Spoilers ahead…
All the actors are fantastic in this character-driven first part that perfectly sets the stage for the second installment, which can now hit the ground running.
Book adaptations are strange beasts, and in my opinion, the only way to truly enjoy a movie based on a book is to… forget the book. Now, of course, that’s impossible when the book is imprinted in your memory, but what I mean by “forget the book” is simply this: Forget the fact that you are going to get the exact book. One of my favourite book-to-movie adaptations is Guide, which became one of Dev Anand’s biggest hits, with great SD Burman songs, a brilliant and beautiful Waheeda Rahman, and superb direction by Vijay Anand. But RK Narayan, the author of the original book, hated the movie. He called the film “a bastard offspring of my novel,” but what he did not understand was that the film was not “his novel”. The film was not “RK Narayan’s Guide” but “filmmaker Vijay Anand’s version of RK Narayan’s Guide”.
You can read the rest of the review here:
https://www.galatta.com/tamil/movie/review/ponniyin-selvan-1/
And you can watch the video review here:
Copyright ©2022 GALATTA.
Baradwaj Rangan 
brangan
September 8, 2022
I think I will do this for the big movies henceforth, so that other threads are not derailed by comments about these…
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Sri Prabhuram
September 8, 2022
Any thoughts on the music and how it ranks with previous ARR-Mani Ratnam collaborations?
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brangan
September 8, 2022
tamil thanos: I feel BR (and many MR fans) will be disappointed with Poniyin Selvan. From the trailer at least, it looks like a clean adaptation with none of the usual Mani’s conflicts. I hope I am wrong though.
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brangan
September 8, 2022
Rohit Sathish Nair: Rangan sir, will you be writing a music review for the “PS:1” album?
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brangan
September 8, 2022
madhusudhan194: Suhasini did say that we’re going to see a very different Mani Ratnam is PS. I think I’d like that. This is probably MR in Rajamouli territory. Having said that MR has more often than not succeeded in making complex character driven dramas and PS has plenty of that.
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brangan
September 8, 2022
Nappinai (@Nappinai2): I am not sure, while the individual characters in PS may not have the usual Mani shades, the story itself has enough conflicts. (some spoilers ahead). Some of these characters occur in pairs, no? Like the Nandini character is similar to Kundavai in many aspects, except that she has been brutalized by society. Similarly Poonkuzhali is brave, low in social stature and wants to be the queen. This compares neatly against Vanati who is betrothed to become the queen but is a coward and is willing to give up her claim. I don’t know how the film is set up but I liked the trailer. Although I like MR a lot, when it comes to PS, I would be satisfied with just a clean adaptation tbh.
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brangan
September 8, 2022
tamil thanos: @Nappinai, I should have phrased my statement better. While PS has enough conflicts to get going, the director specializes in focusing on a central conflict with every character going through their own internal conflicts. What I meant was that the trailer seemed like a tight adaptation of the actual literary work, unlike Thalapathy or Raavan.
The teaser on the other hand felt like Aditya Karikalan and Nadini’s conflict will be central to the movie.
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brangan
September 8, 2022
I agree with Nappinai’s statement: “Although I like MR a lot, when it comes to PS, I would be satisfied with just a clean adaptation tbh.”
I look at this as a “visual adaptation”. Without tinkering too much with the source material (but of course, with the inevitable deviations / condensations / omissions / creative rethinking that happen when converting a book to a film), I think Mani and team will deliver a PS:1 that is accessible to both readers and non-readers of the book.
Now, you may ask: Aren’t all books made into film a “visual adaptation”?
But here’s why this is different: I look at this as having the possibility of being Mani’s purest “director’s movie” till date.
Mani has never “shown off” with visuals much, for the sake of visuals. Though dazzling, they have always been a very integral part of the scene choreography (or song choreography). (In the sense that the visuals have a “meaning” that goes with the “meaning” of what is happening in a scene.) Here, I expect that to be different, simply because the scale of the film will allow him to stage things in ways he could not before (because the earlier were more real-world).
I mean, that ship’s masthead’s tight closeup with the comet behind — that sort of thing. Visually, he can afford to be a little “unreal”…
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vb
September 8, 2022
Br, what is your review of the book? I find the book to be a bit overrated. It meanders a lot with most of the scenes not contributing much to the main plot. I am sure the book/series was a great hit in 1950s just like Sivaji/MGR movies were then(which are not very watchable now since the sensibilities have changed). I am not sure if a faithful adaptation of the book would work in 2020s like you and others have mentioned given the sensibility change and therefore needs a massive rewrite. So wondering what makes you say a faithful adaptation would do?
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brangan
September 8, 2022
vb: When I say “faithful”, I mean to the events of the book, the characters etc. For example, they may chop out the bits about Nandini and Aditha Karikalan as children, but as adults, they’ll hopefully remain the same.
That said, I read the book as a serialised novel (in the late 80s, I think). My father used to cut out installments of “thodar kadhai-s” from magazines and then get them bound. I think this will be considered piracy today 😀
So yeah, it’s a meandering book, but that said, the books of those time did taken their time with descriptive passages and all. Like Tolstoy describing three pages of snow, or Thomas Hardy describing three pages of English countryside.
But once you chop all that off, you have the main story/characters – and it IS a big, fat masala story after all. So I think the adaptation should not have been too difficult in terms of deciding “what to keep and what to leave out” (though I am sure writing the screenplay / dialogues must have been a real tough task).
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Krish
September 8, 2022
I was disappointed from the moment I heard that MR is directing the PS. I don’t trust him with this material. I won’t be surprised if it sucks. I wish Rajamouli directed it.
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corkscrew2brainbottle
September 8, 2022
I guess there will be a good dose of weird nostalgia with this movie as I see a lot of previous characters’ arc in MR filmography being partially inspired from the characters in PS. Manisha Koirala’s flashback and trauma from Nandini’s in PS, Nandita Das in Kannathil Muththamittal with Mandakini in PS and quirky narrative propelling characters like PR in Kannathil Muththamittal, VJS in CCV from Aazhwarkadiyan Nambi in PS (the cheekiness probably a construct to hide “but how’s he possibly here?” during a scene) are few examples that come up right now.
The converse of these thoughts while reading the book during lockdown sort of brought me to the above theory and since PS was announced by then, I was sort of convinced that MR’s PS may not be bad, after all.
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Heisenberg
September 8, 2022
The trailer looks promising and hope the crazy quirkiness that is seen in late Mani Ratnam movies are absent or at least at tolerable level.
Jayam Ravi seems to have just woken up before the shot. Hope he can pull off the title character.
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therag
September 8, 2022
Ponniyin Selvan’s position in the pantheon of Tamil books is well deserved IMHO, simply for the fact that you get exposure to all facets of Tamil culture of the time in an extremely well-packaged fast-moving narrative. I feel it is unique in that sense and a cultural touchstone. Today, a book like may not be possible precisely because people are not on the same page (pun intended). Some would want the history to be nailed down more precisely without much creative license, and this would automatically make the novel more dense and verbose, which means not many people are going to read it.
I think Ponniyin Selvan strikes a splendid balance, never letting the historical details bog down the narrative. You really get a sense of what life would be like in the 10th century in TN/Sri Lanka. I haven’t read Kalki’s other works but I suspect the decision to keep the prose simple and straightforward was a deliberate decision.
The only filmmaker other than MR who could film PS close to Kalki’s vision is Kamal Haasan. People are making the mistake of thinking PS is a period film, therefore it should be like Baahubali. PS is really nothing like Baahubali, and I for one am excited that we are not going to be getting the usual “period film look” and war scenes. Mani’s aesthetic sense and his ability to handle complex characters makes him the perfect candidate to direct this one IMHO.
I loved the soundtrack. That monkey chant song is just insanity.
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brangan
September 8, 2022
Heisenberg: Oh man. But what about those of us who look forward to that “crazy quirkiness”? 🙂
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brangan
September 8, 2022
therag: PS is like THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK (where, along with the masala story, you get exposed to aspects of French culture), or THE PRISONER OF ZENDA. These were very popular in India among readers of English works (like Wodehouse and Agatha Christie), and I wouldn’t be surprised if Kalki was inspired — template-wise — by those pieces of “historical fiction”. Another one that comes to mind is THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL.
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Doba
September 8, 2022
I am so excited about this movie 🙂 and am very glad that MR is directing it. He must be a fan of the work like many Tamilians of that generation and have dreamed of this for years.
Some general things I am curious about –
There are quite a few ambiguous plot points in the book. Will he retain them or resolve them, I wonder. At home, we keep discussing these points. So perhaps it keeps people engaged when they are not resolved. On the other hand, will that work for a film?
I don’t remember many war episodes in the book. But the trailer has a lot of these. Is he expanding on the material – going ahead/back in the timeline?
Will the pinnacle of sacrifice take place? It was amazing in the book but since period movies are supposed to be all about war and grandeur, will it work out in the movie?
Will the cast be able to pull off the complex nuanced characters or will it be more focused on the action?
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MANK
September 8, 2022
Mani has never “shown off” with visuals much, for the sake of visuals.
He did it in Thiruda thiruda, which was a pure spectacle in the mold of De Mille\Spielgerg\SS Vassan. That’s my favorite Mani film of them all for the sheer sensory pleasures that the film provide. It’s an audio-visual treat with the best ARR soundtrack ever.
As for PS, i think this will be his most conventional and mainstream film since “Guru”. That’s what i feel from the trailer. It definitely looks like a film he would have made in his Pre-Dil SE phase, like Dalapathi or Roja . And with Vikram looking very much in form, i am really interested in watching this film, though i wish the heroines were better cast.
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vijay
September 8, 2022
“I don’t remember many war episodes in the book. But the trailer has a lot of these. Is he expanding on the material – going ahead/back in the timeline?”
maybe he is masalafying it a bit for the ADD-inflicted RRR audience?
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therag
September 8, 2022
@BR: Yes, I was more referring to the fact that PS was a real cultural phenomenon. Sustaining interest in a story spread over hundreds of chapters and published over a period of 4 years is an insane achievement. Of course, I think the timing was also right – just after independence at a time when interest in Tamil and Indian history was at an all-time high, pace of life was slow and English literacy was minimal. In hindsight, that was the perfect time to publish a historical fiction tale about the Chola empire.
I wonder if there are other examples of something like this. I don’t really count movies or TV shows because uptake for the print medium is much lower than the visual medium. The only vaguely relatable example I can think of is the craze for Harry Potter in the 2000s among teenagers.
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vijay
September 8, 2022
the audio is a mixed bad with certain songs barely making an impact..more importantly quite a few of them just dont evoke a certain period’s culture/ethos musically, could have been composed even for say Raavanan or a typical hero entry song and that’s a slight disappointment(eg. that Rahman intro song or the ‘Sol’ song)..
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Anand Raghavan
September 8, 2022
It appears MR has tried to balance his sensibilities with making the movie appeal to the non-readers of the novel . Surely connoisseurs of the book will be holding daggers but obviously the movie cannot bring every chapter to screen . I feel the characters’ motivations and arcs would have structured the screenplay and the events would flow organically from those arcs. For instance , Kundhavai’s motivation is in expanding glory of Chola empire and as she herself states if not through Arulmozhi varaman , she would get it done through his son. Being a character driven adventure story, even if CG is not at the level of Bahubali/RRR, it should work as historical fictional drama. Also not sure if the script will be linear or non-linear which can add a surprise element to the readers as well.
As far as music is concerned, ARR has hit it out of the park to say but may not be easy to relate to everyone at the first time.
Alaikadal, though not the original lyrics in the novel has been nothing but mesmerizing , one can feel poonguzhali rowing Vandhiyadevan to Sri Lanka.
And monkey chant based Devaraalan is something we might not have got with any other composer.
Ponni Nadhi and Chola Chola are apt for those situations, though ponni nadhi could have been sung by someone else, as Kannada version sounded better.
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ravenus1
September 8, 2022
I’m worried about the full-on flat ‘digital’ quality of the lighting as seen in the trailer. Mani was not afraid of shadowy visuals before, but here even the night sequences look like just a blue filter was used.
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Anand Raghavan
September 8, 2022
Waiting for Madan’s view on PS-1 music.
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therag
September 8, 2022
That the music doesn’t seem to evoke the period is something I’ve heard from others as well. I wonder if ARR’s decision to go with a lot of traditional percussion and chorus is the reason for this disconnect. Though fairly accurate to the time period, the soundtrack appears inaccurate.
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Jeyashree
September 8, 2022
Completely agree with Mank on the casting of the female characters. All fair and beautiful easy choices. None of whom can barely speak a sentence of Tamil without anglicising it. I would have gone for our dusky native beauties say aishwarya Rajesh or nivetha pethuraj But then market issues.
If you wanted national appeal why not Nandita Das
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Anand Raghavan
September 8, 2022
I think the description of kalki of Kundhavai and Nandhini mention the former as “Senthaamarai Nirathaal” and the later as “Pon Vanna maeniyaal”. May be that could be the reason for those 2 character choices.
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vijay
September 8, 2022
Jeyeshree agree, Aishwarya Rajesh would have been a better choice..and she has also been in CCV before. But Trisha and Ash are your standard Mani choices though, especially for lead roles. Mostly market considerations I feel. Jayam Ravi’s voice as well as diction in the trailer was underwhelming too.It has never been his strong suit but here I hope it does’nt get amplified too much because of the dialogue. Karthi and Vikram may have to do the heavy lifting I feel. Just initial thoughts.
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KS
September 8, 2022
Anytime the issue of casting Tamil actresses comes about, everyone here keeps harping on Aishwarya Rajesh. Why though? Aishwarya Rai and Trisha both look absolutely stunning in the trailer, both are competent enough as actresses, and both can speak Tamil too (at the very least, they can lip sync good enough to cover with dubbing, which is all that is really needed).
This is an epic fiction movie, where the women are idealized beauties, not some realistic true-life story of common people. Cleopatra is believed to have looked like an inbred gargoyle in reality, but in all artistic depictions, she is potrayed by someone like Elizabeth Taylor, Monica Bellucci (or Aishwarya Rai in Jeans).
Even if you count the period setting and the inspiration from real history, we’re talking about erstwhile royalty who intermarried among other royal lines, and whose Tamil-ness too is often challenged. So it is unlikely they would have looked like the “pure” common Thamilans of the “karuppu thaan enakku pudicha coloru” kind.
Besides, Aishwarya Rajesh is too plainlooking and down-market to play a queen in a fantasy movie. If your issue is with complexion, surely there are other dark-skinned heroines also with prettier features, like say that Anandhi from Kayal. She would make a cute Tamil princess.
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KS
September 8, 2022
My bigger concern, as always with Indian historicals and semi-mythologicals (even Bahubali), is the quality of graphics and animation. The palaces and ships all look like they belong in some video game from the 2000s. I hope its better in the movie, but I doubt it.
And this is something I have never understood. The usual excuse given is budget, even though they spend crores on silly song shoots. Besides, its not like it is an infrastructure-dependent heavy industry. Even amateur animators who practice by themselves (on open-source software) and post their showreels on youtube seem to come up with much more realistic rendering.
Whatever else may be going on in the movie, the tacky rendering is very distracting. Given the humongous budgets, the fact that moviemakers are apathetic towards this aspect screams “ivangalukku idhuve jaasthi”.
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Aman Basha
September 8, 2022
There is no way on earth that both parts of Ponniyin Selvan have a budget higher than even 250 or 300 crores, the reports of part 1 having a 500 crore budget are absurd. Both parts were completely shot in less than 200 days and the cast except Vikram, Karthi and Aish wouldn’t charge a lot (I’d say even these three would have cut their fee). Plus Mani has a rep for being tightfisted with money.
Also, I think Aditi Rao Hydari would have been a much better choice than Aish for what seems to be a fairly complex character but I guess Aish has bigger brand value and is the only known face here up North (plus Mani’s own liking for her) sealed the role for her. Worst choice is easily Jayam Ravi, should have gone with Dulquer or someone for this. He’s not even a big star. Vikram is easily going to redeem himself after Cobra here.
I doubt pan India acceptance here, the film is too localized starting from the title for even Telugu audience
PS: Had Kamal made this in the 90s, who do you think the cast would be? I can see Sridevi here in place of ARB
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KS
September 8, 2022
@Aman Basha:
I think Kamal would have cast Jayapradha, who had (and still has) the statuesque beauty and aura of a mythological queen. Sridevi, by then, had already started on her plastic journey towards the Michael Jackson clone she eventually became.
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KayKay
September 8, 2022
I get a few comments here about Ash being cast because of “market considerations” but is she still a big deal? Even speaking as a fan, her last high profile roles were in Raavanan and Endhiran, both now 12 years old! Since then I only remember her from a de-glammed role in Sarbjit and a brief cameo in Ai Dil Hai Mushkil. She hasn’t had a major role in years in India and her (mercifully) brief Hollywood foray was a non-starter.
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Madan
September 8, 2022
“I get a few comments here about Ash being cast because of “market considerations” but is she still a big deal? ” – Likewise. Surprised that Mani didn’t consider ARH. And if market value is the consideration, why not either Anushka Shetty or Tamannah since they were in the Baahubali universe anyway.
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Srinivas R
September 8, 2022
Aditi Rao Hydari would have been a very good choice, not a “market friendly face” and may be too young for the heavy role. Nithya Menen wouldn’t have been a bad choice imo.
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Severus Snape
September 8, 2022
I think they were in talks with Aditi Rao Hydari for a role, but it didn’t happen. She’s a favourite of mine, and it would have been cool to see her screw people over as Nandini after all her past roles.
(https://www.filmcompanion.in/features/bollywood-features/aditi-rao-hydari-movies-why-cant-filmmakers-cast-characters-that-dont-die-or-despair-the-girl-on-the-train-padmaavat-kaatru-veliyidai/)
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kaizokukeshav
September 8, 2022
Why all this place holders ? I get that BR is trying to purge his guilt by giving importance to big releases but will such an apology be enough for not reviewing the biggest movie of the year Legend Saravanan ?
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Akhilan
September 8, 2022
I think perhaps an apt comparison to make here would be Ash and Angelina Jolie. I know Jolie recently starred in the Eternals, but before that it was basically just Maleficent (discounting the movies she gave voice-overs to), which released back in 2014.
Madan, I think that is precisely why the likes of Tammanah or Anuskha Shetty were not cast here. Because they were already part of a similar-ish universe.
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SA
September 8, 2022
The trailer looked pretty good. Casting is superb. Maniratnam has captured the essence of the story. Hope the movie is as good as the trailer.
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Anand Raghavan
September 8, 2022
I think the earlier attempt in 2010 time had Anushka in plan for Kundhavai but she then played Devasena in BB and etched in minds of people . That could be on of the factors too
Madan, can we expect a short music review on PS1 from you? 🙂
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Aman Basha
September 8, 2022
Tammanah makes Aishwarya look like Meryl Streep. The problem with Anushka is that she is struggling with weight issues from years, if not she was part of Mani’s original cast with Vijay and Mahesh Babu.
Now that I think of it, Ramya Krishnan around Neelambari phase would have been a great Nandini.
Also Aish was quite good in ADHM, really brought a lot of mystique, guess Mani’s going to go for that.
Jayam Ravi’s still the worst choice, why did they not go for Prithviraj or Dulquer etc, I wonder.
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Voldemort
September 8, 2022
“.. of Mani’s original cast with Vijay and Mahesh Babu”
Woah. Thank God that didn’t work out. It would have been a disaster.
Also, regarding Tamannah, I recently saw the trailer of Babli Bouncer, a Madhur Bhandarkar film where she’s playing the lead, and I was totally surprised by her performance. It isn’t pathbreaking by any stretch of imagination, but it was fairly decent and not at all like the moronic wild gesticulating she does usually. Realised what a huge difference knowing the language makes.
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Madan
September 8, 2022
Anand Raghavan: Will get to it soon. Couldn’t find the usual audio jukebox on youtube. Will look for it either there or on YT music. Heard a new singer Antara has been introduced and that Shreya has a great solo as well. I wasn’t too hot on Ponni Nadhi and Chola, which had both come out before the full audio launch.
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MANK
September 8, 2022
Mani’s original cast was Vikram, Vijay and Mahesh Babu, and that film would have been awesome. I was really disappointed that one never got made.
Here at the end Mani says that PS is nothing like Bahubali or SLB epic, that’s after Rajni describes his shooting experience on Dalapathi
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Madan
September 8, 2022
Found the jukebox. Listening to Alaikadal, wow, this is beautiful. Similar raga formation as Edho Ninaivugal but fused with Rahman’s lori song patterns. Bit Celtic too. Will post about rest of the album later in one comment, lol.
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Voldemort
September 8, 2022
Despite the good trailer, somehow I do not have too much expectations. The cast really bothers me a lot (except Karthi and Vikram). It is so off putting to imagine Jayam Ravi, Trisha and Aish in such pivotal roles. Anushka and DP aren’t great actors either, but they have amazing screen presence and exude magnificence in these period dramas. But Trisha and Jayam are just so.. meh. Whenever you see Jayam Ravi, you are reminded of your class monitor who oozes with sincerity and complains about you to the class teacher. And Aishwarya – she looks like a million bucks but the moment she displays rage or anger or any other emotion, you can’t help but shake your head and wonder that in the rare instance of having such a spectacular woman character, there is no one to play it.
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Madan
September 8, 2022
Through with it. Rest of it, found it similar to my impressions of PN and Chola. Nice, but didn’t move the needle. Shreya’s singing on Ratchatsan is virtuoso as always but I wish they would write something haunting for her to sink her teeth into instead of just these vigorous folk songs (this is very much like Chaka Chak). Devarasan concept was interesting but that’s it. It’s like Raasaathi or Naan Porandhu Vandhadhu type of song.
Still, will keep returning to Alaikadal which was mindblowing. I am sure the music is apt for this kind of film and it has made a much better impression on me than Baahubali songs which were super generic. But just as of now, coming off LSC, though that album was more conventional, even retro, the melodies were more memorable for me – especially so with Phir Na Aisi Raat but even Tur Kalleyan or Tere Hawale. Again, with the exception of Alaikadal which is a masterpiece, no doubt.
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Madan
September 8, 2022
“Whenever you see Jayam Ravi, you are reminded of your class monitor who oozes with sincerity and complains about you to the class teacher. ” – ROFL-Copter. Perfect!
“And Aishwarya – she looks like a million bucks but the moment she displays rage or anger or any other emotion, you can’t help but shake your head” – This. Worried about Pink Panther-esque moments. Since you mentioned DP, imagine how Ash would have butchered the Gehraiyaan role. She is superb in comedy and, well, just looking fantastically beautiful in romantic roles. ADHM was a perfect vehicle for her.
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tejas
September 8, 2022
Raavan?
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Aman Basha
September 8, 2022
“It would have been a disaster”
Are you telling me Jayam Ravi is better than Mahesh Babu? Playing Karthi’s role here wouldn’t have been too hard for Vijay also. Vikram is going to steal the show here though. He is just made for these larger than life characters.
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PS
September 8, 2022
The trailer would have looked fantastic if it had come before bahubali. Post Bahubali and a bunch of historical movies in Hindi , the trailer looked very generic. War scenes and the grand scale all looked very familiar. Good thing that there were no ridiculous bad cgi war scenes. Since it is a Mani Ratnam film, I am sure the story telling will be top-notch.
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Madan
September 8, 2022
“Are you telling me Jayam Ravi is better than Mahesh Babu?” – This I give, Snake Babu can only be matched by Arjun Kapoor.
