By Srinivasan Sundar
Quentin Tarantino is unabashedly critical of the Hollywood of the eighties (‘..f*ing wasteland of a decade..’, Cinema Speculation). Kollywood was no less. Though the decade was so very central to the history of Tamil cinema – meteoric rise of the Superstar, peaking of geniuses like Bharathiraja and Ilayaraja, end days of masters like K.Balachander and BaluMahendra, the Mani Ratnam phenomenon and more just happened in those ten years – the predominant output was mass masala films that centred around the theme of personal revenge. In most cases, men avenging a murder or a rape or generally both. Production values were non-existent as the same duplex bungalow with interior white stairways was omnipresent; Makeup meant giving a bright white coat on the face and red lipstick; Stunt scenes were entertaining but silly;The films believed in the 5-song-5-fight format. They all had a happy ending.Well, one could argue that some of these markers could be used for the Tamil cinema of the new millennium too. But that is a story for some other day. Here is my top recall as I reminisce of the Kollywood of the eighties.
Guru Sishyan (1988, directed by S.P.Muthuraman)-Evidently a two-hero package, with Prabhu having a near-equal screen presence with Rajinikanth, this pucca commercial film comes with an extra fun dose of comedy. With a solid line-up that includes the likes of Cho, Vinu Chakravarthy, Manorama and Radha Ravi, Guru Shishyan is Gautami’s Tamil debut. Humourous take on the way English is spoken by common men who do not have grounding in English grammar is a guarantee hit material in Kollywood even to this day. Critically-acclaimed Vetrimaran too had used it with Dhanush to a good result. Easily, Rajinikanth’s antics with the language in this film comes at the top of the‘English comedy in Tamil films’ category. The episode of ABC officers conducting a raid is still enjoyable with all three lead actors delivering laughs so naturally.Being in a jail was such a cool thing in the pre-Mahanadi days, and sticking to the norms Guru Shisyan too has a nice, political and funny song set inside a prison. Broadly, the songs of the film are passable. The film is a remake of a Hindi film; and the title of the film was reused in a 2010 film that brought disrespect to the legacy of the original. Yesskis me!
My Dear Kuttichathan (3D, 1984, JijoPunnoose) – Kuttichathan continues to be a landmark film in the history of Indian cinema. What is so nice about the film is that even though there was such an excitement around the film, being the first 3D film of India, the makers did not take the audience for granted; they made a genuinely good film with an added entertainment of 3D viewing. The film was not just an arrangement of breathtaking 3D experience that relegated cinema to the background. It was cinema first, technology next. While the movie had a lot of fun part for kids like a red cherry from an ice-cream cone popping onto your face, balloons flying all over the cinema hall and an extraordinarily made song with kids walking up the side walls and ceilings like the Spiderman, there were also equally terrifying moments that gave you shudders. Both the songs of the movie are beautiful. Kuttichathan was a film with a deep emotional connect. It worked well with your heart as well brain.
Punnagai Mannan (1986, K.Balachander) – This is a classic. An ultra-tragedy. One of the last gems of the legendary KB who had by then completed twenty years as a filmmaker. A tail-end masterpiece of the KB-Ilayaraja creative powerhouse. A two heroine (or is it three?) the film is about losing love and finding it again; and losing it all. The film preserves a streak of the director’s own Ek Duuje Ke Liye, again starring Kamal. Surprisingly this seems to be the only film of KB, who made nearly 100 films as a director/writer, featuring a double role; Kamalas Chaplin Chellappa eased up the otherwise a heart wrenching film. Kamal went on to do more iconic one+ role films in the following years, Apoorva Sagodharargal (3 roles)and Michael Madana Kama Rajan, (4 roles);He seems to have done with indulging (Dasavathaaram, 9 roles).And how can one forget the Punnagai Mannan theme music!
