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The Ron Clark Story (2006)

A poignant tale with a heartwarming experience

Despite having elements that might be termed as Stereotypical, The Ron Clark Story (2006) still manages to keep you engaged, with a poignant tale of a teacher who wish to change the lives of kids from troublesome background.

Matthew Perry nailed this one throughout, in this 1 hour 30 min odd TV movie, which speaks about compassion, empathy, importance of education in a relatively straightforward manner, without much ado.

Even the emotional sequences were not overplayed, and the feelings were as grounded as possible, making this as a complete YES in my Re-Watch list ❤ Pretty heart-warming experience!

Kudos to Randa Haines (Director), and the writers - Annie DeYoung and Max Enscoe.

Gold (2022)

An experimental visual narrative that focuses on today's consumeristic culture

Having previously directed Neram and Premam, Alphonse Puthren decided to gamble with his editorial techniques in this multi-starrer that focuses on how products are consumed in today's society. Backed up by a splendid score from Rajesh Murugesan, this experimental surprisingly worked for me, despite certain shortcomings. However, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, especially if it's a filled one!

Prelude - to the post Being a fan of his work and the kind of genre he created, I was eager to catch Alphonse Puthren's next feature (Gold) on-screen. Since the day of its release, there have been numerously mixed to negative reviews, blaming the runtime, abrupt editing pattern and improper characterisations at major. However, I thought not to judge a movie quickly, that too from a man with so much love and passion towards movies and music, and decided to go forward with my plan to watch it today on the big screen.

As it turned out, I kind of liked the movie! If you wish to spare a few minutes, I will tell you why I liked it and you might be intrigued in watching the film as well! As usual, I will refrain from any kind of spoilers, unless specifically stated.

The Experimental Visual Narrative - The major gamble I was aware that Alphonse Puthren himself will be handling the editing table but not of the surprises it withheld. Right from the title animations to the visual effects and editing, Alphonse Puthren took a humongous risk by employing several editing techniques on-screen, that most often suits the mood of that particular moment. The reason I describe it as a major gamble is that the narrative style is kind of binary in nature. Either you like it, or hate it.!

Unlike any traditional movie, Gold has multiple edit patterns that focus on the moment than the overall treatment of the story itself. An odd song from a band playing on a river shore, or a peppy dance number from Aleena Alphonse Puthren are all part of the narrative that makes us feel "the" moment, though sounding like an oddly placed number. By edit patterns, I did not mean just the editing of scenes/sequences. Right from the camera angle to the background score, everything synced with his editing style, which could be perceived as abrupt cuts by many.

For a narrative that is majorly hyperlinked in nature, such abstractive work might not be totally necessary. However, I think the director chose this because of the subtext the movie focuses on - the gormandizing nature of today's consumeristic society.

Consumeristic Society - the sarcastic subtext Being known for his beautiful portrayal of nature and environment as a form of subtext in his movies, Alphonse Puthren decided to use something way more serious as an underlying subtext for this film - the way products are consumed in today's society.

More often than not, People can't make rational decisions on what they want in their life, especially when it comes to the consumption of products, physically/digitally. There is a sequence in the film, where a person buys an iPhone just like that, without any prime reason for actually using it. The same iPhone that ends up as an "unwanted" gift for someone, actually hinting at our behaviour at marriage halls/family occasions.

Such social issues were comically portrayed on-screen in the form of multiple characters, with the sequences involving Lalu Alex ("Idea" Shaji) and Ajmal Ameer (Sunesh Shaji) serving as prime examples.

By providing visual titles for almost anything on-screen (be it sky or a house by the bank of Periyar river), and edit-patters that feel like Insta-reels, the narrative had a rather sarcastic take on both physical and digital consumption of goods, and how people are greedy/ignorant around them.

The subtext involving the ants and the sugar ball was kind of a mass element if you ask me, as it directly correlates with that of Joshi (Prithviraj Sukumaran). The whole discovery of the "sugar ball" and the way "the ball" was utilized, were nothing short of commercial highs!

Characters - the strengths and the weaknesses The role of Joshi and C. P. O. Rakesh Manjappra is of prime importance here, as they are shown as (primarily) the ones who are not so ignorant of how the consumeristic mindset functions. For such pivotal roles, the choice of Prithviraj Sukumaran and Baburaj is highly commendable. If not for them, the narrative could've lost its giant pillar of support.

However, with such an ensemble cast and such a serious issue as a subtext, Alphonse Puthren could've utilised the characters to a much more effective extent. With a runtime in excess of 160 minutes, the narrative had ample room for the dynamics to sprawl among the characters, which could've resulted in a much better screenplay than what I witnessed today.

The Alphonse Puthren genre - Is it worth the time?

The reason why Neram and Premam worked big time was because of the journey the movie had than the point-to-point travel of the narrative itself - the Alphonse Puthren Genre. It is the "how" that matters and Gold experimented with this "how" a lot! Nevertheless, it worked for me and I am satisfied with experiencing such a visual experiment on the big screens, which proved effective.

As mentioned in the section title, Gold belongs to the Alphonse Puthren genre, which is a dynamic one. If one's cup is filled with a lot of expectations, then there might be a hell lot of disappointments. However, if one chose to be open to what the director has to say if one lets himself/herself into the world of the director, then there will be some good takeaways.

Pushpa: The Rise - Part 1 (2021)

The showman in Allu Arjun makes it work, despite misfires

Being the third collaboration of Sukumar-Allu Arjun-DSP, the first installment speaks volumes about the rise of Pushpa as a person and as a smuggler, while the other characters are left with a mere chapter.

The film begins with a narrative of how red sandalwood ends up as a wedding gift in Japan but in reverse chronology. Why "Japan" one might wonder; is it because of the "land of rising sun" tag? Because of the crimson red circle on its flag? As it is part of Ring of Fire? Well, I am not sure of the cause but the movie narrative was pretty much like that - the travel of the sandalwood mattered the most than the places it went, just like the travel of Pushparaju (Allu Arjun) who is as rare as the red sandalwood itself. Yes, I am speaking about Pushpa, the fire (not the flower!).

Let us look at the places it worked big time.

Allu Arjun - The Performer

The narrative heavily focuses on the lead character, Pushparaju. Hence, the stronger the performer, the stronger the outcome. Unlike his previous outing Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, arguably one of the best commercials of 2020, Pushpa gave Allu Arjun the gray shades that lacked in Bantu - to form his own set of rules, to etch his own path, to have a faithful follower, or even to bribe his crush for a kiss! Such a rustic zone has not been explored much by such the stylish star, who is always looked upon as a pucca commercial entertainer, one who dances with power-packed moves, providing entertainment with humor and emotional content. He understood this clearly and boy he did!

I am pretty much impressed with the characterization of Pushpa, especially the principles he stands on - his unadulterated love towards his mother, his "self" righteousness, and being a self-esteemed person. The way he "promotes" himself from a high-earning employee to become a low-earning partner, speaks about his intent and the way he wants to project himself. As he says in the movie, Pushpa never subsides! (Taggade Le!). I am not sure about how the "dubbed" versions worked out, but the effort he did with the Chittoor/Tirupati dialect and the way the mannerisms were executed, it made me feel in awe of this performer. The credits go to Sukumar for penning such a character with minute details. Well, having said that, Sukumar got away so much with Pushpa that he quite forgot about the other characters!

The Supporting Characters - major misfires!

Apart from the characterization of Jolly Reddy, no other characters had a meaningful arc. As a womanizer and a reckless brother, Dhanajaya did his best and the way he ends up in a certain confined space ends up his arc in a promising manner and I am intrigued to see what will be his intentions in the second installment. After an impressive lead role in Rathnan Prapancha (Kannada), I am pretty impressed with his performance and he is a promising artist indeed.

Despite having meaningful connections tying her to the central narration of Pushpa, the character of Srivalli did not have a proper role in the movie. Apart from a few important sequences, most of the romantic portions could've been removed from the whole narration, and still, the audience would be able to relate to the narrative completely. Make no mistake! Rashmika Mandanna did a great job in enacting Srivalli, which is different from the ones she did earlier and it reminded me of Ramalakshmi (Rangasthalam) but there was simply not enough scope for her character when it could've been more.

Similarly, the character of Mangalam Srinu and Dakshayani were excellent opportunities for Sunil and Anasuya Bharadwaj respectively, to put their acting skills to the litmus test, but sadly left with their hands tied due to the narrative restrictions. They had a lot of potentials which were sadly left halfway. I am rooting for their roles in the sequel and I hope they have some!

Most of the other characters had a limited role to play in this first installment of Pushpa, which was pretty much expected from my side. I mean, it is a commercial entertainer at the end of the day and it is a luxury to expect perfect roles for such supporting characters. But it is no excuse for Sukumar who had handled such things in his earlier features effectively.

Production Design - The oxymoron!

Having done a phenomenal job in Rangasthalam, Mounika and Ramakrishna joined hands with Sukumar in creating some massive set pieces to blend in with the timeline the narrative takes place. Along with Miroslaw Kuba Brozek (Cinematographer), Karthika Srinivas, and Ruben (Editing), the production design of the movie was grandeur and had all the possibility to replicate the success of the directors earlier film, only that it did not. It was majorly due to the sole thing which is apparently the central theme of the film - the red sandalwood.

The visual effects used to resemble the "dimensions" and "actions" of sandalwood were barely replicated on-screen, which looked more like a thermocol project demonstration by a toddler. No offense but something could've been done about this. I mean, it travels with Pushpa all along and is supposedly rare in nature! Though the action sequences were well choreographed, the ones involving the sandalwood were disappointing, especially the "Gilli danda" stunt that Pushpa performs. Hence, on the whole, the production design had every possibility to become a great positive for the film but sadly had its eyes tied.

