It is not often that you can catch me cursing and hurrying people up on a Sunday Morning. Had breakfast with the parents and the kids at Janata Hotel. 30 minutes to go! I come home and find out that we are not ready yet. Debate on whether I should shower or not. Figured out that a deodorant will cause the illusion. Hence decide to move on. Since no one gets up in Bangalore on a Sunday morning except to go for breakfast at CTR, Janata Hotel, Veena stores or MTR, we made it to the theater in good time. I actually parked on Cunningham road!!! I looked at my watch, 2 more minutes to Kung Fu. This is the movie that my four year old and I had conspired together to go. I let her do all the convincing and she did make papa proud! Can you believe it that she and her sis were up at 7 AM and the first thing she said was Kung Fu Panda!
Anywayz, here we were, to watch a cartoon movie (I guess we should call these animation movies, coz they are soooo not cartoons anymore!). The tale is rather simple, that of a Panda believing inspite of its weight and craving for food, if it believes in itself it can achieve its dreams. Without a doubt the visuals were amazing and believable. I was actually telling my 6 year old that the villian was a tiger (0r a snow leopard as pointed out by a friend of mine) !!! I was quite shocked when I said that but realized that I was sucked in as well. The next 90 minutes was a riot. It was just hilarious!! I honestly did not feel I was in a kid flick. The picture completely engulfed me. Here I was empathazing with the Panda and actually saying you go Po! The best thing that these animation pictures do is that they most probably tape the lines before they animate. Consequently the expressions are spot on. I hope the Desis do something like this.
Kung Fu Panda Rockz...Must see!!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Equs Maximus - Jaane Tu, a tale of two
Watched Jaane Tu today. Saw it without the pressure of being a reviewer or a critic. The best thing about the movie was that it did not take itself too seriously. Never! You do leave the theater with a spring in your step, even if you can't dance sala!
Almost everyone in the movie has a done a terrific job. The best thing about the movie is that it is a director's movie and not someone's launch vehicle. It just happens to be that. Not only was every role wisely chosen, but the cameos clinched it for me. Be it Naseer and Ratna Shah, Kitu Gidwani and Rajat Kapoor, Jayant Kriplani and Anuradha Patel (she is still SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO gorgeous!), Paresh Rawal or the Khan brothers. Carefully chosen and well executed. Much has been talked about in the papers on Imran and Genelia. They along with their believable friends do a cracker of a job. So I will not talk about them.
The director did a neat job to execute a simple story. I guess the story is as old as it gets but it is the story telling. Any successful movie or play is always about the story telling. Most of us are craving for something smart and something that we can associate with. This movie did that for me. It had to communicate all things about youth and it did it so well. It really did also remind me of those care-free days and that is probably where I was sold. I loved the directors love affair with the horse. It was there in the dreams and in critical episodes, there will always be a horse running around! He has used that element so well. He has a smart script, great music and controlled the pace of the story very well. The icing on the cake was the last shot. An Intelligent Homage!! May you always be treaded well, Mr Tyrewalla. May you have many more movies in your kitty! God Speed!
Almost everyone in the movie has a done a terrific job. The best thing about the movie is that it is a director's movie and not someone's launch vehicle. It just happens to be that. Not only was every role wisely chosen, but the cameos clinched it for me. Be it Naseer and Ratna Shah, Kitu Gidwani and Rajat Kapoor, Jayant Kriplani and Anuradha Patel (she is still SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO gorgeous!), Paresh Rawal or the Khan brothers. Carefully chosen and well executed. Much has been talked about in the papers on Imran and Genelia. They along with their believable friends do a cracker of a job. So I will not talk about them.
The director did a neat job to execute a simple story. I guess the story is as old as it gets but it is the story telling. Any successful movie or play is always about the story telling. Most of us are craving for something smart and something that we can associate with. This movie did that for me. It had to communicate all things about youth and it did it so well. It really did also remind me of those care-free days and that is probably where I was sold. I loved the directors love affair with the horse. It was there in the dreams and in critical episodes, there will always be a horse running around! He has used that element so well. He has a smart script, great music and controlled the pace of the story very well. The icing on the cake was the last shot. An Intelligent Homage!! May you always be treaded well, Mr Tyrewalla. May you have many more movies in your kitty! God Speed!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Fumes!!!
Yes I am back...Still fuming! I was watching this Kaapi with Anu where Crazy Mohan (I really hope he was joking) was saying that Kamal will get Oscar for Bussavatharam! I just lost it. I did what any sane person would do...muted the tv! I was wondering for what Kamal would be getting the Oscar...for the best comedy (may be). May be the Democratic party will invite him to do his imitation of George Bush, just to ensure that the Republicans lose!
