And it’s 21 years, folks! Or as a friend told me, “Imagine all the useful things you could have done with your life if you’d not had to watch all those bad movies.” Heh, yes, perspective and all that — but I would not have it any other way. Thank you, thank you, thank you all!
The picture below, I hope, is an accurate representation of me while reviewing the debut film of Ananya Panday’s kid, much to the delight of some commenters here.
*****
When I completed 15 years, I wrote a piece. Read the full article on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/southern-lights-baradwaj-rangan-on-fifteen-years-as-critic/
In which I look back at the time I started out as a film critic, 15 years ago, what it’s like now, and a few things in between.
On January 30, 2003, my first review was published – that makes it 15 years this week. The film was Dum, made when Vivek Oberoi was a thing, when Yana Gupta was a thing. (Remember Babuji zara dheere chalo?) Unlike today, when online is the place to be in order to get noticed, it wasn’t such a sure thing then. I put my articles and reviews on my blog, mostly as a sort of portfolio, and things just happened. Through no planning of mine, I became one of the first “internet generation” critics, along with writers like Raja Sen and Jai Arjun Singh. The critics before us had established themselves through the print medium. They were the big names in the newspapers and magazines. We were among the first who developed a following largely through the online community.
This isn’t a nostalgia piece – though I’d say I’m entitled to one. It’s just that I got thinking about how different the scene is today. My first review was published in The Economic Times – Madras Plus supplement. (The other writer on the cinema beat was Samanth Subramanian, who, eventually, ditched plans of being a film critic and went on to greater international glories .) But it was at The New Sunday Express that I began to be widely read. I’d watch a film on Friday, jot down thoughts that evening, write the review all of Saturday, and send it in by Saturday evening, so it could appear on the Sunday paper.
My job description is the same today (except that I review many more non-Tamil, non-Hindi films), but the way I do it couldn’t be more different. I watch a movie, jot down thoughts soon after, write the review and send it in, all in a matter of hours. We’ve heard the saying, “Journalism is literature in a hurry.” Today, it’s more than that. It’s literature with a ticking clock and a gun to the head. I feel lucky I was able to make a mark in slower times. I don’t know what I’d do if I were starting out today, with the constant awareness of eyeballs and clicks, the constant pressure to be the first one out with the review.
Continued at the link above.
Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.
Rahini David
February 1, 2018
My puns aren’t for all tastes, but I stand by them. They were great. I loved them.
It’s fun going through old reviews. Yep. This is my all time favorite.
“When Rajini took eons after the collapse of Baba to decide on his next project, it appeared he was really concerned about what he’d play next, but who’d have guessed he’d play Parthiban? Parthiban, in case you haven’t been following a certain kind of Tamil film, has perfected quite a comic routine with frequent costar Vadivelu, the kind that makes you smile simply by seeing them appear together, even before they’ve uttered a single line. That’s what Rajini is made to do in Chandramukhi”
And congratulations. 🙂
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MANK
February 1, 2018
congrats! brangan, so i have been reading you for 15 years now
i dont remember the exact moment when i became aware of your voice – which is definitely a distinct voice in the sea of reviews that i was reading at the time in several newspapers and magazines.
was it the Kamal piece that you wrote right after the flopping of anbe sivam? ,-where you compared it with super successful dhool and how and why it flopped – and state of Kamal’s career at the time which mirrored my thoughts exactly – i hope you wrote that
Or was it the review of a riya sen film – think it was Qayamat, where you described Riya’s expressions and body language in a song sequence being, as if she is subjected to a favorite bedroom activity whose name rhymes with moral checks ( – which i am damn sure you wrote it , now that i am familiar with your voice 🙂 )
Anyway , it was one of those moments that hooked me on to you and i have stayed with you ever since. it been a long journey with you brangan – practically growing from a boy into a man with your reviews – and enjoyed every moment of it ,and hopefully, there will be many many more years of togetherness 🙂
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Madan
February 1, 2018
I can totally relate to the part where you said now you have to think about including the names of stars in the headline. I used to write regularly on cricket for a cricket website and I had come up with an article which argued that looking at just the 99.94 avg to crown Bradman the greatest ever is flawed. The editor changed my headline completely such that its implication was that Sachin is greater than Bradman. The small bunch of regular readers that I did have we’re aghast and I explained to them that it was not my headline. The editor came to know about this and was like how dare you, you can’t discuss all this in public. 😀
Loved the HR-Darth Vader comparison! 😀
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vinjk
February 1, 2018
I don’t really remember how I found your blog. Through another blog called Passion For Cinema, I guess. Anyway, it’s been, and continues to be, a wonderful and enriching ride for us readers. Congrats!
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Shankar
February 1, 2018
Aap ka suroor is one of my favorites, the entire review is such a joy ride!😄
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Madan
February 1, 2018
Congrats on the 15th anniversary. sheesh, main pointaye vittuten.
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Shankar
February 1, 2018
Congrats on completing 15 years da, you have come a long way since your bold decision. Remember, this is still only the beginning….you are here to stay, for a long long time! Best wishes! And if I may borrow the famous Onida tag line….Critic’s envy, a friend’s pride!
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Jai
February 1, 2018
Many Congratulations, BR 👍🏼Have been following your reviews on this blog for 7 years then ☺ The first review of yours I read over here was Band Baaja Baraat, and I was hooked. ☺ I still remember being bowled over by those lines of yours, about Shruti’s angst when she realizes Bittu doesn’t reciprocate her feelings for him.
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GODZ
February 1, 2018
@BR..Honestly..You are really one Unique Writer. Many Create Blogs to make their voice heard. But I guess yours is the only blog that gives others to Express their voice. This space is like sapling field for any writers . What I like more than you reviews is that Almost “Rajput” Ritual of reading every comments and involving yourself into each and every thread. For me, I see you as someones who inspires 100’s if not 1000’s of people to write something and express their ideas and thought. In this digital age where reading and writing is becoming almost extinct, thats really something. Congratulations and Continue to inspire both the born and unborn Writers.. 🙂
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silverambrosia
February 1, 2018
I loved many of the puns as well. ‘Ghost ghost na raha’ haha! To say that you’re a fantastic and wonderfully witty writer is stating the obvious. Thank you for the many laughs and thought provoking pieces you’ve given us over the years 😃
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Ratish Ravindran
February 1, 2018
Congratulations BR!
Like all legends in their chosen field you have managed to reinvent yourself and adapt to changing times. I am sure you will be the first one to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) augmented media and Live streaming videos in future for film reviews.
Wishing you many more years as a film critic. Though i hope that your next avatar is that of a filmmaker – à la Truffaut.
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niviblog
February 1, 2018
The first time I remembered reading your reviews was when you were with the Indian Express ( the Sunday supplement carried your reviews if I’m not wrong). It had a cartoon of you next to your articles. I was probably in the 7th or 8th grade back then, and I could never really comprehend your reviews, but I remember thinking that you were really catty and that no movie could impress you 😀 Cut to 2013, I discovered your blog and devoured pretty much all your reviews. My favourite reviews of bad films are All in all azhagu raja and Alex Pandian. You were Savage! Congratulations BR!
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Nivaz
February 1, 2018
Congratz :)))
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Ashwin
February 1, 2018
Congratulations BR! Keep rocking. I think at some point you should think about organizing meets up for your readers to get together with you in person, discuss and debate movies.
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tonks
February 1, 2018
But I cannot deny that my current job with Film Companion is amazing, because earlier I was in newspapers where cinema was one of the many things covered while, here, it’s all about cinema. From someone who used to write in the print media and then put up those articles online, I am now employed by a publication that’s entirely online. It’s the future, I hear.
Congrats!
I found the ending of this write up a little abrupt. I’d have been really interested to know in more detail about how the film companion job is more interesting than the one with the paper.
I happened to discover today a term for people who have a huge blog following : “Influencer”.
View at Medium.com
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Sriram G
February 1, 2018
Congratulations BR. May you keep writing more and more. I am already an addict for your writings (Reviews and what not!).
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Upnworld
February 1, 2018
You are my favourite movie critic when it comes to Indian movies (not that your takes on other movies are any less..) I’m happy that a film reviewer like you holds court in India (with the proclamations of course free to fly into and ensconce in any part of the world, which they have indubitably done over the years). I have been reading your reviews for close to a decade now, and it is gratifying that your style and technique haven’t been sacrificed at the altar of useless editors. I particularly liked the way you reviewed Varma’s “Sarkar 3” – the movie was different and called for a different kind of a review – and you provided exactly that. Many other critics responded with anger, but there was no anger in your review, only a wise, even wizened amusement. It is so hard to write a movie review without the proforma-format and you practise that art so well. You mentioned Roger Ebert (Oh God, I miss him so much) being business-like in his write-ups but even in his limited-word-count reviews from the 1970s he could be so free flowing – I think that’s what audiences liked so much about him. His review of “Taal” is a tangential masterpiece. And for me, a lot of what he represents lives on in your writings (not flattering you, there’s no need to) – there’s the same personalized perspective and often a stunning humanist insight which I had overlooked in the movie. Here’s wishing an outstanding writer and reviewer like you decades more of illuminating writing. Thank you for being there… Tc
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Anuja Chandramouli
February 1, 2018
Congrats BR! Since we are remembering old reviews how about this one: It was from the Unnale Unnale about Sada’s perpetual expression throughout the film seeming to indicate that she had walked into a particular nasty cloud of flatulence #Rofl 😂😂
Wishing you the very best!! Shine on saar!
