Movie - Aadukalam (Tamil) Director - Vetrimaaran Producer - Kathiresan Cast - Dhanush, Tapsee, Kishore, Jayabalan, Jayaprakash, Nareyn Music & Background Score- GV Prakash Kumar Cinematography - R Velraj Editing - Kishore TE Art - Jackie Stunts - Late Rambo Rajkumar, Rajshekhar Sound - T Udayakumar Story, Screenplay, Dialogues - Vetrimaaran Release Date - 14th January 2011
Dhanush and Vetrimaaran came together in 2007 for the first time to give a mindblowing film called Polladhavan which was a completely new experience to Tamil Cinema viewers. The experiment stayed within commercial cinema constraints, yet had a distinct style and approach which was new to Tamil Cinema. It was lauded as Dhanush's career best performance, and now, with the same team, Dhanush has outshined his own career best though KP Karuppu in Aadukalam. A brilliantly made movie which would satisfy fans of both commercial and realistic cinema, Aadukalam is one of the best Tamil movies to have come out in recent times and the clear winner among the Pongal releases.
Pettaikkaran (Jayabalan) and the cop Rathnasamy (Nareyn) are arch rivals in the rooster fight competitions that are the life and soul of many people in Madurai. Dhorai (Kishore) and Karuppu (Dhanush) are Pettaikkaran's trusted aides and they have been doing extremely well in training roosters for fights. Rathnasamy is from a family which used to be known for its victories in rooster fight tournaments since the time of his ancestors. But for a very long time now, Rathnasamy has been losing out on every damn rooster fight against Pettaikkaran. He wants one last fight with Pettaikkaran's roosters to prove his honour in front of his dying and ever-complaining mother. Pettaikkaran on the other hand had decided to stop having rooster fights with Rathnasamy. In the meanwhile, Karuppu meets Irene (Tapsee) during one of his escapades and falls head over heels in love with her and slowly tries to woo her in every possible way he knows. The story then proceeds through a lot of twists, turns, jealousy, betrayals and lot of high voltage action.
Vetrimaaran must be lauded for taking up a subject which is strikingly different from the regular fare we're used to seeing. And he has also managed to make Aadukalam stand out from the so-many Madurai based movies that have been coming out since the success of Paruthiveeran and Subramaniapuram. Rooster fights is an interesting concept that no director has tried before and this sets the backdrop for Vetrimaaran's tale of relationships, jealousy and betrayal. Despite being Chennaiites, both Dhanush and Vetrimaaran have created a Madurai which is as real as it can get. Vetrimaaran's script is strong and tight and explores relationships with a microscopic view, staying within an entertaining format. The rooster fights make you bite your nails with anxiety, and the second half the action transfers to the trainers from the roosters. The characterizations are done brilliantly, and so are the dialogues. Even the climax of the movie is extremely different from conventional endings. Another fact which deserves special mention is that Vetrimaaran has included filmography and bibliography of films and books that have been useful for reference in making this film, ranging from Amorres Perros to Virumaandi and Thevar Magan. Now, not many directors do that.
Dhanush delivers his career best performance as the lovable KP Karuppu. He is definitely one of the best actors in the country. He may not have six pack abs or Greek God looks, but every single person who has seen his work can blindly say that he is a stunning actor. Dhanush gets the Madurai lingo flawlessly right and slips so naturally into the character that it is hard to imagine that he was performing as that character. Watch out for him in the romantic scenes and the one scene where he talks to Tapsee after a tragedy in the second half. He is mind blowing. Tapsee is one of the cutest things I have seen on screen in a long long time. Each time she appears on screen, she just lights it up. Her acting is not bad and has a wonderful screen presence. The only problem was her lip sync in an otherwise decent act. Kishore, as we all know is a fabulous actor and he reinforces that fact with his performance in this film. Looking drastically different, his Dhorai is one of the pillars of the story. Jayabalan as the manipulative guru Pettaikkaran is brilliant and extremely natural. Nareyn as the cop Rathnasamy was also very good, but his character loses prominence in the second half. The wonderful Jayaprakash makes a fleeting appearance as well. The rest of the supporting cast, most of which comprises of newcomers are extremely natural and effective.
GV Prakash's music was a chartbuster since the audio release of the film. 'Yathe Yathe' has been on loop on almost everyone's playlists and that song is just too good and no words can describe the experience of listening to that song. 'Otha Sollala' is another beautiful kuthu song where Dhanush breaks into an impromptu jig in the middle of the Madurai roads, his mind going wild with love. 'Ayyayyo', a beautiful song by SPB is also wonderfully picturized showcasing the nightlife of the ordinary, in Madurai. The Porkkalam rap is also juxtaposed well into the narrative. GV Prakash has also excelled with the background score of the film.
