With Rajinikanth’s Padma Vibhushan, the North is finally seeing what the Superstar is all about. Baradwaj Rangan reports.
“Hey Ram! Is it raining?” These were the first words out of Mrs. Sharma’s mouth when she opened the door and saw her husband, soaked from head to toe. Mr. Sharma didn’t reply. She looked past him and saw the sun gleaming over Lajpat Nagar, and only when Mr. Sharma walked past her did she realise it wasn’t water. “It looks like…” she began, and he snapped at her. “Yes, it’s milk. I was just outside, buying baingan for your bharta. The subziwala was listening to news about the Padma awards on the radio. They mentioned the name Rajinikanth. And suddenly, the sun vanished. The clouds came together and formed his image. You know, na? That Andhaa Kanoon actor. All of us looked up, unable to move. Then a big plane appeared out of nowhere. The door opened and Donald Trump took out a hose and began showering the cloud-image with milk. His crew, after breaking coconuts and performing an aarti, began transmitting the proceedings to New Jersey and California, where he’s after the Indian vote.”
“Achcha, you first clean up,” Mrs. Sharma interrupted. “I’ll put the geyser on.” She went inside and sighed, well aware of her husband’s tendency to make up these stories. “He watches too many South-wala masala movies,” she muttered to herself. She heard a faint whoosh sound around the house and wondered if a storm was gathering. No, it must be her imagination. She’d better be getting back to work – all those papers scattered around, all those files due before Republic Day. She flicked on the geyser switch and returned to the hall just in time to see Mr. Sharma tossing a cigarette into the air, rubbing two paperweights, creating a spark, and lighting the cigarette as it fell into his lips. She screamed, “Arrey, Baba!” He turned to her and whispered throatily, “B to the A to the B to the A!” He seemed unaware that his left hand had begun raking through his bald pate, as though he had a full head of hair.
“What’s happened to my husband?” Mrs. Sharma thought, recalling his humble roots as a bus conductor, then auto driver, then milkman. “You forgot taxi driver,” Mr. Sharma said, though he wasn’t looking at her. His eyes were fixed on his -12/-9 glasses, which he was twirling towards his face. “You can hear my mind now?” asked Mrs. Sharma, after she managed to close her dropped jaw. “Yes. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times,” said Mr. Sharma. “I don’t understand,” Mrs. Sharma said, bewildered. Mr. Sharma sighed exasperatedly and said, “Only pigs keep repeating things. Lions roar but once.” Mrs. Sharma said, “Ya Rabba! That doesn’t even make any sense. What are you…?” Mr. Sharma silenced her. Pointing an index finger at the sky, he said, “My path is a unique path… A man who talks too much and a woman who listens too little have never lived together happily… How eez eet?”
Mrs. Sharma sat down, a hand over her head, when she heard a voice from the doorway. “Didi, my husband too has begun to talk like that. He calls it punch dialogue. It’s all I could do to stop myself from punching his face.” It was Mrs. Varma, the lawyer’s wife next door. “What’s more, he wants to change the name of his firm to… Meri Adaalat. And he’s begun to call our triplets John, Jani, Janardhan.” With her back to the wall, in order to avoid Mr. Sharma (who had now relaxed into a meditation pose, as though he were in the Himalayas), Mrs. Varma inched towards Mrs. Sharma. Sitting down, she said, “A lot of my friends are saying similar things. You know Mrs. Khanna, from Chandni Chowk? Her husband has begun talking in Japanese. He says he’s recalling a past birth, where he was a Dancing Maharaja. As for Mr. Chadda, he no longer swats mosquitoes. He levitates in the hall, flies all the way into the kitchen and squashes them with karate kicks.”
The sound of the phone burst through Mrs. Varma’s narration. “Hello ji,” said Mrs. Sharma, careful to shield the receiver from her husband, who had begun to reach for it in the manner of a pauper who was about to become a multimillionaire over the course of a song. “Mrs. Sharma? This is Mahadevan. Mr. Sharma wanted me to pick him up on the way to work today. Is he ready?” That broke the dam. Mrs. Sharma burst into tears and told Mr. Mahadevan everything. To her surprise, he just laughed in a strange, singsong way. “Aa… haa… haa..” Then he said, “You should really talk to my wife about this.” After some shuffling – and these muffled words, “Don’t worry, I will get Kabali and Chandramukhi ready for school” – Mrs. Sharma found herself speaking to Mrs. Mahadevan.
She, too, just laughed. “Oh, Mrs. Sharma. This is what happens when you suddenly look at the sun.” Mrs. Sharma wondered if Mrs. Mahadevan was beginning to talk in punch dialogues as well. “What Mr. Sharma and the others have is Superstar-itis, which is caused by sudden exposure to a blinding phenomenon.” Mrs. Sharma bit her tongue and wondered if Mrs. Mahadevan would ever stop sounding like the schoolteacher she was. It was like hearing a robot that had discovered it had emotions. She asked, “But why doesn’t Mr. Mahadevan have it?” Mrs. Mahadevan said, “Because my husband has been watching and worshipping Rajinkanth for decades. You Northies either ignored him or treated him, at best, as some kind of fun figure. And now, you’re discovering that he is indeed a genuine phenomenon, someone that the Government of India has chosen to honour with its second highest civilian award. Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.” As Mr. Sharma came out of the bath, clad in a T-shirt that said “Tumhare paas gaadi hai, bangla hai… mere paas Baasha hai,” Mrs. Sharma whispered, “But what explains it?” Mrs. Mahadevan said, “Can you explain Saturn’s rings? Can you explain why it’s taken so long to come up with the odd-even rule? It just is, Mrs. Sharma.” “Chalo, thank you, bye ji,” said Mrs. Sharma. Mrs. Mahadevan signed off from the other end. “Gatham gatham.”
An edited version of this piece can be found here. Copyright ©2016 The Hindu. This article may not be reproduced in its entirety without permission. A link to this URL, instead, would be appreciated.
Vikram Sonni
January 27, 2016
BR…. :-)))
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Anu Warrier
January 27, 2016
Ha! Shots fired! 🙂
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MANK
January 27, 2016
Brangan, man that was ROFL funny all the way 🙂 Full of vintage Branganisms.
I am glad that Rajni has got the Padma vibushan. or rather as someone tweeted Padma vibushan has got Rajni
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ramitbajaj01
January 27, 2016
I found the conversation to be very fake. (though the imagination is good). It felt as if south indian characters were renamed and transposed into lajpat nagar. the exclamations, the addresses, the dialogues…everything felt false. (of sharmas and varmas, though not sure about mahadevan).
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Ram Murali
January 27, 2016
“Don’t worry, I will get Kabali and Chandramukhi ready for school”
–> @brangan – you made me spill my coffee! (Seriously!) That was the funniest line in your article esp. because of how unexpected it was!
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Mambazha Manidhan
January 27, 2016
First words of a Rajinikanth tribute, ” Hey ram!”
Nicely done, BR . 🙂
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Gradwolf
January 27, 2016
The edhir katchikaran in you had to begin with Hey Ram, no?!
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brangan
January 27, 2016
ramitbajaj01: About the conversations, I kinda agree. In the time I had, I couldn’t quite crack a tone (in English) that would work for the South- as well as North Indian reader, for the reader who doesn’t know Rajini as well as the reader who does.
But I’m glad I was asked to do this. I don’t do these way-out-on-a-limb pieces anymore, and it was a chance to flex a different writing muscle for a bit.
Mambazha Manidhan / Gradwolf: Clever boys 🙂 Er, I meant do not assume “authorial intent”… I think…
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pdg
January 27, 2016
”You Northies either ignored him or treated him, at best, as some kind of fun figure.”
we still do. What a joke of an actor. Atrocious.
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brangan
January 27, 2016
Oh, and to the person who asked about increasing the number of comments visible in the sidebar so they wouldn’t miss out, there’s also the option of subscribing to comments via RSS (see sidebar). I think you can get comments on your feed reader like you get posts.
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vasuvasudevan
January 27, 2016
Nice one. Only one correction: ” And now, you’re discovering that he is indeed a genuine phenomenon, someone that the Government of India has chosen to honor with its second highest civilian award.” This should actually read as: ” And now, you’re discovering that he is indeed a genuine phenomenon, someone who has chosen to to be honored by the Government of India with its second highest civilian award.”
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vasuvasudevan
January 27, 2016
Easy to dismiss like this. A similar comment can be made on Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Khan or any one else. But jokers cannot have millions of followers and make millions. Dear friend, try acting in one play some where and see and how many eggs are thrown at you!
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Rm
January 27, 2016
“But what explains it?”
Floating a ‘conspiracy theory’ at the risk of making a political commentary here(not my own)..
The party at the centre is preferring the star as its mouth-piece to establish their presence in the state for the upcoming elections. It’s rumored that this appeasement is a first step towards that..
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
January 27, 2016
With a few more movies in the first four paras, you would’ve equalled Kamal’s cameo in Thillu Mullu. 🙂
Did you come up with one for Kamal (when he was awarded with Padma Bhushan two years back)? I can see one for Vairamuthu!
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Jetlagged
January 28, 2016
All the Rajni bashings/”jokes” – It is all coming from self given sense of superiority. If you cant understand, the least you can do is acknowledge the fact that some people DO understand and they are not insane.
The west will say “bollywood” is about song and dance and colors. We know our cinema.We know what it is. We simply disregard what others have to say. Some do give into that observation of song/dance/colors, giving more importance to it than what it is actually about, and we know what exaggerated outcomes/promotions it results in, which might appear to be true, but is not.
Same is the case with Thalaivar. Lungi has nothing to do with Rajni. Why pull him into that song? It says “all the rajni fans”…I really wonder if a true Rajni fan would really enjoy that song in the way it is intended. May be he would just shake a leg seeing his thalaivar. And that is only because of his unstoppable force.
Its like folks who think Sivaji’s performances are “Overacting”. But the fact remains that some people do see the genius in that “overacting” and they are not being Atrocious in saying he is a Genius. Just because you cannot appreciate it, it doesn’t mean you have to make it a joke (which seems to come more out of a frustration of not being able to appreciate). Don’t cancel it blindly.
We will have a lot to lose if that is the case with everything.
Respect the guy man. He is literally weak, tired. He is still trying. Pushing boundaries in his own way, with his own beliefs.
I’m waiting for the title screen of Kabali to introduce him as S…U…P…E…R…S…T…A…R “Padma Vibushan”….R…A…J…N…I
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Ragenikanth
January 28, 2016
the fun piece is not at all surprising knowing BR I expected it, he hates superstar
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pdg
January 28, 2016
nonsense tag name supprastar….
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Irfan Syed
January 28, 2016
And Mr Baradwaj can write (awesome) fiction too.