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Vikram S
February 1, 2018
Hi BR, congratulations on the super journey so far… I have been a regular reader from your Indian Express days, The Hindu, bitty ruminations, bullet point reviews, your foray into video, your books…
Look forward to reading more from you (as I have said earlier, the badder the movie the better your review :-))
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brangan
February 1, 2018
Thank you all, dear readers.
And especially to Ramki Bellur, for the coin he designed for the occasion 🙂
Have put it up in this post.
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Vivek narain
February 1, 2018
An adventurer lives on impulse, riding the crest of life only because he takes the wave in the split second where others hesitate. ~L.Charteris. That Darth Vader reference remimds me of the ‘mandela effect’ discussions where we had this contentious issue of the line: Luke I am your father vs No I am your father. Wonder what you remember.
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Anu Warrier
February 1, 2018
I stumbled upon your blog some time in the mid-to-late 2000s. I think you were blogging on Desi something or the other? I remember going through your archives, devouring every word you wrote.
Despite our very stark disagreements on some topics, and my vocal reservations about some of your recent moves, I have enjoyed your writing, and it is that that brings me back, again and again.
I must also thank you for providing a platform where a bunch of disparate people can passionately debate, discuss, argue over films and related topics.
Rock on! Wishing you all the very best.
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sanjana
February 1, 2018
Hearty congrats on your fabulous journey so far. And best wishes for the future journey too.
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Rahul
February 1, 2018
Congrats BR!
The first article that I came across is this one
And it is still one of my favorites.
And Ramki Bellur rocks!
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Arun Pradeep
February 1, 2018
Congrats BR! You’re a godsend for the Tamil movie industry (I think critics, especially a major critic like you, are part of the industry) and we’re lucky we have you. While it would be wrong to label you a Tamil film critic, as your writing covers a much wider range, we’re super glad someone like you wrties on Tamil films.
Like Mammooty would say, “Unakku avangellam irukkaanga. Enakku nee mattum thaana da irukka!” 😛
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Vidya Ramesh
February 1, 2018
Congratulations on the 15 yrs BR..your words have kept so many of us company on so many days ,thank you for being you! My favourite one is the Zanjeer review. I read it repeatedly over a week and loved it everytime! And the loosu ponnu bits..from I don’t know which movie though. They were hilarious.
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Shalini
February 1, 2018
So my main takeaway from this piece is that you’re old and by association as a long-time reader, so am I. Thanks, Sunshine! Anyway, congratulations and…thank you. Fifteen years on, nothing quite equals reading your writing on a motion picture.
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Rajesh
February 1, 2018
Greetings BR! I loved your review. I read your review to understand cinema better, to improve my (reading) comprehension, to improve my writing (in a structured away and also densely) and of course to save money by avoiding some movies
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AB
February 1, 2018
Congratulations, BR! I am not a movie buff but your awesome writing and interactive comments section have kept me hooked for several years now. Wishing you many more successes and may you never stop writing. Cheers!
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Krish
February 2, 2018
Congratulations BR!
A few years back I read a fantastic long form essay about Vikram on The Caravan. I raved about that article to everyone, but did not know who the author was and didn’t bother to check 😛
Thankfully a couple of months later while talking to a friend about Dhobhi Ghat, he pointed me to your review. I enjoyed your writing and review as much as the movie: hearing a quartet and extrapolating in one’s mind as to how an orchestra would sound. I have stuck around ever since then.
Wishing you many more years of writing about films and hopefully for films 😉
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Jayram
February 2, 2018
I used to frequent on IMDB and read people like Roger Ebert, AO Scott and Wesley Morris for my movie fix. Alhough I knew about Mani Ratnam and watched so much Indian cinema in Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, I read the beginning of CWMR and was stunned. I realized my knowledge of Mani Ratnam was so miniscule compared to you because I wasn’t there at the time though I could relate to it. I didn’t even know about your blog until I read your review of OK Kanmani 2 years back.
From that point onwards, I can proudly say I am hooked on BR. I have read almost all your reviews from 2003 to today and I find them to be educative, enlightening, hilarious and full of love for movies. I don’t think I am even 1% close to you in knowledge and writing about movies.
Thanks for improving my vocabulary and my Indian cinema history and knowledge. And I would like to thank you for introducing me to a brilliant community of readers whose perspective on life, history, movies, music and the rest have shaped me into becoming more tolerant and less judgmental of others. Unlike many people here, this blog has made me less nostalgic, because to me there is no perfect period for Indian cinema and music; each decade (whether it’s the 40s, 50s, 60s until today) has its greatness and shittiness intertwined.
Congratulations on the 15 years and I wish you all the success! Please keep up the great work!
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vinjk
February 2, 2018
After going through the comments, I got a bit curious as to when did I first visit your blog (not sure whether it was wordpress then). As per my Google web history, it was April 27, 2010 that I google searched your name for the first time.
This is one link (it doesnt work now) I visited around that time:
https://www.bitsaa.org/news/20414/2007-Baradwaj-Rangan-Baddy-bags-National-Film-Awards-for-Best-Film-Cri.htm
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KayKay
February 2, 2018
Bravo, B Man! Like the best Porn Stars (male), you’ve demonstrated awe-inspiring vigor, stamina and endurance in your chosen field.
Not for you the flaccid prose of hacks who read like all their research came from production notes (This actor very awesome, and his shirt ripping will make audience clap and whistle, meesic ok with 2 nice dance numbers other songs not very good, photography give us nice color and foreign shooting also make the feast for the eye. This movie will do amazing business in A,B and C centres. This movie is paisa vasool).
No sir, you’ve got a raging hard on for penetrative analysis, and while you occasionally tease us with just the tip…of your insight, most times, you’re plunging headlong, with deep thrusts into….a movie’s subtext, it’s motivations, agenda and craft, never stopping until you locate that sweet, sweet spot inside my…brain which then opens up in delightful comprehension as it then goes ” Oh! Oh! Yes! Yes! Dear God! THAT’S what I was looking for. That precise word or sentence to describe what I felt about a particular scene or performance which I was struggling to articulate!”
I’ve had the odd niggle or 2 about you finishing a little early or abruptly, but most times you climax at just the right moment, with a last squirt of punctilious puns and wanton witticisms.
So keep banging away….at that keyboard, dear B, and here’s a toast (my morning Bru held aloft) to another 15 years of always rising to the occasion!
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brangan
February 2, 2018
KayKay: Every time you drop by, I think of this four-letter word ending with “uck.”
I mean “luck,” of course. I consider myself fortunate that my readers are still around.
Do, uh… come more frequently though. 😀
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Anuja Chandramouli
February 2, 2018
I love when KayKay and BR go at it like raging bulls. It makes for stimulating and arousing… sorry rousing conversation. You boys are the undisputed Kings of Kink! May your reign endure and shower us with all things pleasurable.
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Anu Warrier
February 2, 2018
@Double Kay and BR, weeping softly (Whether because I’m laughing helplessly or because I’m shocked, shocked! – I leave it to you to decipher.)
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Vivek narain
February 2, 2018
It could even be duck or yuck or suck or muck, depends on which friday you are in. There are many, as per white queen, the original proponent of ‘many worlds interpretation’ before Hugh Everett-3 was even born.
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Venky Ramachandran
February 2, 2018
Ah When did I stumble upon this blog? Blogical Conclusion days. Around 2007-8. I had a penchant for long, difficult and lonely words and I had then started to blog online, and lo behold, I came across this damn good writer who flaunted those beautiful ornaments as proudly as a Tambrahm mami showing off her diamond necklace in arupathumoovar. I was clearly gobsmacked, and I remember writing an email with feverish excitement back then that I so badly wanted to meet you whereever you are in Besant Nagar. You were perhaps taken aback and declined the offer, and said something vague like, let’s catch up for drinks sometime. I was writing a Travelogue about Mylapore, back then, and without knowing how bad a writer I was then, you graciously offered to find me an editor.
And then, few years later, I met you in flesh form for that animated film with wolf and some stick figures. Although I had no interest in that film, I landed up there because I learned you were going to have a dialogue about the film with the director. It was a rainy night in Chennai, and I vividly remember how you warmed the cockles of my heart by sending me a message in FB asking if I reached home safely after the discussion.
I was thrilled to every fibre of my being, when I saw your first book with MR, and for a long long time, you have been a household name in my friend and family circles. Even my wife who hates to read writers who use difficult words in sentences has started reading your reviews. My wife and I have regular arguments about whether we pay heed to “baingan”‘s reviews ( that’s how my wife calls you) in our decision to go to all kinds of movies, including many Malayalam ones, which we went to, purely based on your reviews. My dear friend, Prasanth Vijay, whose film Summer of Miracles was screened in MAMI Indian Story section, shared all the photos post-screening in our friends group, just because it had “baingan” in them.
