Monday, October 18, 2010

അര്‍ജുനന്‍ സാക്ഷി

പാസ്സഞ്ചറിന് ശേഷം എന്ത് എന്ന നമ്മുടെ ചോദ്യത്തിന് രഞ്ജിത്ത് ശങ്കര്‍ മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞത് 2009 ഡിസംബര്‍ 26ന് തന്റെ ബ്ലോഗിലൂടെയാണ്. നന്മ നിറഞ്ഞൊരു സാധാരണക്കാരന്റെ കഥ പ്രേക്ഷകന്റെ സാമാന്യബുദ്ധിയെ അധികമൊന്നും ചോദ്യം ചെയ്യാതെ അവതരിപ്പിച്ച രഞ്ജിത്തിന്റെ ആദ്യസിനിമയെ സ്നേഹിച്ച എല്ലാ പ്രേക്ഷകരും ആവേശത്തോടെയാണ് അര്‍ജുനനെ വരവേറ്റത്. മലയാളസിനിമയുടെ മാറുന്ന കാഴ്ചപ്പാടിന്റെ ഉദാഹരണമായ ഈ യുവസംവിധായകന്റെ പുതിയ സിനിമയുടെ വിശേഷങ്ങള്‍ക്കായ്
http://arjunansaakshi.blogspot.com/ എന്ന ബ്ലോഗ് സന്ദര്‍ശിക്കുക.

ആദ്യപോസ്റ്റില്‍ അര്‍ജുനന്‍ സാക്ഷിയില്‍ ആ‍രാണ് അര്‍ജുനന്‍ എന്നതിനെ കുറിച്ചുള്ള എന്റെ അനുമാനങ്ങളാണ് കൊടുത്തിരിക്കുന്നത്.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

തിരക്കഥകള്‍ വായിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ - Reading screenplays


Read more at Passion For Cinema

Hit any book stall in kerala and browse through the latest releases, I'm sure most of them will be related to movies and many of them will screenplays. I'm pretty sure that a common man will not buy a screenplay and read. I remember buying movie soundtracks in early 90's (movie track of Oru CBI diary kurippu was a revelation at that time). But screenplays, come on, it is way different. How are these screenplay books helping a reader or a film student or a film lover?

For any aspiring film maker/student, reading screenplays is a part of their curriculum. Remember the good old days which compelled us to watch the serial
Mahabharat reading along with a translation of the screenplay which use to come in Sunday supplement of regional newspapers (In Kerala this was published by Mathrubhumi). May be it was one of those days which made us visualize on which all ways a screenplay can be transformed into the screen. In fact, that was the first screenplay I ever read!


Read more at Passion For Cinema


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Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa: All about characters!

Gautham Menon is one film maker who had already established his style of work through movies like melodiously fresh ‘Minnale’, pathbreaking ‘Kakka Kakka’, thrilling ‘Vettayadu Vilayadu’ and national award winning ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’. I would like to forget the unoriginal ‘Pachaikili Muthucharam’, which was a direct lift from ‘Derailed’ – a B grade Hollywood movie.

Gautham’s new venture – Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (VTV) – falls into the genre ‘love story’. We have seen countless love stories, almost everyone coming with a tag ‘different’. So how different is this movie, let us see.
The movie evolves on Karthik (Silambarasan), a 22 year old engineering graduate chasing the dream of becoming a film maker, and Jessie (Thrisha), a 23 year old program analyst by profession. Jessie belongs to an orthodox malayali christian family. She is loved by everyone in her family and has been raised under strict surveillance of her father Joseph (Baby Antony). Karthik’s life transforms when she meets Jessie (and trust me it is a very casual – non cinematic - meeting) and Jessie’s world changes when Karthik confesses his love towards her. With minor twists and turns in their life, their confused minds sail through a confused relationship and wrecks when she finally decides to forget him. Karthik moves on to become a film maker and years later meets Jessie (a very inevitable cinematic meeting). And within minutes the movie comes to an end.

I know the above storyline is no better from any of the love stories we had seen. But this is it! VTV doesn’t bother about its story line – it revolves around the characters. And that is the biggest strength of the movie – the biggest weakness too! Gautham’s new movie is not about incidents, it is about characters. The movie starts, flows and ends with its protagonists.

Simbu has never been this lovable. His acts and mannerisms are natural and have been well captured. Thrisha is beautiful and charming as always, she gets through the ‘confused in love’ Jessie with ease. Ganesh is good and Babu Antony is impressive. Eventhough we have Kitty (Sivakumar – Karthik’s father), Uma Padmanaban, K. S. Ravikumar as himself etc, we really does not care much about them. The story is entirely woven on Karthik and Jessy.

A R Rahman’s tunes for Thamarai’s beautiful Lyrics is passable but background score is harmonious. Of the songs "Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa" melodiously sung by Karthik stays back with us. The tracks which comes in the second half does not fit the flow. Maybe an independent session with the tracks might makes them rated better – like most of Rahman’s tunes.

Manoj Paramahamsa’s cinematography and Anthony’s cuts are perfect and adds high value to the seamless narration. Rajeevan’s Art direction is adequate. Nalini Sriram’s costumes are simple, realistic and exquisite. Flexi Stu’s Choreography has got nothing new to offer.

Gautham Menon should be commented for extracting decent and lovable performances from the leads. VTV starts good, lacks pace in the middle, and even though the climax (which portrays the difference between reel life and real life) might strike as a surprise, fails to give a last minute impression. In the end, Gautham has successfully made a watchable movie with a weak storyline and engaging screenplay - thanks to chemistry between Silambarasan and Thrisha.


Recommendation: Nice weekend watch with your friends

Also view സിനിമാക്കാഴ്ച

Labels: Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, Gautham Menon, Cinema, review, തമിഴ് സിനിമ, ദൃശ്യന്‍, വിണ്ണൈത്താണ്ടി വരുവായാ