Re: Rajini and Kamal appreciation thread.

[jaiganesh]

well artiulated crimson - this global anglo saxon dominance is a phase - soon it will be chinese - but English will continue to rule as the lingua franca.

[dilbert]

With due respect...who says we live in a global village.  We live in a world where culture is sought to be subverted by a mass entertainment medium based on the Anglo Saxon norm.  The reason for this is financial more than anything.  Thanks to the legacy of the British Empire, English is the most widely used language in the world and entertainment products made in English are extremely marketable.  Ergo, an English educated Tamilian in Erode will appreciate an English film but an educated white American in Utah is not likely to appreciate a Tamil film however well made it is because of the language barrier.  I know devoted fans of cinema live with subtitles to appreciate films made in diverse languages but the fact is that Hollywood still puts them all at a disadvantage because it is far more accessible for a global audience irrespective of the relative merits of say a Turkish film vis a vis a Hollywood one.  

It is at the most possible that say the Oscar committee for Best foreign film might one day recognise a good Indian film (provided our wonderful Oscar selection committee looks beyond mere entertainers).  But it is very unlikely that a person living anywhere in the planet would be aware of the work of an artist WORTHY of recognition if he does not communicate in English because the English entertainment industry has distorted the very basis of recognition and confused it with popularity.   Discerning art lovers are only a small minority at best and do not influence overall perceptions of where artists stand in terms of influence....again, irrespective of merits.

Mind you, I am not your "Pasangalla angilam yen padikanam" guy.  I consume a lot of English fiction/movies/music *gulp* but I am not willing to buy their subtle attempts to impose the Anglo Saxon norm as the only worthwhile form of art.

Crimson (king) Tide  , The only guy I know who uses "Anglo Saxon Verbiage" is my old friend Mr.Shivji. Hope you are not related to him(just kidding).
I am tired of hearing this age old argument of Anglo saxon domination , termination , abortion .. etc etc not just in movies , in every field where we can't have solid progress. We use this lame excuse.

Let me try 1 last time explaining this.

Indian has total population of what 1.2 or 1.3 Billion i.e., close to 20% of Planet earth's population. 
China has total population of what 1.4  or 1.5  which is also close to 20-22% of world population.
And you are telling me , with this kind of market , you can't make decent movies and get at least 40% of world's attention / Recognition (of course without using english medium)? Really?

I am ashamed to say, this is coming from a country , which defined the culture of entire southeast asia and china without waging a single war.

I feel is somewhere along the way , we picked a wrong path thinking Cinema= Entertainment. And Now getting away from this rhetoric looks like an uphill task.

[crimson king]

Indian has total population of what 1.2 or 1.3 Billion i.e., close to 20% of Planet earth's population. 
China has total population of what 1.4  or 1.5  which is also close to 20-22% of world population.
And you are telling me , with this kind of market , you can't make decent movies and get at least 40% of world's attention / Recognition (of course without using english medium)? Really?

I am ashamed to say, this is coming from a country , which defined the culture of entire southeast asia and china without waging a single war.

I feel is somewhere along the way , we picked a wrong path thinking Cinema= Entertainment. And Now getting away from this rhetoric looks like an uphill task.

Since you are citing the population of China, exactly how many Chinese films can boast the absolute crossover appeal of a Jurassic Park or ET? Nowadays a lot of Hollywood films, esp the big productions like Avengers, do very well in India but how many Chinese films have enjoyed the same success?  Let's not underestimate the power of making films in a language that everyone can understand - and that remains for the most part English.  Subtitles are cumbersome for most cinema goers except the really serious ones.  

I fully agree with your last line and let me go one step further and say that I don't think Rajini deserves to be an internationally recognised star.  Forget Lawrence Olivier, he cannot out-act a Ned Beatty.  But by the same token, I don't see what's so special about a Tom Cruise other than that he's handsome, acts reasonably well and looks convincing in stunts.  Just that the films are made in English.   So I don't believe Hollywood does not prioritise entertainment.  They gave up the fight by the end of the 70s and since then, it's been mostly lightning speed action and special effects flicks with cliched, wafer thin plots.  If Hindi films were produced to the same level and without songs, people would go ga ga over them (and they do - see Don II).  If Hollywood were so avowed to ART, I imagine a film like Network would have wont he Oscar.  Instead, it lost out to Rocky.  Enough said.

[app_engine]

Come on RKFs, please start a kOchadaiyAn thread - teaser vandhurukkudhE...

(I guess Nerd-gAru hasn't warmed up to it - what about jaiganesh :-) )

[jaiganesh]

Jaiganesh Vazhkudai ‏[ltr]@JVazhkudai[/ltr]20h
@vforvadi Rajni v4.0 looks like Karunanidhi19-only solace he has is the number of known issues is only 2 and the first is already delegated.

