The USP of Maamanithan was that llaiyaraja, Karthik Raja and Yuvan Shankar Raja were going to collaborate in it. Then it got reduced to Ilaiyaraja and Yuvan and that Yuvan was going to produce the film. The shooting was finished in 37 days but the release was postponed several times over three...
The Suzhal web series, directed by Bramma-Anucharan, sets out to spin a story about sexual harassment of children. The in-thing today is that we take for granted the character of the people we’re moving with. In fact, our understanding of others is purely based on what they look like. That is...
The buzz that Vikram 2022 had was unprecedented. The teaser was intended to satisfy the expectations of those who felt Kamal hadn’t played action hero in a long time. Snap previews and media updates only served to heighten the excitement. Even before the film's release, deals worth more than a...
When we think of Krishnakumar Kunnath, KK, in Tamil songs, what comes to mind is SPB. It may be wrong to compare two talents but, in the case of KK, this is inevitable. I had one of his songs from the film Ji as my mobile caller tune. Vambai vilaikku vangum vayasu (This is the age of getting...
Nenjukku Needhi is the contemporary DMK's stand on caste. It recognizes that caste rules against dalits and oppresses them but unlike recent "dalit films" addresses it from the broader society's point of view. Udayanidhi had been acting as a romantic hero when the DMK was in opposition, barring...
Jana Gana Mana, a Malayalam film, breaks new ground by being an openly political film without being preachy. It goes farther than any ideologically based political film, too. Starring Prithviraj, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Mamta Mohandas and Ilavarasu and directed by Dijo Jose Antony, Jana Gana Mana...
Ilaiyaraja spoke during the release of Akka Kurivi, but his comments did not kick off a controversy, only deep introspection. As an artiste and a composer, Ilaiyaraja asked why Tamil films were not reaching to world standards. He said this at a press conference relating to Samy’s upcoming film...
If Agni Natchathiram approached the theme of man loving two women and their children equally with some seriousness and poise, Kathuvakula Rendu Kadhal is a breezy attempt that fails to carry conviction. Ranjankudi Anbarasu Murugesa Boopathy Ohonthiran, aka Rambo, played by Vijay Sethupathy, is...
Director of 25 films, actor in 75 films and master of screenplay, Bhagyaraj, became the target of fan fury when he entered Kamalalayam, state BJP headquarters in Chennai. Social media was flooded with memes denouncing him. An old speech of Islamic fundamentalist Palani Baba criticizing him for...
The Tamil New Year’s Day happens to be the birthday of the fearless contrarian of Tamil films and theater – M R Radha. Called Nadigavel by Periyar, Madras Rajagopalan Radhakrishnan, M R Radha. (April 14, 1907 to September 17, 1979), dazzled Tamils with his unique acting, voice modulation,...
