Tuesday, July 19, 2022

வித்யாசமான விசேஷம்


   கிரேசி மோகனை பார்த்தாலே சிரிப்பு வரும்.பேசினால் அதுக்கும்மேலே. ஆனால், ஆர்.ஜே.பாலாஜி பார்க்கறதுக்கு பவ்யமா இருந்தாலும் நடிப்பில குறும்பும், வசனத்தில விவேகமும் எப்போதுமே தூக்கல் தான்.வயசான காலத்தில மீண்டும் அம்மா கர்ப்பமாக, அதை ஒட்டி களங்கப்படுத்தும் விமர்சனங்களும், கொடிகட்டிப் பறக்கும் வசனங்களும் தான் படத்தின் ஹிட் பாயின்ட்ஸ். 

  அப்பா சத்யராஜ் இளையமகனிடம் அதுபற்றி பேச முயல, அதற்கு அவன்,'அடிக்கடி கேக்கறதுக்கு இது என்ன ரெஹ்மான் பாட்டா'என்று சொல்லி கதவடைப்பதும் அம்மா ஊர்வசியை திருமண விழா ஒன்றில் பலரும் நக்கலடிப்பதும் நகைச் சுவைக்கும் சிந்தனையின் நச்சுத் தன்மைக்கும் எடுத்துக்காட்டுகள். 

  காதலியின் தாயிடம், தன் குடும்ப கௌரவத்தை விட்டுக்கொடுக்காமல் பாலாஜி பேசும் வசனக்காட்சியும், திருமண விழாக் காட்சியில் மருமகள் ஊர்வசியை தனது மகள் மற்றும் மூத்த மருமகளின் நச்சு வசனங்களுக் கிடையே நுழைந்து, உயர்ந்து நின்று இளைய மருமகளைத் தாங்கிப் பிடிக்கும்,மறைந்த பழம்பெரும் மலையாள நடிகர் KPAC லலிதாவின் வெட்டிவீழ்த்தும் சொற்களும் பாலாஜியின் பெருமை பேசும். 

   இயல்பாகவே நோயாளிபோல காட்சியளிக்கும் ஊர்வசி,படத்தின்   மையத்தில் சிறப்பாகப் பொருந்துகிறார். சத்யராஜும் KPAC லலிதாவும் திரைப்படத்தை வலிமையுடன் தாங்குகின்றனர்.இறுதி மருத்துவமனைக் காட்சிகள் கொஞ்சம் ஓவர்தான்.மூக்குத்தி அம்மன், தொடர்ந்து பாலாஜியைக் காக்கட்டும்.

Friday, July 15, 2022

The Pothen impact on Tamil Cinema

                              

                 {Homage to Pratap Pothen}


    Pratap Pothen,a multilingual actor {Malayalam,Tamil,Telugu & Hindi}is no more today.The moment one thinks of this actor of a unique brand,his egg shaped eyes would come to one's memory. Introduced into Tamil Cinema,by the exsquisite film maker Balu Mahendra,in his very first Tamil film Azhiyadha Kolangal,Pratap Pothen gained space in a distinct hero role,in Balu Mahendra's most talked about and highly rated film Moodu Pani.In a psychologically lowdown role with a depressing past,Pothen excelled in his role play,creating almost a sense of horror about him.

  Pothen has acted in about 50 Tamil films both as secondary hero and later in endearing character roles.In K.Balachander's Varumaiyin Niram Sigappu,he co-starred with Kamalahasan and in portraying the role of an eccentric film director making awkward moves towards an actress,he displayed a kind of memorable impatience going to the extent of calling himself,an 'incompetent idiot'.{the word 'incompetent'is now becoming an unparliamentary word,though}.

  Pratap Pothen did main roles along with film maker Visu in two films.The first film Kudumbam Oru Kadhambam directed by S.P.Muthuraman was based on a stage play of Visu,bearing the same title.The second film Penmani Aval Kanmani,was directed by Visu himself and no one can forget the tough time that Pothen had with Visu, donning the role of his father,with his popular pseudonym Radio Mama.The vigorous gossip and the needless intereference of his father in other people's affairs,caused Pothen delicate and nervous moments,which he passively endured,as a father-doting son.

  Pothen's other significant Tamil entries are Panneer Pushpangal,Nenjathai Killaadhe,Amaran,Rajinikanth's Thillumullu,Padikkadhavan of Danush,Kamal's Vaazhve Mayam&Pesum Padam,Ram,{as a Psychiatrist},Sindhu Bhairavi,Puthumai Penn,Jallikattu, Priyasakhi,Karthik's Aayirathil Oruvan&Alex Pandian,Remo,Poojai and Kolaiyudhir Kaalam.

  Recently he played a very impressive role,as a meritorious academician,training a plus two girl for the IIT exam.The film Kamali from Nadukkaaviri,was one of the cleanest Tamil films,like his earlier films Panneer Pushpangal and Nanri Meendum Varuga.His last Tamil film was in the role of a doctor,in Vijay Sethupathi's Tughlaq Dharbar.

  Pratap Pothen directed the film Meendum Oru Kadhal Kadhai,sharing screen space with Radhikha,who produced the film.He had also directed films like Vetri Vizha and My Dear Marthandan,made under the Sivaji Productions banner,Jeeva,starring Sathyaraj and made by Sathyajothi Films and Seevalaperi Pandi starring Napoleon. All the four films  received great audience support.His other directorial ventures in Tamil were Makudam,another Sathyaraj film and Lucky Man,that had Karthik Muthuraman playing the lead role.