Aadukalam has a very strong technical side as well. Cinematography by Velraj is painstakingly realistic and the kind of shades he has given to the visuals completely complemen the raw treatment of the film. Kishore's editing also keeps the film going in a steady flow. Stunts by Rambo Rajkumar & Rajashekhar are bloody real. Art by Jackie and Sound by Udayakumar are also effectively handled. The computer generated rooster fights are also very effective and realistic. The rooster fight sequence just before the interval is one of the highlights of the movie.
On the whole, Aadukalam is a definite must-watch for Vetrimaaran's deft handling of a very interesting subject, Dhanush's flawless performance, an adorable Tapsee and some great music by GV Prakash. Its hard to find such a realistic film within the commercial format. Its completely different from Polladhavan, yet almost as good as it. The film can boost Vetrimaaran up to the big league of directors in the Tamil industry. Tamil Cinema has opened with a bang in 2011. Do not waste any more time, go watch Aadukalam!!
Movie - Siruthai (Tamil) Director - Siva Producer - KE Gnanavel Raja Cast - Karthi, Santhanam, Thamanna, Baby Rakshana and a whole bunch of Telugu villains and supporting actors/junior artistes Music - Vidyasagar Cinematography - S Velraj Editing - VT Vijayan Stunts - Ganesh Art - Rajeevan Screenplay - Siva Release Date - 14th January 2011
Siruthai is the Tamil remake of the Ravi Teja starrer Vikramarkudu which was a blockbuster directed by SS Rajamouli in Telugu. And it is done clearly with the objective of bringing out the star in Karthi. And what his elder brother Suriya got to do in two distinct films like Singam and Pithamagan, Karthi gets to do in the same film, in the form of a double role. And it is only because of him, that this movie is worth watching.
Rocket Raja (Karthi) is a happy go lucky young man who makes a living out of conning people and picking pockets in Chennai along with his aide Kaattu Poochi (Santhanam). He meets a pretty young lady Shwetha (Tamannah) during one of his escapades and falls in love with her. In the meanwhile, there are a whole bunch of Telugu rowdies who are on the lookout for a cop Rathnavel Pandian (Karthi again) whom they thought was dead, but is still alive. Raja steals a container from a Rajasthani lady and finds that instead of gold, there was a girl child inside and she identifies him as her father. Raja is bewildered and later comes to know that she is the daughter of a person who looks exactly like him - Rathnavel Pandian. How Raja's life becomes intertwined with that of the honest cop's is the story of Siruthai.
The movie starts with a disclaimer saying that the setting is a remote area in Andhra Pradesh, hence justifying the behaviour of the very loud and and exaggerated villains in the movie. Siruthai has a distinct Telugu feel to it, except in the portions that are shot in Chennai. The villains, supporting characters and junior artistes and even the locations are mostly from Andhra, that we sometimes forget that we're watching a Tamil movie. But leaving all that, and another major factor called logic aside, this movie is all about its leading man and his ability to convince the audience that all the silly stuff that is happening in the movie actually did happen. And that, Karthi does with elan. Every damn formula is in place, and this movie solely rests on the charm of its leading man to pull them off well. I had an issue with the portrayal of Malayalis in the movie. During a wedding, we see a Malayali man with a 'kondai' and a weird hairdo right out of the vadakkan pattu movies and in another scene we see two sluts dressed in traditional Malayali attire of blouse and pavada. Such kind of looking down upon Malayalis were not needed at all. We're not like that and its high time people from other states understood that.
Karthi is absolutely fantastic. He makes you laugh hysterically with his rollicking as the pickpocket Rocket Raja and gives you an adrenalin rush each time he appears as Rathnavel Pandian IPS. He handles both these distinct characters effortlessly, but it is certainly Rocket Raja that wins your heart. His scenes with Santhanam and Tamanna are hilarious and it is his entry towards the climax is what makes the movie lively despite the whole Rathnavel Pandian episode in the second half. The problem with the cop role is that he is too much of a superhero and that seems slightly cliched having seen umpteen number of films with the same characterizations. But Karthi is sincere towards it and it comes out effectively too. Just that if the character could have been developed in an innovative way, it would have made a lot of difference. Santhanam is hilarious as Raja's sidekick Kaattu Poochi. After Boss Engira Bhaskaran with Arya, he has struck a great rapport with Karthi on screen and each scene with the both of them together is a riot. Tamanna looks great and plays the regular dumb heroine who comes at the right times for romance, songs and in the end, to get kidnapped by the villain so that the hero can rescue her in the climax fight. The cute little Baby Rakshana does well too. All the other actors are all right out of Telugu Cinema and everything about them is so Telugu flavoured that it is weird hearing them speak Tamil. Even the villains are no great shakes except that they're really scary looking.