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Murugesan
January 28, 2016
Rather Northies by now kamal and his fans should know the potential capabilities of Rajnikanth
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udhaysankar
January 28, 2016
“And now, you’re discovering that he is indeed a genuine phenomenon, someone that the Government of India has chosen to honour with its second highest civilian award. Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”
They never have and they never will. Every time I have an conversation with northies (I hate to use this term), they seemed to be effortlessly amused and say ‘thalaivaa’ and mock me with an naughty smile that elders use for teasing young girls who have attained puberty.
They somehow can’t come to terms with the fact that I love this man genuinely, for what he does. It’s similar to an friend who can’t come to terms with his mate’s choice of an girlfriend and keeps mocking him for that.
So, whenever the topic of Rajni comes up, I try to avoid it and keep to myself. Que Sera Sera.
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Ragenikanth
January 28, 2016
udhaysankar , it’s not limited to North Indians even many southis who just cannot accept is rise
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sanjana
January 28, 2016
I think north Indians spell Verma while Telugu people spell it Varma. I usually distinguish this surname with these spellings. Sharma is common in andhra brahmin community. Sharma is also widely used by marwaris(my neighbour Sharma is a marwari).
Rajnikant and KH are loved by many northies.
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the brangan fan
January 28, 2016
sir
i am not against the super star, but i think kamal deserves it better; because this award is about talent, experience, achievements, etc. and not style and stardom……
but i guess its not abut who should win,but about whom you’d like to see winning 🙂
But Ajay devgn and Madhur Bhandharkar?Seriously??Something is fishy…
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
January 28, 2016
Many are worried about ‘Padma Vibhushan for Rajinikanth’. I’m sure most of us are not aware his Padma Bhushan that came 16 years ago!
//But Ajay devgn and Madhur Bhandharkar?Seriously??Something is fishy…//
You talk about achievements. These two guys have won National Awards in their respective categories.
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the brangan fan
January 28, 2016
Venkatesh: You’re right,but after singham2 and calender girls,should it have to be now??
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
January 28, 2016
the brangan fan: If you ask me, none of our actors should be awarded with these civilian honours. Directors might be an exception (in some cases) though!
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vijay
January 28, 2016
“The party at the centre is preferring the star as its mouth-piece to establish their presence in the state for the upcoming elections. It’s rumored that this appeasement is a first step towards that..”
when is our Gabtain Vijaykanth going to get Dadasaheb Phalke ?
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udhaysankar
January 29, 2016
The brangan fan: kamal deserves it, yeah. But why should he deserve it more than thalaivar. I think both of them are equally experienced, talented and have also achieved a lot.
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sanjana
January 29, 2016
In the waiting list for PV.
Critcs
KRK
KH
Mani Ratnam
Rajamouli
Akshay Kumar
Deepika
Kangana
SRK
Salman
Anna Hazare
And anyone else?
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
January 29, 2016
when is our Gabtain Vijaykanth going to get Dadasaheb Phalke?
vijay: Since he is into politics, they won’t consider him – same reason why MGR and NTR were never given DP. However, he might qualify for Bharat Ratna. 😛
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sanjana
January 29, 2016
http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-award-and-reward/
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sanjana
January 29, 2016
The awards are all in sanskritised hindi. Still no protests in Chennai?
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apex
January 29, 2016
“Did you come up with one for Kamal..”
Now, I know zilch about South Indian cinema & rajnikant… But I think I know something about cinema
I didn’t read this post or most of the comments but something made me stop and comment when I see Kamalahassan compared to rajnikant and others…
If one goes into the background, my first and only experience of his film.. a HUMBLING one
Whilst I wholeheartedly admit to my ignorance in South Indian films, i still protest against any comparisons with people like rajnikant, mammooty etc etc
Telling many here is like telling a granny how to chew
But I can speak as a total outsider, a totally unbiased observer. Someone who is ‘Virginal’ and unspoilt (lol)
He is a living legend not only in indian cinema. But in world cinema… of all time
And tell u what– like all things, it took me jus ONE film to reach this conclusion
And let me also point out the review that led me to that
This is one of the BEST Reviews I’ve EVER COME ACROSS
Maybe the writer is also active here …??
In twenty chapters with preface et al…
And the movie is (closing credits)
Starred
Produced
Directed
Written by one man
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sanjana
January 29, 2016
India on the whole has become a mature democracy. Acceptance. Even names like Karunanidhi have roots in sanskrit. And south indians naming their kids rahul and rohit. And north indians naming their kids, the most famous example, Kumaramangalam or Kumarmangalam. Idli dosa becoming all India favourites. Chapati being on the menu for many south indians. Benefits of cultural diversity.
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udhaysankar
January 29, 2016
Apex :When you compare some individual with another you do in some common grounds. And wrt they outperform each other on many a common grounds. And you should also consider where they started off. Kamal had no problem getting into the industry having been surrounded by genuinely talented individuals. But,thalaivar didn’t know the language. The way he spoke Tamil was odd. But, to have made that odd accent a pop habit requires some talent.
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venkatesh
January 29, 2016
@apex : welcome to the blog.
BR is a huge fan of the film. I think Kamal himself mentioned at some point that he would have done only direction if Hey Ram had succeeded, unfortunately the film tanked heavily.
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the brangan fan
January 29, 2016
udhaysankar: Rajini’s films are all in the masala genre, whereas kamal’s films are each different in a way….. that is what an achiever needs.
Rajini is the ultimate star, but kamal is the ultimate actor (also director,singer,etc)
Padma vibhushan is not about mass appeal,it is about art….. and you don’t see’art’ in rajini’s films as much as you do in kamal’s, barring a few like thalapathi,do you?? 🙂
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Punee
January 29, 2016
@apex: Its simple- Kamal is an auteur. Rajni is a phenomenon. And despite being a huge Rajni fan, I must agree with you about Kamal- his talent is out of this world. Even in something as silly as Avvai Shanmugi (Chachi 420 for you), he displays a dedication and skill in every single department. My favorite Kamal moment is this song from Indian though (Hindustani for you):
Anyway these awards are a big drama, they don’t matter and are a waste of tax payer money. But glad Rajni sir got it 🙂 If there is anyone beloved by all who deserves it, its Rajni 🙂
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MANK
January 29, 2016
Padma vibhushan is not about mass appeal, it is about art
Brangan Fan, And i thought it was about politics 😀
Punee, I never thought you would turn out to be a Rajni fan. you continue to surprise me . 😀
Aside, why did you change your profile pic. the girl in the earlier pic was more beautiful than the current one. 🙂
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Punee
January 30, 2016
@MANK: I am as filmi as they come. And how can I earn my keep if I don’t worship at the altar of Rajni? 🙂
Jokes apart, most of the stars I adore are from the 90s while I was growing up- SRK, Rajni, Sallu and of course my beloved Madhuri. My granny who’s from Madras used to try and take us to watch Tamil movies so we could learn the language, and I found them mostly blah and boring. But then we watched Dalapathy, and it was amazing- I loved it, starting with it being shot in Mysore (where I I was living at the time)- I recognized all the places in the various scenes and then there was this magnetic presence- this, this, this force of nature, this outsider, a noble savage and I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. Since then I have tried to watch all his movies that I could, pestering my Tamil friends to explain the words to me and learning to slowly haltingly understand it myself 🙂 And then he recently shot in Mysore again- Lingaa! 🙂 It was like a homecoming…I watched it first day, first show in Bombay!
I have always had a thing for the Heathcliff archetype. The beast who deserves his beauty 🙂 That was how I first fell for SRK too- after watching Darr and Baazigar, did not take the DDLJ route like most of my peers 😛
Oh, the profile pic change is because I watched BM again and am finally attempting to write a review. That moment with Mastani asking for “sindoor” her chest heaving in anticipation as Bajirao stares wordlessly at her- is my current obsession 🙂 And thank you 😛
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l
January 30, 2016
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
January 30, 2016
Padma vibhushan is not about mass appeal, it is about art
MANK: There are filmmakers who firmly believe cinema isn’t an art form. 🙂
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Ragenikanth
January 30, 2016
I agree kamal deserves all the award as he continuous to copy / getting inspired from western movies & pretending to be his own creation for this one reason it should be awarded BR
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MANK
January 30, 2016
Punee, what? you are still trying to write a review. after all the things you wrote on the BM thread here. Couldnt you just cobble all together and make a review. you can take some of my points too, you know just to balance things out. i wont sue for copyright 🙂
But my god, the words you use to describe Mastani’s state – That moment with Mastani asking for “sindoor” her chest heaving in anticipation as Bajirao stares wordlessly at her
Oh i am having some really really strange visions and feelings 😀
Brangan is right, you can turn any blog into a Date blog 🙂
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sanjana
January 30, 2016
It will not be a review if she cobbles all together. It will be a thesis for doctorate! Maang Bharo Bajirao will be the title.
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MANK
January 30, 2016
i absolutely get it about Rajni’s magnetic presence, the outsider, noble savage quality about him. You see today people just look at Rajni as some kind of Meme, a joke merely a machine for punchlines and over exaggerated mannerisms,i can understand why people in the north look at him as this funny creature. but for me that is not what he is. especially with the ongoing Kamal vs Rajni debate and whether Rajni is deserving of the honor, or who is more deserving and all that. it is always very baffling for me that they are compared. They are like chalk and cheese. they are like John Wayne and Marlon Brando. Wayne and Brando has been equally respected, revered and honored with the awards and civilian honors over the years in US, why is it just here that controversies erupt. Each one has their own space, talent and importance in larger scheme of things thee is no comparison between them.
the essence of Rajnikanth lies much deeper for me. He is an extraordinary screen star actor in the mold of wayne or Cary Grant. just watch the song below. this was before when he became a phenomenon, but was still the biggest star
It is a beautiful song. the song starts with Sridevi – ever so beautiful- looking very shy and timid singing tanana tana….. then Rajni makes his entry in to the screen. Its like a bolt of lightning. then watch his performance in the song. his inflections, the way he walks, the way he moves through the screen. he infuses each and every aspects of the movement, the singing with something special, something quirky. when other actors walk, it is just a walk, but Rajni almost sashays through the screen. just look at how he nonchalantly twirls the glasses in his hands , almost turns it in to a production by itself. it is these aspects of him as a performer that endears me to him. Also how he makes the totality of the emotion of the song works, he becoming the more extroverted energetic foil to the timid and beautiful sridevi.
it just doesnt have to be an outdoor song with movements. watch this
this isnt even a very good song. the picturisation is very flat. Rajni just stands and sings most of the time. But just look at how he still rivets us with his facial repressions alone. sudden changes that he can bring on to emotions. In the second stanza when he sings madhavan poonguzhal mandira geethathil madhagamai marandadu, when he sings madhagamai marandadu, he changes the emotions completely from what it was while singing madhavan poonguzhal mandira geethathil. again when he sings kaalaipaiyill Roja, there is a sudden change of expression. just the over all effect this creates is awesome, That is the greatness of Rajini for me.
what i want to put across is that he is an awesome screen performer and i put the emphasis on screen performer. he is born to act for the camera and he knows how to perform for the camera. he will not be suited for stage. His career has been built up over 40 odd years acting in more than 100 films. we have seen how we graduated from being a villain to supporting actor to star to superstar. he was not some overnight sensation. we have seen how this caterpillar became the colorful fluttering butterfly, even as the rest of the world sees only this fluttering butterfly and pass comments on it. we dont need to take such things seriously. He is absolutely deserved of every honor he is bestowed upon.
even though i liked this piece that Brangan has written , i wish he had written something to bring out this hidden genius of Rajnikanth which i am sure he also is aware and admires.