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Anand Raghavan
September 8, 2022
Devaraalan song based on kechak -Bali Ramayana monkey chant.
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K
September 8, 2022
Jayam Ravi, Karthi and Vikram, all of them are bad casting choice. All of them come with their own baggage.
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MANK
September 8, 2022
This I give, Snake Babu can only be matched by Arjun Kapoor.
Madan, i hope you’re joking.
watch okkadu and then watch tevar and see if you can say that again
at least watch these and try saying that again
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MANK
September 8, 2022
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MANK
September 8, 2022
This I give, Snake Babu can only be matched by Arjun Kapoor.
Madan, i hope you’re joking.
watch okkadu and then watch tevar and see if you can say that again
or watch this
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Nappinai (@Nappinai2)
September 8, 2022
PS casting has always been passionately discussed. I have heard my grandmom say that she and her friends thought Padmini would make the perfect Nandini, Jayalalitha Poonkuzhali, Vijayanntimala Kundavai and Gemini Vandiyathevan 🙂
When I read the books during my school days, Kalki’s description of Nandini reminded me of Aishwarya Rai. I have never imagined anyone else as that character. Vandiyathevan when he first meets her, compares her beauty to kal or liquor, something that spins his wheels and renders him senseless. He literally is not able to think. That’s who Nandini is, a lady of extraordinary beauty who can use it to her advantage to manipulate men.
She is not Nilambariesque, in the sense she never comes out in the open but operates in the shadows. She whispers secrets into her puppet’s ears, works with sorcerers and plays mind games.
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MANK
September 8, 2022
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Aman Basha
September 8, 2022
Mahesh Babu is a fantastic actor. Sure, he’s been in a rut for a while now but the guy who did films like Okkadu, Murari, Athadu, Pokiri, Khaleja, 1 and Seetamma cannot be dismissed or compared to Arjun Kapoor.
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vijay
September 8, 2022
Mahesh Babu reminds me of ‘chocolate boy’ Abbas, from the late 90s, a sightly slimmed down version of Abbas:-) he may be good in this suave NRI turning CM type roles, but in a historial Tamil film set in the Chola dynasty? …..Not sure what Mani was thinking with Vijay and Mahesh Babu, maybe just cumulative star value..Good that it did’nt materialize..
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Madan
September 8, 2022
MANK: Without subtitles, I may be missing some context here but the first scene did not impress me. The second, emotional one was better but not blown away. But I will take back the comparison to Arjun Kapoor because I cannot see AK enacting even that.
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anonymousviolin20
September 8, 2022
Out of everyone in the cast, mostly excited for Karthi, Vikram, and Jayaram (personally I think he might actually be the most aptly casted person).
I also can’t help but wonder how it would’ve been if it was the 90s and Madhuri was cast in Aishwarya’s role. That would’ve been something.
Madan:
Agreed on Alai Kadal. Easily my most favorite, and it wasn’t even one of those “slow poison songs”. Beautiful from the get go.
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Voldemort
September 8, 2022
Aman Basha : Are you telling me Jayam Ravi is better than Mahesh Babu? Playing Karthi’s role here wouldn’t have been too hard for Vijay also.
Mahesh Babu doesn’t fit well and would feel terribly miscast into a period film IMO. As for Vijay, the same, plus his too cool to act persona suits only the kind of films he makes.
Vikram is going to steal the show here though
Hope so, for his sake. The man really needs a hit.
Also, I think Tabu in her younger days would have kicked ass as Nandini.
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Eswar
September 8, 2022
Completely agree with Mank on the casting of the female characters. All fair and beautiful easy choices. None of whom can barely speak a sentence of Tamil without anglicising it. I would have gone for our dusky native beauties say aishwarya Rajesh or nivetha pethuraj But then market issues.
If you wanted national appeal why not Nandita Das
Why are the royals or even the civilians of the Chozha period expected to be dark-skinned and fluent in Tamil?
The second Chola period is supposedly a period of trade and conquests within India and overseas. A reasonable guess would then be that people from various countries and walks of life would have mingled in public and personal life. Some of them could have had relationships resulting in children of mixed backgrounds. Would these children be dark-skinned? Would they have spoken fluent Tamil? Then, is our mental image that Tamils are dark-skinned accurate? As KS mentioned, a fair-skinned Tamil queen even with less fluency in Tamil is quite probable.
Another mental image that may be inaccurate is that of the Kings. Just because they fought in wars, the Kings need not have had a sculpted body. They could have been unfit, bruised on their face like the villains shown in some movies. But kings are not often described like this. In Devi Yesodharan’s Empire, the Yavani guard describes the Chozha king as thinner and shorter than his god-like statues. The king worried about looking shorter in front of the Yavani guard says: “please don’t wear your hair in a large bun atop your head, and look over me further. In the meantime, I will walk on my toes.” This image of a king who is insecure about his physique is as valid as the roaring brave kings we tend to imagine.
So the Tamil kings need not be all masculine, and the Tamil Queens need not be all dark-skinned.
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Eswar
September 8, 2022
Regarding what parts of the book were made into the movie, writer Jeyamohan briefly spoke about it in the Teaser launch:
A lot more has been discussed in his blog:
https://www.jeyamohan.in/tag/பொன்னியின்-செல்வன்-திரை/
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Enna koduka sir pera
September 8, 2022
I am excited for Karthi, Vikram, Aishwarya Lekshmi and Jayaram as well. I was initially petrified of how Trisha and Ash would perform, especially with the use of ilakkiya Tamil and doing characters with a lot of power (remember Trisha in Kodi?), but the trailer is giving me some hope.
As for Jayam Ravi, honestly, Arulmozhi Varman is a boring character in the book with no shades except white and I think JR’s sincere, bland acting is more than sufficient to fill this role.
What I can’t fathom is how Sobhitha would fit the role of Vanathi, the most annoying character in the book who does nothing but faint and say ‘Akka bayama iruku’. Sobhitha has a mysterious, magnetic presence on screen, so I am not sure how she will bring this ‘paavamana ponnu’ character to life.
My favorite of the songs is Sol. It is so unique and captivating. I was quite disappointed with Alaikadal, probably bec I had imagined a different tune in my head while reading the book – also, would have loved to see the same poetry as described in the book.
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Thupparivaalan
September 9, 2022
MANK: to me the best MB performance of all time is Khaleja hands down.
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kaizokukeshav
September 9, 2022
I have a strong feeling MR is banking on CCV’s fast paced screenplay that somewhat succeeded in attracting the audience. The trailer felt like we are back to Marmadesam days or a historical in Doordarshan and the star-cast or the music is not stellar either, the marketers should have focussed more on graduerizing the environment.
I mean it’s not like current pan-India movies are rich in content, Bahubali was just some sugarcane juice in a Golden vessel that was sold to people who never tasted anything beyond water. MR could have done wonders if there were enough people backing his repertoire, just like what Lokesh did to Kamal Hassan. That ARR-MR combo a decade earlier is not swaying the audience yet again.
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Akhilan
September 9, 2022
I might be in the minority here, but in terms of an Indian period/war movie, I still think Jodhaa Akbar takes the cake for me. It was beautifully made. Every scene was picture-perfect. You could see the painstaking detail that went into the costumes, sets etc. In addition, ARR’s soundtrack was just incredible and the climactic one-on-one fight scene was pulsating and felt so visceral, something that I think most of the special-effects reliant movies since then including Baahubali have lacked. And despite releasing in 2008, it still holds up well for me even today. Bajirao would be a close second.
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kaizokukeshav
September 9, 2022
Mahesh Babu is terrible as an old-school artist. Even if a script comes to his notice, he discards it away in a jiffy. A lot of people are now very very anxious about how SS Rajamouli will handle MB because of their contrasting approach to films. Mahesh was the first hero who was cast to ‘Pushpa’, be blatantly declined the role and risked his relationship with Sukumar. They even threw some jabs on twitter and media. It was a great decision eventually. Also he was never the chocolate boy of Tollywood even in his prime, that name is still with ….surprise surprise, Siddharth and the late Uday Kiran. MB is always in his own action hero zone, something like an Indiana Jones fits him perfectly.
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Prat
September 9, 2022
With an odd mix of these songs, the album seems strangely incomplete. There’s no conventional love/sad songs and the songs stick out as singles and don’t form a coherent whole. Some songs sound as if they belong to that age and some don’t. I cringed when the lyric went “vechchu seiya poren” in some song – W T H were they thinking? They should have paid better attention to the lyrics. Why they didn’t go with Thamarai is a mystery to me – she’s the most obvious choice for such a project. The diction in the songs is thankfully not too bad – I guess bad pronunciation is left to the anglicised actors playing all the main roles.
Is anybody else annoyed that all the lyric videos on YouTube have English fonts? It’s a lyric video for a period movie for god’s sake!
I quite love Ponni Nadhi despite ARR’s singing – it’s his most interesting instrumental work in ages and doesn’t get tiring even after multiple listens. Chozha chozha feels like a filler song and pales very much after Ponni Nadhi. Ratchasa Maamane is a very interesting listen indeed and Shreya is amazing in it. It reminded me of Raavanan songs in places, as did Sol – a delightful song but familiar sounding from Rahman. Alaikadal hasn’t worked for me yet, guess I’ll have to give it some time.
A very decent album, though not what I expected.
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Karthik S
September 9, 2022
Rajini explaining Vandhiyathevan’s introduction scene from the book took my breath away! The man knows his epic! And he challenges Mani on stage saying “I’m looking forward to seeing how it was done by Mani”! the temerity!
I am glad Mani said this is not going to be a Baahubali. I really, really hope it is Mani of yore that directed and not the Mani of late with duds like kadal, KV etc. I am hoping Jeyamohan and Kumaravel have somehow managed to extract pure drama amid the glitz that Mani will inevitably foist on screen.
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Rajesh Balasubramanian
September 9, 2022
BTW, this novel PS itself has high influences of Three musketeers.
Regarding casting, Trisha is at least fine. She looks good and acting can be okay. But, Aishwarya rai looks like aunty for sarath kumar itself. Aishwarya is too old for Nandini. Wish they had put Deepika Padukone, Paravathy, Keerthi Suresh, Vidya Balan kind of performers.
Some trailer elements (the red color raatchasan) dress that feels like a fancy dress competition. I hope too much detailing and effort on dress kind of stuffs don’t spoil the movie.
I wish they had avoided creating a room for the controversies like pattai, kottai. Because it is never a good thing. Also, now a new controversy that Jayaram screams ayyaiyo in tamil, narayana in telugu. etc
both the teaser and audio events were well conducted but it has it is problems too 1) teaser event was too brief 2) trailer was released too late and wrong timing for any trailer to release. all those accounts.
wish they didn’t give the audio rights to TIPS .. thought it doesn’t really matter
but, i have a lot of hope on the movie because it is not just manirathnam’s screenplay (i am sure mani ratnam wouldn’t have read it 50 times).. it has elango kumaravel who would have read the novel many times plus he has a staged a classic drama on stage. his presence would have helped that the movie is true to the novel. and jeyamohan’s presence i believe would help the movie to bring in historical consiousness etc.
BTW, this novel PS itself has high influences of Three musketeers (many of indian novels that came around 1950-1980s had influences of Three musketeers). So, PS is certainly over rated in terms of literary merit. But, in terms of popular fiction it is certainly a great read for anyone entering into reading
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H. Prasanna
September 9, 2022
@Prat Yes, yes, and yes! Style of Tamil in songs, YouTube lyrics in English, ARR’s singing.
But, these are pretty conventional marketing techniques. This is what people are used to and they are just giving us that. I guess I just expected them to be better because of the hype and have a more cohesive, unique, consistent marketing message across the board. I thought RRR marketing was on point, and perfectly set up expectations that were delivered in the movie. I really hope the movie is better than the marketing for PS.
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vijay
September 9, 2022
Rajesh, while being influenced by 3 musketeers or whatever by itself is’nt an issue, I am not sure whether the story is engaging itself to audiences who have either not read the novel (or read it long back in pieces and mostly forgotten). Since the millenium we have had movies like Gladiator, Lord of the Rings triology and many other epic dramas that have these twists and turns, larger than life characters etc and picturized well too.. so both in terms of content and in terms being a visual spectacle I am not sure what new territory is going to be mined here. It may end up being more of the same..and that should be a worry for the makers. I am already hearing complaints that the novel did not feature lengthy battle scenes and is more of a palace intrigue story whereas the trailer makes it look like Troy or something..
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MANK
September 9, 2022
Madan, it’s okay bro. The Arjun Kapoor reference was harsh, but Mahesh has been stuck in a rut for some time now, and i don’t blame anyone for judging him harshly purely based on his recent movies. Despite being an ardent fan, I just couldn’t sit through any of his recent films. I hate his recently acquired screen persona of a ‘social reformer’ where he fixes one social issue after another in film after film- i think the most laughable one was Maharshi; and i hate his acing style in these films- what was very cool, intense and subtle once is now bordering on blandness and even utter disinterest. His performance in the recent SVP was fun and much more expressionistic , but the film itself wasn’t much. But from Okkadu to 1, he was one of the best commercial film star actors of his generation. His more realistic acting style was a breath of fresh air in the over-the-top-histrionics-infested Telugu cinema. And despite his chocolate boy looks he managed to create his own brand of dramatic action heroism; that’s why films like Okkadu, Athadu and Pokkiri worked so well. I hope he gets back to form with Rajamouli’s film.
Thupparavilan, yeah, liked him in Khaleja very much. But since that one flopped and 1 flopped, and then Srimanthudu became a hit , he has chosen to recycle that formula and the same acting style in recent times.
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MANK
September 9, 2022
Karthik, Rajni is an very well read man and also very self-aware. see how he self mockingly refers to his ‘stock’ mannerisms and how Mani’s direction of ‘feeling the emotions’ confused him. :). btw He chose Captain Vijayakanth for Aditya Karikalan.
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Heisenberg
September 9, 2022
BR: Oh man. But what about those of us who look forward to that “crazy quirkiness”? 🙂
I am looking forward to normal human like characters and conversations which used to be there at least until Guru. Of course there have always been quirkiness in his movies but they were more tolerable because of better actors or better dialogues. Off late I find it hard to tolerate lines like my aasai kothamalli
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Anand Raghavan
September 9, 2022
Vijay, while the novel is more of palace drama and adventure, there are war references in background, like Arulmozhi Varman on a war in Lanka and wanting to get more supplies to his troops from Tanjore which is resisted by Pazhuvetarayar and also battle with Rashtrakutas and Pandian by Adithya Karikalan . And their ancestor king Vijayalayachola’s battle as a ballad. Being a movie i think it’s ok to dramatize this in foreground as action sequence as long as it’s choreographed well.
From the trailer i see one deviation, AK sends VD to pass 2 msgs one to his father and the other to his sis in the novel, here he asks VD to go to Kadambur to unearth conspiracy that spies alerted him.
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shaviswa
September 9, 2022
IMO there are two huge disappointments already with this film.
Casting elderly actors to play 20 something roles. The lead characters in the novel Aditha Karikalan, Arun Mozhi Varman, Kunthavai, Vanthiyathevan, Nandini, Madurantakan, Chenthan Amuthan, Kandhamaran, Parthipendran are all 20 something characters.
ARR’s music. Whatever I have heard so far is very disappointing. Nothing that is even close to what the epic is.
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Srinivas R
September 9, 2022
@shaviswa – There no current actors in their 20s who can pull of these roles. I am ok with that aspect.
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vijay
September 9, 2022
I listened to it again and nothing changed much from my earlier impressions. Some songs sound like they could have been composed for earlier situations like yarro yaarodi or that Vikram-priyamani song from Raavanan and so on..does’nt evoke a different period feel or a chola-land feel..If this soundtrack had been for some Vasanthabaalan film(like Aravaan or something like that) this would have been quite sufficient..but with the boatloads of expectations sailing round this film, it falls quite short. Not bad at all, but nothing special either. That solo Alaikadal melody may be the only one I may revisit years from now..
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Anand Raghavan
September 9, 2022
Who is playing Manimekalai? Not seen any mention about her character anywhere .
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vijay
September 9, 2022
Anand, of course, you need to masalafy it a bit to sell it to a larger audience. But I just hope those battle scenes are’nt the mainstay. Mani is’nt going to outwow anybody with those kind of scenes. He has to do it with the screenplay and by coaxing great performances out of at least 2 or 3 of his main leads.
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Anand Raghavan
September 9, 2022
For the situation, the songs and lyrics seem apt but yes the style is unconventional. Alaikadal is almost Alaikadalum Oindhirukka from the novel, Kuravai Koothu based on Balinese monkey chant is unique, it sounds good too . Sol fits the Kundavai-Vanath on boat . And Krishna Jayanthi song is fun too. It doesn’t sound conventional epic but surely not run of the mill.
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vijay
September 9, 2022
Jayamohan sheds light on the biggies that he has written for..which is pretty much everything that GVM and Mani are making 🙂
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therag
September 9, 2022
Just curious, what is a period-appropriate soundtrack for Ponniyin Selvan?
I actually thought the one song that did NOT evoke the period was “Alai Kadal” (an awesome song indeed).
All the other songs seem very period-appropriate to me.
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Thulasi
September 9, 2022
Myself a huge fan of MR, ARR and also PS, I finally decided be a fan of PS only in this case. I always have this doubt of how do you say / know that the soundtracks are relating to / not relating to the period in case of period films, very interesting to read many comments here on it and also I can’t accept elderly actors doing the 20+ roles from book. And how will they bring an emotional connect when Aditya Karikalan does, all the descriptions that comes in the novel might not be applicable then. And I am just leaving this here. https://thulasiraga.wordpress.com/2022/07/09/will-i-watch-ponniyin-selvan-movie/
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Srulurker
September 9, 2022
I agree with the comment earlier – all the actors are just too old for the characters. They look good in the costumes and in the trailer but they definitely don’t fit the descriptions of 20 somethings.
Specifically, Jayam Ravi is very underwhelming and non charismatic (and also doesn’t look like Trisha’s thambi). This could be a deal breaker for the “hero” of the series. Why not any of the many young heroes we have in Tamil cinema? (Harish Kalyan, Ashok Selvan anyone?)
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K
September 10, 2022
Srulurker: Why not? they will blame it on commerce. One side they say faithful to the story and other side they would say this kind of compromise is unavoidable…
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Prat
September 10, 2022
Why is anyone surprised at Mani casting fair skinned heroines? He’s been the pioneer in casting heroines from the north. Though to be fair, Aishwarya Rai is the most obvious choice for Nandhini given that she’s supposed to be an exotic beauty and fair skinned by definition. Most people reading the book after 2000 probably imagined her in the character anyway (I know I did). It was ingrained in the Tamil psyche that she’s the epitome of beauty, so it was an inevitable choice. With respect to her acting, not sure how to judge – I mostly see her as Aishwarya Rai no matter what role she plays. Either she’s just plain bad or she’s a victim of her own celebrity/looks. That’s not the case with DP though – she was convincing as a poor-ish instructor in Gehraiyaan. But then no other female actor generated a craze that equalled what Aishwarya Rai did back then.
The suggestion that Ramya Krishnan would have made a great Nandhini is a brilliant one. She’s a very good actor.
Jayaram is very aptly cast and his character is the one I’m most excited about. Others (even Vikram and karthi) leave me very indifferent.
Mani emphasizes that it’s not like Bahubali but the trailer is very contradictory. Also most of Jeyamohan’s cinema work has been underwhelming so far, so I don’t understand why people get excited about him being a part of any project (especially the latest Gautham Menon one).
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brangan
September 10, 2022
Thulasi: Regarding that link…
Whenever a book is made into a movie, one should understand that it’s not the author’s version but the filmmaker’s version.
In other words, PS1 is not Kalki’s PS. It is Mani Ratnam’s version of Kalki’s PS.
A lot of Harry Potter fans were up in arms against the changes and omissions in the films. This is what I wrote about the last Harry Potter movie:
“The first two films, overstuffed and underdone, lumbered under the leaden hand of director Chris Columbus, who felt compelled to transfer to screen every detail in the book.
With Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, still the best film in the series, Alfonso Cuarón jettisoned large chunks of exposition in favour of narrative excitement, and that’s the model the subsequent films have followed.
Fans of the books, therefore, have grown used to inhabiting these films in a parallel dimension in which the same characters do the same things but in slightly different ways.
We console ourselves that this is primarily Potter’s story and we have to hurry through it in two-something hours, and that the supporting characters given short shrift in the films are still in the books, where we can meet them any time we wish.”
As for the non-age-appropriate casting, you (as in, not you specifically, but the general “you”) either get how casting works in big commercial movies or you don’t. It involves backers, financiers, fan base(s), date schedules, actors’ politics (“I won’t sign if you have that hero/heroine”), the willingness to commit to a film for two years…”
I was in the Madras Talkies office while they were casting. (I was doing a talking-head interview of MR for the new Oscar museum, commissioned by the Academy.) I saw many actors go up to meet Mani Ratnam. I’m not saying who 🙂 But casting a film like this is very tough… AND it will always involve a commercial element. It is not an OKK, where you can get away with a Dulquer and Nithya, who were relatively unknown in Tamil then.
My feeling is that with the exception of people who frequent blogs like this one and those who have actually read the books (a small fraction of those who go to the movies today), most audiences won’t care about any of this as long as the movie works.
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brangan
September 10, 2022
Prat: Why is anyone surprised at Mani casting fair skinned heroines? He’s been the pioneer in casting heroines from the north…
Actually, there have been earlier “pioneers” like Bharathiraja, who — in the late 1070s – introduced the fair-skinned Punjabi-speaking Rati Agnihotri as a TN village girl in PUDHIYA VAARPUGAL 🙂
The film was a monster hit. In other words, among the paying public, NO ONE CARED 😀
I am only imagining what would have happened had Twitter existed then 😀
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shaviswa
September 10, 2022
Rati as village girl didn’t raise eyebrows because the character was not known to the audience.
In this case, Kunthavai is described as dark skinned. And yet they have cast Trisha in that role. Which is why there is so much debate over this.
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Thulasi
September 10, 2022
Completely agree on the Commercial and political aspects of the casting part, which is beyond imagination of many of us . But still I am greedy (or Athangam I would say)that MR could have pulled it out with new or lesser known faces. And I really like that way Mani sir also said in the teaser launch that’s he is bringing out the Kalki’s PS which he has in mind.
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MANK
September 10, 2022
Keerthi Suresh would have been the perfect Nandhini IMO. She has the beauty, talent, BO appeal (popular across states) and she’s at the right age. She also has that old world charm that her mother and stars of that generation had. She reminds me of Ambika, Radha and so on, who could be equally good at being just eye candy in a mass masala blockbuster and can hit it out of the work when they are given a serious role of substance.
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sai16vicky
September 10, 2022
@MANK: I see the point about Radha (she did Muthal Mariyadhai for instance). But I am curious about movies where Ambika did a serious role of substance — can’t think of anything in Tamil. Likely you’re talking about Malayalam movies I might have missed?
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Eswar
September 10, 2022
Prat: Also most of Jeyamohan’s cinema work has been underwhelming so far, so I don’t understand why people get excited about him being a part of any project (especially the latest Gautham Menon one).
I am also unsure what kind of impact Jeyamohan has on the movies he works on. But he sees himself as only a tiny cog in these collaborations. From what I understand, his involvement is limited to elaborating or adapting a story for cinematic needs. I suppose this is only a pre-step to the screenplay? It is the director and the team then who translates his writing into a screenplay? I do not know if this is how all writers work. It will be interesting to know Sujatha’s role in the movies he worked on.