If you happen to visit Hyderabad, you are most welcome home Baddy! I know I’ve occasionally commented here in these spaces. But you have no clue how much your writing journey has meant to me in my self-journey as a writer, as a consultant ( for a brief while, i began to see my phenomenological consulting work analyzing startups and corporations akin to a critic analyzing a film in all its glorious shades and depth), as a cinephile, and now as a story teller. Thank you ! May you write more and more and delight us!!
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edwardssammy
February 2, 2018
Hi Baddy saar, you might not recognize me as I very rarely comment here, but I have been following you since 2007. As a teenager who loved ‘No Smoking’, I couldn’t find anyone who didn’t hate the film, except you who loved that movie. Since then I have been reading your reviews every weekend. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for providing merriment throughout these years. Even now, whenever I feel depressed, I read your reviews of the bad movies, my favourite being the ‘Shakalaka Boom Boom’ one, to cheer up.
Once again, congratulations on a wonderful 15 years, and I hope (rather selfishly of course) that I get to read a lot more wonderful pieces by you for a long time to come.
Cheers!
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sriramv
February 2, 2018
Prabho! Baddy vaal! All aseervaadams!
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Bharathi Raja
February 2, 2018
Congrats BR. I have been a fan of your writing and following this blog like a ritual everyday. Best part is reading the comments after your reviews. You certainly rock in new online avatars with no nonsense honest reviews. Thanks for taking the plunge 15 yrs back as there are lots of silent spectators like me who look forward to your works every single day. Best wishes.
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"Original" venkatesh
February 2, 2018
15 years eh ., Congrats BR.
And i still remember the days when you were blogging with someone else.
Do you have all your writings stored somewhere and online ?
Would be fun to go through it.
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sridharraman
February 2, 2018
Wow! Tremendous achievement!
I still remember what hooked me on to you. You were reviewing some movie on Shahjahan starring Kabir Bedi and Zulfi Sayed. And this was your comment on the latter (I paraphrase): “Zulfi Sayed looks so underwhelming that, forget the Taj Mahal, one can’t see him building a two-bedroom flat for his lover.”
Congrats!
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Oliver
February 2, 2018
Congrats BR 🙂 I have watched many movies after reading your reviews.You help me identify cinema in movies. Keep writing.
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Maru
February 2, 2018
It’s one of those “where were you when it happened” moments and you’ve totally earned it brangan, give yourself 3 pats on the back for 15 years of excellence. I think I’ve followed your online work from the very beginning thru myriad site changes until you got here. As fabulous as your writing is I’ve always felt that your singular achievement is nurturing this community of passionate and engaged film lovers. It is entirely to your credit that every voice is respected and allowed to breathe. Here’s to the next fantastic 15!
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KayKay
February 2, 2018
“May your reign endure and shower us with all things pleasurable”
Oh, my dear Anuja, if I was Kubera I’d shower all of you with gold. Ah yes, I’d drench everyone in my Golden Shower.
“Do, uh… come more frequently though”
I’ll try B, but at my age, it tends to take awhile….what with the crazy hours at the office and all…..
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chhotesaab
February 2, 2018
Congratulations Brady urf Badesaab urf Baradwaj !! Can’t believe it has been 15 years since your 1st published review !
Can’t wait for 15 more years of your amazing insights reviewing films. BTW, I loved your puns and wished you would bring them back.
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leol
February 2, 2018
Congrats BR! And thank you. Following your reviews for years. I generally save movies you say were good and after I watch the movie months or years later comeback and read your review in full. Wherever you go please keep updating your wordpress blog. And I must say I quite enjoy your video interviews too.
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threeisariot
February 3, 2018
Congrats BR! How to make friends go for a movie with you? Tell them “BR loved it”
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Karthik
February 3, 2018
Congratulations BR! My fridays are incomplete without reading one of your reviews. Good luck for the next 15 and more…
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Sifter
February 4, 2018
Unlike most that commented here, i am a recent frequenter of you blog after having found it during my Dedh Ishkqa days.
Agree, disagree, or agree to disagree – – your style of writing made me stay.
Congratulations Mr. BR and may you keep writing/regaling/entertaining/engaging/inspiring/enticing long, interesting, at times long -winded discussions for many more years to come.
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Kay
February 5, 2018
Congrats, BR!
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Rahini David
June 12, 2018
Somehow I missed this in spite of it having a trackback on this page.
Good one by Ramki.
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Rocky
October 4, 2018
Congratulations BR..
•Anupama Chopra, Rajeev Masand, Bhardwaj Rangan, and other film critics for a Film Critics Guild
•This noted panel thrives to foster a better understanding of cinema by nurturing qualitative film criticism and elevate the standard of Indian cinema
https://www.republicworld.com/entertainment-news/bollywood-news/heres-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-film-critics-guild
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Sutheesh Kumar
October 4, 2018
Congratulations BR, for the successful fifteen years, getting your own fan website and also for the Film Critics Guild.
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brangan
January 31, 2019
So it’s now 16 years as a film critic. Hmmmm 🙂
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Anuja Chandramouli
January 31, 2019
Congratulations BR! Eppo treatu?
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TambiDude
January 31, 2019
BR: Congrats. When did you move to India? Was it 2003.
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Anand Raghavan
January 31, 2019
At a time
when reviews were just few and far,
and excruciatingly low was the bar,
yours’ came as a whiff of fresh air
Our hearts offered it a special chair
Congratulations BR.
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Madan
January 31, 2019
Congrats. The years roll by but BR saar remains the evergreen source of wonderful reviews.
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lakshmi
January 30, 2021
Eighteen years, and counting…
Congratulations, BR 🙂
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brangan
January 30, 2021
lakshmi: Thank you so much. I knew you’d remember 🙂
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Madan
January 30, 2021
Congrats BR!
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H. Prasanna
January 30, 2021
@BR Thank you!
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Shyamala Harigovind
January 30, 2021
Congratulations Sir! I fondly remember those days when me and my brother would eagerly wait for your reviews (which used to be published on ‘The Hindu’ supplements), sometimes even after watching ‘first day first show’, wanting to read your take on the movie. 🙂
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Satya
January 30, 2021
I watched Piku in a late night show at Bangalore and was somehow clueless. Then my friend, a reader of your blog, shared your review, and I thought you saw the film like no one else did – that’s how my journey began here following this blog.
Since the beginning, I could understand many things about filmmaking, thanks to your and my fellow readers’ writings. For once, I saw a critic who didn’t hate masala cinema or mistaked it for the dull hero-centric crowdpleasers. Someone who wished to see good in every bad film, even if it was the size of a raspberry in a heap full of onions. Also, you seemed to be the only one I know who could fearlessly rip Christopher Nolan’s excesses (still would love to read your thoughts on Tenet, which I believe is one of his most ambitious work till date).
Not to forget the Readers’ write in – There is G Waugh (okay, Jeeva), whose write-ups are so diverse and in contrary to what one usually expects here, Madan who seems to have knowledge on many fields out there, and of course the regulars MANK, Anu, Rahini, Kay, Tonks and Anuja (whose book ‘Yama’s Lieutenant’ I read recently). I used to read all you guys post and comment (even argue) but never replied. Don’t mistake me for a stalker – I simply didn’t had an interest to comment back then.
Last year, however, I have started commenting here regularly. And and looking forward to your reviews and the conversations with my fellow readers and commentators. Congratulations and wishing you the best of the times ahead.
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Ruminating Aesthete
January 30, 2021
Dear BR,
I have been reading your essays and reviews since The Hindu days. I never agreed with you on everything, but I have always loved your arguments. It might sound a bit over the top when I say that you have shaped my taste; your essays did have a considerable effect on my outlook. In fiction or nonfiction, the writer’s ambitions are not always apparent. When you read the same author time and again their aspirations are more accessible. This creates another layer to the whole reading experience.
Film essayists, critics, film academicians and historians have an important role in the 21st century; they critique the foremost art form of this era. We live in a time when words are turning into mere precursors for the audio-visual. Establishing oneself as a writer with a huge following, in any genre, is no easy job. BR your achievement’s magnitude is significant: a source of light beckoning all the intent wordsmiths, encouraging us to scale (or to at least try out) literature’s professional ladder.
A good critic conveys his opinion on a piece of art; a great one teases out the sociopolitical contexts that influenced the artist to create art in the first place. You are obviously the latter.
Thanks
Kannan Baskar
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Naren
January 30, 2021
Congratulations BR!!!
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Voldemort
January 30, 2021
Congratulations saar!
18 down, 82 more!
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Voldemort
January 30, 2021
Today, I’d write the headline in a more direct manner: “A spirit enters the world of humans in an evocative love story that succeeds more often than not.” I’d probably end up thinking I need to add the stars’ names in there, so that the review will show up better on a Google search. The headline would become: “Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji shine in an evocative love story.”