[jaiganesh]

Jaiganesh Vazhkudai ‏[ltr]@JVazhkudai[/ltr]9 Sep
@complicateur petha ponnu kaiyyaala rasam vechu saapudalaam, vesham vechu saapudalaamO? Arre O baabaa

[sagi]

Come on RKFs, please start a kOchadaiyAn thread - teaser vandhurukkudhE...

(I guess Nerd-gAru hasn't warmed up to it - what about jaiganesh :-) )

Oh well. This is anything but a Rajini film. And Soundaryaji is trying to take the Rajini jokes to the next level with this. Hope it makes money for (my) family's sake. I will probably watch it once.

[app_engine]

While looking at my old post on 'neeyA azhaiththadhu en nenjil minnal adiththadhu' on the SPB-IR thread, got reminded of this fantastic groucho blog post :

nAn vAzha vaippEn retro review

Struggling to control my laughter for this portion :

Aside: Few words about PV. I always find him creepy, there’s something more to him than meets my contact lensed eye. Look at how lusty he gets around Silk Smitha in Mundram Pirai. Remember, he was the one who got Rajini in trouble in the first place in Tillu Mullu. As a father he was rotten, and remember how he chased out Kamal in Varumaiyin Niram Sigappu, only to be united years later in jail in Mahanadhi? End of Aside.

[app_engine]

16V in digital - trailer release videos :

Kamal speech :


Rajini speech :


BR speech :


If not for BR's loose talk in that annakkodi function that triggered their recent saNdai, IR would have possibly come. (He was the MD for the producer's last success, mahAnadhi).

I guess GA too recently suffered from BR's loose talk and had a ladAi...

[dilbert]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YWirNqtxwA

Thaliavar's new intro song sung by Great SPB Sir, Music composition Indian John Williams.. !!

[sagi]

-Aimless tune, sometimes I feel as if SPB is reciting a poem or something
-The interludes are just excuses, just random filler pieces.
-Puthiya Manitha was 100 times better.

And can somebody please explain the lyrics?
ஆகாயம் தடுத்தால் பாயும் பறவை ஆவோம்
 மாமலைகள் தடுத்தால் தாவும் மேகம் ஆவோம் 
காடு தடுத்தால் காற்றாய் போவோம் 
கடலே தடுத்தால் மீன்கள் ஆவோம்

[jaiganesh]

-Aimless tune, sometimes I feel as if SPB is reciting a poem or something
-The interludes are just excuses, just random filler pieces.
-Puthiya Manitha was 100 times better.

And can somebody please explain the lyrics?
ஆகாயம் தடுத்தால் பாயும் பறவை ஆவோம்
 மாமலைகள் தடுத்தால் தாவும் மேகம் ஆவோம் 
காடு தடுத்தால் காற்றாய் போவோம் 
கடலே தடுத்தால் மீன்கள் ஆவோம்

Eppidiyaachum pozhachukkuvomgraar. Enna douttu ungalukku?

[V_S]

கடலே தடுத்தால் மீன்கள் ஆவோம்

I too  during this line. I don't know what VM meant here. Not an impressive song, nothing novel. I didn't like it. He is trying hard in WCM, but nothing fruitful. It is a totally different beast altogether.

[Wizzy]

-Puthiya Manitha was 100 times better.

+1, only recently did it descend upon me it was his yet another attempt @ 'Eduda Andha sooriya melam'. 
template seems to be when in doubt use horns for a Rajini ezuchi song.

[plum]

Say whatever you want. There's one genre that IR cant come near ARR. And I say this with gratitude and personal experience.

Constipation alleviation.

Constipation is a serious problem. Not that serious, maybe but signficant nevertheless.
An affected person seeks any solution

It is here that ARR has benefitted me immensely.
It was in 1997 that I first experienced the problem, and as if by cue, that year gave us Dil se re..... a high pitch rendering of which was always a temporary solution.
Since then he has been giving gift after another.

The peak in this genre is Endhira. When you go Endhira Endhira Endhira, AhA...ok, I cant explain further. This is a family forum. Ladies visit.

NenjE ezhu replaced Endhira this year but hasnt been just as blissful

Let me try this Kochadaiyan number if it breaks new ground

[dilbert]

Say whatever you want. There's one genre that IR cant come near ARR. And I say this with gratitude and personal experience.

Constipation alleviation.

Constipation is a serious problem. Not that serious, maybe but signficant nevertheless.
An affected person seeks any solution

It is here that ARR has benefitted me immensely.
It was in 1997 that I first experienced the problem, and as if by cue, that year gave us Dil se re..... a high pitch rendering of which was always a temporary solution.
Since then he has been giving gift after another.

The peak in this genre is Endhira. When you go Endhira Endhira Endhira, AhA...ok, I cant explain further. This is a family forum. Ladies visit.

