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Browsing All Posts filed under »Cinema: Tamil«
Interview: The heroines of the ‘Queen’ remakes
#Tamannaah Bhatia, #KajalAggarwal & #ParulYadav who star in the South remakes of Kangana Ranaut’s #Queen, Paris Paris in Tamil, That is Mahalakshmi in Telugu & Butterfly in Kannada speak to Anupama Chopra about the process and challenges involved with simultaneously shooting four films in different languages, the cultural nuisances they had to factor in while […]
Thoughts on the writing of “Petta”…
January 20, 2019
Spoilers ahead… I wanted to respond to a few comments (can’t remember them all now), and instead of one long comment, a post made more sense. So here goes: I watched Petta a second time, and it “fit together” better. It still doesn’t work entirely and there are big problems with the writing (which I […]
Going by the review, is Ajith’s film better than Rajinikanth’s?
January 17, 2019
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/baradwaj-rangan-column-rajini-ajith-going-by-the-review-is-ajiths-film-better-than-rajinikanths/ There are 5000 articles out there about how star ratings work, but given the commotion over ‘Petta’ and ‘Viswasam’, clearly there’s the need for a 5001st. How do star ratings work? I gave Petta 2.5 stars and Viswasam 3 stars – so does this mean Viswasam […]
#AskBR – Petta
January 16, 2019
In which I answer a few questions on an older film… or a new one. For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
#AskBR – Viswasam
January 15, 2019
In which I answer a few questions on an older film… or a new one. For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
Interview: Santhanabharathi (25 years of Mahanadhi)
January 14, 2019
On the 25th anniversary of Mahanadhi, Santhanabharathi speaks about Mahanadhi and his relationship with Kamal Haasan. For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
Readers Write In #65: Request for feedback
January 14, 2019
Ajay Kumar wrote in asking for feedback on his writing. I gave him my opinion, and asked if I could put the piece up on the blog, so he could get other opinions, too. The brave man said yes 🙂 So here goes: PETTA – A Star is Reborn
“Viswasam”… With this pretty decent action-drama, Siva finally repays Ajith’s faith in him
January 11, 2019
Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/viswasam-movie-review-baradwaj-rangan-ajith-siva-nayanthara/ The new Siva-Ajith Kumar collaboration, Viswasam (Loyalty), begins with the expected hero-introduction scene. The Collector of Theni district is trying to make peace between two parties. The name Thookudurai is mentioned and we cut to the outside, to glimpses of the man. A hand […]
“Petta”… A treat for fans of the star makes you wish it had also been one for fans of the director
January 10, 2019
Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/petta-movie-review-karthik-subbaraj-rajinikanth-simran-anirudh-tirru-trisha-vijay-sethupathi/ One way to view Karthik Subbaraj’s Petta (Neighbourhood) is to treat it as Rajinikanth’s Petta. Superstar is in super form, and it’s a thrill to be reminded — in this age of disposable stardom — of enduring screen charisma. To hook you with a […]
“Sigai”… A missing-person mystery gets an evocative start, but the underwhelming resolution is a bummer
January 9, 2019
Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/sigai-movie-review-kathir-zee5-jagadeesan-subu-riythvika/ Sigai (Hair), now streaming on Zee5, gives you two stories for the price of one movie. The first one begins with scenes of a Chennai night. Crowds swarm the Marina beach. Traffic chokes the roads. Beggars lie on the sides of streets. Commuters chug […]
Interview: Sruthi Hariharan
December 28, 2018
Sruthi Hariharan talks to Baradwaj Rangan about how she started her career as a background dancer before falling in love with the process of filmmaking. She talks about how rare it is for an actress in the Kannada film industry to speak her mind and about using art to drive change. The acclaimed actress also […]
The top 10 Tamil films of 2018
December 24, 2018
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/top-10-tamil-films-of-2018-baradwaj-rangan-mercury-pariyerum-perumal-96-ratsasan/ Despite the strike taking a toll on releases, this wasn’t a bad year for Tamil cinema. Here’s my list, in order of date of release. (I am on a break, so this includes films released till mid-December.) Mercury: We had to wait almost till the end […]
“Thuppakki Munai”… A thoroughly underwhelming drama that trivialises important issues
December 14, 2018
Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/thuppaki-munai-movie-review-baradwaj-rangan-vikram-prabhu-hansika-motwani/ Sometimes, after watching a movie, I have to go back to my review of the director’s earlier film to remind myself that my expectations (for the new film) weren’t entirely off-base. That’s what I did after Dinesh Selvaraj’s thoroughly underwhelming Thuppakki Munai (Gunpoint). About […]
Interview: Rajiv Menon
December 11, 2018
Rajiv Menon talks about being a dominant-caste filmmaker tackling a Dalit narrative in Sarvam Thaala Mayam, his relationship with the “musically modest” AR Rahman, and why the cinematography in Mani Ratnam’s “Bombay” is a milestone in his career. For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.
Readers Write In #63: Kollywood sequels that matter
December 10, 2018
To sequel or not to sequel, that is hardly the question in Kollywood these days. After enduring The Singam trilogy, Saamy X Saamy, Sandakozhi 2 and whatnot, I was wondering if we have taken this too far. I may have raised an eyebrow when I heard about Indian 2 and a Thevar Magan sequel (both […]
“Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum”… A deeply moving dissection of the lives of three women across three time periods
December 8, 2018
Spoilers ahead… This film played at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star and will play at the International Film Festival of Kerala next week… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/sivaranjiniyum-innum-sila-pengalum-movie-review-baradwaj-rangan-vasanth-parvathy/ The number three appears to have gripped Vasanth. His last feature film, Moondru Per Moondru Kaadhal, narrated three love stories […]
#AskBR – 2.0
December 5, 2018
In which I answer a few questions on an older film… or a new one. For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.
Interview: PC Sreeram
December 4, 2018
My conversation with PC Sreeram in the “Journeys” series. (Ravi Varman featured in the previous – and first – episode). For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.
She Says She Says: Who says women can’t be funny on screen
December 3, 2018
Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.
Readers Write In #61: Metacriticism – The difficulty of reviewing a movie in the digital age
December 2, 2018
I watched the Rajnikanth starrer “2.0” yesterday and now I’m faced with a very difficult question. What do I say when a friend asks me: “How was the film?” No one’s going to look for a detailed analysis of the visual effects or the strength of the screenplay or whether there was a focal character […]
January 20, 2019
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