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| TAMIL
CINEMA UNDER SAFE HANDS? |
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| By
Behindwoods Visitor Sreekanth K |
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views expressed in this column are that of the visitor.
Behindwoods.com doesn't hold responsible for its content. |
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The
time has arrived where it is widely accepted
and well evident that for a Tamil film
to be successful, the same doesn’t
need any big heroes or big budget nor
traditional masala but the content matters,
as rightly pointed by film critic Madan.
Films nowadays are watched by the audience
who seek difference, touch of reality
coupled with the entertainment quotient.
Directors who understand this become more
successful than the others who still wish
to live a life with the same old ‘Iterative
and Incremental’ (term which most
of the IT managers are aware of) formula
of title song, fight, dance, sentiment,
comedy… fight, dance, sentiment,
comedy..On the other hand, we the so called
intellectual audience wanted Tamil movies
to be of international standards. Attention
directors! we are no more ready to watch
movies like the ‘Incremental and
iterative’ type. If you still think
that we are the same audience with same
mindset longing to watch those masala
movies, pack your bag back home, as rightly
justified by our literacy rate that we
are becoming more educated these days.
However some directors realizing this
fact though don’t get the response
that it deserves.
Raavanan, film by legendary Mani Ratnam
is one such example. We here are not talking
about the gross profit of the film but
the response audience throws. Here Mani
Ratnam dwelled just on his script rather
being inclined towards the traditional
masala; the film slumped from audience
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perspective, though the film is technically strong
coupled with excellent cinematography, RR and script.
Two reasons in the making and slump of Raavanan: either
Mani Ratnam has given a film which is well ahead of
today’s mindset or the audience is not as intelligent
as he presumes to watch a quality movie. In both the
cases, logically analyzing from the above discussed
Raavanan is definitely a good attempt.
On the contrast is Vijay’s Madrasapattinam.
Even though Vijay is not as experienced as Mani Ratnam,
his film proved to be big box office hit and yielded
very good response from the audience. Same as Raavanan,
his film is close to reality aimed at avoiding traditional
masala, put on the backdrop of historic event, with
good cinematography and script. Then why unlike Raavanan
it proved to be a huge hit? May be it was simple,
uncomplicated and more than anything the film was
well aligned and suited to today’s audience
rather aiming out of the box.
Point here is, we crib and curse the directors for
not delivering a movie according to international
standards. Once such film has been attempted, rather
than encouraging we grumble and grit. Take an example
of Inception, I just wonder whether movies of those
kind (So called international standards) can be remade
in Tamil or even in Bollywood with traditional mix
of fight , dance, sentiment, comedy?.. No? Then why
do we even ask for directors for movies of international
standards and complain later on. Let us make it clear
to the film makers, whether we want movies of international
standards or movies according to our standards. Gone
are the times where people who are relatively under
educated land in the film industry. Interesting insight
is that the film makers, artists are those are intelligent
/ well educated or graduated on the likeliness of
Mani Ratnam , Gautham Menon , Vijay etc., rule the
Tamil film industry (Though there are exceptions,
but remember they are just exceptions). Therefore
there is no place for the ones who seek film industry
as their career for their academic escapism. Still
can anyone dare a film with nothing but which goes
straight on the script like Kamal Haasan dared in
Unnaipol oruvan?
Certainly Tamil cinema is under safe hands with the
presence and service of upcoming ace directors like
Vijay, Suseendran, Sasi, Vetrimaran, Gautham Menon
etc. These guys have the ability to propose change.
But we, the audience need to bring the change! Transformation
of audience from times back till now is a good sign;
however there is a strong grit feeling that the transformation
is not fully complete. Therefore the question of ‘Is
Tamil Cinema under safe hands?’ is shifted to
the audience.
Sreekanth K
sreekanth_cbe@yahoo.co.in
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| Tags
: Raavanan,
Mani
Ratnam,
Madarasapattinam,
Gautham
Menon
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