Love your earlier headlines.
An interview with Thamarai was titled “Lotus Notes”
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rmahalik
January 30, 2021
Congratulations BR. Don’t recollect when I stumbled across your blog, I have been reading your reviews in print though, but a regular visitor post the first hit. Thanks to your reviews, got to watch great movies normally I would have missed.
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Cathy Cooper
January 30, 2021
Congratulations BR! I read the first Tamil review of my life on your blog – Singham back in 2010. I loved the review so much that I had to watch the movie. There has been no looking back since then, this is the place I visit for movie reviews, very interesting discourses and of late the readers write in. Thank you for this wonderful platform and wish you many more successes here and in FC. Yours are the only Indian cinema related interviews I ever watch. Nothing personal, I am more of a written word person, but you have converted me almost…Three cheers to a phenomenal writer and a preeminent Indian cinema “influencer”!
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Nimmi Rangaswamy
January 30, 2021
Congratulations BR! such a wonderful journey- I am reminded of what you wrote about Pari – “Kathir gives an extraordinary physical performance, but in close-ups, he takes us into Pari’s soul…” It’s such a feeling to watch a great film and get back to your review for those ‘close-ups into the soul of a movie’- The recent bunch of reviews and interviews on Master are extraordinary- especially for spotlighting Lokesh K… and many many movies actors and makers in the 18 years. Your blog is a master class of movie appreciation! Looking forward to decades of delectable writing…
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Yajiv
January 30, 2021
Congrats BR! That’s some serious staying power. Love all the work you’ve done thus far and looking forward to the next eighteen years! In BR we trust indeed! “I believe in Baddy Rangan” would be my Harvey Dent-esque slogan for you.
Also, is it me or does BR look a bit like Kitty in the coin side profile?
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Eswar
January 30, 2021
Congratulations, BR. 🙇♂️
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jewelsofsayuri
January 30, 2021
I remember grabbing a copy of The Hindu to read your reviews before anyone could touch the paper. I was eager to know not what you think about a film but how you articulate your thoughts. When they stopped publishing your reviews, I was really disappointed until I found your blog via a random search. Ever since then I have been a regular reader (though I may not comment very often). Congratulations and I look forward to many more years of reading your writing.
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Venkat Ramanan
January 31, 2021
Congrats on completing 15 years BR sir. Sometimes I love your reviews, sometimes I hate it, no matter what, I always come here to read your opinion. I have learned a lot about cinema from your reviews. Thanks a lot! 🙂
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krishikari
January 31, 2021
Congratulations BR! I found your blog about 7 or 8 years ago I think, possibly after reading Beth Loves Bollywood and then, not really knowing i was looking for an Indian critic who takes Indian cinema seriously, I went down a few rabbit holes and found this amazing blog. Thanks for all the serious pieces and thanks even more for the not so serious ones. 🙂
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brangan
January 31, 2021
Thanks, all. Big hug (the English meaning, not the Hindi one) 🙂
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Tina
January 31, 2021
Sir, you’ve single handedly enriched the cinema experience and possibly taught a number of people like me to know how much there is to this medium.
You’ve certainly been resilient! And to choose and stay in this niche area is nothing short of a lifetime achievement 🙂
Thank you!
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Anu Warrier
January 31, 2021
Congrats, BR, and may your shadow never grow less. 🙂
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gnanaozhi
January 31, 2021
As a 80’s kid who was into movies from childhood, before you, Kamath or Sen came onto the online scene, the Hindu Friday supplement was our only window for English lang reviews (Vikatan iirc has been a legend in this for decades now but in Tamil)
The movies that released were mostly insipid (nothing really changes I guess) but the Hindu Friday review would usually have 2-3 reviews. Eng, Tamil, Hindi for the most part.
You could then scavange very short reviews from the likes of India Today, Outlook and Debonair at times.
That was it.
And the scene today? Any one movie will have a 100 different reviews.
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Kay
January 31, 2021
Congrats, BR! Wish you many more years of writing.
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Berlin
January 31, 2021
Here’s to another 18 years of inimitable film writing. Congrats BR!
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Kaveri
February 1, 2021
I am confused. The post is on FC is from 2018 and the initial comments too. So this is a “repost”…?
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niviblog
February 2, 2021
I remember reading your reviews in Indian Express when I was probably in 6th or 7th grade in school. I couldn’t comprehend much because of my limited vocabulary then. I don’t remember exactly when 8 stumbled upon your blog, but one of my favourite pastimes is going through the archives of all the old interviews and reviews. Gautam menon interviews are my favourite – especially the one where he himself commented and got into an argument with somebody called Vijay (I think) 😁
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Sanjay Chaparala
February 2, 2021
niviblog- Can’t remember where is that post? Could you type the link? Thanks.
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Chhotesaab
February 4, 2021
Hi Brady/Badesaab
Congrats on 15 years as a reviewer. The best reviewer. The comments on this blog, especially for this post, has to be the validation of that. People remembering how and when they started following your blog, remembering their favorite post/review. I do wish you had more time to review the movies like you did earlier. And also, I loved the pun filled headlines from the past ……
Praying for many more years of this.
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theeversriram
February 5, 2021
Congratulations 🎉👏 I remember reading you from Indian express days.
Any links to old reviews like Chandramukhi or Anniyan? Don’t think they are in this blog.
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Jayram
February 5, 2021
@theeversriram, here you go:
Anniyan: https://web.archive.org/web/20050628014314/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/
Chandramukhi: https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2005/04/21/review-mumbai-xpress-chandramukhi/
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bart
February 6, 2021
ah, a late visit. As you turn 18+, aptly that A-class exchange with double kay was bang for my buck, or l should say, luck.. With your extended outreach now through social / national media you sure would penetrate more corners of the world and hoist the BR flag across and make us proud. Cheerz.
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brangan
February 6, 2021
Thank you, bart. I didn’t expect this at all. But it’s these spurts of encouragement that keep me coming — I mean, going. As I age, I expect to encounter some dysfunction in this profession, but I think a trip to Delhi, via Agra, should fix that. Thanks again.
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FuriAce
February 9, 2021
Congratulations BR. I don’t remember how or when (probably circa 2005) I stumbled on to your blog. Probably searching for a specific movie review. I was hooked from the start, went back and read all your older ones and eagerly waited for the next. I was always interested in movies and had forums I enjoyed reading for their specific insights into Hollywood movies. Yours was the first (and still my only) to do that for Indian movies and I’ve been a fan since.
I enjoy your style of writing, command of the language and subject and the humor is on point (at least for me). I’ve also noticed that I tend to agree with your reviews and viewpoints which often makes it a “decider” on if I want to spend time on a movie. Its become such a routine, that while deciding to watch a new movie (online), my wife now asks ” what did your guy have to say about it” !
The comment section has also become a must read and I enjoy all the comments from the usual suspects.
Best wishes for many more years.
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lakshmi
January 30, 2023
Congratulations, BR.
I hope you have plans for Dispatches From the Wall Corner – Part 2
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Ashwin Kumar
January 30, 2023
Hearty congratulations BR ! Our North Star of film appreciation ❤️ . To many more years…
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nimmiR
January 30, 2023
Many Many Congratulations BR! 20 years gone by so quickly!!! To many many more years of reading fabulous reviews
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Jayram
January 30, 2023
Congrats on 20 years, BR! To many more years.
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hari prasad
January 30, 2023
Baddy , today I’ve found a lot of your rarest Easy Journal blog posts like your music reviews of Ilayaraja’s Thiruvasagam , Mumbai Express , Anniyan and your pre release Anniyan interview with Shankar , why didn’t you transfer them to WordPress?
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Caesium
January 30, 2023
Congrats BR on T20 (titillating 20)..
Haven’t seen much of that side of yours, that’s on display in this comments thread.. 😂
Any midcareer blues? Or cruising along to greatness?
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Rahini David
January 30, 2023
Congratulations BR.
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abishekspeare
January 30, 2023
BR is one person who’s been at it for 20 years and still reviews like a non-boomer, always ahead of his time and relevant
I learnt english from him, especially what the word ‘generic’ means, perhaps I could even say i learnt so much about life from him. I’ve grown up with (and in) this blog with amazing and smart people , I started as a 12 year old commenting stuff like “sir what is your favorite film” , now its been ten years and BR hasn’t changed a bit. Everything from his language style to his hair style has been the same
Give us at least 20 more years of this, I want to see 70-year old BR pissed, bashing a bad movie
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Jeeva Pitchaimani
January 30, 2023
I am sure at the end of twice the same period, by 2043 BR will be a national cultural figure and a Padma Shri or a Vibhushan would be something that he would go on to receive at least twice in his lifetime. And by becoming so, he must probably be the first film critic to make headlines and become a household name! I hope we have a Baradwaj Rangan Street or a Ranganabad by 2100 somewhere in India!
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tamil thanos
January 30, 2023
I asked ChatGPT to compose a poem for you on this occasion and I think it did a pretty good job –
Oh, film critic of India, your words do delight,
Bringing insight and humor, with each review in sight.