As a parting shot, just put this clip out from the iconic Alex pandian scene from moondru mugham, the absolute bible for all us die hard Rajni fans. i absolutely love the way he spins and stop spinning the globe in the scene. Just imagine, is there any other actor in the world who could pull of this scene as Rajni here does as he walks the balance of the character between caricature and seriousness..
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Punee
January 30, 2016
@sanjana: Everytime, I see your name, I want to add “I love you” to complete the song in my brain 😛 I am not a fan of those Jeetendra-type of 80s movies, they were the pits in my opinion of Hindi cinema. Chillax, no one’s asking you to read my review 🙂
@MANK: Arre baba, the things I wrote on the BM thread were disjointed and had too much of fluff, with like references to “real” history and defenses against all the attacks that I percieved on “My Precious” and too much flirting with apex 😛 😀 My review will be a little more cohesive 🙂 And thanks for your offer, but I don’t want to “balance” things out 🙂 It will be an obsessive, single-minded screed which I am sure zero people will want to look at.
As for Mastani’s state, isn’t that true? Trust me- my imagination had more things to say, I kinda edited it to what I thought was the least problematic description! 😛 I swear I had no intentions of eliciting any “visions”, and what is this date blog stuff, don’t give BR more ideas- he may ban me for being a “distraction”!
Re: Rajni, I take this ridiculing of him with a pinch of salt, people ridicule Prabhu Deva’s English also and SRK’s stutter- let them na, it doesn’t really matter. And to me these three men are the penultimate of sexiness- let me tell you, the paragons of masculinity in my eyes and every guy has had to unfortunately match up to them 😛
Thanks for all the links, those are from movies before my time and I haven’t watched them, he looks so young! The only song I have seen of those times has been this one: (And I absolutely adore it!)
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apex
January 30, 2016
@ Punee: thanx, in one comment, u have sort of given me an approx insight into the appeal of rajnikant — something I could never understand – bcos of ur inherent child like enthusiasm, empathy and lack of guile. But the other main reason is that I haven’t seen his films including thalapathy..
@ udhayshankar: “Kamal had no problem getting into the industry having been surrounded by genuinely talented individuals. But, thalaivar didn’t know the language. The way he spoke Tamil was odd”
To clarify, I don’t have the ‘usual’ problems (people have) with rajnikant –no problems with rajnikant being a massy megastar …phenomenon . Well, have all sympathies for those with a BACKSTORY of deprivation, stammering, autism, child abuse, broken families, loss of limb etc etc. But at the end of the day, the comparisons are on the ‘finished product(s)’… A line has to be drawn somewhere … when comparing (fandom notwithstanding)…
But have problems when it comes to comparing to kamal.
He’s a different beast fullstop
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apex
January 30, 2016
“too much flirting with apex 😛 😀 My review will be a little more cohesive”
Ha
Punee: Lookin 4ward 2 ur review (wid me filtered out)…
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Punee
January 30, 2016
@MANK: YES! I absolutely get it about Rajni being super amazing even when he is still. His facial expressions, gosh, I don’t think stuff like that can be “learnt”, it has to be inborn. Which reminds me of this one:
Absolutely FANTASTIC and EPIC.
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Punee
January 30, 2016
@apex: Oh, you must watch it, it’s in my opinion his best work and Mani sir’s too (Dil Se comes a close second). Unfortunately there isn’t a Blu-Ray version of it available (a problem with all of Mani Ratnam’s work 😦 ) and you will have to make do with a DVD or youtube. And glad I could help! 🙂
Re: My BM review, of course you will always be there, your words about love being transcendental are unforgettable, I will have to make a huge effort to not let them color my review 🙂
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MANK
January 30, 2016
It will be an obsessive, single-minded screed which I am sure zero people will want to look at
aah, I can already hear the earth trembling 🙂
Trust me- my imagination had more things to say, I kinda edited it to what I thought was the least problematic description
Thank god you did that and i bow before your imagination skills 😀
Re> Kadhalin deepam, that was the first song i thought about putting in, but i felt it was too somber. but here too you can see the Rajni effect. the slight tilt of the head, the inflections that he brings in every time he sings Kaathal vazhgha or sollavvaaa…..
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apex
January 30, 2016
Hey Raam
Lemme clarify from my comment above, since all my comments are hurriedly, casually written. I nowadays lack the focus, patience to put points across like most folks here do. My childlike attention span of a few seconds doesn’t help either.
But to cut a long story short –lemme say . Hey raam is Is simply one of the BEST films I’ve ever seen. And I do skim across most of ‘world cinema’ of all types and ‘genres’ lol
A ‘preview’ for those who haven’t seen it …
Btw Rani Mukherjee put in a gr8 ‘performance’ as well
What’s STAGGERING is the Attention to detail, the talent and offscreen, the GRIP. The METAPHORS, ALLEGORIES, VISUAL CODES scattered everywhere. The Mauser 99 gun used by the Germans, the intermittent change from monochrome to color, the change in TEMPO. can write more than 20 chapters on it ..
I care a DAMN if this film TANKED or not a single person liked it. For me it’s a gem. and above all, the PLETHORA of MOODS of Saket Raam..
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
January 30, 2016
apex: Agree, Kamal is a different actor altogether. In Ram Murali’s CWKH (read Conversations with Kamal Haasan), he said ‘Chaplin is my competitor, not Rajini!’
But the problem is, I don’t see a reason why people are too much worried about Rajini being awarded with PV (or any other honour).They did not have problems when IR, Rahman, and Aamir Khan were awarded with Padma Bhushan in 2010 (for IR it was his first Padma Award), where as Kamal (whose legacy is much greater than ARR’s or Aamir’s) was given the same in 2014. Last year, Dilip Kumar and AB were given Padma Vibhushan! When Dilip Kumar and AB can be treated in the same way, why not Rajini and Kamal?
MANK: Glad to see somebody analysing even films like Veera and Moondru Mugam. Assuming that Gitanjali Selvaraghavan (albeit under a different name) has posted a comment in MNM’s thread, I’m responding here.
You see when you have a star of Rajni’s caliber in your movie your immediate instinct is to take the easy way out- like bharatiraja did with Kodi parakkathu’
Actually, I was under the impression that Un Kannil Neer Vazhindhaal has to be the worst film (in Balu Mahendra’s filmography). But when I saw this scene (starting from 1:01:55), I totally changed my view:
I think this was supposed to be a mass scene, yet clearly devoid of his usual mannerisms and punches. He doesn’t speak much. His style apart from BGM and camera perfectly complement the mass factor. Look at his smile (at 1.03:41).
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l
January 30, 2016
Why north indians do not like Rajini… he is harmless…
as for kamal that man is a different beast n as apex pointed out, just one film is enough to know his brillliance…
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Punee
January 30, 2016
@apex: If I have to make comparisions, I would say Kamal Hassan is like Fred Astaire- a slight and delicate man, beautiful dancer, auteur and obsessed with perfection. He also has shades of Clint Eastwood in that he does everything- sing, write, direct, act- and always chooses somewhat “different” projects to headline. You can see the pure love for the art that he has.
That is why I find it quite incredible when people compare him and Rajni. You would never compare Fred Astaire with a James Dean or Clint Eastwood with Tom Cruise- they are from different universes altogether. But its an Indian tendency, we love to fight over our “religions” and our “gods” 🙂
@MANK: haha! The earth trembles you say? LOL. My imagination did somersaults when I found out that Birju Maharaj told Deepika while dancing that to get the correct “ras” she should imagine Ranveer Singh (he obviously was not there for the whole shoot)… supposedly Madhubala imagined Kishore Kumar while dancing in Jhumroo 🙂
Kadhalin Deepam, man he kills me. Just kills me with those looks ❤
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MANK
January 31, 2016
Honest Raj, yes it seems to be a case of Balu mahendra’s aesthetic fused with that of Rajni’s. he creates tremendous impact in the scene with just that smile. more than what he does with those exaggerated mannerisms or intentional punchline. but i suppose the problem is that such kind of Subtle underplaying do not transfer well with the frontbenchers or the mass audience which are his core base. so he abandoned it or was forced to abandon it, and as his stardom touched the stratosphere in th later years and he began to limit himself more and more, with just one film a year, then 2 years, then 3 years, he just started playing what the public perception of who he was rather than who the performer he truly was.
And for all kamal vs Rajni talk and why they are different
the scene plays out like a showreel for their different acting styles as they go at each other in the same scene. Just watch the contrast. this is like watching Astaire and Kelly dancing together or Elvis and Sinatra singing together. Rajni is all extroverted style, the rapid change of expressions, the body language, the super fast diologue delivery, macho posturing and Kamal all internalised, very subtle expressons, very little talk, hardly much movements.. this could well be the audition tape for what each actor is going to be in the future. No wonder that they could never act together after a point, right here in this scene in the same film, they seem to be acting in 2 different films already
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apex
January 31, 2016
@ Punee: Like all those who named in your comment above as well a lot, (especially Tom Cruise, err lemme stop there, that’s for another day maybe.,)
& some good comments all over by I, mank, baranganfan,,,,
Btw I Really like the name of “honest raj” formerly venkatesh (honest to god!)
I Don’t have problems with rajnikants fandom and any awards he has got or may get (infact didn’t know who won what)…if so many people like Rajnikant, there HAS to be a valid reason–end of the story 4 me
Will let those those people enjoy their fetishes ..yo
Coming back to Kamal, I’ve been told many times to see xyz film of his to know the real kamal legend. But I resist this and after the 1-2-3 attack (in each of the deptts-acting direction and writing), hey raam, no further validation is needed for me.