Poovizhi Vasalile(1987, Fazil)– This film gives a chill down the spine even to this day. Set in an evergreen premise – a protagonist without a purpose getting a random chance to redeem himself – Poovizhi Vasalile is among the best thrillers of Tamil cinema. With extraordinary performances by Sathyaraj, Sujitha (performing as a boy with hearing and speech disabilities) and Raghuvaran (he was becoming a force to reckon with), the movie has great cinematic moments. Ilayaraja’s background score of the film can serve as a guiding lesson to composing music for a thriller; it also has two beautiful songs by K.J. Yesudas. Poovizhi Vasalile is a remake of Fazil’s own Malayalam film and the director went on to remake more of his Malayalam films into Tamil with super success.
Puthiya Vaanam (1988, R.V.Udhayakumar) – I had watched this film multiple times in theatre and all I remember about this is – in the climax Sathyaraj, wearing a black inner banian and standing in an open Gypsy, with some kind of a machine gun spluttering non-stop, gives serious insecurities to even John Wick in a killing contest. This is one of the early cop films of Sathyaraj who by then was establishing himself as a hero material. He was already a roaring success as an indomitable villain, playing opposite to the greatest stars of the day like Rajinikanth (Mr.Bharath) and Kamal Haasan (Vikram). Just like in his earlier outing Jallikattu, in Puthiya Vaanam too Sathyaraj teamed up with Sivaji Ganesan. This was the time when Sivaji had started doing supporting roles to the top hero of the day (Padikkadavan, 1985; Viduthalai, 1986) and stopped playing the lead roles. Interestingly, in the film Sathyaraj plays a character MGR. Puthiya Vaanam is the second film of director R.V. Udhayakumar and it is distinctly different from his other successful works that generally involve pride and honour in a rural setting. Puthiya Vaanam is a Hindi film remake.
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Baradwaj Rangan 
Aman Basha
April 16, 2023
Actually, I think the 80s or more specifically, 1985-95 was Tamil cinema’s golden age. I’ll expand on this later. I also think the Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam golden ages ran parallel with each other.
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vsrini
April 16, 2023
@Aman Basha:
That’s an interesting theory. Personally, I prefer the period right before that. From 1977/8 (the years of Mullum Malarum, 16 Vayathinile & Aval Appadithan) thru the early 80s (when masala cinema finally took over).
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vijay
April 16, 2023
Tamil cinema output, in any decade since the 80s(or from even before), has always been predominantly templated masala or feel-good films with about half a dozen films at best demanding your attention in any given year..was 90s or 2000s any different from 80s that way? Also, I would have picked kadamai ganniyam kaattupaadu or makkal en pakkam in place of pudhiya vaanam(if you HAD to include a Sathyaraj film) and half a dozen other films in place of Punnagai mannan and so on..not sure about the choice of these particular films..in what way did they stand out? seems like a very random list at first glance..
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hari prasad
April 16, 2023
Here are some of my favorite masala movies from the 80s
Nallavanukku Nallavan :
If someone asks me which heroine could match and sometimes even overshadow Rajinikanth’s attitude and his revered majestic screen presence , I will say Radhika’s name without even thinking for a second.
Though the Superstar is the hero , for me it was Radhika who stole the show and the chemistry between these two is what I think helped Pa. Ranjith shape up the scenes between Rajini and Eswari Rao in Kaala.
And that scene where Radhika asks Rajini to beat up those guys who teased him while he’s out to buy her the mallippoo is one of my top 10 Rajini mass moments.
Kaaki Sattai
I just imagined a Kamal Haasan version of Pokkiri at parallel while watching this movie.
(Seeing Kamal dance to that Pokkiri Pongal song in his peak years as a dancer would have been straight fire).
This is one of those 80s Kamal masala offerings that is still enjoyable to watch and the soundtrack from Raja, man!!
Jallikattu and
Paayum Puli :
I hate to use the term ” guilty pleasure” , I mean why do you wanna feel guilty while getting pleasured but if I wanna mention two movies under that category , it would be these two.
Are they trashy? Yes.
Are they entertaining? Hell Yeah.
And I think someone should do a martial arts based action movie like Paayum Puli that’s not a chore to watch ( yes , Pattas , I’m looking at ya!) and
should be directed by someone who really gets that feel and vibe of the Bruce Lee movies.