Vidyasagar has constantly been disappointing with his music off late. What happened to the great composer who used to give only gems till not so long ago. Only 'Rocket Raja' sounds good in the entire movie. Background score (by whoever it is) was effective. Cinematography went well with the requirement of the film. Art Director Rajeevan showed his creativity in Rocket Raja's hangout where he has kept stolen stuff ranging from a telephone booth to a police road block. Editor VT Vijayan has managed to keep up the pace of the movie throughout. It doesnt lag anywhere at all. Stunts by Ganesh were great to watch. The dialogues and the comic situations in the first half and towards the end of the second half were hilarious and due credit must go to the makers of the original for that.
On the whole, Siruthai is a mindless masala entertainer which works mostly because of its leading man Karthi's charm. It may not match up to the masala-ness of its original (for people who've seen it), but it is certainly enjoyable for people who like this genre of movies. Watch it for the star in Karthi, Santhanam's comedy and of course, the guilty pleasure of watching an escapist masala entertainer.
Here's me trying to compile a list of the best films of 2010. And as always, the list is out of the films I've seen and a combination of mass hits, critical favourites and my own personal favourites. And yes, I've missed out of quite a few great films which came out in 2010, but sadly didnt release in Kerala and Pune like Mynaa, Vamsam, Naanayam, Porkkalam, Nandalala & Easan. So those movies wouldnt feature in this list. Please forgive me for that. I shall re-edit the list as soon as I see them.
Both these rip-roaringly hilarious movies released on the same day. While Thamizh Padam was an out and out spoof, a first in Tamil Cinema, Goa mixed spoof with fun and madness in Venkat Prabhu style. Thamizh Padam mocked every single stereotype and cliche existing in Tamil films and also some of Tamil Cinema's biggest hits and superstars. But it was all done in good humour and hence, it didnt face any sort of trouble from fans of any actor. It was perhaps for the first time that an out and out spoof movie was attempted in Indian Cinema. Ad filmmaker CS Amudhan did a fab job by constructing a film around scenes and situations from various other films. To say Shiva was hilarious, is an understatement. The rest of the cast were also first rate, including Disha Pandey who represented the dumb North Indian imports in Tamil films. Goa, on the other hand was pure, awesome fun. There was nothing even remotely close to a story, but as long as we are having fun, nobody has complaints. A guy movie in every sense of the word, Goa is considered the desi alternative for the hilarious 'The Hangover'. Jai, Vaibhav, Sneha, Arvindh , Piaa and Melani were great, but it was Premgi and Sampath who stole the show. Sampath who's known only for his villain roles was a complete revelation in a gay character. Yuvan's background score, Shakti Saravanan's camera also added colour to the fun. Thamizh Padam did well but Goa didnt do as well as expected. But still they both equally deserve a spot among the best films of 2010 with their entertainment quotient alone.
A film which came from nowhere and won everyone's hearts, Kalavani was a delightful village romantic comedy with its heart in the right place. The performances were wonderful, especially that of the arrogant and clever Vimal (who earlier impressed us in Pasanga) and the newcomer Oviya. Saranya reprised her caring mom role, but with much more fun this time around and Ilavarasu played a helpless father. The simple story, told effectively through a lot of humour worked very well making the movie a great success. It got released right after the biggie, and yet managed to stand up against it with its entertaining content.
8. Naan Mahaan Alla
Director - Suseenthiran
Producers - KE Gnanavel Raja, SR Prakash Babu, SR Prabhu
Karthi is slowly and steadily growing into a superstar. He's becoming so big that even his elder brother Suriya, who is much much senior than him, is considering him a threat now. He started the year with the disappointing Aayirathil Oruvan, but had a blockbuster called Paiyaa after that, and he cemented his position with Naan Mahaan Alla. Directed by Suseenthiran who impressed everyone with his debut Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu, this movie starts out as a cute and lovely romantic comedy and progresses into a grim revenge story. Tamil Cinema got a new and revamped Kajal Agarwal who is adorable. Jayaprakash as the father was great and the 4 young villains were terrifying. (One of them was my junior from college - Vinoth.) Great music from Yuvan, fantastic camerawork from Madhi and some great stunts made this movie technically perfect.
Cast - Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Prithviraj, Prabhu, Karthik, Priyamani, Munna, John Vijay
Writers - Mani Ratnam, Suhasini Mani Ratnam
Okay, it didnt live up to expectations, but still Raavanan was a great watch. A modern day adaptation of the mythological epic Ramayana, Raavanan had a faulty screenplay from India's most respected director Mani Ratnam who is expected to be flawless in each film of his. BUT, Vikram saves the film from being a complete disappointment with an extraordinary performance that can be delivered only by him. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looked old in some parts and beautiful in some parts. Prithviraj remained under control and impressed in his role with negative shades. The rest of the supporting cast like Prabhu, Karthik, Priyamani and John Vijay also gave great performances. The film had great, experimental music by AR Rahman. But the movie belonged to its cinematographers Santosh Sivan and V Manikandan. It was visual ecstasy to say the least. Each frame looked stunning in the film, and the effort and pain that went into every single shot was visible in the movie. The climax fight sequence by Sham Kaushal was one of the best we've seen in Indian Cinema. But still, the faulty screenplay and the great expectations did much damage to the film and it couldnt create magic at the box office. But it was much better than the disastrous Hindi version of the movie with an embarassingly bad performance by Abhishek Bachchan in the lead role.
