Tamil cinema seems to be moving ahead of the tried and tested formulas, and bold directors – backed by bolder producers – have started experimenting on new methods of story telling. Madharasapattinam is – no doubt – one of such experiments. I hope all of these movies succeed in the box office pretty well, so that more of these kinds of movies are doled out by the film makers.

A period drama set during the pre-independence era is not something you come across every day in Tamil cinema. Director Vijay knows how to present it on the silver screen with the right combination of stunning picturisation and beautiful romance. The movie, if not anything else, is a treat for the eyes.

Credit has to be given to art director Selvakumar, who has done a spectacular job in recreating the ambience of the yesteryear Chennai – if not highly authentically – at least convincingly. There are the English ballrooms, dhobi ghana, the Central station, buildings of the Raj era, and what not – yet the camera pans across all of them seamlessly, and quite impressively – thanks to cinematographer Nirav Shah. The boating scenes on Coovum river will definitely enthrall every Chennaiite.

The director has to be appreciated for a simple storyline, told in an eloquent way, yet not straying away into non-issues, and delivering what is promised. The pre-independence era is just used as a back drop, and it is good that comic looking Gandhi or Nehru or Kamaraj don’t make appearances just for the heck of it. Highly appreciable for a first of its kind!

The girl Amy Jackson looks beautiful – convincing as the English Governor’s daughter. Does she have a slight Indian feel about her, or is it the director’s hand? Anyway, what is expected of her – she has delivered quite well. Arya could have been more expressive. He appears to have a plastic look right from the start of the movie to the last. VMC Haneefa (late) has succeeded in giving a few light moments. Other actors play their given roles by  the book.

Historic and technical flaws are abundant in the movie. For example, I don’t think the English had such a hostile attitude towards the natives right before the independance.  Things changed since the second world war, and the English were losing grip already. In such a situation, it does not seem logical how can would want to build a golf course, and that too dislodging natives from their land. The background score is another setback. It is too loud, and distracts you away from the narration a lot of times. I would still overlook things like these. It is supposed to be a feel good movie, and succeeds at that.

Finally, you cannot help noticing how similar the movie is to Titanic, except that it happens on land, in Chennai. And, the director should be credited for giving a simple and nice climax, without too much drama or emotions. It goes well with the premise.

Overall, you feel satisfied having watched one of the better movies of our times, and one that would set a new trend for more to follow.

My rating: 3.5/5

Absolute vettiness in insurmountable proportions has made me bring out the list of Top 10 Remix songs in Tamil.

The probability of a remix song becoming sooper-dooper hit heavily depends on how popular and peppy the original was, how much the music director has kept his ambitions out of the remix, and how much the female in the remix shows her skin. Taking into consideration all of these environmental variables, I have made this list.

Disclaimer: This list is a reflection of how much I enjoy when each of these songs is played on TV, and should not be construed that I am being judgemental about the composition.

10. Yemperu Meenakumari from Kandasamy

The highlight of this song does not lie in the kulukkal movements of Mumaith Khan, or the sensationalism exhibited by her pierced tongue, but instead, it lies in the amazing free style body-shaking and hand-swinging movements of the half-naked old man along with her in the bus. If not for him, the song would not have been such an instant hit in all the patties and thotties of Tamilnadu.

9. Thottaal poo malarum from New

Care should be exercised while watching this song. The best option would be to use the turn-off-video button in your TV in case it is available. For the damned souls whose TV does not have this valuable switch, be ready to watch the King of torture S.J.Suryah who will continue to haunt your dreams long after the visuals are over.

8. Yeh Aatha Aathorama Vaariya from Malaikottai

A remix that survives only on the peppiness of the original! Whether she wears a Benares pattu or mini skirt, I don’t understand why Priyamani looks like she has just got out of bed and jumped into the stage to dance. The less said about the hero, the better.

7. Ponmagal Vandhaal from Azhagiya Tamil Magan

Does Shriya look like she has an Eclairs chocolate stuffed into her cheek, or is it just me? Anyway, a neat composition, rendered magical by Asslam’s voice. The music blends with the voice perfectly. A rare Sivaji Ganesan remix!

6. Vachikava unnai mattum nenjukulle from Silambattam

Though Simbu comes back with his serial-set background reused in all of his movies for budget purposes, and repeats his painfully familiar and hysterical ’sit down, stand up, twist leg, move side’ exercise routine once more, the magic and peppiness of thalaivar’s song makes us want to listen to this remix composition again and again. Also it is a consolation that Yuvan Shankar Raja has kept his hands away from the ’sprinkle-some-out-of-the-world-beats’ button, which has paid off.

5. Ennadi Muniyamma un kannula maiyee from Vaathiyar

A song immortalized by T.K.S.Natarajan’s voice, has been neatly remixed by Imaan. I have never watched the video of this song, but listened to the audio umpteen times, and it holds the magic of the original. I guess this is the only hit song in the album.