NenjE ezhu replaced Endhira this year but hasnt been just as blissful

Let me try this Kochadaiyan number if it breaks new ground

Plummer Today field day ?

[app_engine]

digital 16V

இப்படம் டிஜிட்டல் தொழில்நுட்பத்தில் மாற்றி அமைக்கப்பட்டு, தமிழகத்தில் 350 தியேட்டர்களில் டிசம்பர் 12ம் தேதி, ரஜினிகாந்த் பிறந்த நாளில், மீண்டும் வெளியிடப்படுகிறது. வெளிநாடுகளிலும், 100 தியேட்டர்களில் வெளியிட ஏற்பாடு நடந்து வருகிறது.

[app_engine]

What happened to The Hindu?

ஏ.ஆர். ரஹ்மானுக்கு முன்பாக உலகம் அதிக அளவில் கேட்ட தமிழ் பாடல் ‘ராக்கம்மா கையத் தட்டு’வாகத்தான் இருக்க வேண்டும். இந்தப் படத்தில் இளையராஜா ஒரு புதிய துள்ளலைச் சாத்தியப்படுத்தியிருந்தார். பி.பி.சி. நிறுவனத்தினர் அக்காலத்தில் நடத்திய கருத்துக்கணிப்பில், டாப் 10 வரிசையில் உலகெங்கும் கேட்கப்படும் பாடல் என்ற அந்தஸ்தை ராக்கம்மா கையத்தட்டு பெற்றது. மித்தாலி என்ற பாடகி பாடிய ‘யமுனை ஆற்றிலே ஈரக்காற்றிலே’ பாடலும் படம் வருவதற்கு முன்பே புகழ்பெற்றது. ‘சுந்தரி கண்ணால் ஒரு சேதி’ பாடலும் அது உருவாக்கிய காட்சிகளும், உணர்வலைகளும் இளையராஜாவின் பாடல்களில் அழியாப் புகழ் கொண்டவை

Did BBC conduct the poll in 1991?

[vicks]

much better than any of the current singers AND actors!!   

[vicks]

just a couple of points 

1. Vikram Vikram song - yenga mr Unni K va intha maadri paada sollunga paappom.. Easy song it seems
2. Rum Bum Bum dance - UlagaNayagan rocks!!

[Drunkenmunk]

Padma Bhushan for Hassar. 4 years after Bhushan for Aamir Khan and 14 years after Rajnikanth. Snaatenaf, whatodo.

[fring151]

Whaaaattt!! Rajni was bestowed Padma Bhushan in 2000 and is now NDTV's greatest living Indian? What a joke this country is. To clarify, I don't dislike Rajni at all. I don't think he is as bad an actor as some make him out to be, but at the same time I wouldn't even rank him among the top 5 best actors TN has produced. Plus, a joke is a joke.

[baroque]

congrats to our dear Kamal!   
How about he celebrates it with teaming up with Ilayaraja soon? 

[Wizzy]

Whaaaattt!! Rajni was bestowed Padma Bhushan in 2000 and is now NDTV's greatest living Indian? What a joke this country is. To clarify, I don't dislike Rajni at all. I don't think he is as bad an actor as some make him out to be, but at the same time I wouldn't even rank him among the top 5 best actors TN has produced. Plus, a joke is a joke.

curious, who are those top 5 actors?

[Drunkenmunk]

Whaaaattt!! Rajni was bestowed Padma Bhushan in 2000 and is now NDTV's greatest living Indian? What a joke this country is. To clarify, I don't dislike Rajni at all. I don't think he is as bad an actor as some make him out to be, but at the same time I wouldn't even rank him among the top 5 best actors TN has produced. Plus, a joke is a joke.

I like Rajni the actor, especially the guy from the late 70s when he even outperformed Kamal in an Aval Appadithaan and Avargal. Somewhere down the line, he's sacrificed the actor in him for commerce. And Kamal *is the* filmmaker of the 90s-early 00s in Tamil Films. He deserved this honor a decade and a half back. I don't take these national honors seriously because a Vidya Balan, Kajol, Madhuri Dixit and SRK are Padme Srees while MSV has not got a single national honor and Mohanlal and Mammootty are Padma Srees too. As for NDTV, their channel, they do it for TRPs and a yuppie group will yap over them being chosen as 25 greatest living Indians and it feels good for their fanbois (read ARR too). It's more or less a joke for me. Rajni has always had his crazy fan base and a bunch of true blue fans over the years (for a good part of my childhood and teenage, I was a big fan too but over the years, I grew over him and migrated to Kamal, quite like what happened with ARR and IR). I still enjoy his acting. I respect the true fans. It is this yuppie gumbal which has come over post Sivaji which has no clue of what he or his cinema sense is that gets my goat.

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