Macbeth in Tamil Nadu

V K Sasikala, who followed AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa like a shadow for over three decades, may find going tough now. It is almost an enactment of Macbeth in the politics of Tamil Nadu.
Sure, the legislative party of AIADMK might have elected Sasikala as their leader to pave her way to become the Chief Minister, but neither people nor the polity are going to accept this. They will always raise questions on her capability, eligibility and ethics. And they are not at wrong if they do.
 Sasikala looks at continuing the legacy of late Jayalalithaa, but how can one overlook the fact that even Jayamma had to fight a long battle to prove her mettle. Sasikala wants to wield complete control over the party and the government, but she has neither the performance nor prowess in her side.
62-year-old Sasikala was next to the shadow of Jayalalithaa. However, this was not enough to propel her to the highest post in the state. One must have political acumen and public support   to capture power, neither of which Sasikala possess. After all, her detractors in the party had accused her in 1996 of being responsible for Jayalalithaa's disastrous election defeat during that year.
Sasikala, known as 'Chinamma', was elected as AIADMK General Secretary on December 31 after Jayamma's death on December 6. She emerged as the party's boss though CM O. Panneerselvam managed the state's affairs and that too impressively.
One cannot find any fault with her for having political ambitions. However, a little patience could have helped her. Just five years ago, Jayalalithaa expelled her for anti-party activities though she was taken in within months.
 When Jayalalithaa died on December 5, Sasikala was staying with her at Poes Garden. Hence, when today P. H. Pandian alleged that Jayamma was slow poisoned, it was assumed as a direct assault on Sasikala.
Sasikala's presence at Jayalalithaa's bed when the latter was hospitalised on September 22 and her over protectionism thereafter not only raised controversies but conspiracy theories too.
Thus, today, when the people are out on the streets protesting against her elevation, she is seen as the culprit causing disturbance in Tamil Nadu. If she is not feeling the burden of her (supposed) sins, she must be made to feel it. This seems to be the predominant mood. Sasikala could have waited for some more time, but she chose otherwise. Her swiftness has brought the unfolding of drama too soon. One just hopes this drama ends early and Tamil Nadu regains its endearing posture.

Read More

Kaththi – A Dope of Entertainment and Advocacy

When you buy a ticket for Vijay-starrer, it means a roller coaster ride of comedy, emotions, romance and of course, action. Kaththi does not make any exception to this and fulfills the demands of the Izhaiya Thalapathi fans. The movie is executed in the best possible way for such an entertainer, much better than Thalaiva.

Kaththi has message, not logic; it has entertainment, not banal stuff; it has performances not artisanship...overall, it is a Diwali present to be enjoyed without much hesitation. Most importantly, it has characters who I could find around myself unlike the Bollywood garbage where all characters live in some foreign countries and try to act like any other Hollywood actor had done in his latest flick. In Kaththi, as in all Tamil movies, individuals are not fiber or foam personalities, they are persons in flesh and bones who would react to the situation as anybody living 10-15 kilometers from me would. It is Indian way of living, no doubt about it.

The storyline is as old as it could get. One is forced to think - had Dadasaheb Phalke not made a mythological movie, he would have settled for something similar. A fugitive  criminal taking up the cause of his look alike in forced circumstances spans the narrative of the 166-minute movie, direected by A. Murugodass. In Thuppaki, he infused dose of Patriotism. In Kaththi, he ventures into the realm of activism. There was no need to hint at the communist ideology of the main character. But the director might have thought that only communists are activists or all activists are communists.

The activist and the criminal both advocate the case of the poor farmers who get a shoddy treatment by police, administration and corporate. The villain, played by Neil Nitin Mukesh, heads a cola company whose swanky office is seen numerous times. For some strange reason, the director has not named the company and even the court mentions it as MNC – nothing else.

The movie raises an important question – who has the right on the underground water? On one side there are farmers and on another multinational giants who are all bent on bending the rules and exploiting the resources, throwing law to the wind. In a unique style, the protagonist recounts a plethora of statistics and there is even a faint mention of Vijay Mallya. Kaththi or Kathiresan, played by Vjiay, says in front of media persons, “A beer producer borrows Rs 5000 crores and fails to repay it. Neither he nor any bank official commits suicide. But a farmer taking loan of Rs 5000 commits suicide.”

What adds interest to the plot and narration is super performance by Vijay. He steals the show all the way in both roles, and in one of the roles, literally. His voice modulation in Jeeva’s character is specially notable. He has even managed to utter few lines in Bengali in the start of the movie.

However, the movie has taken a beating on comedy front. Even though the plot has places where audience cannot but laugh or smile, at least, but it could have been better. A bit of Santhanam or Vadivelu would have been preferable.

Samantha does what all actresses are meant to do – be ready at the spur of the moment to entice, enliven and ensnare the main actor for dance and song sequences.

Personally, Kaththi is the fourth entertainer of the year for me which proved value for my money. The first three movies being ‘Rama Madhav’, ‘Poster Boys’ and ‘Punha Gondhal Punha Mujara’.

Read More

Sanskrit and Marathi

A Tale of Two Languages

Sanskrit and Marathi, as anybody with a primary knowledge of languages is aware, are sister languages from the Indo-Germanic languages. In Maharashtra where the Marathi is the primary languages, both the languages shared a vibrant and cordial relation for centuries. Most of the vocabulary in Marathi is sourced from this ancient language. The scriptures from Sanskrit inspired a plethora of similar texts in the native language. Just as the Ramayana inspired Kamb Ramayanam in Tamil, the Bhagwat inspired Nath Bhagwat in Marathi. Most of the writings of leaders in the freedom struggle like Lokmanya Tilak and Swatantryaveer Savarkar was replete with Sanskrit quotations and couplets. It was no surprise then that the state emerged as one of the prominent centres of Sanskrit learning. For centuries, alongwith Varanasi (Benaras, UP) and Shringeri (Karnataka), Pune and Wai from Maharashtra were recognised as the centre of learning for the Sanskrit. So much so that University of Pune has a centre of advanced study in the language having been the only such centre in the country recognised by the University Grants Commission. Besides, institutes like Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI) and Deccan College are heavily engaged in the learning, teaching and research of Sanskrit.

After Maharashtra was formed on May 1, 1960, Marathi became the official language of the state. On account of the three language formula adopted by the central government, Hindi and English replaced Sanskrit as the secondary language in the schools. Although on account of the exam pattern, Sanskrit remained scoring subject for students of the secondary schools. At the primary level though the study of the Sanskrit was discouraged as much as possible. Coupled with the government's unwillingness to continue the teaching of the subject in curriculum, nouveau intellectual voices also projected the language as a symbol of retrogression and caste supremacy. 'it is a language of Brahmins used to oppress the masses,' was a popular argument. Slowly the number of people knowing Sanskrit diminished. (at the personal level, I myself do not know much Sanskrit. I could not learn it in school because we had no teacher available. In later years, I tried to learn it and caught up a bit of skill in writing some stray sentences, but that is hardly a fluency. I can only say that I am a Sanskrit 'literate'.)