Agni Natchathiram :
Amala’s loosu ponnu act isn’t a sore point, Mr. Baddy ( enna Amala fano lol) , I liked it for what it was and atleast she isn’t as annoying as today’s loosu heroines though she’s the grandmommy of em all.
Amala ku ipo enga amma vayasu , but I became a simp for her after this!
I get more icky in those scenes where out of nowhere comes Nirosha and with a chorus ” AAAAAAAAIIII LAAAAAAAAVV UUUUUU” at the background proposes to Karthik , who looks as perplexed as me watching that play and that horrible Janagaraj comedy block.
I rewatched it some months back and I really enjoyed Mani saar’s stab at 80s masala.
Varusham 16
Thooral Ninnu Pochu :
I know they are more like romantic melodramas than masala movies , still they light me up during a bad day.
Oomai Vizhigal :
The best Tamil pulp thriller of all time.
Mr. Bharath :
Apart from Raghuvaran , the only guy who can I say was the best villain for Rajinikanth , in both real and reel life was Mr. Sathyaraj and this is a perfect example for that.
Sathyaraj in an Koffee with DD episode along with SJ Suryah called this as one of his best performances and said that he took a vow to himself that he won’t act as a villain in a Rajini movie after this and he even rejected Shankar’s offer to act in the villain role that Suman eventually played in Sivaji ( Thank God , Sathyaraj didn’t play that).
Aboorva Sagodharargal :
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vsrini
April 16, 2023
@vijay:
“not sure about the choice of these particular films..in what way did they stand out? seems like a very random list at first glance..”
The films you mentioned don’t stand out to me any more than the author’s. They seem just as random.
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Madan
April 16, 2023
Nice examples and well articulated. But I do disagree with the characterization of the 80s, specifically:
” the predominant output was mass masala films that centred around the theme of personal revenge” – Not really, other than Appu Raja, Naan Sigappu Manithan or Uyarndha Ullam, that doesn’t strike me as a dominant theme of the decade. Romantic melodramas were far more in abundance, particularly films starring either of Mohan, Prabhu or Karthik.
“. Production values were non-existent” – Harsh though not a complaint completely lacking in merit. To some extent, what you say is true but (a) even these prod values were a huge step up from the 60s and the 70s which very transparently looked like a ‘set’ and (b) even B grade directors like Sundarrajan had their moments of well shot cinema like the picturization of Thedum Kanparvai. Or Suresh Krissna. That is, one doesn’t even have to point to Mani.
“They all had a happy ending.” – Big disagree because the tragic, kadhari kadhari azharavekka ending was highly sought after in the 80s. Have you seriously forgotten about Payanangal Mudivathilai, Kanniraasi, Vaidehi Kaathirunthal, Idhaya Kovil, Anand, Idhayathai Thirudathe? Even in Naan Paadum Paadal, Ambika spurns the promise of a new life with Sivakumar to uphold the integrity of the ‘thaali’.
Aside from all this, a number of efforts by those who were dissatisfied with the status quo of the 80s helped raise the bar. In the mid-late 80s, it was Mani’s films generally, Pushpak, Appu Raja. In the early 80s, the new wave directors had their heyday so Bharathiraja, Mahendran and Balu Mahendra all made huge contributions. The one disappointing aspect was that the promise of the New Wave gave way to the much more formulaic films of the second half of the decade but as I mentioned with the above examples, even that was resisted.
More importantly, the entertainment infrastructure gave space to filmmakers to push and take risks in a mainstream format. I am not saying that that space is gone by any means now – Love Today is Exhibit A. But the star system at the top is much more entrenched now than in the 80s with detrimental effects for Tamil cinema. In the 80s, there was still a hangover of the story-driven era of the 60s and the 70s even if it was already being diluted. But this dilution was offset by films becoming bolder, less prudish and embracing more experimentation. So, overall, the 80s was a rather good decade for Tamil cinema…at least by Tamil cinema standards, which, let’s face it, has never had a phase like Holly’s 60s to 70s phase. And even Holly hasn’t had one like that since, though QT might fervently wish his films have had the opposite effect.