What is exciting for me about Venthu Thaninthathu Kadu or Viduthalai is not that they are Jeyamohan’s works, but that directors are adapting novels and short stories. It may not be a new phenomenon for Tamil cinema, but I also don’t know when was the last time these many works were adapted this frequently, especially by top directors. A positive side effect of this change is these adaptations surface unpopular literary works for reading and discussion. I read Vekkai only after Vetrimaran announced Asuran. I knew about Ajnabi only after Vetrimaran mentioned it in the roundtable chat with BR. Vaadivasal might even see increased sales before the movie releases. Even for something as popular as Ponniyin Selvan, this Mani Ratnam adaptation has made people discuss the book again. I wonder if the adaptation has played a factor in the new Ponniyin Selvan card game.
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vijay
September 10, 2022
Eswar, Bala’s Paradesi was an adaptation, naan Kadavul was from a short story by Jeyemohan I guess and so on..earlier Balu Mahendra adapted ‘Man, woman and child’ a novel for his Olangal..should be few more in this category liek ‘sila nerangalil sila manithargal’ and so on..
In fact for Mani, this may be a first.
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Eswar
September 10, 2022
Yes, Vijay. Naan Kadavul I think is Ezhaam Ulagam. From what you say, Olangal appears to be Sundara Ramasamy’s Aangal, Pengal, Kuzhandhaigal.
I am sure there is a long list of adaptations like Thillana Mohanambaal, Karaiyellam Shenbagapoo, Ananda Thandavam, and Solla Marandha Kathai. Still, I have a feeling that they were far and few. Then suddenly, we have quite a few adaptations. But all this could be just availability bias from my end. The more I consume adaptations-related news, the more I imagine it as reality. 🙂
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vijay
September 10, 2022
talking of solla marandha kadhai, I think Thangar Bachchan made a few of his own stories into movies I think like 9 roobai note, Azhagi and so on..However his films ended up emphasizing the point that great or good stories still need a good film-maker to adapt well to screens. Or that some novellas need to be left alone 🙂
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Prat
September 10, 2022
@Eswar – You’re right! We should take wins where we get them. It’s great that our public is finally reading at least some Tamil books. I was so surprised when I heard the news of Vekkai’s adaptation given how outdoorsy it was and how unique the story was – almost a survival drama. The movie disappointed me but I’m glad so many more people now read Poomani. One of the rare instances of cinema boosting readership. Naan Kadavul was quite different from Ezhaam Ulagam too – the book was a light and funny read despite being SO bleak. The book is better because it actually is about the beggars themselves.
I read Ajnabi because of the news of adaptation and boy what a novel it was! I doubt if they can remain faithful to the source material given how raw and powerful it is. That rajnikanth scene still has me in splits two years after I read it. Our directors should spread at least rumours of adaptations so that we notice more of these great books.
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shaviswa
September 10, 2022
Kalki’s Parthiban Kanavu was made into a film with the same name. The film was not that good despite good casting – SV Ranga Rao, Gemini Ganesan, Vyjayanthimala, etc
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Rajesh Balasubramanian
September 10, 2022
I think Sujatha, Balakumaran, Jeyamohan helped in (giving a story and) making a screenplay. I don’t consider them as pure screenplay writers. For example Kaaviyathalaivan had a great content and details – However, as a screenplay it was not in the 2015-2016 screenplay language. I guess, they call Jeyamohan because there is a dearth of quality content/ideas/stories and even basic construction of screenplay/stories and I believe that is because our directors (who used to take responsiblities of story, screenplay) aren’t great readers – and these directors (limited / stolen / derived / “inspired”) ideas cannot be sold anymore because audiences get excellent content/ideas from OTT.
Vetrimaaran takes Jeyamohan’s story for Viduthalai (and took Poomani’s vekkai story) because he believed in the content. Had Vetrimaaran asked Jeyamohan for a screenplay for Thunaivan story, then Viduthalai screenplay would have come in next 24 hours and we would have watched the movie in less than an year. But Vetrimaaran knows what kind of screenplay is essential for those stories and he believes Jeyamohan or Poomani’s screenplay won’t suit today’s audience. Even Mani Ratnam has the final say on screenplay.
I always wonder why writer S.Ramakrishnan who has written so much on world cinema and who watches 100s and 100s of world cinema and independent cinema everyhere doesn’t get his space in Tamil cinema.
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brangan
September 10, 2022
Rajesh Balasubramaniam: Even Mani Ratnam has the final say on screenplay.
Not just Mani Ratnam. EVERY director with a particular vision WILL have the final word on the screenplay. And he/she WILL shape or reshape it according to how they want to tell the story. (Even if they credit someone else for the screenplay.)
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Honest Raj
September 10, 2022
The trend should have started around the turn of the 70s–Mullum Malarum, Uthiripookkal, Nandu, Metti (the novel was by Mahendran himself), Balu Mahendra’s Moodu Pani, KB’s 47 Natkal, et al.
As for today’s filmmakers, we have Bala (Pithamagan was adapted from Jayakanthan’s Nandavanathil Oru Aandi) and Vetrimaaran.
@Eswar: Thillana Mohanambaal was based on a play.
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Honest Raj
September 10, 2022
Aman Basha: … why did they not go for Prithviraj or Dulquer etc, I wonder.
The problem with Malayalam actors, in general, is their heavy Malayalam accent (Dulquer’s Tamil is comparatively much cleaner though). Also, I guess these two actors, in particular, probably won’t let someone else dub for them–even if it’s for a Mani Ratnam film.
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shaviswa
September 10, 2022
@Honest Raj
Thillana Mohanambal movie was based on a novel by the same name by Kothamangalam Subbu
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psyche
September 10, 2022
It was ingrained in the Tamil psyche that she’s the epitome of beauty, so it was an inevitable choice. “–
Surprised that the epitome of beauty in Tamil psyche is a tall, fair skinned, green eyed woman who doesn’t even look like your average Indian. (Not going to believe anyone who says that most of the girls in my neighborhood in my village in vadapalani or pollachi or whatever look like her. ). Also surprised that she is thought of an the “inevitable” choice. I feel bad for the Tamil girls. Wish they also had a tall, light skinned green/ blue eyed man who they can think of as the epitome of good looks and the inevitable choice to star in Tamil movies to drool at. But what they get is your average local tamil payyans.
Tamil directors, be considerate in your casting….. In the interests of equal opportunity drooling.
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Honest Raj
September 10, 2022
@shaviswa: Yes, my bad. Thanks!
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H. Prasanna
September 10, 2022
@Eswar Here is Jeyamohan asking Kamal Hassan about adaptations (16:00 onwards)
(Maybe you have already seen this.)
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vijay
September 10, 2022
psyche, Akbar may not have looked like Hrithik Roshan either, if it is of any consolation to you 🙂
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Rajesh A
September 10, 2022
@BR – What i wanted to say was people like Vasanthabalan take Jeyamohan’s screenplay and modifies it. People like Vetrimaaran use Jeyamohan’s story and make their own screenplay. Maniratnam colloborates with Jeyamohan and forms a screenplay structure.
Even Thigarajan Kumaraja modified all the 3 scripts of Super Deluxe
And I agree with what you said any director with a particular vision WILL have a final say.
And, I don’t know how it works in Hollywood. May be you can throw some light on it
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Psyche
September 10, 2022
Chances are that akbar might have looked better than a hrithik roshan…. Akbar was a mughal who are… mongols or Turks or their mix from central Asia. Have you seen the turks. Hrithik doesn’t stand a chance in terms of good looks to them.
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vijay
September 10, 2022
are there any interviews or articles where Jeyamohan has explained what made him participate in movie-making and transition to screenplay writing in the first place(as opposed to being a pure lit guy)? and why are’nt there more like him?
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Rajesh A
September 11, 2022
@vijay – you can read jeyamohan.in website and you would get an answer. But, as far as I know, jeyamohan came into cine industry mainly because of his friend Lokidas (who took movies like Kasturimaan in tamil), and also inspired by movie writers like MT.Vasudevan Nair who is a pro in pure literature too. He wrote for some malayalam movies like Ozhimuri (which is semi-auto-biographical of jeyamohan’s life) and then come into Naan Kadavul, angadi theru, kadal, papanasam, sarkar, 2.0 etc
Also, jeyamohan is quite aware that pure literature in Tamilnadu wont’ fetch even a prolific writer even a decent monthly salary. He worked in BSNL for 25-30yrs i think. once he came into movies and more movies started coming to him. he took a VRS. he has elaborately written multiple times that movies gave him the financial independence which helped him to focus on literature more.
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vijay
September 11, 2022
Rajesh, thanks
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Psyche
September 11, 2022
When asking for equal opportunity drooling, I don’t know why the buck was passed on to hrithik and akbar. They can do it, so why cant we? Is that what was meant by pointing at hrithik? Thats funny. At least in Hindi, they cast good looking men too. Unlike South, where women scouted from North are cast just for eye candy. The actors chosen are equally good looking too, in North . Why is it so hard for local women in south to be cast in movies. Other than in Malayalam movies, I don’t see any other south languages casting women who look like they belong locally.
In Akbar too, I didn’t have a problem with hrithik’s casting, But i thought it was odd that Aish was cast as the Indian princess. This is late 1500’s. An Indian princess would have looked nothing like Ash. Everyone was surprised as to why Ash kept saying no to Akbar’s advances in the movie. To an Indian princess like her, Akbar who looks very different from her ilk, is a non veg eater , who follows a different religion from hers, is a fierce warrior and is from far away lands who has come to her land and conquered them, would have looked like a barbarian who is forcing her away from her own people, by marrying her.
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Rajesh A
September 11, 2022
I don’t know how much of promotions has been done in North India. I don’t know what they are thinking. Are they thinking, in case, going for a Kapil Sharma show and couple of malls in Delhi is sufficient ? Kamal Hasan went there for Vikram. But, it is proved that it is not sufficient to pull the audience in for the theatres. Even the youtube interviews haven’t started flowing in yet . Actually speaking, the have only 2 weeks left for promotions. Not sure how they are going to go around places. Also, going to USA might also be inevitable. I dont know whether they are thinking PS-1 as a trailer for PS-2. If that is so, then it is much of over-confidence. (remember, PS stories , audio book are all over the internet. if PS-1 pqueues interest, then these stories and audiobook will come in all languages within a month)
I remember, how much Bahubali team camped in chennai for their Bahubali-1 promotions. They banked heavily on Tamil theatreical rights because the stakes were high. I don’t see that level of promotion for PS-1 in Telugu. In the chola chola song launch in hyderbad, Mani Ratnam skipped the press meet totally. In Tamil, Satyraj and Naser lifted Bahubali during the promotions in Chennai. But, we have Prakash Raj, Trisha, Naser who are promitent celebraties in Telugu too who can be allowed to interact with the press and boost the movie.
Heavy promotions may not be Mani Ratnam style. But, with such a huge film, which also rides on Tamil culture pride sentiment of people , PS-1 should be promoted highly. Mani Ratnam cannot just leave it to Dil Raju that it is your baby now sir
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Eswar
September 11, 2022
Hi, Prasanna. Yes, I have seen that conversation :-). Thanks.
Vijay, it is pretty much what Rajesh A said. This conversation with Pattimandram Raja and Barathi Baskar comes very close to answering your question:
And a slightly related one:
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Ravi
September 11, 2022
While Parthiban Kanavu and Thillana Mohanambal were early adaptations from novels, there were a few even earlier than those 2. Rangon Radha and Velaikkari (Anna’s story) come to my mind. In fact, Parthiban Kanavu, though failed commercially, stayed faithful to Kalki’s story. It had 4 stunning numbers by Veda (Pazhagum Thamizhey, Idhaya Vaanin, Kannaley Naan Kanda KaNamey, and Andhi Mayaungudhadi in Kalyani by MLV) who in the later years, succumbed to the pressures of Modern Theatres Sundaram to copy from popular Hindi tunes.
As someone noted, Mullum Malarum, Uthrippookal, and Metti were not from turn of the 1970s. They were almost at the end of 70s decade – Metti was in the 80s. Writer Sujatha had his first taste of Kollywood in Gayatri. It was butchered by Panju Arunachalam. Followed by Idhu Eppadi Irukku (original novel title Anitha ILam Manaivi), Priya, Karaiyellam Shenbagapoo. All in the late 70s.
Monthly pocket novels were hugely popular in the 70s. The ones that were received well got their celluloid versions.
Badrakali, Bhuvana Oru Kelvikuri, Saindhadamma Saindhadu, Nadhiyai Thedi Vandha Kadal – all by Maharishi
Pushpa Thangadurai’s Oru Oodhappo Kan Simitukiradhu, Rajesh Kumar’s Vanakkathukkuriya Kadhaliye, Sivasankari’s 47 Naatkal, Avan Aval Adhu (about surrogate mother) were all made as movies.
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brangan
September 11, 2022
There were plenty of less “literary” writers who got their books adapted, like Maniyan (who ran Idhayam Pesugiradhu magazine) or Maharishi. (SAAINDHADAMMA SAINDHADU was one of Raja’s earlier films, and he recycled “Kannan enna sonnaan” into “Olai kudisaiyile…”, both sung by Sushila 🙂 ) MOHAM MUPPADHU VARUSHAM was another… There were many films of the 70s and early eighties that were adapted from novels and short stories.
Rajesh A: In Hollywood it is the same. If Spielberg is working with a writer, he is going to make the writer write the script HE sees shooting in his mind. Because writers are mostly literary, and only the director can “see” the film — and therefore say, I want this or that.
For example, if Kundhavai in the novel has character traits A, B, C, D and E, the director knows that only — say — A and D are juicy enough to yield something interesting on screen. So he will obviously ask the writer to ditch the other traits or maybe leave traces.
Mani Ratnam’s adaptations are interesting. ROJA was inspired by a newspaper article, a letter that a woman wrote about her husband who was in Arvind Swami’s state. KANNATHIL was from a Reader’s Digest article. MOUNA RAAGAM is from his own short story, named DIVYA. THALAPATHY and RAAVANAN are inspired by our two big epics. For KADAL, he asked Jeyamohan to write a novel that he then fleshed out into a screenplay (this was how he worked with Sujatha, too; he’d ask Sujatha to write short stories for the characters, from which he’d take stuff and add his own stuff for the screenplay). So in a way you can say, the Sujatha/Jeyamohan scripts are “literary adaptations” — even if these stories were never published outside, and written just for the film.
Psyche: Even in the bigger Malayalam films, you see Hindi-speaking women. PATHONPATHAM NOOTTANDU, which I just reviewed, had Poonam Bajwa.
As for WHY, I guess it’s a combination of several factors. After PUDHIyA VAARPUGAL and MURATTU KAALAI became hits, people started looking at Rati as a good-luck charm, and she enjoyed a huge run until the mid-80s. The difference back then, was that alongside, you had Ambika, Radha etc who though no great shakes at actors, at least had decent “stock expressions” and a good knowledge of the language to fit in. But the staggering success of Khushbu changed everything. Even in KABALI, I couldn’t see why Radhika Apte was cast. She looked really odd in it, as opposed to how Eswari Rao owned the screen in KAALA.
I guess it’s a combination of “wanting to have faces familiar to the north” (like Disha Patani in the new Suriya movie) plus “south Indian male audiences’ fascination for fair skin” (proved again and again by the rejection of local heroines), plus “flavour of the day considerations” (like how Pandiraj, who is supposed to be a “rural entertainer” specialist, darkened Sayyesha’s skin for playing the heroine in KADAIKUTTY SINGAM, while Priya Bhavani Shankar, who is actually pretty fair, is cast as a “relative”), plus the heroes say in getting to choose the heroines (not naming any names here 🙂 )…
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brangan
September 11, 2022
Ravi, sorry, I just saw that you had already mentioned the novels/ books I mentioned 🙂
I would add Akilan’s PAAVAI VILAKKU, and KULAMAGAL RADHAI (where TMS has a stunning, stunning version of MKT’s ‘Radhe unakku kobam…’)
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Rajesh Arumugam
September 11, 2022
Thanks BR for the info about Hollywood
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vijay
September 11, 2022
Ravi, your list only shows that most of those adaptations ended up being washouts..unremarkable translations to screen..we just were’nt good at eithe rpicking the right stories or converting them to effective screenplays..Sujatha’s list of films is depressing. After seeing these films it would have only encouraged viewers to stay away from the books, and that may be a bit unfair to him.
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K
September 11, 2022
Metti was not an adaptation. It was Mahendran’s original work. Nandu was adapted from Sivasankari’s novel. Sivasankari’s another noteworthy adaptation is Thyagu(from Oru Manithanin Kathai).
Some of Anuradha Ramanan’s works were adapted as Sirai, Kootupuzhukkal by RC Sakthi.
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Ravi
September 11, 2022
BR, No issues. I’m glad you included Manian in the list. Notable omissions in my list were Jayakanthan’s Sila Nerangalil Sila Manidhargal, Oru Nadigai Natakam PaarkiraL, Yarukkaga Azhudhan (not sure about the last one). At least JK’s works were treated somewhat faithfully. Rajaji’s Thikkatra Parvathy had Veenai Chittibabbu making his debut as a music director.
K, yes I got Nandu mixed up with Metti. Thanks
Vijay, yes, mostly washouts. Priya was an exception. May be it was due to PA’s butchering of the original story and Raja’s terrific numbers contributed to its success. Avan Aval Adhu (Oru Singam Muyalagiradhu) enjoyed decent success at the box office and critical acclaim as well. Sujatha’s 24 Roobai Theevu was made in kannada. Again some superstar wanted to act in it so the scope and scale changed and suffered the same fate as other Sujatha’s work. But, after these disasters, Sujatha capitalized his proximity to the film industry and came up with his meta work on movie industry – Kanavuth Thozhirchalai. Vikatan had put up a huge banner in front of Safire theater like for any other superstar movie. Sujatha was so busy those days, he was writing in 7 different magazines simultaneously.
All these weekly serials had forced twists and turns at the end of each chapter to hold readers interest until the following week – Nirvana Nagaram, Kolaiyudhir Kaalam – to cite a couple, all had these issues. Film makers didn’t mind those as long as the story ‘knot’ appealed to them.
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Ravi
September 11, 2022
And btw, Naan Kadavul was not entirely based on JeMo’s Aezham Ulagam. Only the beggar portions were adopted from it.
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K
September 12, 2022
Oorukku Nooru Per (directed by B Lenin), also a Jayakanthan adaptation. Incidentally Jayakanthan’s best adaptations, Sila Neranalil Sila Manithargal and Nadigai Naadagam Paarkiraal were adapted by Lenin’s father Bhimsingh
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brangan
September 12, 2022
An early actor considered:
https://www.news18.com/news/movies/amala-paul-on-turning-down-mani-ratnams-ponniyin-selvan-was-not-in-mental-state-to-do-it-5936023.html
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AK
September 12, 2022
@brangan (SAAINDHADAMMA SAINDHADU was one of Raja’s earlier films, and he recycled “Kannan enna sonnaan” into “Olai kudisaiyile…”, both sung by Sushila 🙂 ) just a correction.. Olai kudisaiyile from Ore Oru Gramathile was sung by S.Janaki 🙂
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brangan
September 12, 2022
AK: Oh right. Argh. The memory is not what it used to be. 😂
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vijay
September 12, 2022
Has already made Rs 125 crore -sold to Amazon
https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/mani-ratnam-s-ponniyin-selvan-part-1-2-sold-for-this-price-to-amazon-prime-video-1999209-2022-09-12
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Anand Raghavan
September 12, 2022
I think 500 Cr is for both movies and not 1 movie. But they should do promotion in non South indian states.
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Enigma
September 12, 2022
Just saw the trailer. Oh my God, no one other than Kamal can pull off chaste Tamil. Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Karthi all of them sound ridiculous.
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Anand Raghavan
September 12, 2022
Just want to know, chaste Tamil would have been spoken in courts but among the day to day conversations between commoners or even Royal people wouldn’t have they used a more colloquial form albeit varying in degree? Like Sanskrit/Prakrit among people in northern parts of India?
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brangan
September 13, 2022
Eswar, rescued a comment of yours.
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Anuja Chandramouli
September 13, 2022
On the subject of book to movie adaptations, I am surprised that the rights to Perumal Murugan’s books have not been lapped up by the likes of Vetri or Mari. His hugely controversial One Part Woman (Madhorubagan) and it’s sequels are easily among the most beautiful stories ever written. Bharathiraja in his heyday, would have made hay with this material. Perhaps, the fear of scandal has put potential makers off this project. Such a pity!
I loved Pyre (Pookkuzhi) as well… and Amma. This is one author who deserves to be widely read.
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krishikari
September 13, 2022
Agree 100% Anuja.
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anonymousviolin20
September 14, 2022
Are the comments now sorted in order of newest to oldest?
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Eswar
September 14, 2022
Thanks, BR.
Anonynomousviolin: Yes. There is a mention of it here.
https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2022/09/13/interview-huma-qureshi-maharani-monica-o-my-darling/#comment-176424
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Prat
September 14, 2022
Perumal Murugan’s work is very interior (as opposed to dialogue-driven) so it may be hard to adapt them to screen. He’s probably one of the best (if not -the- best) novelists in Tamil. One good thing that came out of the Madhorubaagan controversy is that he’s widely read outside of TN now (though the shoddy translations of his work leave a lot to be desired). His book Poonachi was nominated for a major literary award in the US I believe. But in Tamil he’s not as widely read or appreciated by the other writers because Tamil literary scene is very petty and the other envious writers dismiss his work. His novels beautifully catalogue the lives in rural TN (mainly around Coimbatore) and they are a treasure house of knowledge about agriculture and our traditions.
He’s a wonderful human being too – he was at the Lit for Life Tamil event a few years ago and he was so intelligent, patient and down-to-earth in his interaction with readers.
Naiyandi starring Dhanush is supposed to be ripped off his novel Kanganam.
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sachita
September 14, 2022
Reading through the comments, I realize I don’t like most of the casting choices discussed here either:). Anushka Shetty as Kunthavai sounds good.
But Amala Paul? Looks like she was being cast for Poonkuzhali. Don’t know why Aishwarya Lakshmi seems a perfect match actually.
And Harish Kalyan/Ashok selvan, how would they with their boyish looks look next to Karthi/Vikram? The novel already has a couple of small fights between Vanthiya thevan and Arunmozhi Varman.
VT is my favorite character, I am more worried if they retained the character well. Everyone seems to insist that the movie gives equal screen presence to all the characters. But the novel didn’t.
Casting-wise, Karthi is OK but before that, they were saying Vijay! I understand market forces and all but glad that didn’t work out.
Also to the repeated reference to Skin Color, Jeymo explains this somewhat. There were a lot of marital alliances with kingdoms from Telugu land and Chozhas.
And Nandhini is a purely fictional character. TBH, both Trisha and Ash match the skin tones in the book.
I think Vijay sethupathi was approached for VT which he turned down and it went to Karthi. I wonder what role was Simbu approached for.
Been watching Jeymo’s interviews and am shocked to know he wrote sarkar too. That movie was so hard to even watch till the interval. I love his blog, even in interviews, he is such an interesting conversationalist. And he did Kadal too which didnt work well for me. Let us see.
