram – The Dark Knight in Loki Universe!!

 

The first scene of any movie determines how engrossing it would be. The joker’s mask in the hand of one of the robber forms the most unique entry scene to perhaps one of the Hollywood cult classics.

Spoilers ahead.

Vikram’s first scene is quite not that flashy but Fahad Fazil’s search of Kamal Hassan’s character’s whereabouts makes it quite an intriguing first half with an amazing background score to match. It is in the second half where the movie reveals its ambitions with the best part reserved for the unexpected action sequences of Agent Tina. Vijay Sethupathi has tried his best to variate though it is similar to his role in Master movie. Suriya’s much-talked about climax cameo felt a tad underwhelming in the overall context of movie but has generated enough interest in Lokesh Kanakaraj’s (Director) own universe (popularly known as Loki Universe) as this movie links up with Kaithi, the director’s previous venture.

The Loki universe excites me quite the most, as MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) has shown how a series of movies could be linked and properly amalgamated into a final showpiece like final Avengers 1 and 2 movies. The Loki universe seems to have Kaithi 2 and Vikram 3 lined up and would be first among Indian movies to link different movie plots into one larger schematic plot.

Lokesh Kanakaraj has also expressed interest in directing Rajnikanth and this is where my interest peaks. If one can imagine amalgamating all movies which includes Kaithi, Master, Vikram-2 and his forthcoming movie with Vijay along with Kaithi 2 and Vikram 3, we would be quite expectant to what the future holds for, in the Loki Universe.

Just IMAGINE Fahad Fazil,  Narain, Karthi, Vijay  and Kamal Hassan (as Protagonists) facing up to Vijay Sethupathi (in as a triplet to the other villains to Master, Vikram), Suriya and Rajnikanth and/or even actor Vikram (as Antagonists), it would absolutely be a firecracker of a moment in the whole history of Tamil Cinema, which would bring all its biggest stars on one single platform/movie.

As they say, when you want something so badly, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. If it does happen, what a moment it would be, to cherish that one scene in an IMAX screen with all our friends and family. As they say, “Keep Dreaming!!”.

P.S: Please do let me know your thoughts on it.

PK to KVRK!!

 

Title meant Parthiban Kanavu (PK) to Kaathu Vaakla Rendu Kadhal (KVRK).

Parthiban Kanavu

Released in 2003, it was certainly amongst the most underrated movies of its generation. The movie revolves around a young marketing executive, Parthiban (played by Srikanth) and his journey in finding the right life partner. As he starts falling for an attractive modern girl played by Sneha, he is arranged by his family to get engaged to a docile girl (again played expertly by Sneha). In this confusion, he gets married to a girl who he doesn’t like but resembles the girl that he likes. How all the confusion get resolved, forms the basis of this amazing movie. It is also one of the classics of comedian, late Vivek and his combination with Devadarshini resulting in rip-roaring hilarious sequences.

Kaathu Vaakla Rendu Kadhal

I have not watched the movie, but from all the reviews it seems to revolve around Rambo (played by Vijay Sethupathi) and his two girlfriends played by Nayantara and Samantha. One of the reviewers mentioned how the two girls, after getting to know the truth, fight with each other rather than taking the fight to Vijay Sethupathi’s character. 

 

Movies seem to be quite an appropriate evaluation of the times we live in and the disparity between the movies shows much the society has developed or regressed from any individual’s point of view. Ages ago, it was common for a man to marry many wives and Lord Rama decided to change the trend then by marrying Sita and Sita mata only. Perhaps we have just come a full circle with KVRK. Who knows, the next trend could be one girl and two boyfriends.. or did I just reveal the plot line for some new age director’s next movie? 😊

Indian THOR!!

As I walked through MG Road in the then Bangalore, about 20 years ago, I saw something strange that I could not quite explain. In one of the theatre, there were English, Telugu and Tamil movie shows but not even one Kannada movie was listed. Perplexed, I asked my local friend and he explained that Kannada movies had lost their charm.

Cut to 15 years later and even after hearing rave reviews of KGF movie, I still missed it in theatre. My wife and I caught up with it one weekend and were absolutely enchanted by the KGF story and Yash’s acting. His weapon of choice (hammer) quite mimicked the THOR God as he thundered each of the antagonist into brutal submission, finishing off ferociously with the main villian, Garuda. However, the real connect was the flashback of Rocky and his mother beautifully narrated by the journalist (Anant Nag) with Nizhagal Ravi providing the mesmerizing voice in Tamil dubbed version. The two scenes that stood out were the bun on the road scene and Garuda’s own statue reveal. 

