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Showing posts with label Tamil cinema. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tamil cinema. Show all posts
Madhavan and Genelia this time [Monday, April 12, 2010]
Madharasapattinam Preview
It’s a long time since we had a period film in Tamil. The producers and the directors are terrified at doing a period film for the want of time, money and the efforts to create authentic details. When we say period film we don’t mean costume dramas like Imsai Arasan or Jaganmohini. We mean some thing like ‘Lagaan’ where the story happens in tune with the classic era.
AGS Entertainment which is producing many quality films of late has dared to venture into the difficult category of period films. The also have ‘Irumbu Kottai Murattu Singam’ up for release which is a kind of remembering a bygone era, But the same banner is also the producer of a genuine period film in ‘Madharasapattinam’.
As the name suggests the film ‘Madharasapattinam’ is a period drama set in the back drop of pre-independence India in the then Madras under British Raj. To be more particular the film is set in the Madras of the 40s and takes place in Vannarapettai (Washermanpet) area.
‘Madharasapattinam’ is written and directed by A L. Vijay who has earned a name for him with city subjects like ‘Kireedam’ and ‘Poi Solla Porom’ before. This period drama will be a different experience for AL Vijay to prove that he is good at all genres.
‘Madharasapattinam’ is a story of a dhobi, who is also a wrestling champ. Problems arises when a British girl Amy Wilkinson falls in love with the Indian boy as it was forbidden back then.
Arya who had a tremendous response for ‘Naan Kadavul’ but failed to receive the same applause for the next ‘Sarvam’. Here Arya plays the role of Ilamparthi, a dhobi who is also a wrestling champ. So Arya is hoping this film would resurrect his career which started off with very hopes. Arya knows the importance and has said from his heart ‘Madharasapattinam’ is bigger than his market value. The earnest actor is said to have performed his character with at most faithfulness much to the delight of his director. Arya says he had to work hard on his physique for the wrestler role. He also says that he wanted to look convincing as a wrestler and did his home work to imitate how a wrestler would fight, walk, or for that matter, behave in public.
Amy Jackson, the British actress who has also won the Miss Teen World title plays the role called Amy Wilkinson, the 18-year-old daughter of the governor of ‘Madharasapattinam’ who falls in love with Arya, the wrestler-dhobi.
Nasser, late Cochin Haneefa, Alexx O’Neil, MS Bhaskar and Bala Singh play other important roles in the film.
Music of the film is by G V Prakash. G V Prakash must have already tested the requirements for ‘Madharasapattinam’ while doing ‘Aayirathil Oruvan’ to some extent. The audio of the film was launched on April 4 in style. Kamal Haasan and Director Shankar released the audio from a set that re resembled the colonial era in every detail.
‘Madharasapattinam’ boasts of six songs penned by Na. Muthukumar. Roop Kumar Rathod, Harini, Andrea Jeremiah, G V. Prakash, Udit Narayan, VMC. Haneefa, Amy Jackson, Seenu, Naveen Iyer, Sonu Nigam, Saindhavi, Hariharan, Zia, Augustin Choir have rendered the songs.
Actor Cheeyan Vikram has also rendered a song 'Meghame Oh Meghame' with regal Madras feels and he has sung in five different voices, including that of a dhobi, a teacher and an old man. MS Viswanathan and Naseer have also performed with Vikram for this song.
Nirav Shah who worked for A L Vijay in ‘Kireedom’ and done most of Arya’s films till date is the cinematographer. Nirav’s camera work will be a special value to the film.
Editing is by Antony, Art Direction is by V Selvakumar and make up is by Pattanam Rasheed.
One of the expected films this year ‘Madharasapattinam’ is scheduled for this summer release.
Being set in the pre-independence era, G V’s music intelligence would have come for scrutiny. He fares well in most compositions in this album. Na. Muthukumar’s lyrics add the soul to the album that would have required an extra bit of research.
1. Pookal Pookum - Listen here
Singers: Roop Kumar Rathod, Harini, Andrea Jeremiah, GV. Prakash
The song starts of with a Hindustani feel, and the vocals of Roop Kumar Rathod starts of gently with the lyrics of Muthukumar describing attraction for the man and woman involved. The chorus is put to good effort and Roop Kumar stretches his vocals to high pitch in between. Harini’s voice is zealous. Instruments have been used skillfully, with a tempo that is anywhere between moderate and fast. Slowly, a western rhythm is brought in, with Andrea crooning English lyrics penned by her. She sings with finesse. Must listen, if your mood for romance!
