Cinema, Karam, Kapi

The much awaited sequel of the 1996 super hit movie “Indian” released worldwide on 12 July 2024. Feat. Ulaganaayagan Kamal Hassan and a dozen famous actors (some who are no more anymore!), the film has been directed by Shankar and bankrolled by Lyca Productions with Udayanidhi Stalin (son of TN Chief Minister) releasing it in the state through his Red Giant movies.   The current generation is all about vigilantism on social media, especially - they talk a lot about numerous social issues but very less action on display - a bit of “like I really care” and a lot of “indifference” to the corruption that is rooted in today’s India.  That’s what “Barking Dogs” is, a channel operated on Youtube which is run by Chitra Aravindan (Siddharth) and his friends (Aarthi) Priya Bhavani Shankar, Thambesh (Jagan) and Harish (Rishikanth). They highlight social issues and get a lot of views, likes and followers for their online activism while raising awareness.   During one such incident, C...

The magnum opus Indian 2 feat. Kamal Hassan and a dozen other top names from Indian cinema, that has been in the making for over 5 years, bankrolled by Lyca Productions, directed by Shankar, and with music by Rockstar Anirudh, is ready to be showcased on the silver screens across India come July. The film has witnessed high expectations even as Kamal Hassan and Director Shankar are coming together after their previous outing “Indian” in 1999. The music album which was released 2 weeks back had a muted response, with ardent fans of the previous movie franchise comparing it with AR Rahman’s musical on which 5/5 songs went on to become a hit.  During the music release, Anirudh himself confessed that there was only one ARR and that none could replicate his work. After much ado, the release date of the film has been fixed on 12 July 2023. A peak muhurtam day, the film is expected to witness packed crowds for the first 2-3 weekends with the diehard fans of the nearly 70years old Kamal ...

After 10 days since its release, I finally watched Kamal Hassan’s Vikram, well er… should I say, Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Vikram. That’s how it seems to be, going by the screenplay, the audience feedback and of course, the Box Office collections. As I write this piece (after 3 weeks of its release), the film has collected over Rs. 300 Cr at the Box Office in India and wolrd wide. Plus OTT rights, of course.  Kamal Hassan’s Vishwaroopam 1 & 2 were anything patriotic, to say the least. His critics have always said the gentleman lacked clarity of thoughts in his screenplay, and political stance, later on. But that’s for a different article. Staying true to his age and image that he has created for almost 6 decades now, KH has sprung a surprise in Vikram, where he plays a disheartened father who loses his son to the drug mafia – just that his son was not an addict, rather a cop who uncovered the mafia and stashed their prized catch.  The film opens with a drunk+sober Karnan (KH) who...

It’s a known thing to my friends and extended circuit of people that I am a huge fan of Superstar Rajinikanth for over 40 years now. What very few people know is that I am also a big fan of the “Actor Kamal Hassan” though I don’t subscribe to his personal views on various issues including Spirituality & Religion, Politics and Current Affairs. However, I have seen almost all of his movies over the past 30 years of which at least a dozen films, over a hundred times (Still lesser than my penchant for watching Thalaivar movies). I have adored Kamal for his forward thinking on various business affairs – be it behind the camera or in front of it, casting himself as a “Her” with much authenticity or himself as 10 avtars; doing stunts real time notwithstanding his age, build and risk involved. His onscreen histrionics in films like Nayagan, Hey! Ram, Mahanathi to name a few won him awards & accolades, critical acclaim as well as controversy – it’s a package after all. Today, ...

I’ve always liked thriller films. And if it’s in Tamil (off late, there have been quite a few), then I give it a shot. And when it’s the second film as a Director for someone after receiving much acclaim for his previous thriller, even more. And if it’s featuring Actor Vikram, I would jump into. And that’s how I ended up watching Kadaram Kondaan today. The first 10 minutes set the film on a good note. And that’s quite important, for that’s where you hook the audience. And the entire film is edgy with slick editing and cinematography, what with yet another fantastic underrated performance by Vikram.   The film opens with a cute couple Aatirah and Vasu Rajagopalan (Akshata Hassan and Abi Hassan - Offsprings of Kamal Hassan and Nasser, respectively) get the scan done at a maternity hospital only to be overjoyed seeing the little one in the womb. The couple has just moved to KL, Malaysia and the dialogues represent they have had a love marriage which doesn’t have the blessi...

Chinathai, aval petra Rajave, Mullil thondriya chinna rosaave! While there are so many songs composed by Maestro Illayaraja who celebrates his 76th Birthday today, my most loved one eulogising the legend is this song from Thalapathy sung by KS Chitra.  My abundant love for film music to which I've been addicted for over 4 decades is only because of Illayaraja's songs which I have grown listening to, all my life. So much so, that during my growing up years I had to have some music in the background for me to even study! Nothing much has changed even today - there's always background music even when I am working on something very important, while travelling driving and even when going to sleep. Over the years, I have collected hundreds of cassettes and later CDs and had downloaded thousands of songs during the last 20 years. In the past few years though, I have stopped downloading and have been listening to Music on the Go through apps such as Raaga, Gaana, Saav...