This fading of Sanskrit had its percussion on the linguistic life of the state. Speaking at a function in the city yesterday, noted Sanskrit scholar Pt. Vasant Gadgil underlined this fact. “Today we are decrying the sorry state of Marathi. but we have to understand that it is because of the neglect of Sanskrit that Marathi is fading into oblivion,” he said. And he has a point. In the last five decades or so, the formation of new words in the Marathi has taken a beating. That has made the language unpopular in the younger generation. Once Sanskrit was sidelined, hardly anybody has taken pride in using the native language. Government of Maharashtra had introduced many new words for the technical and administrative terms. But they were opposed on the ground that these words are heavily influenced by Sanskrit. The net result of this argument was that public remained away from using these words and people who opposed them could not provide any alternatives either. So first these words from English seeped in singularly and then whole language was adopted. The state of the affairs is such that in the state, number of Marathi schools is dwindling each passing year giving way to English medium ones. One more reason why English mediums schools are catching up is that it offers more opportunities for youths in contrast with vernacular languages. But that is a different subject altogether.

The severance of ties between Sanskrit and Marathi has not only affected the word additions, it has also created a void in the shaping of literature. After the tide of Dalit literary movement died down, the new Marathi literature appears heading nowhere. Its old roots have been lost and new directions are hard to get. As new generation is more prone to western influenced, it appears disinterested with the literature based on new conventions. Hardly any new book in Marathi has created wave in recent years while old classics like Mritunjay (an epic novel on the lifes of Karna) and Yayati (a novel based on a story from Mahabharata)still reign supreme in the market. This shows the affinity of common readers to its own roots. This is not withstanding with the popularity of Dalit literature which rejects the Sanskrit traditions but is more vernacular than it.

It is unlikely at the moment that Sanskrit will regain its glory in India immediately. But it continues to exist in pockets and continues to flourish, if dedicated attempts by various quarters are to be believed. However, in case of Marathi, it is unlikely to benefit by distancing itself with its source. The disadvantage will be more of Marathi and not Sanskrit.

Read More

Rehman Meets Lata Mangeshkar

All of Pune is today talking about A. R. Rehman. The Mozart of Madras, earlier called fondly Isai Puyal by Tamil film industry will be performing first time in Pune. Meanwhile, he met another icon of Indian music scene, Lata Mangeshkar in Pune. The combination of these two has given us a handful of memorable hits. Lata is currently in Pune undergoing treatment on account of ill health.

Read More

Leaders Get Going Easy

Enough Followers Found to be Fooled

What does existence of our leaders prove? That there are enough followers who can be fooled or that the persons with enough talent to fool the people come up in accordance with each age? Whatever it may be, the tacit skills of the persons occupying various seats of power. Their highest acumen is showed off in the appearance of their groups which are presented as political parties. The whole notion of power being taken over by the mass of citizens has been changed into something different : it is only the muscle of men that wrests power!

The leaders are cultivated in such a fashion in today's politics is the only requirement of a good leader is presence of mind. The sensical approach is a thing about which they can eulogise on some national days with flowers in their hand and sorrowfulness on their faces. One thing that has left me perturbed is omnipresence of these men. They are everywhere: they discuss the vital issues about which they have little knowledge on news channels, they inaugurate the development projects which half of population has forgotten, they attend wedding ceremonies in the neighborhood and head straight to a disco bar...there is little they can not do. One of those restricted areas where these white robed creatures are restricted is the field of gumption. The gift of playing with words cultivated by them lose its shine in such situation.

Take for instance R. R. Patil. This former home minister of Maharashtra was always touted as the best speaker for the Nationalist Congress Party. He was considered a good orator and by default, as is the custom, also a good administrator also. His rhetoric is always liked immediately by the media in Maharashtra as well as India. Till 26/11 happened. Administrative skills of Patil came under scanner on this fateful day when unknown militants in unclear numbers descended on India's land through sea from where Patil's office is located just a few kilometers away. What militants did is a known to everyone now. But in one of those days of emergency, Patil was confronted by media, electronic and print, Indian and foreign alike. In one of those slippery moments, Patil said that such petty things use to occur in big cities. That was a big fault indeed. An uproar ensued and he was forced to resign from his post. Patil did not hesitate to claim that it was slip of tongue on account of his poor knowledge of Hindi. That was fine for a seasoned politics. But what was more surprising was Patil later became the president of Rashtrabhasha Sabha, Maharashtra which is supposed to propagate Hindi. Not only that, he was touted as the Star Campaigner in recently held parliamentary elections.

Take another case that of M. Karunanidhi. This man who has crossed 80 years of age has managed to get ministership to his three relatives, two of whom are his own sons, in the centre as well as state. Azhagiri is made a minister at New Delhi while M. K. Stalin is made deputy chief ministership in Tamilnadu. Fortunatelt enough, gis attempts to make his daughter Kanimozhi also a minister in the central cabinet failed, even though Dayanidhi Maran, son of late Murasoli Maran and a close relative of Karunanidhi made it to the cabinet. He did not hesitated to express his unhappiness over the adjustment. What perplexes more is that no worker of the respective parties takes objection to their stands. They can brazenly put on a face and alter it next day if it suits them. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is supposed to be an upright party not compromising on anything. But this time around, Karunanidhi has not faced any opposition from his partymen.

In this scenario, the future of the Indian democracy, I think, lies in the hands of these leaders. The unwilling workers who have serve the party only if thier objectives are fulfilled can not be a hope for the future.

Read More

Film Festival : Does It Help

The Pune International Film Festival was inaugurated yesterday. It was made to be a great event by all and sundry. Looking from the standpoint of an average cinegoer, I do not find it much exciting. They say the film festival is the place where you can have a vast view of cinema. For me, it is a place where those films are shown which can not stand in the theatre on their own.

Iranian films are hailed by everyone citing their content, which they say is ‘contemporary.’ To my mind, it is because they always portray Iran as others, particularly West, want to see. I have serious doubts whether people speaking on behalf of conneseaurs really have different aesthetic view than that of Hollywood. That is why no South Indian film is showcased in the current festival even though the current rage in Hindi viewers, Ghajini is a three year late remake of a successful Tamil films.

Coming to the speeches at PIFF, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting & External Affairs Anand Sharma was quoted as saying that film making in India should continue to remain connected with social realities and problems and keep hopes alive in the poor as they have been in the past. One fails to understand what social realities he was talking about. Even when protagonist of Hindi flicks were used to be from common masses, as was used to be in Amithabh Bachchan films, it was far away from reality. Now, Hindi films no more happen in India. They either take place on an exclusively reserved paradise-like islands or in Mauritius or any other country, willing to welcome Bollywood in exchange of good money.

Sharma also said that films should reflect the social challenges such as poverty, hunger, empowerment, violence and terrorism that confront us and we cannot allow these problems to overwhelm us. Since when was cinema a tool in fighting the social vices? People who used to make films based on these themes, were skilled in getting monetary help from government departments. Movies made with government money were showcased in festivals in other countries. That is why even festivals in India are unattended by public at large who has made Bollywood so big a industry. This is the seventh edition of PIFF taking place and history shows that forget about foreighn films, English films have been confined to multiplexes only. Audience for the non-Hindi regional films has seen a significant increase. Even second rate dubbed films are raking in money in Pune’s theatres. So much for the film festivals and enlightnement of the masses!

Veteran actress Sulochana, filmstar Shashi Kapoor and well known actress Hema Malini were conferred the lifetime achievement award for their contribution to Indian cinema. This was the only welcome thing in the PIFF as they deserve it.

Read More

Happy Birhtday…..Boss!

He reigns supreme in the hearts of those who, with a stomach for reverence and thirst for entertainment frequent the darkness of the film theatres. His mannerisms have survived the criticisms of the detractors and the onslaught of the time. Through thick and thin, from touring talkies to multiplexes, Tamil superstar Rajnikant rules the box office and the minds of cinegoers alike. This is not a new eulogy in the light of the recent success of the Sivaji the Boss, but a time tested praise the actor deserves most.