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Madan
April 16, 2023
“Personally, I prefer the period right before that. From 1977/8 (the years of Mullum Malarum, 16 Vayathinile & Aval Appadithan) thru the early 80s (when masala cinema finally took over).” – Right, even going a year back to Mundru Mudichu. The story driven era still held sway, augmented by new filmmakers bringing a fresh approach.
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vsrini
April 16, 2023
@Madan:
Ah yes, Moondru Mudichu is a classic. The balls on KB to kill Kamal off so early in the movie 🙂 I should have included that too. Alas, the “New Kollywood/Tamil New Wave” era was too brief unfortunately.
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hari prasad
April 16, 2023
How can you forget that climax of Kadhal Oviyam which thankfully had that Sangeetha Jaadhimullai song that prevented the scene from becoming a laughing stock?
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Madan
April 16, 2023
hari prasad: Kadavule, forgot that film! 😛
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Madan
April 16, 2023
hari prasad: Out of curiosity, is KTV your poison of choice as Sun was for me in the 90s? Sun was where I whiled away many an afternoon on blade-o-blade movies (and some really good ones t00).
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hari prasad
April 16, 2023
Yep , I have a lot of vivid memories.
My family was in a terrible financial position when I was born in 2001. Snce watching a movie inside a theatre felt like a luxury in that situation , Sun TV and KTV were like a poor man’s theatre for us.
Theatre ku pona oru ticket ku oru padam dhan paaka mudiyum but with KTV , you can watch multiple movies without tickets.
KTV and that Sun TV 6.30 World Television Premieres during Pongal / Deepavali laid the foundation for my interest and eventual love towards cinema.
I watched Anbe Sivam and Kannathil Muthamittal at KTV as a toddler and loved them though I didn’t know a damn thing on what they were talking.
I remember watching Baba on Sun TV during its premiere at 2004 Deepavali and I thought I’ve just seen the best Rajini movie ever , little did I know that he acted in much better movies than it.
I watched all these classics from the 60s ,70s like Kaasethan Kadavulada , Kalyana Parisu , Paarthal Pasi Theerum, Sumaithangi , Kudiyirundha Kovil to the 90s romantic movies of Prashanth and Vijay on KTV.
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hari prasad
April 16, 2023
I have a particularly fun memory as a kid with that Unna vida song from Virumandi.
Whenever that line ” Saagavaram keppom , andha saamiya andha saamiya” comes , I would shout “Saamy , Saamy” and fall on the floor seeking Kamal’s blessings while he was busy making love to Annalakshmi engira Abirami.
To this day , I don’t understand why I did so.
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Madan
April 17, 2023
Wow, those are indeed some memories. Trust things are better now.
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Caesium
April 17, 2023
Of these, Guru Sishiyan my favorite, hands down, as a masala / entertaining movie and Punnagai mannan for music and emotionally rich story. Of course, I saw them both much later only on KTV – which also reminds me of the endless reruns of Dharmathin Thalaivan and Guru! Fun times…
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Rahini David
April 17, 2023
It is good to know Varusham 16 can light someone up during a bad day, I keep away from that movie because of its potential to darken the mood of a good day. Lovely benign characters, lovely setting of grandparent’s house in a heavenly village, spectacular songs and then the storyteller seems unleash a rhinoceros stampede on everything. Why? I assume I would find some deep philosophical meaning to that movie if I saw it again as an adult. But as a child I was bewildered about the whole damn thing.
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Madan
April 17, 2023
Yeah, in fact Varusham 16 is yet another of those tragedies. Which begs the question why the author thinks all or even most 80s movies had happy endings.
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Raghu Narayanan
April 17, 2023
“and half a dozen other films in place of Punnagai mannan and so on..not sure about the choice of these particular films..in what way did they stand out? ”
Well, as regards the choice of the movies, I will leave it to the author. But in what way did Punnagai Mannan stand out? Boy, oh boy! did it stand out for me!!! In every damn way it was a classic, legendary, iconic movie for me. KB, Kamal, Revathi, Raja, SPB, Vairamuthu, Chitra, Vani Jeyaram, Malaysia Vasudevan….just an out of the world package. A heady mix of genius, to say the least. No matter how many times I watch it, the movie never fails to deliver goosebumps.