Twenty years in this profession, so rich and so vast,
Your passion for cinema truly built to last.
With each flick you critique, with a pen in your hand,
Your words do inspire, a true critic so grand.
A master of the art, you bring to life the tale,
With thoughtful critique, your words never stale.
A storyteller of sorts, in a world of its own,
Bringing laughter and tears, in a world so unknown.
From Kollywood to Bollywood, you’ve seen it all,
And shared it with us, as you stand tall.
So here’s to 20 years, in this journey so bright,
May you continue to inspire, with each review in sight.
And may your words bring joy, to film lovers of all,
For you are the voice, that echoes through the hall.
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brangan
January 30, 2023
tamil thanos: OMFG. Thank you. 🙂
But that is at once so Wordsworth-ian and so… scary!!!! I must try out this thing.
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Voldemort
January 30, 2023
Congratulations on 20 years BR, I’m glad I found your blog. This probably sounds exaggerated, but I really feel like I have grown so much as a person, ever since I stumbled upon this blog. It’s a goldmine of wonderful content and one of my most favourite places on the Internet. That you still remain so committed to your work, constantly try new things (YouTube, Spotify), and most importantly, hold on to your unique voice without once resorting to clickbait and sensationalism is very inspiring. You have changed the face of film journalism in India and I’m sure you will have a huge impact on every upcoming film critic or filmmaker in the years to come. Jai BR!
….today I’ve found a lot of your rarest Easy Journal blog posts like your music reviews
Hari Prasad: Can you please share the links to these wonderful old posts? Thanks !
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brangan
January 30, 2023
About those EasyJournal posts, very old-timers may remember me shifting my blog from one host to another before landing on WordPress.
So when I did a carry-over (an option where the host says all older files will be brought over), I guess some posts got left behind at EasyJournal and Blogspot.
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Yossarian
January 30, 2023
Congratulations BR!
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Voldemort
January 30, 2023
On a related note, this channel has short clips from the Medai event that BR did. Not sure if it’s been posted already.
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hari prasad
January 30, 2023
Yes , give me a minute.
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hari prasad
January 30, 2023
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/Pf7mhtIby7o/m/zTtXbl1daicJ
Baddy’s thoughts on Shankar’s Boys…
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MANK
January 30, 2023
Congrats Brangan on completing 20 years.
Totally agree with what you said about Thallumaala in that video. It’s truly original and mind-blowing. the most exhilarating cinematic experience I had last year. Another film to watch is Ajagajantharam- brilliant fight choreography there as well.
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Macaulay Perapulla
January 30, 2023
Happy anniversary BR. Fondly remember some of your easy journal days, followed by blogical conclusion days. You had also one of those review dialogue experiments with Samanth if my memory serves right.
Thank you for showing
– reviews can be an earnest inquiry into the dharma of cinema
– reviews can be a passionate plea to see cinema as Art
Your writings have made me write better and be a kinder person. It has opened new vistas! Can’t wait to see what new experiments you are going to do this year and coming forward.:)
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Anand Raghavan
January 30, 2023
Congratulations BR , from the days of trying to see what marks a movie has been awarded by Ananda Vikatan to trying to understand if the movie has done what it set out to achieve, add to it learning a bit on how to appreciate a cinema , it’s a growth for us readers too. Keep going on !!
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hari prasad
January 30, 2023
Baddy’s Anniyan review:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050628014314/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/
His thoughts on the grand success of Chandramukhi:
https://web.archive.org/web/20051206091625/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2571475
His interview with Bala post Pithamagan:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060520145653/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2340539
His review of Ajith’s Attagasam
https://web.archive.org/web/20130809162224/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2340548
An article on Rekha:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060520151618/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2306559
Some Arre O Sambar columns:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060503135225/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2759707
https://web.archive.org/web/20060426160550/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2829017
https://web.archive.org/web/20060426201811/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2811887
https://web.archive.org/web/20051214171837/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2698262
https://web.archive.org/web/20051222012546/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2685430
https://web.archive.org/web/20070709010226/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2638686
https://web.archive.org/web/20060301093840/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2596995
His lecture on Mani’s Iruvar..
https://web.archive.org/web/20060503135205/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2778669
His overall view about the movies released in 2005:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060503135535/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2783938
A special article to commemorate 5 years of the launch of the new Indian Express where Baddy discusses his 5 favorite movies from the early 2000s:
https://web.archive.org/web/20051222001328/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2706469
Anniyan pre release with Shankar:
https://web.archive.org/web/20070709005656/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2555439
Something about Star Wars:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060810120357/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2571474
Music review of Mumbai Express:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050508032652/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2522158
His review of Suriya’s Mayavi:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050904212410/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2485742
His music review of Chandramukhi:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050924075319/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=1167382
An article about Casino Royale 2006’s announcement without the reveal of the new Bond (which eventually was Daniel Craig):
https://web.archive.org/web/20050506181134/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2459626
His review of Kal Ho Naa Ho:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060519030412/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=1346784
His view on movies released in 2003:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060519030219/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=1447034
An article about the problems Tamil cinema faced creatively in 2003 and some of them still resonates:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060519030207/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=1830997
His review of the infamous Big B – Katrina Kaif movie Boom:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060518154722/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=1543661
Baghban:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060518154711/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=1523042
Koi Mil Gaya:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060518151846/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=1416351
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hari prasad
January 30, 2023
https://web.archive.org/web/20060421022445/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2865525
His review of Pattiyal and Seeman’s Thambi..
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Akhilan
January 30, 2023
Late to the party, but many congratulations BR!! I’m so glad I bumped into your blog all those years ago, which I believe was back in 2014 for your Lingaa review. Ever since, you have served as an inspiration to me, particularly through your writing. Wishing you many more years of success, good health, and happiness.
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bart
January 30, 2023
Congratulations on a great journey sofar, BR! Toddling one to Trending twenty. The best part of the journey has been the way you’ve kept up with the changing tastes and forms. Keep it going for long!
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hari prasad
January 30, 2023
What are your favorite pre title sequences of all time , BR and others?
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Vikram s
January 30, 2023
Congratulations BR and well played. As someone following your writing from your Indian Express days, I feel proud of how you have expanded your horizon continuously and included newer forms of media & communication. And in the process my own horizons, when it comes to viewing a film, have also expanded. I will say what I had said here in the past- I read everything you write and I get inputs as though I am attending a film appreciation class. I might not agree fully with every piece of your writing but then that is also part of the process (as you have said in the past when it came to giving star ratings, how your review is your response to a film and might not be agreeable to all etc). As I keep up (barely) with your frenetic pace, I am happy to have been one of the flock. Very happy for the 20 years and here’s wishing you many such milestones in the future.
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Severus Snape
January 30, 2023
Congratulations BR and thank you for maintaining this blog despite changing platforms and exploring new ways to reach out to newer audiences. I hope you host another zoom meet; I missed the last one.
I wonder if you are on Reddit; there was this amusing comment about one of your Instagram posts(the Criticus Indicus one):
“BR is that nalla mama you have who makes uncle jokes but you smile because he’s a good guy.”
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hari prasad
January 30, 2023
I agree with that uncle thing..
BR often gives me that ” chinna mama ” vibes , a character who understand our feelings and guide us for a great future and at the same time he’s also a guy with whom you can crack jokes and have fun with him , something that Vivek often gives me whenever I watch his comedy scenes…
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Srinivas R
January 30, 2023
Congrats BR!! A truly unique writer. I took some time to warm up to the “digital” version of BR, but I am loving the interviews now. Thank you also for providing this space to rant abut all things cinema and life. Long may it continue.
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sravishanker1401gmailcom
January 30, 2023
@SeverusSnape – Maybe we should caption this “Attices beside Citricus Indicus”
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sravishanker1401gmailcom
January 30, 2023
We used to get Time magazine in our school and my friend and I despaired of ever having movie reviews of the same calibre written by an Indian critic. That changed when BR entered the scene and how! True we had to wait a decade and ahlf more but the wait was worth it.
Thanks to BR – the first cartoon of mine ever published in a public forum was this blog!
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sravishanker1401gmailcom
January 30, 2023
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sravishanker1401gmailcom
January 30, 2023
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sravishanker1401gmailcom
January 30, 2023
Great fix to see KayKay and BR going hammer and tongs at each other
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Karthik
January 30, 2023
Congratulations BR! Longevity is one thing, but to be at the very top for that long in the midst of a rapidly evolving media space, is just phenomenal! Here’s to twenty more years, and then some…
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Naren
January 30, 2023
Congratulations BR.
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abishekspeare
January 30, 2023
On this occasion, remembering my grand father who saw the word ‘sex’ on The Hindu thanks to BR, and said ‘indha Baradwaj Rangan oru Badawa Rascal’
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sravishanker1401gmailcom
January 30, 2023
@abishekspeare – Was that intentional ? Both have initials B & R
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Eswar
January 30, 2023
So, you are not a teenager anymore 😀
Congratulations, BR. Thanks for everything.
