Re: Rajini and Kamal appreciation thread.

[app_engine]

There are some who do vakkAlath for Kamal (and IR) for dEvar magan movie on the following lines :

- the purpose of the movie's theme was only to highlight the wrongs of violence (and never to glorify violence)
- it was also to advise people to "போயி புள்ள குட்டிகள படிக்க வைங்க - வம்பு, சண்டை, காட்டுமிராண்டித்தனம் வேண்டாம்'
- it was a unnadha kalaippadaippu so any political commentary on that is simply nitpicking

Some of the justifications also included as to how the sufferings are graphically told and such should leave indelible marks in the minds of movie watchers AGAINST violence.

The above are typically told when someone charges that the movie glorified the violent community. Or that the 'pOtRippAdadi ponnE' song served / serves as an anthem for that community, whenever they incited violence against suppressed people of Ramnad area.

IMVSO, such vakkAlaths (along with other sAljAppu's such as kalaignan sudhandhiram, see only as movie etc) are best suited for the term "flimsy" 

We are talking about TWO of the most popular heroes of TN (in TN, movie heroes are equal to or greater than real-life heroes in the minds of majority public), namely Sivaji and Kamal, being depicted as GREAT WARRIORS with meesai etc, belonging to a specific caste.

And also advertisements, hoardings, posters - with these two big heroes with meesai etc - reached >90% of the population (compared to a much smaller % who actually watched the movie and even smaller or negligible % that became non-violent  ).

It is easy to see that among the movie watchers, very small population actually got the so-called-anti-violence message (as proved by the use of the song as the caste anthem). 

Not just that, there were also other strong statements glorifying the community and inciting passion ('போஸ் கூடப் போனவனெல்லாம் நம்ம பய தான்' kinds) which were adequately present in the movie.

On top of all these, the movie title itself (which gets pronounced for decades after anyone even thinks about the movie theme, essentially embedding the vamsapperumai / caste feeling etc - more so if a person of that community say it - 'நானெல்லாம் தேவர் மகன்டா')  

That Kamal had zero social conscience / consciousness with that movie and had only money / pugazh motives is unquestionable. 

Any effort to justify his role otherwise, in making such a movie with that title and package, can be, as I said above, on very very flimsy ground.

While IR was a man-for-hire for that project (and didn't do that great a job according to me, even musically), he must share in the blame. Especially for that idiotic kAladi maNNE business.

However, based on his other colossal amount of work and huge contribution towards pushing political ambitions generally out of TFM, this can be dismissed as a one-off-case and I'm not so much agitated over him (as our friend MayilSK) 

(The above post is to reiterate my dislike for the concept / movie / album once again, due to a recent twitter conversation).

[Drunkenmunk]

Obviously complicated matter this. Was just observing the twitter convos. My two pence. I am not inclined to disagree about the social irresponsibility in that one song/portions of the film glorifying a community though the film is not inherently about their glorification but is more of a subtle rap on the knuckles. Will say why in a bit. And I can understand app's and MayilSK's concerns.

But,

Taken as a piece of cinema/art, this film is an uchchANi kombu for Tamil cinema. Everything, including the music (which I feel is right up there), touches a peak imo.

Having said that, I'll say why I understand the concerns. October 30 was Pasumpon's Jayanthi and a bunch of Thevars had kind of blocked parts of Pasumpon Muthurama Lingam Road near his statue and Mount Road and that held up traffic. I was chatting with our chauffeur and as the talk went to cinema, he said in all his innocence and ignorance that Raaja was a Thevar  I completely baulked and corrected him and he was surprised (nallavar dhaan, no bias and all but had been misinformed). Now it's likely that such a song (however brilliant musically, I mean the leitmotifs of this song as Sivaji dies and Kamal goes to jail are almost operatic in scale and are brilliant) had a role to play in the general, uninformed pAmara makkaL's mind. So I am able to hold no briefs for this song.

