Continuing the series of posts written by others (see here), here’s one by Shyam Rahul, on the link between the religious epics and message movies.
Reading Baradwaj Rangan’s take on Aandavan Kattalai, I was struck by this line …. “Entertainment that is about something, that says something – it’s the elusive grail Tamil filmmakers keep chasing. Only Manikandan seems to have found it.” There is truth to this sentence not only for Tamil Film Industry but also to Bollywood as very few have mastered it. That includes Valmiki and Vyasa.
On viewing it from the prism of “Entertainment Entertainment Entertainment” the religious epics of India are perfectly entertaining. The sages also realised that people don’t turn to stories for messages but for the entertainment.
The religious epics cover many themes and messages but they have the lightest of footings. The mantra that Manikandan has discovered in Aandavan Kattalai. The only time he bluntly states the message is in title cards. The only time I felt the message was blunt in the Mahabharat was in that truthful and beautiful moment where Krishna address Arjun before the battle of Kurukshetra.
In most other message movies, these end up like pamphlets where each message is on bold and in grandma font. ” You have to clean the garbage” “Stop corruption”
These directors don’t use the medium of cinema as a medium to entertain but as to state the message. This is like those awareness Whatsapp messages but imagine Surya to tell them on the big screen.
Krishna on key level could be said to be a role of Vishnu and Ram another role of Vishnu. It is precisely due to their presence and that of the sons of gods, The Pandavas, do we read it so much. Message movies too hire big stars in hope of amplifying the messages. Surya in Pasanga 2. Priyanka Chopra in Jai Gangaajal. Saamuthirakani in Appa.
In the end these films fall because of the weight of their messages. The sages made perfectly crafted stories replete with character arcs and poetry. They have entertainment but have touches of message. Now there is 10 ton message but few touches of entertainment.
Of course there are some exceptions. Aandavan Kattalai. Iraivi. Kaaka Muttai. Kutrame Thandanai. Out of this three are Manikandan’s films
In the end, Manikandan I think has revived an ancient art rather than The Holy Grail the filmmakers are looking for. This may perhaps be the change we the cinephiles are looking for. It is a spark. A spark of hope.
Baradwaj Rangan 
MANK
December 4, 2016
This seems to be a rather short piece on such an expansive subject
Brangan, Is there any word limit for these guest posts?
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Shyam Rahul
December 4, 2016
I was interested in how Manikandan’s technique was front of us all this while. …. yes it is a vast topic ….
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zeroblogs
December 4, 2016
Oh, come on, this is unwarranted patronisation. How many Tamil movies betray a failure in understanding that they ought to entertain (first and foremost, etc.)?!
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M.Narayanan
December 4, 2016
Keep it up shyam
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sanjay kumar
December 5, 2016
sorry a very uninspiring post i should admit…i thought Manikandan is a firm believer of karma and its consequences…you can see most of the characters getting their redemption or their precipitation for their “sins” or “wrongs”…kakka muttai had this dominant destiny cast on all the characters, except for the pizza owners whose punishment is not very apparent or seems to have escaped this dominant narrative…in “Aandavan Kattalai” it comes full circle where everyone goes through this moralistic template of their destinies…
the bigger point though is i did not find Manikandan’s narrative subtle or underplayed…i think it was very much preachy and moralistic to me…
if he makes another movie with this kind of underlying moralistic drama, it will be very stale and uninspiring
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Ramchander Krishna (@ramctheatheist)
December 5, 2016
While I’d like to give an encouraging pat to Shyam Rahul for writing this, I’m forced to say this is a very “behindwoodish” writeup. I can imagine the click bait title being “Manikandan to make mythology films”.
They’re not “religious” epics. They’re literary epics. “Religious” is a label slapped on them.
I find it extremely awkward to put the words “epic” and “entertainment” in the same line. They’re myths. And I’m sorry I don’t think in any angle they can be seen as “entertainment” or as giving “message” either.
They’re an expression of a culture’s beliefs and viewpoints. And epics work not because they’re entertaining, but because their stories connect with us and our lives at a personal level.
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brangan
December 6, 2016
Like my own posts, this one too is a starting point. Not meant to be a completely argued thesis. I thought it had an interesting point and felt it could develop into some kind of discussion.
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