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Rahini David
April 17, 2023
Madan, other than Appu Raja, Naan Sigappu Manithan or Uyarndha Ullam, that doesn’t strike me as a dominant theme of the decade
Uyarndha Ullam isn’t a revenge movie at all, no?. Maybe you are thinking of some other movie staring Kamal? Oru Kaithiyin Diary, Jeeva (Satyaraj/Amala), Jallikattu (Satyaraj/Sivaji) are basically revenge movies.
Soora Samhaaram and Vetri Vizha have elements of revenge in them, no? I always saw revenge movies as almost a synonymous with action movies. And Kamal’s Vikram has Ambika killed early movie though the plot of that movie is a closed book to me.
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Madan
April 17, 2023
Interesting take on PM. Yes, a terrific assemblage of talents. But the film is less than the sum of its parts imo and hence why it doesn’t rise to the level of Salangai Oli, Nayagan or AS. A perfect film to sum up the 80s. So much potential that doesn’t quite fructify. In that sense, I hear the complaint embedded in the author’s write up. With so many forces operating at their peak in that decade – IR, Kamal, Rajni, BR, Mani, BM – it should have had many more classics than it did but as it is, falls short of what the Sivaji drama era of the 60s achieved because the films were frustratingly inconsistent.
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Madan
April 17, 2023
I confess Uyarndha Ullam was a strictly one time watch for me and that I got through with difficulty. But I recall in the second half, Kamal bounces back and avenges the villains?
I agree that there is an element of revenge in action/masala films in general. But one could equally say that about the 90s, 00s, 10s. But only a few like AS or Naan Sigappu Manithan were about a missionary pursuit of revenge. A theme that Shankar exploited endlessly in the 90s and 00s and hence why it is more apt to say THOSE were the heyday of revenge films. The Captain starrer Ramana was another. You could have literally had the same dialogues in the end with Shankar directing the film.
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hari prasad
April 17, 2023
The only scene that I remember from Uyarntha Ullam was the scene where Kamal goes to buy mangoes and his subsequent breakdown on realizing that he’s broke asf.
Even in such a crap movie like that , Kamal found a way to showcase his acting prowess.
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hari prasad
April 17, 2023
Yean Soora Samharam varaikum lam poreenga , Nayakan eh is a great example of an 80s movie having elements of revenge.
Kamal takes revenge against the cop who killed his adopted father by killing him and at the end , the cop’s son ( that “Papa mar gaya” kid) takes revenge against Kamal by shooting him on the forehead.
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Anand
April 17, 2023
I think post mid 90s with different forms of love stories is another weak period, may be extending to early 00s. 90s was saved to a great extent by Kamal’s alternating serious and comedy movies along with Mani Ratnam’s oeuvre and ARRs path breaking music.
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priyazzillionthoughts
April 17, 2023
Speaking of Sathyaraj and thrillers, I vividly remember watching the 1984 Nooravadhu Naal on VCR at a neighbour’s place. Might not have been an original but this film was quite different and new for those days. Casting Mohan in that role was clever and Satyaraj’s red jacket became iconic. The movie had a great BGM and a couple of nice songs. For quite a few months after watching the film, we siblings would get spooked by walls with a rough texture! 🙂
(I also want to forget that I had watched Saadhanai during the same period! Bah!)
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vsrini
April 17, 2023
@Caesium:
I re-watched Guru Sishyan some years ago and was surprised at how much Rajini was willing to play the comic foil (who made himself the coomplete butt of the joke) against Prabhu’s straight man. I don’t think I can name one “top masala hero” today who would let the audience laugh AT him in the same way that Rajini did in his peak (especially when there’s a younger second hero in frame with him).
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Jeeva Pitchaimani
April 17, 2023
80s were the period of Mike Mohan and T Rajendar. And of course, the rise and rise of Goundamani and Senthil combo.