DSP and Samantha - The crowd puller

In spite of having big names in the cast, the movie required multiple crowd-pulling factors to recover its budget. And the man they should thank is Mr. Devi Sri Prasad! The magic he creates for every Sukumar film is just unbelievable. Right from Arya till Rangasthalam, the music blended in with the narration providing scores with commercial value and critical on certain occasions. Apart from the impressive moves from Allu Arjun and Rashmika, the songs from DSP were major pulling factors for the audience to hit the theatres. But the reason for them to flock in huge numbers - Samantha. The song "Oo antava, Oo Oo antava", though controversial in nature, reached the audience widely and was surely one of the major reasons behind the success of the movie. However, it is still sad that it ended as another blockbuster Item number than a graceful and meaningful dance number.

Questions - !! Skip this if you haven't watched the film yet!!

The major question that I had in my mind is - why! Why the character of Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, performed by Fahadh Faasil, was a major letdown?! I mean, he is arguably an actor with international standards and it would've been a major firework to see him perform alongside Allu Arjun. But I guess Sukumar has other plans. Better be a good one in the second installment! It better be!

After the ferocious encounter of Pushpa and Mangalam Srinu, the latter subsided quite suddenly to the actions of the former, without much reluctance. I can understand there is a huge set of events that could've occurred in between, but a couple of scenes/monologues would've justified such drastic changes, which were missing. I had a similar mindset to Dakshayani who almost killed her husband over the same topic, but we were left without any convincing answers.

The character of Kesava (Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari) is narrating the story all along, but the importance of him in the story of Pushpa, apart from being second fiddle, is not yet justified. Being a man with such self-respect, Pushpa could've narrated his story with such pride and audacity and yet it was Kesava who was performing his ordeal. The answer might be with the sequel, one can hope.

On the whole, Pushpa is an action-packed entertainer for those who enjoy Allu Arjun and his works but will be a lackluster commercial for others. For me, it worked a huge time solely because of Pushparaju and nothing else!

Taanakkaran (2022)

An honest, no-nonsense film about power and hierarchy, that lacks the ultimate punch, sort of!

In his debut directorial, Tamizh tried to implore the adverse effects of herd mentality when it is intertwined with power and a reward-based system. Though as earnest as it might sound, the script lacks the engagement that it tries to achieve, in spite of the hard work that went behind it.

Prelude

It was more than a year since the first look poster was out on the internet; my eyes literally clung to the movie because of two major reasons - its unique name - Taanakkaran - that basically means the person-in-charge of a police station, and the way Vikram Prabhu was holding the arms - It felt strong, honest, where the arms and uniform were embraced with pride. Tamizh announced himself as a no-nonsense person. It might sound dramatic but I had a gut feeling (a pretty huge one!) that this film will deliver.

Vikram Prabhu - The Taanakkaran

Despite hailing from a family with a strong film background, Vikram Prabhu had to toil his way through, just like a cadre in the Police Training Academy as showcased in this film. A feature was long due from him, which could showcase his potential, which will voice out the actor in him, and a film that is true to his nature. I think Taanakkaran answered that. Be it his physique, his voice, his expressions, they graced the film just like the outfit he adored in the first look poster.

It is so rewarding whenever an actor, especially the lead actor, strives hard to make the film viewing experience as close as possible to the audience. The performer in Vikram Prabhu made him do the squat jumps, and march on the ground with utmost sincerity with a cloud of dust surrounding him. I was surprised by the influence he had on the movie with his mere presence.

The Ordered and the Disordered

Beginning with a short prelude about what should be expected out of the movie, Tamizh made it clear that he is the real Taanakkaran - the person in charge. His intention was quite clear in showcasing how failed the police system actually is. There is this brilliant scene involving a constable, a neem tree, and a guard, that easily explains the underlying problem rooted in our society. It transcends the police force to the society we live in - we keep on doing things in an orderly manner without even knowing the reason for that. It is almost similar to what was discussed in Mahaan, with various themes of power, hierarchy, and herd mentality.

When it comes to crucial characters, the casting choices were pretty much spot on, especially Lal as Eshwaramurthy. He was what the doctor ordered for - fierce, unapologetic, cruel, and of course, the integral part of the "system". On second thought, the film resembled a spiritual twin of Writer, a 2021 Tamil crime thriller. Both these films showcased the weaker side of a community that was thought of as brave, and cruel, showing no leniency whatsoever. Both these films brought the police force much closer to society on a philosophical level, saying that they are not so different after all. Even a supposedly light-hearted scene involving a female officer, a tree, and a superior's office, says about how the "system" works.

As positive as it might sound, the honesty that was there in the intention behind Taanakkaran did not properly translate onto the script, which is reflected in the execution as well. Tamizh might have achieved the target he had in his mind, but it seemed he settled for a level than leaping for it.

With an intense story unfolding inside a closed compound, Taanakkaran required several moments that could engage the audience throughout its runtime. Though certain moments did work, especially the first ED involving Arivu (Vikram Prabhu) and Eeswara Moorthy (Lal), the script failed to cash on other occasions, which could've improved the result.

For a narration covering more than a few months of training, I was surprised that I could not feel the transition in time. Though there are several callback moments, especially the ones between the lead characters, it felt as if everything unfolded in a matter of a week or so. This in turn had an adverse effect on a feature with a runtime of 140 minutes.

The background score from Ghibran, though intense during certain moments, was overwhelming on many occasions that it overlapped the actors on screen. However, I feel it was required in order to convey the seriousness of the film, as well as its commercial viability, to a large section of the audience.

Having said that, the sound design of the film was pretty impressive. Be it the blades rustling against each other to remove every inch of hair (self-respect), the drilling environment, and the lathis earning for human contact, the sound design was brilliant in instigating the fear and a sort of creepiness into our minds. My wishes to M. R. Raja Krishnan (Sound mixing), M. Ilayaraja (Associate - Sound Production).

The Honesty

The most interesting part of the film lies in the climax, where Director Tamizh shied away from a traditional ending and depicted the nature of the system and how cruel it might seem. Adding to the answer of why Arivu wishes to be a police officer, Taanakkaran mentions a different approach to "clean" up the dirt. The extremely brief role of Bose Venkat as Inspector Mathi had a better impact in this regard than I imagined.

Taanakkaran is not a genius film for sure. But it never let down its guard of sincerity. It is so honest that it did not even try to cover its mistakes. With a film of such a magnitude, Tamizh achieved something great that many falter at the word go! Handling such a big crowd, under tough environmental conditions is not an easy joke. I should say Tamizh did his best in making Taanakkaran an earnest and honest attempt.

The movie is like a middle bench student, who strives hard to get the best mark possible. He indeed gets the best possible mark, but could not be the topper. Nevertheless, its a best for him, and we all know, he has the potential to break it through. We see the honesty behind it, an earnest attempt, despite the flaws. Just like Ruettiger in the 1993 film - Rudy.

It is not making the strong the strongest, but the importance lies in empowering the weaker, which Arivu tried to do with his batch. Though a baby step, Taanakkaran is for sure, a step ahead in quality and earnest filmmaking.

Vikram (2022)

An intense and ambitious execution that is more than "just" a fanboy commercial

With some of the greatest actors in the business, this directorial from the exceedingly talented Lokesh Kanagaraj has everything a Kamal movie has - an ambitious scale, plot-driven characters, strong technicality, and respect for the cinematic intellect of a commoner, and of course, the man himself!

When a project of a mammoth scale is in development, a lot of things are at stake; there are numerous possibilities where it might not just work out. For such a project to make a victory leap, everything has to work properly, literally everything! It has to work big time and I am not just speaking about its commercial value, but its technicality, authenticity, and the culmination of every single person in the unit. Everything just has to work. And Vikram achieved every single one of these and much more than that!

At first, I thought Vikram will be just another fanboy commercial, where the director might end up working "too" hard to make his beloved hero dance to his moves, resulting in a rather average product. However, Lokesh had other plans. And boy oh boy did he execute it in style!

The "Spin-off" verse of Lokesh Kanagaraj - LCU

The term spin-offs, crossovers, and multiverse are not new to cinema-goers, especially the Marvel fans. However, unlike in Hollywood, it was pretty difficult to pull off something like that here in Indian Cinema. Though cameo roles by established actors are rather prevalent, it stayed mostly as an idea and did not take the next step ahead. Though there are exceptions in the horror-comedy genre, there wasn't a movie that is so true to its core plot and character development, until Lokesh came into the picture.

In most of his earlier interviews, Lokesh never shied away from expressing his desire to make spinoffs and what-ifs with his favorite characters, especially Ulaganayagan's. The core concept of Kaidhi (Virumaandi) and even his last release Master (Nammavar) are great examples.

So, when Kamal Haasan suggested something on the lines of his yesteryear espionage thriller (Vikram), Lokesh saw an opportunity and grabbed it like anything - the opportunity to expand his universe on a large scale, to make a multi-starrer that can lead to several other movies churning out in the future, to make it as a Lokesh Cinematic Universe.

All of a sudden, everything became possible. It was possible to have a star like Suriya play an incredibly brief yet intense role in the film, it was possible to ask big actors like Fahadh Faasil and Vijay Sethupathi to wait for a few more hours during the shoot, and it was possible to make a movie with one of the leading character not even appearing more than a few minutes in its entire first half! Everything seemed possible. Call it the recent OTT trend, call it the new wave but for me, the reason is the man himself - Kamal Haasan. He made it possible. He made everything possible, even though he is not there entirely, just like a GHOST!

Kamal Haasan - The Ghost

With a career spanning over 60 years, the impact this man-made on several individuals is purely limitless. So, whenever someone gets inspired by KH, it is as if the man is delivering himself. It takes pure guts from Lokesh to have one's beloved hero in such an introductory sequence, as the title appears. Even though KH is not there almost entirely in the first half, he is still there as a Ghost. No, I am not mentioning the narrative but the writing, in the technicality, in providing proper characterization, in providing moments for almost every character to relish on screen. As he said at an award function, it was as if he was directing the movie; he was Lokesh's ghost (Yes, it is an Interstellar reference).

