Enthiran Review – Watch it & be proud of being an Indian

Actor Ramya Krishnan, when asked about the Rajni-Ash combo said ‘I’m here to watch Rajni and that’s enough for me’. It looks like she’s right. Because in ‘Enthiran – The Robot’, it’s the superstar all the way. For hardcore Rajni fans like me, the 2 year fasting is over and we are hungry for a Rajni feast. Ask and you shall be given seems to be Shankar’s motto & he has given a movie that not only stamps his authority, but also weaves Rajni magic throughout.

Dr. Vaseegaran (Rajni), a scientist introduces us to Chitti - The Robot, his look alike and a friendly robot. Dr. Vasi has ambitions to induct number of Chitti’s in the Indian army and hence teaches Chitti, human emotions which backfire when Chitti starts to develop romantic interest towards Sana (Ash), Vasi’s girlfriend. This creates a singularly unique love triangle. When Chitti was rejected by the army and banished by Vasi, he is rechristened Chitti 2.0 by Vasi’s enemy & former mentor Dr. Bohra who induces destructive programs into Chitti 2.0. Chitti kidnaps Sana and what follows next is an experience of the 1^st order in Indian Cinema. See it to believe it.

I have to applaud Mr. Shankar. I’ve been a critic of his seemingly unwanted expenditure of his films. But Enthiran was different. When you look at the movie, you know that the money that was spent is justified. The graphics and locations were perfect and every micro meter has been carefully handled. The CG work, especially the final 20 minutes is the best India has seen in its films. But I must admit that I felt that some of it were too much and could have been slicker. The final sequence was, in my opinion, one for kids and families and the mosquito mode scenes were unwanted.

Super Star Rajnikanth. He carries the movie on his shoulders and does it well. I liked the way he let Shankar realize his dream and not impose himself. If one was surprised by the simple introduction to Rajni in the movie, they would be even more taken back when Dr. Vasi resorts to fleeing with his girlfriend when she was attacked by a rogue in a beach. It’s in the role of Chitti that he shows his full powers. Be his comic timing, style or action he lives it up. But where he excels is when he transforms into Chitti 2.0. He’s always comfortable doing negative roles and in this, he brings all his villainous variety into play. His black sheep mimic was the cherry on top. As a critic you must say that in a movie scripted for Kamal Hassan, Rajni has certainly not let his best friend down. He has incepted his own style to it without affecting the soul of the movie. Well done Thalaiva.

Ash looks gorgeous and shares more space than any other Shankar movie heroines. Danny is adequate though I expected more from him. Rest of the cast is hardly noticeable and insignificant. A.R. Rahman’s music is not up his standards. May be he was too busy but this is just not his best. Technical crew of Enthiran has lived up to their billing and the result is a near perfect technical presentation that we see on screen.

The movie has be to seen and applauded for the effort that has been put to create it. You have to admire Shankar for this. He also drives home the message about now pathetic humans can be with all their so called emotions. Most importantly, you have to admire for the fact that without Rajni, this movie would not go so far revenue wise. A producer, no matter what kind of background he has, has to get his money back and Rajni has proved that he’s the safest bet yet again. In the business of cinema, not one can guarantee a profit for 160cr investment except him. That’s why he is the best. I liked the fact that he has underplayed his role to allow more space for Shankar. If Shivaji was a Rajni film directed by Shankar, Enthiran is vice versa.

Enthiran is a complete package, an experience that needs to be cherished. This one is for every Indian to see what they can do. Mr Shankar has just realized his dream, when are you going to???

What went wrong for England’s ‘Golden Generation?’

A league that is proclaimed as world’s best domestic competition, a set of players who have worldwide admiration, and yet England were comprehensively outplayed in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. What’s wrong with the so called England’s Golden Generation? Why are they not able to transform their club form to the international stage?

For all the admiration I have for Stevie G, I wonder why he’s not able to inspire England the way he inspires Liverpool. Be it taking the attack to the opposition stand back & defend or scoring goals, he’s Liverpool’s inspiration for sadly not for England. There’s a surging run every now and then but the finish, nah!!! Tactially, I thought he was being wasted at left midfield when he should have played just behind the two strikers. A 4-3-1-2 combination would have suited England than 4-4-2 that they used. Frank Lampard and John Terry are the two guys that make me angry, literarily. Coming off his most successful season with EPL Champions Chelsea, Lampard looked every bit like a second division footballer. Notwithstanding the disallowed goal in the Germany match, he was totally disappointing. Every time he took a free kick, it’s imperative that he’s going to hit the wall. JT is the pillar of Chelsea’s defense, but for England his mistakes are way too unacceptable. The biggest disappointment however is Wayne Rooney. I mean, for a guy who inspired Manchester United despite the loss of Ronaldo with 34 goals, going an entire tournament without a single goal, is too much. He didn’t even make the keepers work, so much for being Wayne Rooney.