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Rahini David
April 17, 2023
Uyarntha Ullam did not have a revenge arc. Though Radha Ravi and a few others can be considered antagonists and actively do selfish harmful stuff and there are the mandatory 5 fight sequences just as in any other masala movie, the movie only blames Kamal’s habits, addictions and naivety for his downfall.
It is more of a school skit than anything else. I don’t think any villain dies. Radha Ravi apologizes and all is well.
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Honest Raj
April 17, 2023
Speaking of revenge films, Enakkul Oruvan is my favourite – closely followed by Athisaya Piravi (although this is more a fantasy comedy and strictly not from the 80s). Also, we had Azhagiya Kanney, Neengal Kettavai, 24 Mani Neram, Naalai Unadhu Naal, et al.
@Hari Prasad: In Nayagan, the revenge sequences were merely plot points. The climactic portions of Sathya would be a better example.
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hari prasad
April 17, 2023
I know Nayakan isn’t a story of how Kamal killed the cop who killed his wapa and how the cop’s son plans the funeral of Kamal.
Still ,we were talking about movies from the 80s that had “elements of revenge” and Nayakan fits the bill.
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Rahini David
April 17, 2023
All pei padams fit the bill in those days.
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Honest Raj
April 17, 2023
In that case, there would be 100s of films.
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hari prasad
April 17, 2023
It’s the revenge Kamal took against the cop that sowed the seed for him becoming a do gooder dada.
Had the cop let the wapa alone , Velu bhai would have remained a smuggler till death.
So , revenge plays a small part in the bigger scheme of things in Nayakan.
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K
April 17, 2023
Visu was another important 80s actor/filmmaker
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Sam
April 18, 2023
How 80s decade of Tamil movie industry can be considered worst phase as compared to other decades, with so many great geniuses of Tamil cinema working in tandem, some at their peaks.
Speaking of 1980s, I also would like to say how the period from 1980s to mid 90s were considered a golden phase of malayalam cinema. It was just quality at its peak, especially in the script, screenplay, acting and music levels. All the stalwarts combined to give so many classics almost every month during those period. But malayalam cinema hasn’t been able to come anywhere near that period after late 90s.
The period from 2010s to current has seen a definite high increase in quality of films compared to 2000s (which was the absolute worst period for malayalam film industry quality wise), but still its nothing compared to the 80s,90s mostly because of the lack of visionary script writers and losing many great actors (and some others passing their prime).
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Srinivas R
April 19, 2023
Any discussion of 80s Tamil cinema shud have at least a foot note reference to Vijayakanth imo. He was the first mainstream hero to be open to Film institute students which was a precursor to trained technicians entering the industry and the subsequent route of short films to make movies. Oomaivizhigal, Captain Prabhakaran, pulanvisaranai were very diff movies from the regular template, though they fit well in the mainstream.
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hari prasad
April 19, 2023
Baddy used to feel that today’s commercial movies don’t have the same finesse in terms of making that these movies like Pulan Visaranai , Oomai Vizhigal , Suriyan and Oomai Vizhigal had.
Till Vaanathaipola , Vijayakanth was doing really good though he looked buffed up and unnaturally pale with those make-up.
It was in Vallarasu , his debut home production where he became ” Gaptun” , became a troll material , ditched Liyakhat Ali Khan and Ibrahim Rawther that led to his eventual downfall in fame and health.
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Madan
April 19, 2023
I think Captain Mama was already appearing in films like Dharma (yes, I watched and survived it – with the 100000 repetitions of the line Iru Kangal Poradhu). The slide began in the 90s notwithstanding better outings like Chinna Gounder.
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hari prasad
April 19, 2023
Still he was considered a serious threat to Rajini and Kamal , he did those series of good cop flicks in the 90s like Chatriyan (which today’s kids know as Vijay’s Theri) , Captain Prabhakaran, Sethupathi IPS , Honest Raj , Ulavuthurai (where he fought a shark) and balanced them with rural subjects that had him play a faction leader like Chinna Gounder , Sakkarai Devan , Kannu Pada Poguthayya.