Rajnikant is celebrating his 58th birthday today. As I write this, he would be celebrating this occasion with the same modesty and charm that he is always known for. He will retreat to one of the holy places that only he knows, visit some orphanages or old people’s home, distribute some sweets or meal to students and many other charity deeds he do often. But for the millions of his fans worldwide, 12th Dec. is the day for commemoration every year. The reserved attitude of their idol notwithstanding, they will also be involved in welfare activities.

Why Rajnikant holds this charisma and influence on so wide an audience is a question that a large no. of critics and viewers have pondered on alike. I would hardly like to add this leaf in the already heavy pile of life stories available on the net. What I would like only to add here, besides wishing him Happy Birthday of course, is that whenever an enjoyment-hungry man will take his place in the darkness of the theatre or in the comfort of his home moving his eye on the TV screen in search of the stuff that he wants, the brimming activities of Rajnikant will be there to amuse him.

People call him desi James Bond or Amitabh Bachchan of the South India. I think and insist that it is passé. Rajnikant is Rajnikant…his own citations of Superstar and Style King fail to appropriately describe his personality. So, the best thing we can do is to watch his movie and say………Repeat


Wish him again Happy Birthday Rajnikant.

Read More

Rajnikant : The new movie icon of India

The new frontiers

As the monsoon has set in the this nation, which is stretched from Himalayas to the Indian Ocean, the news of Sivaji-the Boss conquering one after another box office records are also pouring in. In the hitherto untreaded parts of the country, where regional films were strictly a no-no till now, the film is marching ahead to say the least. Not only in India, but even in overseas markets also it saw even the Hollywood blockbusters in the fray bite the dust in top ten charts. It seems that whole of India is rediscovering this Style King often derided for his mannerisms which many others have tried to ape but fail the produce the charm that Rajni has.
That also made the reigning Superstar of North India (devotees of Big B, please excuse me, but that’s the kind of address more often than not used in Tamil and other South Indian press) to attend a special screening of the film. The Boss was also there with him. And even BigB praised Rajni on the occasion. He has already praised the Thalaivar as the emperor of Indian cinema.

The next question

Now, question arises: Is Rajnikant the next movie icon of India? What Rajnikant has achieved is undoubtedly one of the biggest feats in movie industry in India as well as overseas. First of all, he climbed to the stardom in spite of any real backing from the industry. He has proved his mettle through his talents and mannerisms and most of all, his unparalleled ability to churn out films successively single handedly. In likes of MGR and Shivaji Ganeshan, not least Kamal Haasan, he created a place for himself that was unique in every sense. After appearing in some remakes of Amitabh Bachchan, he was described as Amitabh of Tamil movies.
Then in 1983, just eight years after he made his entry on silver screen, Rajnikant starred in the Hindi movie Andha Kanoon, which had Amitabh himself in what was said to be a `guest appearance’ role but extended to a large part of the film, convincingly. That success set up a train of some flicks, some of them making hay on box office while some bringing tears to the producers and distributors. Rajni then satisfied himself with some petty side roles in Bollywood while consolidating his position in his home (?) industry. But even so, his popularity and fan following in rest of India continued to grow. His image as an maverick was also reinforced through the new media like internet, even though there he was more present through the odd jokes.
But to speak of it, Rajinikant was the only non-Hindi actor to gain a large audience in the northern parts of India. His predecessors, like MG Ramachandran never quite entered in this specter, or some like Shivaji Ganeshan could only appear in one or couple of flicks. They never really have a base here. Even Kamal Haasan, who entered Hindi films with a bang through Ek Duje Ke liye (1980), could not make a mark here barring some odd films and a distant admiration from critics. (It was very later, in late ‘80s that Kamal made his re-entry through films like Appu Raja.) Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh, and Nagarjun…all these heroes came and went but except for registering their presence, they could hardly do anything. In that sense, Rajnikant was the first and only southern hero who could navigate the box office.

A large vacuum to fill

Now with Sivaji, Rajni has arrived on the centrestage and with what role, a man single-handedly taking the system by the horns. Many a Bollywood heroes had their careers built on this his image but in the last few years, in an era of globalization, Bollywood has largely discarded this category giving way to some ice-candy floss cinemas. While the former category of heroes and cinemas might appear old fashioned to some, in India these types of films do really capture the imagination of the people. That’s why actors in these types of films are more endeared to the public. This is the large vacuum, that now only Rajnikant can fill.
The process seems to have already started with Sivaji-the Boss gaining foothold even in non-Tamil speaking parts of India. If Rajnikant can bring the Tamil (or for that matter South Indian movie industry) with Bollywood, he will be the first to have this type of accomplishment. The day might be not far away when Bollywood, Kollywood and Tollywood would be amalgamated as one industry. The process has been already started with many a Tamil and Telugu films featuring prominent Hindi and Marathi artists in increasing numbers. And it will also be noted that the process was started by Rajni films whereby his Hindi films were dubbed in Tamil and vice versa (when the trend was almost non-existent.) His Dalpathi had Amrish Puri as the main villain.
In a nutshell, Rajnikant is set be a movie icon for the new India. Sivaji-the Boss’s collection records in UK and phenomenal rush it witnessed in Chicago, Muscat and Malaysia…you name it and he have it…only points to this fact. So toast to this new Sultan of the Indian Movies!

Read More

Bollywood in the dock again

After seeing the most successful year in terms of business, the bollywood is again feeling the heat this year. Big stars, expensive sets and locations or media hype...almost everything has proven unsuccessful for the industry to churn out a single superhit in the first half of the year. What's more, the industry is staring at a big threat by down south to its monopoly over audience.
Barring just one 'Guru', directed by the veteran southern directior Mani Rathnam, no film has seen cash registers ringing. By the end of the June, Rajnikant's Sivaji has surpassed all the Hindi films in business. Even in the north cicuits like Delhi, it has made profits unseen by any southern film before. Even a Amithabh Bachchan starrer like Jhoom Barabar Jhoom failed to offer much resistance to the onslaught of Sivaji and now it seems the Kollywood express has much more steam than expected.
Last year, riding on the multiplex boom and a strong economy, many Bollywood films registered stupendous successes. Lago Raho Munnabhai, Krishh, Dhoom2..those were the movies that gave dose over doses of adrenaline to the producers. Nothing that sort of the thing happened now. In comparison, analysts said, the turnover in the first six months of 2007 was just a fourth of about $55 million collected during the same period in 2006.
Analysts are blaming to the weak scripts for the failures. "Where are the good stories? You can't get away with only star appeal and foreign locales," said Bollywood trade analyst Komal Nahta.
Guru was successful beacuse of its good script as well as hype that sorrounded it. The fact that the film was associated with the life of Reliance Group's founder, Dhirubhai Ambani, also gave the film an extra impetus. Compared to this one hit, the list of doomed big-budget films with top stars is long: "Salaam-e-Ishq," "Eklavya," "Nishabd," "Tara Rum Pum" and "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom," and many more.
This summer, Bollywood is also feeling the heat from Hollywood blockbusters. This week, five Bollywood films were beaten to dust by "Ocean's 13".
No Bollywood film was released on May 4, the day "Spiderman 3" hit the screens. Moreover, the distributors of the films tried to make dent in the traditional and emerging film markets by dubbing the film in Bhojpuri and other five languages. This films has become the highest-grossing Hollywood film in India, overtaking "Titanic."
Considering the heavy business Sivaji the Boss is doing and non-tamils are throngiing the cinema halls, a new curiosity might arise for the southern films which have hitherto been ahead in terms of content and technology than Bollywood. (Two of the blockbuster films from down south, Pokkiri and Gajini are being remade with Salman Khan and Amir Khan respectively.) So much so that going by the response to the Sivaji-the Boss, plans are in the pipeline to rehasp some old Rajni films and market them.