A 100% Lokesh Kanagaraj Film

After his 50% Vijay-50% Lokesh movie (Master), Lokesh promised a 100% Lokesh movie and he delivered! Right from the start, the narrative dove right into the plot. It did not deviate an inch, providing us an intense experience throughout. Every single aspect expressed on the screen is somehow a part of the narrative, which is surprising for me. To the core! I mean, even the supposedly "Hero Introduction Song" becomes part of the story after a while. I was expecting some emotional sequences like the ones in Kaidhi and thought Lokesh might not just succeed there but boy he surprised me there as well. Yes, there is an emotional bond between Vikram and the child but the child itself becomes part of the story and even an action-block!

Learning from his mistakes of the past, Lokesh presented us with a narrative that stays true to its genre. Yes, it has romance, songs, stunt sequences, care, affection, and pain, but all of them are part of the narrative. Though seeming complex at first, the narrative opens itself slowly, offering us bread crumbs as we search through it, just as one of the characters mentions. Some might call it boring, complex, or simply a gimmick. I will call it respecting the cinematic intellect of the audience, a commoner.

A Fanboy movie

What does one expect in a fanboy movie? The celebration (and a tribute) to one particular person who is adored and worshipped by many. It should have elements that are extremely true to that person. For instance, Petta is a perfect example of a fanboy movie, where Karthik Subbaraj celebrated Rajinism like anything. Lokesh, who is an Aandavar fan (as they call him), incorporated everything a Kamal movie should have - ambitious scale, plot-driven characters, accepting that the audience is more intelligent, and having the right people with you, who share an equal love towards the same human.

Often termed as an actor who speaks with his eyes, it was a great addition to have Fahadh Faasil in Vikram. He literally carried the entire first half on his shoulders, that is all about investigation and searching for bread crumbs. There is one sequence that involves him and a car driver, which was easily pulled off by the performer in Fahadh. Apart from being an extraordinary performer, he has been a constant admirer of the performer in KH. Even one of his latest releases - Malik - is a kind of ode to Nayakan and the performer in KH. Hence, I guess it was relatively easy for Lokesh to convince him to take the extra leap, for the sake of Ulaganayagan!

Having already played one of the strongest antagonists ever, it was difficult for Vijay Sethupathi after Master to essay a demoniac role that has a similar intensity and yet looks different entirely. Though his role was overshadowed by other elements, his performance still stands apart from the rest, and there is something to take home, and this for me, is something good! This was a great space to make use of and Vjs utilized it to his benefit, sharing the screen space with some of the finest co-stars he could ever imagine.

There is one more character I want to write about, scream about! Agent Tina! Though there were clues, I was completely taken aback by the character, and what a way to show perfect Indian espionage! Just wow! She is the Dancing Rose in this film! (Sarpatta Parambarai movie reference). But for the sake of people who are yet to watch the movie, I will keep my mouth shut, for the moment.!

Though the cameo was extremely short, the gruesome nature exhibited by Suriya was something I was not prepared for. It was literally some ferocious, cold-hearted stuff from such a performer after a really long time! I am just hoping to catch on to more of his grey shades in near future. But, just for a moment, I thought, what if the Superstar himself has played the role. WHAT IF ?!

The Technicality

With such an intense narration and most of it happening during the night, I could see the tiresome work from the entire technical crew members. With some great stunt sequences in its kitty, the twin duo of Anbariv choreographed the action scenes as close as possible to the reality, without over-the-top stunts. With great support from Girish Gangadharan (Cinematography) and Philomin Raj (Editor), the action part looked authentic and gripping enough for the audience and did not let them slip away from the narrative as well.

The moment when a certain character steps out of a prostitute's room, Anirudh started playing his magic where I understood he is literally doing everything he can to make the score sound different! Be it the songs or the background score, Anirudh is still one of the major reasons why people are flocking to theatres in this OTT era.

Special kudos to the ADs who were sincere enough to cover the logic loopholes as much as possible! Finally, CCTV footage looks exactly like CCTV footage!

Final thoughts

Overall, it was purely a delight for cinephiles to witness the audience enjoy such a visual spectacle without many songs or hero appreciation! It's always the baby steps that matter and Lokesh took a giant leap with Vikram and I am happy that it is being received well by the audience and critics alike. I just wish this man stays for more mask-revealing years to come, and am eager to witness his growth all along!

Ante Sundharaniki (2022)

Refreshing, Beautiful, Animated, and Heart-warming!

Amidst the cloud of bigger productions that are reaping the attention like an evening shower on a hot sunny day, this directorial by Vivek Athreya decided to play it grounded and simple.

Clubbed with some wonderful performances churned out by talented artists, Ante Sundaraniki deserves absolute love from the bottom of my heart, purely for its excellent narration!

Certain movies like Ante Sundaraniki are like butterscotch/blackcurrant ice cream whose taste you wish to endure as much as possible. It took me three viewings before I could pen down my thoughts, not because it was complex or difficult to interpret; but because I want to taste it, endure it, and live it as much as possible before it gets lost in my (not-so-shabby) writing. It is such a rarity that the soul of the film is pure, no matter what fault it has.

Ante Sundaraniki feels like a vibe for me. Yes, I know it belongs to the rom-com musical genre. Yet, it feels like it has its own genre of music, with specific tonality to it. It has its own ups and downs, and a bit complex narrative, close to 3 hours of runtime, and yet, true to its own self. I would just like to hug you Vivek Athreya! However, due to covid (and geographical) restrictions, this writeup will serve the purpose (hopefully!).

The Crux

The movie starts with a stage play where three kids enact a drama depicting the importance of education, in order to eradicate caste/class differences. It might be a 5-minute entertainment for the audience, which majorly comprises parents, teachers, and fellow students. However, for the primary characters on stage, it is more than just entertainment, it is their belief that with education one can overcome any hurdle. However, is it possible in reality? Well, Ante Sundaraniki answers this question with another elaborate, really elaborate, stage on-screen, adapting a narrative style called Double Journeys.

Narrative Style

It is a narrative style in which there are two equally important protagonists who are traveling towards/apart/parallel with each other, emotionally/physically/both (1). The double journey here is between the two lead characters - Sundar and Leela - played exceedingly well by Nani and Nazriya, respectively. Though the narrative starts as two different ones, after the 45th-minute mark, they combine together and take off, literally!

"Really? That long?!" - these were my exact thoughts on seeing the runtime of the feature - 2 hours and 53 minutes. However, the initial 10-15 minutes pulled me into the narrative and I was set for the test match! The narrative employs a video-game kind of sub-plots, alongside the main narrative. One gets to witness several "tiny" missions, where the current scenario is given along with the main goal to achieve, alongside the tools available for access.

Take a scene that involves a doctor and a certain patient's father. The whole sequence plays out like suspense, and not a surprise - we know what the doctor will say, we know what the patient's father knows, heck! We even know how he will react! However, the animated approach made us wait for the "bomb" to explode, creating certain suspense as to how the sequence will exactly churn out.

Background Score

Such narration requires some animated expressions in the form of music and I should say Vivek Sagar excelled in it. The background score, especially the one involving "tathastu" devatha, is just lit! Added to some beautiful songs that play out as montages, the music plays more than an important role in this feature. Though it had a similar flavor to his previous works (Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi and Pelli Choopulu), the music itself was still distinct enough to stand apart.

A big shout out to the childhood Sundar (Vinny), dancing like a junior Chiranjeevi! Just wow!

Production Design - Aesthetic!

The opening sequence involving the lead characters getting ready for some travel is one of my favorite sequences in the feature. It not only helps in establishing the geography of the characters but also enables us to enter their world, which is not possible without a sound production design.

For a feature running close to three hours, that involves multiple sequences unfolding inside closed spaces, the aesthetics of the interiors should be pleasing as well as close to reality. Ante Sundaraniki has one of the detailed, aesthetic approaches to the interior of a home. Period. It was an absolute delight to see the sequences where several characters are mobile inside such closed spaces and yet, one never feels claustrophobic. No exaggeration, but I felt I was there with the characters at one point in time. It was really an absolute delight!

Kudos to Niketh Bommi (Cinematographer), Ravi Teja Girijala (Editor), and the whole art department!

The Artists

Having proven their mantle on their own turf, it wasn't a difficult job for Nani and Nazriya to play as a loving couple on screen. However, the extent to which they went to make it believable and relatable, deserves my attention. The quirky, unsettling, insecure Sundar and the composed, idealistic and practical Leela was a delight to watch on screen.

Time and time I am having this thought, and I am saying it here again. Rohini is such a gem of a character artist I had the chance to witness onscreen. I am just in awe of how effortlessly she pulls-off the motherly characters at ease.

But, the character I wish to shout out loud is Naresh, who enacts as Sasthri Gaaru (Sundar's father). From being an ever-doubting dad in Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya, to an orthodox control freak in Ante Sundaraniki, Naresh had utilized every inch of space that was offered to him; if not for him or his characterization, there is every bit of a chance that the movie would not have worked out the way it did. He is the Kondalrao (Middle-Class Melodies) of this universe.

The choice of most of the characters was good enough to complement the narrative, which involves the battle of complex human emotions - the battle of life.

Life - It is all about the small, silly things Let us consider a simple sequence. At one point in time, Sundar explains a game to Leela about how strong a couple might turn out to be. As silly as it might sound, Leela eventually tries it out to her disappointment. But wait! Did I just say that she is idealistic and practical?! Yes, but love is stupid after all. She tries it just because he said it and because she wants to be with him. After all, love is about silly things coming together to make some sense, isn't it?

It is not the great things that matter but the small ones that hold you for long. And I think Ante Sundaraniki takes out several of those small things and knitted them together in such a presentable format. The presentation is so pure that even a photo bombing session involving Jesus Christ churns out as a comical relief!

Though sounding animated at times, Ante Sundaraniki addresses several stereotypes and tries to break a few of them, in a subtle manner. Right from the description of how certain traditions came into place, to how far one stretches that, the feature made it a point to let few as a comical relief but pointed out the ones that require attention right now.