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hari prasad
April 19, 2023
If I remember correctly , Chinna Gounder beat Rajini’s Mannan , Sathyaraj’s Rickshaw Mama and Prashanth’s Vanna Vanna Pookal to become the Pongal Winner and the biggest blockbuster of 1992.
Rajini came back strong with Annamalai , but his happiness was short-lived as Kamal dropped Thevar Magan at Deepavali and he beat Rajini’s Pandian , Vijayakanth’s Kaviya Thalaivan , Bhagyaraj’s Raasukutty , Prabhu’s Senthamizh Paattu and Sathyaraj’s Mrs.Palanisamy to become the biggest hit of ’92.
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MANK
April 19, 2023
1985-1995 is truly the “Easy Riders-Raging Bulls” period of Malayalam cinema. this was also Mohanlal’s golden phase as well. The decline of Malayalam cinema is directly linked to the decline of Mohanlal, the actor.
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Aman Basha
April 19, 2023
@MANK: But wouldn’t that completely negate the entire new Wave in Malayalam today? Sure, it may not be 1985-95 level good, but Mohanlal has been on his spree of delivering one atrocious movie after the other while Malayalam cinema has become synonymous with quality across the urban Indian streaming audience.
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Aman Basha
April 19, 2023
80s supremacy.
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Madan
April 19, 2023
“Still he was considered a serious threat to Rajini and Kamal , he did those series of good cop flicks in the 90s like Chatriyan” – That was up to 93-94 or so. Arjun and Sarathkumar began to fill up the nermayana inspector slot. Sarathkumar segued into the rural roles that Vijaykanth did (also Napoleon and Livingstone to a lesser extent). By mid 90s, Captain wasn’t the force he used to be. Films like Ramana and Engal Anna revived his fortunes for a while.
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Madan
April 19, 2023
My favourite Captain performance is actually Nooravadhu Naal. Very controlled performance that makes his later (esp 90s onwards) work look cartoonish. Mike Mohan did well in a rare villainous turn and ofc I have to mention Satyaraj. But the real star of the show was Raja with his BGM; he did his darndest to elevate the movie (or what you’d THINK it was if you just heard the score) to a Morricone-DePalma collaboration. In fairness to Manivannan, he did put together a taut, racy film, only that its production values lagged behind.
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hari prasad
April 19, 2023
I like the score of 24 Mani Neram more
This was Raja on acid!
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Madan
April 19, 2023
Oh, there are so many that way – Sigappu Rojakkal, Vidiyumvarai Karthirunthen, Tik Tik Tik, Moodupani. Raja loved composing for thrillers, clearly. OK, he did fabulous work for dramas like MR, Nenjathai Killathe or rural films like Mudhal Mariyadhai as well. But thrillers gave him max space to aspire to emulate his Hollywood idols and almost entirely jettison Indian music-based themes.
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hari prasad
April 19, 2023
And we get to listen more of the psychedelic funk lord Raja in these movies.
BTW , the Aruvadai Naal BGM is my fav Raja romantic score.
Had Raja composed the score for Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa , it would have sounded something like this.
The BGM starts at 0:35
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Madan
April 19, 2023
“And we get to listen more of the psychedelic funk lord Raja in these movies.” – Word! So rarely do I hear somebody else pick up on the funk aspect of Raja’s music, exactly how amazeballs it is!
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hari prasad
April 19, 2023
I’m more a fan of this jolly side of Raja than the typical tabla , chorus , strings section aruvaamanai songs that he did during the heydays of Ramarajan.
Netru Indha Neram from Tik Tik Tik , Solla Solla Enna Perumai from Ellam Inba Mayam , Appan Pecha Kettavan Yaaru from Soorakottai Singakutty , Ada Machamulla Machan from Chinna Veedu , Paattu Inge from Poovizhi Vaasalile , Paattuku Paattu from Athisaya Piravi , that Yengudhe Manam portion that precedes the Thottathile Party Katti song and Enakkutha from Velaikaran are some of my favorites.