From that account, even if Bollywood successfully faces the onslaught of Hollywood, its real nemesis lies in south named Kollywood and Tollywood.

Read More

Sivaji reigns, as always, but…

Sivaji-the entertainment personified
· Rajnikant’s latest flick Sivaji-the boss has hit theaters. After watching the movie seven days after its worldwide release, one is bound to be thrilled. The same emotion grips me as I remember the last night’s venture. First of all, I must say the film did not let me down. All the Rajni theatrics and elements were there to give every value for my money. It was down and down a Rajni movie and the whole three hours and twenty minutes of the movie does not allow you to forget that any moment. Rajni means entertainment…and the Boss shows that in the most entertaining way in his inimitable style and styles.
Sivaji-the director’s dilemma
· One has to remember also that it is Director Shankar’s film who has given us such memorable hits as Gentleman, Kadhalan, Jeans, Indian and the best of all Anniyan. Sadly though, in Sivaji, Shankar has failed to live upto his name. It is as though, he has reeled under the stature of Super Star Rajni than making the movie his own. All the scenes, barring those song pasteurizations where classic Shankar touch props up unstopping. The breathtaking locations, much larger than life exquisite sets, the zing thing orchestrations …you name it and Sivaji have it. But in the movie, right from the story no traces of director’s skill are evident. For once, comedy is the Rajni’s bastion and it does not take Shankar to make the comedy sequences memorable. Vivek and Rajni steal the show in their comedy scenes in the first half of the movie.
Sivaji-the momentous moments
· What overcomes the failings of the director have been compensated by the some very fast, really brilliant and full confrontation scenes wherein whole experience of watching the movie assumes new meaning. For example, the scene where Rajni blackmails Adisheshan (Suman) for his black money. You have to see to believe the unchallenged confidence of Rajni on the screen while he orders Bhajia and Tea for the twosome. After finishing the taling and (eating), he tells Adi, “Pay the bill for all this. We will settle it from 100 Crores.” Wow! Man! That sets the screen on fire. Equally astounding scene is in climax, where the students vying for the falling money trample Adi. That’s what we want to see in a Shankar movie. A social message, a kind of common man’s revenge in a very symbolic way, in a manner fit for the commercial flicks.
Sivaji-the unsung movie
· One big letdown of the movie is the music score by AR Rehman. One expects from the ‘Isai Puyal’ a thumping, vibrant and humming songs, the kind of which were present in Muthu and Padaiyappa. Even Baba score would fare better in comparison with the Sivaji. Except for Vaji Vaji song, no song clings to the nerves. Even the background score also do not match to the stature of Rajni film.
Sivaji-the boss of box office
· What Sivaji has achieved will be the subject of discussion for long in future. But it has indisputably bought to Indian regional cinema to the notice of the world cinema. After all when did you saw big queues lined up outside the theaters in the north India for a Tamil movie? When did you saw multiplexes in Mumbai increasing their no. of shows for a Tamil film in its second week? When did we saw a Tamil film finding its place in the top 10 films in UK? As I write this from Pune, five multiplexes and one single screen are running 16 shows daily for Sivaji, which is a feat for any regional film. It has wakened up to the fact that good or quality successful films are not the monopoly of the Hollywood or Bollywood. It has also shown the world that Rajnikant is not a subject of internet jokes only, but that he has far more substance than any other actor/hero in this country. In that sense, I think he is the most underestimated hero in India. Please check this and this to prove this point.

Sivaji-fumbled fairy tale
· Shankar seems to have fumbled while transferring the story from the storyboard to celluloid. While most of the half is spent in portraying the love story of the hero and heroine, second part tries to deal with three menaces at one go…i. e. black money, bribery and the menaces in the education system. That has created an unnecessary burden on the cinema as well as hero. Shankar’s earlier films centered on one theme and that ensued a big success for the flicks. Gentleman handled the problem of commercialization of the education system as Indian handled the bribery system of the country. Anniyan focused on the lawlessness in the citizens of India. It seems Shankar has tried to bundle all these themes in the one film. To be fair, he has succeeded in not making the affair a repetitive one. But it would have been better had he handled the one subject in this film. For that matter, one again thinks that had Mudhalvan been done with Rajni, we could have a movie of the lifetime. Sivaji leaves a lot to be wished.

Read More

Sivaji-the spoiled status

Thank God, 'Sivaji the boss' is here. The total success of this film has lost its relevance for me and now, one has to resign himself to the fact that the movie has hit the halls. Till now we were only treated to the news of various hurdles coming in the way of this magnum opus of Tamil cinema. In the way, there was so much hype built up by media and Rajini fans that it was hard to forget the film for even a moment. So much so that some news channels had gone overboard to portray this film as the only offering from down south.
Now that the `Sivaji the boss' has just started to make waves in theatres, is it not time to ponder whether this film should have been given a fair treatment in terms of the publicity? First of all, the thing that played all over in the hype-trail of Sivaji was the amount Rajini fetched for this film. Some have quoted this amount to the tune of 16 Crores (160 million) Indian Rupees while others have went ahead to predict the amount to be some 20 Crores. Not dwelling much on this subject, one can only say that how can an actor’s remuneration be an attraction of the film. The expense occurred in the making of a film is not a sure guarantee of the quality for the film. This fact was more than evident in the case of Devdas (2002) starring Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. That Sanjay Leela Bhansali, director of the film managed to get away with a success was a case apart. But the fact remains as it is.
As many ardent fans of Tamil movies and Rajinikant himself know, this is not the first time that Rajini has got this much big amount for his presence in film. He has constantly seen his price soaring to sky after the `once-in-a-lifetime’ success of his `Baasha’ in Tamil. The movie catapulted him to the new heights of superstardom and since then he has never looked back. He is since long been the numero uno of the Tamil movie industry. He commands and receives such prices, because distributors and producers believe in him alike. But that amount created ripples in North and people were awestruck with it. How can someone other than Amitabh Bachchan or Shahrukh Khan get this much money? Surely, Director Shankar and AVM Studios, the producers of the `Sivaji the Boss’ must have gone mad, was the common refrain. But that refrain gave way to a remote curiosity, by which the angle of viewing has got twisted.
A Rajini film is a complete entertainer. We have seen this in films like Muthu, Baasha, Padaiyappa and many more. One has to keep in mind while waiting or watching Sivaji. But now people throng and muse themselves, “Hey, let’s see this film. Come, let’s see why this guy has been paid so much for this film?” The reputation of director Shankar, a man known for his extravagant but socially relevant films like Gentleman, Indian (Hindustani), Kadhalan (Hum se Hai Mukabala) and Mudhalvan (Nayak), have been washed away by a wave named Rajinikant, whose own reputation as an actor has been faded away by the new image of highest paid actor in India.
With this background, can one expect a helthy discussion on Rajini’s performance, storyline of the film or music or any other aspect. Rarely one sees a hoopla hijacking a film’s credentials so overwhelmingly. With this background, one only hopes that Rajini’s status as an actor, and not as a highest paid actor be established through Shivaji.
(At the moment this post is written, Sivaji has arrived with a bang and with some rave reviews. In Pune, from where I am writing, the film is scheduled to arrive on 22nd June 2007. It means one has to wait one more week to see Rajini in action. Till then, we have to be satisfied with reading the reviews of the film.)