And then there was this mail forwarded by a well wisher (after reading the mail, I was really wondering on the well part) on some other fan's ravings on Kamal and Buss! Apparently this movie is based on Chaos Theory and Butterfly Effect. And they had try to make a science theory by attaching a wiki link! The only chaos in that movie was the story line! And the butterfly was really a bad special effect!
To undo the bad effects of this movie I have decided to watch 10 where Kamal has done only one role!!!
And then there was this mail forwarded by a well wisher (after reading the mail, I was really wondering on the well part) on some other fan's ravings on Kamal and Buss! Apparently this movie is based on Chaos Theory and Butterfly Effect. And they had try to make a science theory by attaching a wiki link! The only chaos in that movie was the story line! And the butterfly was really a bad special effect!
To undo the bad effects of this movie I have decided to watch 10 where Kamal has done only one role!!!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Dashed Avataars
I woke up early in the morning two days ago to ensure that I could book tickets for Dasavatharam. Left early from work, beat the traffic, picked up the family and ran to ensure that I could see Dasavatharm in full. I did see it in full and in this case as far as I am concerned it was a case of a glass half empty.
As we often justify something we make locally...Amazing quality for a tamil movie, great action for an Indian movie, did you see the 20 roles that actor did, Isn't he amazing! But if you really do think about it, these are justifications for our own limitations or incompetence. Any actor is supposed to act and play the roles. Be it one role, 10 roles in one movie or 200 roles in the same movie. Expecting an actor to act is an entitlement. In that case, was the acting adequate in this movie. Yes to nearly all the Indian characters played by Kamal. The grand-ma was really Avvai Shanmukhi after 20 years. The tall guy clearly fit the minority quota. Avtaar singh was there for the sake of satisfying the north indian quota. Two performances that stood out were that of the Son of the soil, and Naidu, the RAW agent. Was as close to Kamal as I always want to see him...someone who trusts his acting skills the most and uses make-up to just make-it up a little. The Americans (2) and Japanese were more of the fancy elements. If we were to consider Kamal to be someone who grew up in Paramakudi till yesterday and spoke like an American today, I accept that this movie is a significant achievement. But that was not the case here.
When Ulaga Nayagan takes over, you expect global standards. Here you see make-up that was similar to what the Jim Carrey had in Mask, after he wore the mask! The president character, the CIA character, the Japanese character stuck out like sore thumbs. Will appeal to the jingoist to proudly beat his chest and say "Namma aalu nalla pannirukkan".
Tell me something! Why do all people who learn fighting in India in the movies have to move their head the same damn way before they make a strike...you know the way they release the stress in their head and put sodukku in their hands. In this case it was funny to see the Japanese Kamal and the American Kamal do it. And I thought the Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor dialogs were extremely primitive in style. We need some classy lines please like the discussions that happened in the train and in the river bed and on the Tsumami shores on God, Science, Environment.
Just because we have Computer Graphics people sitting on bench in India they should not have run riot on the screen. And while these are amazing graphics for a tamil movie, it was such a let down. Why the hell do you need graphics in the Railway train, Why do you need the camera to move in all those wierd angles in the opening sequences...the main problem was that the computer graphics were never subtle. They were announcing their presence all the time!
Sujatha, the writer, used to say that the beginning and the end need to be good for a powerful story. The end of the movie is based on a recent calamity. Interesting thought! The opening was based on an absorbing century episode, which was really needless but what the hell, it was good. But it is the middle that sags. The story really tracks a vial. The US part was poorly acted and directed. I really hate it when Japanese want to talk tamil. Kudos to Gowtham in Vettayaadu where he had everyone talk in English in the US. Where Kamal the story writer does injustice to an interesting beginning and a novel end is when he bends the story (actually stretches it) to introduce other characters and satisfy his ego. Would these characters be there if it was not Dasavatharam but Panchamukam? We lose all the interesting discussions on God and science and they just go by! When the ego interferes the story goes for a six and gets my thumbs down vote.
One word on the music...the songs...Hopeless!
Thus in the same way that Nambi resolutely holds on to the Ashtaacksharam even when he faces death, and as Nakkeerar famously said to the Pachaakshara , I hold on to my opinion, this movie fails. I do write this with sadness since you really know that Kamal could have done such a good job.
Nallathor veenai seithe....