However, if we are to look at just the art, supreme court defense for both Kamal and Raaja

[plum]

munk, trying to reach you areyou reachable today

[Drunkenmunk]

munk, trying to reach you areyou reachable today

Evening post 7 I won't be free. Tomorrow based on timings, can make myself available. Today till around 7 PM, vetti at home only. Sorry I've messaged you and tried calling you after a couple of hrs after you had called. Mildly forgot the existence of a mobile while reading one book. You can contact me now whenever over phone.

[app_engine]

Rajini marketing

even dinamalar makes fun of him

ரஜினியின் அரசியல் அல்வா: அதிர்ச்சியில் ரசிகர்கள்

[app_engine]

kOch had losses

Looks like Rajini talked about kOch losses in lingA audio function...

இதில், நடிகர் ரஜினிகாந்த் பேசியதாவது, இரண்டரை வருடமாக உடல் நிலை சரியில்லாமல் இருந்தேன். மீண்டும் நடிப்பேனா, நடனம் ஆடுவேனா என சந்தேகம் இருந்தது.

இதையெல்லாம் மீறி கோச்சடையான் படத்தில் நடித்தேன். அந்தப் படத்தின் முழு சுமையும் சின்னக் குழந்தையான என் மகள் சவுந்தர்யா மீது தூக்கி வைக்கப்பட்டது.

அவளால், அதை தாங்கிக் கொள்ள முடியவில்லை. பண இழப்பு ஏற்பட்டது. இருந்தாலும் ஒரு அனுபவம் அவளுக்கு கிடைத்தது. அவர்கள் (மகள்கள்) சம்பாதித்துதான் சாப்பிட வேண்டும் என்பது இல்லை. நான் சம்பாதித்ததை வீணடிக்காமல் இருந்தாலே போதும்.

Did he really say that?

[Drunkenmunk]

kOch had losses

Looks like Rajini talked about kOch losses in lingA audio function...

இதில், நடிகர் ரஜினிகாந்த் பேசியதாவது, இரண்டரை வருடமாக உடல் நிலை சரியில்லாமல் இருந்தேன். மீண்டும் நடிப்பேனா, நடனம் ஆடுவேனா என சந்தேகம் இருந்தது.

இதையெல்லாம் மீறி கோச்சடையான் படத்தில் நடித்தேன். அந்தப் படத்தின் முழு சுமையும் சின்னக் குழந்தையான என் மகள் சவுந்தர்யா மீது தூக்கி வைக்கப்பட்டது.

அவளால், அதை தாங்கிக் கொள்ள முடியவில்லை. பண இழப்பு ஏற்பட்டது. இருந்தாலும் ஒரு அனுபவம் அவளுக்கு கிடைத்தது. அவர்கள் (மகள்கள்) சம்பாதித்துதான் சாப்பிட வேண்டும் என்பது இல்லை. நான் சம்பாதித்ததை வீணடிக்காமல் இருந்தாலே போதும்.

Did he really say that?

Yes he did. English papers were even more blunt wrt his words on Koch. "We shouldn't have done it" was how they transcribed his words (http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Rajini-Burns-the-Midnight-Oil-for-Lingaa/2014/11/17/article2526280.ece). And yeah, English paper version is consistent with this wrt Soundarya.

[Wizzy]

kOch had losses

Looks like Rajini talked about kOch losses in lingA audio function...

இதில், நடிகர் ரஜினிகாந்த் பேசியதாவது, இரண்டரை வருடமாக உடல் நிலை சரியில்லாமல் இருந்தேன். மீண்டும் நடிப்பேனா, நடனம் ஆடுவேனா என சந்தேகம் இருந்தது.

இதையெல்லாம் மீறி கோச்சடையான் படத்தில் நடித்தேன். அந்தப் படத்தின் முழு சுமையும் சின்னக் குழந்தையான என் மகள் சவுந்தர்யா மீது தூக்கி வைக்கப்பட்டது.

அவளால், அதை தாங்கிக் கொள்ள முடியவில்லை. பண இழப்பு ஏற்பட்டது. இருந்தாலும் ஒரு அனுபவம் அவளுக்கு கிடைத்தது. அவர்கள் (மகள்கள்) சம்பாதித்துதான் சாப்பிட வேண்டும் என்பது இல்லை. நான் சம்பாதித்ததை வீணடிக்காமல் இருந்தாலே போதும்.