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Rajesh Arumugam
September 15, 2022
@sachita – if you have read jemo website he clearly says that he only helps in a developing the screenplay and writes the dialogues. Sarkar had interesting dialogues too. It is up to the director to derive out of JeMo and deliver. Bala took the back drop of beggars in Ezham ulagam and added Kasi and came up with Naan Kadavul. Kadal – jemo itself mentioned that after watching first copy itself he said the team that the second half has deviated from core of the movie but the MR team brushed it off saying that people will give explanations themselves .. but people didnt care. It bombed.
For PS, my only hope w.r.t story and screenplay is Elango Kumaravel’s presence because he staged a complete drama and is well versed with the novel. His inputs would have significantly helped to not deviate much from the novel as well as helped retain key sequences.
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Rajesh Arumugam
September 15, 2022
@Prat – In 2014 itself I Have read Madhaorupaagan before the controversy popped up. I never felt anything extraordinary in that novel. It is a very average work from a literary value point of view. He is over exaggerated..He just utilized the controversy to hog limelight..I don’t know why TM krishna uses his poem in concerts..It is also some agenda driven. There are so many other poets..But TM krishna is a controversy Child so obviously he favors controversy author perumal murugan.
Even jeyamohan stood by perumal during the controversy and stood up for writers rights. He even attended and spoke in the stage protest in 2015.
But
I am sorry to disagree with your comment on “perumal murugan is a wonderful human being” … He acted very unethically in nationalized works of Ku.Pa.Rajagopalan. you can google and you can see how jemo ripped Perumal Murugan for the unethical act he did in getting some other people’s works down in amazon Kindle .
The below is the link for you
https://www.jeyamohan.in/160053/
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vijay
September 16, 2022
One thing that does’nt get addressed in JeMo’s interviews is how does he handle disappointments of his adaptations on-screen and does he just brush it aside and work again with the same director knowing that the said director had messed around with what he wrote earlier? can he truly stay detached from what’s finally the director’s vision on-screen? Even if he sees as the film as part of the general audience and not as a screenwriter still the final product may leave him with a lingering disappointment-he has his own taste and preferences after all. Maybe in one of the future interviews(with BR?) we’ll get a peep into his thinking 🙂
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Rajesh Arumugam
September 16, 2022
But jemo’s claim is if his films doesn’t run then why does her get offers in last 18 yrs?
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sachita
September 17, 2022
Jeymo makes it clear, that he only does screenplay writing for the salary so that he can focus on his literary writing.
Definitely miss Sujatha though. No matter the technique, you can see Shankar’s and Mani’s movies have been impacted after Sujatha. I mean in terms of story.
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Yajiv
September 17, 2022
@vijay:
“One thing that does’nt get addressed in JeMo’s interviews is how does he handle disappointments of his adaptations on-screen and does he just brush it aside and work again with the same director knowing that the said director had messed around with what he wrote earlier?”
Considering how hierarchical Kollywood is and how writers are treated there, could he truly afford to expose the bigwig directors (that he works with) like this in interviews?
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Ajith
September 17, 2022
@Yajiv – this is what Jeyamohan said post VTK release.
https://www.jeyamohan.in/172173/
என்னைப் பொறுத்தவரை எல்லா படங்களும் இயக்குநரின் ஆக்கங்கள். வெற்றிதோல்வி அவர்களுக்குரியது. நான் பொறுப்பேற்க முடியாது. நான் இயக்குநர் கோருவதை அளிப்பவன் மட்டுமே. இயக்குநர் என்னிடமிருந்து பெறுவது எதுவோ அதுவே சினிமாவில் இருக்கும். அதில் நான் எவ்வகையிலும் தலையிடுவதில்லை. பல இயக்குநர்கள் நான் எழுதியவற்றில் இருந்து மிகமிகக்குறைவாகவே எடுத்துக்கொள்வார்கள், நான் மறுப்பு தெரிவித்ததே இல்லை. அது அவர்களின் படம், அவ்வளவுதான்.
நான் இதுவரை எழுதிய படங்களில் என் எழுத்துக்கு மிகஅணுக்கமாக அமைந்த படம் வெந்து தணிந்தது காடு. ஆகவே அதில் என் ஈடுபாடு சற்று மிகுதி.
……
……
……
இப்போது இந்தப்படம் ஒரு ‘பிளாக்பஸ்டர்’ என்று ஆகிவிட்டது. மிகப்பெரிய தொடக்கத்திறப்பு கொண்ட இந்தவகைப் படங்கள் நல்ல எதிர்வினைகளையும் பெற்றுவிட்டால் நேரடியாக நூறுகோடி கிளப் நோக்கித்தான் செல்லும். ஆகவே மானசீகமாக இதிலிருந்து விலகிக் கொள்கிறேன். இனி இது என்னுடையதல்ல. இது சிம்பு – கௌதம் படம்.
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H. Prasanna
September 17, 2022
@Yajiv What Ajith said plus in a recent interview I heard him say that every director he worked with has treated him with utmost respect. He thinks this is because all those directors started out as writers or wanted to be writers at some point in their lives.
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vijay
September 17, 2022
Yajiv, mine was a general question and can be put forth easily that way, without asking him to specifically cite any films/directors, if he is uncomfortable doing so.
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brangan
September 17, 2022
Ajith: I saw that, too. And Jeyamohan seems to have perfectly understood what a writer does — because unlike books or plays, cinema is a director’s medium.
Yes, a script is of utmost importance to get every other department of the film started (eg. even the colours of the costumes will depend on the characterisations in the script.) But then the script changes a lot.
The screenwriter and the director “write” the film the first time, and this is the most ideal version of the film.
Then the writer moves out of the picture, and the film is “written” a second time — this time, primarily by the cinematographer, director, and actors. And things can change dramatically. For instance, the script can have have a line like “she looked into his eyes” can change in meaning if the intimate setting (in the script) is reimagined by the cinematographer and director as a wide shot where “she” is far away from “he”.
Then, the shooting is wrapped, and the film is”written” for the third time — this time, by the director and the editor. And again, the script can change dramatically. They could decide that SCENE 32 actually works better as a pre-credits sequence, and so on.
So naturally, ANY writer is not going to see his/her work up there on screen exactly the way they wrote/imagined it. They are going to see an “adaptation” of his/her work, and so I completely see why Jeyamohan detaches himself once the screenplay is done, i.e. after the film is written “the first time”.
Of course, a writer can be called at a later stage for inputs etc., but the above process is why many writers cannot bear to see the final film. Because it looks nothing like what they imagined while writing it with the director.
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vijay
September 17, 2022
the disappointment for a writer need not just arise from the fact that the film does not adhere to what they wrote..the disappointment could be simply because of the fact that the film as such turned out to be mediocre regardless of how different/same it was as compared to the original script….it could be due to a range of factors from casting choices to editing decisions to bad music to just bad filmmaking and so on….In fact the written script could have been perfectly adhered to and still messed up by the director .. so my question was along those lines..whether JeMo still decides to keep working with those directors or how does he move on from it?
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vijay
September 17, 2022
..and this would lead to a related question, how does JeMo decide whom to work with in the first place? Surely a screenwriter can be a movie connoisseur too and he may like a certain director’s style/vision and may opt to do more scripts for them. Or if it is a debutante he needs to be convinced. For instance,We see him doing more movies with established directors such as GVM, Mani, Bala, Shankar and the likes..so does he have his own preferences/criteria? if so, what are they based on?
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Eswar
September 17, 2022
Vijay: so my question was along those lines..whether JeMo still decides to keep working with those directors or how does he move on from it?
Vijay, I have linked to an old post where Jeyamohan talks about Mani Ratnam’s Kadal. It might give you an idea of how he deals with the outcomes of movies he is involved.
நான் படத்தின் உருவாக்கத்தில் சம்பந்தப்படாதவன் என்பதனால் கடைசியில் படத்தைப்பார்க்கையில் படத்தின் கதையோட்டம் உடைபட்டிருப்பதை கவனித்திருந்தேன். அதைச்சுட்டிக்காட்டினேன், ஆனால் அப்போது படம் முடிந்திருந்தது. ஆனால் உணர்ச்சிகரமான காட்சிகள் படத்தைத் தொடர்புறுத்திவிடும் என படத்துடன் தொடர்புடையவர்கள் நம்பினர். அத்துடன் பேசிப்பேசிப் படத்தைத் தெளிவாக்கிக்கொள்வார்கள் ரசிகர்கள் என நினைத்தனர்.
…
அந்தக் கலவை கடல் படத்தில் தோல்வியடைந்தது என்பதை ஒப்புக்கொள்கிறேன். இம்மாதிரி முயற்சிகளை ஆத்மார்த்தமாக மேற்கொள்ளவே முடியும், அவை அமைந்துவருவது நூற்றுக்கணக்கான காரணிகளால் தீர்மானிக்கப்படுகிறது. கடைசியாக எஞ்சுவது என்பது பெரும்பாலும் ஒரு தற்செயலின் விளைவுதான்.
https://www.jeyamohan.in/34538/
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Rahul
September 17, 2022
Offtopic, but BR, are you guys(the critics’ fraternity) going to review “Chup” or boycott it?
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vijay
September 18, 2022
Eswar, saw that, thanks
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Rajesh Arumugam
September 19, 2022
BR – when are we going to get wide angle for PS-1 ? Who are all going to participate in it ?? BR – would we be surprised anything for Trisha like we were surprised for amala ??
Any deep focus session planned for ps-1 post release ??
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Rajesh A
September 21, 2022
W.r.t jeyamohan (though about VTK)
…….
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‘மல்லிப்பூ’ பாடல் சினிமாவின் முகம் என ஆகும் என எவரும் எதிர்பார்க்கவில்லை, ஏனென்றால் அதில் சிலம்பரசன் முதன்மையாக ஆடவில்லை. அப்படிச் சில ஆச்சரியங்கள் எல்லா சினிமாவிலும் உண்டு.
படம் முழுமையடைந்தபோது அதன் 3 மணிநேர நீளம் சினிமா பார்க்காத பலருக்கும் அச்சத்தை ஊட்டியது. தயாரிப்பாளருக்கு கடும் நெருக்கடி இருந்தது, இருபத்தைந்து நிமிடம் வெட்டும்படிச் சொன்னார்கள். வெட்டவேண்டுமா என்று மாறிமாறிப் பேசிக்கொண்டோம். (அதைப்பற்றி நானும் கௌதமும் பேசிக்கொண்ட சிறு பகுதி பதிவாகி வெளியாகியுள்ளது)
நான் என் தரப்பைச் சொன்னேன். இதேபோலத்தான் கடல் படமும் இரண்டேமுக்கால் மணிநேரம் இருந்தது. கடைசிநேரத்தில் இருபத்தைந்து நிமிடம் குறைக்கப்பட்டதனால்தான் அந்தப்படம் பெருவாரியானவர்களுக்கு புரியாமல் போனது. நுண்ணிய திரைரசிகர்கள் அந்த விடுபட்ட பகுதியையும் புரிந்துகொண்டு இன்று அப்படத்தை கொண்டாடுகிறார்கள். அதேபோல ஆகிவிடக்கூடாது என்று சொன்னேன்.
பலகதைகள் கொண்ட சினிமாவுக்கு, ஒரே களத்தில் நிகழும் சினிமாவுக்கு நீளம் கூடாது. ஒரு வாழ்க்கைப்பயணத்தைச் சொல்லும் சினிமாவுக்கு நீளம் பலசமயம் பலம். ரசிகன் மானசீகமாக வெளியேறாமல் பார்க்கமுடிந்தால் போதும், ஒரு வாழ்க்கையை பார்த்து முடித்த நிறைவு உருவாகும். படம் போனதே தெரியவில்லை என ஒரு நீளமான படத்தைப் பற்றி ரசிகன் சொன்னாலே அது வெற்றிதான். வெந்து தணிந்தது காடு சீராக ஒழுகிச்செல்லும் கதையோட்டம் கொண்டது. அதிரடிகள் இல்லை. அதிரடிகள் இருந்தால்தான் அடுத்த அதிரடியை ரசிகர்கள் எதிர்பார்ப்பார்கள். ஆகவே நீளம் பிரச்சினை இல்லை என்றேன்.
என் தரப்பினைச் சொல்லிவிட்டு வெட்டுவதென்றால் எவற்றையெல்லாம் வெட்டலாம் என பதினைந்து நிமிடக் காட்சிகளைப் பரிந்துரைத்தேன். ஆனால் அவை இல்லாமலானால் கதையில் பெரிய இடைவெளிகளை உருவாகின்றன என்று கௌதம் நினைத்தார். எப்பகுதியும் வெறுமே படத்தில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டிருக்கவில்லை. இறுதியில் மூன்றுமணிநேரம் இருக்கட்டும் என அவர் முடிவெடுத்தார். எதையும் வெட்டவில்லை. அம்முடிவை தயாரிப்பாளரும் ஏற்றுக்கொண்டது மிகப்பெரிய விஷயம்.
இன்று திரையரங்கில் அந்த நீளமே பெரிய சாதக அம்சமாக இருக்கிறது. சிலம்பரசன் வழியாக ஒரு வாழ்க்கைமாற்றத்தையே திரையில் பார்க்க முடிவதற்கு அந்த நீளமே முதன்மைக் காரணம்.
…….
…….
…….
அப்படி வந்தவை ஓரிரு விமர்சனங்கள்தான். மலையாள இயக்குநர் -கதாசிரியர் வினீத் சீனிவாசனின் குறிப்பு முக்கியமானது. தமிழில் எனக்கு பிடித்த விமர்சனம் கீழே.
ஆனால் இன்று செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை காலை டீ குடிக்கப்போனபோது அங்கே சந்தித்த ஆட்டோ ஓட்டுநர் ”படம் நல்லாருக்கு. ரெண்டு கதை சார், துப்பாக்கிய கீழ போட்டவன் தப்பிச்சான்…” என்றார்
“அவன் எங்க போட்டான்…அதில்லா அவன் கைய உதறிட்டு கீழே விழுது?” என்றார் டீக்கடைக்காரர்.
அதுதான் மிகச்சரியான அலசல். ஆச்சரியமாக முன்முடிவில்லாமல், படங்களை விமர்சிக்கும் வழக்கமான டெம்ப்ளேட்டுகள் இல்லாமல், படத்தைப் பார்த்த சாமானிய ரசிகர்கள் ஏறத்தாழ எல்லாருமே அந்த இடங்களை தொட்டிருந்தார்கள். அவர்களே படத்தை வெற்றிப்படமாக்கியிருக்கிறார்கள்.
……….
……….
https://www.jeyamohan.in/172523/
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madhusudhan194
September 23, 2022
Anybody else noticed how Mani Ratnam diplomatically dodged a question about not inviting Vairamuthu to the audio launch?
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H. Prasanna
September 23, 2022
Why are they releasing Naane Varuven with Ponniyin Selvan? Especially when Dhanush’s last movie was such a hit in theaters. Will it jeopardize PS-II?
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RK
September 23, 2022
@H Prasanna
Is Vairamuthu still the lyricist for the film? Initially it was reported that he would pen all the songs but no mention of him anymore. I would understand MR’s predicament on questions regarding Vairamuthu given latter’s political clout and past collaborations with MR
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RK
September 23, 2022
My Vairamuthu comment was addressed at Madhusudhan. Sorry 🙂
@H Prasanna, regarding Naane Varuven, its really baffling. Do they want to cash the publicity generated by clash or they have given up on the movie? trailer doesn’t seem to be audience pleasing
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brangan
September 23, 2022
RK: There are enough screens for two big movies. Of course, the initials will get affected, but there’s a long holiday period ahead.
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Srinivas R
September 23, 2022
@RK- for PS-I, there are multiple lyricists, all seem new to me..
Regarding Naane Varuven, I have feeling they don’t have much hopes of commercial success. Relying on WoM and later selling off to a OTT. Selvaraghavan is not a director for working within a budget or having a script ready before shoot. It’s very hard for his movies to make commercial sense anyway. Till 7G, he was unknown and working with smaller stars and t least they were breaking even I guess. It makes no sense for big star movies with Selva.
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Madan
September 23, 2022
More than Naane Varuven, PS-1 clashing with Vikram Vedha is going to put paid to any hopes of a good Hindi gross. Maybe hurt it somewhat in Telugu too. Should get a big opening in Tamil. But with its budget, even assuming the actual cost of part-1 is 250-300 cr, it has to be a mega blockbuster to exceed that on pure Tamil business.
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Madan
September 23, 2022
I wonder why PS-1 couldn’t be released today, on World Cinema Day. Bramastra is reaping a rich harvest, selling out many if not most of its Friday shows. Maybe the calculation is they want normal pricing for its opening Friday. But near 100% booking for opening Friday combined with good wom would create tremendous buzz for the film.
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H. Prasanna
September 23, 2022
@Madan Even if Naane Varuven does half the business of Thiruchitrambalam, it will make a dent of 40-50 crores, which is big enough to worry PS, I feel.
@RK I may be a bit of both. Dhanush-Selvaraghavan aren’t normally going for audience pleasing, except for the songs (Adida avala comes to mind). But Selva seems to have a fan base (belated Internet love for Ayirathil Oruvan) and Dhanush is coming off a hit.
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Anand Raghavan
September 23, 2022
They are going aggressive on promos in south india but left it too late to cover north india, that leaves out Hindi hinterland and even overseas non South Indians. Vikram managed without Hindi collections but PS need that.
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Yajiv
September 24, 2022
@Anand Raghavan: I’m hoping there’s a method behind the madness for the North vs South marketing strategy
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Rajesh A
September 24, 2022
I think Thanu doesn’t have confidence on Naane Varuvan to succeed commercially. NV doesn’t look like pulling family audience. That is why he is releasing it alongside PS-1 so that he doesn’t have to promote Naane Varuvan. The industry itself will promote by talking out loud that NV is competing (or release alongside) with PS. If he has to release NV on a different day, then he has to spend money and after all the hype if it bombs, it will be even more a loss for him.
Or Thanu just wants to spoils the business of PS-1. Not sure, if there is any other movie that Thanu has released so hurriedly.
NV releasing alongside PS-1 is a pure business compulsion. And this business compulsion can be personal movie business or animosity with Lyca or Madras Talkies.
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RK
September 24, 2022
PS-1 promotions in telugu States are pretty ordinary. Except for Karthi, none of the other actors have much craze now in telugu. MR has decent amount of following but not sure how much that can generate the openings. Since telugu audience love movies with big scale, makes must be relying on that. Apart from a small pre release event and few interviews, nothing much happening. Hope film will do good business here as well
Want to mention regarding songs. ARR’s dubbed songs in 90s were a rage here. Somehow current songs always sound alien to me with awful lyrics and wrong pronunciation from singers
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Marthandam
September 25, 2022
@RK – when Bahubali 1 release non of the main stars – Prabhas, Rana had a following in TN. ((Even today if Prabhas does a straight tamil film, it won’t pull audience. Rana acted Kaadan/Aranya are such flop films)) Not even 0.1% had heard about them. Rajamouli was known through Eega/NaanEe. None of those songs of Bahubali-1 were actually big hits in Tamil (even today. perhaps the Manohari song (and pachai song) is known for known reasons). Naser, Satyraj are not crowd pullers. It was content that pulled audience to theatres.
PS has good content. As a film if it would be able to engage the audience for 170minutes, the movie will easily be an hit.
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kaizokukeshav
September 25, 2022
@Marthandam: Tamil audience are far more generous than Telugu when it comes to rewarding content. Telugu audience prioritize gimmiks to screenplay in general, and that’s the hard truth.
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RK
September 25, 2022
@Marthandam
I was only referring to promotional activities in telugu, which are not up to the mark for a big scale film like PS-1. Not a big fan of BB-1 but I think Rajamouli and team spent lot of effort on promotions in all languages for that. Regarding music, i was talking about ARR’s music in general. Most of his memorable hits in telugu dubbed films came in 90s and then choice of lyricists and bad pronunciation spoiling his songs.
@Kaizokiseshav
Sir, you went from my comment on PS-1 promotions to Telugu vs Tamil audience? Enna saar. Can you please tell me few highly received tamil films, which are flopped in telugu despite having good promotions and stars? Also please note that all top tier tamil directors/actors/technicians are well known in telugu, command good respect and market. Can you say the same about reverse case? Why make such generalized statements?
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therag
September 25, 2022
@kaizokukeshav, until recently I’d actually claim the opposite. I think Surya is still a star despite not delivering a great film in years because of his popularity in the Telugu film industry.
I think Telugu land watches a certain kind of star film no matter where it comes from. So does Kerala. God only knows why Vijay’s films do well over there.
I don’t think we need to worry about PS1’s box office since both parts have been completed. I’ll be happy if it does well in TN and internationally, and does reasonably well in other languages. I think this is very achievable.
As for all-India promotions, I think MR has been-there-done-that. While social media is making it seem like this all-India blitz is something new, I think MR and crew did a very similar blitz during Raavan/Raavanan. Didn’t help the film much.
I was quite happy to hear Mani say that he intended to bring out Kalki’s vision of 10th century TN, and I think the music is proof that that is indeed the road they are taking. I’ll consider this film a big win if they stay true to this and get a reasonable hit out of it.
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kaizokukeshav
September 25, 2022
@Marthandam: There are examples galore, Iruvar was a bumper flop in telugu (removed from theatres second day), Kadhal konden is another one that comes to my mind, even though it’s remade (frame-to-frame content and good acting with songs etc.), no one cared. Same with Subramaniapuram. Even top directors like GVM had to bow down to the appeasement pressure, the telugu climax in Ye Maya Chesave (Vinnaithandi Var..) is a Happy Ending contrary to Tamil.
There’s only so much emotional darkness that Telugu audience can take, that’s why the easy-going Singam was a super hit franchise in Telugu even bigger than Tamil, so are Anniyan and Sivaji.
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Rocky
September 25, 2022
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Prat
September 25, 2022
@BR Planning any interviews with the crew? So any people to interview!
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manga
September 26, 2022
“God only knows why Vijay’s films do well over there.”
Not just Vijay’s films. Surya , Vikram, Kamal …most of the major Tamil stars have fans in Kerala and their films are watched with enthusiasm. When they come to Kerala, the crowd goes berserk enough to cause traffic jam on streets .
I think Ponniyan Selvan Kerala launch event had the most enthusiastic crowd. They went crazy seeing all the Tamil stars on stage. Karthi and Vikram was cool enough to sing on stage for the audience too.
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tirukumar
September 26, 2022
I will have to reserve judgments for after watching the film but while some casting choices could’ve been better, I think the hype around the music being ‘outstanding’ and ‘pathbreaking’ and so on makes me wonder if we have been listening to the same thing? I think the songs are average at best. They do not move me emotionally nor do they wow me with their grandeur. This could be dismissed as bias, but I think this was the film MR should’ve made with Ilaiyaraaja. I think he would’ve delivered the emotional beats in the music in a much grander fashion – like a cross between hey! Ram, Virumaandi and Naan Kadavul. Oh well … Que Sera Sera
I worry that this film could end up being emotionally superficial like CCV or Raavanan.
But then all these thoughts are from a trailer and a few listens of the songs, and could very well change after experiencing the film. Time will tell.
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shaviswa
September 26, 2022
@thirukumar
Mani Ratnam + Ilaiyaraja combo may have worked 20 years ago. Or maybe even 16 years ago. Raja is too old now to handle a project of this size now. One is ability to manage such a humongous task and another aspect is whether he still has any creative juices left to come up with an impressive score for an epic film.