Recently, I happened to catch up on KGF2 and it carried on where the first movie left 4 years ago. I loved the movie for it's intensity and Yash’s acting. Prakash Raj’s lackluster dialogues dimmed what was a enjoyable joy ride. I wish we get back Anant Nag with Nizhagal Ravi’s voiceover one last time in part 3 and with more of the mother and Rocky’s scenes.

Stop here if you don’t want any KGF2 spoilers. A lot of people have been confused by the last scene of KGF2 and I thought I will share my take on it (which may not be correct as well). Rocky being such an intelligent character, would not just throw everything away without a solid cause. I believe that his mother was a resident of KGF and was affected by ‘sodium cyanide’ solution which is used to extract gold from its ore. This had her cough blood, eventually leading to her demise. Rocky must have promised his mother to finish off KGF once for all. This desire led him to become a don in Mumbai, eventually coming to KGF to finish Garuda and take over the place. Now, he slowly finishes off all the antagonists, excavates all the remaining mines and sends a photo to CBI regarding the factory and personally induces the prime minister to send in the army to finish off KGF. He safeguards the people by sending them away to new KGF town and puts all the money into their trust. To make sure that the excavated gold does not reach anybody, he plans to sail into international waters, where he notifies Indian, Indonesian and US navies of his whereabouts. The beauty of this plan is everybody knows where the gold is, but no one can excavate it as the other country’s eye for it as well.

Eagerly waiting for KGF3 and continuation of this massive story.. nah.. BRAND KGF. Salaam Rocky Bhai!! Also a big salute to the massive vision of the movie's director, Prashanth Neel.

P.S: How I sorely wish for that one Tamil movie that would be pan-India as well.

Arunachalam!!

 

“Ini than arrambam - Arunachalam!!” (Now the game begins – written by Arunachalam)

These words echo in my head very frequently and also comes in at a critical juncture in the movie. This is one of Rajni’s most underrated movie in his glittering career. Sandwiched between Baasha and Muthu, this movie has not received the praise and adulation that it deserves.

Arunachalam is the story of the one-man army (Thalaivar at his best form), who everyone adores. The movie starts with one of the best build-up scenes wherein the heroine (played by late actor Soundarya) is amazed by the whole village talking about this person Arunachalam, without knowing that Rajni is the person she had been wanting to meet. A song and a fight later, it is revealed that the much respected Arunachalam is an orphan. The heroine’s parents refuse to get her married to him and he is cruelly taunted by his grandmother (Vadivukkarasi – some phenomenal acting in the movie). Dejected by the turn of events, he leaves his village for Madras (Chennai).

Through a series of twists and turns he finds out he is the son of a famous industrialist (played by Thalaivar again) who lays down a condition that in order to inherit his wealth, he has to spend 30 crores in 30 days (quite a big amount 23 years back) without anyone knowing about this condition. Initially Rajni rejects the offer, but later accepts it as he finds out that his father’s trustee related friends plan to usurp it.

Thalaivar gambles in horse-racing, produces movie and even enters politics to spend all the money. He is mistaken by his lover as well as his friends. He expertly navigates through all the traps set up by the villains and finally completes the task given to him. He donates all his father’s money and waits at the bus stop to go to some unknown destination dejected, when his family understands all his sacrifices and led by his grandmother, reunites him with the heroine.

This roller-coaster of a movie has one of the best BGM tracks (by Deva – who has given some of Rajni’s monumental hit songs). One could just play the audio of the entire movie and still be taken on an emotional ride.

This movie stuck a chord on my impressionable mind through my early days and I always remember it through my happy, sad and emotional days as always gives me the hope for good things in life. I just wish Rajni’s Annathae can re-create some of this movie’s magic.

Kadhal to Draupathi!!

Movies play a big part in our lives knowingly or unknowingly as they nearly inherit our house by continuously playing in our TVs. Kadhal (a Tamil movie) which released 15 years back was a shock to the social system. The story revolves around a poor mechanic and his love interest, a rich girl from an upper caste. The movie starts with the girl showing interest in the boy, who later reciprocates. The boy is afraid of the girl’s parents and their powerful relatives. As the tension builds up, the girl decides to elope with the boy from Madurai to Chennai.