 Pothen is an awardee of several Malayalam films and his loss will certainly be heavier for Malayalam Cinema,which has about five films under production,with him playing vital roles.In his passing away Tamil cinema has lost a very endearing actor,with an exceptional capacity for playing soft roles,with his bold eyes and shivering voice.Tamil Cinema owes him a special place too.

                             ==============0=================

 

Friday, July 8, 2022

Two Boys from the same school



  


   It is almost twenty years since the film Boys{2003}of S.Shankar was released.Unlike the grand visual displays of Shankar found in a majority of his films,Boys{like his later film Nanban}was free from mega picturisation of events.But it took the credit for introducing several new faces to Tamil cinema.There were five boys prominently shown and they were Siddarth,Bharath,Nakul,Manikandan and S.Thaman and there were two girls Genelia{who was already known to Hindi Cinema}and Sindhuri.Of the five boys,only two could take the lead in Tamil films and they are Sidharth and Bharath.

  Both Sidharth Suriyanarayan and Bharath Srinivasan hail fromTamil Nadu,one from Chennai and the other from Tiruchirappalli,with an age difference of four years between them.Sidharth had already appeared in an uncredited role in Mani Ratnam's Kannathil Muthamittal.For Bharath,'Boys' was his first show of acting.'Boys'had quite alot of entertaining features centering around the vagaries of youth.It was definitely one of those films that entertained and stuck to our memory,letting the actors of the film take their journey independently,on the roadway to successful display of talents. However, both Sidharth and Bharath could overtake the other boys and retain their own distinct place in Tamil cinema.

  Both Sidharth and Bharath excel in romance,action and comedy generes.But a tragic undercurrent swept through Bharat's role play in films like Nepali, Kadhal and Pattiyal. Incidentally Kadhal which became a box office hit,was also produced by Shankar and was directed by his assistant,Balaji Sakthivel.Kadhal set the way for an authentic approval of the thespian skills of Bharat.Pattiyal was another meek show of Bharat,in the role of a speech and hearing impaired person.

  The two heroes have naturally imbibed the powerful thrust of dialogue delivery, augmenting their spirit of dynamism in acting.But the sharpness  and clarity of Tamil accent is more felt in the dialogue delivery of Sidharth{similar to that of  Ramesh Arvind}.Whereas in the case of Bharath, it is a bold and forceful flow,as we witnessed in Pazhani and Thirtuhani,both films made by Perarasu,who is fond of naming his films after names of places.Both Sidharth and Bharath have acted in the films of Vasantha Balan,the one time assistant director of S.Shankar.

  Vasanthabalan's'Veyil' was a poignant tragic show of two brothers,Pasupathi and Bharath,the elder own slighted by his father on a track of misunderstanding.But the younger brother was found to be doting on his abandoned elder sibling,with deep affection and concern.Veyil was full of heat in exhibiting the course of events surrounding a family,with its blows seriously affecting the life of the pathetic Pasupathi, fraternally supported by Bharath with a genuine bonding of love and empathy.

  Vasanthabalan's Kaviya Thalaivan, inducting Sidharth and Prithiviraj,was a theatrical drama with its inherent aesthetics,enfolding the passionate cry of stage actors for capturing the mood of the audience,through competitive role play, that quite often involves the darker side of scheming,to decimate rivals in their career.Both these films were challenging not only for Vasanthabalan,but also for his heroes Bharath and Sidharth.

  Besides acting in Tamil films Sidharth has done a sizeable number of Telugu films and a couple of Hindi and Malayalam films. Bharath has also been quite active in Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi Cinema.

  Some of the other popular films of Sidharth are,Ayudha Ezhuthu,Kadhalil Sodhappu vadhu Eppadi,Theeya Vela Seiyyanum Kumaru,Aranmanai2,Enakkul Oruvan,Jiggar dhanda,Sivappu Manjal Pachai and Aruvam.For Bharath,apart from the films mentioned above,to his credit he has the two films Emptan Magan and Muniyandi Vilangiyal Moonraam Aandu{both directed by Thirumurugan}.

  Of the two,Emptan Magan was an excellent rural family drama,portraying the delicate and underlying affectionate thread between a rugged father and a refined son.Bharat performed the role of a dedicated and submissive son with sublimity and grace.Emptan Magan could be listed as another memorable film of Bharat, showcasing the talent of the beaming boy,introduced by Shankar.The film displaying Bharat as a devoted son, silently suffering the insults heaped upon him by his rough and tough father, {impressively played by Nassar}reflected the hero's capacity for captivating underplay of emotions.In a father son relationship,his portrayal of character outshone that of his most respected father.

  Chellame was yet another film in which Bharat demonstrated the power of his acting scale at the starting spell of his career. In Chellame he played a negative role,with an obsessive passion for an elder woman,who took care of him from his childhood,after he lost his mother.Bharat's other popular films are Chennai Kaadhal,Koodal Nagar Thambikku Indha Ooru and Kandein Kaadhalai.

  While Bharath's best films are Chellame, Kaadhal,Pazhani,Pattiyal,Emptan Magan, Thambikku Indha Ooru and Kandein Kadhalai,in addition to Boys,Sidharth's stable performance in all the films mentioned in this post,rightly establishes his position on the progressive course of acting.In the most competitive field of cinema,it is naturally a yeoman struggle for many talented actors,to sustain their position.

  History shows how a long list of creditable men and women passed into the dense clouds of competition and got dissipated in the memory of the audience like drops of summer rains.Like Prashanth,Prasanna, Srikanth,Abbas,Shyam,Arun Vijay and many other performers of merit,Sidharth and Bharath are certainly high profile actors capable of climbing up the ladder to stardom,but are waiting for the right ladder to come on their ways.