The use of callbacks, setup, and payoffs (especially the one involving Rohini and Nani) was put into effective usage in making such a delicate subject be handled at ease. Certain events that unfold towards the end were an example of how a writing should be and Vivek Athreya deserves my complete appreciation.

Overall - Is it worth it?

Ante Sundaraniki is not silent. It is sound, is animated! Yet, somehow I felt that the movie is grounded in dealing with human emotions. Yes, several lies are involved, there is betrayal, cheating, and emotional tantrums all over the place. Still, I felt it was never blown out of proportion. People make mistakes but how they treat the outcome is what matters and here it is treated with great care!

The movie is easily on my rewatch list not because of its narration but for its pure soul that never gets tainted. I fell in love with this feature and I could not do anything about it. Sorry!

Ponniyin Selvan: Part One (2022)

Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan (PS - 1) - a technically brilliant, contemporary historical fiction from the Master craftsman

Backed by a stellar cast, Mani Ratnam's adaptation of Kalki Krishnamurthy's epic novel makes us dive into the world of the Chozha dynasty which is all about power, greed, anguish and of course, love!

Disclaimer - I am yet to read a line from the novel and was totally oblivious of PS, be it the storyline or what's what. So, the following are just my thoughts on the feature and not the novel. Hope I will taste Kalki's richness in near future. And of course, there will be no spoilers!

Prelude

A few days back, I shared some thoughts (or rather my outcry) on the Ponniyin Selvan feature which was gearing up for release at that time. As every other concerned fan, I had my insecurities about how well the director in Mani Ratnam could pull this off. Make no mistake! He is one of the best when it comes to direction but I was talking about the scale, the grandeur, not just in terms of production value but also the stellar cast the film has.

There were no if's and buts. There is no consolation prize. The film HAS to deliver and that's it. And boy did he deliver! Mani Ratnam and his team put everything to rest, with such a contemporary portrayal of a historical feature, which has its own share of fiction. I have several thoughts running on my mind now, but I will try to pen them down in a simple manner. Bare with me for a few minutes.

Contemporary Adaptation

Having a novel spanning five volumes, it is not difficult to obtain enough resources for the script. But the major problem lies in adapting it to the audience from multiple generations. One always has the dilemma between historical accuracy and comprehending the nature of the audience.

However, I think Jayamohan, Elango Kumaravel and Mani Ratnam were pretty sure of how they wanted to paint it on the big screen - a contemporary adaptation. It comes with a catch though! And that's satisfying the already filled cup (mind) of the avid fans of the novel itself.

The sources might be different - physical/audiobook, podcasts or narrations, but there are thousands of people who are aware of the story and the characters. They have their own perception of the world of PS and it is almost impossible to satisfy everyone. Though I am not aware of the happenings in the novel, I can comprehend the fact that the feature did not deviate much from Kalki's novel, by majorly adhering to the narration through a commoner - Vandhiyathevan.

Vandhiyathevan - The charming commoner

By making a commoner drive the narration, the audience had something to root for; they have someone as a common ground, a reference point, with whom they can relate to. Being an outsider to the Chola kingdom itself, the character shied away from shades of "siding" with someone (conflict of interest) and thus, became a genuine person on whom one can bet. However, he comes with his own set of perks!

Be it the young Pazhuvoor queen (Nandhini), the young princess of Chozha Empire (Kundavai), or a boat woman (Poonguzhali), Vandhiyathevan is always ready to take a chance and flirt with them, to a point of doing favours that are not in his jurisdiction! And casting Karthi as Vandhiyathevan was probably one of the best decision made by the team. He perfectly fits the role and I should say if not for him, the narration would've been relatively lustreless.

Be it Aditha Karikalan (Vikram) or Nandhini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), the casting was spot on. A special apology to Jayam Ravi! Boy did I underestimate you! As Arun Mozhi Varman, Jayam Ravi fit the role of Ponniyin Selvan to the fullest! More than half the job was already done for Mani Ratnam in making such crucial casting choices and as it turned out, it did wonders to the outcome of the film itself. I didn't want to dwell deep into each character and spoil the fun. Hence, I just rest my case here regarding the casting, including my Kadal Kanni, Poonguzhli !

War/Fight Sequences - surprisingly grounded!

Let us consider one of the war sequences, its aftermath in particular. More than half the soldiers who battled each other on an island shore, lie dead with space barely to walk between them. There are celebrations, there are war cries, but they are not glorified in any manner. None of it, I mean none of it glorifies the victory. The void around the arena haunts not only us but the soldiers and commanders themselves.

Consider another scene where a chancellor is helmed as a hero with 64 wounds from different battles he fought. This tells us something important - people laud not the hero without any wounds but the one with the wounds who survive to last till the next battle. Be it Aditha Karikalan or Vandhiyathevan, one can always witness the scars in their body of which they aren't ashamed. Warriors consider them as a symbol of pride and not something shameful.

And it's not just about the physical fight I am trying to describe here. There is a particular sequence where Kundavai (Trisha) is among certain important persons who could decide the fate of the dynasty. There stages a "mass" moment as one might call it, that showcases her political wit. It is nothing short of a hero bashing up a hundred guys but the way it was outrightly played in a grounded manner, deserves our attention.

On the other hand, consider the introductory sequence of Aditha Karikalan and the background score used. It sounds like an "Oppari" or rather a warcry. It is not for the title, it is not for the competition, it is not to win over lands that he is running to. He is running from the pain and agony that he is facing. This could be translated for every one of us - we all are running from something that caused us acute pain, something that occurred in the past.

It is not all about the battle with external threats. It is about fighting the inner demons as well. Everyone had their fair share of excuses for waging such battles - let out of anger, pride of kingdom, retribution, revenge and whatnot! But in the end, everyone was waging their own battle - within themselves.

I am not sure if such a narrative was there in the novel but the collective decision from Mani Ratnam, Jayamohan and A R Rahman to have sequences that exposed the true side of war deserves my applause. Absolutely pathbreaking when it comes to the historical features that mostly try to exaggerate the war sequences.

Such a narrative helps us to discover the grey shades of characters, the weaker side of warriors, that makes them more human-like.

Grey Shades - The Playground

The narration starts with a description of a celestial event, where a shooting star was seen across the Chola sky. But its appearance wasn't considered ordinary. In fact, it had totally contrasting interpretations in the kingdoms on either side of the Palk strait! Both of them perceived the event in a way they want to, that might have nothing to do with a heavenly object. The way it was showcased in a subtle manner, throughout the narration, took me by surprise!

One such sequence takes place when Nandhini and Kundavai greet each other. Amongst the witty comments they exchange, something else was sprawling in my mind. They both are women with political power and intellect to en/dethrone anyone, who is poles apart! And what a way to stage the whole sequence, with a scintillating background score from A R Rahman! Take a bow Ravi Varman!

Production Design - a Marvel

For a narration that is grounded and close to reality, someone was required who could spend their energy in providing the right tonality to the visuals. Hailing from Chola's own Thanjavur and an ardent fan of the novel (who apparently named himself after PS!), Ravi Varman sounded the perfect choice for helming the camera for PS. Along with Thotta Tharani, who is joining hands with Mani Ratnam after Nayagan, Ravi Varman created some spectacular visuals that will stand the test of time.

Be it the war sequences, the fight on a ship amidst a storm, or the chasing ones involving Vandhiyathevan, the hand-held shots made us move closer to the characters as if they are manoeuvring near us. They brought an extra layer to the main narrative, further making it believable.

Along with some creative decisions with Mani Ratnam, the production design reflected certain sequences that are a homage to the Japanese Filmmaker - Akira Kurosawa. Be it the "hut" sequence, the battle or even the grounded nature of the narration, most of it is attributed to the legendary filmmaker, whose works like Throne of Blood and Ran had a huge impact on the narrative style of PS.

Questions

In spite of having many positives, I have my fair share of questions as well. The several magical numbers from A R Rahman could've been easily used to the advantage of production value. However, most of it felt rushed with almost all the songs playing out as montages (except the brilliant Devaralan Attam).

Adapting a novel into a two-part feature film is difficult. However, one could take a creative decision in not rushing many characters into play. This might be claustrophobic, especially for the ones who are oblivious to the world of PS, just like me.

With a strong Tamil connection, PS surely had a bigger chance in Tamilnadu, in terms of its theatrical release and reach to the audience. However, I felt it would be even difficult for a non-Tamil speaker to understand certain nuances and comprehend certain situations, as they are rooted in our Tamil culture. In spite of having names like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and A R Rahman, the movie packed a major national-wide pull that one would expect for such a historical feature.

Conclusion - Is it worth it?

As with any Mani Ratnam movie, PS is a slow burner and one needs some patience for it to grow on you. However, once it does, one might start understanding the nuances that the film has to offer.

Sardar (2022)

Sardar (Tamil) - an ambitious spy thriller with a brilliant screenplay that hits the right spot

Despite being hampered by commercial roadblocks, Sardar still succeeds in carrying out such a mammoth project, thanks to the brilliance in the screenplay by P. S. Mithran. Backed up by some scintillating background score from G V Prakash Kumar, this Karthi starter has much more to offer than just being any other spy thrillers out there.

Note - Though I will be discussing the screenplay techniques used in the feature, I will refrain from any kind of spoilers, as much as possible. Happy reading!

Prelude - The man behind the (Iron) Screen

Usually, after witnessing any feature in a theatre, people flock out, in-order to flock to a different kind of medium - Social Media. However, after this particular feature, the way we see and use mobile phones, let alone social media, was changed. The feature is Irumbu Thirai (Iron Screen) and the man who created the change is P. S. Mithran. The way the seriousness of the theme was handled was commended by many.

Although his next feature - Hero - was as ambitious as his first, it did not just strike a chord with the audience and ended up with a lukewarm response. Nevertheless, the treatment was more than enough for P. S. Mithran to earn a spot on my list of "Screenplay writers to watch out for".

Yes, he is a commercial director. Yes, the initial 30 minutes will have a mandatory "love" portion for the lead character (aka Hero). And Yes, the lead character ultimately wins! In spite of having such a stereotypical storyline in both of his previous films, P. S. Mithran stood out with the way he presented them, in his different approach to creating such thrillers. This was purely the only motive for me to watch his next feature - Sardar.