It’s like this..
some get really good in A
Some manage to excel in B
Some manage ‘a to p’
Whereas some become the ALPHABET, the SCRIPT themselves. And then PLAY or TOY with the ‘medium” aka life 🙂
Yeah some own ‘a to x’ ie APEX (Ooopps sorry for that shameless obscene Self-aggrandisation!) haha
Yeah there are NARCISISSTIC BORDERLINE ANTISOCIAL elements in Kamal as well but who cares …(least of all me)
Now this is basically for guys –This filming apparently began a decade ago but couldn’t get completed (fittingly)
There’s something about INCOMPLETENESS that I like
GuyZ: UNLEASH THE ANIMAL within u 🙂
(apex)
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Bayta
February 1, 2016
MANK – I hear what you’re saying about that scene from Aval Appadithan and how it’s almost like the two of them are acting in two different films. Actually, now that I’m paying more careful attention to the scene, it even looks like each of their portions were shot independently of the other (they’re never in the frame together). But, that said, somehow that scene (and the entire film) still works for me as a cohesive whole and neither performance sticks out. Credit to the director for that, I guess.
Btw, I second what Rahini said in the other thread – you really ought to write more about Tamil movies. Loved your Thalapathy analysis in that thread and the Rajini related comments in this. I’m one of those people who approach all art from an almost purely emotional perspective, but I love reading intellectual analysis after the fact (which is why I read BR’s reviews), so this is a lot of fun.
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Punee
February 1, 2016
@apex: Oh, you do?! 🙂 OMG. I LOVE TOM CRUISE. Funny incident, my cousins and I were on a one day stopover in Bangalore on the way to Yercaud- and I forced them to watch Tom Cruise’s Oblivion on screen- sometime during the second half they all started nodding off due to exhaustion and I was so upset I didn’t speak to them for like two hours 😛
“Some manage ‘a to p’”
Ahem 😛
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l
February 1, 2016
In above clip, Kamal is being an actor while Rajini is trying to get all attention with signature style showing what they aspire to be. One potential exception in Nizhal nijamagiradhu, Kamal delivers a stylish character without flipping cigarettes, absorbing the moment like Alain Delon while Rajini in another version cannot resist that urge to entertain. Two very different animals, aren’t they? One could prefer one over the other but this is like choosing magazine over a book or vice versa.
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MANK
February 1, 2016
Apex, Bro, get a full keyboard man or rather start typing from even positions rather than odd. 😀 I cant make out much of what you said. but i believe what you are saying is that you like the comments i have made here and thanks for that. Also you loved Kamal Hassan and Hey ram. which is great. i love the film too. As you say the craftsmanship is of high order.
You kow this is his first film as a director – at least the official one- and not only that he sunk his own money in to it. there is a link between the unfinished maruthunayakam and Hey Ram. he started HR after maruthunayagam – which is a film he is still hoping to complete – had to be called of abruptly. It is true that it does not matter whether the film tanked or not – in the long run ie, i am grateful that such a great film exist – but the sad fact is that the film set his career back by almost 10 years. and at that time he was at the zenith of his artistic prowess IMO. if you do check out any other film by Kamal, make sure that it is Virumandi, which was his next directorial venture. as a great film Hey Ram is, i still feel there are flaws in it – both narrative and characterisation wise – But virumandi is almost perfect. But it is much more cultural specific- in that it reflects more of rural TN – and dunno whether it will crossover as well as Hey Ram.
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MANK
February 1, 2016
Bayta,oh thanks, but i am no cold intellectual ok, never been accused of that 🙂
it occurred to me too, that each of their portions were shot independently. It was very well directed but more than that, their styles certainly complement the characters they were playing. You know, i was very young when i watched this film for the first time – on TV- and i thought Rajni was the greatest actor in the world while Kamal was the dumbest 🙂 it took me some time before i warmed to Kamal. as i said before, that kind of subtle internalized acting does not translate well to the general audience. especially in our country. as opposed to hollywood where super cool super subtle actors like Steve Mcqueen or Robert Redford become Megastars.
did you notice something else in that scene, the philosophy that Rajni is spouting would go on to become the touchstone for the rest of his career. This is Rahini’s misogynistic Rajni in full force. there is no equality between Men and women and definitely not in bedroom. ohhh, Rahini’s gonna love this. 😀
I, that is a great comparison between Kamal and Delon, except that Delon is the emperor of minimalism. i never seen him acting at all in any film
As for Kamal and stylish characters, nothing beats sivappu rojakkal. his potrayal of the psycho was so smooth, so reptilian. that too in 1980 tamil film. unbelievable. even the film itself was path breaking and technically way ahead of its time, but of course that is another discussion 🙂
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
February 1, 2016
MANK: Thanks for sharing the clip. I watched it long ago. I think it was the first time that Kamal handled his character with more subtlety and nuance. Kudos to Rudraiah for extracting the best out of these two!
apex & l: Kamal is arguably the most accomplished Indian actor. As a writer/filmmaker he is definitely talented, but I think he is being overrated (of course by his fans). When he himself has admitted of his Hollywood/French New Wave/Kurosawa influences, fans often tend to overlook that. I have a problem when they credit him (only him) for every plus-factor in his films. While we’re convinced that every actor has such a blind-following, how does it feel when we come across something like this!
Kamal delivers a stylish character without flipping cigarettes
I’m not sure if he flips cigarettes, but he is a chain-smoker in the film. Aside, when you talk about style/mannerisms, it has to be original (yours). Not to say Kamal isn’t original, but I couldn’t get over his lovely fake accent sometimes. Pardon me for posting this. Not that there are few, but just couldn’t think of better alternatives at the moment. 🙂
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Ravi K
February 1, 2016
We mustn’t forget that Kamal too is a mass hero, even today, albeit of a different sort. The theater erupted into applause during that first big fight scene in “Vishwaroopam,” and his re-entry with the new haircut and outfit are another sort of intro sequence. That he has done “Hey Ram,” “Virumaandi,” etc. doesn’t hide the fact that he still plays to the gallery in some manner.
Conversely, Rajini is capable of more nuance and genuinely moving performances than he is given credit for. And even his style and swagger shouldn’t be dismissed as mere parlor tricks.
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Ram Murali
February 1, 2016
l – oh, you reminded me of one of my favorite Kamal performances. He was SUPERB in “Nizhal Nijamagirathu.” Stylish and charismatic, it was, in my opinion, among his early roles where he had gotten over his rough edges (that I thought he had in “Aboorva RaagangaL” and “Manmadha Leelai”) and exhibit a certain confidence and apparent effortlessness with his dialogue delivery and body language. Loved the way he flicked his fingers and said, “Mannikanum…idhu en Achaaram” in an argument with Sumitra. Also really enjoyed the bharatanatyam sequence.
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Punee
February 1, 2016
JFTR:
I know that MANK and others are talking about needing BR de-addiction, but to me it feels like that interminable tram ride that Arjun and Meera take in Yuva. Endless, round and round and round- but so much fun, and so much enlightening conversation and new views on the same sights 🙂
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Punee
February 2, 2016
Also I just saw that clip of Rajni and Kamal. Kinda shocked out of my mind to see beloved Rajni mouth such dialogues.
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apex
February 2, 2016
Thanx 4 the education, folks…
“@apex: Oh, you do?! 🙂 OMG. I LOVE TOM CRUISE.”
@ Punee: yup, we share lots of ‘fetishes’ 🙂
Had something similar while watching oblivion (which didn’t do v well but I liked). Cruise didn’t stop there but carried this scifi genre with ‘Edge of tomorrow’… Live die repeat….
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l
February 2, 2016
Rajini in Johnny and parts of Annamalai was subtle and stylish. He could go all the way caricatured and it brings the roof down as in Baasha, his motive is always to entertain and breaks the fourth wall. It is readily apparent to us and we are having our fun with him.
I also love Kamal’s accent in MMKR and Thoongadhey thambi thoongathey. Effortless foreign return roles. However, Vettaiyadu vilayadu and Kaaki sattai, cocky show off for the mass cop film worked for the crowd. It just sets the screen on fire when he goes all the way as in Dasavatharam.
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l
February 2, 2016
Style has to be yours, is it just me or Rajini has his share of Shatrughan sinha in him. We still love them nevertheless. Kamal could easily shift between Chaplin, Brando and impersonating filmmakers Singeetham, K Vishwanath in their films. There is always a sense of watching ‘method’ or ‘film history’ in every Kamal film. He makes no bones about that.
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l
February 2, 2016
One last thing, I always felt a role like Indian was suited for Rajini. But Kamal’s transformation into Senapathy thatha and that easy chair scene was something else.
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Rahini David
February 2, 2016
Did someone mention my name here and I didn’t even ack it? Oh sorry.
Actually I have not watched these videos that you have all posted. Will get back soon enough.
🙂
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Bayta
February 2, 2016
MANK – Who said anything about ‘cold’ intellectual? I find intellectuals hot tbh. 😉
Nice catch on the characters’ philosophy mirroring the respective actors’ own career arcs. Although, I think Rajini’s character takes it a tad further than his subsequent movies did even (which probably explains Punee’s astonishment/disappointment that her idol is spouting such lines despite the fact that there’s a lot of similar stuff in almost all his later movies – Thalapathy might actually be the one exception). He’s more overtly misogynistic in this movie (by design of course). What’s interesting is that while he’s clearly an unsympathetic character here, the same dialogs used in a movie today would actually get enthusiastic applause, even sans Rajini. In a lot of ways it’s almost like the audience of today has regressed.
Re: Subtle acting not reaching a wider audience – That just has to do with our (Indian, more specifically South Indian audience) being used to loud acting, no? Also, Rajini’s bombastic style is just more charismatic and immediately captivating.
Rahini – Do!
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udaya Kumar
February 2, 2016
Mr baradwaj rangan please take a bow i always wonder is there anyone in our part of india is mastered at eloquence like you. FAN FOREVER
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apex
February 2, 2016
The DICHOTOMY, rather DILEMMA in kamalahassans (or other such performers’) career is not hey raam or marudanayagan. these are just symptoms. It’s a hey raam and non hey raam bifurcation here…
The dilemma is – It’s basically being a MASSY star who wishes to SQUEEZE his persona into an EVERYMAN mould but there’s something inherent in the DNA that YEARNS to be treated as a PATHOLOGICAL exception…
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Punee
February 2, 2016
@Bayta: I am not disappointed. He is playing a character of course. I was just surprised because I always thought he was typecast as the super-good guy, now I realize this is before he was The Rajni 🙂
But seeing him play this languid, panther-like villain is exhilarating in its own way 🙂 I found the rest of the clips available of that movie and watched them in delight!