Cast - Arya, Amy Jackson, Cochin Haneefa, Nasser, MS Bhaskar, Alex O Nell
Writer - AL Vijay
Period films are a rarity in Tamil, and period love stories are even rarer. Madharasappattinam narrated a love story set in the Madras of 1940s between a poor dhobi and a rich Englishwoman. In spite of being heavily inspired by Titanic, Lagaan & Kisna, Madharasappattinam had a very interesting and believable narrative. Arya gave one of his best performances and the ethereally beautiful Amy Jackson was absolutely brilliant. GV Prakash's wonderful music complemented the romance very well. The cinematography by Nirav Shah and art direction by Selvakumar were stunning to say the least. The audiences enjoyed the trip back to the yesteryear Madras where even the koovam was spotlessly clean. The film also had a great performance from Malayalam actor Cochin Haneefa who passed away earlier this year. The movie had a long run and turned into a hit making Arya a bankable star.
The second biggest hit of 2010, Boss Engira Bhaskaran was an irresistibly funny comedy with the comedian Santhanam playing a role as important as its leading man Arya. The unbelievable camaraderie between the two resulted in rip-roaringly hilarious scenes throughout the movie. The director treated the entire movie with certain tongue-in-cheek attitude, till the very end of the movie which involved a great cameo by Jeeva. Nayanthara looked beautiful and did her part well. The rest of the supporting cast was also very effective. It released 2 weeks before the Enthiran phenonmenon and stood up against it strongly as well. Rajesh has become a director in demand after this movie. Yuvan's music also added value to the proceedings. And there wont be a single soul who wouldnt have used the phrase - 'Nanbenda!' after seeing the movie. ;)
4. Man Madan Ambu
Director - KS Ravikumar
Producer - Udhayanidhi Stalin
Cast - Kamal Haasan, Trisha, R Madhavan, Sangeetha, Mohan Das, Manju Kurup, Ramesh Arvind, Urvashi, Usha Uthup, Caroline, Oviya & Suriya
Writer - Kamal Haasan
Man Madan Ambu released at the fag end of 2010 and proved to be one wholesome entertainer. An unusual offering from the Kamal Haasan - KS Ravikumar team, Man Madan Ambu had brilliant performances, a very good screenplay, great dialogues, catchy music, stunning visuals and beautiful locations. Madhavan's drunk act, Trisha's tamil dialogues, Sangeetha's comedy and Kamal's performance on the whole was brilliant. The visualization of the Neela Vaanam song was another highlight in the movie. Kamal Haasan's writing and KS Ravikumar's execution made sure that the movie was entertaining as well as intelligent. Devi Sri Prasad & Manush Nandan deserve special mention for their music and cinematography. The romantic comedy released just a week back and is running successfully all over right now.
Very few people can tackle romance effectively in Tamil cinema. One is Mani Ratnam & the other is Gautham Vasudev Menon. In this Tamil Hindu boy meets Malayali Christian girl love story, Menon decided to follow the characters and the dynamics in their relationships, which gave us very interesting conflicts between two people who are madly in love. Each stage of the romance was portrayed beautifully and the ending came as a shocker to us who are used to fairy tale endings for all mushy love stories. The most important thing VTV did was to rejuvenate Simbu. The guy had talent, but was clueless on how to use it and ended up making a fool out of himself in film after film until he came to Gautham Menon's hands. As Karthik in VTV, Simbu gives a subtle, yet powerful performance, which is certainly one of the year's best. Trisha also showed us that she can act, if used well. She looked gorgeous in those cotton saris and Chinmayi's dubbing for her was perfect. Her Jessie will remain forever in our hearts. AR Rahman gave one of his best soundtracks in recent times and Aaromale became some sort of an anthem. Manoj Paramahamsa's cinematography & Anthony's editing too the movie to new heights. Very rarely do such great romantic movies get made.
2. Angadi Theru
Director - Vasanthabalan
Producers - K Karunamoorthy, C Arun Pandian
Cast - Mahesh, Anjali, A Venkatesh, Pandi
Writers - Vasanthabalan, Jeyamohan
In between all the biggies of 2010, one film which told the story of young boys and girls working in a huge shopping mall in the busy Ranganathan street in Chennai came and won both accolades and commercial success. Angadi Theru was the second film of Shankar's protege Vasanthabalan, after the highly acclaimed Veyil and he proved that he is certainly a director to look out for. The slice of life narrative, realistic writing, brilliant performances & soulful music made Angadi Theru one of the best movies to be made in the decade. Anjali came up with a bravura performance which made everyone sit up and take notice of the actress in her. Newcomer Mahesh also played his part very well. GV Prakash's 'Un Perai Sollumbothu' and Vijay Antony's 'Aval Appadi Ondrum Azhagillai' became huge hits. The movie won universal critical acclaim and had a 100 day run in most of the theaters it was screened in.