Read More

The Modis Operandi of Growth

First thing first. That Narendra Modi has made it to the record books as the longest serving chief minister of Gujarat. He became the longest serving head of Gujarat state with the completion of five years and almost eight months of his rule. Modi, who took over as chief minister on Oct 7, 2001, completed 2063 days of rule on Friday, 1st June 2007. The state of Gujarat has seen as many as 14 chief ministers in 47 years since its formation in 1960.
There are many people in this country whose faces turn to red at the very mention of Narenda Modi. Some see in him the next Hitler and for some moderate ones, he is the biggest threat to the Indian democracy and integrity. It is actually another matter how far they have gone to know or study the man or the administrator behind this figure. For the last five years, Narendra Modi has provided almost all the fodder for opposition and attack from the opponents of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the process, he has built a reputation for himself that hardly betrays any human aspect or the kindness. Coming from the state of Gujarat, from where Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation and proponent of the Satyagraha and Ahimsa (non-violence), he has faced flak in immeasurable measure. Still he has achieved something that he should be rightly proud of even in future.
Yes, there have been other leaders in the country who have been in the office far more than Mr. Modi. Prior to him, former chief minister Narendra Desai was the longest serving head of the Gujarat, being in power for 2062 days. Present Railway Minister of Laloo Prasad Yadav was the chief minister of Bihar for more than six years from 1990 onwards. Even before that, in Maharashtra, Vasantrao Naik was the Chief Minister of the state for almost 14 years from 1962 onwards. What sets Mr. Modi apart is his leadership qualities in terms of the political successes and the administrative traits in terms of the developmental work in the state. Gujarat inherited by Mr. Modi and Gujarat under Mr. Modi is vastly difference. This difference does not manifest through riots only, which media pleases to show at the very first opportunity.
Just last week I was in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Being a citizen one could not help comparing the situation in different, especially so if one happens to come from a state which was a part of the concerned state. The development works in Gujarat are not only amazing, they are just awe inspiring. Not withstanding the vehement and powerful activism of Narmada Bachao Andolan, can one deny that the Sardar Sarovar dam has infused a new life in the farm sector of the Gujarat? Laloo Prasad in his tenure took Bihar to such depths that it became synonymous with disgrace. While people in Maharashtra woke up each day to the electricity less life, Gujarat has gone ahead with providing excess electrical power to the neighboring Maharashtra.
Political philosophies apart, `Namo,’ as he is known widely, has proved to be a capable administrator, who has managed to provide the basic amenities to the public, a job for which he is entrusted. How many of the today’s leaders are capable of boasting this feat. For starters, let us see what Mr. Modi has achieved throughout his tenure.
g See how he handled the situation in the quake hit parts of Gujarat. When he took over as the Chief Minster Bhuj was a city of rubble. People were living in temporary shelters without basic infrastructure. Earthquake recovery became his first priority. Now Gujarat Reconstruction Programme is said to be one of the best reconstruction programmes on the global map and set a benchmark for reconstruction and disaster recovery, not only in India, but also in the entire Asia.
g Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor's meet is an innovative bi-annual submit organized by Narendra Modi to attract. Even the events like kite flying festival on Makar Sakranti were used for attracting foreign investment.
This development pattern of Gujarat has been appreciated by all and it is recognized by the State organizations also. It was not long ago that Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has awarded the Gujarat State for various development works. This issue was also a topic for the hot political discussion. Just recently, Planning Commission of India has lauded the state for its development and even has gone to the extent of terming it as a star performer.
According to the UNI story,
· Gujarat's economic growth post-liberalistion, specifically in the last five years, has evoked admiration in the draft Gujarat Development Report, prepared by Gujarat Institute of Development Research (GIDR) at the behest of the Planning Commission.Terming the state a ''star performer'' and a ''manufacturing specialist'', the report makes specific mentions of investments in ports, roads, telecom and other infrastructure.A jarring note in the report comes in the form of Gujarat achieving an average growth rate of only 14 per cent in the manufacturing sector despite a potential for crossing the 20 per cent mark.However, for this under-performance, the report puts the onus on the conservative monetary and exchange rate policies of the Central Government and the RBI. Comparing Gujarat with other states, the report finds the western state doing exceedingly well on most economic parameters. The comparisons have been made against Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. It gives an example of how growing from a much lower level of Rs 11,500 against Rs 13,500 of Maharashtra in 1993, the per capita income of Gujarat crossed that of its neighbour in 2003 and stood at Rs 19,500, a jump of over 70 per cent in a decade growing fastest among its peers. ''Gujarat is in a class by itself. Among its peer states, Gujarat has the highest rate of growth of GDP, manufacturing and per capita SDP. The openness to immigration of labour, and the natural advantage of much land with little alternative use, local entrepreneurship, state support and local politics that is not against capital are significant factors,'' says the chapter on'Economic Performance of Gujarat in recent times''.

Given this background, can one deny that with the hooting that Namo gets regularly, he deserves a hats off too?

Read More

Shivaji: How many hurdles?

There is a song in the movie Padayappa. That song literally means : There are a thousand hurdles in life, but for you, these hurdles are only a step. That fits well in the real life of the movie's hero Rajinikant as well.

At the one hand his 'Shivaji the boss' is creating much expexctations from all quarters. At the other hand, the perk and rumenaration that Rajni got has created a lot of buzzword. In Indian moviedom, there is hardly any actor at this moment to match his popularity and stature. Be as it may, rajinikant still faces some hurdles and as is shown in his many a films, he conquers them all. This time he has an uphill task ahead in his real life and every eye is on him now.Shivaji is directed by Shankar who gave us many hits like Kadhalan, Gentleman, Mudhalvan, Jeans and Indian. He is a stylish director but any director working with Rajini must bear one of the most daunting task and that task is to fulfill the public's expectations. And this task is compounded this time from the very first day of announcement of the 'Shivaji-the boss.' The difficulties faced by Rajinikant that I mentioned above starts from this severity. Rajini is not only the flagh bearer of Tamil film industry, he is an icon for millions of his rasigans. He might have enjoyed their fierce loyalty and unconditional love for over two decades, he also has to respond to their anticipations. That he does so time and again must be credited to his uncanny down-to-earthness.If he by chance misses the bus, a debacle is sure to follow as was proved at the time of Baba.To add to the woes of the Superstar, some external elements chip in, which make the outcome of a Rajni movie more thrilling than the movie itself. This time also, as the talk was on of Shivaji being a launch vehicle for the Rajini to his political career, there were many who contributed to the saga of Shivaji. First one was the Tamilnadu government itself which, fearing an onrush of the crowd and thereby encashment of the popularity by distributors, assumed all rights for the control of theatre ticket rates in Tamilnadu. As if it was not enough, VIjay T. Rajinder, an influencing personality in the Kollywood, cautioned against the hike of the ticket rates and declared that he will not sit quietly if the rates are increased.Then surfaced Rajinis' old nemesis, Pattali Makkal Katchi which raised its head again to oppose the Shivaji. It particularly targeted a song 'oru koodai sunlight, oru koodai moonlight,' on the pretext of using English words and sentences in the song. The party workers (or leaders?) even have shown readiness for an agitation for this cause. Pattali Makkal Katchi people have a history of opposing to Rajini, first time showing their trait at the time of release of Baba. But this time, Shivaji has faced resistance from one more quarter, and that is an unexpected one. A certain trade union in Thanjavoor has opposed some references to the Kaveri river in a song in Shivaji and they too seem ready for an agitation. What is funny in all this episode is the statement given by this union, in which it is said that Rajini has kept mum many times on Kaveri water dispute. That's why, according to this union, he has no right to use Kaveri's name in any song in his movie.As Shivaji-the boss has rewritten some records in the movie history of India, it has also has to face an unprecedented hurdle now. The Kannada Rakshan Vedike, an organisation specialing in isolating the Kannada peolple from neighbouring states, has decided to oppose the release of Shivaji-the boss in Karnataka. It is unusual development. Usually, even when non Kannada movies were banned or withheld from Karnataka (pls see some of my previous posts), Rajini films have been given the go. But this time now, the case is different. WIth the Kaveri tribunal award going in favour of Tamilnadu, Kannada Rakshan Vedike is full swing and to show its opposition to Tamilnadu, it has decided to play with Shivaji's prospects.