@apex: Its quite insane that I found someone who likes Tom Cruise 😀 as much as I do. I loved The Day After Tomorrow as well. Ms. Blunt. Nuff said 🙂
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MANK
February 2, 2016
Honest Raj, youre welcome. and with reg: When he himself has admitted of his Hollywood/French New Wave/Kurosawa influences, fans often tend to overlook that
Of course fans tend to do that. and i have always felt that his fans appreciate him for all the wrong reasons. its always for putting on get ups and you know the kind of heavy weather acting that he does that he is celebrated for as opposed to the extraordinarily gifted and intelligent performer and filmmaker that he is. Even the directors who work with him – or rather he choose work with nowadays- seem to be more impressed by this aspect of this talent, they seem to lead him to into the path of self destruction rather than show him the right direction. then how can you blame the fans for this. the worst tendencies being on display in dasavatharam, where the director himself joins in the revelry to celebrate and sing & dance about it. disgusting. KSR should be shot on general principle for this abomination
But the foreign influences arent a problem. All great artists are influenced. It is how one take those influences and run with it. the brando influences are always there in his performance. but sometimes how brilliantly he makes use of that inspiration. just look at this scene from virumandi, just so raw and out there and watch Brando in Last tango in paris, which is surely the inspiration for this performance. how he picks up the cue from Brando and just molds it in with his own persona with the requirements of the character. it doesnt look like copying. this is brilliant improvisational acting but what makes it different than other improvisations – which almost leads to stepping out of the character and showing off to the audience- this is kamal improvising staying within the confines of the character. both actors are great in their own way
Or as an actor\filmmaker he reworks the scene from The godfather for tevar makan. the scenes stand on their own. there is some good original writing he does for those scenes, just keeping the spirit of the original.
But there are times he falls short and look like a copycat. may be it is just happened to be the same scene in the film that gives of the vibe. Kamal is good in this scene, but he just doesnt move me the way Brando does in the corresponding scenes.
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MANK
February 2, 2016
And of course Kamal is a Mass movie star. he just have a lot of leeway with his image than Rajni. But there are lines that even he cannot cross. that’s why Mahanadi, Hey ram, anbe sivam,…. flopped. the characters overtly seemed to have a lot of imperfections and weaknesses’ vulnerabilities that a mainstream movie star character is not supposed to have.so he try to camouflage it. in hit movies like Tevar makan, virumandi, apoorva sahodarangan, vishwaroopam etc , – on the surface- he is supposedly playing a mass hero, while he bring in the layers and complexities underneath, without distracting the mass audience..
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MANK
February 3, 2016
Bayta, oh that’s nice to hear about intellectuals 🙂 and yes Rajini’s bombastic style is just more charismatic and immediately captivating. his skills are no parlor tricks either. these are skills that he has methodically developed. there has always been a method to his perceived madcapism. he very early realised that Kamal is a better performer than him and more conventionally good looking. so he very intentionally cut out a different path for himself. he developed his own brand of histrionics, movies, dances even sex appeal. he always consciously avoided getting in to Kamal’s territory. As for the misogyny and regression of audience tastes, well we will leave that to Rahini. 🙂
Rahini: Did someone mention my name here
Rahini, i confess i did it your honor. Just waiting for you come charging on your horse and please be quick 😀
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NeDhaPa
February 3, 2016
http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/not-just-mere-mortals-even-star-kids-drool-over-rajinikanth-38431
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ramchanderkrishna
February 3, 2016
There are some very subtle undercurrents in this writeup which seem to suggest that through the ignorance of Mrs.Varma, BR has actually poked fun at Superstar. Mind you, I am a Superstar fan. So I have this Raghavan instinct of detecting whenever someone makes fun of Thalaivar. Anyone else feel the same way?
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Rahini David
February 3, 2016
MANK: So after side-stepping every discussion I participated in for the last 2 years, you have started pulled me into discussions I am spectating. 😀 Nice.
As Punee and Bayta have been pointing out, he is playing a foil to Kamalhassan who is the Author Avatar here and so his words of misogyny do not really count. It is only when the Author Avatars themselves spout misogyny that I get defensive (or mighty amused 🙂 )
But then again you actually asked my opinion on a particular thought which is widely held by women and men equally. The assertion that men and women are never equal, especially in bed. Well, I can’t disappoint you and so here is a quote from The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker.
“Also conspicuous by its absence is a polite transitive verb for sex—a word that would fit into the frame Adam verbed Eve or Eve verbed Adam. The simple transitive verbs for sexual relations are either obscene or disrespectful, and the most common ones are among the seven words you can’t say on television.“
If we all believe that sex is a wonderful two-way experience that men and women share with a give and take attitude, how is it that there is no “polite transitive verb” for it?
Regarding the Scene, I regret to say that I have not watched this apparently awesome movie, but the scene rocks and both actors do too. If it had not been for Bayta, I would not have noticed that the two men do not appear together in any shot. But now that the thought is put into my mind, I can’t help but think if the scene would have been even better if they had appeared together. Call sheet constraints maybe.
Regarding the Book, it is strictly for cold intellectuals. And it is a book, that you can judge by its cover/title. It is exactly what it says on the tin. It asks questions like “Just what does the ‘fuck’ in ‘fuck you’ actually mean?” Hint: There is no answer. Awesome Read. 😀
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brangan
February 3, 2016
MANK: A lot more Bertolucci talk (including that Last Tango / Virumandi comparison in your comment) here…
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MANK
February 3, 2016
Brangan, thanks for the link. i guess the piece came before i became super active around these parts 🙂 it is quite obvious isnt it. the Brando – kamal link as far as the scene was concerned. Last tango is my favorite Brando perfromance. it was also what i consider his last great performance. it was nothing short of genius. it is hard to believe that he pretty much improvised the entire character, sort of becoming the co-auteur of the film with Bertolucci.
Other thing that i noticed in the thread was that you were much more active in the comments section those days. more than you are now anyway. i guess you got busy. one does miss you, especially when you espouse such wacky ideas and opinions as i have been doing a lot lately and there is no reaction from anyone. may be everyone think that i am some freaking idiot. it is good to get some kind of feedback – positive or negative and it is always nice to have a good back and forth with you 🙂
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l
February 3, 2016
Incidentally western audience felt the psychological acuity of Kamal performance. So this Brando ‘ gesture’ for a fraction of a second is just one throwaway bit but making that the end all of that scene is not justified at all.
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Punee
February 3, 2016
@MANK: Thanks for pointing out the Thevar Magan/Godfather comparisions. I have read the Godfather book but never watched the movie (mostly because I can’t stand Pacino’s face) so this was interesting.
Speaking of Thevar Magan, it’s interesting that last night I watched the movie, sobbing my way through it. What a wonderful piece it is. The scene where the father dies and its aftermath are just heartbreaking. And when the girlfriend comes back and screams at him- her character is treated with so much more respect than most “modran girl” characters are generally…
Watching Irudhu Suttru today gave me a jolt because the same moustache-twirling Nasser who was the villain there is the cute and adorable asst coach here. What an actor! What a range ❤
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NeDhaPa
February 3, 2016
Kamal Hasan = trying way-way-way too hard actor, in the category of “give-me-my-oscar-already”. He is what Ranveer will be of North in few decades.
Rajni = Give me my money and i will do whatever you want me to do. Keep your oscar-shoscar just give me the moolah.
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NeDhaPa
February 3, 2016
turn the light on call it a radio. 🙂
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NeDhaPa
February 3, 2016
This one is longish..you may not want to post it.
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Punee
February 3, 2016
@MANK: I just saw your comments about men and women. Of course they are not equal(except politically/professionally).In personal relationships a man and a woman are different, they complement each other. Men and women are different. A man could never give birth to a baby for example, nor is his chest or legs ever be sexually charged. Especially in the bedroom toh they can never be “Equal”. Whats the fun in that! 😛
For eg: http://www.unilad.co.uk/funny/single-woman-turns-tables-on-men-and-sends-them-unsolicited-pictures-of-her-vagina/
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Ram Murali
February 3, 2016
Punee – to me, Thevar Magan is essentially a non-stop series of great scenes. I mean, every scene in that movie is either entertaining, amusing, funny, touching or gripping. As BR like to say, very little “dead air.”
I “liked” your comment not just for the content but also for the fact that it made me smile thinking, “This has got to be the first ever heart emoticon directed towards actor Nasser” 🙂 Not that he is undeserving but it made me smile! He is a fabulous actor. I remember watching him in “Phir Milenge.” I was complaining to my friend (while watching the movie) that I couldn’t accept someone else dubbing for him since I was so used to his voice. And then he gave me this quiet, beautiful moment that showcased what a fine actor he is where I said to my friend, “sorry, the voice didn’t matter!”
Start watching at the 1:26 min point
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
February 3, 2016
MANK: I never said there are problems with influences, but (as rightly pointed out by you) ‘his fans appreciate him for all the wrong reasons.’ Sometimes it’s not just the fans, even media goes gaga over him:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Cannes-bends-rules-for-Kamal-Haasan/articleshow/12080548.cms
And thanks for the ‘Last Tango/Virumaandi’ thing. In one of the classes (during my PG) which I had missed, it was said that my English prof. (a Malayali), as a part of some discussion, boldly decided to do strengthen his point by ridiculing Kamal (by comparing this performance with Iruvar). He cited the handkerchief scene (when Mohanlal meets Prakash Raj) as a great example of perfection, saying that’s how MGR used to be when he was the CM (which actually is the director’s ATD). The whole class (Tamils being the majority) yelled at him. 🙂
its always for putting on get ups and you know the kind of heavy weather acting that he does that he is celebrated for as opposed to the extraordinarily gifted and intelligent performer and filmmaker that he is. Even the directors who work with him – or rather he choose work with nowadays- seem to be more impressed by this aspect of this talent, they seem to lead him to into the path of self destruction rather than show him the right direction.
This man had had a strong opinion on this matter even before Kamal did Chachi 420:
http://tanqeed.com/blast-from-the-past-nana-patekars-filmfare-interview-from-1997/
That said, I disagree with most of his critics (at least partially) on this regard. When I first watched Nayagan (probably I was around 10), one aspect of the film that drew my attention was the make-up (not acting, direction, stunts, or music); I was used to those artificial wigs and beards (that resemble stuff used in fancy-dress competitions that even a five-year old kid could identify) that our heroes worn. Years later, when I read this interview there was much to appreciate his craft (referring to Michael Westmore’s indirect involvement in the film):
http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/of-course-velu-nayakan-doesnt-dance/article4008896.ece
Even during that time, his get-ups were so advanced and almost close to perfection. Another great example would be Mahanadi. In the first-half, his looks remind you of his 80s looks (like the one in the Kaakki Sattai video above). In the second-half there is a gross transformation – we get to see the Kamal of the mid-90s. Towards the end, he goes back to the Velu Nayakar style. Leave actors, even most of the directors would not have a view to attaining such a level perfection!