As we often justify something we make locally...Amazing quality for a tamil movie, great action for an Indian movie, did you see the 20 roles that actor did, Isn't he amazing! But if you really do think about it, these are justifications for our own limitations or incompetence. Any actor is supposed to act and play the roles. Be it one role, 10 roles in one movie or 200 roles in the same movie. Expecting an actor to act is an entitlement. In that case, was the acting adequate in this movie. Yes to nearly all the Indian characters played by Kamal. The grand-ma was really Avvai Shanmukhi after 20 years. The tall guy clearly fit the minority quota. Avtaar singh was there for the sake of satisfying the north indian quota. Two performances that stood out were that of the Son of the soil, and Naidu, the RAW agent. Was as close to Kamal as I always want to see him...someone who trusts his acting skills the most and uses make-up to just make-it up a little. The Americans (2) and Japanese were more of the fancy elements. If we were to consider Kamal to be someone who grew up in Paramakudi till yesterday and spoke like an American today, I accept that this movie is a significant achievement. But that was not the case here.
When Ulaga Nayagan takes over, you expect global standards. Here you see make-up that was similar to what the Jim Carrey had in Mask, after he wore the mask! The president character, the CIA character, the Japanese character stuck out like sore thumbs. Will appeal to the jingoist to proudly beat his chest and say "Namma aalu nalla pannirukkan".
Tell me something! Why do all people who learn fighting in India in the movies have to move their head the same damn way before they make a strike...you know the way they release the stress in their head and put sodukku in their hands. In this case it was funny to see the Japanese Kamal and the American Kamal do it. And I thought the Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor dialogs were extremely primitive in style. We need some classy lines please like the discussions that happened in the train and in the river bed and on the Tsumami shores on God, Science, Environment.
Just because we have Computer Graphics people sitting on bench in India they should not have run riot on the screen. And while these are amazing graphics for a tamil movie, it was such a let down. Why the hell do you need graphics in the Railway train, Why do you need the camera to move in all those wierd angles in the opening sequences...the main problem was that the computer graphics were never subtle. They were announcing their presence all the time!
Sujatha, the writer, used to say that the beginning and the end need to be good for a powerful story. The end of the movie is based on a recent calamity. Interesting thought! The opening was based on an absorbing century episode, which was really needless but what the hell, it was good. But it is the middle that sags. The story really tracks a vial. The US part was poorly acted and directed. I really hate it when Japanese want to talk tamil. Kudos to Gowtham in Vettayaadu where he had everyone talk in English in the US. Where Kamal the story writer does injustice to an interesting beginning and a novel end is when he bends the story (actually stretches it) to introduce other characters and satisfy his ego. Would these characters be there if it was not Dasavatharam but Panchamukam? We lose all the interesting discussions on God and science and they just go by! When the ego interferes the story goes for a six and gets my thumbs down vote.
One word on the music...the songs...Hopeless!
Thus in the same way that Nambi resolutely holds on to the Ashtaacksharam even when he faces death, and as Nakkeerar famously said to the Pachaakshara , I hold on to my opinion, this movie fails. I do write this with sadness since you really know that Kamal could have done such a good job.
Nallathor veenai seithe....
Saturday, April 26, 2008
The First Leaf - A Children's Play for Adults
First the good things....
It was very commendable for AHA, the Ranga Shankara Group to come to North Bangalore saving us a few miles and many hours of journey across the magic box-ridden, silicon-laden mini streets of Bangalore to go to Ranga Shankara. They did a neat little job in Seva Sadan, a neat little auditorium safely tucked in 14th cross Malleswaram.
The play that they presented today was called the First Leaf and it was billed as a play for children. It was a play on how a group of kids along with well wishers convince a stubborn man and the stubborn people in the community general to grow trees and save the environment. Was it a play for 5 and above...sure if all the 5 year old were PhDs!!! Was it a laudable attempt? You bet. I felt that the core theme of the play was may be a little bit of OHT (over head transmission as we used to say in our college days!!) for kids. I would know because I had two kids (6.5 and 4.5) with me. What held them and had them glued was the slapstick humor. That was the disappointment for me, as I slide into the whine segment.
Too much of stereotyping..the fat bad guy part especially. I know it gets the laughs, but it is too much of a stereotype. There were glitches as was accepted by the director, but it is how the group manages the truth of the moment that makes theater fun. I don't think this team was ready for that. The adults who played the kids could have done better if they had watched real kids in action. They were, I thought, playing adults playing kids. But that was okay, they got the energy part right.
I would have loved if the team had made an attempt to sing the song that was in the play on stage and not have a playback...it was kind of cheesy. Also I felt the cast was not used to the stage. It would have been wonderful if they had gotten used to the stage.
I am sure they will take care of the obvious glitches in the shows to come. The icing on the cake for me was the awe that my kids had looking at the stage and the lights during the play. They went to see the stage after the play was over. It was enjoyable to watch the awe and excitement in their little faces when they climbed the stage and touched the tree. They were touched by the magic of theater!! And for that two thumbs up to AHA!!