Read More

CBFC certification: Telugu movies tops list

New Delhi, April 6 (PTI): Telegu movies have topped the list of feature films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification during last two years, according to figures available with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting here.
A total of 245 Telegu films were awarded certificates. This was followed by Hindi films (223) Tamil films (162), Malayalam (77), Bhojpuri (76), Kannada (75) and Marathi 73, according to the official figures.
The CBFC in all issued a total of 10,551 certificates during the year 2006, as against 7,417 during 2005. As many as 3,454 certificates were issued to celluloid films and 7,097 to video films during this period. These consisted of 1091 Indian feature films (celluloid), and 336 foreign feature films (celluloid).
Out of 1636 Indian feature films (celluloid and video) certified during the period, 1130 were granted U certificates, 270 UA certificates, and 236 A certificates. Similarly, of the 1080 foreign feature films certified in the year, 460 were granted U certificates, 269 UA certificates, and 351 A certificates.
The Board certified a total of 7,242 Indian short films during the period January to December, 2006, of which 6,717 were granted U certificates, 359 UA certificates, 165 A certificates.
A total of 7097 certificates were issued to video films. Of these, there were 545 Indian feature films, 744 foreign feature films, 5494 Indian short films, 235 foreign short films, 75 Indian and 4 foreign films belonging to the Others category, long films other than feature.

Read More

Indian movies growing out of all woods

The film industry in India could not have better than this. After witnessing its most successful year in the recent past in terms of box-office collections, the industry is poised to grow even more. And this is not an abstract anticipation of any Bollywoodwallah, it is a studied inference of an American institute.
The PTI recently reported about a report by the Creative and Innovative Economy Centre (CIEC) of George Washington University Law School, wherein the centre has estimated that Indian film industry will grow by more than 15 per cent in the coming year. The reasons attributed are growing number of multiplexes and the availability of digital technology.
What this report did not elaborate, and which I specifically observed some three months ago, that this trend of growth is more evident in Bollywood but it equally, or more precisely more forcefully exist in the regional film industries. The statistical data of these scattered centres of film making does not come up at once and hence it is relegated to the unhidden corners of respective trade papers.
The Bollywood, that now produces Hindi films for mainly urban and overseas audience is considered worth 25, 000 Crores, according to Industry sources. Coming next to it is Kollywood or Tamil film industry which had a turnover of around 23, 155 Crores at the end of year 2005. This year’s data is yet to come by. The second biggest film industry in South India, that is Telugu film industry has a turnover to the tune of 23, 044 Crores.
Even the once near-dead or non-existent industries are gaining or regaining ground in the unprecedented ways. The Marathi film industry was staring at its death just five years ago. But the Shwaas changed it all. The film released in 2004 won a Golden Lotus Award from the President and that provided a much-needed impetus to the Maharashtrian producers. That’s why this year saw as many as 75 films in Marathi language were passed for the release by the Central Certification Board of India, called Censor Board, compared to the two or three on an average in the 90s.
The Bhojpuri films till recently remained in the shadow of the Hindi films. But as the Bollywood turn more and more urban; these films emerged strong with flavor of local themes and talent providing ingredients. Even Bollywood Superstar Amitabh Bachchan has thought it imperative to act in a Bhojpuri film, which was quite unthinkable in the past.
So given this trend, it is hardly surprising that world is anticipating a big growth from Bollywood. The question is, will it take cognizance of the growth of other film industries in India.

Read More

Pokkiri : Vijay has one more success

If one prefers only to look at entertaining value of a film, Pokkiri stands quite a good chance. In Mumabaiyya parlance, it is a paisa vasool film. Coming from the ‘Ilaiy Dalpathi’ Vijay, it has all the elements that make Tamil films dear to every film buff. One expected a thrilling, action and romance saga for Vijay, who had been on a search out for a hit for a year or so. The initial response and thereafter also has shown that his search is over now and there is talk now of his being the next superstar of Kollywood. Undoubtedly, Pokkirri makes all Vijay fans happy with its stylish treatment, eye-catching stunts, an out of the blue story and witty dialogues. There are many plus points in the Pokkiri. The most prominent being that it does not hide violence. It does not either hide its intention of being a violent story. It takes us through the dark and sullen underworld where killing is the thumb rule.
This is a remake film and it shows all through the film. But adding some true blue Vijay elements like stunts and comedy, Prabhu Deva has done it refreshingly new. Why he has kept some ‘overt’ features in the movie is an open question. The opening scene of Vijay dreaming of being a batsman and the lady in the villain gang fascinating herself with Vijay was such scenes. Thank god, the number of such scenes are limited.
Vijay shines in the movie from the word go. He was the same, dancing, acting and fighting the way he does. We are entertained like we do always. Still there was something missing this time in Pokkiri. As the one who relished and relish even today the Ghilli in 2004, this film is stops short somewhere near the expectations. While in Ghilli, Vijay carried the film on his shoulders, in Pokkiri, the film sways somewhere between the action and romance genres. I watched this film expecting it to be a action thriller. Thriller it is, but not the usual action thriller. The thrilling scenes come in as a concession the director has agreed to give to viewer so as not to make the film a run of the mill kind.
Prabhu Deva has tried very much to make Pokkiri as spicy as possible. But he has failed to keep a balance between the romance of lead pair and magnetic fight scenes of Vijay, the lead protagonist. One more flaw is in storyline itself that the sudden twist in the tale comes very late. A basic opportunity to dwell on this twist and make use of it, to stuff it in the confrontation scenes between main protagonist and villain is lost in the process. To say the least, there are not a single confrontation between Vijay and Prakash Raj after the latter learns Vijay’s true identity diminishes the entertainment value of the film. Even the protective element of Vijay for Asin is used only as a vehicle to make the film running. No use of this angle is done from the angle of Prakash Raj.
While watching Pokkiri, one is always reminded of Ghilli. Even some indications to that effect are provided in the film here and there. As if Sivakasi and Thirupachi never happened. Even some actors in that film appear here in different roles. That’s why a kind of anticipation was built as if this was the second part of Ghilli. But whereas in Ghilli, Trisha was shown harassed, hounded and sought by villain, in this film, the hero covertly does all this. In Ghilli, the story had ingrained human angles making it dear to all and sundry. In Pokkiri, when the main hero himself is ruffian, the human emotion are bound to take a back seat. As a effect, his tantrums also fell off. In the ruthless criminal world it it only bullet and guns that do all the talking. To compensate this loss, a separate comedy track is imbibed in the form of Vadivelu and he does it with a large effect. This part of the films gets 100 per cent marks. Especially are the comic scenes where Vadivelu tries to urinate in front of a wall and one where he opens the water tanker mistakingly.
Heroine Asin looks good throughout the film. She looks the perfect match to hero Vijay and glamour girl for the audience. But this romantic angle overshadows many times other happenings in the film. She acts like she has no clue of what’s going on screen in her absence. This comes out so starkly when the Inspector comes and harasses her mother, or when he sends goons to her house. Even when she knows that Vijay appreciates her and is ready to do anything for her, she not once tells Vijay about all this. This is a very weak character in the film and its only justification seems to be filling the need of glamour in the story.
Pokkiri seems to be one of the biggest successful films in Kollywood. It might come second only to Shivaji-the Boss starring Rajinikant, which will be released in April. Till then, it will bask in the glory. That is the thing I fear most. Since Vijay has tasted success with two of the remade Mohan Babu flicks, he might go for a third one. That will be really sad for the Tamil audience. Because he has the capability to deliever original hits which he have proved in the past. So let us hope that his ‘Alagiya Tamil Magan’ will be an original and as engrossing film as we are accustomed to. That will be the real success for Tamil filmdom’s next superstar

