From: shivakl@ctrvx2.vanderbilt.edu (LAKSHMANAN SHIVAKUMAR)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil
Subject: Tamil movies - Are thy really bad?
Date: 13 Aug 92 12:20:00 GMT
Organization: Vanderbilt University
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

Mr. Krishnan in his article writes:

<There has been some discussion on the net regarding the stardard of Tamil
<movies. I thought I will add some of my views to the same.

<In the first place there seems to be some confusion between means and ends.
<I do agree that there are several reasons for the low standard of Tamil movies
<like illiteracy, poverty etc. But this doesnt make the movies any better.
<I will positively say that English movies are any day far far superior to
<Tamil or for that matter any other Indian movies. Another sad thing is that
<the standard of our movies is progressively going down.

On th other hand, I positively feel English movies are too unrealistic
and lack the human content.  Tamil movies are entertaining.  Sure there
are bad movies, but one cannot appreciate a good movie if he has not
seen any of the bad movies just as one cannot appreciate light if he
has not seen darkness.  And, also bad movies are not in tamil alone 
but are in every language and in every country.  Finally, what is a bad
movie and what is  a good movie itself is highly debatable.  It is
an individual's opinion.


<Some of the things that I find very bad about present day Tamil movies are
<(note present day movies, I feel old movies were of a much better standard)

<1. Same old stories being churned out every time. This revenge, vigilance,
<anti-politics, stupid love themes have been used too much. Cant they think of
<anything better.

What you consider has "stupid love themes"  I consider them as depicting
the human content of life.  They reflect the feeling one individual 
develops for another.  And, how many ever times I watch these love stories
I continue to like them for the feelings they generate.  Frankly, English
movies suffer from lack of human feeling.  Most English movies are 
violent (eg.T2) and are very unrealistic (of which Star trek is a great 
example).

<2. There isnt any proper sequence in the movies. They are often too
<disconnected. Manirathinam movies are very good example for this. The songs
<wont have any relation to the movies. There will be a separate totally
<disjoint comedy line which is often not funny at all. The fights will look
<like they have been put there just ad hoc.

I enjoy the songs for their music.  Even if they are not totally 
connected to the movie the Indian crowd looks for songs in movies and
that's a form of entertainment which they look for in all movies.
I sure do agree that the old film songs had more meaning and relevance
to the story (I feel to a great extent Kannadasan can take credit for that).

>3. The songs' lyrics and dialogues are just too bad. If you take some of old
>Kannadaasan songs they fit in perfectly with the theme of the movie. But for
>most of the present day Tamil movies the songs dont have any relevance to
>the movie. For example take "Vaazha vaikkum Kaadhallukku Jai" in Aboorva
>Sagodharargal. It could have been in any other movie like "Agni Nakshatiram"
>with Prabhu and Amala singing it. Also most of the songs are blatantly sexual
>in nature and are distastefully so. Take any song like "Nadiya Nadiya
>Nai Nadiya" or "Singalathu sinna kuyilae" or ...

I agree.  But again this cannot be generalized to include even most tamil
movies.


>4. The whole movie is too unrealistic. Single guy fighting some 10 guys. And
>that too the sigle guy is a someone like Rajini who looks dilapidated. Then
>there are these Rajendar movies. Do I have to tell more about movies being
>unrealistic. His movies are also gretaexamples for the great quality of
>dialogues in Tamil movies. Sirandha eduthukkattu.

MOST English movies seem to be detective stories and most of them
are highly unrealistic. (I am sure you can give me a lot of exceptions
to this but they are all just exceptions).  I feel tamil movies are lot more
realistic.  The story as a whole is more realistic than English movies
even though certain scenes may be unrealistic or stupid.


<Reminds me only of that serial which Cho had in the TV, I think "Saraswathiyin
<Sabadham". That aptly described the state of Tamil movies.

<Once again please dont give me examples of Tamil movies which have been good
<or English movies which have been bad. I dont deny that there are exceptions.
<Definitely Naayagan was a very good movie (even though "Nila adhu vanathu mele"
<had no place in the movie and Kamal marrying Charanya was too cliched and the
<whole movie has cogged so much from God Father) and Pesum Padam was very
<original. Also James Bond movies or the Rocky movies were definitely Junk
<movies. But this sadly is the general trend.

<This I feel is a general trend that affects the whole Tamil culture and not
<just the movies. Tamil is a dying language. So is Hindi or Malayalam or ... It
<is not profitable for anyone anymore to study BA in Tamil. Those who do that
<are most often the people who were left with no other choice. Studying
<Engineering and running to US is much more profitable. I am not trying to be
<moralistic. But we have to face the fact. Unless something is done to improve
<the standard of Tamil and make studying Tamil financially a viable alternative
<this downward trend is going to continue. Once again I guess literacy and
<economic improvement is the only solution.

I agree, it is a sad state of affairs.

Regards,
Shiva