| 2010
– ONES THAT MADE ‘DIFFERENCE’ |
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The
year is coming to a close and its time
to start the sometimes exciting, sometimes
boring process of reflecting upon how
the last 12 months have been. For film
buffs it has been quite an eventful period
with surprises, big bangs and a small
dose of disappointments to balance things.
While it is not easy to sum up a year
of Tamil cinema in a few words, here we
take a look at the movies of the past
year which have, in one way or the other
tried to bring in novelty. The effort
might have been successful or otherwise;
the movie might have been a hit or flop
– here we will be looking only at
the intention of the team to produce something
even marginally novel, be it in terms
of concept, narration, execution or technology.
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The year 2010 has been rich in terms of diverse themes
being tried out in Tamil cinema. The year has continued
the healthy trend that was started in 2007 of scripts
not conforming to commercial cinema norms finding
outlets. A few more years of such practice and we
will no longer be using terms like ‘unconventional’
and ‘offbeat’ with respect to Tamil cinema.
The goal must be to make realistic and novel themes
a rule, not an exception. We want scripts that are
realistic, novel and exceptional and they should not
be an exception. So, what were the movies in 2010
which upheld the move towards this goal?
Aayirathil Oruvan introduced a whole new genre to
Tamil cinema, perhaps even to world cinema. We don’t
know what to call it, perhaps a ‘pseudo-historical
adventure’. The term ‘pseudo’ is
usually seen as a negative attribute, but it is not
so here. It is used only because Selvaraghavan took
an ancient dynasty from Tamil Nadu and planted them
in the present; of course, in an obscure place concealed
from civilization.
Another movie that introduced a new genre to Tamil
cinema was the inimitable ‘Thamizh Padam’.
No one had thought of a full-length spoof in Tamil
cinema before this happened. Yes, there was the habit
of including the odd scene which spoofed at some cliché
in the industry, but this was the first time that
an entire movie was made around such ideas.
In the same vein we also have to talk about Va - Quarter
Cutting which one finds very difficult to categorize
in terms of genre. It was definitely a brave experiment
filled with cheekiness; something that unfortunately
did not work out in an entirely positive way. But,
it is definitely a movie that opened up new possibilities
to the industry.
Then there was the soft and beautiful Madarasapattinam
which won our hearts. Yes, a regular love story it
was, but so seamlessly placed in one of the most significant
periods of our country’s history; it definitely
deserves to be commended on all accounts.
One cannot also resist talking about Boss Engira Bhaskaran.
Now you would be really surprised! The movie was just
another full-length comedy, right. Yes, but it was
special for one reason – the refusal to get
serious in even a single frame. Now, even the best
of comic movies have a few scenes reserved for romance,
drama or sentiment; but this one seemed like it was
made under a strict vow of not having one second of
seriousness.
Among others that impressed with their courage to
be different with the themes include Kattradhu Kalavu
which had conning protagonists, Kadhalagi which had
a group of youngsters pulling off a heist in order
to hoodwink a few violent elders etc. There are also
a few other films that should not be missed in such
a list – Nandalala, Mynaa, Angadi Theru and
Endhiran (don’t raise your eyebrows, it was
one of the rare movie based on ‘Robot’
in Indian cinema, even though it had all things commercial)
But these movies deserve more space and more time
for full justice to be done which is why we won’t
go into them in detail.
On the technical front; the first movie that has to
be honored is, of course, Endhiran, but for reasons
stated above let’s not venture into it right
now. There were a few small time movies that brought
in some very brave trials which might open up new
avenues. First on the list is Orr Iravu (how many
of you still remember the name?) which attempted the
first ‘viewpoint’ presentation in Indian
cinema, trying to make the audience a part of the
movie, experience it rather than see it. The experiment
might not have had the desired results, but the pioneering
effort is worth applause. Similarly, Sanikkizhamai
Sayangalam 5 Mani brought to light that making a full-length
feature need not be a multi-crore venture like we
all think; intelligent use of a still camera might
do the trick. We must also not forget Madarasapattinam
for setting new standards in period recreation and
art.
This is not all; remember 2010 is not over yet. The
couple of weeks that are still left hold a lot in
store. First, we have Easan, the second outing of
Sasikumar who made a resounding debut through Subramaniapuram.
This movie will be keenly watched by the entire industry
who are eager to know whether Sasikumar is really
one for the future; the movie is definite to hold
something different.
Meanwhile, we are also waiting for the second biggest
thing of Tamil cinema in 2010; Manmadhan Ambu and
as you all know, Kamal always brings something different.
Let the year end with a bang. |