Screenplay - The Game Changer

If there is one element that changed the fate of Sardar, it's the screenplay. Though it follows a three-arc structure on its base, there were other techniques interlaced to provide a brilliant structure to the grandeur nature of the project. The screenplay is fairly linear in nature but employs a kind of Double Journey structure, whenever an emotional/psychological high moment occurs. Sometimes it employs flashbacks and sometimes it's flashforwards, but the emotion and the adrenaline rush stay the same throughout such sequences. It reminded me of Godfather Part 2 (1974), which had parallel dramas running - prequel and sequel to the Godfather (1972), which shows the rise of both the son and his father in different timelines (co-incidental?!).

Let me tell you an example. There is this sequence, where Vijay Prakash (Karthi) imagines himself in place of a kid, striking an emotional chord with him. The whole sequence panned out brilliantly from script to screen, thanks to the amalgamating work from P. S. Mithran (Writer/Director), George C. Williams (Cinematographer), Ruben (Editor), and G. V. Prakash Kumar (Music). The use of flashback was crisp, quick and highly effective, and was also exhibiting the dual nature of the story itself!

Starting from the subtext of the film (Once a spy, always a spy), to how good a spy should be, the feature is filled with setups and payoffs which are well written and used at places in a striking manner. Along with effective uses of callbacks, the screenplay draws audience attention to details to just the right amount, refraining from creating complex sub-plots, and once such callback sequence hits the screen, it for sure delivers some pleasure hormones to our brain cells!

But, with the advent of OTT, most of us are aware of such spy thriller genre. Hence, I will not be exaggerating if I say that we all know what happens next. But, it's the how that matters! That's where the use of Fabula and syuzhet comes in, which was used effectively in the genre of crime thrillers/investigations. Fabula is the raw material of a story and syuzhet is the way it was organised, and it is one of the commonly employed techniques were one witness the result first and then to the "how" part, later. Employing the Flashforward technique in combination with the Fabula and syuzhet, P. S. Mithran created a hybrid one where the screenplay is pretty linear and non-complex, and yet flashforwards to offer a high point just before an emotional high point occurs - the Action Blocks.

Action Blocks - Compelling one

For any spy thriller, it is a taken that the protoganist can do anything out of ordinary. He could smash multiple persons at once, handle extreme machineries, and carry out stunts that may be impossible in real world, with Beast and Vikram being prime examples. However, Sardar sets something different. By employing the screenplay techniques that were discussed earlier, the action blocks were used as a medium of storytelling, than just being a reason to show the muscle power of the lead. The execution was more than enough to pump enough adrenaline into the audience, to sustain their attention until such sequence occurs next. Hence, one will forgo the illogical sequences that might pop up here and there. Still, there are certain misses that P. S. Mithran could've caught earlier.

The Misses

As the feature dives into the world of Vijay Prakash, we witness a certain conversation between a (supposed) IT wing and a politician from a certain political party, which sort of provides the introduction for the lead (Vijay Prakash). However, we see no closing act for these people, and not even callbacks at any point of time. For a movie that used callbacks such effectively, this sequence was certainly a disappointment.

The same goes for the dreamy song sequence between the lead characters, Vijay Prakash and Shalini (Raashi Khanna). What could have been a song with just montage sequences, imparted the unwanted sequences with costumes and set pieces that are no way connected to this earth, literally!

Is it worth it?

Unlike Vikram, which was filled with guns, bullets, blood and action sequences, Sardar shows you the other side of being a spy. It lets us explore the downside of it, the after-effects, the repercussion it could've on a person's life. Though sounding more like a family drama, Sardar is still a compelling watch in the genre of a spy thriller, which reminds us the famous quote from Alfred Hitchcock.

"To make a great film, you need three things - the script, the script and the script."

• Alfred Hitchcock, known as the "Master of Suspense"

Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021)

A rustic, surreal piece of work that's absurdly poetic!

With an astonishing background score from Midhun Mukundan, Raj. B. Shetty pulled off an eccentric tale of bromance involving power, greed, resentment and eventual downfall, that is exceedingly well-crafted in both technical as well as philosophical sense.

After witnessing Raj. B. Shetty play the character of a bald Kannada teacher in search of a bride, in his directorial debut Ondu Motteya Kathe, I was in complete admiration for this man who could bring out certain soft natured nuances that only certain individuals can instantly relate to at first. But like a dormant volcano exploding all of a sudden, he came up with this experimental work, with which he establishes himself as one of the few storytellers who narrate characters of contrasting nature at ease.

Characterisation

The thing I loved the most about GGVV is the characterisation. Though there is an underlying reference to the mythological godly figures of Vishnu and Shiva on a constant basis, starting from the title in-fact (Garuda - Vehicle mount of Vishnu and Vrishabha - of Shiva), the way the characters are shaped up, requires a separate lens to view at.

Consider one of the lead who is more concerned of his people than anything else, no matter how trivial they might be - an young lad, who could merely swing his bat properly in a cricket tournament, becomes a crucial part of the narrative of this lead; he is concerned about his well being and is amused at his growth of this lad, who is now a professional all-rounder. While one lead is ready to finalise a deal where one of his man gets bashed up, the other lead "takes care" of the issue in his own way. While one is more concerned about the people over status, the other is more concerned about the power and status. I love the way such contrasting natures are explored in depth, than merely circumventing them.

The importance given to objects and places as another character in the film, deserves applause. Consider the following situation. Everyone is sure that if a character gets to know of a particular incident, it might well be the end-game for another character. But, on the arrival of the former character, everyone starts glaring at his shoes and not his face! I mean, we, along with the other characters on-screen, experience similar thing where a particular object takes the centre stage than the character itself. I absolutely loved this particular staging, which happens on several other occasions as well.

Similarly, a certain character is seen visiting a certain shrine, to cleanse of one's sin after committing a heinous act. The temple, which was only a place to a certain point, became a character during a certain crucial sequence. Similarly, the town of Mangaladevi, though treated as a territory, reflects the mindset of people it houses; it is no longer a mere town but a character that has its own way of dealing things and has its own place in the narration.

Narrative

The base story of the film is so ordinary and bland that we can predict every sequence one after the other. However, GGVV stands apart with its style of narration, which I should say, is experimental in nature. Unlike movies like Ulidavaru Kandante, which is a multi-vantage point narrative, any protagonist-antagonist narrative focusses majorly on the protagonist and his journey, irrespective of whether he is morally right or wrong.

Here in GGVV, we witness the narration from the third lead, Brammayya (reference to one of the Trimurti), but it focusses on the other two leads instead (Shiva and Hari) and not on him, for most of the parts. In fact, it is so sided with Shiva in particular that we tend to forget who is narrating the story! The very idea of introducing a weakling into the main narrative and then make him turn the tables around, creating ripples in the life of the strong leads, is quite intriguing! I am not sure if this is intended but Raj. B. Shetty won the battle with just this thought process! Kudos!

The setups and payoffs are perfectly set in the movie, where every character has their own entry and exit points, clearly sketched in a way that the narrative never gets "disrupted". Right from the local MLA, to the cricket playing lads, Raj. B. Shetty implanted setups which payed off at the right time, thus he let all the loaded guns fire! (Yes it is a reference to Chekhov's gun).

Production Design

I feel that the term production design is often misunderstood. It does not denote only the huge set pieces with grandeur frames, but also the tiny ones that helps in staging sequence after sequence in a splendid manner. GGVV has one such technically strong crew who knew what to do. I am in absolute admiration for Praveen Shriyan, who was the cinematographer and editor of GGVV. The way the sequences were interlaced to have its own flow of events were absurdly poetic in nature.

Consider a particular song sequence where the rise of Shiva and Hari are depicted no more than a dozen different footwears! Sounds absurd, right? Well, watch the movie and you'll know what I am talking about. This travels pretty much with the story where we are "told" about how a sequence ends and then witness it unfold.

Having said that, there were absolutely no room for errors when it comes to budget and these guys nailed it! You can literally see every penny spent on the movie without getting wasted. This is one of the things I admire about Raj. B. Shetty and his team, whose earlier work (Ondu Motteya Kathe) was done on a mere 30 lakh INR budget.

There are multiple films where background scores were placed just to elevate certain sequences but the score from Midhun Mukundan unified with the visuals in a way where a devotional song becomes a mass number depicting the rise of friends becoming gangsters (Chandrachooda). His work is as equal as Raj or Praveen as the music becomes an integral part of the narrative.

The Philosophy

!! Contains Spoilers . Skip this part if you haven't seen the movie yet!!

There is a particular sequence where a Shiva is seen unleashing his wrath that he build over the years, against all the ill that has been done to him. Consider for once, if such things never happened, if he was treated in a good manner. Then, Shiva would've been a normal person just as any of us. Consider for once, if the shopkeeper settled his dues with Hari; he would've been a genuinely successful person in his own life. Consider for once, if the home minister decided to let Brahmayya go and not "punish" him by initiating the transfer; he could've been home everyday to make sure his daughter has food on time.

The story of GGVV highlights the way the lead characters brings out the evil, or should I say violent nature of a human. It is basically the situation that shapes up any human and the leads of GGVV are no exception. Though the touch of godly figures in the narrative might sound controversial, GGVV is about the vehicle mounts and not the gods themselves; it is about how gods are created, are transported and not about the god himself.

One thing I found interesting is that there is no female character, apart from the mother herself; the lead characters, devoid of such motherly affection, are left with nothing but their own understanding of love and care, which might also be the reason for the personal turmoil that unfolds in their lives. I think it also affected the way both the leads were brought up.

I personally loved the movie to the core which has several layers to it than what we see on the surface, and will surely be in my re-watch list for such a narrating style! This is one such movie where you do not care what others feel about; you just go, sit and enjoy the whole experience, taste whatever your eyes are fed with! GGVV is a breather for Kannada film lovers which says, we are still there, we are still breathing!