Did he really say that?

KH is lucky in this regard 

[groucho070]

Should it be sad? I don know.

My son loves kOchadaiyAn.....before sleeping he keeps bugging us, ¨tAtA movie....tAtA movie...¨ Maybe the marketing team should have aimed the goddam arrow elsewhere....who knows, eh?

[app_engine]

உயிரோடு இருக்கும் வரை "இந்த ஆள் என்ன ஆனார் / என்ன தான் செய்கிறார்" என்று நாமெல்லாம் கேள்வி கேட்ட போது ஒரு மண்ணாங்கட்டியும் செய்யாதிருந்த "அவார்ட் வின்னிங் திரை விமரிசகர்", இறந்த பின்னர் வரிந்து கட்டிக்கொண்டு பக்கம் பக்கமாய் எழுதிச் செய்யும் கலைச்சேவை காண:
https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2014/11/28/lights-camera-conversation-two-film-wonder/

One comment beautifully nails his opportunistic attitude :

Now, as for this author, we don’t know exactly what his intentions are. Except for some passing mentions of the film and Rudraiah himself in the past, he hasn’t expressed any particular liking for either in great detail. And that’s why this write-up comes across as a hatchet job than anything else (oh please, this has nothing to do with ‘journalism’).

“The brutal industry and the flawed man” seems to be the narrative this author wanted to weave and he’s pulled in just enough quotes from a handful of fellow has-beens to serve that purpose. It’s amazing how he does not implicate the great Kamal Haasan in being a part of that machinery that ground Rudraiah (and the likes) to a halt every time he took a few steps. See, Kamal isn’t obliged to fund Rudraiah or anyone, but he cannot skirt his own role in it by blaming the ‘industry’. He is the industry – hypocritical, self-aggrandizing and goodwill posturing. Exactly what has Raaj Kamal Films International – a product of all his oh-so-painful compromises – produced so far? Artsy, avant garde stuff? Revolutionary politics?

[crimson king]

Rangan may be opportunistic but I am afraid Suresh E T appears to be completely smitten with Rudraiah's work.  To paraphrase what Lata said about Shankar's love for Sharda, love of the deaf, dumb and blind variety.  It is not Kamal Haasan's responsibility to make films for struggling artists.  He only owns a production house, not a bank that could finance these films.  And relying on the vehicle of a star to make art films is a flawed premise to begin with; that it worked in Aval Appadithan was a one off and an accident.  Independent films are typically  made with less decorated actors, that's the way it is everywhere.  

Ultimately, nobody wants to nail the elephant in the room.  In TN, it's still masala films rehashing the old MGR/Amitabh Bacchan fairytale wars against injustice (Katthi being the latest) that run well.  Why are these well meaning sympathisers of daring artists far more inclined to blame the industry than the audience?  The film industry doesn't operate in a vacuum.  If people want to see good art, they have to go out and patronise it.  Part of the problem is the size of the audience but this problem is a bit overstated.  Countries like Iran make brilliant independent films.  Where and how do they organise funding and how do they find patrons?  So there's a way but it needs a cultural climate that is prepared to go beyond dishum dishum, imported eye candy heroines and the age old 'comedy track'....at least for a few films, if not all.  In some ways, the situation is probably worse now than the 80s when at least that thing called a well made, if formulaic, masala film could occasionally be sighted in theatres.  It seems too much to even expect a film that is not overrun with cringeworthy dialogues today.

[Drunkenmunk]

Rangan may be opportunistic but I am afraid Suresh E T appears to be completely smitten with Rudraiah's work.  To paraphrase what Lata said about Shankar's love for Sharda, love of the deaf, dumb and blind variety.  It is not Kamal Haasan's responsibility to make films for struggling artists.  He only owns a production house, not a bank that could finance these films.  And relying on the vehicle of a star to make art films is a flawed premise to begin with; that it worked in Aval Appadithan was a one off and an accident.  Independent films are typically  made with less decorated actors, that's the way it is everywhere.  

