Mani Ratnam’s films, as most Tamil films tend to be, are just themes. Sequences and situations are written to flesh out the two-three aspects of the theme. His films are shot well; characters say smart things; they dress up nicely; the gloss is never understated; and quite often the songs stand...
Parthiban Kanavu and Raja Raja Cholan, two Chola themed movies, proved to be duds in the box office. Boasting of big stars, big writers and grand themes, they came a cropper. And some of the elements that proved to be the nemesis of those films are there in Ponniyin Selvan too. Ponniyin Selvan...
Among the many unwritten rules that are a product of the unique reality of Tamil filmgoers is the timing of film releases. Big budgets jostle and edge out smaller banners to arrange multi-theater release during festivals. The festive mood brings along with it an urge to entertain oneself and...
Actor Dhanush in his film Padikaathavan says: “Guys like me are not liked on sight; will be liked as they are seen more and more.” I have often thought if these lines were written keeping in mind music composer A R Rahman. The reason is that there is a critical opinion right from his early days...
Mamannan, the third directorial venture of Mari Selvaraj, has already created a buzz. Produced by Red Giant Movies and featuring a star casting that includes Udayanidhi Stalin, Mamannan’s shooting got over in Jarugumalai in Salem recently. Reports that actor Vadivelu’s birthday was celebrated...
Kanam should count as among the few of a genre widely popular in Hollywood and elsewhere, not in India. India should be the natural home of the spiritual film but is not. A spiritual film has no religious content. Nor is it to do with myths, religious epics and stories. The spiritual film is...
Mani Ratnam was a pioneer in making a south Indian film have a pan-India appeal. His Roja rode the nationalist surge earlier than most filmmakers. The challenge for him now is in making Ponniyin Selvan, quintessentially a Tamil story, pan-India. If Ponniyin Selvan were to go the Bahubali way,...
In Cobra movie, Mathialagan, played by Vikram, is a socially conscious man who teaches poor and other children lacking support so they can advance in life. College teacher Bhavana (Srinidhi) loves him but Mathialagan doesn’t return her love. Vikram is not only a maths teacher he is also a...
Recently, a group of ex-colleagues of former space scientist Nambi Narayanan said the movie, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, either overstated Narayanan’s importance in the Indian Space Research Institute (ISRO) or plainly falsified stuff. D Sasikumaran, a co-accused in the ISRO spy case along with...
If the Tamil film industry has a bug bear, it’s Tamil Rockers. It’s the website many Tamils are thankful for, especially those who can’t afford pricey tickets or those who can’t be bothered t trudge to theaters and want the comfort of their laptops and homes. Film industry folks rail at pirates...