I agree ARR’s music in this film or for that matter most movies since VTV have been pretty drab. And IMO there are going to two huge letdowns with this film:
The music
The actors – they are all just too old for the roles they would be essaying
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brangan
September 26, 2022
shaviswa: ARR’s music in this film or for that matter most movies since VTV have been pretty drab
I disagree so much that I am not even going to begin a counter-argument here 🙂
The actors – they are all just too old for the roles they would be essaying…
NO ONE is going to care about this except book-purists, which will comprise some 10% of the theatre-going audience.
We are a nation of star-gazers — and you cannot fill a 250-crore movie with fresh-faced teenagers and early-twentysomethings just because the book demands it. No one will go to theatres. Also, NO BOOK in the history of cinema has been “faithfully” adapted, so all that the “regular audiences” are going to care about is whether PS1 is engaging or not.
PS: This is a tangential comment, but it’s very interesting how most big films no longer have to depend on theatrical success. Whether it’s NAANE VARUVEAN or PS1 or GARGI (small film but saleable and known star), some combination of the following (OTT + satellite + other states rights + dubbing rights + music rights) makes the producer a table profit even earlier. So whatever comes from theatres is gravy.
But yes, a bigger gross from theatres does indicate the popularity of a film / director / actor, and they get to hike their price or their cinematic shelf life gets a few more years. But I am talking purely about the economics of the business. This is an amazing turnaround in the business compared to even five years ago.
Also, many distributors (starting with RED GIANT) no longer “buy” films. They sign an agreement to release films, and say “I will keep this percent of the theatrical revenue and give the producer the remainder.” So they don’t burn their fingers by handing over huge amounts. If a film flops, it just means very little money is made. But the producer has already recouped his investment, and the distributor has not spent money out of his hands.
The more this model is adopted, the less we will hear of distributors asking Puri Jagannadh to pay for LIGER etc.
Of course, I am talking about the bigger/known films. The smaller, unknown directors etc still face an uphill battle.
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Akhilan
September 26, 2022
Hey Shaviswa, um agree with you with regards to both ARR’s music in PS1 and his work since VTV. Except for that stretch in 2012, when he gave Kadal, Raanjhanaa, and Maryan back-to-back and Tamasha and especially OKK in 2015 (which is probably my last favorite album of ARR), everything in between and after has been meh IMO. And I haven’t liked a single song from PS1. Underwhelming and isappointing.
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shaviswa
September 26, 2022
@BR
Agree on the business of films. I am sure producers are making a profit else you will not see people pouring their money into films that flop.
Agree on the fact that films need stars. you could still have done a decent casting with younger stars. Aishwarya is 50+ and she is paired with Sarath Kumar who is 57 or so. And the story is Pazhuvettaraiyar is teased by people in the palace including Kundavai for marrying someone very younger to him – so young that she is like a daughter to him.
I do not think you would get that opinion about Sarath and Aishwarya here in this film.
But THAT is the crux of the story. Pazhuvettaraiyar who is otherwise very very loyal to the Chozha crown, loses his mind after he marries this young girl. And she uses the age difference between them to manipulate him throughout the story. Nandini remains a mystery to everyone but always viewed with suspicion because she at such a young age married an old man like Pazhuvettaraiyar. Later when Parthibendran meets her, he too falls for her and actually tells her to ditch the “kizhavan” and go with him.
All these dynamics are lost by casting a 50 year old Aishwarya Rai in that role.
I can write on the other characters as well but I guess you get the gist.
PS: On ARR, I will not elaborate since I know there are many ARR fans who will not agree that his music has lost it’s zing for more than a decade now. Will let that part rest 🙂
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shaviswa
September 26, 2022
@Akhilan
Yes – there have been that odd one out here and there like OKK. That is why I used the term “most” and not all.
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Madan
September 26, 2022
I said earlier in the thread that this kind of film simply sets up the composer to fail because the expectations will be completely unrealistic. Nobody cares when Keeravani rolls out a Kanna Nidurinchara which is virtually like a reworking of Mukunda Mukunda. But if it’s Rahman, they want pedantic adherence to a soundscape nobody even knows for sure what it sounded like and innovation at one and the same time. This kind of film isn’t even very ‘song’ friendly and if it wasn’t for the need to use songs to create a pre-release buzz, maybe it could have been made without any.
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Madan
September 26, 2022
Re the cast, I am less blase especially when it comes to casting Aish in a negative role. Daily nighmare la pink panther varugiradhu. Hope she’s pulled it off somehow. IF the film is otherwise great, wouldn’t want complaints about her acting to pull down the film. And then, there’s Jayem. Hoping for the best, this one’s been penned down for a watch from months before for me.
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Madan
September 26, 2022
“PS: This is a tangential comment, but it’s very interesting how most big films no longer have to depend on theatrical success. Whether it’s NAANE VARUVEAN or PS1 or GARGI (small film but saleable and known star), some combination of the following (OTT + satellite + other states rights + dubbing rights + music rights) makes the producer a table profit even earlier. So whatever comes from theatres is gravy.” – Doesn’t this depend, though, on whether the producer of the movie is not also an OTT platform too? LSC probably wouldn’t have made back its budget even if sold to Netflix for the 80 cr they were ready initially to offer it. But with it being a Viacom production, OTT value is notional for them and the real value is from any additional subscriptions gained for Voot due to LSC. Likewise, Bramastra is a Disney production so neither its OTT release nor TV premiere will make money beyond additional subscriptions and ad revenue in the case of TV. That is, there is no one-on-one rights fetch that the producer gets for OTT and TV IF the producer is an OTT/TV distributor already.
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H. Prasanna
September 26, 2022
@BR (OTT + satellite + other states rights + dubbing rights + music rights)
Is this the reason we don’t see the once-ubiquitous corporate villain in movies anymore?
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Madan
September 26, 2022
“Is this the reason we don’t see the once-ubiquitous corporate villain in movies anymore?” – 😀 😀 If this was whatsapp, I would have used the hand over mouth laughing emoji for this comment.
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brangan
September 26, 2022
Big deals for “Anti-Indian” OTT & Satellite Rights!!
Moon Pictures Adham Bava’s Anti-Indian released last year (2021) was a great success. The film, directed by YouTube sensational icon Blue Shirt Maaran featured him in the lead role as well.
Although many leading OTT platforms had approached the production house for direct OTT release for a whopping price deal, producer Adham Bava wanted to release it in the theatres first. Despite the movie garnering mixed response, it turned out to be a profitable venture at the box office.
And now, the leading OTT platforms and satellite channels have approached the producer for their respective rights. While the talks are happening in full swing, the production house has revealed a new poster of the film’s OTT and satellite release.
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shaviswa
September 26, 2022
@Madan
I would have loved to see this film without any songs.
Also, there are many places where Thevarams, Azhwar works are cited. Azhwarkadiyan Nambi sings a few. And then there is another place where Sembian Madevi (the grandmother of the Chola princes and princesses) meets Nambiandar Nambi who recites a few classical Tamil works. At these places, ARR could have set those classic Tamil pieces to music. That way no one would complain about the lyrics or music in the film.
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Honest Raj
September 26, 2022
shaviswa: Sarath is 68. But, yes, he doesn’t look that old onscreen. Maybe, someone like Kamal could’ve been a better choice.
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madhusudhan194
September 26, 2022
@shaviswa: “Agree on the fact that films need stars. you could still have done a decent casting with younger stars. Aishwarya is 50+ and she is paired with Sarath Kumar who is 57 or so.”
I didn’t realize this until this until you brought it up. From the looks of it in the trailer, Aishwarya passes as someone who looks at least 20 years younger to the character played by Sarath Kumar. The make up is deliberately done that way. She played a medical student in Enthiran 10 years back plus her beauty is still looked at as aspirational. So I don’t think in the audience’s mind she comes across as a conventional 50 year old woman. Sarath Kumar, on the other hand, has been around in Tamil cinema forever and recently played the father to Vikram Prabhu in Vaanam Kottattum. So he easily passes off as a 60+ year old. In other words, despite their actual age, it’s their image that counts for the audience. Rajini played a man in his 20s / 30s in Sivaji so the reverse can definitely happen too 🙂 as long as the film is convincing. As regards other actors being too old for their characters in the book, there is no reason why they can’t be reimagined as 30+ year old men, right? They are extremely skillful and brave men in the book so it is justifiable that they would have taken 30+ years to get there.
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lurker
September 26, 2022
“They don’t make good music these days” is something that keeps being said in all time periods. Some draw the line at VTV, some at 1999, some at Raja, etc
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Honest Raj
September 26, 2022
madhusudhan194: Rajini played a man in his 20s / 30s in Sivaji…
It was 23. 🙂
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vijay
September 26, 2022
“Sarath is 68. But, yes, he doesn’t look that old onscreen. Maybe, someone like Kamal could’ve been a better choice.”
But he is an even better choice to play Indian thaatha, especially now that prosthetics may not be needed all that much, Shankar can save some money..
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Akhilan
September 26, 2022
Hey Madan, valid point, which is why Jodhaa Akbar, again in my view, stands out even more after all these years. For me, this album is the worst Mani Ratnam-ARR collaboration after CCV.
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Vignaprasad
September 26, 2022
@lurker who knows in future some may draw a line at PS-1 too🙂
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Nappinai (@Nappinai2)
September 26, 2022
“Whether it’s NAANE VARUVEAN or PS1 or GARGI (small film but saleable and known star), some combination of the following (OTT + satellite + other states rights + dubbing rights + music rights) makes the producer a table profit even earlier. So whatever comes from theatres is gravy.” – Why though? I don’t get why they would be willing to subsidize theatrical losses. This is against general business sense, yet this is what one hears from the industry.
When you know theatres are not doing the business they used to, you’d expect OTTs to stop throwing money and play hard bargain. This especially given the cost pressures they’re facing would be more logical. Yet, one hears of mind boggling figures for even films like say a Cutputli which is headlined by a star who has given a series of flops and has not managed to draw audiences to theatres in a year.
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Nappinai (@Nappinai2)
September 26, 2022
Also does this mean that films is one example of a business where if you go big enough a producer would be assured of a profit irrespective of the quality of product or consumer acceptance? This can probably help explain why Arjun Kapoor still gets films and Bollywood has been dissing its audiences for a while now.
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Rahini David
September 26, 2022
I think if that if MR had made this movie in 2007, Aishwarya, Trisha and Vikram still would have been in the cast. I didn’t know Aishwarya is supposed to be a younger person in this movie. I took it for granted that she was supposed to be charismatic middle aged woman.
I am happy that she is still a saleable star. But she was a saleable star in Iruvar too 25 years ago. Why don’t younger stars have that star power anymore?
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kaizokukeshav
September 26, 2022
@Honest Raj: Are you sure it’s 23 ? It’s an age where some one might just complete their Bachelors and to become a successful businessman in the US, it will take at least 32-35 to reach that stage. And there’s an entire first half dedicated to Rajini’s marriage proposals and in which era are we marrying at 23 now most people in 30s have hard time to find a girl.
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bts
September 26, 2022
Alaikadal is my favorite song from the movie. It has a very haunting , mysterious,melancholic, old world charm to it. It sounds like a song from one of those black and white films . When it begins, it has a melody that is very evocative of a lonely soul lost in the middle of nowhere in a moonlit night. Then in the middle, a short interlude that sounds very similar to Scottish /Celtic music ? which is very unexpected in a song like this. From whatever little has been shown of this song, looks like the visuals at night has been captured so beautifully .
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bts
September 26, 2022
P.S-Only A R Rahman can blend the raaga based Indian melody and the celtic sounding music (very evocative of the beautiful ocean coastline with green cliffs in Scottish highlands and a voyage) so seamlessly like this to suit the situation.
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Anand Raghavan
September 26, 2022
Actually kalki himself has incorporated few songs like kuravai koothu, Alaikadalum , paarayanam by nambi and padhigam by saenthan amudhan in novel… obviously they would have used situational songs to move the story too..
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Anand Raghavan
September 26, 2022
Saw interview where Rahman mentioned that initial set of tunes (10 yrs back) he ideated were mostly carnatic based and Mani wasn’t very inclined to that..the visit to Bali seemed to have changed style and i could see quote a lot really captivated by Devaraalan aatam, and Alaikadal too…
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KayKay
September 27, 2022
“Daily nighmare la pink panther varugiradhu”
Madan, you’d actually find Ash tolerable in PP once you watch Priyanka Chopra’s hammy villain act in the Baywatch movie. Now, THAT’s a Horror Show:-)
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cinemaparadesio
September 27, 2022
It has come to the point where some of us are badly waiting for your interview with actors and the director more than the movie itself Rangan sir. The movie experience now starts with your discussions 🙂 Hope there will be some…
Valimai updates kekara madhiri, BR interview updates kekara times 😀
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pirhaksar
September 27, 2022
I quite enjoyed the songs of PS-1. The title song (wish someone else did sing it), Alakadal and Devaralan Attam alone greater than anything I have heard in recent times. I hear BR’s comment that it is not worth getting into on this topic – :). As a fan I think this past year alone has seen some stellar work from ARR rekindling some of his old magic. My playlist is full of Mimi, Iravin Nizhal, the FF Mallu film had a wonderful little song, the GVM film and even Cobra songs!
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Madan
September 27, 2022
KayKay: Ha, I shudder to think how bad Priyanka was in Baywatch, then! Like bikini on a pig(gy chops) should we say?
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brangan
September 27, 2022
pirhaksar: COBRA did not work for me, but VTK worked like gangbusters. I wish someone other than Madhushree had sung ‘Mallippoo’, but what a lovely song and what lovely lyrics. In general, and for someone at this 30-year stage of his career, I think ARR has done (to my knowledge) what no Indian music composer has. He’s still relevant, a big draw on a film’s lineup, gets the biggest films, and — taste being very subjective and all that — still makes strong and interesting music that’s template-free and still yields surprises (even when the whole song does not work).
I think it’s the fact that he collaborates so much with others and thus is not stuck in a time-warp. Like many people, I too think that (melodically) his late-90s/early-2000s work is the most re-listenable, but there’s such a spectacular MOOD in something like “Devaralan Aattam,” which is surely made for the screen/situation rather than relaxed earpod-listening. He still sounds so YOUNG in “Azhagiye” or “Taare ginn” or “Chaka chak” the way he develops the melody lines in “Mazhaikuruvi”.
So yes, count me as a fan. 🙂
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Madan
September 27, 2022
Alaikadal in particular is gorgeous. But to reprise what I said, you have to just let go of baggage and let the music wash by and not start judging it from the first second. I am likewise totally baffled by the complaints about Unnai Nenachu, like the meter resembling Kodi is the ONLY thing people got from the song when there’s just so much more going on, not to mention gorgeous vocals?
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vijay
September 27, 2022
The fact that Rahman doesnt just restrict himself to TFM(where his output has been a mixed bag) and collaborates with somebody like say Aanand Rai and then with somebody from Prague and so on, besides the fact that he has ‘paced’ himself(not more than 6-7 soundracks per year) better like a pop group have all probably helped him extend his longevity. What has also helped him is the fact there has’nt been any other interesting talent/trend thsat has appeared on the horizon in the last 10-15 years, somebody threatening to sweep the mainstream space with a totally fresh approach. They have all sounded like some derivatives of Rahman’s or possessed too much of an Indie style to gain mainstream acceptance.
But Rahman(cleverly) does’nt take up too many films where only his re-recording is needed and not songs. That’s an area where the jury has been out on him for a long time. He has been a hit-or-miss in that department IMO.
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Honest Raj
September 27, 2022
@kaizokukeshav: You’re looking for logic in a film like Sivaji. 🙂
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therag
September 27, 2022
Music is very subjective, and I can understand if this year’s ARR doesn’t do it for some people. But it is not surprising that ARR is still big. There’s simply been no one else to fill his shoes. Anirudh may be the most popular today, but not everyone who listened to ARR transitioned to Anirudh.
I loved the PS-1 album because, having read the book, I was visualizing the situation myself and was pretty happy with how apt they were.
Mallipoo OTOH is amazing even without the visuals. I’d say this is my favourite ARR song in a looong time. In fact, it even spurred me to give the film a try.
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therag
September 27, 2022
@BR, On the topic of interviews for PS1, can you perhaps get a deep dive with Thotta Tharani? Perhaps in his studio space? He’s one of the OG art directors in Tamil Cinema and a conversation surrounding the art of PS would be a blast.
Maybe also Eka Lakhani.
I just feel all the others (obvious ones like MR, ARR, Vikram, Karthi, Ash, Trisha) would be sort of been-there-done-that.
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Srinivas R
September 27, 2022
Echoingh what therag said – an interview with Sreekar Prasad, Ravi Varma or Thota Dharani will be very interesting.
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Bharath Vijayakumar
September 27, 2022
Anyone has any idea about how much of the story would be covered in the first part? Roughly how many parts (the book has 5) would be covered in PS 1? Maybe the screenplay is structured differently and not in the order of the book as well.
Also,
1) Those who have read the book, have the advantage of seeing how effectively things have been translated on screen
2) Those who haven’t, have the advantage of not knowing the story.
But why few from the second category are happily letting go of that advantage by seeking video/audio formats explaining the story and characters in minutes. Isn’t this basically going in search of spoilers?
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brangan
September 27, 2022
Bharath Vijayakumar: My guess is that (because a two-parter needs a cliffhanger), Part 1 will end with the killing of you-know-who. (Do 70 year old stories need spoiler alerts? 😃)
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vijay
September 27, 2022
“Those who have read the book, have the advantage of seeing how effectively things have been translated on screen”
don’t see it as an ‘advantage’ all the time..it can end up ruining your expectations.
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vijay
September 27, 2022
MBA Mani at work ..:-)
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/mani-ratnam-flies-down-to-mumbai-to-request-multiplex-owners-to-make-ps1-tickets-for-rs-100-only-exclusive/articleshow/94461769.cms
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Spandana
September 27, 2022
Do 70 year old stories need spoiler alerts?
Yes, sir. Some of us don’t understand Tamizh and AFAIK there isn’t a good English translation. I can only guess, now that you mention a big death.
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tamil thanos
September 27, 2022
Curious question BR. Does Vikram still have a beef with you? I remember he had one with Sudhish Kamath for ripping out Kandasamy back in The Hindu days. I am not sure if he was hurt by your reviews too.
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brangan
September 27, 2022
tamil thanos: I don’t think so. True, I have given bad reviews to his films but I have never gotten personal.
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vijay
September 27, 2022
even if Vikram had one, it should have been long buried considering BR wrote a long piece on him and his career path in Caravan few yrs back,especially at a time when his movies were tanking left and right and he was on the downswing of his career..I remember the piece as being quite oddly timed 🙂
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KayKay
September 27, 2022
“AFAIK there isn’t a good English translation”
I had recently purchased the 5 volume English Translation by Varalotti Rengasamy (published by Kavitha Publications). Skimmed through it. Can’t vouch for the accuracy of the translation but the prose is perfectly readable.
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KayKay
September 27, 2022
“Like bikini on a pig(gy chops) should we say?”
If Priyanka had, in the Grand Tradition of Baywatch Babes, donned a bikini and gone for long jogs along the beach..in slow motion…it would have given that otherwise mediocre movie a much needed…shall I say…bounce?
Sadly…she doesn’t.
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Karthik
September 27, 2022
Part 1 will end with the killing of you-know-who
Hmm.. That kinda happens at the tail end of the story, I thought. There’s an attempted murder gone wrong at the halfway point which has more interesting cliffhanger possibilities. (Or was that what you were referring to?)
PS: I thought the audio launch event that aired on Sunday was really good. Had a very inclusive feel to it.
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therag
September 27, 2022
Has to be some sort of a blog record to get to 200+ comments before the release of a film? Even if the movie is mediocre, I think this thread might breach 500. What is the most popular comment thread ever? I remember some Ilayaraja thread getting 450 odd?
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Pirhaksar
September 27, 2022
Booked my tickets for this weekend. Having grown up in TN (native of AP) and hearing about PS a lot but never reading about the strong, I am very excited to catch this one. Going with a blank slate armed only with whatever crappy history was taught in school back then about the Cholas – mainly about the Raja Raja and Rajendra the father and son duo. My sense reading these comments is the story though fictionalized by Kalki has a lot of drama and twists.
Hope MR is in form, like the songs a lot.
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lurker
September 27, 2022
@therag- I thought the same. Not just here, the movie seems to have created a really strong pre-release buzz in the last few days. Like the cricket commentators say, it’s their game to lose now..
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pirhaksar
September 27, 2022
BR, about ARR and recent output, have been frustrated with some of his strengths sound quality, mixing and singer selections. I have no idea why he sings so many songs ruining otherwise great songs. As a faithful fan I think the last 3-5 year period was him milking his brand – the collabs, concerts etc and his output suffered. This year has been a revelation though and I am enjoying even Cobra -:)
In general I agree that music tastes and sensibilities are so subjective and also seem to have evolved. I cannot understand how some of the Anirudh smash hits are even worthy of a listen but they are a rage. He seems to be the commercial force right now and hailed as ARRs successor. If YT views, likes and comments are anything to go by he is this generations ARR. Personally he has his own style and I have liked some of his songs but the biggest hits like the Vijay kuthu song I simply don’t get.
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lurker
September 27, 2022
Arabic kuthu is pretty fun to listen to, actually. It’s songs like Jalabulajangu becoming smash hits that make me feel old.
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Madan
September 27, 2022
“He seems to be the commercial force right now and hailed as ARRs successor. If YT views, likes and comments are anything to go by he is this generations ARR.” – He isn’t, really, though. He is focused on a set of styles that work better for younger listeners and delivers on that. But he doesn’t have the range and versatility of ARR. And I mean at the surface level, not even going into details. The nature of the films has changed and Anirudh fits well enough into how mass/commercial films are made today in Tamil. But that’s it. He may be the most commercially successful today but that’s not the same thing as delivering for today’s listeners what Rahman did in the 90s and 00s. For a Hindi example, nobody says Anu Malik or Nadeem Shravan were the RD Burman(s) of the 90s because they chronologically succeeded him and were successful in that decade. It takes more than that. Just as nobody says Atlee is today’s Mani Ratnam.
Perhaps, in Tamil, we reflexively assume the next big composer OUGHT to be the next Rahman because you had a smooth handing over of the reins from MSV to Raja to Rahman. But even Rahman to HJ wasn’t one heavyweight to another and Rahman to Anirudh isn’t either.
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rsylviana
September 27, 2022
//As a faithful fan I think the last 3-5 year period was him milking his brand – the collabs, concerts etc and his output suffered. This year has been a revelation though and I am enjoying even Cobra -:)//
@pirhaksar – Au contraire, being a Rahmaniac I absolutely adore him more(if that’s even possible) for being socially active either through social media or concerts and keeping his brand alive by being with the times. I can guess how difficult it must be for a reserved introvert like him to put so much of him out there so mad props to him for being in touch with the zeitgeist and not do the whole “andha kaalathula laam epdi theriyuma” dance. Much like his music, the man seems keen on reinventing himself to offer something fresh to the folks and for that I will always be appreciative.
As far as his music is concerned, even though I felt a few of his movie choices odd(looking at you Mersal and Sarkar) I have not felt any of his songs are bad or noisy per se. So even if he does a Bigil there and a Heropanti-2 here, I’m all for it. Keep ’em coming King!
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H. Prasanna
September 27, 2022
@Kaykay
“otherwise mediocre movie a much needed…shall I say…bounce?”
Remembered when BR saw the “bounce” and raised it by a “gelatinous midriff ripple effect”. Doesn’t write like that no more!