It was very commendable for AHA, the Ranga Shankara Group to come to North Bangalore saving us a few miles and many hours of journey across the magic box-ridden, silicon-laden mini streets of Bangalore to go to Ranga Shankara. They did a neat little job in Seva Sadan, a neat little auditorium safely tucked in 14th cross Malleswaram.
The play that they presented today was called the First Leaf and it was billed as a play for children. It was a play on how a group of kids along with well wishers convince a stubborn man and the stubborn people in the community general to grow trees and save the environment. Was it a play for 5 and above...sure if all the 5 year old were PhDs!!! Was it a laudable attempt? You bet. I felt that the core theme of the play was may be a little bit of OHT (over head transmission as we used to say in our college days!!) for kids. I would know because I had two kids (6.5 and 4.5) with me. What held them and had them glued was the slapstick humor. That was the disappointment for me, as I slide into the whine segment.
Too much of stereotyping..the fat bad guy part especially. I know it gets the laughs, but it is too much of a stereotype. There were glitches as was accepted by the director, but it is how the group manages the truth of the moment that makes theater fun. I don't think this team was ready for that. The adults who played the kids could have done better if they had watched real kids in action. They were, I thought, playing adults playing kids. But that was okay, they got the energy part right.
I would have loved if the team had made an attempt to sing the song that was in the play on stage and not have a playback...it was kind of cheesy. Also I felt the cast was not used to the stage. It would have been wonderful if they had gotten used to the stage.
I am sure they will take care of the obvious glitches in the shows to come. The icing on the cake for me was the awe that my kids had looking at the stage and the lights during the play. They went to see the stage after the play was over. It was enjoyable to watch the awe and excitement in their little faces when they climbed the stage and touched the tree. They were touched by the magic of theater!! And for that two thumbs up to AHA!!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Fearless!!!
After a long time, I got to watch a movie where I was feeling miserable to hit the pause button. May be the fact that I watched some ordinary movies this weekend helped. But this one was special. The movie is Anjaathey...Wiser men have discussed this a lot.
There have been comments on what the Director did in excess and how he should have cut it short, yaada yaada yaada. The way I looked at it was that as a Director, Mysskin, gave us a story. Did I like it? Absolutely, resoundingly yes.
I loved the story telling, I loved the way many things were set up. There were some predictable moments, some over the top...The good part was I was going along with the director over the top as well! While on stage, it is the actor who has to respond to the truth of the moment, this movie demonstrates that Cinema is always the directors baby. He has good performances from all of the actors. It is refreshing to see a chocolate boy hero like Prasanna do a role that people would not touch with a barge pole. The only good shot of him you get to see is a photograph that comes thorugh a fax machine! He is in the dark all the time. But he makes an impact. Naren makes a good impact as well. Excellent modulation and wonderful delivery in many places. Pandiarajan was a revealation. He can act! Music was good and to the point. I can go on and on, but it is safe to say this is one of the better 3 hours that I have spent in the recent past.
Fearless...way to go!!!
There have been comments on what the Director did in excess and how he should have cut it short, yaada yaada yaada. The way I looked at it was that as a Director, Mysskin, gave us a story. Did I like it? Absolutely, resoundingly yes.
I loved the story telling, I loved the way many things were set up. There were some predictable moments, some over the top...The good part was I was going along with the director over the top as well! While on stage, it is the actor who has to respond to the truth of the moment, this movie demonstrates that Cinema is always the directors baby. He has good performances from all of the actors. It is refreshing to see a chocolate boy hero like Prasanna do a role that people would not touch with a barge pole. The only good shot of him you get to see is a photograph that comes thorugh a fax machine! He is in the dark all the time. But he makes an impact. Naren makes a good impact as well. Excellent modulation and wonderful delivery in many places. Pandiarajan was a revealation. He can act! Music was good and to the point. I can go on and on, but it is safe to say this is one of the better 3 hours that I have spent in the recent past.
Fearless...way to go!!!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Sujatha - We will miss you
My college days were made immeasurably better because of the tryst with Sujatha, the writer. Semester after semester, we would read his stories and do his plays. He was one of the few writers who wrote good and contemporary Tamil drama. We had privilege of staging it every semester in college. When we gobbled his plays quicker than this writing would allow, we went to his stories and made them into plays! And what amazing hits they were with the crowd.
This man had a day job in the Garden City, designing electronic voting machines among other things and still managed to churn out a wonderful of stories and plays. After he retired he started writing screenplays and memorable scripts for movies. Full of fun in one side and full of thought in the other.