Read More

Chiru...the eternal hero

The megastar of Telugu films Chiranjeevi recently completed 29 years of his film career. A function was organized to celebrate the occasion wherein his friend and another Telugu star Nagarjuna was present. Being one of the superstar’s quartet, (Amitabh Bachchan, Mohanlal and Rajinikant comprises other three in this club) Chiru, as he is fondly called by his fans, is undoubtedly the most prominent figure of the Indian movies. The word Chiranjeevi in Sanskrit means 'one who live on eternally.' Chiranjeevi's feats on screen and in movies make him really live eternally in the mind of the viewers.
Chiranjeevi was as Siva Sankara Vara Prasad Konidela, on 22 August 1955 at Narasapur, Andhra Pradesh, India
He was a student of the famous Madras Film Institute and later became a professional film star. His first public performance was in a government parade ballet at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 1976.
He started his professional career the film "Punadhirallu" in 1978. Though Punadhirallu was his debut, his first success came up with a negative role in the film 'Intilo Ramayya Vidhilo Krishnayya' which was released in the year 1981.
His roles in movies such as Abilasha, Adavidonga, Chantabbayi, Challenge, Gang Leader, Master, Kondaveeti Donga, Kodama Simham, Indra, Tagore etc. were all block busters in Tollywood. In the pre-90s, Chiranjeevi was first seen on Hindi scree. His first Hindi film released was Pratibandh (1990) with Juhi Chawla as his heroine. The films was a blockbuster and Rami Reddy, the main villain in the films also received much attention in the film. The success of Pratibandh prompted producers to make another movie with Ciranjeevi, exploiting his macho man and angry young man image. This films ‘Aaj Ka Gundaraj’ (1992) was a remake of Telugu hit Gang Leader. Meenakshi Sheshadri was the heroine in the film. As this movie minted money on the Box Office, Chiranjeevi’s popularity also soared.
Though his subsequent films could not recreate the magic that is Chiranjeevi is known for, his charisma as an actor remains in place as is shown by the number of dubbed movies. These movies appear in small cities and run to packed houses as well as in CDs and DVDs which have a good run on Cable cicuit. Besides Telugu, Chiranjeevi commande a huge fan following in Tamilnadu also.
He is married to Konidela Surekha on February 20, 1980 and is blessed with two daughters Susmita and Sirija, and one son Ramcharan Teja. His brothers Nagendra Babu and Pawan Kalyan are both into movies as well.
Chiranjeevi is the founder of the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust, which is the state's largest recipient of Eye and Blood Donations. With the help of Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust more than 20,000 people have donated blood and more than 10 lakh people have pledged their eyes. Chiranjeevi also assists people for medical expenses in genuine cases.

Read More

Tamil Films facing closed doors in South

It was not long ago that Kannada film industry, apparently raged over the diminishing collections on account of copetition with Tamil films, demanded to the State government to restrict release of non-Kannada films in Karnataka for the six weeks. The state government subsequently conceded on account of which non-Kannada films were barred entry for the first six weeks of their release in Karnataka. That decision affected all other languages films as well. On account of that step alone, Karnataka witnessed a high number of remakes in Kannada from Tamil and Hindi films. It did not though brought any worthwhile trend of original stories or new concepts in Kannada movies. Some trade bodies even went to the Supreme Court against this order in 2004 and now recently state government has denied having issued any such order.
These trade bodies feared that neighbouring States like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala will be provoked to take similar decision against release and exhibition of Kannada and other language films in their respective states. Though these apprehension were not realised owing to the little popularity of Kannada films in other regions, it has came into existance for Tamil films. The same situation aroused in Andhra pradesh some time ago. Some Chiranjeevi films having failed to garner collections to the level they once did, at the same time Rajinikant's Chandramukhi dubbed in Telugu making records in collections and Santkozhi, Thimiru, Aanai etc. films making waves on box-office gave sleepless nights to the industrywllahs. Faced with a lacklustre performance of a majority of Telugu films and Tamil dubbed films making hay one after another, the film producers association there demanded a ban on Tamil films dubbed in Telugu. But this demand, arose as did subsequently vanished without a whimper and no concrete decision in this matter has not been taken till now.
After the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, it is the turn of the Kerala now to try to halt Tamil films at its border.
Tamil films, actor, actresses and songs have a huge fan following in Kerala. Anyone watching Asianet or Surya TV can vouch for that. Even Malyalam actresses have a harvest time now in Kollywood. Asin, Nayanthara are two heroines who can prove this point. Sometimes Tamil songs have more buzz than the Malayalam songs in Kerala. Old horses like Rajinikant and Kamal Haasan command a big fanbase with young guns Vijay, Surya and Vikram following the suit. So much so, that though Prithviraj is a face to reckon with in Tamilnadu, he is a big craze in Kerala girls. A distributor in Palghat has the bought rights for Shivaji-the boss for a whooping amount of Rs. 35 Crores, which is considered a record in Kerala.
It is hardly surprising then that Mollywood's insiders are alarmed at the pace at which Tamil films are gaining ground. To contemplate on this situation, some financiers in Mollywood recently had a meeting. It was decided in this meeting that Tamil films should be released in Kerala few weeks after their release in Tamilnadu. Even so, this restriction is less likely to affect the films starring Rajini, Kamal, Vijay etc. These films will be released simultaneously in Kerala.

Read More

Humanity Goes to Dogs

Special Eating Zone?

This is what modern india has come to! The nation in its eagerness to embrace progress, has unlearned the basic dignity of human, body and et al! This photo taken at Sonachuri area of Nandigram, in the state of West Bengal. Stray dogs were feeding on a charred human body of all the thing! Six people were killed and scores more injured in clashes between villagers and ruling Communist Party members in India's West Bengal state in a dispute over the acquisition of farmland for industrial purposes, according to reports.