Ultimately, nobody wants to nail the elephant in the room.  In TN, it's still masala films rehashing the old MGR/Amitabh Bacchan fairytale wars against injustice (Katthi being the latest) that run well.  Why are these well meaning sympathisers of daring artists far more inclined to blame the industry than the audience?  The film industry doesn't operate in a vacuum.  If people want to see good art, they have to go out and patronise it.  Part of the problem is the size of the audience but this problem is a bit overstated.  Countries like Iran make brilliant independent films.  Where and how do they organise funding and how do they find patrons?  So there's a way but it needs a cultural climate that is prepared to go beyond dishum dishum, imported eye candy heroines and the age old 'comedy track'....at least for a few films, if not all.  In some ways, the situation is probably worse now than the 80s when at least that thing called a well made, if formulaic, masala film could occasionally be sighted in theatres.  It seems too much to even expect a film that is not overrun with cringeworthy dialogues today.

Well said. It felt like a reductive and over-simplified rant.

[groucho070]

Thanks app. Oru murai Kamal patthi, , I am one of his biggest.....oh fuck that...konjam criticise pannunen, vanuthuchu pArungga Dasavatharam piss poor CGI Tsunami comments from one, or maybe two of his hardcore fans.

I agree with the comment with that O word. But I am still in love with that man. I would go on and bitch about him the rest of my life, but that does't stop me from being a fan and looking forward for more from him.

And Rudriah.....what can we say....where would he have been if commercial cinema found and enslaved him? K.B? Nah...MR? You gotta be kidding. Who knows.....?

[app_engine]

groucho070,



ரியாக்ஷன் எல்லாம் பாத்தா தொழில் பண்ண முடியுமா? 
நமக்குத் தோணுறத அப்பப்போ சொல்ல வேண்டியது தான்

BTW, I've made it clear in twitter that my issue with the recent Rudraiah-related-media-articles is only the "total darkness all these years while he was still trying to do something in the TF industry".

As one article even noted, it was generally believed that 'திரைப்படத்துறையைவிட்டு விலகிய ருத்ரையா தன் சொந்த ஊருக்கே சென்றுவிட்டார்"

Otherwise, I had no special piriyam for this fellow or any negativity towards Kamal. 

For example, please look at this post when I featured the song 'panneer pushpangaLE' in the GA thread:

Perhaps there was some mutually beneficial learnings for both Rudraiah and Kamal in AA...(unfortunately, Rudraiah does not have any more proof of his genius. OTOH, Kamal has since directed some acclaimed movies).

If anything, I've only ridiculed the guy for spoiling those 4 wonderful IR songs in a kuppai movie grAmaththu aththiyAyam. (I've once made fun of oodhakkAththu video in the hub, trashing the director).

Also, unlike that Suresh ET on BR blog, I have only +ve leanings towards Kamal's production house, for a ton of gems from IR! 

Who cares if they made art films or not

That said, I did mention in a tweet, a speculation on whether the "iruttadippu" having something to do with Kamal :

https://twitter.com/r_inba/status/539462957651206144

@venkkiram ஒரு வேளை அதில் கமலுக்கு (அல்லது அவரால் புறக்கணிக்கப்பட்டவர் என்ற tag-க்கு) இதில் பங்கு இருக்கும் என்றே தோன்றுகிறது! 
#JunkMedia 

While I later clarified that it was limited to the "iruttadippu", B(K) and Plum had already replied that Kamal shouldn't be blamed for R's failed career  

Honestly, while I love AA (that I watched only a few years back, on youtube, and didn't have much idea prior), I didn't / don't have any more pheelings toward the director

The reason for such speculation is pretty obvious, if one cares to read the many obituary columns that came up...

-Rudraiah had one acclaimed movie and another terrible flop. Though grA ath failed miserably at BO, the songs keep reminding people of such a project, for years. 

-It has been revealed now that he then kept trying in the industry - albeit aimlessly - for 30+ years, until his death

-While it is not unusual for industry & media to typically forget people who had just a couple of films and are no longer active, once in a while one gets to see some thuNukku or other here and there about such artist (at least on an artist whose work - AA - people like BM pick among his all-time-fav movies, for e.g.)