Kadaisi Vivasayi (2021)

A spiritual experience on the cultivation of land, people, heart, and soul!

Created by M. Manikandan, Kadaisi Vivasayi (The Last Farmer) is rather an experience that moves not only the earth but the very soul of the beings that thrive on it. Along with a soul-stirring background score from Santhosh Narayanan, the feature narrates the importance of connecting oneself with nature, from a philosophical meta-state.

Few stories strive hard to get hold of the very essence of life but fail to achieve it. However, few movies, rare ones, get hold of it and express it like anything; the narration plunges into one's heart, kindling emotions that were hidden till that point. Kadaisi Vivasayi, the tale of Maayaandi being the last surviving farmer in his village, is one such rarest gem, which took me by surprise. It made me laugh, cry, moved my heart like never before. Give me a few minutes and I will tell you why.

The Prelude - to the creator!

Right after the release of Kuttrame Thandanai (Crime itself is a punishment), Creator M. Manikandan expressed his thoughts about Kadaisi Vivasayi and shared a few insights about it. Right from that point, I was intrigued to watch his work, as soon as it gets created and released on big screens/OTT. Why I should be intrigued? Well, as a storyteller, M. Manikandan stands apart from many. He does not create content but lives through it, experiences it, and then modifies it in such a way that it will cater to the audience in a much more engaging way. His films Kaaka Muttai and Aandavan Kattalai are great examples of that. His perception of the world, shown through several beautiful frames, is good enough to kindle one's interest.

The Crux of Kadaisi Vivasayi

The titles for the film roll on-screen, as a devotional song (to Lord Muruga) is played in the background. Though sounding religious in nature, the song holds the crux of the film itself. Let me tell you how. The initial lyrics of the song basically means "I do not care if you are a stone or a figment of imagination, I still shower the same love towards you, Lord Muruga!" It is all about hope! That is what Kadaisi Vivasayi is about - the act of sowing hope!

The feature emphasizes the act of passing - of knowledge, love, compassion, deeds, and the fruits of the past to the future, just like a seed. Technically speaking, it is like the DNA in a human, passing on crucial information to the upcoming generation. Through such acts, the feature firmly establishes the factor of hope to the characters (on-screen) and the audience alike.

The Last Generation

There is an interesting scene in the movie, where the youngsters ask an old-age potter to make some things for them. The potter is old and is the last of his generation of potters. Yet, he caters to their needs as the youngsters look in awe of what the potter is doing with the earth. On second thought, this is exactly the story of Maayaandi, who is also the last of his generation of farmers, and his knowledge and techniques are on the verge of extinction.

Consider a strange situation inside a prison, where Maayandi questions the "farming" knowledge of his cellmate as if it is common sense to do farming, which is all about earth, water, air, and sunlight! And he is true! Such common sense is slowly getting away from us, which is beautifully woven by M. Manikandan, expressing the importance of such ancient techniques.

The term Literacy takes an entirely new shape in the feature. The lead character, Maayaandi, irrespective of the lack of proper education, has profound knowledge of the things that he buys, uses, and produces. It makes us question the term knowledge again and again. Is the knowledge from books the real knowledge? Well, Maayandi accepts that he is not literate but has enough knowledge to survive himself and his art of farming and animal husbandry. The way he cares about the things fed to the beings, clearly shows the importance given to every lifeform on this earth, let alone humans, which can only arise from the book of life!

Screenplay with Philosophies and Metaphors!

In order to make one experience through several acts unfolding on-screen, the film requires space when it comes to its screenplay. M. Manikandan understood it completely and provided an ample amount of breathing space, which allowed us to inhale the freshness of nature that unfolds in front of us.

Though the feature has a strong message, it never hits us right on our face. M. Manikandan did not play the emotions in such a way that one is persuaded into what he wishes to tell. On the contrary, he merely explains a few philosophies as bread crumbs, which may not be completely necessary today but might help us in our journey of life.

Take a scene where the youngsters query the elders about their way of worship. The discussion that happens and the answers provided by the elderly villagers, are simple, straight to the point, and are purely spiritual in nature. If philosophy cannot be expressed in layman terms, it isn't a philosophy anymore, and Manikandan did it spectacularly, throughout the film.

Right from a stone worshipped as a deity, to the age-old Bodhi tree, the movie is filled with metaphors, which are beautifully woven in the screenplay such that, most of them pan out as a humorous/light-hearted scene than a serious one. While one person is worrying about his baldness, the other person handles her case of "dwarf" ness with utmost humor! Just like that, the feature tells us how to handle imperfections in life, to accept life as it is, and make the best out of it. And one such theme of metaphors falls under the spiritual connection of Kadaisi Vivasayi.

The Spiritual Connect

There is this amazing..amazing..amazing scene where Ramaiyya, played exceedingly well by Vijay Sethupathi, encounters a sage near a temple. The sequence that follows can only be termed as a spiritual experience and nothing less than that. But if one wonders, the movie will still be the same, without this particular event. The story will still move forward without this particular conversation. However, it is one such sequence that kindles the ray of hope inside Ramaiyya, and inside us as well, which makes us forget about the necessity of the sequence and rather focus on the juice it offers us.

Similarly, the references to Lord Muruga and his vehicle Peacock, though not completely relevant to the story, are more of a spiritual connection to the two crucial characters of the film - Maayandi and Ramaiyya. The climactic sequence involving such a connection can only be termed as surreal and spiritual. Nothing else!

The People

The leading actors, especially Dheivathiru Nallandi (Maayandi) and Vijay Sethupathi (Ramaiyya), did a fabulous job in enacting their roles to perfection. Most of the supporting actors, though relatively new, did their part exceedingly well that I did felt everything complete and real.

The inclusion of Santhosh Narayanan and Arivu as music director and lyricist, respectively, is completely justified through their beautiful songs with deeper meaning, connecting the earth and the life that thrives on it. Both the songs, along with their picturization, had a profound impact on our viewing experience and they still linger in our minds.

The Impact

After witnessing the movie Swades, I was moved in such a way that it evolved me as a person, where there is no going back from the experience of such a feature. There is no turning back. It made me discover myself, intellectually and emotionally. Kadaisi Vivasayi moved me in such a manner that it reminded me of Swades. Both these features transcended boundaries and hit us hard at the bottom of our hearts. Is it due to the fact that both these films are based on a village? Maybe. Is it because both these films involve the difficulties faced by farmers? Maybe. But one can just speculate and cannot find the right reason on why it creates such an impact on your heart. I guess one should just leave it as it is, and experience the artwork.

M. Manikandan's Kadaisi Vivasayi is one of the most important feature films in Tamil Cinema, is surely the best I have seen in the past decade. Without exaggeration, it will be one of the best films in Tamil Cinema, at least for me, and I highly recommend experiencing this feature!

Wind River (2017)

Wind River - a gripping tale of shallowness, metamorphosis and eventual redemption

Directed by Taylor Sheridan, this Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen starrer offers us a journey which is unbelievably sulking in nature.

There are few instances where one might feel connected to a movie on a meta-level, understanding its metaphorical references, and diving towards its inner soul where it hits you right in the heart. Wind River is one such rarity that engulfs you within its sea of shallowness and provides you with a chance to cleanse yourself, only if you let it.

The narration starts with a girl running off on a full moon night, along the snowy hills of the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, barefooted.! With a poetic recital in the background, the title appears as the girl runs through the wide (yet, still) frame (pardon my Cinematographic glossary!), with just the moon showing any glimpse of light that is left in her path of life.

This sequence sets the tone for the rest of the movie to follow; this feature is not the one where you wish to pass the time, it is not for those who don't wish to endure strength amidst a cold storm. This is for those who wish to undergo the journey of redemption, much like the lead characters in the movie - one becomes a relatively matured human while the other cleanses off the guilt (of the past). A lot of questions pop up in one's mind - Why is she running? What is she running from? Will she survive? Why does a beautiful yet trembling voice recite an unpopular poem? But as the movie progresses, one might discover answers to these queries...one at a time.

As a renowned hunter of wild animals and an expert tracker, Cory Lambert, played exceedingly well by Jeremy Renner, holds the key to the complete investigation process. Driven by the "hunter" instincts and tracing abilities, he dissects the "how" part of any incident quite clearly...the "why" part, however, is not up to his hands. But what if something comes up, something special that he eventually falls into the "why" as well? Coupled with his feelings towards the deceased, the guilt from the past plays a major role in taking up the investigation, irrespective of the help he gets. The people in that reservation, including the police chief Ben Shoyo (Graham Greene) are so used to having no help at all that they do not depend on the government to do the job for them. It is quite evident through the various references placed in the feature. They do receive something, which can be barely called as help - a naive FBI officer who is completely dark of the topology she is going to deal with.

During one of her investigative processes, the father of the deceased girl considers her barely an adult, let alone an FBI agent. He did not mention it sarcastically; there is some intensity in his voice that might be taken in the wrong sense but he is damn serious about it. Well, in my opinion, he is not completely wrong. The officer might be physically aged but she has not aware of her surroundings and the experience she lacks by mountains that surrounds her! But she never shies away from admitting her naiveness and explicitly asks for help, which she is in dire need of. Although she is sort of "pushed" into this situation, she never backs out; she holds her ground and undergoes this journey, which I can only say as a metamorphosis. "We" (audience) are she, I would rather say!

The friendship that Cory shares with Martin Hanson (Gil Birmingham), caught me right in the eye. Their bond transcends boundaries, sharing emotions on much higher ground. You don't need courtesy, you don't need parties but just a man to sit with you, to comfort you as if he doesn't have anything else to do! This feature, to me, is something like that...It just sits beside me, grows inside me, comforts me without uttering a word.