I see a lot of Kamal fans blaming him for doing lot of commercial films during his Moondram Pirai days. I think that was a bold decision as he wasn’t just an actor, but a huge star. In an industry that was devoid of good (read dedicated) screenwriters, you cannot do five Moondram Pirais a year. His 80s masala films were a treat to watch actually. I like his Enakkul Oruvan very much. Every time when I watch, it gives me a feel as if I’m watching a new film. I’m saying this because I saw a few scenes of the Hindi original (involving Rishi Kapoor and Simi Garewal). For me, the Tamil version worked much better than Hindi (because of Kamal!)
And thanks for pointing out the misogyny thing in Aval Appadithaan. I was about to say this in my previous response – I think Rajini was at his (misogynistic) best there. No, his characters in Moondru Mudichu and Avaragal cannot be labelled wholly misogynistic!
and yes Rajini’s bombastic style is just more charismatic and immediately captivating. his skills are no parlor tricks either. these are skills that he has methodically developed. there has always been a method to his perceived madcapism.
Absolutely agree with this. For me, the greatest performances of Rajini are: Mullum Malarum (the self-centered egoist) and Johnny (the misogynist barber). The latter, in particular, is one of my favourite characters. How a misogynist transcends into a goodhearted man after he meets a woman? That was some deft writing!
This scene is great example of what you were saying (as quoted above):
Kamal’s equivalent would be Indrudu Chandrudu/Indiran Chandiran (watch from 9:25):
One last thing, I always felt a role like Indian was suited for Rajini. But Kamal’s transformation into Senapathy thatha and that easy chair scene was something else.
l: Spot on! Sometime back, Shankar told that he conceived that easy-chair scene by having Rajini in mind (we could see Kamal whipping his hair like Rajini). However, Kamal came up with his own style!
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l
February 3, 2016
Always warm to hear views on Nasser and Sivaji. Kamal gave great platform to all these talents in his films.
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Punee
February 4, 2016
@Ram Murali: haha! thanks 🙂 The contrast was especially starkly great for me because I watched it continuously one after another- and he is so terrifying and scary in the former and such a teddy bear in the latter.
That is the entire movie- Phir Milenge! I thought your 1.26 min pointed to a specific scene 🙂
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Rahini David
February 4, 2016
MANK: You seem to have gone all quiet on the topic again. So I wanted to just confirm that my response was not meant in any bitter way (Just in case it came across that way)
Men and women are very different and the differences are usually quite amusing. Most husband/wife jokes are built around these differences and mostly I don’t have a problem with (most) such jokes. I personally have a problem only when certain rights and privileges are denied to women because of this perceived ‘inequality’.
That particular misogynistic thought (voiced by Rajini in that video) was discussed at length at IHM’s blog. I am sharing the link of a particular post. It is a fave thread of mine as the letter writer was willing to clarify his stance. That rarely happens.
https://indianhomemaker.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/i-see-you-have-used-the-word-equality-im-just-curious-enlighten-me-if-i-am-wrong/#comment-232919 – Lenghty clarification of stance by the letter writer.
https://indianhomemaker.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/i-see-you-have-used-the-word-equality-im-just-curious-enlighten-me-if-i-am-wrong/#comment-232952 – My comment. I was pretty new to blog commenting. So please cut me some slack.
The awesome responses by commenters like Kay, vishvanaathjee, Aparna, Clueless etc. If you thought I was slaying dragons, you may be taken aback at the fiery responses that they make.
Regarding the quote from Pinker’s book, I believe that the absense of a polite verb that fits “He ____ed her” throws light on the collective conscience of humans. That is why I shared it here.
And dude, please don’t freak me out by being super quiet. 😀
Punee: That link about a woman who shared unsolicited pictures to strangers amused me greatly. Did she REALLY expect the men to be offended and react with a “You are a stranger, why are you sending me pics of your V?”. That is a classic example of (male brain =/= female brain). I can give more examples, but let me not hijack a Rajini thread again. 😛
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MANK
February 4, 2016
Punee,Rahini, thanks for your expert opinions and the links. what can i say. you are the boss when it comes to these details, you people just rock :). And who said that you 2 cannot get along. you have lot in common 😀
Rahini, i hope i am not ‘pulling you in ‘ to anything against your will 😛 Just that each of us have different areas of expertise and felt that we could both benefit if we can feed off each other (sorry for the pun, that must be the effect of the links) 😀
And Reg: he is playing a foil to Kamalhassan who is the Author Avatar here and so his words of misogyny do not really count. It is only when the Author Avatars themselves spout misogyny that I get defensive
Aaha, i can already see the effect. so you are capable of looking things from the wider angle rather than from the moment to moment emotionality of the sequence. that’s nice . 🙂
Only problem was the links were too NSFW, Punee’s was really dangerous. i was dumb enough to open them in middle of the work. it took me very far away from what i was doing, it took me a long time to get back to myself 😛
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MANK
February 4, 2016
You seem to have gone all quiet on the topic again. So I wanted to just confirm that my response was not meant in any bitter way (Just in case it came across that way)
And dude, please don’t freak me out by being super quiet
Rahini, Oh no, i just needed time to sink in the details that i have accumulated you know, hence the delay for the response. As i said , it took me a while to be – back being – myself again. As for your new links, i guess i would open then in the safety – assuming that it is safe enough for that :D- of my house rather than the hustle of the office, and regret it like earlier. 😛
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l
February 4, 2016
Do any other actors have accolades and praises from peers like Kamal, Mohanlal, Rajini and Amitabh? Why Mammootty and Chiranjeevi are given step mother treatment?
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Punee
February 4, 2016
yo MANK, madowaht to check out an article with the word “vagina” in it at work! Jesus! I didn’t bit.ly it on purpose because I didn’t want anyone to be in trouble 🙂
Re: Me and Rahini getting along, I never thought there was a problem…I am just not a feminist, that’s all, but she doesn’t know that! Well, she does now 😛
Rahini: Yes, it was quite hilarious that she thought it would produce the “eww, you are invading my private space” effect that we girls usually have to unsolicited male pics. JFTR though it wasn’t umm, her picture, just something she found off of the net.
I agree absolutely that by law and in professional matters people should be seen as people not as their sex. But in interpersonal relationships this push and pull tug-of-war essence is the best part of being with a man (in my eyes). Plus, I would always want a man who I can look up to, which may not necessarily mean that he may want to look up to me too…(though Bajirao’s intense admiration for Mastani has made me start believing that maybe there are such men out there 😛 )
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Rahini David
February 4, 2016
Re: i hope i am not ‘pulling you in ‘ to anything against your will
When a bloodhound sniffs something interesting, she will be there. But that does not mean you should not show her a plump rabbit. 😀
Re: “so you are capable of looking things from the wider angle rather than from the moment to moment emotionality of the sequence”
If you say that, I am inclined to believe that you misunderstood my stance on the thalapathy marriage sequence. My problem there isn’t what you seem to think it is. Do you think there is any real parralel or were you just kidding?
There is a reason why 16V Paratai did not make to the list. That is because he is not a sympathetic character there.
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Rahini David
February 4, 2016
Punee: I agree absolutely that by law and in professional matters people should be seen as people not as their sex.
That does make you a feminist. Your preference for stronger men does not disqualify you at all.
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MANK
February 4, 2016
Punee, well i just contained my anger on your statement- “I have read the Godfather book but never watched the movie (mostly because I can’t stand Pacino’s face) “-
just long enough to realise that there is at least one actor b(or actress :P) out there who hasnt been able to seduce you – and then abandon you – and you have been pining to jump back in to their giant arms or walk off in to the sunset 😛
You can’t stand Pacino’s face, that’s the most expressive face in the world. i will never understand your strange tastes. Apart from that, your compliments are welcome 🙂
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Punee
February 4, 2016
@Rahini: I dislike being told what I am, but its ok, you are not the first feminist to attempt to do so 🙂 I like the early suffragettes who fought for the right to vote but couldn’t give a damn about any of the rest who came after them. The major feminist movement especially from the 70s onward repulses me.
PS: I didn’t mention anywhere that I have a “preference for stronger men”!
@MANK: Hahahaha 😛 There are loads of people whose very being repulses me- Adam Sandler, Pacino, that guy in the movie “Elf”, Ranbir Kapoor- I could go on but I won’t bore you 🙂
I will post a quote from CE that sums up Pacino for me (don’t be upset please!! 😀 )
“Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino play losers very well. But my audience like to be in there vicariously with a winner. That isn’t always popular with critics. My characters have sensitivity and vulnerabilities, but they’re still winners. I don’t pretend to understand losers. When I read a script about a loser I think of people in life who are losers and they seem to want it that way. It’s a compulsive philosophy with them. Winners tell themselves, I’m as bright as the next person. I can do it. Nothing can stop me.”
Clint Eastwood
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MANK
February 4, 2016
Punee, Reg: Tevar makan, yes everything Ram Murali said. it is a wonderful piece. And as me and Venkatesh was discussing , Kamal get praised or overpraised for the wrong things. very few people in the country realize that he is such a brilliant writer. i would say he is the best screenwriter in the country and i emphasize the word ‘Screen’ here. TM, Virumandi, Hey Ram, Apoorva sahodarangal are some of the best screenplays written in this country. people only seem to point out that his screenplays are influenced form this film or that film, but the real deal is that his screenplay writing technique is very hollywoodish, very international in that, each scene takes the story forward. there are hardly any unwanted subplots or comedy tracks or anything. even when there are set pieces like fights and songs , they come out of the situations organically or bring out dimensions of plot and character. just take the stick fight sequence earlier on in Tevar makan, its a terrific mass scene, but it is there to exhibit this aspect of Kamal’s character, that inspite of being educated and being away from the village for long, he still possesses that Tevar spirit in him. As with all the singing dancing early on, it is there to provide the contrast in character, when does not dance to sequences of romance or celebrations in the latter half of the film.
And reg: Nazar and other actors, yes just take Abhirami in Virumandi or even Gauthami in Kamal films and Guthami in Non kamal films, there is a world of difference.the supporting cast always shine. whether it is Atul Kulkarni in HR or Pasupati in Virumandi
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MANK
February 4, 2016
Punee, woh sab teek hai, lekin iss sse pacino ke face kya vaasta yaar, 😀
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NeDhaPa
February 4, 2016
Punee… I like you more and more each day. Your love for Clint, B-M/SLB, non-feminism, it all resounds with me because I am also all of those.
