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Showing posts with the label superstar rajinikanth

Thalaivar Paraak, Get ready!

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As Steve Jobs reckoned, when you connect the dots backwards, things make sense. Indeed. Muthu, directed by KS Ravikumar, Superstar’s lucky charm of the 90s was a super hit movie of it’s times. Ardent fans had favourite moments right from the word “Go” – when Thalaivar breaks a coconut and catapults into his Horse-carriage and sings along yet another philosophical song which remains one of his all-time favourites – Oruvan Oruvan Mudalali. Right before interval, the film moves in to a flashback and we see Thalaivar adorned as a Maharaja; what follows in the next 20 mins is yet another philosophical number – Vidukathaiya Inda Vazhkai… Vazhvai nee thedi, Vadakke nee ponaal, Naangal povadhengu… Every time the Superstar had decided to quit acting / public life and move to his favourite haunt in the Himalayas, fans cried.  More than anything else, this film had one of his earliest political dialogues – during the drama scenes as well as in the song Kuluvaalile – Katchiyellam ippo namakedukku,

The cult of Chandramukhi

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The distance from Koramangala to RT Nagar in Bangalore is around 14 Kms over 25 mins at that time of the day, rather night. But the bike ride felt eternal. My skin under the full sleeves’ shirt was shivering like never before. My closest experience to something similar was during the early 1980s when I watched “My Dear Kuttichathan” at Devi Theatre in Chennai. Be it a graphically shot snake coming out of a chandelier or the evil-filled Raja Vettaiyan walking with his sticks screaming “Laka Laka Laka” or the Rajapalayam Dogs barking fiercely and of course the extraordinary eye movements of the ecstatic Chandramukhi showing off her jewels, the entire movie was a bit on the edge when I watched it for the first time on this day, 15 years back. I feel the same every time I watch this film till now – around 50+ times during the past 180 months. The scary ride was because I was returning back from PVR at Forum Mall after watching First Day Night Show and Bangalore’s lonely roads were infamous

When an OTT got Rajinified

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It was a yet another Monday for millions across the world. 23 rd  March 2020. But for some of us, it was a special day ahead. A day, Rajini Fans worldwide had marked in their Calendars as an important one. A few lucky of us would watch the Premier twice, others once. As I always wake up in the wee hours and prepare for a 4am “darshan” of Thalaivar at Kasi Theatre or Rohini Silverscreen at Chennai for an FDFS – First Day, First Show, I was all excited from the previous evening onwards. Just that I would be watching it all alone on my iPad in the confines of my favourite  chair at home, without the usual brouhaha outside and inside the theatre, save for the whistling, thumping and howling that I would anyway do all by myself. I would after all get to see “Thalaivar” in action with the wilderness on a small screen. The Discovery Plus App premiered at 6am and the Television premiered at 8pm. I was lucky to see both, one alone and the evening session with the family alongside Dinner.   It w

Made in Madras!

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A group of Madrasi residents led by PC Bala, Author of several Books and a Management Consultant who are also cinema enthusiasts gathered on 30th August 2019 at Cream Centre RA Puram to discuss about Madras and Movies as part of Madras’s 380th Founding day Celebrations.  Actor Raja Krishnamurthy, popularly known as Kitty joined the movie buffs over samosas and coffee. He was quizzed by me on his film career, early days of associating with his junior from college who went on to make iconic films like Roja & Thalapathy and of course about Kitty’s acting stints with Superstar Rajinikanth without whom Madras is incomplete.  Kitty shared about how specific scenes in films like Thalapathy and Baasha turned out during the shooting while also narrating various other crunchies about Thalaivar including his Spiritual bent as well as his views on the socio-political environment.  Kitty, born and raised in Mumbai, completed his MBA at Jamnalal Bajaj and moved to Chennai t

Petta - Fanboy moments

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Most of you who’ve seen Petta can resonate with many of Superstar’s movies over the past 40 years. Some are quite obvious, some are hidden gems. Am listing my few favourites here. The film starts with Thalaivar uttering the first dialogue - “Naan Veezhven endru ninaithayo!”. I could immediately connect with the opening scene of Muthu where he wishes the best for everyone, breaks the coconut and just when the horses scream - “Oruvan Oruvan Mudalali” song begins. Am sure Karthik Subburaj had this inspiration as well. All the more for Petta, since Kabali and Kaala were not up to the expectations of his hardcore fans, so KS had to ensure not only he delivers a blockbuster but also make Thalaivar say this dialogue, which is also something he openly mentioned in the 150th day celebrations of Chandramukhi where he mentioned he is not an Elephant, rather a horse and would get up just like that. Whattay fanboy moment when the film begins! The sarcasm that Kaali, the hostel warde

Petta - Film Review

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The first dialogue Superstar Rajinikanth utters in Petta is “Naan Veezhven enduru ninaithayo” after bludgeoning a few bad guys in his inimitable style. One cannot but remember the golden words of Neelambari “Vayasanalum un stylum azhagum  innum  pogale” - except that she actually said that 20 years back when Thalaivar was 49 years young. From this scene which is 4 minutes after the film reels on till the last scene - where Thalaivar ends with a pistol shot, its Superstar galore for over 150 minutes. Every fan who came out after watching the film has only one thing to say about Director Karthik Subburaj - “Only someone who has consumed Rajinikanth in every vein, muscle, blood and brain can create such a screenplay” - so true. KS has literally “Rajinified” the viewers with such a strong and gripping storyline which is a potpourri of Superstar’s antics for 40 years which most of his  ardent fans have enjoyed every bit and byte, literally . Kaali joins a convent in a hill sta

2.0 - Film review

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As always, I witnessed the frenzy and frolic during the FDFS today (29th Nov) for the Superstar Rajinikanth film 2.0 (also known as #2Point0) at Rohini Cinema, Koyambedu at Chennai. I have been watching FDFS of Thalaivar (as we popular address him) films for over 35 years and it’s a given thing that wherever I am or whatever I do the day before release or the next day, I must watch the First Show. We reached at 3.30 am (yes, that’s right) at the Cinema to witness the celebrations his ardent fans hold. Here’s a glimpse. The film started at 4am sharp and was welcomed with thunderous applause. Given that Superstar Rajinikanth’s last two films were with Pa. Ranjith and revolved around social issues, fans (and critics) have been waiting and wanting to see the magic that Director Shankar could weave after his 2010 release Enthiran (Robot in Hindi) with the Superstar which went on to be one of the biggest hits during that time in Indian Cinema. While 2.0 has been in the making f

Viswaroopam 2: Kamal is back in full form

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Disclaimer: I am big fan of Actor Kamal Hassan. Yes, I do have differences with his opinions on politics, religion, etc. But that doesn’t take away the Kamal-fan off me.  In the recently released “Kaala” featuring Superstar Rajinikanth, Director Ranjith has sort of portrayed “the white” as villain and “black” as the hero. In Viswaroopam 2, true to his leanings and admirably so, Kamal Hassan mocks at the “Brahmins of South India” settled in Lutyens Delhi and work from the South Block who wield power. So much so, that an “Iyer” character commits suicide although due to his own misdeeds and realizing what a traitor he is. Neither did Kamal in the film nor do I, endorse a certain “Iyer” who lives in real in the Indian Capital, has Leftisit and Communist leanings and a friendly camaraderie with Pakistan High Officials. In another scene, Kamal makes a “Jihadi” realize that he is actually believing a lie to be true – very powerful words, not restricted to those who claim to be Jihadi