I loved the plays he wrote and the lines I had the privilege to speak.
The first was Adimaigal - The story of a dominating Periappa. I had the chance to play an advocate who read out "The last will and testament of...."
The second was Dr. Narendranin Vinodha Vazhakku - The story about a doctor who becomes a victim of the system and still does not lose his dignity. I played Dr. Narendran and who saves the politician because he suspected "massive myocardial symptoms"
The third was Kadavul Vandhirundhaar - one of my favorites - Science fiction in a middle class retired brahmin family! I played the brahmin who meets Jo, the person from future. Some absolutely fabulous lines that had the cast and crew in splits. Every rehearsal was a treat. We had a space ship land on stage! You had to have been there!
The fourth was Oonjal - one of the toughest - Inspired by Death of a Salesman - Most difficult and depressing roles as a yesteryear successful industrialist. Very demanding play, moving. To see how a man can falter
The fifth was Oru Kolai, Oru Prayanam - Two plays in one. The first was a journey on a train (Imagine we had all the effects of a train in stage). I got to be a pompous dude who yoddled for his love with a guitar...smoked my first cigarette on stage! The other play was one heck of an anticlimax which literally pissed the audience. They did a huge walk out.
The sixth was Naan Avanillai - The play that I did not act. Incredible story of a man whose mind had been manipulated. Exciting stuff for the college days. I did the sounds for that one
The seventh was Pirivom Sandhippom - We scripted Sujatha's famous novel into a play. I played a character that had two lines in the original story. But since we were writing the script, managed a quite a bit more. Played the hero's father.
The eighth was Padavikkaaga - This was the magnum opus of our college times which I partly scripted and directed. Cast and crew of over 50 people. Amazing political play...nay movie! Each line in that play and each character was so well received.
It was a privilege to have had the association with the man that I never had met. He inspired a legion of us to do theater and have fun doing it. End of the day we all connected with his scripts may be because he was an engineer too!
One line as I sign off from Kadavul Vandhirundhar would be most apt. The last line in the play when the character who transforms from a retiree to a God Man says to the audience, "Naan konja neram kadavula irundhuttu varen"....Let me be God for sometime! Is that what you have done sire?
This man had a day job in the Garden City, designing electronic voting machines among other things and still managed to churn out a wonderful of stories and plays. After he retired he started writing screenplays and memorable scripts for movies. Full of fun in one side and full of thought in the other.
I loved the plays he wrote and the lines I had the privilege to speak.
The first was Adimaigal - The story of a dominating Periappa. I had the chance to play an advocate who read out "The last will and testament of...."
The second was Dr. Narendranin Vinodha Vazhakku - The story about a doctor who becomes a victim of the system and still does not lose his dignity. I played Dr. Narendran and who saves the politician because he suspected "massive myocardial symptoms"
The third was Kadavul Vandhirundhaar - one of my favorites - Science fiction in a middle class retired brahmin family! I played the brahmin who meets Jo, the person from future. Some absolutely fabulous lines that had the cast and crew in splits. Every rehearsal was a treat. We had a space ship land on stage! You had to have been there!
The fourth was Oonjal - one of the toughest - Inspired by Death of a Salesman - Most difficult and depressing roles as a yesteryear successful industrialist. Very demanding play, moving. To see how a man can falter
The fifth was Oru Kolai, Oru Prayanam - Two plays in one. The first was a journey on a train (Imagine we had all the effects of a train in stage). I got to be a pompous dude who yoddled for his love with a guitar...smoked my first cigarette on stage! The other play was one heck of an anticlimax which literally pissed the audience. They did a huge walk out.
The sixth was Naan Avanillai - The play that I did not act. Incredible story of a man whose mind had been manipulated. Exciting stuff for the college days. I did the sounds for that one
The seventh was Pirivom Sandhippom - We scripted Sujatha's famous novel into a play. I played a character that had two lines in the original story. But since we were writing the script, managed a quite a bit more. Played the hero's father.
The eighth was Padavikkaaga - This was the magnum opus of our college times which I partly scripted and directed. Cast and crew of over 50 people. Amazing political play...nay movie! Each line in that play and each character was so well received.
It was a privilege to have had the association with the man that I never had met. He inspired a legion of us to do theater and have fun doing it. End of the day we all connected with his scripts may be because he was an engineer too!
One line as I sign off from Kadavul Vandhirundhar would be most apt. The last line in the play when the character who transforms from a retiree to a God Man says to the audience, "Naan konja neram kadavula irundhuttu varen"....Let me be God for sometime! Is that what you have done sire?
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