But do leave Clint alone. I way ahead, way ahead in line, before you. He is all MINE!! You can have Ranveer instead 😉
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Ram Murali
February 4, 2016
@Punee – you wrote, “That is the entire movie- Phir Milenge! I thought your 1.26 min pointed to a specific scene :)”
–> Sorry, I should have clarified. I was indeed referring to a specific scene. It’s at the 1 hour 26 min point in this video. I thought it was quite a lovely moment. Do check it out if time permits, esp. given how you admire Nasser. It’s one of my favorite examples of the “less is more” kind of acting.
“There are loads of people whose very being repulses me- Adam Sandler, Pacino, that guy in the movie “Elf”, Ranbir Kapoor- I could go on but I won’t bore you :)”
–> I am curious to know your take on Robert de Niro. People either seem to love him to death or the polar opposite. To me, he is my Kamal of Hollywood. If he could act in movies as diverse as “Goodfellas,” “This Boy’s Life” “Meet the Parents” and “Awakenings” all in the space of 2 years, that’s quite something.
@MANK – ” i was dumb enough to open them in middle of the work.”
–> I have learned it the hard way to not open any video links. In fact, I have stopped going to rediff as well. The kind of pics that they seem to post doesn’t seem work-friendly!!
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Ram Murali
February 4, 2016
Sorry for the error – other than “Meet the Parents” the three other movies I mentioned were what were released in the space of two years.
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Punee
February 4, 2016
MANK: Oh so very true about Kamal’s screen-writing- he’s a god. The scene where the father dies – its such a perfect scene – the little girls start screaming, he is reading a book or something and the book flies in the air as he runs and then everyone is sobbing loudly while he is just sitting against a pillar in a state of despair -shock and then he wants to go toward the father but he doesn’t walk, but kinda slides toward him – again such a great great reaction, so normal… and then his faint resignation and sadness at seeing his brother drunk again at the funeral, and then the transformation into the Thevar Magan – that gives me goosebumps! But it still has an endearing moment among all the fanfare when each of the three girls gives him a kiss….
Re: Pacino, he just has those motta motta eyes in the thin face – I find it disproportionate and his perpetual, how do I describe it, hangdog look… meh.
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Punee
February 4, 2016
@Ram Murali: Oh, I was looking at the 1 min 26 sec part thats what 1:26 means. You meant 1:26:00 😀 Yes, that is such a lovely scene. Naseer is quite divine and overpowers Shilpa and AB Jr.
The film I remember watching of Naseer was Avvai Shanmukhi where he was a Muslim chef in a brahmin household. I was a kid when I watched it and I still didn’t understand Tamil all that well, but I just loved his character. He was so much fun! 🙂 Since then I have always looked forward to his simple, yet impactful roles.
I am indifferent to Robert De Niro. Bleh. I like Robert Redford more, not that he is any favorite of mine, but at least his face has character.
NeDhaPa: Thanks! 🙂 If I remember right from that thread, you were not particularly a Bajirao Mastani fan, but I may be wrong 🙂 As for CE, you will have to prise him from my cold dead fingers 😛
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MANK
February 4, 2016
Ram Murali, there was cape fear too remember , that was different from the rest. it is terrible to see him in films like dirty grandpa or grudge match and such crap these days.
NeDhaPa, I always suspected you were of the opposite gender , so that confirms it or (does it? ):D
Punee:”he just has those motta motta eyes in the thin face – I find it disproportionate and his perpetual, how do I describe it, hangdog look…”
Oh so size does matter to you eh? :P. just when i thought that all it need to please you was to be a movie star 🙂
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Punee
February 4, 2016
Sorry, I should have posted my description of that scene with the link- but watching it makes me blubber like a baby. I am goona be gone for a bit now 🙂
Ayyo Rama! BR has liked my comment faints.
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brangan
February 4, 2016
Okay, I have a shitload of work and am trying not to get sucked into commenting, but this Al Pacino thing I’ve got to take a stand 🙂
Yes, the same thing that happened to Streep happened to him (his latter-day horror films include Scent of a Woman), but when he was in the zone, boy, was he in the zone. His 70s films alone are for the ages.
Every time you watch the Godfather films (not part 3), you see some new facet in his performance. Among the giants of the 70s, I vastly prefer him and Nicholson to De Niro (sorry, Ram Murali 🙂 )
Here’s a great scene from the great Scarecrow. He paints a whole spectrum in these two minutes. (Though you have to see the whole film to put this bit in perspective.)
And of course Godfather, where every scene is great. But this is especially so. He just kills me here.
Just needed to get that off my chest 🙂
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Ram Murali
February 4, 2016
MANK/Punee – great points on Thevar Magan.
MANK – to add to what you wrote, I don’t think it’s just his screenwriting but also his complete mastery of technique. For instance, I have heard that he had the bgm (the start of “Vaanam Thottu Ponaan”) for the death scene play in the background while shooting the scene because he wanted the characters in the scene (like Vadivelu, Sangili Murugan and others in the background) to get the gravity of the Sivaji character passing away. That, to me, is superb use of a trope to add to the mood of a scene.
As an aside, I was astonished at a shooting spot snap from Thevar Magan that I once saw. In the climax, in order for the split-second shot of Nasser’s chopped head (on the ground) to look real, it looked like he had a trench dug, made Nasser go into it and covered it up to his neck and then applied make-up on Nasser’s neck (to suggest blood) all to ensure that that shot looked authentic. That is dedication.
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Punee
February 4, 2016
MANK: I just think if I am paying money to see someone’s thopda on a 70mm screen (that is pretty unforgiving) it better be something worth seeing or at the very least alluring like say an Irrfan Khan or a Rajni- neither of whom are conventionally “pretty”. Plus like I also said, he has a perpetual hangdog Brooklyn boy sour expression on his face which I don’t like one bit! 🙂
Thanks BR for the perspective and the Godfather clip! I have never seen anything of it, so its interesting to “match” the scene to the book. Poor Tessio- he won’t know what hit him soon enough 😀
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Ram Murali
February 4, 2016
BR – oh, I love Al Pacino as well. He is like a Prakash Raj to me. Capable of superb, restrained acting but also given to scenery chewing… 🙂 My favorite Pacino performance will have to be (outside of the “Godfather” films, of course), “…And Justice for All.”
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
February 4, 2016
i would say he is the best screenwriter in the country and i emphasize the word ‘Screen’ here.
MANK: Are you serious? I’ve just come out of this zone: ‘Bhagyaraj is India’s best screenwriter.’ 🙂 We had a small discussion about him the ‘Naanum Rowdydhaan’ thread.
Interestingly, the essence of Murungaikkaai seems to have made the headlines of India Today in 1984. Quite an insightful article it is:
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/k.-bhagyaraj-the-reigning-king-in-the-world-of-madras-film-hollywood/1/360453.html
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l
February 4, 2016
Pacino in 70s is good. Deniro in 70s and 80s is just better.
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Shalini
February 4, 2016
That’s all. 🙂
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Punee
February 4, 2016
Mark Ruffalo is adorbs. As Hulk. As the love interest in “13 Going on 30”. But that’s about it. I don’t take advice on belief systems from those who choose to shove it down my throat 🙂
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tonks
February 4, 2016
Shalini, confession time. I’ve been thinking this for some time now, reading some of your past comments, but it just cannot be left unsaid anymore. I’m a huge fan of yours. Count me among your admirers.
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MANK
February 4, 2016
Brangan, you nailed it man, about Pacino. from Godfather 1 to Scarface, he was the greatest actor in the world. but when he returned after a long break in late 80’s, he was a completely different actor and completely different person with a different face and voice. But i still find some cheesy pleasures in over the top manic performances in SOAW, Devil’s Advocate and so on. He is subtle or he is over the top, but he is never boring 🙂 oh i love that funeral scene from godfather. just see that throwaway tilt of his head and expression on his face when he says ‘ where i’ll be safe’. but for me the most favorite Pacino scene is from Godfather 2. Just the way his expression changes and he explodes and takes control over himself again. ‘In my home, in my bedroom’, then when he mentions his children, how his voice calms down and by the time he says ‘ I want you to help me take my revenge’, he is cold a, cold as ice. brilliant brilliant brilliant. unfortunately in his latter performances, there was only the explosions, no variations and no control.
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Sutheesh Kumar. P. S.
February 4, 2016
Mank is not just an English film dude, he is also a Tamil film dude, Hindi film dude, Malayalam film dude, etc.. etc… (I leave the rest for Mank to do the honours) he is a cornucopia of movie knowledge. So the appropriate epithet would be Mank the Movie Dude.
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MANK
February 4, 2016
Honest Raj (formerly ‘V’enkatesh) (God what a name\Moniker, seriously why not captain prabhakaran or Asai machan 🙂 )
Oh i am very serious. And i hope i am not in a any zone either. i reached the conclusion after a long period of time 🙂 i do admire his screenwriting abilities. especially for the range of subject matter he has covered or for narrative techniques he has tried out. Of course as Ram murali says he is a master of all aspects of cinema. And please not one note Bhagyaraj, oh no, the guy who writes and makes pretty much the same film again and again.
Just take Virumandi. of course it is an extremely well directed movie. but i think much of the spade work is done in the script stage itself. the way 2 stories or rather the 2 versions of the same story is set up , build up and finally pays off is extraordinary. it is always a very difficult thing to do to straddle the 2 narratives. Or something like Apoorva sahodarangal, on the surface it is a mass masala film , but just look at how well he sets up the characterization and confrontations and move the plot forward. even in damp squibs like Aalavandhan or Uttama villain, i can see where he is going on the screenplay level with his ideas and the plot construction. it’s final execution of the film that destroyed them.
Brangan, what do you think of Kamal the screen writer?
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MANK
February 4, 2016
Honest Raj (formerly ‘V’enkatesh)
And to carry forward our previous conversation, yes Kamal is a make up maestro and yes i was amazed by the make up of Nayagan and so on. but after a point, the make up tricks became a means on to itself rather than a means to an end.most grotesquely in dasavatharam.
oh Nettrikann, it is my most favorite Rajni’s ‘Rajni’ performance of all time. i just ROFL on almost every quirk, every mannerism, every voice modulation, every arch of that eyebrow – and some mustache- as that Chakravarthi character. i can’t do the explaining any better than this song. theratha vilayattu pillai indeed
And yes love, love him in johnny. he was super subtle. i wanted to add this song earlier, but forgot – as an example of how he works magic even when he is doing nothing. he just oozes charisma and conveys so much with those looks and glances. this is for my fellow Rajni bakth Punee. just hold on to yourself at 2:25, he is gonna kill you with that look. 🙂
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MANK
February 4, 2016
Sutheesh Kumar. P. S., oh you made me blush man 🙂 i just love movies and am very passionate about them i never let something very minor as language come in between 😀 It says a lot about this great Blog and Brangan as well… there are very few blogs like this were you can indulge and soak yourself up discussing movies from different languages and the critic himself getting involved in discussions. oh it is getting embarrassing. ok ill just say thank you and get on with it 🙂
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Sutheesh Kumar. P. S.