-Also, 1000's of non-starter movies / personalities continue to fill-in the tons of media space, just because of the NEED for material but this fellow got totally ignored, though working with the likes of Sujatha on projects - sounds fishy!

-That is, this guy was TOTALLY ABSENT for 30+ years on media. To the extent that people thought he became a "thuRavi" from movies

And all of a sudden, there're a lot of discoveries that he initiated this project, that project, even recently worked on script etc

And the urgency with which interviews and articles appear, wiki pages get updated etc makes one wonder "what's the big fuss" kind - as to is there an urgent effort to cover up something nasty?

[crimson king]

Well, if we have to take what Rangan says on face value, he claims to have attempted to reach Rudraiah for an interview when he happened to met Rudraiah's daughter.  He also tried to get through through Arun Mozhi and neither attempt worked out.  Maybe Rudraiah and/or his associates weren't interested?  Another thing, you are only as good as your last show in showbiz.  It's brutal and terribly unfair, but it's how the industry works.  I have the works of so many bands from U.K who have not been written about in years simply because they broke up and stopped recording.  Why, I don't remember reading any articles on Shakeel Badayuni who wrote such great lyrics for Naushad Ali's films.  Suddenly, Sahir Ludhianvi is the only lyricist from that era worth writing about and I could bet anything that wasn't the popular perception at that time.  I don't know in what way, if any, him or Kaifi Azmi are so much superior to Badayuni or the evergreen Majrooh except that they had influential voices in the industry to lobby their names.  It doesn't necessarily mean there is any hatchet job in progress, just that the way the industry remembers its servants is very arbitrary and unpredictable.  The now fairly regular supply of articles on Madan Mohan only commenced after the success of Veer Zara and Sanjeev Kohli's smart use of the internet to bring back the memories and collate tributes from the artists who had worked with MM.  If this can happen to a composer who gave some of the finest scores of HFM in a very competitive era, why can it not happen to Rudraiah who only made two films, and only one successful film at that?

A lot depends ultimately on one's prism and one's preconceived biases.  When I read the story of Rudraiah as narrated by Rangan, I did not find it to be an indictment or an attempt to blame him for the way his career panned out (and it does plainly state that Kamal must have dumped Raja Ennai Manithuvidu for Sakalakala Vallavan); rather an attempt to simply answer the question as to what was he up to and where was he all these years. I actually felt sympathetic for the plight of an idealistic artist who couldn't find a slot of his own in a very commercial industry.  Suresh ET's overenthusiastic rant actually dampened this sympathy for a while before I reminded myself that it was hardly Rudraiah's fault what his well wishers, whether real or masquerading charlatans, felt about him or the industry.  All I can say is in the whole vast world wide web, there's nothing to stop one from spreading the word or bringing out the truth about somebody or something.  What, by the same token, stopped the likes of Suresh ET from blogging about Rudraiah and his whereabouts all these years?  If people like him have so much truth in their possession as they proclaim, why were they hiding it from the public for so long?  To me, this seems to be more of a case of double/triple reading between the lines only because the man has committed the mistake of being a Mani Ratnam and Kamal fanboy.  If he hadn't written about Rudraiah, that too would have attracted whining and now that he does, oh, why hasn't he written all these years.  

Now if Suresh had made the effort to factually rebut the incidents narrated by Rangan, I would be able to take his rant more seriously.  His quarrel only seems to be with Rangan not bringing out the interpretation which he desired, which seems to be that Kamal should be guillotined for his heinous acts (excuse my hyperbole).  Maybe it would have altogether been better then if Kamal and Rajni hadn't gone pro bono for Aval Appadithan in the first place.