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Rocky
January 30, 2023
Congratulations BR on 20 years of- BR mein hai “DUM”
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Anu Warrier
January 31, 2023
Well-deserved, BR. And here’s wishing you several more years of writing, video reviews, podcasts – and whatever else the future brings.
Thanks for all the years of reading, arguing, agreeing, disagreeing… it’s been a great ride. 🙂
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ANotSoAnnoyedFan
January 31, 2023
Congratulations BR! Here is to another 20 years!
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brangan
January 31, 2023
abishekspeare: In other words, I’m a boomer who doesn’t act like a boomer. Awww. Gee, thanks 😛
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sravishanker1401gmailcom
January 31, 2023
In the spirit of KayKay I should have said “Hammer and THongs”
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Madan
January 31, 2023
In 2019, Roger ALMOST won a slam twenty years after his debut. So with your twenty year milestone, we can safely say you are the Roger Federer of Indian film critics.
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hari prasad
January 31, 2023
BR , someone here asked the links of your old Easy Journal articles and I’ve posted them here but I can’t able to see them here…
Did the comment got deleted as a spam or what?
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brangan
January 31, 2023
hari prasad: It went to spam. It had too many links, I think that’s why… You should be able to see it now.
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apala
January 31, 2023
Congratulation BR!
Thanks for those great review literature and trying to teaching me how to “see” a film along the way (still not there!)………….wishing you many many more decades!
Thanks!
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Voldemort
February 1, 2023
Thank you for the links, hariprasad. Really appreciate the time and effort
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Madan
February 1, 2023
hariprasad: Thanks a ton for compiling the links of these old reviews.
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Enna koduka sir pera
February 1, 2023
Best wishes for many more years of this! And, thanks for giving us something interesting to read, watch and listen to for 20 years – it is truly commendable!
I would love to read about your experiences in transitioning back from the US to India (and into a new career) and facing any reverse culture shock.. That would be an interesting read.
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Sudha
February 1, 2023
Congrats on 20 years BR. I’ve been following you for more than a decade now. You made me think about a lot of poignant behind the scene aspects of filmmaking, like the role of a screenwriter and a director for example. Staging a scene, writing engaging dialogues, subtext of a scene and many more to list here. You did all that while also making me chuckle frequently.
I am a big fan of your “bad film” reviews. In fact I learn a lot from those reviews than the reviews of good films. Initially, I was very skeptical about your move to YouTube, but you proved me wrong and still prove me wrong with every single round table, analysis and wide angle. Just your interview with Rima Das alone makes the whole thing worth it. I downloaded that particular video and saved it in my computer to re-watch whenever I please.
Here is to many more happy years!
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KayKay
February 1, 2023
BR’s penetrative insights continue to stand proud and erect amidst a sea of flaccid prose and limp analysis, and possessing such vigor even after 20 years is no mean feat. Here’s to another 20 years of pumping….out amazing writing and absorbing videos. Another 20 years of hard grinding…to weed out the chaff that covers much of filmic discussions these days. Another 20 years of vigorously thrusting….your way to the core of what makes a film, or celebrity tick.
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Anuja Chandramouli
February 1, 2023
Congratulations BR!! It is no mean feat and I wish you the very best for a brilliant future.
And KayKay, every time I see your name in the comments section, I smile in anticipation and then when I read your comments, I smile harder.
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hari prasad
February 1, 2023
I’ve found more of Baddy’s supposedly never seen before articles today
Baddy’s movie review of Veyil , GV Prakash’s debut:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100703091943/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3200526
Music review of Sillunu oru Kadhal:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060825074710/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3049695
Movie review of Sillunu oru Kadhal , which I think was the first time ever BR ranted about a Tamil movie:
https://web.archive.org/web/20070713074653/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3086746
Music review of Mani’s Guru:
https://web.archive.org/web/20061201094226/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3167273
An article on John Lennon :
https://web.archive.org/web/20051222013327/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=1182092
Review of RGV’s Sarkar:
https://web.archive.org/web/20080208223432/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2611529
Review of Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050513142801/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2547225
An article on the dude who created the first Indian languages based search engine:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050420081739/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2487502
Review of SLB’s Black , a movie which he really liked which I assume from the review:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050904182310/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2447302
Baddy , is Black still your fav SLB movie?
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hari prasad
February 1, 2023
And Baddy , I’ve posted more links of some of your older reviews today, so before it goes to spam , please bring the comment back…
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MANK
February 1, 2023
Hari Prasad, not to undermine the good job you are doing, but a lot of these reviews are present on this site itself
Black
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hari prasad
February 1, 2023
I saw the Black review being here in this blog some hours ago…
And I’m pretty sure I saw the music review of Guru here too…
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apala
February 1, 2023
Dear BR,
Congratulations on the achievement. Wishing you many many more………..Thanks for all the wonderful writing which entertained and enlightened us through the years.
(Note: For some reason my comments not pushing through – don’t know why!! :-))
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KayKay
February 1, 2023
Thanks Anuja! From a writer of books I’ve found extremely entertaining, that’s high praise indeed!
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Voldemort
February 1, 2023
…..matter custard, dripping from a dead dog’s eye… It’s as close as you’ll get to an acid trip without tripping out on acid yourself.
Wow, the John Lennon piece is so good. More music reviews please!
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Voldemort
February 1, 2023
……the case of Tere bina. This is a breathtakingly beautiful composition that describes life without a loved one, and this thought is elevated by a typically Gulzarian metaphor: beswaadi ratiyaan, flavourless nights. Here’s the hero, envisioning (in Rahman’s soaring vocals) the emptiness that would result in the absence of his woman, and you want the jaggedness of the emotion to linger – but the pat, persistent dum tara refrain (which, as a line of music, is admittedly lovely) keeps dragging the song back into a neutral comfort zone. I felt this even more when Chinmayee began to sing, her voice apparently laden with the collective weight of the world’s romantic longing. She’s so magnificent, you can’t help asking of Rahman: Why settle for merely caressing the heart when there’s potential in the song to pierce the soul
Brilliantly put!
The music reviews of Guru and Silunu Oru Kadhal are breathtakingly beautiful and too precious to lie on the easyjournal site unnoticed. Please publish them again here on the WordPress site, if possible.
LikeLiked by 2 people
arunspradeep
February 2, 2023
What a wonderful achievement. Congrats on being the best writer on cinema in India and all the best for the future. Your words and observations on cinema are intertwined with so many of our generation from the 80s and 90s.
Looking at your more recent avatars, such as video and podcasting, it reminds me of Conan O’Brien’s quip when he launched his own podcast: “Every time they try to get rid of me, I come back in a smaller format!”
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musical v
February 2, 2023
Belated congratulations and best wishes. The next milestone will be 25 years. Another 5 years of endless entertainment till 25 years silver jubilee celebrations start. Hope we will have good music, good music directors along with good films.
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hari prasad
February 2, 2023
The music review of Guru is here at this blog while the Sillunu oru Kadhal music review isn’t..
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brangan
February 2, 2023
Added some cartoons by the always-kind Ramki Bellur, a few memories of the Mani Ratnam book launch, a reminder (thanks to Iswarya) that one of my essays has made it to a book, and a funny meme 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Madan
February 2, 2023
I had just one qualm with the Guru review. That I do think Barso Re is hooky as hell. Yeah it moves at lightning speed but the main melodic motif is catchy alright. It was a big, big hit and I would say it harked back to his late 90s form.
LikeLiked by 1 person
bellurramki
February 2, 2023
Dear BR,
Have made a separate blog – posting all the cartoons, memes and designs made in your honor! Have enjoyed creating these !
Inviting all BR fans and followers to visit this blog adda called ‘Brangan’s Fan’!
https://brangansfan.wordpress.com/
Visiting here and reading the comments has become my way of life.
Thank you all for occupying BR-verse and making BR’s Ulagam so rich.
Regards and wish you the best
Ramki Bellur
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Kay
February 2, 2023
Many congratulations, BR!!
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Madan
February 2, 2023
ramki: Those memes are fab, thanks for sharing!
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Madan
February 4, 2023
I revisited Sillunu Oru Kadhal album after reading the review and I don’t know who else thinks this but it hasn’t aged too well. For me, the title track and Munbe Vaa were the winners from the album even before the revisit and that didn’t change (though I also like the arrangement Shreya is using now in live renditions of Munbe more than Rahman’s trap heavy mix). The other songs had very interesting ideas drowned a bit by too much going on in the arrangement. I haven’t felt this before with Rahman in general and with any other album of this.
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Jay S
February 11, 2023
Congratulations BR ! Too bad I have not been living in India the last 20 years and hence missed all your newspaper debut and reviews. I am very positive I found you while searching for new interesting content related to Kamal. I think you had written a piece about a fan (you) meeting the star, KH ( in a book release event). You had hair 🙂
Going back to not living in India, I have no patience for the mutual back scratching contest that Indian work ethics entail, or the derivative nature of creative output that is the mainstay of entertainment consumption. Youtube channels follow trends just as movies follow trends and it is just 1 big infinite loop of recycled content with a few refreshing pauses of authentic creative moments. You have been more than a pause – you have created a career parallel to the loop with your own ethics that is true to that of your job – a reviewer and a movie buff- not a star promoter, not an audience panderer like most other reviewers define their roles.