1. Enthiran
Director - Shankar
Producer - Kalanithi Maran
Cast - Superstar Rajnikanth, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Danny Denzongpa, Santhanam, Karunas, Kalabhavan Mani, Cochin Haneefa
Writers - Shankar, Sujatha, Madhan Karky
Well, there is nothing more to be said than what has already been said about this film. Shankar, Sun Pictures, Superstar Rajnikanth, AR Rahman, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Resul Pookutty, Vairamuthu, Sabu Cyril, Rathnavelu & Peter Hein created an iconic film which will be remembered not just as India's premium science fiction film, but as a sci-fi film which is also a supremely entertaining Rajnikanth film. The world watched the phenomenon called Superstar Rajnikanth in awe. The movie broke every record and is considered one of the highest grossers in the history of Indian Cinema. While Bollywood filmmakers still struggle with the idea of using special effects in their film, Enthiran went miles and leaps ahead and redefined the use of visual effects in Indian Cinema. The 180 Crore film deserves to be on the top of each and every year ending list, by just taking into account the mammoth effort that each and every member of the cast and crew put in for the movie. And while his movie is minting money across the globe, our man goes for a peaceful meditation at the Himalayas dressed in a simple vetti & sattai. Thats Thalaivar for you!!
As I mentioned in the beginning of the post, I'm feeling sad that I missed out on a whole lot of great movies including Mynaa and Nandalala. Hope I'll be able to catch them soon.
Movie - Man Madan Ambu (Tamil) Director - KS Ravikumar Producer - Udhayanithi Stalin Cast - Kamal Haasan, R Madhavan, Trisha, Sangeetha, Mohan Das, Manju Pillai, Ramesh Arvind, Urvashi, Usha Uthup, Caroline, Oviya, Sriman & Suriya (Special Appearance) Music & Background Score - Devi Sri Prasad Cinematography - Manush Nandan Editor - Shan Mohammed Story, Screenplay, Dialogues & Lyrics - Kamal Haasan Release Date - 23rd December 2010
KS Ravikumar and Kamal Haasan have always had tremendous success whenever they have collaborated. Be it Avvai Shanmughi, Thenali, Panchathanthiram or their latest Dasavathaaram. Man Madan Ambu is a clear departure from the kind of films they've done together in parts, yet delivers what one would expect from a Kamal Haasan- KS Ravikumar entertainer. And we get an absolute entertainer to end the year on a high note.
Man Madan Ambu is the story of Man, Madan & Ambu (it also means Cupid's Arrow in a literal translation of the title) - Major R Mannar (Kamal Haasan), Madanagopal (R Madhavan) & Ambujakshi/Ambu (Trisha). Ambu alias Nisha is a top actress in Tamil with a busy schedule and she is engaged to a business tycoon Madanagopal. But Madanagopal feels insecure about his fiance, especially when he goes to visit her at her shoots and he feels that she might be having affairs with her co-stars. This makes a dent in their relationship and it runs into troubled waters, due to which Ambu goes away on a vacation to Europe along with her old schoolmate Deepa (Sangeetha) and her two kids. In the meanwhile, Madan sends a private detective Mannar to spy on Ambu and find out if she's having any 'jalsa' with other men during the vacation. Mannar takes up the job to pay the hospital bills of his friend (Ramesh Arvind) suffering from cancer. What happens later forms the story of Man Madan Ambu.
Kadhai, Thiraikkadhai, Vasanam - Kamal Haasan. Very rarely have movies with these credits been bad experiences. (Except for many people who didnt like Dasavathaaram). And yes, Kamal Haasan's writing is one of the biggest strengths of MMA. The story, as we have already seen, is no great shakes. But as we all know, cinema is more about the screenplay than the story, and the fact that Kamal Haasan is a seasoned writer needs no explanation. The private detective angle alone is loosely inspired by the Hollywood rom-com There's Something About Mary. The best part about the writing is that are the characters and they way they have been fleshed out. Each character has a definite part to play in the story and contributes a lot in his/her own way. The movie is completely different from anything what KS Ravikumar has done in the past, and yet, he has done a good job of executing Kamal Haasan's script for the screen. They also bring in their own brand of humour from Avvai Shanmughi, Thenali & Panchathanthiram towards the climax of the movie.