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Pirhaksar
September 27, 2022
Madan, thanks for the insight, I had a similar opinion before but increasingly beginning to re-evaluate that. People listening to some of the instant viral kind of song don’t particularly care about range and versatility. In fact I saw some comments suggesting Mani should have taken Ani for PS-1. The music scene, viral/instant success requirements makes me feel very very outdated and old with a lot of it not making much sense to me -:)
I also wonder how much of this is hype and how much is star powered – if Vijay was not in Vathi coming for example would that really be a smash hit? Not sure to be honest.
@Rslvania, sorry I didn’t mean to imply ARR being social is a bad thing. I myself attend every concert of his if it’s near me to get darshan of the man! His movie choices in that time period with Vijay for example – I think this was him trying to stay commercially relevant. My other point about sound, mixing and arrangements which were huge strengths those were impacted – lot of tunes sounded interesting and ear worm worthy but the music was jaded and forced. Sarvam thala Mayam, thumbi thullal for example. He has retooled and adapted no doubt as recent output shows and still remains my fave by a distance.
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kaizokukeshav
September 28, 2022
There’s no composer that is good enough to grab the baton from ARR as of now, only IMO Santosh Narayanan has the talent to reach there. Giving chartbusters is one thing and being a great musician is another, and achieving both consistently is a pinnacle. I never expected ARR to come down from the pinnacle but yeah he gave an era to remember. Not just him, we might have lost some great artists along with that era including lyricists, sound engineers etc. PS-1 songs didn’t make me feel wow, but looks like they are well suited to view on screen (same with Keeravani). Also why is ARR hell bent on singing his songs ?
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Pirhaksar
September 28, 2022
@kaizokukeshav…that last qn you asked exactly what I would like to ask him if I ever get an opportunity to interact 1-1 with him and he asks me what I think -:)
His voice suites a certain kind of song but he is overdoing it now he …a lot, here again I feel he is trying to match or one up Anirudh who seems to sing every song he does.
On KeeravanI I liked couple of BB1 songs worked well on screen. BB2 and RRR didn’t work for me as much.
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Madan
September 28, 2022
pirahaksar : I agree that people listening to the latest hits don’t care about versatility. But that’s my point – that makes him the latest sensation, not the next great composer. And this is also why I gave the example of Atlee. We have no problem making these qualitative judgments when it comes to directors so why shouldn’t we when it comes to music? Why to get apologetic, “nammaluku vayasu ayidthu so we don’t get Anirudh”?
My father was in his 30s when Rahman exploded on the scene and he loved his music just the same as I did and he didn’t like Anu Paaji either (so not like he liked everything latest). I don’t think 30s is old enough for the andha kaaluthulae stories to begin. If I don’t like everything that SN does, I can respect that he is doing something very good or great. I don’t get that from Anirudh.
I am open to the argument that I may have missed something since I don’t keep track of his work on an album to album basis provided somebody points out to me what that something is. But it has to be more than, you’re too old to get it. No, more likely that I just want more out of music.
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Rajesh A
September 28, 2022
I personally liked all songs except ponni nadhi of PS-1. Not sure if we have another composer right now in India to give such a quality of songs. It needs lots of research and prudence to come up with such an album without getting influenced by Dark Knight of themes / feel that Anirudh had for Vikram’s bgm.
I only hope, the songs turn out bigger after the movie gets released. I feel that they are going to release couple of Full Video songs a week after the movie got released so that they can sustain the release until Diwali (provided PS-1 makes the general audience happy)
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Ravi K
September 28, 2022
Madan: “My father was in his 30s when Rahman exploded on the scene and he loved his music just the same as I did and he didn’t like Anu Paaji either (so not like he liked everything latest).”
My father was about 10 yrs older than yours (he was of the Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy, KV Mahadevan era) and although he was not a die-hard fan like I, he liked quite a bit of ARR’s work. He preferred the more melodic and classical-based songs rather than, say, “Kalloori Saalai” kind of songs.
When was the last time we had so many films with ARR’s music release in such a short time? Within a few months we got Cobra, Malayankunju, Iravin Nizhal, VTK, and PS-1.
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Madan
September 28, 2022
Ravi K: Absolutely, it’s been a bonanza since late last year when Atrangi Re came out. I actually have yet to get to Cobra.
And yeah, per your example, Rahman didn’t replace Ilayaraja by doing only Kalloori Salai type songs but covering the whole gamut and tapping into genres Raja had touched too but only sparingly, like qawali. If it was true that Anirudh was the next Rahman, he would get projects like PS1 too. I know that with Mani at the helm, Rahman is the automatic choice for this one but even if another director made a similar period saga, Anirudh wouldn’t be the first name they would be thinking of.
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shaviswa
September 28, 2022
Grew up in Rahman’s time and was a die hard fan of his music.
But been long since I have fallen in love with his music.
Not referring to the melody based songs of his in the 90s. I actually love his other types more. Yaakai Thiri for example used to be on loop on my music system. How long has it been since ARR came up with such mind blowing music? I actually miss that period when he used to push the envelope and come out with albums like that.
What I hear now seems very laborious. The songs lack melody and they lack that spontaneity as well. Just does not make you want to go back to them.
The less said about Anirudh the better.
There was a series of great composers in Hindi from the 50s to 60s and it all finally ended with RDB. Maybe we are seeing that in Tamil movies now. So effectively there is no baton that is being passed.
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Aman Basha
September 28, 2022
Let’s stretch this to 250 now; so as per the plot that I read, SPOILER ALERT Nandini (Aish) is plotting revenge against the Cholas for the Pandyas whose king Vikram killed. But why does it say that it isn’t clear why she wants to take revenge? Is it left ambigious or something? END SPOILER
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Jayk
September 28, 2022
Why did the PS team not have an interview with BR as part of the promotions?
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Aman Basha
September 28, 2022
Is Mani Ratnam the only Indian director to have found so much success and acclaim in such a variety of genres, Mouna Ragam is a classic romance, Agni Natchatiram is a blockbuster masala film, Dalapathi is a gangster classic, Roja a thriller of sorts.
He also may be the only director to have a hit in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi?
Love or hate him, it’s incredible that he is still so relevant and is making his and his industry’s most ambitious film 40 years after his debut.
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RK
September 28, 2022
@Aman Basha
“Is Mani Ratnam the only Indian director to have found so much success and acclaim in such a variety of genres, Mouna Ragam is a classic romance, Agni Natchatiram is a blockbuster masala film, Dalapathi is a gangster classic, Roja a thriller of sorts.”
Have you forgotten RGV 🙂
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Akhilan
September 28, 2022
A lot of people emphasize that ARR’s music is like slow-poison, that it takes time to grow on you, that you have to listen to again and again. In addition, some also point out that the picturization of the song can make you see/appreciate the said song in a new light. But I have never been that guy. Whether it’s ARR or any other music composer. If it doesn’t work for me sonically in the first hearing, then it doesn’t work for me. Regardless of how beautifully it might have been picturized.
Oh and what a song Yaakai Thiri is Shaviswa!! Uff. Also songs like Khwaja Mere Khwaja or Kun Faaya Kun for that matter; even these kinds of haunting melodies have all but disappeared from ARR’s repertoire now IMO. I would say personally for me, the last songs of ARR that I still continue to play on loop are Phir Se Ud Chala, Nazar Laaye, and Aye Sinamika. No work of his since 2015, comes even close to evoking that kind of emotion or trance like quality in/for me.
For me, Pritam (keeping in mind the numerous plagiarism allegations) I would say comes sort of close at least in Hindi. He has proven his versatility and has been killing it for a long time now already. He can do a Mauja Hi Mauja, then something as sensual as Touch Me, Touch Me, then something as soul-full as Phir Le Aaya Dil, then the whole ADHM album, then something as funky as Ullu Ka Pattha or Galti Se Mistake, and now Brahmastra, just to name a few.
In Tamil, the less said the better, as no one springs to mind.
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Srinivas R
September 28, 2022
@AmanBasha – What was Maniratnam’s Malayalam hit? I know he has a successful movie in other languages.
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Honest Raj
September 28, 2022
He also may be the only director to have a hit in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi?
If directing a film is tantamount to delivering a hit, then yes. But then, he isn’t the first one. There were quite a number of directors before him – Sridhar, KB (he made films across five languages), Balu Mahendra, I. V. Sasi, et al. But unlike his predecessors, MR has never been a prolific filmmaker – he’s been the industry for close to forty years now and PS is just the 25th film! He may be the directorial equivalent of Rahman.
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Prat
September 28, 2022
Though I’m a die hard Rahman fan, I’m clearly in the minority here as I feel left out of Rahman’s glorious return to past form. I don’t see what the others say when they mention that the new songs are more “melodic”.
His last few albums in Tamil didn’t work for me – Cobra (just meh), Iravin Nizhal (artificial), VTK (I wish someone else had sung Mallipoo; unna nenachadhum is good; other songs meh). Malayankunju had just two goodish songs.
I prefer PS 1. But I’d change the singer in Ponni Nadhi, chop the 1st ten seconds from Devaraalan, and last one minute from Raatchasa Maamane.
Atrangi Re was magnificent when it came out but it doesn’t have a lot of re-listen value and I’m tired of the album now. Dil Bechara was a solid album too.The less said about 99 Songs the better.
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H. Prasanna
September 28, 2022
I think ARR is the best music producer in the country right now. The team is just brilliant. Just look at the quality of something like Param Sundari. Like directors working with different writers, I would love to see him produce the music of other musicians.
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KS
September 28, 2022
When did this “slow poison” explanation start catching on? Because I don’t remember this underhanded compliment being used for his music earlier. Its like the dialogue “sila pera partha udane pidikkum, sila pera paaka paaka dhaan pidikum” used to explain how even Dhanush can look good. Throughout my formative years in school, college, and beyond, his music was an instant high. But at some point, people started describing it as something that needs time, repeated listening and many chances until you start enjoying it thanks to familiarity. This is not a problem by itself, as long as you still enjoy the music. But its a bit unfair to other composers who don’t get the same leeway.
Personally I think his downslide started after Boys. Until that point, his music was unmatchable. After that, his strike rate dropped. VTV was the next inflection point, after which it plummeted. Now his music is hardly a brand anymore. So unlike what @rsylviana says, his attempts at putting himself out there through appearances, collaborations, brand building all seem like desperate attempts at staying relevant.
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Madan
September 28, 2022
“This is not a problem by itself, as long as you still enjoy the music. But its a bit unfair to other composers who don’t get the same leeway.” – Completely agree on this. Not every composition improves with repeated listens but many would if you took the time to soak in all the layers rather than only look for a catchy hook. That said, I believe the slow poison thing simply refers to Rahman songs not always being structured along obvious patterns used over and over in film music so that some listeners may just need more time to unpack what’s going and get somewhere where they are comfortable with the song. Another thing that can happen is on the first listen, you unreasonably dislike some element of the song which doesn’t let you fairly appreciate the many other aspects of the song that do work and you need time to get over that irritation (this happened to me on Ilayaraja’s Seer Kondu Vaa – I did NOT like the intro at all initially and that stopped me from persisting long enough just to get to the pallavi. Of course, the first time I got through the first interlude, I loved the song to pieces).
But I don’t believe that you can LIKE a melody you have already completely understood and digested on the first listen if you didn’t right away. That never changes or improves with time and you cannot force yourself to find a way to like a hook that, to your ears, is unsahikable.
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pirhaksar
September 28, 2022
It’s really interesting to see how choices work…same album different individuals like different songs. I have seen this with a lot of ARR albums.. most recently PS-1. Couple here don’t like ponni nadhi while I have seen others say that they only like that song and that ARR of old showed up finally in that song…same with the GVM film. I personally loved that kalathuku nee venum (rait zara si hang over) and marakuma nenjam songs if I can ignore the poor singing choices with, didn’t think much of malipoo or the other one but BR seems to have loved malipoo…
I am not sure what to make of that.
I think there’s merit in thinking repeat hearings force you to like something. With ARR its a few things – given his record people give him the benefit of doubt and time and as Madan says there’s a lot more going on in the song usually (template, layers, arrangements wise) which one may discover and like over time.
@Prat when you say iravin nizhal is artificial what do u mean by that, just curious.
And in your mind what are some recent songs in Tamil that work/you like, I’d like to try and explore more. Seems like slim pickings out there in general.
@KS…I do have similar thoughts on brand, it felt like he was milking his brand and mailing in his work but like I said below I firmly believe this year has been terrific for a fanboy like me. I think SRK and ARR have very similar paths in the last decade. SRK was more businessman than actor milking his brand and stardom and now suddenly has a slew of biggies lined up. ARR too was largely a music producer with his quality slipping in the Vijay-Atlee period but since Mimi has started to get back on track (for most people anyway). Does anyone else see a parallel between these two global iconic brands/stars of the 90s and 00s?
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pirhaksar
September 28, 2022
@Madan.. love your insightful commentary. Have been a long time lurker here with the occasional comment (usually for ARR). Don’t always align in taste or choices as yours but appreciate the nuance and point of view you present in your comments usually. Blog is richer for that.
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KS
September 28, 2022
@Madan: Thats true. Especially the part about not liking a small part of the song and hence not giving the rest of the song its due. That happened to me with “Simtaangaran” where I was completely turned off by the crass opening bit, but got to hear the full song only later, and enjoyed it.
But that doesnt happen so often. Usually you get a feel for the song within the first couple of listens, at which point you take a call on whether its worth listening to again. You don’t have to fall in love with it on first listen, but at least it should offer something to justify listening to it again over the universe of music available. Back then we used to buy cassettes and play it again and again until it thaenjufies, at least to justify the purchase. Even after that era, we were involuntarily exposed to songs on repeat on fm radio or sun music. But what context does “slow poison” have today, when we can choose to hear any song on earth with one click? Why do we need to give an unimpressive song many chances when so many other artists are waiting for one chance at being heard?
With ARR, it seriously feels like all the chocolate is gone. Right now we’re just licking the wrapper for small leftover bits, and its starting to taste like plastic.
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kaizokukeshav
September 28, 2022
IMO ARR lost it when he came out of the mould of pallavi and charanam format for commercial songs. We are not even able to hum a song because the tune keeps changing like a plastic cover in a windy day. The experimentation is becoming futile now.
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Madan
September 28, 2022
pirhaksar: Thank you! 🙂
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Madan
September 28, 2022
“You don’t have to fall in love with it on first listen, but at least it should offer something to justify listening to it again over the universe of music available. ” – Absolutely and I at least have known no other way. If not get me to like it, the song has to at least pique me in some way the first time around (I would rather be shocked by something avant garde and unlike anything I have heard before than try to polish a turd named bland). If it sounds like there’s no there there, I am not going to persist in search of a pay off that may not exist.
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Pirhaksar
September 28, 2022
Wow KS, I can’t stand simthangaran…I’d likely pick that as too 3/5 ARR worst songs of all time and I am a fan boy -:)
I am really curious to know/hear what you guys consider are good songs (non ARR) this past couple of years. Admittedly I have been away from Tamil music off late largely due to drop in ARR quality and the Anirudh onslaught but if there’s good recommendations here, would love to explore and experience. Better late than never!
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Madan
September 28, 2022
“. I think SRK and ARR have very similar paths in the last decade. SRK was more businessman than actor milking his brand and stardom and now suddenly has a slew of biggies lined up. ” – This I am not sure of because from my vantage point in Mumbai, it looks more like SRK is in his last chance saloon with Pathan and MAYBE Tiger 3 (whereas ARR is in no danger of seeing his market shrink majorly and his live shows are rocking irrespective of how his new albums are received, an avenue that a movie actor does not have). I don’t know how much the VJS movie by Atlee is going to work. Speaking of, we thought here that Vikram Vedha Hindi would be a surefire hit based on the response to the trailer but advance booking has been sluggish. Comparing it to adv booking for Brahmastra really brings home the difference.
I think SRK had a chance to move to age-appropriate drama in the pre-covid years (as Amitabh did from 00s) but eschewed it. And seemingly deciding that he’s too old for romance, wants to lean in to action. But that space is going to saturate very fast if everyone wants to do action. I could be completely wrong about VV if spot bookings propel it to a massive opening weekend (though that’s against the trend of every big grosser’s adv bookings for the year, be it RRR, KGF2 or Brahmastra; and at least in metros there’s no reason to not use bookmyshow and book in adv if you really are going to see the film). But if it does indeed fall short of expectations, it could be an indication that we are already hitting the limits of how much you can rely on action. I wouldn’t even be surprised now if the response to the much smaller release for PS-1 outside South encourages exhibitors to switch from VV to PS-1 from week 2. Because for what shows it does have, PS-1 is getting a much better response in Mumbai in terms of adv bookings.
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Madan
September 28, 2022
“I am really curious to know/hear what you guys consider are good songs (non ARR) this past couple of years.” – More or less complete pass on non-ARR but did like Jai Bhim songs (Sean Roldan, says wiki, no wonder!) at least in the context of the film. Haven’t tried listening to them standalone but was immediately struck by the quality of the melodies.
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Anand Raghavan
September 28, 2022
How many screens in Mumbai for PS as compared to VV?
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Anand Raghavan
September 28, 2022
@Madan, wanted to know what genre of music you feel would have suited a Magnum opus like PS? Classical..? Or traditional folk? But more than ARR, MR has pushed and got this unconventional music
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Madan
September 28, 2022
Anand Raghavan : Don’t have exact numbers of screens but I see four-five shows max (Tamil + Hindi) for PS at nearby multiplexes against ten shows or so for VV.
Re what music would suit PS, I can answer that after watching. 🙂 I am not in the camp that says this music doesn’t work for PS. Only that this debate was inevitable once Rahman signed up for the project. Standalone, I thought the songs were all nice-ish but only Alaikadal was haunting.
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Pirhaksar
September 28, 2022
@Madan ..I think VV will work, Hrithik in a half decent film is still a big BO draw and currently Hindi audiences are craving good Hindi films which is perhaps why Bramhastra didn’t tank even though it got mixed response and the whole boycott stuff.
I honestly think PS-1 won’t find any takers on Hindi. Aish and ARR even ahead of Mani are the big names but they aren’t BO draws. If this is seen as a south big drama/fantasy movie in the vein of BB or the recent Karthikeya 2, there’s a chance. Even there the danger is comparisons with BB type masala which I don’t think this movie is or Mani is capable of making. Word of mouth needs to be super strong for this to draw decent numbers in Hindi. For MRs sake I hope he made a good strong film.
I am catching the Tamil show here this weekend and was pleasantly surprised to see seats taken for most of the weekend at my neighborhood AMC in NJ. I think Tamil and Mallu and lastly telugu audiences will drive this film.
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M.R. Sharan (@sharanidli)
September 29, 2022
I definitely feel like I am in a minority of 1 when I say I am really enjoying Rahman of the 2020s, especially much of what has come out in 2022.
Some of this, I think, requires us to recalibrate our expectations: first, our nostalgia clouds the fact that even in the ’90s, Rahman made songs that are forgettable. They still SOUNDED different, because at that point Rahman was sonically in a plane of his own, but compositionally, melodically they were middling.
Second, many commenting here were, like me, coming of age in the ’90s. Rahman shaped our musical tastes: it is like eating home food. The absolute ideal. Think about this (pardon the sexist undertones, but I am trying to make a point and hope this can be excused): everyone thinks their grandmother made the absolute BEST food. There is no way that all our grandmothers were equally great cooks, but your “ideal” tastes are shaped by the food you were served at an impressionable age.
Rahman was our universal musical grandmother.
Except, unlike our grandmothers whose cooking stayed the same as times changed, Rahman evolved. Where do you evolve from perfection, some may ask: but Rahman – and here is what I think makes him sui generis – never stops experimenting; it is what makes and breaks him, alienating devotees and haters alike.
Third, and therefore, we didn’t outgrow Rahman, he outgrew us. His musical ideas have now expanded beyond the canvas of cinema. His best song in the recent past is Nis Din. It will not make it to any movie soundtrack. It is also way ahead of his early work in compositional complexity: an earlier Rahman could not have conceived of this combination of chord-transitions and raaga patterns. There are other songs that are compositionally complex in the western sense: Humnawa from 99 songs, Mei Nigara from 24. Perhaps the raagamalika that is Paavam Seiyathiru (Iravin Nizhal) is something the old Rahman would have whipped up more consistently, but, even today, I cannot think of a single Indian composer (barring IR) who can do a track like this AND Tumhein Mohabbat (Atrangi Re) – and Rahman produced both in the SAME YEAR.
What the musically evolved Rahman does with film tracks is try and maintain a veneer of simplicity, but work his more involved ideas around the margins: for instance, the first interlude in “Kaalaththukkum Nee Venum”, quietly tucked away; the pristine Begada interludes of Uyir Urugudhey; the kanjira working its magic in tracks like Paavam Seiyathiru or even Malargal Kaeten.
Finally, the fugue double-voice of Khulke Jeene Ka is the best example of a full song that is pleasing to listen to and compositionally wildly inventive. It will STILL go over the mass listener’s head (for whom the disappointingly straightforward Param Sundari will do) and perhaps not be as “catchy” as old Rahman (because sonically, people HAVE caught up – that is a fact of life and Rahman deserves all the credit for levelling up the entire film music industry since his arrival), but it is musically as good as it could get.
The one criticism of Rahman I do have, though, is that his later music lacks the sense of unabashed DRAMA his first few albums did: perhaps, in getting older, he has become a bit subdued. Think of everything the combination of that synth base, the glass-shattering sound and the piano soundscape evoked in Pudhu Vellai Malai (Roja). Apparently his brief to the sound engineer Sridhar was: “Paat ketaa kuluranom” (one must shiver upon hearing the song). And boy did he make you explode — with that exquisitely calm first line and the crescendo of the anupallavi — and shiver all the same! That song is a very high bar to hold anyone to, but the sense of every single note/instrument/beat being handpicked, polished, tinkered with and produced is perhaps not a feature of his later soundtracks.
I am not a fan of the PS-1 soundtrack, both Ponni Nadhi and Chola Chola do nothing for me. But then, there is still the haunting Alaikadal; the beautifully teasing Sol. If you – like me – could watch the late Federer and gasp at the touch volley that arrived only infrequently, you can more than engage with the late Rahman, who is still very much a force to reckon with.
And, with one day to go, one can still hope that the PS-1 score will come alive in the theatre 🙂
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Doba
September 29, 2022
I am going crazy with the anticipation and excitement for this movie :). I can’t remember feeling this way for a movie for literally forever! Ponniyan Selvan used to be discussed in family get-togethers for eons. This is such a big moment. I hope, I hope it lives up to it!!
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Satya
September 29, 2022
Looking at how the Harry Potter film franchise keeps getting brickbats for deviating from the books even to this date, esp. Half Blood Prince, I am actually wondering if people here would react similarly or if the MR factor would seal their mouths.
PS. I am a fan of the films, and not the books. And, I do not regret missing out anything about Voldemort’s past. Because, his soul wasn’t corrupted with time, and he was born evil – therefore, it is very easy to accept him as the villain, and I never needed additional context; same here with the Remus-Tonks romance. So, I don’t care missing out on being hammered again and again that LOVE is everything a person needs, and without it, they turn shallow and powerless.
