Ergo I am

What's not to like in Lingaa?

Am tempted to write this post because quite honestly the movie is nowhere near as bad as some of the responses are flying.

Though the movie was Rajni formula in every which way, it had a better story in my opinion than a lot other movies that the box office churns out.

And beyong everything, every one is overlooking a simple fact. It is pretty rare that an entertainment phenomenon like Rajini lasts this long. And if we take Kamal into picture too, the Tamil film audience is lucky to have two such icons.

Lingaa is never going to end up Rajini's top 10 movies list just the same as Vishwaroopam won't in Kamal's top 10.

Dec

தலைமுறைகள்: மீண்டும் பாலு மகேந்திரா

எட்டு ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பிறகு மீண்டும் தமிழ் திரையுலகிற்கு ஒரு படைப்புடன் களம் இறங்கும் பாலு மகேந்திரா , “தலைமுறைகள்” படத்தின் மூலம் அவர் தமிழ் சினிமாவிற்கு விட்டு செல்லும் சொத்து (legacy) என்ன என்பதை குறிப்பது போல இருக்கிறது.

74-வயது அடைந்த பாலு மகேந்திர தமிழ் திரைஉலகின் முன்னோடிகளில் ஒருவர் என்பதில் யாருக்கும் சந்தேகம் இல்லை.

Nov

My first meeting with my great grandfather

I got to meet my paternal great grandfather today.

Well, I did not exactly meet Natesa Iyer, the customs official with what I am gathering was a fairly wealthy inheritance and an equally generous disposition. He has been dead for more than six decades now.

I learnt about him through the compelling recollections of Purushothaman 'Maama' (uncle), who stayed with my parents over the past two days.

Nov

If I had reported Sachin Tendulkar's Farewell

How I am jealous of sports writers. They get these awesome opportunities to chronicle unbelievable events. Yesterday - Sachin Tendulkar's farewell Test and speech - was one such occasion.

This is my fantasy report. Of how I would have reported it, in my style if I can call it that.

Nov

பாட்டியின் ரேடியோ

கண் தெரியாத என்னோட பாட்டிக்கு காலைல ஒரு அலாரம் மாதிரி ரேடியோ.

தினமும் விடியற்காலை எழுந்துக்கற என்னோட பாட்டி முதல்ல பண்ணற வேலை அந்த ரேடியோவ போடறது தான்.

அவங்களோட மெத்தை தலைமாட்டுல தலையணை கிட்ட இருக்கற அந்த சின்ன ரேடியோ சத்தம் வந்தா பாட்டி முழிசுட்டாங்கன்னு அர்த்தம். நாங்க இருந்த அண்ணா நகர் வீட்டுல அதிக அறைகள் இல்ல. அந்த நடு தட்டு சராசரி வீட்டுல ஹால்ல தான் நானும் என்னோட தங்கையும் பாட்டியோட படுப்போம்.

எல்லா பேரன்கள போல நானும் பாட்டி செல்லம் தான். என்னோட தங்கையவிடவும்.

Nov

The Tree that Bears Stories - Part 1

Place: Asian News International Office in Anna Nagar. Time: Sometime in 1999.

தாடி மணி: டேய் கார்த்தி என்னடா பண்ணறே

(Dhaadi Mani: Hey Karthik what are you doing)

நான்: ஒன்னும் இல்ல மணி சார். எந்த ஸ்டோரி பண்ணறது தெரியல. பெருசு வந்து திட்ட போகுது.

(Me: Nothing, Mani Sir. I have no stories for the day. Perusu (Big One) is about to yell at me)

அவர்: ச்சா. ஸ்டோரி எல்லாம் சப்ப மேட்டர் டா. இங்க வா. அப்படியே அந்த லோக்கல் பேப்பர் எடுத்துட்டு வா.

(Him: Tcha. Finding stories is child's play.

Nov

Blockbuster formula - Aarambam rocks

There can be no two ways about this.

I am as much a fan of blockbuster cinemas as I am of independent cinema or art films. My big complaint so far about about blockbusters in Tamil cinema was how some heroes seek to exploit the welcome they get out of such formula films for their personal agenda. The less I talk about this the better.

But Ajith Kumar has been a honourable exception.

Oct

The Skyscraper and the Beggar

"Those skyscrapers sure look good," I say to myself.

"I love buildings that are massive and have transparent glass panes. That sounds voyeuristic, but far from that. I love the transparency, the view such offices offer."

"You can take some moments off your work, just to look at the city, the milling crowds. The churning behemoth, the cogs, the wheels, the chaos ...

Oct

Irreverence at its core

It has been close to two hours since I laughed out probably the loudest I have ever inside a cinema hall in several years.

The last time I did, I was a school boy watching 'Michael Madana Kama Rajan' at Sakthi Abirami. Funny how some memories remain fresh in your mind more than others.

I have no doubts that I would remember 'Idharkuthaane Aasai Pattaai Balakumara' the same way several years from now.

Mar

Art of deception

When it comes to art direction in cinema, one works hard to be invisible.

"The challenge is to be as real as possible," 29-year-old Lalgudi N.Ilayaraja, national award winning production designer for Kamal Haasan directed Vishwaroopam, tells me during the course of an interview at his Virugambakkam residence. "If you walked out of the cinema hall, not noticing any of my work, I have succeeded."

Some of the production designs for Vishwaroopam that he shows me are stunning.

Ergo I am

That which cant be disciplined ...