Fabio Capello, for all the tactics that took England to the world cup without a scratch, looked totally out of ideas. England lacked imagination, quick passes and speed. This is where Capello’s selection comes in for scrutiny. David Beckham was not fit, but where are the other dead ball specialists. Leaving out Theo Walcott was a big mistake. His speed and imagination would have been the turning point for England. Germany was so fast on the pitch because it’s a very young team. And I don’t know how many of you would agree with me in this, but I think Capello made a mistake in not picking Michael Owen. Yes, he’s not had so many matches under his belt, nor was he in best of form. But with people like Owen, who’s a naturally gifted goal scorer, England would have scored much more goals. He’s instinctive and a world cup stage would have lit him up unlike Rooney.

England made Algeria look like a strong side and Slovenia were generous in giving procession back to England whenever they gained it in the group game. But Germany was never going be this generous. If you lose procession to a young team, they are going to out run you and outscore you. That’s what happened in Bloemfontein. Germans would feel that justice was restored after the controversial Geoff Hurst goal in the 1966 final at Wembley. Bye Bye England. Start worrying about EPL player transfers and pay cheques. That’s the only thing you guys are worth for. If you ever think of claiming the Euro 2012 title, set your egos aside and start playing like a unit. But at the 2010 World Cup, you guys are an embarrassment.

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya – First Love… Watch it, Feel it…

It’s been quite some time that I had so much urge to watch a movie over and over again. But this one is Irresistible. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya, a breezy tale about first love is one movie that you don’t want to miss. Gowtham Vasudev Menon, the quintessential romance director of Tamil cinema has once again given a movie that will stay in our hearts for ever. Each of his movies had breezy romances but a full length Romantic movie from him after Minnale meant expectations were soaring all the time. One must admit that he had delivered.

Story wise, it’s very simple. Two beautiful individuals fall in love for the first time in their life. Will they unite despite their differences? It is the screenplay that, despite its slow pace, captures everybody’s attention. Simbhu as Karthick and Trisha as ‘I don’t know what I want in my life’ Jessie have given their best performances till date. It was good to see them break from the stereotypic roles they did of late. Their careers have moved to the next stage after this movie. The chemistry between them is so good that I thought they should get married in real life. Producer Ganesh as Simbhu’s cinematographer friend is a revelation. The rest of the supporting cast was fine. But overall, the only person who stands out was Gowtham Vasudev Menon. God only knows how he writes those romantic scenes and dialogues. His one liners were amazing. There is no one quite like him in the romantic aspect of movie making. Sometimes when you watch a movie, you will know why you need an A.R.Rahman. Music carries the movie forward and not one piece of music is out of place. It helps that Gowtham takes extra care in music. Manoj Paramahamsa, the cinematographer is a welcome arrival.

It didn’t quite find anything bad in the movie, largely because I got so involved while watching it. The slow pace, some might say is a problem. But hey, this is no action thriller, this is romance. This needed to be nice and easy. This movie may not appeal to the masses. All I can say for that is, grow up People! You need to start appreciating movies like this.

There are several scenes that capture the viewers’ heart. The best of them all is the scene in New York’s central park. Wow. That took me by surprise. I mean, anybody who’ve had a first love can relate to the scene. It was pure magic. So is the climax. In the end, the movie didn’t make me cry. It gave the same feel that my first love gave me. It was magical.

Vengayin Mainthan (வேங்கையின் மைந்தன்) – The Movie

It’s quite surprising that when we think about making a Tamil historical movie, we can’t think beyond Shivaji Ganesan. He was at his best in historical roles, be it Thiruvarutselvar, Appar, Raja Raja Cholan, Veerabagu or his multiple roles in Thiruvilayadal. It’s been a very long time since we’ve seen good serious Tamil historical movie. Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikesi came as a surprise but that was a comedy. Even when someone thinks about making a historical movie, it’s quite difficult to think of a good star cast. Let’s take the case of Vengayin Mainthan.

The title character Rajendra Cholan carries with itself, respect and dignity. Kamal Hassan, Prakash Raj, Sathyaraj or Parthiban can carry the role.

Elango’s character is quite difficult to cast. But I think Eeram Aathi (with a toned up body and mesmerizing voice) could pull it off. Prithviraj can be a choice but his Malayalam accent lets him down.

Arulmozhi’s character, a stubborn princess who lets her eyes speak more than her mouth, could only be done by Sneha.