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Madan
September 29, 2022
“It is also way ahead of his early work in compositional complexity: an earlier Rahman could not have conceived of this combination of chord-transitions and raaga patterns. There are other songs that are compositionally complex in the western sense: Humnawa from 99 songs, Mei Nigara from 24. Perhaps the raagamalika that is Paavam Seiyathiru (Iravin Nizhal) is something the old Rahman would have whipped up more consistently, but, even today, I cannot think of a single Indian composer (barring IR) who can do a track like this AND Tumhein Mohabbat (Atrangi Re) – and Rahman produced both in the SAME YEAR.
What the musically evolved Rahman does with film tracks is try and maintain a veneer of simplicity, but work his more involved ideas around the margins” – Agree so much with this. This is why I said VTK almost felt like a Rahman version of a Raja album because it sounds simple on the surface but there are plenty complexities underneath. And yes, this seems to be really taking off from 2020 onwards. Taare Ginn, Humnawa, Tumhein Mohabbat are all excellent examples of this.
I am not so fond of 2010s Rahman because in that period, especially with songs like Ladio, he seemed to feel pressured to ape international trends. There was suddenly neither the dazzling in your face innovation of the 90s nor the density of the 00s. IIRC 10s is when the slow poison rhetoric also peaked. 😉 But 20s he seems to be ascending to a different level. It’s sort of, again, like 00s Raja’s devil-may-care-about-commercials attitude but with super duper production and contemporary palates so it’s better in many respects.
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Madan
September 29, 2022
“I honestly think PS-1 won’t find any takers on Hindi” – Doesn’t need to. There is sizable Tamil diaspora in metros up North, particularly Mumbai and Delhi which are also the biggest markets for Bollywood. For both Petta and Vikram, I had to settle for front/lower row tickets because the upper rows were all sold out clean. Petta was second row, in fact. And this is in New Bombay, not even Chembur. It was the same when I saw Endhiran. Going back to early 00s, be it Pammal K, Pithamagan or Virumaandi, I have never watched a big Tamil film in an empty hall in Mumbai. And the experience has always been livelier than Hindi films, with whistling and cheering.
I actually tried posting the seat availability from same multiplex (Balaji, Kopar Khairane) for PS-1 Tamil 7.45 PM and VV 7 PM but the links go up against auto-moderation. Anyway, PS-1 Tamil is 80% full while VV is a sea of blank seats.
Keralite diaspora in these cities also turn up to watch big budget Tamil films. So Hindi dubbing is a wash, at least for week 1. Beyond week 1, yes, PS will mainly depend on core South markets for collections. But week 1 is the main deal these days anyway.
And just have a look at advance booking. PS is up to 5 cr and VV has just edged up to 1 cr. VV is expected to have a 10 cr opening day while PS could go up to 25 cr! As of now, Raja Raja Cholan is clearly beating Vikramaditya Maurya at the BO! 😉
Again, can’t post links but just refer koimoi.
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brangan
September 29, 2022
Madan: I think your xomment got repeated three times… which version do you want to keep?
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Madan
September 29, 2022
BR: My first two comments had links so they got stuck in moderation. I have posted the comment without the links, which is the one that’s already reflected on the page. So you don’t need to keep the other two.
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pirhaksar
September 29, 2022
@ Madan.. that’s a sweeping comment on an entire decade, assume you mean relatively to prior highs? Or you think there was not anything that wow’ed you or have you something new?
This is how I see the decade.
I liked all of his Imtiaz Ali and GVM colabs. With MR, in most of the films songs were not real set pieces but Kadal, OKK were still right up there for me. Raanjhana was something I still go back – Tum Tak remains a constant in my list. These set of albums as a fanboy satisfy me (there’s a few meh songs here but by and large great albums)
Next rung: KV and Even CCV had a couple that I really like a lot. Shankar’s Ai and 2.0 worked for me from a massy commercial chartbuster lens.
The decade gets a bad rap (imho) due to the Muragdoss-Atlee films which we can agree are sub par. And true disappointments were Sarvam with Menon, Kaaviyathalaivan and Maaryan – they were middling at best. Mohenjadro was a big misfire and Lingaa was terrible. Kochadayaan I thought had some good stuff but the movie pulled everything down with it, songs didn’t get a chance. Didn’t think much of 24.
I think I covered 90% of his discography in the decade -:) and if I were to dissect the 90s and 00s I am certain there will be a similar mix.
Overall this is where I think sharan’s comment about expectations, evolution of tastes resonate with me and help contextualize and rate his work. Again I speak as a fan boy so there’s going to be biases in how I perceive and connect with his songs.
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Jayram
September 29, 2022
Am I the only one who enjoyed the soundtrack of Maryan? I think it’s one of ARR’s better soundtracks of the 10s.
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Madan
September 29, 2022
pirhaksar: I do mean the decade of 10s as such. I know VTV is very highly held up but I thought Hosanna was very light and wannabe imitation of new trends (I mean the irritating Hosanna verse). Aaromale was nice but very generic and without much Rahmanization going on (this became a pattern throughout the decade). Kadal for instance had Nenjukulle which was a nice ballad but didn’t exactly have me raising my fists in dazzlement, while Adiye again was generic to the core, like literally thousands of blues/soul songs out there. I didn’t mind Innum Konjam Neram at least from Maryan. Of the Mani collabs, OKK was the one that worked best for me and even then, fell short of dazzling me. I don’t even remember much of KV or CCV. I had some of the old spark back though it was mainly about the title track (aila aila I) for me. That has to be the best fast track he has done in years and years and I craved/crave for more of it but it’s been elusive.
From 99 songs/Dil Bechara, I began to notice his revived interest in introducing complexity WITHOUT making the songs sound forbidding, sort of picking up where he left at Delhi6. And since then, with each album, he has delivering goodies again from my perspective.
My impression is in the 10s he was too distracted with having to split his time between East Coast of TN and West Coast of US. That’s good, it’s good for growth to meet and work with a whole different set of musicians as well as filmmakers and understand their expectations. But it seems like he has refocused again on purely or at least mostly Indian and it’s reaping results now. I attribute his interest in devising interesting arrangements with conventional instruments rather than synth to these diverse influences from different parts of the world seeping in. He must have observed during his travels there that internationally we are moving at least partly back to lush, dynamic productions though some like Taylor Swift albums are still super-compressed. ‘Cool’ is out and ‘authentic’ is in. And Rahman has, always had, the skills anyway to arrange for live instruments.
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KayKay
September 29, 2022
“Am I the only one who enjoyed the soundtrack of Maryan? I think it’s one of ARR’s better soundtracks of the 10s”
Nope. I’ll keep you company. Loved that soundtrack. “Konja Neram” and “Enga Pona Raasa” are still favorites. Had the privilege of hearing it live in concert from the actual singers and fell in love with those numbers all over again.
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KayKay
September 29, 2022
Ok, am re-posting this as, like Madan, I had YT links which got the comments stuck in moderation (B, you can discard them). Posting without links
“I am really curious to know/hear what you guys consider are good songs (non ARR) this past couple of years”
Ok, any reply to this is going to enter uber-subjective territory. But since you asked, a recent ear-candy that’s been on repeat listens for me has been this number called “Saanjikkava” from the frequently underrated D.Imman. From a yet to be released (I think) Sasikumar film. I just love the raaga changes in the charanam (I believe it swings from Vasanthi to Hamsadhwani and back, but don’t quote me, not an expert). And all of it encapsulated within a deceptively simple folk template, with the nadaswaram and peacock sounds adding to the general village-y atmosphere. And the current Reigning Southern Superstar Balladeer knocking it out the park as usual.
Another one is this insanely catchy one from Tuglag Darbar called “Kaami Kaami”. Love what Govind Vasantha has done to what amounts to your standard “Girl Teasing” number. The “Kaami Kaami” chorus rocks as do the lyrics which manage to cobble together all the “K” words in it’s lyrics (so, yeah in addition it gets the Double K stamp of approval ) and for such a bouncy, ebullient number, the gorgeous flute interval which ends it is sublime.
By the way, check out Karthik’s Milliblog for a sample of latest tunes he posts every week from Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada films and even Indie Albums along with his mini reviews. Good stuff and a great way to get a quick catch up on recent releases.
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therag
September 29, 2022
Maryan is a pretty good album, no way comparable to the VJ collabs. Nenje Ezhu, Kadal Raasa Naan, Enga Pona Raasa.
Lingaa is mostly a write-off, except for Mona Gasolina which I really like.
Sarvam Thaala Mayam was a pretty big disappointment, made worse if you compare it to their previous collaborations which were nothing short of spectacular. At one point, I thought G.V.Prakash himself might have done a better job.
Even with a mixed decade of sorts, output-wise perhaps only SaNa can claim to have had a better decade, which goes to show ARR just has not had a successor.
Btw What happened to Amit Trivedi? Any good songs of his in the recent past?
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Madan
September 29, 2022
“Btw What happened to Amit Trivedi? Any good songs of his in the recent past?”- A question that’s on my mind too. He seems to have just disappeared all of a sudden.
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pirhaksar
September 29, 2022
@KayKay thanks., was actually at milliblog yday after a long time to do exactly what you suggested, stumbled upon a few good ones.. will explore more. I may have been harsh on Maryan…I do like a couple but album overall didn’t meet my pre release expectations. I thought with Bharath bala he could get very inventive and experiment a lot but perhaps the subject was such or the tunes/sound didn’t wow me .. can’t say for sure.
@Madan I get what you are saying overall and agree with the US/international sojourn possibly diluting what could have been stellar albums that I listed below, but will still keep them in my tier 1 ARR list. I simply love some of Imtiaz and Ranjhanaa songs for example.
You didn’t like Azhagiye and Vaan from KV? Bhoomi from CCV?
Heard couple of you say SaNa…I don’t get his style at all..it sounded different and unique when it came out and I certainly liked a few of his stuff..but I feel a lot of his stuff is very similar and repetitive. Is there any soundtrack/songs you would recommend?
Agreed on Amit, big fan of Manmarziyaan wonder what happened to him.
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anonymousviolin20
September 29, 2022
For me, I think the early 10s were still quite good. From Rockstar/Raanjhanaa/Mariyaan to AYM/Tamasha/OKK, I enjoyed that phase quite a bit (minus Lingaa/Lekar Hum Deewana Dil).
It was that post 2016 phase that really felt like the decline. Kaatru Veliyidai was ok, but then all of the subsequent albums would have one good song (Mazhai Kuruvi/Endhira Logathu) but the rest of the songs would range from forgettable to plain bad.
I agree with Madan about the revival being from Dil Bechara, and since Atrangi Re, there’s no looking back.
As for Amit Trivedi, recent songs I’ve enjoyed of his:
Mera Love Main from “Chup”
The Hindi version of Dosti from “RRR” (only sung by him)
Kando Kando from the Mohanlal starrer “Big Brother” (only sung by him)
Vastunna Vachestunna from the Nani movie “V”
(if it isn’t clear I’m a bit of a sucker for his voice lol)
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anonymousviolin20
September 29, 2022
Also post Manmarziyaan, he still delivered a banger of a soundtrack in Andhadhun (esp “Woh Ladki” and “Naina Da Kya Kasoor”).
I don’t think anything will match up to Fitoor for me though. “Pashmina”, “Tere Liye”, and “Rangaa Re” are peak Amit Trivedi.
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Madan
September 29, 2022
pirhaksar: I wouldn’t say I didn’t like them at all. Rahman’s music is rarely so offensive that I wouldn’t like it at an absolute level. I just wasn’t blown away by Vaan or Azhagiye, among others.
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lurker
September 29, 2022
No mention of nallai allai? I thought that’s one of the better ARR songs of the past decade.
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karthik299
September 29, 2022
Couldn’t go through all the comments but a couple of recent ones mention Amit Trivedi, so would like to pitch in.
Please check out the album of Badhaai Do. Beautiful songs that are even more beautiful during the course of movie. Has a couple of songs by guest composers and it is too easy to guess which ones are his while listening.
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Akhilan
September 29, 2022
Maryan had such a good soundtrack. Naetru Aval Irundhal especially. What a song that is. Now that is what I call a haunting melody. Alaikadal can’t even tie its shoe laces. Just so meh…
Taylor Swift actually is an interesting (though perhaps unlikely) comparison as from 2006-2014, she literally could do no wrong. She had the Midas-touch. 1989 (2014) IMO was really kind of a path-breaking record in the 2010s pop-music universe as she was able to beautifully combine her country roots with that pop-synth sound she briefly explored in Red (2012). Literally every single song in 1989 was a banger. She was at the peak of her powers, particularly as a song-writer. As her die hard fan, everything else since then pales in comparison, lyrically and sonically; similar to ARR since 2015 in that sense. Both are still hugely relevant and popular today, but for me have sort of lost their ways a little bit since 2014-15.
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H. Prasanna
September 29, 2022
Regarding PS I. This is actually a really good role for Karthi. I wouldn’t be surprised if he just runs away with it.
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anonym
September 29, 2022
“Naetru Aval Irundhal especially. What a song that is. Now that is what I call a haunting melody. Alaikadal can’t even tie its shoe laces. Just so meh…”
This is your fourth or fifth comment saying ‘PS1 audio bad’. It’s ok that you don’t like it, but you don’t have to bring it up in a completely unrelated context in every comment.
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Pirhaksar
September 29, 2022
With all the shout outs to Maryann I need to revisit it now! Netru Aval is indeed my fave superbly elevated by Vijay P. although I disagree the recent Alaikadal can’t tie its laces -:)
Also agree that until 2015 ARR was pretty solid, and the revival starts from about 99 songs, Dil Bechara (Taare Gin anyone again elevated by Mohit and Shreya) and 2022 has been really awesome for a fan like me. Lets see what else is in store.
I am super excited for PS-1 as well! Hope Mani saar got it right!!
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Prat
September 29, 2022
” when you say iravin nizhal is artificial what do u mean by that, just curious.
And in your mind what are some recent songs in Tamil that work/you like, I’d like to try and explore more. Seems like slim pickings out there in general.”
@Pirhaksar
Iravin Nizhal album was not convincing to me, and I felt that it was too experimental to return to repeatedly (ex: bejaraa). The songs seemed too contrived and didn’t have a natural flow. I liked Paavam Seiyaadhiru though.
Recent songs :
Maaraa was a great album from Ghibran. Paava Kadhaigal had some great songs from Govind Vasantha and Justin Prabhakaran. I really loved the Seethakaathi album from Govind though it came very long ago. To name a few recent songs I liked – Lazy Song from oh manapenne, murukku mesakkaaran, Neel kodugaal, vaanmegam, kannil endrum (from maraikkaayar), all songs from Kaada and Theeni, Oru Needhi, neeye Oli, payanam,nagarodi, nenjoramaa, kaangal oya, vaa kanakku, kurumugil, kaaakaa kaadha, anbarey, rangarattinam, etc. Malayalam music has been much more exciting lately, and you should check out Kurup and Hridayam if you haven’t.
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Karthik S
September 29, 2022
I agree. Although what’s up with the weird hair style? it kinda takes away the ‘charmer’ aspect and feels more sloppy (which I gather is also a key trait, disclaimer: I have not read the original).
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Akhilan
September 29, 2022
Hey anonym, yes I have commented on my dislike of the album overall previously but I think it was my first comment referring particularly to Alaikadal. Just wanted to compare it with Naetru Aval Irundhal, as both songs according to me are similar in genre. Nothing more, nothing less.
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Aman Basha
September 29, 2022
Will BR ban me from the blog if I say I liked Thalapathi more than Nayagan?
Thalapathi has the fantastic shot taking that is widely associated with Mani Ratnam, where one had to be blind to not catch the sun lighting, it took a interesting approach to an epic like the Mahabharata, musically this is one of Raaja’s finest hours (especially that portion where Shobana is standing in the Hoysala temple door). This is also the finest Rajini performance, especially when he simply breaks down on the bed as his mother sees him or the temple train scene. Mammootty felt slightly wasted to me, although he was very good in the confrontation scene.
Nayagan didn’t really surprise me except in the scene where the kids are play acting as their father and I also couldn’t sit through the Godfather (Goodfellas is a different story). Gangster films are very very similar such that one has seen a few and one has seen it all. Or maybe the print on Prime was really bad?
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Prat
September 30, 2022
Caught the movie and it’s good! Looks gorgeous and top notch making.
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therag
September 30, 2022
A solid adaptation of the novel. I think MR got all the character beats rights. I was especially afraid of Aditha Karikalan’s portrayal, but I think nailed that one.
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Prat
September 30, 2022
The movie covers two parts of the book. It’s not a very faithful adaptation but a competent one. People who didn’t read the books will find it more suspenseful and like the movie better I think. The sets look great, and the production quality and visual effects are stunning. Aishwarya Rai is beautiful and carries off the role with ease. The biggest surprise of the movie is Trisha’s fluent Tamil though. Did not expect that. They did not stick to classical Tamil for conversation and that somehow doesn’t feel odd.
The songs aren’t fully present in the movie – Sol is totally absent whereas the other ones are half present. The BGM is sumaar but there’s a brilliant mini song when Kundhavai meets Nandhini and I hope they release it!
I’ve been binge reading the books this past week and reached 2.5 parts. I wish I’d read them after watching the movie. The emotional drama, palace intrigue and history making up a major part of the books are traded here for grand action set pieces which work well on the big screen. There is a little bit of Baahubali hangover but thankfully not as much.
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Prat
September 30, 2022
The movie covers two parts of the book. It’s not a very faithful adaptation but a competent one. People who didn’t read the books will find it more suspenseful and like the movie better I think. The sets look great, and the production quality and visual effects are stunning. Aishwarya Rai is beautiful and carries off the role with ease. The biggest surprise of the movie is Trisha’s fluent Tamil though. Did not expect that. They did not stick to classical Tamil for conversation and that somehow doesn’t feel odd.
The songs aren’t fully present in the movie – Sol is totally absent whereas the other ones are half present. The BGM is sumaar but there’s a brilliant mini song when Kundhavai meets Nandhini and I hope they release it!
I’ve been binge reading the books this past week and reached 2.5 parts. I wish I’d read them after watching the movie. The emotional drama, palace intrigue and history making up a major part of the books are traded here for grand action set pieces which work well on the big screen. There is a little bit of Baahubali hangover but thankfully not as much.
I wish I hadn’t read the books so that I could’ve been engrossed in the movie.
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Madan
September 30, 2022
Early public reviews have been good. Should be going either today or tomorrow. Can’t hardly wait.
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Madan
September 30, 2022
Aman Basha: For me, it’s almost a wash but I still prefer Nayagan because the narration was more straight-up and the BGM less loud. Love that Bach bourree leitmotif Raja uses throughout the movie. I do prefer the songs of Dhalapathi and easily and also think Sundari and Rakamma in particular are beautifully picturized. I also liked Rajni’s acting in Dhalapathi more than Kamal in Nayagan (that crying scene in Nayagan never worked for me for all that it’s been dissected numerous times, including by Kamal in the Vikram success meet). But ultimately, the MR films I like most from his Raja years are Mouna Ragam, Agni and Anjali. I have no idea why Anjali has been kinda forgotten lately but it’s one of the best and most sensitively made kids’ movies of all times.
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Rajesh Arumugam
September 30, 2022
MR took 150 days only to finish shooting 2 parts. BR you know we have been waiting for many hours to hear from you. Why you are taking more than 3-4 hours to give this review. At least one tweet podalam la
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Madan
September 30, 2022
Rajesh Arumugam: Chup! Balki will kill all critics who take only two hours to write review for two years of labour of filmmaker, mind it!
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therag
September 30, 2022
I really liked the way Nandhini-Big Pazhuvettarayar relationship was brought out throughout the film. When BP is overcome with love and hugs Nandhini, she shows a very mild surprise/displeasure and immediately says “Madhurantakan is here” to extricate herself. And the subtle one-upping elsewhere, the scene where BP is ordering the crew to capture PS, Nandhini quietly moves in front of BP to say her own orders, and BP on noticing this, moves alongside her. The scene where Kundavai comes to Thanjai, Nandhini basically dominates throughout and the Pazhuvoor brothers are completely disregarded.
The silhouetted shots with Aditha Karikalan instantly reminded me of Raavanan. The lead-up to the Chola Chola sequence leading to the scene in the hut was superbly done.
Complaints: I think they should do a longer cut with the songs intact. The version of Devaralan Aattam they had on screen just didn’t do it for me. Also, Alaikadal was barely even there in the movie. That song deserved better. Also, that last 20min felt a little rushed. Considering the movie was already 2.45 hours, they could have spent some more time on this.
All said, MR promised us Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan, and I think the movie stays true to that. Bring on PS2.
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vijay
September 30, 2022
well I suspected that this will get the same highlights-reel approach that CCV got, but looks like it worked for you here, good.
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Rajesh Arumugam
September 30, 2022
Balki equates 2ye effort to 2hrs. Which is illogical.end of the day it is only a 2 hr movie. If Balki wants to put only 2 hrs effort then he can go and put a street play. He wants the movie to be seen say at least by 2 lak people (both theatre and Ott). 1 min of each by 2 lak people is 2 lak mins. 2 yrs is only 1 lak mins (even if it is 24hrs) .. just imagine 2 hrs of movie plus 2 hrs kd transport plus at least 60mins of promotional videos and reviews etc .. compared to that makers time is nothing
In a business meeting no body says i put 6 months to build this plan.. you sit here as a senior executive and asking me questions just by 30mins presentation or 6 pages document. I am questioning you based on what you out in front of me in those 30mins or 6 pages. It is your duty to convince me in those 30mins or 6 pages. I don’t care if it is 6 months or 6 years.
Coming to point.. all i want to say ia Baddy we are waiting
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vijay
September 30, 2022
“Jayam Ravi uses so little to convey so much –
”
if true, that’s a first, in his career.
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Rajesh Arumugam
September 30, 2022
Critically also acclaimed now.
So, when is the deep focus session ?
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vijay
September 30, 2022
BR, did you get an answer for why this book needed to be made into a film in the first place by Mani? a fundamental question..You have written that given the time constraints this is the best approach Mani could have taken..but that sounds like a bit of a defense for the ‘compromises’… I mean if the running time and the numerous characters are constraints then why did he wanted to make this as a film? I am trying to figure out what motivated him to adapt this to screen or what drove him to make it..after all, not every book or novel you read and like is a potential film.
(unless it’s something as simple as ‘Look,i have always wanted to make a historical, i have read PS in my younger days and obsessed with it, so wanted to go for it to see what i can do with this’…)
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gnanaozhi
September 30, 2022
I fell in love with the books when my Dad used to read it to me as a child, then I read C V Kaarthick’s brilliant translation and that love became all consuming. Given this, I was waiting for someone, anyone to make this into a movie or better still, big Netflix or prime show.
Was waiting with bated breath for BR’s verdict (was anyway going to watch it, but this only makesme happy).
1030 pm today can’t come sooner!
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vijay
September 30, 2022
alsao not much is being made about the fact that this is advertised as first IMAX film in tamil
https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/ponniyin-selvan-set-to-become-first-tamil-movie-to-release-in-imax-1988723-2022-08-16
maybe because of low no of screens?
anyone caught this in IMAX?
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H. Prasanna
September 30, 2022
You ask us to “forget the book” and talk about how good an adaptation it is of the source material for 90% of the review!
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Macaulay Perapulla
September 30, 2022
Jeyam Ravi was such a surprise. The first felt much like a musical. The movie takes a life of its own only during the second half. Until then, it felt like an expensively staged tableau. I loved Trisha to pieces. She pulled off brilliantly. Maybe I had low expectations about her. She walked like a true regent.