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hari prasad
April 19, 2023
Speaking of Ramarajan , I really like that Athi Marakili song from Paattukku Naan Adimai , which would be the last song you would associate with him.
This was like a cool and energetic sibling to the more serious Annan Enna Thambi Enna song from Dharmadurai.
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Madan
April 19, 2023
I was going to mention Ennakutha and you beat me to it, lol! Man, when that reggae break comes outta nowhere in the second interlude! Raja Rani Jackie, Vaanengum, Vaa Vaa Pakkam Vaa, Athadi Allikodi (only the intro, groove and first interlude) are some of my other funkadelic Raja favourites. Also Hello Guru from Nirnayam. Among many others. Heh, time was when I would skip right past Vaa Vaa Pakkam Vaa or Poomalai and listen to only Rathiriyil Poothirukkum from Thanga Magan. But nowadays I can hardly remember when I last heard Rathiriyil, but Vaa Vaa/Poomalai? Bring it on. Oh, another one – Hey Maina from Maveeran.
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hari prasad
April 19, 2023
Chittu Kuruvi Vekka Padudhu from Chinna Veedu gives me dejavu of Pattu Kannam because of the similar sounding scale but Raja made sure that Chittu Kuruvi doesn’t sound like a lazy ripoff of Pattu Kanam with his arrangements and I really liked the bass from this song , such a trippy one.
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hari prasad
April 20, 2023
Despite Ilayaraaja trying to emulate T. Rajendar with that jumjimkumjum beatboxing which ngl often gets me , Oororama Aathu Pakkam from Idhaya Kovil is one song that I liked more for its exciting arrangements than the vocals.
Another addition to the Jolly Raja songs!
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vsrini
April 20, 2023
Madan & Hari Prasad:
Kudos to you gents for that back-and-forth. It was a joy to read & now I have some great recos to listen too.
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Madan
April 20, 2023
vsrini: Glad you’re enjoying them. There are plenty more, really.
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Sam
April 28, 2023
@Aman Basha.. Though you addressed MANK, i would like to share my views on that.
The so called new wave of present Malayalam cinema would hardly be a patch on the golden era of 80s to mid 90s.
Taking an analogical equivalence of the quality of malayalam film industry with test cricket, that mid 1980s to mid 1990s period would be having a Bradman level batting average of 100 (what one would call God-level or GOAT level for cricket). But by the start of 2000s, the average would have fallen off a steep cliff and would barely touch even a paltry poor 15. Then only by about 2012, it would again rise to a good quality level average of 40 and more. Since then, malayalam film industry may have been mostly maintaining that respectable average in the range of 40-45. But even in the best of the years since then (post 2012) it wouldn’t have gone to a level of, say, more than 45 average. Compare that to the golden years when average would have been a gloriously mighty 100.
And as MANK said Mohanlal’s graph in terms of choosing quality films resembles malayalam cinema’s graph, but that is mostly till the current new wave beginning in around 2012. Since then, though he was part of maybe 2 or 3 great films like Drishyam and some occassional humongous blockbusters, yet he hasnt been really part of those so called new age/wave directors’ works so far. But thankfully that is happening with Lalettan joining Lijo Jose Pellissery in his next prestigious project Malaikottai Valiban.
But that said, he is still by far the biggest superstar in the industry, obvious by the fact that though he has his own share of disasters, even the biggest blockbusters of malayalam cinema today (with other stars) are hardly able to collect even half of what the last Industry Hit movie of Mohanlal which released in 2016, i.e Pulimurugan, collected.
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hari prasad
May 8, 2023
Kamal Haasan shared his 70 favorite movies of all time
https://www.hindustantimes.com/interactives/kamal-hassan-70-movies/?fbclid=PAAaaWXuYHLMYeYPqhq2rfF-Xy517o6ioOLFNUZc0VQCBICXsz1IHycA9-lE8
P.S : He curated this list back in 2017
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hari prasad
June 2, 2023
Add this to the jolly funk songs of Raja that we discussed here.
Enough of the Kaattumallis already!
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