There is no point talking about Kamal Haasan's acting skills. So an analysis on his performance would be futile. But it is hard not to mention the effect that the man creates during small and subtle emotional scenes even in a film which is largely a comedy. The scenes where he speaks to his cancer-affected friend and wife are heart-wrenching to say the least. Everything that the man does on screen further reinstates the fact that he is one of the best actors ever, and he's clearly having fun in this movie after the heavy duty roles in Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, Dasavathaaram & Unnaipol Oruvan. Madhavan is the star of the movie (other than Kamal Haasan, of course) with his absolutely fantastic performance of the perpetually drunk Madanagopal. He is a sheer delight to watch everytime he appears on the screen. I tweeted right after the movie - Give Madhavan in Kamal Haasan's custody and you can see wonders on screen. Anbe Sivam, Nala Dhamayanthi and now Man Madan Ambu stand testimony. His drunk act is extremely natural and reminds one of Mohanlal in his heydays where he had perfected the art of acting drunk. MMA definitely has one of Madhavan's career-best performances.
Trisha is wonderful and 2010 is the year where she showed the audience that she can actually 'act'. With Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya earlier this year and now MMA, she is sure to walk away with all the best actress trophies. And the added attraction in MMA is that she has actually spoken in her own voice throughout the film which gives her performance much more authenticity. And yes, she recites a full-blown Tamil poem in chaste Tamil, and gives an explanation of why heroines have to speak in an anglicized accent as well. Sangeetha was having a ball throughout the movie and that is very evident from her performance. She was enjoying herself so much and it is hard not to like her in the movie. Again, a completely natural and spontaneous performance revealing the comic side of the actress. Mohandas (Kunjan for Malayalis) and Manju Kurup are hilarious as the Malayali producers behind Ambu and they add much more colour to the mayhem. One wishes that these actors were used like this in their original language also (they are very underrated in Malayalam). Ramesh Arvind leaves a lump in your throat, and so does Urvashi, who plays a subtle role after playing all those loud and comic roles in the recent past. Caroline, the beautiful French woman who plays Kamal's dead wife is gorgeous. Usha Uthup is gracious. The 2 little kids, especially the boy are a delight to watch. Suriya's special appearance as himself brings a smile on your face. And yes, there is the director KS Ravikumar also making his mandatory appearance, but this time, everybody on screen ignores him making it a funny moment of self-deprecatory humour.
The film looks spectacular. It has been shot across various stunning locations like Paris, Barcelona, Rome and Venice and also on a humongous luxury cruise and cinematographer Manush Nandan captures all of them with aplomb. He is a cinematographer who is bound to go places. Bollywood cinematographers who get any location they want and yet fail to capture interesting visuals, should take lessons from him. MMA is one film which has used foreign locations very well without forcing it into the narrative. Editing by Shan Mohammed keeps the movie engaging with not one moment which is unnecessary. Costumes, done by Gauthami are also very pleasing to the eye and not the flashy ones we are used to seeing in Tamil films. And the most interesting technical aspect of the film is that it has completely been shot on sync sound (perhaps the only Tamil film after Aayitha Ezhuthu) and the technique completely enhances the performances and their spontaneity. I hope more and more filmmakers adapt this technique which makes the film & the performances much more real.
Devi Sri Prasad comes up with his career best score in this film. The composer known for his catchy and funky songs gives a complete soundtrack, with songs penned by Kamal Haasan himself (except for Oyyale by Vivega). 'Dhagudu Dhathaam' is a fun track with even more fun lyrics and has Kamal breaking into an impromptu jig in the streets of Barcelona. 'Oyyale' is the kuthu track at the beginning of the movie with Suriya and Trisha and a suspicious Madhavan. Shot in Kodaikanal, this song fits in perfectly into the movie. 'Neela Vaanam' uses the technique from Monica Belluci's Irreversible & Coldplay's music video The Scientist to narrate the back-story of Kamal and his French wife. A beautiful and poetic song, the reverse technique with Kamal singing in sync works very well while narrating the entire flashback. Kamal's vocals and lyrics deserve special mention and so does DSP's tune. The most important song in the movie, sadly has been deleted due to some stupid controversy from some senseless religious groups. It is the 'Kannodu Kannai' kavithai between Kamal & Trisha. I was fortunate to see it on the first day since I saw the film outside South India and when I saw the movie a second time, the song was gone, leaving a huge blank, which takes away the romance from the movie. The poem, essentially a conversation between Kamal & Trisha in chaste Tamil about the qualities a man & a woman should possess for them to get married, is the main catalyst which further grows into a romance. Trisha's recital of the poem even though she's not very comfortable in Tamil, is exceptional and Kamal, of course is flawless. Andrea's 'Who's The Hero', the James Bond style introduction song for Kamal Haasan is also a great song. The background score (which includes the title song) is also brilliant and enhances many of the scenes.