2. Vaama Duriyamma - Listen here
Singers ; Udit Narayan, VMC. Haneefa, Amy Jackson
Sounds like a folk song but nothing close to it. A song that supposedly talks about Indian culture and through the song the director has made lyricist Muthukumar introduce the culture to the heroine. Voice of Amy Jackson with Late. Haneefa translating a few lines from Tamil to English is heard. Udit Narayan has sung it well but there is no dearth of Tamil singers here. A Tamil singer would have brought out that perfect essence of the song. Full marks to lyricist Na. Muthukumar.
3. Feel of Love - Listen here
Singers: Seenu, Naveen Iyer
Slow instrumentation that has been written here as ‘feel of love’. Perhaps used as a background score in the movie. A western feel throughout with chorus humming in the later part of the track.
4. Meghame O Meghame - Listen here
Singers: MS. Viswanathan, Vikram, Nasser
A song that talks about the washer folk. Listen to the vocals of music legend M S Viswanathan, Chiyaan Vikram and versatile actor Nasser. MSV needs no introduction while Vikram has pulled off a great job along with Nasser. The music at the back is fast and the effects attributing thunder are worth mentioning. GV has done a good job.
5. Aaruyire - Listen here
Singers: Sonu Nigam, Saindhavi
A slow sad song in the not-so-comfortable voice of Sonu Nigam, who has to get his Tamil nuances right. Saindhavi has sung her part well, and G V’s pathos music will you make indulge for more. Not many instruments have been used to bring out the importance of the lyrics. The end product- lyrics that will make you think. Both the vocalists have done a decent job.
6. Kaatrile - Listen here
Singer: Hariharan, Zia, Augustin Choir
‘Kaatrile’ starts off with a fast singing, of lyrics that talk about love’s victory over war and hatred. The evergreen voice of Hariharan comes in stirring your music senses. Music composition is filled with patriotic tunes and the vocals are really expressive. Repetitive hearing will attract you towards this song.
7. The Dance Theme - Listen here
This track seems to be the theme music of the movie. Instruments are galore in this song. Good for your hears if they are on the hunt for something fresh. Classy orchestration, and G V deserves a pat!
The album as a package, is a nice variety. With an interesting duet, a song with folk tune, a sad song and then a patriotic song to end. G V has done a credible job, given his age and he is surely learning fast. A quality product for director Vijay to flaunt on the big screen. Look out for the art and visuals, he showed everyone a glimpse of it, at the audio launch.
‘Arumbu Meesai Kurumbu Paarvai’ and a notepad
The theme of this film is school life. Perhaps resembling it, the audio launch invitation of 'Arumbu Meesai Kurumbu Paarvai', a film directed by Vetriveeran (a former associate of Bharathiraja), has been designed like a notepad.
Lyrics penned by Vairamuthu for the film have been printed across the pages of the notepad, with select photographs of the lyricist and other members of the cast and crew of ‘AMKP’ placed aesthetically.
Produced by E Kamal Kumar for New Line Talkies banner, the film has freshers- Chandru and Jeyanthi in lead roles. Mohammad Riswan, who scored music for commercials, is being introduced as music director.
The audio launch function will be held at a theatre complex in Vadapalani on April 14, the Chithirai Thirunaal day. Veterans K Balachander and Bharathiraja among others are to participate at the event.
Cool Releases This Summer!
A sneak peek on the releases this summer!
Summer’s a season to rejoice and to sweat it out too! A season full of holidays for the kids, a season of the juicy fruits and hot movies for the entire family!
Lingusamy’s ‘Paiyaa’ started as the cool cucumber this summer. Joining the list of the summer releases will be a couple of other biggies like
Ilaya Thalapathi Vijay’s ‘Sura’ with Tamannah. The movie is directed by Rajkumar and produced by Murugan Cine Arts. The music is scored by Mani Sharma. Watch out for Sura!
‘Maanja Velu’ Arun Vijay’s action flick, directed by A.Venkatesh, the entire team behind ‘Malai Malai’ is back with a family entertainer. Mani Sharma handles music for this one too! Dhanshika is the heroine opposite Arun Vijay.
Suriya’s ‘Singam’ directed by ‘Sami’ director Hari. Hari’s back with another cop flick. Expect total action and entertainment! Anushka, after ‘Vettaikkaran’, is seen in Tamil opposite Suriya. Manorama the versatile actress will also be seen. Music is by high voltage Devi Sri Prasad.
Also in the entertainer list is Sundar C’s ‘Vaada’; Vivek will be joining Sundar C along with hot and sizzling heroine, Geetha Basra.
Apart from that Sundar C is also expecting his comedy flick with Sathyaraj and Santhanam ‘Guru Sishyan’ releasing this summer. Director Sakthi Chidambaram has made a laugh riot.