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therag
September 30, 2022
@H Prasanna, I think what BR says actually makes sense. The movie accurately captures the major characters, and the characters’ relationships with each other, and also the spirit/vibe of the book (this one is hard to define but you really feel Kalki would have approved of this adaptation).
But that is rarely what people mean by “faithful adaptation”. Usually, it means translating the events of the book as-is to the screen and keeping the plot pretty much intact, and that does not happen here for obvious reasons.
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ravenus1
September 30, 2022
Good to hear that the visuals are worthwhile. In the trailer, things looked very flat and full-bright lighting.
How is the language used in the film, is it flowery and poetic, and will it be problematic for someone with a very limited Tamil vocabulary?
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brangan
September 30, 2022
ravenus1: The Tamil is pretty easy to follow if you have followed AP Nagarajan films etc. (For example, they use “aiyam” instead of, say, “sandegam”.) But if you are not familiar with the story, I would suggest reading the Wiki family tree of major characters — if you feel up to it.
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vijay
September 30, 2022
yet to read any perspective of the film from somebody who has’nt read the book..would be interesting to know how the film came across and how much they missed/gained by not having that baggage..
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Madan
September 30, 2022
Well, I haven’t read the novel but saw the 1 hour summary of the story on YouTube. I was only half hearing it while wife heard it attentively, I just wanted to get the gist. Based on that, I am more than satisfied. Vikram overacted while Jayem surprised indeed. Karthi is the MVP. Aish and Trisha give apt performances too.
This is definitely not a Baahubali type of movie with kinetic stunts or energy levels soaring through the roof. There is some amount of palace intrigue but it’s more at Bajirao Mastani level rather than Queen Elizabeth. There is too much story to cover for Mani to stop and delve into an angle the way that Shekar Kapur film does, nor is there a strong romantic angle like Bajirao. But the story itself is quite interesting, so this is enough. It makes for a reasonably fast paced movie that is quite beautifully shot, not that we wouldn’t expect that anyway from Mani. Mani also uses the dialogues to define the characters well even with so much plot point to cover. I thought Prabhu and Nizhalgal Ravi’s were the only characters I didn’t get to know very much at all. Tho not much is needed in the latter’s case – where there is Nizhalgal, scheming can never be far away.
I liked the score. It was loudish without being ear splitting and overpowering. It felt like a bit of a throwback to see a massive vehicle film in 2022 that doesn’t resort to amping it up beyond 11 to entertain. Then again, that’s Mani and I am happy he didn’t try to change himself for the market.
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shaviswa
September 30, 2022
Going to watch this on IMAX but next week only. Cannot wait actually. Pretty eager to see how this film has turned out to be
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Caesium
September 30, 2022
#FDFS from Houston, TX 🥳
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Caesium
September 30, 2022
Tbh, I’m surprised by a ringing endorsement of a review.
Ash & Trisha’s characters were brilliant! Almost every other character, save Jayam Ravi’s, comes off as pawns.
War / action scenes didn’t work for me convincingly. Jayaram’s comedy didn’t work either.
Nandhini & Kundavai are going to be my reasons to FDFS PS-II.. 😬🙏🏼
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vijay
September 30, 2022
the author here argues that Mani’s films actually peddle soft Hindutva or RW politics even though outwardly he has the image of a left-leaning liberal, with numerous examples. Agree? Or is it reading what you want to read?
https://www.huffpost.com/archive/in/entry/the-right-wing-hindu-hypernationalist-politics-of-mani-ratnam-s-films_in_5f382534c5b69fa9e2fc3eef/amp
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Madan
September 30, 2022
Rajesh Rajamani often says stuff about cinema that I vigorously nod along with, but often his political views often remind me of that section of the left/Congress sycophants who call NDTV a pro-BJP channel! Those so fond of majestic isolation should perhaps lock themselves in their room so that the outside breeze doesn’t prick their precious bubble.
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Vignaprasad
September 30, 2022
I haven’t read the book, saved only for the film. Here are the things that worked and didn’t work for me.
All the actors are fantastic — As I expected Vikram is above everyone else; I thought Jayam Ravi was miscast here but surprisingly, he is good too. Karthi’s character is so good and I imagined all the time that It would have been a perfect fit for Vijay. Every character is a mystery here, so it keeps you guessing; at the end of the film you get only a few things from each – still have to wait for Part-2 for a full picture.
ARR’s songs were used minimally and his background score works for larger parts of the film — especially BGM for Nandhini, Kundavai meeting scene which is going to have a separate fan base.
VFX is a horror story — battle sequences (they just added black smokes here and there, tried to match up) and ship fights are meh. Not much visual grandeur, I’d say.
I felt the narrative is a bit choppy and a little rushed – yet the main thread of the film is still solid and well paced. I’d love to see the extended songs and slower version of it, even if it is a 5 hrs film (part-1 alone) I will be watching it.
Kudos to MR for not taking conventional way of handling a period film and giving more importance to human emotions and characters.
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Aman Basha
September 30, 2022
The HuffPost author gets his basic facts wrong: The separate Tamil Eelam movement died with Rajiv’s assassination. The DMK was allied with the BJP till 2001 where they won 6 seats, more than they have currently (One of the more surprising things in May 2021 apart from Mamata’s sweep was how BJP spokespersons were claiming BJP was entering the assembly or with its highest number, both were blatantly wrong.)
Raavanan is a very Periyar interpretation of the Ramayana, now I guess even Periyar is a soft Sanghi for Mr. Rajamani.
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Shankar
September 30, 2022
Watched this on IMAX last night, first show. I really liked the film and agree with Baddy’s assessment. You have to “forget” the book to some extent, to be able to judge this film on it’s own merits. I’m not saying that book comparison will not happen, and even MR knows that going in, but this is Mani’s version of the book, and I like that. An obvious lesson I learnt at an early age when I watched “The day of the jackal” since that book was my first “serious” book growing up (7th grade, I think).
I liked that Mani did not try and make this a spectacle (invariable comparison to Rajamouli), but focused on the characters, story and the plot. Of course, the story merits that, but glad Mani stayed core to his competence.
The actors were really good as well, and I was a bit iffy going in, knowing that Mani made commercial choices in the casting, and I was really looking forward to see (IMO) what this tired old brigade could deliver. Thankfully, I was wrong.
The one thing that I might nitpick was the action choreography. The technique of using a moving camera (shoulder hoisted etc.), was jarring to me for 2 reasons. It was a bit schizophrenic to watch plus that technique is decades old, wish they had tried some other way to inject speed into the action sequences. I used to love it when the Bourne films came out, but subsequent watches have made me less of a fan of that technique. Even the Bond (especially Daniel Craig’s) films that used to rely on that technique cooled off on it during the latter years. But again, it’s a small nitpick for otherwise a fantastic effort. I can’t wait for PS-2….there was a visible groan in the auditorium when the PS-2 date flashes at the end!
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Anu Warrier
September 30, 2022
BR, the interesting part about Guide is that Dev Anand had a telegram from RK Narayan congratulating him on the movie after the premiere. Then, much later, came the ‘bastard child’ comment which really shook DA because he didn’t understand the 180 degree turnaround.
Wanting to watch PS1, waiting to watch PS1… hopefully, this weekend.
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pirhaksar
September 30, 2022
Glad to read the positive comments on the film. I have’nt read the book so I expect to have a fairly non biased reaction. Tomorrow can’t fast enough. Based on some of the thoughts shared by folks looks like a lot is being crammed into 2 parts, wonder why a 3 part series was not envisioned. Surely if done right, people will see it as some kind of a continuous franchise. I heard similar feedback for CCV where there was so much happening with that star cast that it felt super crammed. The ideal platform is probably a 10 part web series. Maybe the economics and logistics do not work as well?
Speaking of movie economics, I have often wondered do big stars and even someone like ARR take a discounted fee to work with someone like MR. I mean I would if I were in the industry -:) Looking at the star cast of PS-1 most of the budget would be for the stars and star technicians like ARR.
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Santa
September 30, 2022
About ARR: Am I the only one who loved the music of 99 songs?
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Madan
September 30, 2022
pirhaksar : Given that people seem to be unable to not check their phones if nothing is being set on fire on the screen as it is, I don’t think a 3 part PS franchise will work commercially though it would indeed help the makers explore the book in more depth. This film is not breathless. It has ample room to breathe, especially in the first half. What it does not have is a fever pitch or a crescendo but that’s likely because picture abhi baaki hai.
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therag
September 30, 2022
I think things are getting so bad that the audience will pay attention only if the screen is literally on fire.
People have no patience for the well-paced burn let alone the slow-burn.
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Jeeva Pitchaimani
September 30, 2022
My friend (another instance of still-not-extinct species of Vikram fans like me) in call to me: Machi, padam paathutya ? epdi iruku? Thalaivar nalla nadichurkaara?
Me : nadippa pathilaam aprom peslaam. Padathula irunthu Oru nalla seidhi!
My friend : Sollu da!
Me : Adutha varushamum namma thalaivar ku confirmed ah oru release iruku!
My friend and me phone-hugging and wiping tears of each other’s eyes!! #Vikram #Vikramfanspaavangal #vikramfans (Engal veetil ellaa naalum BGM running behind)
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Bharath Vijayakumar
September 30, 2022
Mixed feelings about the film. It was an engaging big scale epic minus the drama. The film is predominantly driven by plot points, and we are only given a briefing behind the emotions that is driving the actions of these characters. The emotions of characters and the significance of crucial events don’t register as impactfully as I would have liked it to.
For those familiar with the book, it is bound to be a little disappointing but ironically, they actually have the advantage of filling in the gaps.
I understand that it is highly condensed and there are other constraints while adapting the novel to the screen. But somehow felt the following could have been handled better
The scene between Nandhini and Kundhavai should have really worked much better. Since the kind of animosity that these two characters have for each other is hardly established, this scene passes off without the fireworks it should have created. The whistles in the auditorium were for Aishwarya Rai and Trisha and certainly not for the face-off between Nandhini and Kundhavai. A couple of dialogues about their history before the face off should have really helped a lot.
*The introduction of Arul Mozhi Varman is such a nice ‘mass’ moment in the book. What we have here is a very generic introduction (war scene) for the character. That mass moment actually comes later in a much-diluted form. It would obviously work better in the book because once you see Jayam Ravi on screen, the suspense of who is Arul Mozhi Varman is already broken. But just like how the interval in Vikram worked despite the obvious, felt this was a missed opportunity.
*One interesting aspect about Vandhiyadevan in the book is that he keeps getting into trouble inadvertently due to his mischievous nature and this also helps him to gather crucial information from unexpected quarters. But here he is just carrying out the instructions given to him.
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H. Prasanna
September 30, 2022
@therag I agree with the general theory about adaptations. But, my comment on “forget the book” applies to the review not the movie. He starts his review by saying how this Mani Ratnam’s version of PS and not Kalki’s. Then most of the review is not about MR’s version of PS but about how brilliantly it adapts the source material, and sets up the sequel. Like how the movie give two or three great scenes for each character, I would have liked two or three lines for each of the great technical team.
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sravishanker1401gmailcom
September 30, 2022
I think ‘Guide’ was an atrocious adaptation of R.K.Narayan’s novel. RK ‘s comments on the events leading upto the filming are a hilarious read “The Sky’s the limit said Dev Anand with his pen poised on the cheque. And when it came to asking for my share of the profits you could puncture their sky with an umbrella” ROFL
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pirhaksar
September 30, 2022
@madan Have you seen the film already? Did I miss your review, please do a write up if you can!
@Santa…You are not alone. I remember some of the good reviewers saying good things about it and here too most people gave it a “good but nothing he has not done before kind of a review” or “should have pushed the boundaries more given he had more freedom”…both reasonable views in my mind. I think there were couple of stand out tracks for me, liked at-least 90% of it. I also think there were one too many songs in there!
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Madan
September 30, 2022
“Have you seen the film already? Did I miss your review, please do a write up if you can!” – I did write a comment on it. Or you can read my detailed review. Fair warning: it’s written from a very personal perspective so I bash Vikram and KGF before I get to PS:I.
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RK
September 30, 2022
Biggest mystery now is that film got below average to average reviews from all the telugu reviewers but got glowing reviews from tamil reviewers. Is it because of personal bond tamil people have with novel? Anyone watched the tamil version without having knowledge of the book. What’s the feedback?
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pirhaksar
September 30, 2022
@RK the telugu social media trolls are dissing the film as a means to say BB, RRR > PS -1 and hence telugu films > tamil films and are true pan india films whatever that means. It is silly season and they are trolls. The average audience is probably going to not like it without the historical context/connect and will unfairly compare with BB and hence I expect it to fail in Telugu for that reason.
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RK
September 30, 2022
@pirhaksar
Oh I am not at all consedering trolls. I believe these days a systematic troll business going on to pit one person or industry against another. I don’t think that will have too much of impact.
I am referring to reviews in reputed news apapers and websites. Some of them might be biased but the ones I trust also had not so favorable reviews
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kaizokukeshav
October 1, 2022
I will watch the movie this weekend and already have a feel of how this movie is, probably not so enjoyable as a epic movie but good as a novel. I am very surprised that not even one person has brought up the point that this is the first time Mani Ratnam doing a period drama of Kings.
Apart from the theme, comparing to Bahubali is stupid. BB worked because it has wafer thin storyline and also it’s not a classic story by any means. Since the size of the content in PS is huge, if there’s any inspiration that Mani Ratnam should take wrt the pacing of the story, it should be the Lord of the Rings. LOTR had many characters, it was made into 3 parts with each one bettering the next and the first part was just ok to start with.
Hope makers take the note and make sure that PS-2 has some rousing content with cliffhangers even if it takes a reshoot, it’s a sin to watch a kingdom movie without some goosebump dramatic action sequences. While love the nuances in MR movies, they should be eloberated to layman audience…like the flag buring scene in Roja.
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pirhaksar
October 1, 2022
@RK. It is my take that they do not have a connect to the history (much like tamil audiences would not know Alluri Sitarama Raju in RRR). Absent that, natural comparisons arise with recent so called historical “grand” set piece films with action and whistle worthy masala and mass moments (Telugu audience loves and wants this in big budget vehicles)…by those yardsticks PS-1 will not connect for them. Beyond those I hope there is no other motive.
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Ruminating Aesthete
October 1, 2022
There were so many parts in which the frames and the way in which shots are linked to each other say so much without even dialogues or music. However I felt in many places I felt drowned by the dialogue and the music. I’ve always felt that Mani’s films work so very well because at the unitary level of a frame or a shot the dialogue and music would be antithetical to the image thus making a dialectic. In this film I felt he was forced to include the period Tamil and moreover I felt at more than one occasion the music was too loud and kept hinting us on how we should react to a given shot. The shots wherein we see Vikram almost in a hamlet like way talking about his problem with Nandini with a background of whitish brightness (I think it’s kind of a balcony) that scene visually and dramatically is superbly conceived by the director cinematographer and the actor but the dialogue is just unwieldy, so much so that it takes away the cinematic punch it is supposed to deliver. But yet I enjoyed most parts of it and enjoyed the songs Devaralan aattam and Rakshasa maama ay. But I really wanted it to be Raavanan like film, or like Ran ….which it wasn’t.
As far as cinematography I noticed that there was this over dependence on camera movement and use of static camera or even dolly I felt was not that much. I have a feeling such traditional techniques could’ve been of more use in this situation. I wanted to really see a Mani film but I just saw occasional glimpses of him.
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Ruminating Aesthete
October 1, 2022
I think the film was shot on digital an IMAX film rendering or even a 70 MM (Liquorice PIZZA) like the one PTA uses would’ve brought out another layer of narrative patterning altogether. Utsav that BR mentions in the interview had a distinct look due to it being shot on film. Even shataranj ka Khiladi had a distinct visual signature. I feel the Tamil industry has lost so much because it prefers a capitalistic approach to art creation in general. In spite of being blessed with such good artists and even after spending so much money our creators are forced to take up templates that insist on the clichéd.
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Ruminating Aesthete
October 1, 2022
This is a thought that emanates from a different angle altogether. Kalki’s text seems to paint an occasion in history with broad strokes, emotionally and stylistically speaking. This provides a film maker with an opportunity to interpret the book in various ways. In other words this narrative could have been depicted in a baroque surrealistic Feliniesque fashion, or the psychological style that concentrates on the microcosm like that of Bergman’s or with a totally neo realistic take, but when there is a singular urge to make sure to get the flow of semantics right, and exactly like that of the novel, and to cater to these invisible groups who are fans of the book, all intrinsic style of the maker will get subverted and he or she would be forced to just assemble a cinematic mirror image of the novel. Just makes me so sad to know that market forces still impede the creative mind.
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JPhil
October 1, 2022
Not having read the novel and only barely aware of the storyline , saw it in imax today . MR s most un-MR movie ? The palace scenes , the dialogues, an outstanding Vikram all a highlight for me . The battle scenes and the bgm not so much . Was in thrall throughout just trying to keep up with the fast pace of storytelling . Saw it in Tamil with subtitles otherwise many of the nuances would have been lost . An inoffensive , classy movie working from – one hears – an unwieldy source – so kudos .
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Anand Raghavan
October 1, 2022
Will be seeing the movie tomorrow. In Tamil, it appears to be roaring success with tickets being advance booked till next weekend. How is it faring in other languages ?
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Madan
October 1, 2022
RK: Not just Telugu reviews but even Kairam Vaashi’s review for it was quite unfavourable.
I think for non Tamil, esp Telugu and Kannada, viewers, Baahubali and KGF respectively are the benchmarks and people will not be able to argue them out of that opinion. It is what it is. So the lack of massy frenzy equals boring for them.
Secondly, most of the dialogues are in more traditional Tamil. Now even though I haven’t studied Tamil in school, at least I have the muscle memory of watching old epics like Chandralekha so I could follow what they were saying and if, by chance, anything was too arcane, the subtitles were handy. But if you are trying to watch a dialogue heavy film like this, especially very pure vernacular and literary with no concessions to Tanglish, by following the subtitles, it could be tough to keep pace.
I also wonder whether dubbing went wrong somewhere because I noticed that youtuber Shan Prasher left a very irate post and even called it an abominable adaptation. I can understand the – unfair but expected – comparisons with Baahubali but even by that yardstick, it’s not abominable in any way. Let’s see what Anmol Jamwal has to say. If he too bashes the film, I would conclude that the dubbing missed the bus badly. And if that’s the case, the non Tamil versions are going to fizzle out very fast.
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Maru
October 1, 2022
Just saw this in a mostly packed Boston/Cambridge area theater with a bunch of PS novel loving friends and all of us without exception had a blast. The audience was lively and cheered loudly when Ponni Nadi came on and for Chola Chola. There was appreciative laughter for Jayaram and Karthi’s comic interactions which turned into loud gaffaws for their scenes towards the end. We went in armored to expect unsettling changes to our beloved novel and came out surprised and deeply grateful for how closely the film adhered to its main narrative. The changes in the climax action scenes and the bits earlier that rearranged/tweaked the timeline seemed minor and helped the overall cinematic structure. I expected the film to end more or else where it did but the character reveal in the end and change to the story there surprised me – I think it’s a change that works well in the context of the story.
I think what may have disappointed a Bahubali loving audience was exactly what thrilled me the most. Mani Ratnam didn’t manufacture any cinematic/heroic highs or try to rev up big moments to pander to audience expectations. He honored Kalki’s vision and I absolutely loved that — R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Liked the up close and throw you into the action approach, even if the constantly moving/shaking camera work was a bit dizzying and gimmicky now and again. The production values were great – loved the costumes/jewelry and settings even if the Latha Madapam looked quite different from how I had pictured it!
I would love to see more of the songs. They should release longer cuts of the songs on Youtube even if they’re unfinished/making video like – one each month leading upto the PS-2 music release! Devaralan aatam so is trippy and looked so vibrant on the big screen, alaikadal with the gorgeous Aishwarya Lakskmi was haunting and way too brief and Ratchasa Maname was lots of fun. I’d love to see what they have of Sol which got lopped off entirely if only to see Trisha and Shobita in their gorgeous costumes in a beautiful setting.
If there’s one thing that fell flat for me it was the big face-off scene between Kundavai and Nandini. Sparks should have been flying and the tension should have been thick enough to cut. Instead, despite the beautiful settings and the two ladies looking spectacular it felt like gentle, ribbing between friends. Even if there was a better setup for the bad blood between them I doubt it would have made a big difference. Both Trisha and Aishwarya did fine in the movie but I very much doubt that either has the acting chops to elevate the scene to what it was meant to deliver.
Anyway, we loved it enough to want to do a repeat watch in IMAX this time. For folks here who saw the IMAX version, do you think it made a big difference? We have only one theater close enough to us where it’s playing in IMAX so scheduling maybe tricky.
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Prat
October 1, 2022
I felt that the Tamil used was too modern and simplified, and wished it were more classical and sophisticated. It’s very lightweight when compared against the older period movies like Thiruvilayaadal or the old chozha movies. I think our larger population is rapidly forgetting how to read and write in simple Tamil let alone classical Tamil – so much for the Tamil pride.
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Prat
October 1, 2022
I felt that the Tamil used was oversimplified and too modern, and wished it were more sophisticated. It’s especially lightweighted when compared to the old period movies like Thiruvilayaadal.
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Nappinai (@Nappinai2)
October 1, 2022
Spoliers ahead – I think MR does a brilliant job of translating the essence of Kalki’s books onscreen and I am just happy that he made this film and we got to watch it.
It’s a really smart adaptation that hits the same emotional notes as the books. Take for instance the start where we see Vandiyathevan entering the Chola lands, as he makes his way you realize this is a story from his view. In the books, he’s the character that weaves the pieces together but you don’t realize that till you have finished all the six parts. In the movie though, MR sets the stage by introducing the film with VT’s journey. So, you get this immediately. I liked that about this film. I loved the Azhwarkadiyan-VT chemistry in the film as much as I did in the books. Jayaram is a riot. And I loved, loved Aishwarya as Nandini. I do hope that all the naysayers are kinder after watching her onscreen.
Surprisingly, I found the Adithakarikalan character more moving in the film. In the books he comes across as this madcap prince, who is in an all consuming bloody rage. In the movie though you really see that this man is in pain. His being is a torture for him and you truly feel sorry.
My grandmom and her sisters have decided to watch the film and I am excited for them 🙂 So, that’s the other thing with PS-1, so many of your friends and family are watching this film that it’s giving festival vibes.
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Nappinai (@Nappinai2)
October 1, 2022
“We went in armored to expect unsettling changes to our beloved novel and came out surprised and deeply grateful for how closely the film adhered to its main narrative. ”
+1
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Rajesh Arumugam
October 1, 2022
BR – I respect you a lot and I trust your reviews a lot. At the same time, I am sorry to ask you this question. I am sure you would be aware of this Duration length timestamp code word about your video version of review in youtube. The longer the better the movie barring few exceptions like Jai Bin.
Is it a deliberate attempt to give a mini intro on book to movie conversion, RK Narayanan novel for little over a minute in order to show a longer duration (and imply something)?
Once again sorry to ask you this question.
Will be glad if you can clarify
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Madan
October 1, 2022
“Even if there was a better setup for the bad blood between them I doubt it would have made a big difference. Both Trisha and Aishwarya did fine in the movie but I very much doubt that either has the acting chops to elevate the scene to what it was meant to deliver” – Yeah, he kind of slotted them in serene aggression if that’s a thing rather than a fangs bared set up. Which is what I had feared Aish would attempt and fall flat at but he didn’t make her go there. He used her strengths well and she reciprocated.
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