From: vganesan@reed.edu (The Phoenix)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil
Subject: Re: enRRum anpudan!
Date: 12 Nov 92 07:52:46 GMT
Article-I.D.: reed.1992Nov12.075246.8119
Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon

In article <1992Nov12.045944.12951@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> ssankara@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Sornam Sankara) writes:
>
>
>In article <1992Nov12.024215.4233@menudo.uh.edu> Venkatachalam Aruna <aruna@tre
>e.egr.uh.edu> writes:
>>
>> One of the recent tamil movie "enRRum anpudan" passes the mediocrity
>>of tamil movies.Reminds a little bit of "naan paadum paadal", actually
>>very little.Starring: Murali, Sithaara,Rohini,Manorama,Janakaraj and
>>Senthil.
>>
>>venkat@uhupvm1.uh.edu               | If it does not, it never was.

>
>"naan padum paadal" was also a mediocre movie w/o any doubts.  In fact we can
>count the non-mediocre movies in Tamil released during the last 10 years.
>
>thaNNeer thaNNeer (1982) - Komal Swaminathan and K.Balachander,
>oru inthiyak kanavu (1983) - Komal Swaminathan,
>veedu (1988) - Balu Mahendra
>     these three for the theme and realism.

In that sense one could add "Ezhathu Manithan" a movie featuring Raghuvaran
and Bharathi's songs.


>maRu pakkam (1991) for the theme and realistic expression of inner feelings in
>a changing society.  - Sethu Mathavan
>
>
>muthal mariyathai (1985) for its artistic touch.

How about "Mouna  Ragam" for the poignant presentation of a upper
middle class relationship marked by the spectre of fillial responsibility
and arranged marriages.

>puthumaip peN (1986) and vedham puthithu (1989) for the controversial theme
>and the messages.  But all these Bharathi Raja's movies are not very realistic
>
>poove poochchoodava by Facil was commercial but realistic to a certain level.

One could add "Nayagan" which though commercial did in some sense bring
the notion of "outlaw" as hero or the Robin hood syndrome.

>
>There was one movie by John Abraham (MalayaLam director) "agraharaththil
>Kazhuthai"  was never released in TN theaters thanks to the Brahmin lobby.  It
>was not allowed to be screened by the TV in its national network at the last
>minute, sorry, the last second by our ex. Hon president RV.  The story was by a
>well known Tamil literary critic Venkat Swaminathan who was a Brahmin and those
>from the Film colleges say that there is nothing against  Brahmins except the
>title.

There was also a movie called "Ore Oru Gramatthile" which presented the
predicament of a brahmin lady allegedly faking her caste to acquire 
admission to the IAS, unfortunately censorship from the political
forces of the day did't allow the film to be released for a long time
and when they did release it , the script was mutilated beyond artistic
merit or freedom. 

Censorship Sucks and regardless of who or why someone does it, it is
very reprehensible.

>
>Other than that, Mani Ratnam, Bagya Raj, T. Rajendar, R. Sundararajan,  Telugu
>K. Viswanath are all just making business and are really very talented in it.
>They satisfy different types of crowds.  Bharathi Raja, KB, Balu Mahendra are
>also not exceptional.
>
>
>I may have missed a few (very few) other movies.  Please correct me if I have
>the years gotten wrong above.
>
>Our movie world has to learn a lot more from MalayaLam cinemas.  Even most of
>the commercial MalayaLam movies are not mediocre like Tamil movies.

We have however had some very interesting and thought provoking movies
made in tamil, "Avargal" by Balachander deals with the problem of divorce
and the case of the single woman much ahead of its time, "Sumaithangi" by
sridhar deals with sacrifice and family responsibility, "Nizhal Nijamakiradhu"
by Balachander again truly is novel in its representation. Could go on,
anybody interested in discussing the merits of tamil film directors ??

The Phoenix.


>Thanks,
>
>
>
>S. Sankarapandi
>ssankara@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu


-- 
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Nondum amabam, et amare amabam quaerebam quid amarem, amans amare.
I loved not yet, yet I loved to love I sought what I might love,
in love with loving.                     
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil