'PASANGA' ANTHEM

Hi nanbas…I’m thrilled to bits that nanban is basking in the glory of applause

and accolades locally as well as overseas.

I was pleasantly showered by emails this morning that went into raptures about the response of audience in France, USA, Australia and Malaysia, which is 1 of the reasons for a permanent smiley on my face!

This in turn made me think of the other end of the spectrum: independent producers who share this same passion but cannot afford to spend a lot.

They also dream of taking our Thamizh cinema worldwide through small budget films sans sought after stars!

Right in front of my mind’s eye appeared the smiling face of director Pandiraj, the ‘Pasanga’ national award winner. He is an ordinary soul with an extra-ordinary passion for cinema, unassuming but with unlimited desire to make meaningful movies that touch the inner most corner of the viewers’ souls!

He grew up like many of us on ‘oliyum oLiyum’ that was telecast every Friday evening, the only window to the reel world those days. Most anticipated and most viewed! Pandi had to pay 25paise to be allowed this luxury.

His heart, mind and soul could easily relate to veterans’ films like Mudhal mariyaadhai, Kizhakae pOgum rayil, maestro’s soul stirring songs. In fact he and his friend Jayachandran reveled in recording songs in a cassette, selected after an intense Phd in each song’s eligibility to be part of the ‘Jayachandran-Pandi favorites’ collection. They savored every second of the pleasure of listening to it each night when the city was peacefully asleep. From there emerged their own ‘patti mandram’ (a talk show in lighter vein on heavy issues affecting our society) discussing threadbare the plus and minus of songs that pleased their ears and spread a warm glow into their hearts.

Pandi, completed his under grad in Botany. But his horoscope prophesied his bread and butter would be iron related. So his parents literally thrust him into a cycle shop, thinking that was his destiny. Of course God had loftier plans for this enthusiastic director! During his sojourn here, Pandi saved his ‘bata’ (daily allowance) of Rs 2 per day just to treat himself to a film on Friday evening. To a boy forbidden to watch movies till his school final this was freedom of the highest order!

Pandi, little older than his protagonist in Marina who also lands in Chennai to follow his dreams, in real life reached Chennai in 1996 packed with a bag full of positive energy. The only soul he knew then in ‘Madras nalla Madras’ was Vellaichamy, his friend, who was his beacon of light in an otherwise hazy future.

The journey had more downs than ups, more thorns than roses…yet he didn’t give up. After innumerable hassles and hurdles he had the pleasure of watching his name come up on the celluloid screen…but fleetingly as part of the rolling titles that flew away within the blink of an eye for the film ‘Pandavar bhoomi’.

In a world where gratitude is an oft forgotten virtue, Pandiraj is thankful to directors Cheran and Thankar Bachchan for giving him the opportunity and support to enable him to ‘put his pedal to the metal and show his mettle’.

This gawky teenager from Pudukottai in his ‘pursuit of happiness’ has gracefully enhanced his innate skills and come a long way indeed…his ‘Pasanga’ won worldwide acclaim. His heart brims with indebtedness to Sasikumar who produced his debut film. That kinship has been equally well reciprocated and endorsed, by his close friends, evident in Pandi’s Chennai anthem. It is a promo song in ‘Marina’ (his 3^rd baby) produced by his own (debut) banner ‘Pasanga productions’

Seeing is believing!?

You can have the pleasure of watching it here : - )

http://www.frequency.com/video/marina-chennai-anthem-with-subtitles/28883687

My heart specially sings for independent producers who move Heaven and earth to fund themselves, even if they are toddler steps and work towards showcasing their talent worldwide. To them my ‘pats on their backs’ has extra thumps all the more exclusive and my petitions to God for global applause much more extensive.

Pandiraj’s ‘Marina’ steers clear of unrealistic situations, men flying in mid-air, flaying their arms and legs in a truly comical manner, clichéd folk songs exposing belly buttons, butts and b….!He believes in passing a message that happens to be incidental, inter-woven with real people ruling the reel world in the most effortless yet effective manner. His treatment reminds me of the mid 1970s, when ‘Rajnigandha’ and ‘Chitchor’ ruled the roost and tugged at our heart strings for their simplistic appeal without over-dramatization.

And I am pretty sure Pandi’s parents have realized that what the astrologer foretold was right indeed…not iron as in cycles but all the machinery involved in making a film see the light of day!

What pleases me even more is, despite his insular childhood, he ensured his film was subtitled to facilitate wide(r) viewer-ship, not just for the national awards but overseas prints too. How I wish more actors, producers, directors borrow a page from his diary!

After my chit-chat with this enterprising film-maker, I am not surprised that his small team of dedicated like-minded movie enthusiasts of ‘Marina’ is headed by none other than his friend who welcomed him to Madras, decades ago, Vellaichamy, now known as White! This is indeed an ode to a friendship of the rarest kind! A special ‘Oh podu’ to this pair I’m sure you can draw parallels to, between what’s told on reel vs real life, very soon!

3 cheers for courage, conviction and confidence.

Here’s to more such bonds of friendship, bold steps in film making, championing such causes as extolled in ‘Marina’…and happy viewing meaningful cinema in the theaters!

Until the next celeb takes the limelight, next fortnight, I quote Naa Muthukumar’s

enlightened lines so satisfying to the ears,

VaNakkam vaazha vaikkum Chennai

pidikkudhunnai…

unakku eedu illaiyae!

Your ‘talkie nanbi’

rekhs