I am not sure I follow all your reviews. But I do seek out to touch base with the human who wrote them. Humans who work in the system and yet try to rise above it are perennially interesting long past the sell by date of their product.
Keep up the good work and looking forward to continuing the debate with you on Love today and thiruchittrambalam 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
bellurramki
February 11, 2023
Madan & Bart: Thank you.
Have added another post today:
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hari prasad
April 10, 2023
Here’s more of Baddy’s supposedly never seen before reviews that I unearthed just now
His review of Vasool Raja MBBS:
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/RcZpNda0VAI/m/FzWebw1LIT8J
Khakee , one of Baddy’s most favorite Indhee padam:
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/poN_nVliAw0/m/VFv466d7WHEJ
Virumandi:
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/R7BTwCeMiV4/m/2GoU0cmCwvgJ
Jaani Dushman – Ek Anokhi Kahaani :
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/hCSRhJ_4Nak/m/R9xQxvQCa3sJ
Khushi :
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/b7cED0uzD0E/m/vpqEyuiORAQJ
A discussion on the 2003 Filmfare Awards:
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/V_v9nvl1Pk8/m/yorkeAdLmEkJ
Veer-Zaara:
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/w98gk5mAb5Q/m/B4ftJvX-NUoJ
Govind Nihalani’s Dev:
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/9rkZQdVkHNM/m/8zDc5TYgPBAJ
Deewaar 2004:
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/2-7XjQDY42M/m/RWAzK5K-zfoJ
Meenaxi : Tale of 3 Cities:
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/8oH_AuWk4Vg/m/etxEVRYxupUJ
Baddy’s 2 cents on Kaakha Kaakha that I think helped our Jai find his Veeru in GVM:
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/KWDhGWW_HHY/m/I29nZE1Rvj8J
His 2 cents on Kadhal Konden:
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/FHLRynlwKgM/m/f6YsDNga7GQJ
Attagasam:
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/PDsrpbV5iCQ/m/-0593Y2sZMoJ
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hari prasad
April 10, 2023
Baddy , again I posted the links some of your lost reviews , can you please bring them back from the spam folder?
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Rocky
April 10, 2023
Gems from just one thread posted by Hari: Thank you Hari Bhai.
BR:
BTW, quick quiz: which were the three films/actresses that caused a
sensation around the same time for baring their breasts?
easy one. Year 1985
>
After Tarzan was released, Kitu Gidwani (I think it was her) gave an
interview
saying that she was originally offered the role, but she declined because
she
would never be able to walk in the streets, knowing that many people had
seen her breasts. Kimi Katkar retorted “What breasts ?”
(Kitu Gidwani was flatchested).
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hari prasad
April 10, 2023
And here’s another one :
Baddy’s review of Run ( sadly , the Abhishek one) :
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.movies.local.indian/c/eh25tv0m4_o/m/V_7gSQHMQYEJ
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hari prasad
July 9, 2023
More of Baddy’s lost gems:
His thoughts on the North remaking Southern movies , a much relevant topic and how gold is portrayed in Indian cinema :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060520151049/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=1167342
An article on Anju Bobby George and about the ads that came during the 2003 Cricket World Cup:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060520151354/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=1293379
An article on big stars , small movies :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060520151434/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2133351
Baddy having a conversation with his rational and superstitious selves following the Indian Cricket team’s poor performance in the 2004 Asia Cup and him thinking of a horror script along the lines of RGV’s Bhoot :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060520151409/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=1380396
Review of some horror movie named Vaastu Shastra :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060520151630/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2310262
Review of Jawani Deewani and 15 Park Avenue:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060426202113/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2797432
Interview with Pedro Soler and Zubin Mehta:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060426202009/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2776382
Baddy trying his best to find the evolution of the phrase ” Happy New Year” , his thoughts about video jockeys and watching TV after a long time :
https://web.archive.org/web/20050504203005/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2340585
Baddy sharing his 2004 Tsunami experience and watching a cricket match on the big screen at Besant Nagar Beach in 2003 :
https://web.archive.org/web/20050503184503/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=1293367
Review of a Biblical soft porn flick named Sins:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050326124012/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2471659
Interview with cinematographer Randy Rathnavelu:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050924223737/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2487514
Review of My Brother Nikil :
https://web.archive.org/web/20050818045123/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2522148
Baddy interviews some people who left their profession to pursue their passion :
https://web.archive.org/web/20050507035508/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2522130
Review of Lord Bobby’s Tango Charlie :
https://web.archive.org/web/20050905103547/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2487486
An Arre O Sambar column :
https://web.archive.org/web/20070709010226/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2638686
Review of Apaharan:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060503135500/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2761331
Review of Bhagam Bhag :
https://web.archive.org/web/20070709005935/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3215743
An interview with TM Krishna and Sangeetha Sivakumar :
https://web.archive.org/web/20070703164636/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3191900
Interview with Om Puri :
https://web.archive.org/web/20061201093501/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3157835
Valentines Day 2006 Special :
https://web.archive.org/web/20061201094202/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3148671
Music review of Mozart Meets India :
https://web.archive.org/web/20070213163642/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3085498
Review of Lage Raho Munnabhai :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060916014335/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3065800
Reviews of Woh Lamhe and Jai Santoshi Maa:
https://web.archive.org/web/20071109071023/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3104292
Baddy finding reasons on why MN Shyamalan’s Lady in the Water flopped :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060824164811/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3049701
Interviews with Aparna Sen and Govind Nihalani :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060827023757/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2958054
Baddy shares his experience on getting an Ayurvedic treatment in Kerala and a Goa trip :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060824164759/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2956477
Reviews of Shwet and Corporate :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060911144808/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=3002396
Reviews of Chup Chupke and Phir Hera Pheri (just scroll down since you have read his review for Krrish) :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060831222055/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2962854
Music reviews of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Fanaa :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060831073017/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2917969
Baddy shares his favorite dad moments in Bollywood from each decade :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060812043518/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2973035
Something about the Da Vinci Code movie and American TV Dramas :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060812025633/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2960776
Reviews: Tathastu / Tom, Dick and Harry :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060812043438/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2936858
Reviews: 36 China Town / Humko Deewana Kar Gaye
https://web.archive.org/web/20060814062705/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2910709
East-meets-West: Been there, done that? / A short story becomes a musical CD
https://web.archive.org/web/20060620025718/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2847587
Interview with Priyadarshan :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060620025704/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2835995
Celebrity Advertising in India :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060620025538/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2873544
Baddy’s review of F**** C*** :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060620021645/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2852540
Reviews of Aksar and Holiday :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060620021656/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2840339
Reviews: Family – Ties of Blood / Zinda (the Oldboy unofficial remake) :
https://web.archive.org/web/20060620153219/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2805520
Reviews of Shikar and Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi :
(As a self confessed gaming fan , I thank you Baddy , for that pun on Mortal Kombat)
https://web.archive.org/web/20060620153208/http://brangan.easyjournal.com/entry.aspx?eid=2787508
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hari prasad
July 9, 2023
Baddy , I’ve posted links of some of your lost articles , interviews and reviews.
Can you please retrieve them back from the spam folder?
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Sri Prabhuram
January 30, 2024
Congratulations on 21 years of your profession, BR. Your passion and dedication towards your love of cinema will always be respected by me regardless of our differences in opinion. Keep it up, sir. 🫡
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lakshmi
January 30, 2024
Congratulations, BR.
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Caesium
January 30, 2024
Counting down
10. Breakdowns
9. BReakneck
8. BReakups
7. BRiefed
6. BRewer
5. BRisk
4. BRow
3. BRo
2. BR 😎
Cheers to 21 and beyond!
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Rocky
January 30, 2024
Re. The picture below, I hope, is an accurate representation of me while reviewing the debut film of Ananya Panday’s kid, much to the delight of some commenters here.
Ha ha ha ha , LMAO !!
Wah kya reverse trolling hai.
Congratulations BR , keep reviewing , interviewing , rocking, writing and acting!!
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soorya N
January 30, 2024
hi Baddy, A very hearty congratulations to you for your successful twenty one years.
i was not that much fluent in English till 10th grade, but one day, I was just scrolling the YouTube and find a man who is speaking English fast and using some terms which was new to me .
I forget you few years … But your English was remembering to me and was trying to speak like how you are ….
Years passed…. Finally, Now, I am able to speak a language known as “English” and still learning from you …..
Heartful Thanks 👍🙏
LikeLiked by 1 person
Karthik
January 30, 2024
Congratulations, BR! Now that you’re twenty one and all, can we hope to see some drunken reviews?
LikeLiked by 1 person
kaizokukeshav
January 30, 2024
Was that old pic created with FaceApp ?
LikeLiked by 1 person
hari
January 30, 2024
Congrats BRo, as someone who have been reading your “blogs” since 2003, I wish you keep rocking for the next series of 21 years
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Madan
January 30, 2024
Congrats BR! And to Karthik’s suggestion, I’d drink to that!