With a strong motive behind making this feature, Taylor Sheridan conveys the message loud and clear. The amount of breathing space that he gave in writing the screenplay is just the right amount that the script demanded. Thus, it allows us to embark on this journey, rather than witnessing the events as they unfold. The frames from Ben Richardson along with the score from Nick Caven and Warren Ellis, creates an environment where you can feel lonely yet comforting, shallow yet contempt, scared yet strong, naive yet courage! They comforted the viewing experience like a heavy quilt on a cold night. I highly rate this movie purely for the way it was told. Just brilliant!

Drishyam 2 (2021)

A philosophical sequel that can never be any better

With some brilliant writing from Jeethu Joseph, the sequel to the blockbuster Drishyam deals with the life of Georg Kutty and his family at a meta-state which is more of a philosophical one than a thriller.

It is very difficult to share my thoughts without revealing much about the plot, but I will do my best to keep it as minimal as possible! When the news came out that Director Jeethu Joseph was scripting a sequel to his 2013 Malayalam-language family thriller, I was thinking what everyone else did - "Why ruin a perfectly told thriller?!". But JJ came up with something that is worthy enough to be tagged as a "sequel" to the Drishyam universe.

During one of the several tiffs that she has with her husband, Rani (Meena) describes that Georg Kutty has changed a lot. The once cable TV operator of the town, Georg Kutty is now a proud owner of a movie theatre that is modern and sophisticated, including the recently installed CCTV cameras. His dream of making a good movie has changed his behaviour towards the way he treats his wife or take family matters seriously, especially when it comes to the aftermath of the ever-ending investigation of the death of Varun. He seems to be taking things lightly as we all know why?! (Remember the epic dialogue he said to the S.I.!!) But this is not the case with Rani and her elder daughter Anju (Ansiba Haasan).

Since that night which changed their lives, Rani and Anju were not living their lives of their own; the PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) gets to them in a way that they haven't thought about, disturbing their very peace of mind and health alike. Rani cannot ever share her distress to Georg Kutty, who prefers not to speak about the matters that are deep buried long ago. This extends to Anju as well, who even suffers seizures because of several haunting dreams that it has become a regular event of their household. Picture this - her sister Anumol (Esther Anil), doesn't even hesitate to narrate one such dream to her classmate, who is interested in making a short-film on it and Anju has a switch by her bed which acts like a distress call; the family is so accustomed to having such traumatic nights that it became a part of their life. The guilt, the fear of getting caught, and the suspense regarding the place of burial makes Rani to have several restless nights where she needs a company of her neighbour Saritha to drive away her loneliness.

Though it might sound like a melodrama, this sequel deals with various philosophical layers of the lives of both the families (Georg Kutty and Geetha Prabhakaran). Both are seeking for redemption which they know they can never attain completely; they can never be in peace with themselves anymore - the harder they try, the worse it becomes. Well, one can ask if there is any salvation for them. I guess the climax explains it beautifully. Right from getting "justice" to the drunkard neighbour, to maintaining peaceful relation with villagers, Georg Kutty and his family showcased several stages of being a morally respectful behaviour towards humanity and life. The mob-mentality of our society, which was depicted in a spectacular manner in Jallikattu (Malayalam Movie), takes a dig at Georg Kutty; the crowd that once supported him for his daring act of saving his family, is no longer fond of his growth. It doesn't hesitate once to spread some rumour about him and his family, which Rani and her daughters are unaware of. But that's not the case with Georg Kutty!

Like the police department, Georg Kutty is equally vigilant, keeping his eyes and ears open all the time...I mean ALL THE TIME! During the climax of Drishyam, he mentioned that human himself is selfish by nature; Georg Kutty is no exception in this feature as well. He does things that might seem to be out of personal interest but everything leads to one damn thing - the pledge he took to protect his family. He plans his moves well ahead in future and waits for the time to run, just like Usain Bolt waiting for his competitors at the finish line. You know Georg Kutty will eventually win. But will he be at peace with himself? Will he be having a soul without disturbances, at the least? The movie underlines these grey areas which other commercial movies shy away from. The writer in JJ surfaced on all these plot points, which could've unfolded as a separate feature by itself!

The actor in Mohanlal aka Lalettan surfaces every time there seems to be a high-voltage moment on-screen; the very performer in him drives this entire plot and makes it believable (ironical!). As the new I.G. in charge of Varun's case, Murali Gopy displayed an equal calibre of performance which could've well be taken over easily by Asha Sharath, who was simply phenomenal in the first part! As I.G. Geetha Prabhakar, she would've been much more fitting for this role where she can morally fight Georg Kutty in this never ending battle. But with a solid-writing behind such a climax that this feature has, JJ makes you forgo all the flaws that the movie has and provides us with a fitting sequel that can never ever be better than this! You got me this time JJ...I was just overwhelmed by the way the movie shaped up. It is not just about the high moments...It is also about the struggle that the family undergoes...It is about every possible foul-mouthing that they (or Georg Kutty) had to heed to...Having a life with so much guilt, fear, anxiety and restlessness is more of a punishment than just pushing them behind the bars. Though we have a winner, JJ makes him like a soul-less creature.

There are lots of points to ponder about this feature like the advocate during the climatic portions but I do not want to spoil it anymore for you! Take a sear and enjoy Drishyam 2 on Amazon Prime Video

Tumbbad (2018)

A visually stunning mythological tale that is haunting yet rewarding

With a relatively simple parable on greed, Director Rahi Anil Barve created an horror-fantasy-period film that transcends language barriers!

The movie starts off with a mythological prelude on the Goddess of Prosperity and her first and most beloved offspring, Hastar, who is greedy for her gold and food. This prelude, unlike many others, makes complete sense once we start witnessing the events as they unfold.

Split into three different chapters, Tumbbad follows the journey of Vinayak Rao, played brilliantly by Sohum Shah, who lives with his younger brother and mother, who serves the local lord called Sarkar. But there is something fishy going on...something hidden in the dark...inside the fort. Along with the never ending rainfall, the secrecy adds a gloomy nature to the frame and our experience alike.

Dealing with the human nature of greed, Tummbad explores the psychological urge of a man towards wealth and woman, while providing us with a metaphorical representation on how deep one's thirst for wealth can plunge into, much like the Goddess Womb! It might seem like a simple story from Chanda mama or Panchathantra, but the way the parable was extrapolated with metaphors etched in its frame, Tummbad stands out!

In any horror movies, the sound design plays a huge role in creating a haunting environment that instils fear within us. Being no exception, Tumbbad had some good...sorry..! amazing guys doing the sound design!! Take this scene for instance.. Vinayak prepares some food for their "guest" but out of fear, insists his younger brother, Sadashiv, to serve it. While he is walking towards the "guest" room, we just hear the ever ending thunder showers, hooting breeze and the hurricane lamp which scratches the house wall. You wish to see something out of the blue but you are left with the trembling feet of young Sadashiv, his lungs gasping for fresh air and his eyes glued towards the room; we are "Sadashiv" at this moment - expecting something unexpected. This particular stretch of sound design stands out, as it's just not about the haunting score, just not about the horrific faces. It is about providing what that scene needs, what that frame is envisioned for, what that story requires! And Tumbbad has some great background scores (Jesper Kyd, Ajay-Atul) that went hand-in-hand with the sound design (Kunal Sharma), in enhancing our viewing experience.

Though a Hindi-language feature, the locations and the production design made it look like a Marathi one; the feature is so rooted in terms of the costume design, spanning over the pre and post-Independent India. Look at the different locks that are used throughout the film. I mean, nothing is simple! You need more than an inch of metal to open anything! Apart from depicting it as a period film, the locks themselves holds a metaphorical reference - one needs more than just a curious mind to enter any door in Tumbbad.! A great chunk of credit goes to the set-pieces in drawing us closure to the narration. Kudos to Nitin Zihani Choudhary and Rakesh Yadav.

And the guys behind the camera (Pankaj Kumar) and the editing table (Sanyukta Kaza) are just absolutely terrific! The way the characters are followed up close, one can really feel the movements that they plan and enact, the action sequences as they play out! Even the horrific sequences are quite steady; there are no quirky movements to create instant adrenaline rush but just pure intention in creating a "mood" for the audience to dwell into. The atmosphere was maintained throughout the runtime, be it the breath-taking landscapes of Tumbbad or the busy streets of Pune. The grandeur of the feature was ensured in it's first shot, showcasing a wide view of the fort but with a tiny place for a woman to enter. These kinds of tiny bread crumbs are always interesting when we re-watch such features!

I will not be telling the truth if I said I have seen something like this in Indian Cinema! A film has to be so rooted for it to be international and Tumbbad is an international film indeed. The direction team took a tole on their mind to extract every amount of information and creativity that was required in making a one-of-a-kind mythological movie that we never asked for. It is one such movie that deserves our attention, purely for its narration. I am not going to ruin your cinematic experience by listing all the references that this movie has! Grab your seats and enjoy the experience of Tumbbad!

If Anything Happens I Love You (2020)

A 12-minute speechless short-film that is full of emotions!

Just before going to bed, I chose to watch this particular film, out of the blue. I mean, how long will a 12-minute long 2D animated film disturb my sleep schedule?! But as it turned out, I was not prepared enough.

Directed by Will McCormack and Micheal Govier, If Anthing Happens I Love You follows two grieving parents, struggling to confront a tragic incident that took away their loved one. When both the partners are waging their own war, the interaction gets plain like a salt-less food. Toying with the idea of shadows conveying emotions, this short beautifully captured the moments between the couple where they struggle to open up and their shadows trying to pull them together. The spirit and physical worlds are portrayed with contrasting emotional temperature, with the memories acting as a bridge between them.

With a beautiful score from Lindsay Marcus and a reciprocal editing from Peter Ettinger, the narrative takes us through an emotional rollercoaster ride, where we sense, feel and live through the parents' inhibition. Though we are present in the physical world, our spirits are interacting within themselves at a meta level, which are evidently visible to non-human eyes (pun intended)! There are absolutely no conversation that you can hear. No one utters a word. But the movie is filled with emotions that can make you roll down couple of tears.