4. Thee pidikka thee pidikka from Arindhum Ariyaamalum

“Kaamamum kobamum ullam nirambave.. Kaalamum sella madinthidavo…” – when yesteryear superstar MKT Bhagavathar sang this harmless song 70 years back (!!!) little would he have imagined a skimpily clothed chick making out with a ruffian guy at the backseat of a car, in the backdrop of his song, interspersed with dance movements similar to pulling up your loose trousers. Listen to the original here.

3. Madai thiranthu paayum nadhi alai naan from Vallavan (Yogi B)

Though not a film song, this remix from Yogi B created ripples. It could be heard everywhere from Nair chaaya shop to Bangalore-Chennai video coach. Yogi B introduced hip hop to Tamil, and used an evergreen Ilayaraja composition to his advantage. Calling rap ‘Sollisai’ in Tamil is interesting too. One of the better made packages in remix genre.

2. Ennama kannu sowkiyama from Thiruvilaiyaadal Aarambam

It is strange that one of thalaivar’s most remembered duets is with Satyaraj (a guy!). The remix had enough nakkals and naiyaandies in it that it has overshadowed the original itself. Also, the contrast between Dhanush and Prakashraj is greater than the pair in the original, that the duel of words between them in the song sounds more convincing. One of my favorites from Imaan.

1. Engeyum eppodhum sangeetham santhosham from Polladhavan

The clear winner. Surprisingly, again starring Dhanush, and Yogi B. Music by G.V.Prakash. One of the few songs where Ramya looks hot. The clear winner here is SPB’s voice. Prakash has recreated the magic of the eighties. As Yogi B promises at the beginning of the song, they bring back the classic Kannadasan-MSV-SPB composition in a fine way, retaining the party spirit of the song.

There is still a whole bunch of interesting songs out there. With almost all music directors giving remixes these days, I hope there will be more remix-rains pouring in coming days.

Blogging had been on a long vacation. Today morning wonly it came back I say!

Dell

My PC broke down one fine day, and I decided to make my long term dream to own my first laptop come true. But hell broke loose from the day I ordered the laptop. (Yes, I ordered it, because DELL does not sell it off the shelf. And, I wanted a Studio 14 with Core2duo and with the maximum RAM memory they can stuff in, which was not going to be available off the shelf anyway). Coming back to hell, the laptop I ordered on Jan 4 did not come to me even after Feb 4.

Life came to a standstill, similar to traffic in Bangalore, which grew to insurmountable magnitudes, all the pleasures of life seemed to hopelessly drain into Ulsoor lake and I had to spend several sleepless nights in pain and anguish in this one month, because I had no PC. Finally, Brahma, the unworshipped god, decided to heed to my prayers and voiced a curse that Dell should give me an Intel Core i3 laptop instead of the Core2Duo I had ordered, and Dell had no other option but to execute the order of the one above. Dell gave me a wonderful looking laptop, and exported me to my ’second life’. Phew!

Marriage

I was admiring the sheer beauty and awesomeness of my new laptop, when I felt a sharp excruciating pain at the back of my neck. I groaned in agony, and reached out my hand to the back of my neck to feel what caused the pain. It was a bite – an insect bite – to put it in comfortable words – a bug bite. Then it dawned upon me. I had been bitten by the marriage bug!

I did not realise that January 2010 – the month I had promised my parents I would signal green for marriage – had already come! I was caught completely off-guard when I was asked to give a photo of mine in which I looked everything but what I really am. Wait! That is not ethical – I tried to say, but was swat down heavily with the ‘Kosu-bat‘, and the photos I hated the most (From the enna-kodumai-sir-idhu list) were ripped off from my Flickr albums. The photos have been doing rounds all over Karnataka ever since, trying to attract a suitable ‘cow-girl’ for my parents (Adhaanga… maattu ponnu).

BMTC

In other news, BMTC has found a new passenger in me. Born with insanely large feet, which only accept shoes of size 12, I realised that I could not reduce my footprint. So, as a counter-measure I decided to reduce my carbon footprint by shunning my car and going to office in BMTC. Nice. The ride in the Volvo buses has been smooth for the past month and a half. Taking a bus to office has a whole set of advantages – right from taking off the tenshun of driving from your head, to letting you listen to the mellifluous voice of Goundamani in your ipod. Come on… everyone knows the unspoken truth – sight adichifying and jollu vittufying (revolutionary terms from Tamil language equivalent to the English term ‘ogling’) at the bus-traveling figars – the best way to spend the 45 minutes to office constructively. (Especially if you work in a detested-by-the-fairer-sex  industry like mine). Mission is accomplished I say.

Watched a Tamil movie called ‘Tamil movie’. (Tamil Padam in Tamil). Ayyoo… how many Tamil…!!! A bold venture into the parody movie genre in Tamil. It was refreshing. Despite having irritating actors like Venniraadai Murthy and Paravai Muniyamma, the movie was interesting enough. For a first kind of effort from a first time director, the movie was commendably good. Hope it yields more movies of the same genre in future.