Rohini’s character is the most difficult one to cast. I thought about it but could not come up with a convincing answer. My thinking is a new comer with stunning looks and acting skills. But the only person who has the looks is the girl who compeers for Super Singer Junior in Vijay TV, Divya. She has the looks, especially with such expressive eyes but can’t say anything on acting.
Vallavarayar Vanthiyathevar is another difficult one to think of. More than the age, the mere mention of his name would bring memories of Ponniyin Selvan, so that makes the casting difficult than it actually is.

Kodumbalar Periya Velalar, Elango’s father and a fierce lieutenant of Rajendra Cholan could be enacted by Nasser.

Suggestions are welcome for the characters Veeramallan, King of Rohanam Mahindar, Mahindar’s Minister Keerthi and others. Suggestions are also welcome for my choice of actors given above.

Vengayin Mainthan (வேங்கையின் மைந்தன்) – A Review

One of my biggest regrets till date was that I knew very little about Tamil history. Four magnificent rulers in Chera, Chola, Pandya and Pallava claimed stronger hand in South India at various periods. They built such marvelous structures like the Brahadeesvarar Temple in Tanjavur, Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, The Shore Temples of Mahabalipuram to name a few. Tamil language and culture attained its peak at their time through times like the Tamil Sangam. Yet I had very little knowledge about them compared to what I knew about the Mughals or the British. It prompted me to start reading Tamil historical novels. Though essentially they are a work of fiction, the facts in them are taken from history books which add to their credibility. Ponniyin Selvan was the choice of so many people. I have heard so much about the book. But I settled down with Akilan’s Vengayin Mainthan. Generally this is read after Ponniyin Selvan but I kind of zeroed in on this.

The title character is Rajendra Cholan, son of Raja Raja Cholan. In his time Tamil Culture attained its peak when he conquered land up to the Ganges in the north to distant islands like Indonesia. He also built a new city, Gangai Konda Chola Puram to celebrate his victories. The novel’s central character however is not Rajendra Cholan, but one of his lieutenants, Elangovel. Elango, as he is called belongs to a small country under the Chola dynasty, Kodumbalur. His family has matrimonial exchange with the Cholas. Chola princess, Arulmozhi is in love with Elango, though she never shows it out. The novel starts with Rajendra Cholan’s quest to recapture Tamil Crown belongings from southern Ceylon, known as Rohanam. The novel revolves around the explosive love affair between Elango and Rohanam’s princess, Rohini. Each gives up secrets about their country in different circumstances which becomes both good and bad for Elango and Cholas. On the good side he is able to retrieve the lost property, able to know enemy’s plan and traps beforehand. On the other side, he almost leads his enemy destroy their new city and burn his Kodumbalur fort. How Elango thwarts their plan and marries both the beautiful ladies forms the climax.

The novel is expertly written with loads of history facts and imaginary characters which make us believe each and every part of it. The constant on off love affair between Elango and Rohini is the backbone of the novel. Rohini, though she belongs to the enemy camp, cannot ignore Elango because of her love. She is caught between her own loyalty towards her county & brother and saving her love, so many times in the novel. Elango is caught between his love and his duty, though for him, duty always comes first. The emotions that love can cause in a short period of time are beautifully imagined. On the other hand Arulmozhi’s character was scripted as an opposite of Rohini. Arulmozhi is very quiet woman, who hides her mind from others despite being in love with Elango, while Rohini is very expressive about her feelings.

Apart from the love triangle, what I loved the most in the novel is the way Akilan describes Tamil culture. Rajendra Cholan shows his broader side when he wants to make friends with his enemy kings, though he is never afraid of wars. In fact all his wars end in victories for him. Such was his army’s force and his command. Though his liberal policies were seen as a weakness, he has enough power and intelligence to overcome his enemies’ plan to use it. His and Vallavarayar Vanthiyathevar’s plan to allow Elango romance Rohini proves to be master strategy. The Tamil spirit prevails throughout the movie. Sundara Pandiyan who was defeated by Rajendra Cholan even goes as far to compliment his rival’s bravery and policies.

Vanthiyathevar, the hero of Ponniyin Selvan and arguably the most beloved Tamil fictional character, plays a smaller but significant character. He plays an elderly minister who is by the king’s side most of the times and takes care of Elango whenever Elango slips emotionally. Akilan created Elango’s character complimentary to Vanthiyathevar’s character in Ponniyin Selvan.

On the flip side, Rohini double sided loyalty baffled me at times. She repeatedly asks Elango for forgiveness after she had done things against him. It was understandable in the beginning, but in the later stages it bores the reader a bit. Also, the number of times a conversation was overheard by another person was a bit too much. I mean, coincidence doesn’t happen every day. Elango’s friend Veeramallan’s constant double crossing is also not so convincing.

But overall, a very enjoyable read. It was a valuable insight on the life of our great ancestors. It was a celebration of Tamil culture which arguably attained its peak during the reign of Rajendra Cholan.