Ismail Durbar & A.R Rahman are not only immensely talented but always at musical chairs. A decade back when Ram Gopal Varma signed Ismail Durbar for "Rangeela", he dropped him unceremoniously in favour of a established "newcomer" A.R Rahman under the pressure of music label. After a struggle, Ismail Durbar striked back with style and panache with a phenomenon called "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam". Unfortunately Ismail Durbar lost to A.R Rahman (Taal) in all awards. Ismail Durbar in an interview said that he didn't feel bad because he was losing to a superior score only. After a couple of years when "Devdas" happened, when everyone expected Ismail Durbar to sweep the awards for grand score, he lost again this time to a simple score called "Saathiya'" to A.R Rahman again. Don't know how Ismail durbar felt this time….
When K.V Anand, who used to mesmerise me with his magical camera works, announced that he'll be wielding the megaphone of Kana Kandein, the reason was just enough to set the adrenalin rush. When I came to know that it is the debut movie of my heart throb Prithviraj in tamil movies, I was counting the days for its release. Do I need to say that presence of my other favourites Gopika & music by Vidaysagar just added the excitement? Somewhere I read in an interview of K.V Anand that he was making a "commercial" movie with three fights and five songs including a carbaret number. Admitted he made the movie within the commercial parameters but how much he dared to be different makes us to applaud Anand for his directorial debut vehicle.
When a widower is being wooed by three woman, isn't he the real "handsome" guy? It just sums one of my favourite movie "Azhagan", starring some of my all time favourites - Mamooty, Madhubala & directed by evergreen K. Balachander. It is a simple yet sensitive movie that covers almost all emotions beautifully, laced with lighter vein scenes. This is one movie I still go on my knees to watch it, the reasons are more than one for being so.
Had you ever felt that you are watching a timeless creation, which makes you look at with awe, when you see the movie that you had run down initially? I felt it when I was seeing Maniratnam's "Dil Se…." this Thursday night on a cable network here. I still remember the way I saw it on the release date filled with loads of excitement and expectations, when I was doing my Engineering in Salem. I was really disappointed and I 'advised' lots of my friends not to go for it. A couple of years later, I watched it from halfway in Zee Cinema, but found it still better this time.
Once while I was talking to my friend about the love stories, I said we Indians are more voyeuristic than any other race in the world. That’s why we have so much of love stories churned out in every form of literature either it be books or sculptures or even movies. He said voyeuristic is something else. Yeah I admit, voyeuristic means " getting pleasure by watching two individuals indulging in pleasure activities like sex", but it is not widely different from our romantic offerings. I think most of those who enjoy love stories somewhere put themselves in the lead characters and derive happiness. I don’t deny that sometimes while seeing some romantic scenes I connect myself to the protagonists, and I am putting the favourite romantic scenes that touched me all these days.
This year had been a pretty good one for all Malayalam movie fans as the malayalam movies are returning to the simple story telling style. Sathyan Anthikaud's movies are always a delight to watch so as his selection of heroines. Sathyan has this knack of spotting star materials because all his female protegee's had mad made it big either it is Manju Warrier, Samyuka Varma, Asin or latest by Nayantara. His latest movie features a familiar yet powerful face - Meera Jasmine in a stunning role. But more than that it marks the return of a immensely talented "Urvashi" to malayalam screen after a gap of 8 years.
Rarely comes a movie about the tinsel world that takes potshot on its fellow-mates in a satirical humour way. Very few dares to do it because it is like throwing stone from a glass house. Writer & actor Srinivasan has succeeded in making a movie running down his colleagues yet walking away with accolades from them. The title says "All characters in this movie are fictional. Any resemblence is a co-incidence" but as the incidents unfold you could relate it with which you know and had read about…. like Meera Jasmine, Sita, Manju Warrier and star tantarums we had read a lot. This is all the recent super-hit "Udhayanannu Thaaram" (Udhayan is the star) from Kerala is about.
Chandramukhi - Rajinikanth's second remake from malayalam in the recent times had already stirred the honey nest in the Gods own country. Writer of the original Madhu Muttam and director Fazil has decided to sue for remaking without obtaining the rights. How they settle it, is the another matter, but this is a review of an evergreen classic that danced into the heart of elite Keralite audiences and still holding a niche for itself. I am talking about the lovable literature piece called "Manichitrathazhu", which won the first National award for Shobana.
Kamal's next offering after the critically acclaimed "Manjnu Pol Oru Penkutty" is the offbeat movie called "Perumazhakalam". Kamal as usual is not depending on super stars, enters the race soley backed by a strong story. This time he chose to make film on female protagonists. When thinking of a strong author backed female lead, who will be the best choice other than National Award Winner Meera Jasmine? For another role in parallel with hers is Kavya Madhavan who had proved her mettle in the box office was an apt choice.
I always made it loud and clear that I simply adore dir. Kamal's movies. So when Kamal announced his next movie with newcomers I was eagerly looking forward for the final product. I was following his talent search through Kairalee TV's "Sensation". Finally Kamal announced the movie "Manjnu Pol Oru Pen Kutty" which translates into "A girl like a snow" with new comer Amritha Prakash in the lead role. This was the first malayalam movie I had seen in UAE and I like it for its novel theme and sensitive treatment.