Chimbu Devan’s ‘Irumbu Kottai Murattu Singam’ starring Lawrence and others. The movie is eagerly awaited as all members of the family will enjoy. G V Prakash has composed the music.
Arya’s ‘Madharasapattinam’, the period movie set in pre-independent India. GV composes music for this as well. Amy, a British model has turned actress with this movie. ‘Kireedom’ director Vijay, is directing this period movie that created a buzz with its audio launch itself.
Finally, Publicity designer Siddarth’s ‘Bale Pandiya’. ‘Venila Kabaddi Kuzhu’ fame Vishnu acts with Piya who was seen in ‘Goa’. The movie is a youthful entertaining movie.
It’s an incredible list that’ll cool you down this hot n boiling summer! While most movies look like the commercial hits that satisfy the appetite of the hungry film buff, the movie to look out for is ‘Irumbu Kottai Murattu Singam’ (IKMS).
Chimbu Devan the maker of a laugh riot like ‘Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi’ is back with an action adventure in the form of IKMS. The movie is already making waves with its promotions, the costumes and the trailers.
A glimpse at the trailers will make you realize the amount of effort the team behind IKMS would have put. Attention to detail of the costumes, the sets, etc is really amazing and creating an engaging expectation. The cast involves the stylish Lawrence, who looks great with the cowboy hat and the straightened hair; the tall beauty Lakshmi Rai; the charming Padmapriya and many others.
A cowboy movie and we know the contents – action and adventure. When IndiaGlitz spoke to Chimbu Devan in an exclusive interview, he said that the movie being an action adventure; it would also contain heavy doses of comedy. Time to think of his previous movies- ‘Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi’ and ‘Arai En 302il Kadavul’, both have that extra dose of comedy.
The entire team behind IKMS is pepped up and is just waiting for the IPL to get over, so that the kids and the families come to enjoy the movie. One thing common in IKMS, Madharasapattinam and Bale Pandiya is the producer. AGS entertainment, no wonder is the happening production company with three releases this summer. ‘Bale Pandiya’ is directed by Siddarth, the publicity designer for movies like ‘Sivaji’, ‘Dhasavatharam’ and ‘Endhiran’.
Diaries are going to be filled this summer. So take your calendar and plot those dates.
The must do’s this summer – Gulping a lot of water, sipping on coolants (like coconut water), eating water melons, applying sun screen and watching the cool movies that are lined-up!
Happy Summer Amigos! Cowboy style!
The truth of biopic in Tamil cinema - II
In 2008 a debutant director Sakthi G. announced a biopic on Kalaignar Karunanidhi but did not proceed further. In 2009 a short biopic on Gemini Ganesan’s life and contribution to Indian cinema was commissioned by Dr. Kamala Selvaraj. But when the 90 minutes film was completed it looked more a documentary on Gemini. There were innumerable people who shoed interest on a biopic of MGR.
Director K. Bhalachander was keen on a film on Mahakavi Bharathi with Kamal Haasan as the majestic poet. But later a film on Bharathi was made and the Marathi actor Shayaji Shinde played the legendary poet with a dubbing voice. Sivaji Ganesan openly expressed his cherished dream of playing Tipu Sultan and Subhash Chandrabose many times. But ironically even Sivaji Films did not produce them.
In Bollywood the trial for a biopic is slightly better. Sardar (1993) Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (2000) and The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002) were some acclaimed films in Hindi. Even Mani Ratnam’s ‘Guru’ is considered to be a successful biopic by many. But announcing and shelving a biopic project is common to Hindi also.
Your browser may not support display of this image. Asian-American filmmaker Krishna Shah set out to make a biopic on Indira Gandhi and Madhuri Dixit was to play the role of Indira. A Charles Sobhraj biopic was announced by many. Now Percept Pictures has announced their own film on life the criminal with Neil Nitin Mukesh in the lead. Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra announced a film on Guru Dutt for which Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif will come together to recreate the magic of Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman. Shashanka Ghosh planned a Kishore Kumar’s biopic with Aamir Khan and Vidhya Balan playing Kishore and Madhubala respectively. But now it is said Ranbir Kapoor will play Kishore and he is taking some lessons from Latha Mangeshkar for the role. These are only buzz which can be believed only when they come out.
But in Hollywood, like popcorn and fast food the biopic has long been a staple and often a big money spinner apart from sweeping the coveted awards. Most of the best and all time block busters and favourites of Hollywood are biopics.