The words "If Anything Happens I Love You" may seem like something unfinished or irrelevant. But, once the movie progresses and once you get to know why the movie was titled like that, I bet you will be requiring some tissues! I am not going to reveal much about anything else. Just go and immerse yourself in this beautiful sea of emotions.! I will not be surprised if this makes the nod for the 93rd Academy Awards !

Jallikattu (2019)

Lijo Jose Pellissery's experimental that is raw, intense and surreal

Adapted from S Hareesh's short story Maoist, the premise of Jallikattu is about a buffalo which escapes from a slaughter house in Idukki and whether the villagers pin it down or not. Though the movie is not about the bull-taming event that is popular in Tamilnadu, where the animal is provoked or even drugged (illegally), here a mere buffalo creates rampage by destructing crops and vegetation on its way. It might sound stupid but the way this stupidity was treated is just surreal.

Focusing on the mob-mentality, Jallikattu explores the human nature of dominance and establishing the authority. Though it might sound philosophical, the movie tries to extrapolate our cultured aspect to its breaking point; we, humans, are civilised only to a certain extent until some tyranny is unleashed upon us.

Lijo transformed this local feature into something universal with such diverse themes. The people from nearby villages adds fuel to the burning rage, leading to the climatic pyramid formation and this makes one think that we are primitives after all - with tamed beasts within each one of us, ready to be unleashed anytime.

Overall, the team of Jallikattu should be appreciated in making such a treat for cinema lovers like me; it was such an intense viewing experience with several orgasmic moments that one fails to notice the tiny pitfalls. Jallikattu , for sure, deserves to be selected as India's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards (aka Oscars).

Middle Class Melodies (2020)

Heart warming piece of work

It is quite common to lift huge furniture and house-hold items using ropes, across floors, while relocating one's home. But lifting an Old grandmother along with her chair?! Sounds crazy right?!

Middle class melodies is about such crazy middle-life-mentalities, which intertwines within one's belief system (social and spiritual). Though the story revolves around the lead charater Raghava (Anand Deverakonda) and his struggle to establish a hotel business with his "bombay chutney" idea, it has much more in it.

With "Guntur" as its heart, the story travels along several layers of relationships and the social and religious belief systems. The screenplay is structured in such a way that there are flavours of emotion on screen from one scene to another, from one character to another. It was as if witnessing Dileesh Pothan's freshness splattered on Telugu cinema!

Goparaju Ramana (as Kondalrao) is amazingly believable as Raghava's father with his simple and realistic portrayal. The way the character is sketched, be it the amount of transparency he shares with his life partner, dealing the middle-life crisis, dealing family issues or making important decisions, Vinod Ananthoju (Director) should be appreciated. His screenwriting was supported nicely by Sweekar Agasthi with his songs and some exciting piece of background scores from RH Vikram .

Varsha Bollamma (as Sandhya) captured my eyes throughout with her portrayal of Raghava's love interest. Her expression of her feelings, her helplessness with both the important men of her life (her dad and her lover), is really commendable. The complete school-life sequences were alive like anything, where Varsha bags the major credit.

Chaitanya Garikipati as Gopal (Raghava's friend) had an equal screenspace as Anand, but with a better character arc (ironically!). His internal realisation with the society and astrology conveys certain subtle message, while majorly keeping the screen alight with his enthusiastic performance.

After her impressive performance in Colour Photo, Divya Sripada as Gopal's love interest, captured our eyes with her performance as the Gautami was tailor-made for her. The subtle reactions that she gives, whilst accepting the reality, proves a bigger character artist in her. Looking forward for more interesting roles from her!

Overall, Middle Class Melodies clearly states that the Telugu Cinema and her audience has changed by a huge magnitude, which is exciting indeed! Funny that both the brothers (Anand and Vijay Deverakonda) chose a food-oriented script as their second film as (one of the) lead actor (remember #PelliChoopulu!)

Andhaghaaram (2020)

Technically brilliant supernatural psychological thriller

The genre of supernatural thriller is not new for Tamil Cinema; right from Mohini till Kanchana, we had several versions of "supernatural" stories on screen but the genre was not properly explored enough. The movie "Zero" came close in that aspect, in exploring something new but it failed to impress many. However, Andhaghaaram does it right - exploring the unexplored.

Right from the beginning, the setup of the movie is straight and clear - to provide a dark and intense thriller. The gripping camera work assisted by some sharp editing pattern, keeps us guessing throughout the movie. Though there are instances where one might feel distracted, one gets pulled into the action right after that. With a well-written screenplay and a powerful background score, Andhaghaaram explores the supernatural and psychological elements of our life - nothing new, yet refreshing when put-together.

Kanda Naal Mudhal (2005)

Dynamic friendship-love triangle sort-of family drama

A movie released approx. 15 years before..I am not sure why I haven't watched it till now..Such a dynamic friendship-love triangle sort-of family drama was handled elegantly, which you might find in a "Mani Ratnam" universe. The interactions between Laila and Prasanna were so genuine and honest, that it felt so personal.

The plot is sort of walking on a thin sword - konjam appadi ippadi pisiru adichcha, romba sodhappidum. But the director Priya handled it quite well on her debut! The freshness provided Prasanna and Yuvan Shankar Raja on and off the screen respectively, were a delight on its own. Devadarshini apdiyea saaptutaanga pa ❤ Brilliant actor! This movie is now officially in my re-watch list

Soorarai Pottru (2020)

Soorarai Potru - Suriya and Aparna shines in a normal drama from Sudha Kongara

During his struggle with getting the airplanes to the sky, Nedumaaran Rajangam alias Maara(Suriya Sivakumar) takes inspiration from his wife Bommi (Aparna Balamurali) which goes something like this - "One need lesser fuel to fly an airplane at a relatively lower altitude". The movie, to a large extent, felt the same for me; just enough content to be a "commercial" success, while it could've reached the skies!

Colour Photo (2020)

Vibrant and Painful

It was 2016, when I came across a Marathi movie #Sairat. It was a roller-coaster ride filled with emotions throughout its runtime. The impact of caste and class on the love world, left me perplexed. It impacted me on a level that I never imagined.

Colour Photo had similar impact in me; the movie made me laugh and smile, as much as it made me cry! Though both the movies deal with love affair amidst caste issues, they are true to their own background. That's what make it special.

#Suhas as Jayakrishna carries the movie on his shoulders, with his non-dramatic portrayal of a young college lad. After an impressive performance in #UmaMaheswaraUgraRoopasaya, he stamped his presence in this movie as well. It will be curious to see him portray a variety of roles in future.

Though the screenplay had enough space for puns from our Bala yesu (Child Christ!), the supporting characters could've been backed up by better performances. There were situations where the plot was about to change directions, but the screenplay tried its best to get it back on track.

The editing pattern caught my attention throughout, using windows to convey the emotions of the contrasting worlds of the lead. Combined with the background score, they helped us in getting glued to our screens without much hassle.

The YouTube gang of #ChaiBiscuit getting on to make a mark on the big screen, is a massive step ahead in Telugu Cinema. I hope many young talents can follow their suit up the ladder. As said by Hriday Ranjan of Film Companion South, these people really developed the negatives of their industry into a beautiful colour photo!

Overall, the Colour Photo movie is definitely a welcome move for the Telugu Cinema industry and I hope it will be appreciated by everyone alike. It is a worthy watch.!

Ka Pae Ranasingam (2020)

Ariyanachi all the way

Its been a long time since I witnessed such a strong portrayal of a woman lead, performed beautifully by Aishwarya Rajesh. Its her narration, her story, her pain, her struggle, all the way! Though there are flaws in the characterisation of supporting roles, the intensity with which Ariyanachi was scripted, made me focus just on her. Eventhough Vijay Sethupathi is the Ranasingam, he became just a primer for the whole plot to weave around him, with Aishwarya Rajesh taking the lead! The screenplay offers the breathing space for us to understand, realise and sense the pain and suffering of Ariyanachi, through each and every step she takes. The intensity was handled quite well by Aishwarya Rajesh.. This will be one such character which will be remembered for a long long time.

Magamuni (2019)

(Naan) Kadavul becoming Magamuni

An engaging dark suspense drama with some amazing performances from the lead actors, makes this an important film in Thamizh Cinema industry.

I am impressed with the characterisation of "Muni", especially his understanding of God and Religion.

Surreal cinematography along with the complementary background score, set the right tone for the film throughout its runtime.

Though late, I am glad that I didn't miss it !

From Naan Kadavul to Magamuni ! Arya

Dia (2020)

Heart warming piece of art, on the lines of C/o Kancharapalem

If its C/o Kancharapalem in 2018, it is Dia in 2020. Such a beautiful portrayal of an introvert's love life. Apart from the casting, the mother-son chemistry really clicked for me. Though the former was more of a complete journey, Dia left it a bit abstract towards the end. But in a way, both of them literally gripped me with their storytelling. Good impactful piece of art from the less-expected industries (Telugu and Kannada).

Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020)

A Performance packed egoistic taming competition

The outright taming competition between Prithviraj Sukumaran and Biju Menon, resulted in one of the best dramas I witnessed in recent times. Portraying egoistic adults is not an easy job. If one slightly misses his tone, it will have a drastic effect on the overall tone of the film. In this case, Prithviraj and Biju complemented each other, giving out the much needed breathing space for themselves and audience alike. The effective use of forest area and the background music, brought out the rawness of the nature. The film shows that each and every person should be tamed to a particular yield point (as in engineering), from which they can bounce back, when in need. Looking forward for its Thamizh adaptation! Hope its not a remake..

Oh My Kadavule (2020)

A Neatly made feel-good film

Surprised to see such a neatly made feel-good film, after a long time.

Ashok Selvan and RitikaSingh did quite well along with a surprising performance from ShahRa.!

Never expected such a smooth flow, thanks to the screenplay, cinematography and the background score. Worked in tandem! Impressive debut from AshwathMarimuthu .

Pretty Impressed with RitikaSingh performance as a Chennai ponnu, after AandavanKattalai.

Kandippa paaka koodiya padam. Easily into my re-watch list !

P.S. Writing this review after re-watching!