On the whole, Man Madan Ambu is a wholesome entertainer with a good mix of romance, comedy, action & emotions along with stunning visuals and great music. The exceptional performances from each member of the cast - from the lead trio of Kamal, Maddy & Trisha to even the most minor characters like Usha Uthup or the Sri Lankan cab driver, each and every one gives a brilliant performance. The deletion of the kavithai might make the romantic angle look unconvincing and I hope they restore the song to give the movie its due. But in spite of that, Man Madan Ambu is a great watch. Watch it along with your families and have a gala time in the theaters and end the year on a high note. :)
Its that time of the year where you make lists of what was good and bad in the year gone by. And lets start with a top 10 songs list, this time in Tamil. There were several chartbusters this year and here are the 10 best songs among them.
10. Yaar Intha Penthaan (Boss Engira Bhaskaran)
Music - Yuvan Shankar Raja Lyrics - Na. Muthukumar Singer - Haricharan Featuring - Arya, Nayanthara, Santhanam Director - Rajesh
A lovely number from the hilarious Boss Engira Bhaskaran, this song had Arya falling in love with a gorgeous Nayanthara over the course of his brother's weddings with loads of light moments. Yuvan Shankar Raja's music, and lyrics by Na Muthukumar together created a memorable melody.
9. Naan Pogiren (Naanayam)
Music - James Vasanthan
Lyrics - Thamarai
Singers - SP Balasubramaniam, KS Chitra
Featuring - Prasanna, Ramya Raj
Director - Shakti S Raj
Every time the legends SPB and Chitra sing a duet together, it is magical. 'Naan Pogiren Mele Mele' from Naanayam was no exception. Composed by James Vasanthan who gave the smash hit Subramaniyapuram and the lovely Pasanga, this beautiful melody had SPB and Chitra at their romantic best. The lyrics was by Thamarai who is an expert at writing romantic songs and she didnt let us down in this one also. The song had beautiful visuals as well, and featured the talented Prasanna and newcomer Ramya Raj.
A beautifully composed melody which takes us back to the British era, this song can almost be called a haunting melody, with its chorus part being the best. It had amazing vocals by veteran singers Roopkumar Rathod, Harini and the young and talented Andreah. The English portions sung by Andreah were similar to that of Vasundhara Das's portions in Lagaan's O Rey Chhori in both the composition and visuals. The lovely chemistry between Arya and the ethereally beautiful Amy Jackson romancing around the glorious old Madras, also worked wonders for the song.
7. En Kaadhal Solla (Paiyya)
Music - Yuvan Shankar Raja
Lyrics - Na Muthukumar
Singers - Yuvan Shankar Raja, Tanvi
Featuring - Karthi, Tamannah
Director - Lingusamy
Another chartbuster from Paiyya, another Yuvan song, with the composer being the singer himself. Again featuring Karthi falling in love with Tamannah, this song had an irresistible hook in the part which goes 'Un azhagaale'. Tanvi was also part of this song giving backing vocals. Cinematographer Madhie captured Tamannah's beauty in all possible ways on one side and Karthi longing for her on the other side.
6. Aval Appadi Ondrum Azhagillai (Angaadi Theru)
Music - Vijay Antony
Lyrics - Na. Muthukumar
Singers - Vineeth Sreenivasan, Ranjith
Featuring - Mahesh, Anjali, Pandi
Director - Vasanthabalan
One of the best movies of the year, Angaadi Theru had 2 composers giving music for the film - GV Prakash Kumar and Vijay Antony. While GV Prakash composed 4 songs for the movie, Vijay Antony did 2. And it was Vijay's Aval Appadi Ondrum which became the biggest hit in the soundtrack. Multi-talented Malayalam singer Vineeth Sreenivasan got his big break in Tamil with this beautiful song which celebrated love. Ranjith also made his presence felt with Vineeth behind the mike. The visuals had the young and fresh faces like Mahesh, Anjali, Pandi and others experiencing love for the first time, during their working hours at a terrible workplace. The movie also had another beautiful song composed by GV Prakash and sung by Naresh Iyer, Haricharan and Shreya Ghoshal called 'Un Perai Sollumbothu' which was also very popular.
Another fantastic song from Paiyya, which was also its most popular song. A beautiful melody rendered by Haricharan, this song had Karthi searching for Tamannah all over Bangalore city. Tamil movies are seldom shot at Bangalore, so the locations and visuals from garden city were refreshing. Again, Yuvan was able to give a great hook to the song in its chorus portions which makes it click instantly. The song is still as popular as it was during the movie's release.
4. Usure Poguthey (Raavanan)
Music - AR Rahman
Lyrics - Vairamuthu
Singers - Karthik Featuring - Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Director - Mani Ratnam
The visually spectacular song, had many legends coming together. Mani Ratnam, AR Rahman, Santosh Sivan & Vairamuthu along with Vikram, Aishwarya Rai and the superbly talented Karthik as the singer. And as an end result, we get a stunning song, both visually and aurally. Karthik's rendition of this song deserves nothing short of a National Award. Rahman's experimental tune worked wonders, so did the soulful lyrics by Vairamuthu. The visual of Aishwarya Rai falling off a branch of a huge tree is sure to stay with you forever. The song had mesmerizing visuals by ace cinematographer Santosh Sivan in the lush forests near the Athirappilly waterfalls in Kerala. This song was perhaps the best portion of Mani Ratnam's Raavanan which received mixed reviews upon release. The song also had a Hindi version which had some great lyrics by the legend Gulzar.