[plum]

app - you cant blame brangan much here. It is not his duty  to write about Rudriah regularly. Obviously, he'll be asked to do an obit when someone dies. Or, he does choose to write an obit when people die(not everyone but anyone whose movies he has some vague memory/connection)
It isnt a great article and it seems like his attempts to get any informed view on Rudriah hadnt been succesful

But that is the worst you can say of it

[app_engine]

Looks like someone in the hindu reporter group is behind a number of Rudraiah memory stuff getting published, this is another

தன்னைக் ‘கொம்பன்’ என்று அறிவித்த, ஆனால் மென்மையான கனவுகள் நிறைந்த, கலைஞன் ருத்ரய்யாவிற்குத் தமிழ் சினிமாவுடனிருந்த முரண் நிறைந்த உறவின்மேல் தாகூரின் படிமம் ஒளிபாய்ச்சுகிறது-லாங் டேக்கில்.
கட்டுரையாளர் சொர்ணவேல், அமெரிக்காவின் மிஷிகன் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் சினிமா பேராசிரியராகப் பணியாற்றி வருபவர்... தொடர்புக்கு mswarnavel@gmail.com

Article writer enga oorunnu solRAnga

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Yet another in the hindu, this one by Rajeswar

சுஜாதாவின் ‘24 ரூபாய் தீவு’ கதையில் நடிக்க கமல்ஹாசன் உடனடியாக கால்ஷீட் கொடுத்தார். ஒரு பாட்டுடன் நின்றுபோனது. அடுத்து ‘ராஜா என்னை மன்னித்துவிடு’. அதற்கும் நாயகன் கமல்ஹாசன்தான். அறிவிப்போடு நின்றுவிட்டது. அதற்குப் பிறகுதான் ‘கிராமத்து அத்தியாயம்’. இளையராஜா, பஞ்சு அருணாச்சலம் போன்றோரின் முழு ஒத்துழைப்பு இருந்தாலும், ருத்ரய்யாவிடம் எதிர்பார்க்கப்பட்ட தரத்தில் அந்தப் படம் வரவில்லை.

அதற்குப் பிறகு கொஞ்ச நாட்கள் கழித்து 1983-84-ல் திரும்பவும் படம் செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று திட்டமிட்டு, ரஜினியைக் கதாநாயகனாக மனதில் கொண்டு, கடலோரக் கிராமத்தை மையமாக வைத்து ஒரு கதையை எழுதினேன். ருத்ரய்யா நினைத்ததுபோல நட்சத்திரங்கள் கிடைக்கவில்லை. அந்தக் கதைதான் பின்னர் பாரதிராஜா இயக்கத்தில் ‘கடலோரக் கவிதைகள்’ படமாக வந்தது.

சிவாஜி கணேசனை பீஷ்மர் கதாபாத்திரமாக்கி 3-டி தொழில்நுட்பத்தில் மகாபாரதக் கதையை எடுக்க விரும்பினார். அதுவும் சாத்தியமாகவில்லை. ரகுவரனை வைத்து ‘டிஎஸ்பி 7’, சுஜாதா கதை - திரைக்கதை. அதுவும் பூஜையோடு நின்றுவிட்டது.

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The Hindu publishing official obituary, with a pic by Jeeva

IMG, there's someone who is a big fan of the movie in The Hindu editor / reporter group. They've thus published a number of articles on him in the Thamizh edition and likewise got interview from Kamal for English edition.

It's possible they've asked BRangan to do a similar reminisce for the English edition...(at the minimum, he did a blog post  Don't know if something appeared in the hindu paper)...

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BTW, I got all those links from the yAzh thread, while searching for latest IR-news-stuff:
http://www.yarl.com/forum3/index.php?/topic/149120-%E0%AE%85%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%85%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%87%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%B0/

This has a post :

இவரின் மகள் டொராண்டோவில்  தான் இருக்கின்றார் .இலக்கிய கூட்டங்களுக்கு சிலவேளை வருபவர்

That possibly explains the rant by that Suresh ET on twitter & later on BRangan's blog....(this person is from Toronto, possible connection?)

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BRangan's kizhikkal of lingA:
http://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2014/12/12/lingaa-talky-overlong-and-lays-no-claim-to-our-emotions/

However, why does he fail to mention the name of the culprit, the MD, in this statement :

It’s easy to overlook the inaccuracies (though with a production this big, you’d think they’d do more research) – at a palace ball, we hear symphonic music when the musicians on stage are playing guitars and drums

It's pretty obvious that 'market-savvy' BRangan does not want to antagonize ARR (& MR)...

