Browsing All Posts filed under »Cinema: Tamil«

“Mercury”… Even in his slightest film so far, Karthik Subbaraj proves he’s one of our most exciting writer-directors

April 19, 2018

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Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/mercury-movie-review-baradwaj-rangan/ With Karthik Subbaraj, we expect a twist, so here’s one from his new film, Mercury: the title card that dedicates this film to all silent films, from Raja Harischandra to Pushpak. The twist is that Mercury isn’t like any of those earlier silent films. […]

The contentious nature of the National Awards

April 14, 2018

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Read the full article on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/the-contentious-nature-of-the-national-awards-baahubali-village-rockstars-sridevi/ Musings on the country’s most prestigious film awards – and this is not about whether X deserved to win over Y. Another year. Another set of arguments over the National Awards. For instance: Did Sridevi deserve Best Actress? Indeed, under normal circumstances, would her performance in […]

‘I’m more rooted than anybody else you might have had in mind’

April 12, 2018

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Read the full article on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/tamil-cinema-strike-cooum-river-video-gautham-menon/ A short history of Tamil YouTube content leading up to the Cooum video, created by Behindwoods. And a chat with the narrator, Gautham Vasudev Menon. The Tamil film industry has been on strike, and there have been no new releases for over a month – and […]

Readers Write In #38: A fan’s birthday tribute to two captivating, classy actresses

April 7, 2018

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In 2006, two teenage actresses made their debut in South Indian cinema. They were not about glamour, but more about performance, making an impact, grabbing the audience’s attention with their acting. Today, 12 years after their debuts, they are still going strong, still able to captivate the audience and pushing themselves to excel even further […]

Interview: Karthik Subbaraj

April 5, 2018

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Karthik Subbaraj, who is directing the next Rajinikanth film, talks about being a “social media generation” director, making short films and learning from them. He talks about his writing process and how he writes complex screenplays like Jigarthanda and Iraivi. He discusses the the layering of characters, the staging of shots. He talks about how […]

The Amateur’s Art #37 – Over a Chai (Tamil, with English subs)

April 1, 2018

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See here for what this series is about. This film came from Ganesan Rajagopalan. (He sent three. Will put the others up soon. SYNOPSIS Over a Chai is a short film that gets you close to the thoughts of Girish and Manya through a conversation between them.

FC Flashback: Apoorva Raagangal

April 1, 2018

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What is a “classic”? The most perfect, flawless film ever made? Um… I’d rather define it as something I keep returning to, flaws and all. Something that makes me think, regard it in a new light each time. Flashback is a fortnightly feature on a film I consider a… classic. For more, subscribe to FILM […]

Interview: Samantha

March 30, 2018

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Everyone is talking about ‘Rangasthalam’ these days. The film, directed by Sukumar, has Samantha playing a villager, a first in her career, and the actress says it was an eye-opening experience. Prior to this, she has been part of several high profile films in Telugu and Tamil cinema, and starting from Pawan Kalyan and Mahesh […]

A film critic’s open letter to director Ram

March 29, 2018

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Read the full article on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/southern-lights-a-film-critics-open-letter-to-director-ram-baradwaj-rangan/ In which I try to explain why “film appreciation” for Tamil cinema isn’t easy in today’s climate. In an interview with Cinema Express, director Ram expressed this opinion about critics. While admitting that no art form can grow without criticism/reviews, he said, “The biggest problem with […]

Video Essay: Best Moments of Prakash Raj

March 26, 2018

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A birthday special, celebrating the best scenes of Prakash Raj. How does your list of favorites compare? For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.

#AskBR – 7G Rainbow Colony

March 25, 2018

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A fortnightly feature, where I answer a few questions on the big release of the previous weekend. (Or, an older film, if the week has no big releases.) For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.

Interview: Abishek Raaja aka cinemapayyan

March 22, 2018

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Online reviewer Abhishek Raaja, aka @cinemapayyan, talks about his new channel (in collaboration with Potential Studios). What is the vision? What is going to be different from the work he did at Fully Filmy and Behindwoods? What did the “Dark Video” mean? He talks about reaching and audience beyond the click-baiting Ajith/Vijay videos, and reviewing […]

#AskBR – Nayakan

March 17, 2018

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A weekly feature, where I answer a few questions on the big release of the previous weekend. (Or, an older film, if the week has no big releases.) For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.

Readers Write In #36: Ram and his madness

March 11, 2018

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This article was written by G Waugh. I know a lot of people who hate Kattradhu Tamizh. I know a lot of people who hate Thanga Meengal. I know a lot of people who hate Kattradhu Tamizh and Thanga Meengal but love Taramani. Why? Taramani is made by someone who is far more mature than […]

#AskBR – Sridevi

March 9, 2018

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A weekly feature, where I answer a few questions on the big release of the previous weekend. (Or, an older film, if the week has no big releases.) For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.

On ‘Black Panther’, ‘Kaala’, and Pa Ranjith’s career

March 8, 2018

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Read the full article on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/rajinikanth-black-panther-kaala-pa-ranjith-baradwaj-rangan/ In which I try to figure out the irony of a filmmaker who wants say very specific things and yet yields to the generic demands of a star vehicle. I kept thinking about Black Panther as I watched the teaser for Kaala, the new Pa Ranjith […]

Readers Write In #35: Ageing With Films

March 5, 2018

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My father, who is the chief reason behind my ardent love for films, has stopped going to the theatres. My problem doesn’t end there. Once a passionate collector of movie DVDs, it is clearly evident that he has lost the interest in spending an evening at home watching his favourite film. It pains me when […]

#AskBR – Naachiyaar

March 2, 2018

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A weekly feature, where I answer a few questions on the big release of the previous weekend. (Or, an older film, if the week has no big releases.) For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.

Kalki: On Netflix

March 1, 2018

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Kalki, a short film I wrote for director Dhilip Kumar, is now out on Netflix. You can watch it here: https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80235958 Do see, comment, compliment, criticise… See post about the first look here. And the trailer:

“Naachiyaar”… Bala ditches the nihilism and makes his most generic, underwhelming film

February 27, 2018

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Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/naachiyaar-review-baradwaj-rangan-bala-jyothika/ Bala’s new film, Naachiyaar, opens on acres of a trash-strewn landfill. As the credits flash by, the camera keeps moving, but there’s only garbage… and more garbage. Finally, we cross this sea of filth, and in the distance, we glimpse buildings, the big city. […]

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