Their stay in Chennai is marked with many difficulties, which had not been shown in Tamil movies before. They had to adjust to various hardships, at which point even I thought that the girl would leave her lover and go back to her parents, for they were searching frantically along with relatives for their girl. However, she stays put with her lover and they get married, literally on the streets. One of relatives then finds out that she lives in Chennai and convinces her and her husband (the boy) to come visit the girl’s parents in hope that the parents would accept their marriage.

Herein lay the twist to the movie, where the relative specifies the fact that he had lost an arm in a caste fight and would never accept a boy from another caste. All through this movie, caste plays an undertone to money but rears its head in the climax. The boy is hit dramatically with a boulder and the girl agrees to marry another person if her lover’s life is spared. In the final scene of the movie, the girl meets her lover again (after some years) wherein he has lost his mind (due to the hit on his head) and is roaming on the streets in ragged clothes. The girl’s present husband understands his wife and takes her lover along to be treated in a hospital. These heart-rending scenes had made the movie into a super hit.

The movie sorely underlined the brutal caste divide in the society and underlined the need for an equal society. However, recent news of ‘honor’ killing among a section of the society has sent shock waves. ‘Pariyaerum Perumal’ movie recently spoke on the same issue of caste inequality.

‘Draupathi’, a new Tamil movie, shows us another facet of the caste system wherein boys from the lower caste specifically target girls from rich upper caste. There have been many media stories, wherein a boy from the so-called lower caste elopes with a girl from upper caste and later demands a ransom to sort their family issues. They then divorce the girl and marry from their own caste, thereby seemingly taking revenge for the injustice done to their ancestors. Perhaps, this grave injustice meted to the parents of the girls has propelled this movie to become a super-hit among the masses as it runs now to packed theatre halls.

The caste system was created for the purposes of assigning work to a group of people: kshtriyas (administrators and warriors), Brahmins (priestly work), Vaishyas (artisans, merchants, tradesmen and farmers), and Shudras (laboring classes). However, it has outlived its initial purpose and should be shelved permanently for the betterment of the society.

Darbar Twist!!

There are many times where you feel that a movie has begun well but stuttered in the 2^nd half. Darbar somehow belongs to that league. It has all the elements of a Rajni mass masala movie but fails to provide the complete satisfaction to its viewers, who would like to get that one memorable movie from Rajni before he moves on with his political career.

Instead of dwelling on movie’s failures, I would like to pen down my thoughts on how the movie’s story line could have be bettered. This post contains spoilers, so do not read further if you have not seen the movie.

The movie starts with a rampaging Rajni, taking on all the gangsters involved in the marijuana/drugs industry. I would like to keep that start, for it provides a good beginning to the movie. However, I would like to remove the reference that his daughter is dead and replace it with, still to be found. The first half is quite nicely paced with the pre-interval scenes referencing the ‘proxy’ jailed gangster’s son quite the highlight.

It is after this point that the movie loses steam and where I would like to write an alternate story line.

• Second half begins with Rajni confused about his daughter’s location. He tries to think through the past events.
• The events leading up to the train station fight and the car accident injuring him and his daughter are good and can be retained.
• After the accident, Rajni’s daughter in the hospital is replaced by a proxy girl set up by the main villain and his daughter is kidnapped and drugged.
• Rajni receives a call from the main villain, telling him that ‘the game has just begun’ and he would have to find his way through the ‘proxy’ situation in reference with the ‘proxy’ gangster son whom Rajni had gotten murdered. The main villian then asks Rajni to search for his missing daughter in 48 hours. If not, he should resign from police department.
• Rajni then goes through the birth records of the ‘proxy’ gangster and finds that the dreaded gangster (Hari Chopra); who had killed some cops years ago by burning them, is the man behind his missing daughter.
• Unfortunately Rajni does not have Hari Chopra’s pic and is unable to find him.
• To instigate the villain to come to a place of his choice, Rajni decides to resign from the police department and asks Sunil Shetty (Hari Chopra) to meet him at the burnt down building where he killed the cops, along with his daughter.
• Hari Chopra accepts the challenge and brings Rajni's drugged daughter to the ruined building. After a big fight, Rajni rescues his daughter and defeats the villain.
• However, instead of killing him, he lets the relatives of the slain cops burn him, like how the villain had burnt the slain cops years ago and walks out of the building carrying his wounded daughter in his hand.

This second half provides a link to the first half and completes the ‘proxy’ story arc. A strong villain (like Padayappa’s Neelambari) raises the tension in the story and provides satisfaction to the viewers when the movie eventually ends. 

Waiting to hear all your comments on the alternate story line.