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Rajesh A
January 30, 2024
Congrats. I believe, I am reading you for almost 13+ years now. Learnt a lot. thankfully avoided a lot. saved tons of time. have almost 100-150 movies to watch. not in hurry.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yajiv
January 30, 2024
Congrats BR on 21 years! I’ve literally grown up with your writing and it’s definitely had a huge impact on a lot of us and the way we view cinema. Here’s to 21 more years 🙂
BTW this ‘old’ profile pic reminds me of the “Baddy for Daddy/Zaddy” meme that some of your Gen Z female fans tried to popularise on Twitter a few years ago 😉
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MANK
January 30, 2024
Waqt kahan badalta hai, woh sirf guzarta hai….
How time flies…. it only seems yesterday I started reading you …
Congrats Brangan!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rajesh
January 30, 2024
Congratulations BR. Thank you for everything. Your reviews, views and interviews have become a part of my life. Thank you.
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Isai
January 30, 2024
Congratulations BR. I have learnt a lot about cinema from your writings and about myself through your blog. Thank You!
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mvky
January 30, 2024
21 years. It is like seeing one’s kid reaching 21 years. It must be a sort of roller coaster ride! A thrilling ride carrying with you all your admirers and others too. Carry on boss. A bunch of fresh flowers and congrats to you.
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Aravind Nadarajan
January 30, 2024
Congratulations BR! Been a mostly silent reader of this blog from 2007. Started with the wonderful – “Maniratnam-Madras Male” article and have been hooked on ever since. Hope you continue writing/reviewing and hope more people learn to appreciate the movies as you do. Cheers!
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Severus Snape
January 30, 2024
Congratulations BR! And thank you for the blog; the articles, archives and the comments are an indispensable part of my life now
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Sai Madhusudanan
January 30, 2024
Huge fan of you Baddy, before you realise your mistake of including my 15min fame amala youtube comment on your 21 years post and remove it, i will take printout and frame it.
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ravenus1
January 30, 2024
“The picture below, I hope, is an accurate representation of me while reviewing the debut film of Ananya Panday’s kid, much to the delight of some commenters here.”
Desperately trying to thinking of suitable synonym to ‘Nepotism’, having already used it several times in the piece 😀
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Santa
January 30, 2024
Congratulations BR sir! I can truly say I have learnt a lot about film and film appreciation by reading your reviews and the insightful comments of regular readers.
I distinctly remember the first review of yours that I read 14 years ago, which was that of Vivaah. Up until then, I was not fan of the Sooraj Barjatya school of film making and am in a minority who found HAHK boring, and Hum Saath Saath Hain even more so. And so, I had no plans of seeing Vivaah when it released. Most of the reviews I had glanced through had been quite critical of the movie, but the one that stuck in my mind was Raja Sen’s which came across as rather mean-spirited. Fast-forward a few months, and on one really boring evening, I somehow stumbled upon Vivaah and started watching it with every intent of shutting it off in 10 mins. To my own surprise, I not only sat through it but ended up actually liking it somewhat. I decided to search if any other reviewer had anything kind to say about the movie, and one such Google search directed me to your review. And what struck me was not just that I found myself nodding in agreement with your observations, not even your brilliant prose, but with how much care and professionalism the review had been written. Other well-known film critics (Khalid Mohammed, Rajiv Masand, etc.) always gave me the impression of being rather vicious and personal in their criticism; seemingly with an axe to grind, or with an intent to prove their intellectual superiority. But with you, your love for the cinematic form just shone through your writings every time, so that even when you had something critical to say about a movie, the criticism was delivered with grace, humility, and with actual reasons explaining your thinking. Another thing I absolutely loved was your not engaging in the highly reductive activity of assigning a star rating.
So, thank you for sharing your work with us readers, and for giving us a space to engage with other cine-lovers. Any wishing you many, many more years of writing! Cheers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gayathri IYER
January 30, 2024
just read through this cutesy article. Many congratulations and to many more decades to come. And the pics you have posted, you must this really organised person to be collecting your own memes 😂
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Rahini David
January 30, 2024
Just thought I would go through BR’s efficiency tips after Gayathri’s comment.
Happy 21+ , BR
LikeLiked by 3 people
Mayur Panchamia
January 30, 2024
congratulations
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Raghu Narayanan
January 30, 2024
Congratulations BR! 21 Not Out! Have a great year 22…and still a lot more to come for sure.
Cheers!!!
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Jayram
January 30, 2024
Congrats and Happy 21st Anniversary, BR! Please continue the great work! And hopefully we’ll get to see your acting debut as well as MANK chetta making his directorial debut based off one of your screenplays!
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Yossarian
January 30, 2024
Congratulations, BR!
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Yossarian
January 30, 2024
Congratulations, BR!
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Maru
January 30, 2024
Congratulations and Happy 21, brangan. Here’s to more writing on, commenting on and enjoyment of the movies and perhaps a deeper involvement in the making of them too as you foray into acting and screenplay writing. Hopefully this community of cinema lovers will continue to thrive.
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karthik_somasundaram
January 30, 2024
congratulation Baddy. You are a mentor and teacher of cinema and its language. Thank you for that. Keep it coming.
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Shankar
January 31, 2024
Congrats, da!
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Anu Warrier
January 31, 2024
Congrats, BR.
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Kay
January 31, 2024
Congrats, BR! That bit about Ananya Pandey’s kid though! 😆😆
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Satya
January 31, 2024
Looking forward to host “50 Years of BR: The Mottai Boss who’s also a Andavar fan!”. Hope God gives me such an opportunity. Wishing you good health and happiness, BR.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Divya
January 31, 2024
Congratulations BR – I’m a long time silent reader of your blog, started reading in 07 i think, when i chanced upon your blog when i lived in auckland and loved reading something in eloquent english.. then.. i moved countries, got married, travelled , had kids, but continued to read your blog , and now look up to your review to decide if i should watch a movie or not! I think you also made a good transition to video reviews but i still prefer to read it than listen…i think its a good time to probably say you have a lot of silent lurkers like me 🙂 who enjoy your blog , so dont stop blogging.
LikeLiked by 3 people
monsach
January 31, 2024
Congratulations BR ! Its a pleasure to read your reviews and I should say I learned quite a lot by reading them . I never used yours, or any other , reviews to make a decision to watch a movie or not , but coming back to your review after watching an interesting movie is almost always happen 🙂 just to see what you have written about it (I may have quickly glanced over it before but after watching the movie its a different experience to read it) . I may disagree with some opinions but its always an immense pleasure to read your thoughts about it . I should say I start looking for nuances etc in a movie after start reading these reviews but I still fail to pick all of them you would have – thats a master skill you have 🙂 . Adding that to the eloquent writing ,hope you have many many more years to celebrate this – hope to continue this journey with you many many more years . Once again, congrats
As some of the comments already mentioned , please dont stop writing – video and all are good , I understand why its necessary now , but reading you is the pleasure I hope dont get compromised
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Voldemort
January 31, 2024
Congratulations on 21 years, BR! Thank you for this blog, which is one of the most wonderful corners of the Internet. Grateful for your move to GP where you again write review pieces and wish you’d do one long form Kamal Hassan interview like Master of Arts again very soon so that all of us readers/watchers can have a field day discussing where your loyalties lie xD.
Also, please do another Medai event soon.
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praneshp
February 1, 2024
Congratulations BR. Hope your body of work continues to grow in the next 21 years!
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Chhotesaab
February 2, 2024
Hi Badesaab,
Congratulations! I believe 21 in reviewer years is definitely a glorious 100 in cricketing terms ….. much needed from Indian batters!
You are THE BEST out there. You are the Sachin Tendulkar of reviewers. Keep it going!
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bellurramki
February 3, 2024
Dear BR,
Hearty Congrats on turning 21 ! Two stamps released @ Brangan’s Fan blog on this MAJOR occasion!
For all BR fans, have made a separate blog – posting all the cartoons, memes and designs made in honor of BR! Have enjoyed creating these !
Inviting all BR fans and followers to visit this blog adda called ‘Brangan’s Fan’!
https://brangansfan.wordpress.com/
Visiting here and reading the comments has become my way of life.
Thank you all for occupying BR-verse and making BR’s Ulagam so rich.
Regards and wish you the best
Ramki Bellur
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Anuja Chandramouli
February 3, 2024
Congratulations BR!! I am confident your best years are ahead of you!!
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vijee
February 4, 2024
also want to say this again: “BR bravely gives us this space to discuss thoughts, opinions on various topics, some of which are unrelated to films even. And the readers/commenters in this space are awesome — they are an audience you want to engage with.
Thanksgiving is coming up this Thursday, so I can unabashedly say this: this blog is something I will always be thankful for.”
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Iswarya V
February 9, 2024
Happy 21st, BR! I know I’ve become a better reader and writer from following your work on this blog. Life has caught up and I haven’t been here of late, but this place remains a happy time capsule for me. Thank you for this space! Here’s to 21 more years (at least)!
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