Government of India had a policy decisionon 1.4.2000 for setting up of Special Economic Zones in the country with a view to provide an internationally competitive and hassle free environment for exports. All the import/export operations of the SEZ units will be on self-certification basis.
The policy provides for setting up of SEZ’s in the public, private, joint sector or by State Governments. It was also envisaged that some of the existing Export Processing Zones would be converted into Special Economic Zones. Accordingly, the Government has converted Export Processing Zones located at Kandla and Surat (Gujarat), Cochin (Kerala), Santa Cruz (Mumbai-Maharashtra), Falta (West Bengal), Madras (Tamil Nadu), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Noida (Uttar Pradesh) into a Special Economic Zones. In addition, 3 new Special Economic Zones approved for establishment at Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Manikanchan – Salt Lake (Kolkata) and Jaipur have since commended operations. In addition, approval has been given for setting up of 42 Special Economic Zones in various parts of the country in the private/joint sectors or by the State Government.
But all is not going well. Questions over proposed changes in land use are piling up, even as the commerce ministry and State governments galore.
Among the proposals that have received provisional approval are SEZs on tribal land and ecologically sensitive coastal areas.
Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, who recently shot off letters to the Maharashtra government and commerce ministry seeking information under the Right To Information Act, said, "I have found 87 cases of violations in allotment of SEZs, from approvals granted for land that falls under the coastal regulation zone and tribal land, which don’t even meet the minimum land criteria, being given approvals."
Somaiya added, "Worldwide, there are only 393 SEZs but the government has approved as many as 467 SEZs till date, in just 6-7 months."
Another case is that of Pune-based Kumar Builders. The company had applied for a SEZ status for its 49.1 hectare development coming up near Pune.
Initially, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation had expressed reservations and the state government’s screening committee had decided not to support the proposal. However, the builder later submitted clarifications on the basis of which the state is reconsidering the proposal.
While Somaiya contends that the ministry rushed the case through despite MIDC’s reservations, the state government official said the case was taken up for reconsideration only after receiving the developer’s clarifications on the objections raised.
The unusual haste shown at government and beurocratic levels have irked the common public. India is a country that is mainly dependant on agriculture. The farmers here love their land more than anything else. We in India call our country Motherland. That's why someone coming from outside and setting their business has made them angry so much that the care for their own brethern has left the farming commuunity. The irony of this all is that the Left parties who oppose SEZ and Globalization and new economic reforms to the hilt are in Government in West Bengal and Trinmul Congress is oppossing them. What more can one say!

Read More

Tell of Two Woods

The Telugu film industry, that was rocking for last so many years is now seems to face music. The Tollywood seems to have been entangled in the time wrap of its own heydays. This biggest industry of Andhra Pradesh has been facing hard days for some time now and going by its present performance, it will be futile to hope that Telugu films prove to be a treat for our eyes in the year 2007.
There are a number of films slated for release in coming months and they are worth Rs. 100 crores. There have been many upsets in the second half of the 2006, which include Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna starrers. These films have benn marred by the same storylines, inimaginative presentations. One senses as if the makers and performers of these flicks were taking audiences for a ride. This nullity or void on the part of makers has been aptly translated on the Box Office collections with only a handful of films making it in the hits category.
Traditionally Christmas time is considered as auspicious for the film releases as Diwali and in case of Telugu films, that period extends upto Sankranthi. Accordingly, this year from the December 14th, several films will try their luck. NTR Junior's ‘Rakhi’ has been released and it has been received well, if one goes by the initial reviews. Pawan Kalyan has been serching for a hit for last few years and he is throwing his hat with `Annavaram', joining them will be Allu Arjun's `Desamudhuru', Prabhas' `Yogi' which is a remake of Kananda blockbuster ‘Jogi’. Some reports cliam that ‘Yogi’ is to be dubbed in Hindi and one satellite channel has bought rights for the same. Also testing waters will be Balakrishna's `Maharadhi' whose release has been curiously postponed a couple of times now.
These films were bought for staggering prices, all put together are about Rs. 90 crores to Rs. 100 crores. But, given the penchant of formulas and clichés in Telugu films, it is feared that half of these films might bomb miserably unless they have something substantial to offer to the discerning viewers. Already distributors have burned their fingers with Chiranjeevi's `Stalin', Nagarjuna's `Boss' and Mahesh Babu's `Sainikudu', all of which failed to reach the expectations of viewers, though they have garnered good openings. On the other hand, it was the small budget films that made waves bringing happiness to distributors and viewers. Sunil's `Andala Ramudu' is said to have collected four times the investment. Jagapathi Babu's `Samanyudu', which started on a low key, has picked up considerably given its good content.

Says a report in the newspaper ‘Hindu’:

In the year 2006, only a handful of Telugu films hit the bull's eye and about hundred films bit the dust. Mahesh Babu's `Pokiri', Nagarjuna's `Sri Ramadasu', Siddharth's `Bommarillu', Sunil's `Andala Ramudu' and Venkatesh's `Lakshmi' were the only genuine hits this year while several big heroes, including Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna, were down in the dumps.

The biggest duds that incurred huge losses shattering all expectations include Pawan Kalyan's `Bangaram', Balakrishna's `Veerabhadra', NTR Junior's `Ashok', Nagarjuna's `Boss', Chiranjeevi's `Stalin', and Mahesh Babu's `Sainikudu'. Raviteja's `Khatarnak', Prabhas's `Pournami' that halted the juggernaut of producer M.S. Raju, Siddharth's `Chukkallo Chandrudu' were also on the flop list.
To make the matters worse, dubbed films from Kollywood and Hollywood rubbed salt on Telugu films’ wounds when they made a more money than these films. That prompted Telugu films producer’s association to take a drastic step. They decided to impose a ban on the dubbed Tamil films. This move also drew flank from some quarters, since it is many small producers, who use to dub and release the films. Many producers even went ahead as to question the rational behind this move and their argument was unambiguous: if big budget films can be remade and if they can have non-Telugu speaking artists, why can’t we have dubbed films in the first place.

While this year might end with a low note for Telugu films, in stark contrast stands the Tamil movie industry. Kollywood witnessed heightened activity and zeal this year, with many films turning out be profitable ventures. Especially pleasing thing for the industry is that many newcomers and dark horses proved to be winner. Kamal Haasan starrer 'Vettayadu Vilaiyadu' was the first success of the year. This film is still going strong in many parts of Tamil Nadu. On many centers, it has already completed 100 days. It is considered to be a blockbuster.Director K.S. Ravikumar, who had in past delivered hits like Muthu and Padayappa, give yet another hit film with ‘Varlaaru.’ This film initially was delayed much, so much so that nobody thought it would be released at all. But it was released and is running successfully. Its success might be gauged from the fact that after the packed houses run of the films in first few weeks, Superstar Rajnikanth called Ajith, the hero of the film and his wife Shalini on dinner and heaped praises on him. The film is now reckoned as the second coming of Ajith. Varlaaru got such a opening that it is considered to be the best opening a non-Rajini starrer can get.
One such film which kept cash registers ticking was ‘Imsai Arsan 23rd Pulikesi’. Though the film has comedian Vadivelu in the lead role, it enjoyed a good run at the box office. Besides these there are many films like Thimiru, Em magan and now Rendu, which were profitable and had an envious stint on the box office. That made the producers from AP to dub them in Telugu and various other films from Kollywood found themselves to be remade in Kannada. The reason for the success of these films, as I se it, is that they had some original storylines, some out of box presentation and above all, these movies brimmed with novelties. Indeed in the first half of the year, Tamil movie marked was flooded with underworld flick with the successive successes of Thalainagaram, Kokki and other movies. But fortunately enough the trend was averted in time and now industry is reaping bonuses. It is high time Tollywood take a leaf out of Kollywood and enjoy the gains that it truly deserve.

Read More