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BRangan's kizhikkal of lingA:
http://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2014/12/12/lingaa-talky-overlong-and-lays-no-claim-to-our-emotions/

However, why does he fail to mention the name of the culprit, the MD, in this statement :

It’s easy to overlook the inaccuracies (though with a production this big, you’d think they’d do more research) – at a palace ball, we hear symphonic music when the musicians on stage are playing guitars and drums

It's pretty obvious that 'market-savvy' BRangan does not want to antagonize ARR (& MR)...

I dont think it is an issue of being "market-savvy" or whatever as I have read his reviews where he hasnt been all that kind to the music( like the review he wrote for Raavanan's music where he said the music lacked soul, and the movie involved both MR and ARR ). And if he was that market-savvy he wouldnt be tearing apart a film whose star is still the superstar. Also, MR himself doesnt have much of a market these days.

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Now, as for this author, we don’t know exactly what his intentions are. Except for some passing mentions of the film and Rudraiah himself in the past, he hasn’t expressed any particular liking for either in great detail. And that’s why this write-up comes across as a hatchet job than anything else (oh please, this has nothing to do with ‘journalism’).

“The brutal industry and the flawed man” seems to be the narrative this author wanted to weave and he’s pulled in just enough quotes from a handful of fellow has-beens to serve that purpose. It’s amazing how he does not implicate the great Kamal Haasan in being a part of that machinery that ground Rudraiah (and the likes) to a halt every time he took a few steps. See, Kamal isn’t obliged to fund Rudraiah or anyone, but he cannot skirt his own role in it by blaming the ‘industry’. He is the industry – hypocritical, self-aggrandizing and goodwill posturing. Exactly what has Raaj Kamal Films International – a product of all his oh-so-painful compromises – produced so far? Artsy, avant garde stuff? Revolutionary politics?

Stupid comment by whoever wrote this. It is Kamal's Rajkamal films that produced anything worthwhile when the film industry was otherwise hijacked by the big studios like AVM who were content churning out sakalakalavallavans and uyarndha ullams but didnt come forward to finance a Pesum padam or Raaja paarvai.
Kamal did as much as a star of his stature/image/market could in pushing the boundaries of filmmaking.He is exactly the wrong guy to pick on, if you are going to
whine about big stars not supporting non-mainstream efforts.

OTOH,Rudraiah was a one-film wonder. We'll never know if he would have lived up to the reputation that his debut film garnered, if he had more opportunities to make films. His second film itself was'nt all that worthwhile. If he really wanted to make low budget offbeat films he could have approached NFDC or something like that which patronized some art movies in the 70s/80s, instead of counting on big stars/filmhouses to support and finance his films.But we dont know his compulsions/limitations fully. So, lets not criticize the entire industry for his bad providence. There are many such one-film wonders and fleeting sparks in Tamil films as well as music.

[Drunkenmunk]

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Why   DM?

Let movies of this kind (those taking viewers for granted - not just on content but such projects with the thinking that simply by having names and marketing they can sell any nonsense) flop miserably and let viewers keep teaching big names lessons.

However I'm skeptical (that public will prove to be that discerning with their choices). This is just an aberration possibly.

They'll happily accept another kuppai in just a couple of weeks and industry will forget any lesson taught by this rejection. 

This flop may be simply perceived as "KSR is out" (or another scapegoat like "ARR has lost it nowadays" or worst case "Rajini is old / sick / cannot be revived") and not taken as rejection of (a) bad content or (b) bad idea of "taking people for a ride with simbly big names and pushing thru mega releases".

My perverted wish list at this point of time (with a clear understanding that either of these won't happen with Thamizh people in TN or worldwide): 

1. Public totally reject this sick-minded industry that ignores genius talents (read: IR) but glorifies phonies (read: any big name of today) and it goes bankrupt   
2. Public spend their entertainment रर / $$ somewhere else

Not gonna happen

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