3. Neela Vaanam (Man Madan Ambu)
Music - Devi Sri Prasad
Singers - Kamal Haasan, Priya Hemesh
Lyrics - Kamal Haasan
Featuring - Kamal Haasan, Caroline
Director - KS Ravikumar
An absolutely brilliant song penned by Kamal Haasan & composed by Devi Sri Prasad, this beautiful track from Man Madan Ambu shows tells a tragic love story in reverse. Shot innovatively where all the action is going in reverse, except for Kamal's singing, which is perfectly in sync, this beautiful song stands out because of Kamal Haasan's soulful rendition, perhaps his 2nd best work as a singer in a non-Ilaiyaraaja song (the best would surely be Anbe Sivam). The song comes at a very important point in the movie and is definitely one of the highlights of the movie. This has to be Devi Sri Prasad's career best composition.
2. Kilimanjaro, Kaadhal Anukkal, Irumbile Oru Iruthayam (Enthiran)
Music - AR Rahman
Lyrics - Pa.Vijay, Vairamuthu, Madhan Karky
Singers - Javed Ali, Chinmayi, Vijay Prakash, Shreya Ghoshal, AR Rahman, Lady Kash n Krissy
Featuring - Superstar Rajnikanth, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Director - Shankar
It is difficult to pick one song from the blockbuster soundtrack of the all time hit Enthiran. Hence I've picked 3 songs which are almost equally good and put them together at the second position. Kilimanjaro was shot at the breathtakingly beautiful Macchu Picchu and had Superstar and Ash grooving to Rahman's tune. Chinmayi's groovy rendition is the highlight of this song which has an addictive 'Aaha Aaha' chorus portion. Kaadhal Anukkal was a beautiful and breezy romantic melody shot at another breathtaking location in Brazil. Superstar and Ash looked their best and Vijay Prakash and Shreya Ghoshal together brought magic in the song. Irumbile Oru Iruthayam was an insanely addictive song with some funky and futuristic lyrics by Vairamuthu's son Madhan Karky. AR Rahman sang for the Superstar while lady rappers Kash n Krissy brought in a whole lot of freshness through their rap for a super-hot Aishwarya Rai. Shankar's epic visuals, Rahman's extraordinarily catchy music and the great vocals from all the singers made these songs also go down as part of history along with the film.
1. Mannippaya, Aaromale, Hossana, Omana Penne, Anbil Avan (Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya)
Another AR Rahman album from which it is difficult to pick one track as the best. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya would certainly be up there as one of the best albums by AR Rahman ever. The maverick composer teamed up with ace director Gautham Menon for the first time and what we got was magical. Mannippaaya was a haunting melody by the wonderful Shreya Ghoshal and AR Rahman himself. Aaromale, an unusual soft rock track which had Malayalam lyrics by Kaithapram and vocals by Malayalam composer Alphons Joseph is the best composition in the album and became a cult song immediately. Vijay Prakash, Blaaze, Suzanne made Hosanna a heavenly experience. It feels like Benny Dayal was getting as much joy as his listeners while singing the beautiful Omana Penne along with veteran singer Kalyani Menon who pitches in some Malayalam lines. And the incredible fusion of both carnatic and western music comes alive in the wedding song Anbil Avan with energetic vocals by Devan and Chinmayi. The songs were used perfectly in the movie which had extraordinary cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa and terrific performances by Simbu and Trisha. VTV is definitely the album of the year.
So the clear winner is AR Rahman with his 2 albums and one track topping the charts. Yuvan Shankar Raja closely follows suit with the blockbuster soundtrack of Paiyya and the song from Boss Engira Bhaskaran. He also had other major hits in the form of Goa, Naan Mahaan Alla, Kaadhal Solla Vanthen, Thillalangadi, Baana Kathadi, etc. GV Prakash impressed with wonderful songs from Madharasappattinam, Angadi Theru, Aayirathil Oruvan and more recently, Va Quarter Cutting. Devi Sri Prasad continued his home run with the hit tracks of Singam and has Man Madan Ambu lined up next. Mani Sharma's Suraa had some hit tracks as well. Maestor Ilaiyaraaja's music is supposed to be the soul of Mysskin's Nandhala (I havent seen the film or heard the songs yet). Tracks like the spoofy Oh Maha Zeeya from Thamizh Padam and Vaada Vaada Paiyya from Kacheri Aarambam were also very popular.
So that was my list of the top 10 songs in Tamil this year. The lists in Hindi and Malayalam are coming up next.