The Great Ziegfeld, Lawrence of Arabia, Patton, Gandhi, Amadeus, A Beautiful Mind, Good Night and Good Luck, Finding Neverland, The Aviator, Erin Brockovich, The Pianist, Gandhi, Amadeus, , Raging Bull, Citizen Kane, Malcolm X, Julie & Julia and Patton are just few in the list of Hollywood great biopics.
A biopic can even make people take an actor seriously. Will Smith and Jim Carrey both gained respect as dramatic actors after doing the roles Muhammad Ali in Ali and Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon respectively. Even our own Sathyaraj stunned everybody with his portrayal of Periyar which garnered him more respect.
All though biopics have become rare still some people keep the genre alive. Ram Gopal Varma is one ahead. His recently announced God and Sex is said to be a biopic on the scandalous Swamy Nithyanandha though denied by the director. RGV’s forth coming ‘Raktha Charithra’ is also on the life of one Paritala Ravi, the dreaded factionist from Anathapur district of Andhra Pradesh who was assassinated in 2005. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has revealed plans to make a biopic on the Flying Sikh Milkha Singh. The ace athlete has sold his life story for Rs. 1(One) to director.
But in Tamil we don’t see any serious takers for biopics even now. If at all Tamil producers try a biopic that will be for small screen with free commercial time in mind.
Another thing we should keep in mind is that we have never created an audience for the genre. A film on Bharathi was a flop. Even the much revered lives of Priyar and Kamaraj could not be translated into success at the box office. Even ‘Gandhi’ was a bigger success in other places than in India.
When there are too many people whose life will make a good biopic our producers must try them with a certain amount of veracity. With the audience maturing faster than the film makers think Tamil film makers can try different things. And if Kamal Haasan is able to bring out his Maruthanayagam successfully that will be a turning point.
For immediacy the Silk Smitha biopic may open eventful doors for this genre in Tamil.
The truth of biopic in Tamil cinema - I
The daughter of yesteryear Bollywood actor Jeetendra and the queen of Hindi television soaps Ekta Kapoor is making a biopic on the life of the yester years south Indian sexy siren Silk Smitha.
Reliable sources say Vidya Balan will live the life of Silk Smitha in ‘The Dirty Picture’ directed by Milan Luthria. But there was also news saying Mallika Sherawat will essay the role of Silk. Either way the casting will have its own limitations. If Mallika is not expressive Vidya will not be able to match the oomph factor of the seductive Smitha. But the role will be an author backed role and will be as rewarding as challenging to both Vidya Balan and the actor and the director Milan Luthria.
The film will be made in Hindi and given the standing of Silk Smitha even to day it will surely be dubbed in all the possible languages. When it releases in Tamil that will be one of he rarest genre the biopic.
In Tamil we haven’t seen too many biopic films in its almost 90 years of talkies. There were occasional movies that were called biopic but weren’t as honest as it should be.
A Biopic or a biographical motion picture is said to be a film that truthfully dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. But a biopic is also confused with films which claim they are based on a true story or historical. Biopic attempts to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their lives.
The reasons for not having many biopic films in Tamil may be many but the two important ones are these. First our people are not willing to risk libel. The characters portrayed in a biopic are actual people whose actions and characteristics are known and seen. Any difference of opinion is bound to create trouble for the film maker. One of the best known biopic in Tamil ‘Iruvar’ experienced the effects of a biopic.
‘Iruvar’ written and directed by Mani Ratnam dealt with a very sensitive subject of the lives of modern Tamil Nadu’s most prominent icons MGR and Karunanidhi and their tryst with cinema and politics. The movie invited criticism from both the camps alleging the movie is not honest. Mani has also faltered in some places like casting and depicting personal lives of the political icons. On account of this various parties staged demonstrations to prevent theaters from showing the movie. The movie failed at the popularity level but is regarded as one of the best work ever.
In a culture where bipolarity is too severe and serious to eccentricity, a true biopic may not be possible for some more time. Even the much touted biopic ‘Periyar’ turned out to be a montage of incidents and events to please all factions. Many did not even know there was a film on Kamarajar.
Another reason for the lack of confidence in the directors to attempt a biopic is the non-availability of willing actors. Biopics are considered to be the most demanding for actors and actresses in terms of hard work. Even when we had trained actors like Sivaji Ganesan who were from the stages there weren’t too many biopics. One Veerapandiya Kattabomman or a Kappalotiya Thamizhan are the only notable biopic if we agree to call it a biopic. Even these were not true to self but dramatized versions.
Bu there was too many films that called itself biopic or based on true story in Tamil. From Malaiyur Manbattiyan to Sri Raghavendirar to the recent Guru the “true life’ was used more as marketing gimmick. Also regularly people announce biopic projects only to shelve it later for either want of good talent or truthful script.