February 5, 2016
What about all those unsung stars who make make these stars “THE STAR”. A movie is a collaborative effort, there’s a lot of blood and sweat that goes into it that goes unappreciated. Sad but true. It’s always the STORY that is the true STAR. The Director, the actors, the music director, the editor, the technical team et. al are in service of that story.
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Rohit Sathish Nair
February 5, 2016
Brangan, what’s your opinion about Godfather Part 3? Did Tom Hagen’s absence bother you?
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Ram Murali
February 5, 2016
And yes love, love him in johnny. he was super subtle.
–> MANK, I’m not a fan of “NetrikaN” but yes, I thought he was splendid in “Johnny.” I thought that Mahendran – with “Mullum Malarum” & “Johnny” – got two great performances from him. (I despise their other collaboration, “Kai Kodukum Kai”.)
If in “M M” Rajni was completely raw and unfettered (which, of course, was a delight to watch), in “Johnny,” he was delightfully sensitive. Each scene of his with Sridevi was a gem. My favorite of course is this. Got to say that Sridevi stole the scene from him but he played the foil aptly. By the way, I found Rajni without makeup (as he is here) to have a sort of ‘vaseegaram’ (kind of hard for me to find an apt English word here) that I found missing in his overly made up avatars of the late 80s and the 90s.
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Apu
February 5, 2016
Shalini, I second Tonk, I am slowly becoming a fan.
And thanks for sharing that quote, I need to display it on my FB wall, for a lot of my “friends”.
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Punee
February 5, 2016
@MANK: Woah. Now that is a man. He looks as scrumptious as one of those 96% chocolate bars 🙂
I will need to go and recover now 🙂 😛
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Punee
February 5, 2016
Thanks for that clip Ram Murali.. Johnny looks to be an interesting movie. I will have to add it to my watchlist 🙂
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
February 5, 2016
Mank is not just an English film dude, he is also a Tamil film dude, Hindi film dude, Malayalam film dude, etc.. etc… (I leave the rest for Mank to do the honours) he is a cornucopia of movie knowledge. So the appropriate epithet would be Mank the Movie Dude.
I think ulaga cinema dude would be more appropriate. If I remember well, I’ve seen him analyse Fellini, Godard, and the likes!
//Honest Raj (formerly ‘V’enkatesh) (God what a name\Moniker, seriously why not captain prabhakaran or Asai machan 🙂 )//
MANK: Gap10’s characters (names) – Honest Raj, Captain Prabhakaran, Sethupathi IPS, etc., – used to amuse me. It was a delight to watch those daredevil stunts. In fact, Vivek has repeatedly pointed out one of his techniques: left legga wall la vachu right leggala chumma sulati sulati adipparu. This scene is a testimony to his claim:
His character’s name in this movie could be an inspiration for me. Btw, who is Asai machan? Can’t recall 🙂
And please not one note Bhagyaraj, oh no, the guy who writes and makes pretty much the same film again and again.
I’ve been hearing the Bhagyaraj thing this for so many years. In a post-Shamitabh interview Dhanush said ‘On the sets, Amitji told me about Bhagyaraj’s screenwriting abilities’ (he sounded like Amitabh Bachchane sollitaru pa!). A while ago, I saw this ‘Koffee with DD’ show which had Suhasini as the guest. During the rapid-fire round when asked about the best screenwriter, she instantly shot back with Bhagyaraj. I was like Suhasini madam’e sollitanga!
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newbie
February 5, 2016
BR: You said it best about Al Pacino. Although I admit I did enjoy some of his later films too. Like the one below. But importantly I am noticing a pattern emerging here. You called his ‘Scent of a woman’ performance as a horror – its the second one you have described using the word in recent days (the first one was Meryl Streep’s Iron lady) and both these performances won Leading actor/actress Oscar awards 🙂 . So just wondering if you have any favourite ‘horror’ performance s for this year? 🙂
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Ram Murali
February 5, 2016
Punee – I think you’ll love “Johnny.” It’s a very interesting movie with a romance that’s sweet, decent and mature in equal parts. Rajni and Sridevi were both superb.
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MANK
February 5, 2016
Ram murali, i get what you mean by vaseegaram. that was what i intended with oozing charisma. may be its raw macho sex appeal whch he had up to 85 or 86. i think. after that -once the superstar thing happened-, he started covering himself with glamorous make up, which never suited him IMO.
I can understand why you did not like Netrikann. it is not everybody’s cup of tea.what i liked best about that performance is that he played it as a caricature of Libertine badassery rather as a character, that made it fun all the way. this was before he became a full time caricature performer like basha or baba, he was very much an actor at this point of time, it was an actor playing a caricature rather than the other way, you know something like Al pacino in Dick Tracy or Jack Nicholson’s Joker in Batman.
And i remember you mentioning in some other thread about performances in Mahendran’s films which were subtle and always ahead of their times. its been a long time that i have seen mullum malarum, but i didnt like it that much. it was very raw, both Rajni and Mahendran, but when they made Jhonny, they had improved by leaps and bounds. it is not just the performances, i think his technique also holds up pretty well. the opening was very unique and the way narrative unfolds, especially the way the characters of Jhonny and vidyasagar was set up, it was completely through, mood and environment rather than through dialogue. guess Mahendran was part of KB and bharatiraja and other new wave directors who emerged in 70’s who were inspired by the international cinema and appropriated many of their techniques. like freeze frames, slowmo, jump cuts and so on.
Sridevi is very very good in Jhonny. There was something about her too that changed when she became a star and started dolling up in glamorous image and acquired trademark mannerisms. here she looks so pure and her performance too so natural. when she says ‘Naan appdithan pesuva’ and she breaks out in to that laugh through tears. just superb!
Newbie, i was just about to put that dick tracy clip of Pacino’s here. glad you did that. yeah that was the character that suited his acting style in his latter part of his career. i agree with Brangan’s point about Pacino, but not about Streep, never, never 🙂
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Shalini
February 5, 2016
@tonks, Apu – You are far too kind. Thank you.
I’ve really enjoyed the fascinating and edifying discussion on Kamal and Rajnikant’s careers/performances and wish I had something intelligent to contribute. But alas, not only am I ignorant of much of their oeuvre, my tastes are hopelessly low-brow and the persistent image I have of Kamal is his marvelously, insouciant hips in “jaan-e-jaan O meri jaan-e-jaan” from Sanam Teri Kasam.
😀
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MANK
February 5, 2016
Honest Raj, Oh it is en asai machan, cap10 revathi starrer that released along with the bunch of honest raj, Sethupathi,etc, etc..
The thing i most remember about Honest Raj is climax fight between cap10 and ponnambalam who was some twice his height and cap10 – as vivek said- was leggale sulati sulati adippar him right on his head, some impossibly obtuse angles 😀
Oh about bhagyaraj, oru kaidhiyin diary\aakhree raasta was just odd time he stepped out of his comfort zone – may be because he was not starring in it- otherwise the rasukutti, sundarakandam brand of screenplays were very predictable and very much in the same vein. No where close to the kind that Kamal has written
But one thing about Kamal that i agree with you is about his english speak. i always found his accent phony. Don’t know whether it is some eccentricity of his voice or voice rhythms. even when he speaks english in real life too i find it strange.very unnatural. as in the clip you put .
But i thought he was much more ease at the english speak and sophistication in his earlier days, like in nizhal nijamakirathu that you people were discussing earlier. there was an easy free flowing quality to that performance. i love the scene where he comes to get his lighter back from sumitra. how he holds out his hand for it until she succumbs. yes he was a chain smoker. i think it was kind of rule at the time – or for a long time – that you weren’t slick and stylish enough if you were not a smoker. that image of he hero with a burning cigarette in his hand seems to be an ultimate image of macho cool 🙂 Like it was in noirs and gangster classics of 40’s hollywood. thankfully, it has decreased a lot these days.
And Re:”I think ulaga cinema dude would be more appropriate. If I remember well, I’ve seen him analyse Fellini, Godard, and the likes!”
Vittidungo saar, 😀 the more one is hyped up, the harder he is bound to fall 🙂 thanks anyway. funny you had to say it now, just got a new bluray of Le Mepris , so ciao 🙂
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brangan
February 6, 2016
MANK: Your comment reminded of this long-ago column, where I used to dissect scenes from foreign films. Here’s the piece on Le Mepris:
And one about Pierrot Le Fou, which I love as much if not more.
I’m really more of a Truffaut guy than a Godard guy, though. Two English Girls and The Story of Adele H are among my all-time favourites. But 60s Godard was truly mind-blowing, especially with Raoul Coutard behind the camera.
Shalini: Now look what you’ve done. You’ve reminded me of Reena Roy and pedal pushers. Have to post this song now, and I must confess I have always preferred this to the Kishore version (I’m sure you’re going to disagree 🙂 )
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Punee
February 6, 2016
@MANK: Kamal’s accent and strange? haha! 🙂 A lot of us are taught to talk like that if your family has a British history or if you studied in a strict convent- its referred to as the transcontinental accent (and we Indians of course, do a version of it) and was very popular in the early half of the last century- you can see many American actors talking that way too (Cary Grant, Kate Hepburn being the prime examples). I think its the best accent but of course its become caricatured these days 🙂
This interesting video explains it:
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
February 6, 2016
//But one thing about Kamal that i agree with you is about his english speak. i always found his accent phony. Don’t know whether it is some eccentricity of his voice or voice rhythms. even when he speaks english in real life too i find it strange.very unnatural. as in the clip you put .//
As l says, MMKR and Thoongadhey Thambi Thoongathey are quite acceptable since he was a foreign-return. But Sakalakalaa Vallavan and Kaaki Sattai? I think this addiction began much before Nizhal Nijamakiradhu. Look at this scene, where he switches between Tamil and Indian/foreign accents (from 7:00):
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l
February 7, 2016
Incidentally rest of the world find the Indian accent grating and are more than ok with the foreign accent.
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Shalini
February 7, 2016
@ BR – “I must confess I have always preferred this to the Kishore version (I’m sure you’re going to disagree)”
Me too. This is very disorienting. Please write a paean to Gulzar so that we can go back to the familiar positions of opposition. 😀
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KayKay
February 10, 2016
Terrific comments here! Just makes me wonder: Is it at all possible to discuss a Rajini article without bringing in Kamal, or vice -versa?
Kinda reminds me of a comic book geek friend of mine who said it’s impossible to have a real conversation about Bat Man without mentioning The Joker 🙂
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