My Kind of Thespian

(KK is the 2nd from your left above) You might catch him animatedly rehearsing a script for a play production on the lawns of Max Muller Bhavan (German Cultural Institute).Or maybe if you visit Amethyst or Barista or one of these coffee houses you might find him amidst college folks and 20 somethings. Or he might have just strolled into landmark, wearing pijama pants, and a faded shirt ,wanting to pick up something about Absurd theatre. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Krishna Kumar Santhanagopalan (KK for those of us who know him). Quite simply he is the reason why English theatre became accessible to hundreds of people who would not come under the bracket of “the elite” in this city. This man in his early 40s,sporting a stubble and an absent minded look, threw away the cushion of an I.T job to do theatre for a living. It must be truly frustrating to be KK.I mean so many of us have come and gone (joined and moved from Masquerade, his theatre group). Almost none probably has even a glimmer of this man’s passion for the creative. Some angry young college kids, like I was when I worked with him - rebels without a cause. Most others wannabe guys and girls doing theatre because its cool or whatever. And yet year after year this man sustains his energy and passion for his art, constantly innovating and figuring out new things. I was never great as an actor. In fact most people who work with him are bloody lucky as no other Director of substance would consider us even as a prop. But with KK more than talent it is willingness to work and passion that matter. Lack of sponsors,dearth of good artists, and indeed an immature audience, none can keep this man down. He just goes on and on,and on, even though most of us, have moved on from theatre. Krishna Kumar is a great inspiration for all of us, to not lose touch with our inner-self, and follow our dreams. Not all of us can take an extreme decision like throwing away our jobs to follow our passion. Which is why people like KK are special. Urban life with its pressures and compulsions would be a dud if it were not for folks of his irk. Artists and creative people are the very guardians of our soul constantly reminding us not to lose our identity in the hustle and buzzle of the rat race.

Film Review/Pudhupettai

Cast – Dhanush, Sneha, Sonia Agarwal Music – Yuvan Shakar Raja Cinematography – Arvind Krishna Directed by – Selvaraghavan Genre – Drama My PG Rating – Adults Only Pudhupettai chronicles the rise & rise of kokki kumar (Dhanush) from a helpless urchin to a dreaded gangster. And from the time he runs away from home, after his father kills his mother, to the final scene it is his survival instincts, which impresses upon you and later has you utterly disgusted.While incidents in the earlier parts of the film makes you sympathize with the antagonist events later on make you lose any sympathy,which you might have had for him. Dhanush as kokki kumar is mostly convincing,especially early on. Circumstances lead him into joining the gang of a local politico, Anbu.After his baptism as a member of the gang his progress is vertical all the way. It is in these parts when the character still has traces of vulnerability that Dhanush scores. As he overthrows the leader and establishes himself as the gang's chief you start witnessing the becoming of a beast. The chilling murder of his father, on Kumar’s orders, sends the proverbial shiver down your spine. Kumar bears witness to himself as he stares onto a mirror, almost to look at what he has become – this moment just before the interval is marvelous in its intensity, though a bit picture postcard-ish. The post interval phase of the film is in total contrast to the action packed first-half . It is a character study on how power goes to Kumar’s head and he slowly deteriorates and manipulates one and all. The moment when he blackmails Selvi(Sonia Agarwal) to fulfill his whims or else threatens to have her brother killed has you in absolute disgust again. Such is the power of the screenplay, but here is where Dhanush falters. He is totally unconvincing and some of the scenes that follow, like grown up men bowing to puny kokki kumar almost seem farcical. Dhanush dominates the screen like Kamal Haasan in Hey Ram! . Sneha’s performance as Krishnaveni, a local prostitute is nothing to write home about (but it seems to be already overrated). Some of the smaller character’s like Kumar’s sidekicks leave a real impact on you. Especially the scene when the gangsters exchange tales about how they landed up doing what they were doing hits you hard. Only God and the director know why Sonia Agarwal is there in the film! There seems no limit to Selva’s infactuation with his own protégé as she is once again portrayed as an almost angelic charmer. Yuvan’s BGM is soothing especially the haunting background score survival of the fittest. Arvind Krishna’s camerawork is slick and realistic. But there are several picture postcard moments, which stand out like a sore thumb,and are clearly aimed at award juries. Admittedly Pudhupettai is not the masterpiece some of us expected it to be. It is the flawed, yet honest work, of a director attempting to break out of the shackles of conventional cinema, and present a work in which he depicts things as is,without ever moralizing. That is cinema for cinema’s sake for you, though it makes you more than a little uncomfortable. As you laugh in horror at the farcical last scene with kumar addressing the audience on a political stage the pitch-black humour has you leaving the hall with an uncomfortable feeling. And this is where the director’s success lies. Partial success if you insist.

Swimming Pool

Cast- Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier, Charles Dance Directed by Francois Ozon Genre – Psychological Drama My Parental Guidance Rating – X Rated Swimming Pool was short listed for the prestigious Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival for the year 2003.Rated 83% fresh by the critics freshometer at rottentomtoes.com,dreaded for its tearing apart of movies,I started watching this film with a great amount of anticipation.This was one of those films built up to be a near masterpiece on an artist’s creative process being portrayed on screen. After sitting through its run time of 1 hour and 43 minutes I was left wondering had I seen anything other than a well disguised porn film?Terrible movie – I have no other words for it.I mean 1st there is this frustrated mystery novelist(Charlotte Rampling)who goes on a holiday to France to get ideas for her next book.She makes herself cozy in a villa with you guessed it,a swimming pool.This sensual beauty (Ludivine Sagnier) lands up from nowhere and the skin show begins .The cameraman indulges on the anatomy of Sagnier who is seen topless every other scene and there are these different men who land up every night and some very erotic (the arthouse types will say‚’’realistic’’),scenes unfold. Somewhere in between all this a murder takes place(or does it?)and the two leading ladies are out to find the truth and the movie concludes with an ending which is supposed to facinate you like the conclusion to The 6th Sense.And Oh! There are some scenes which are supposed to showcase Fraudian repression which seem only an excuse for further skinshow.Admitedly Charlotte Rampling as the on the surface conservative novelist comes up with an underplayed and briliant performance.The symbols such as a crucifix being removed and coming back on or the reflection on a mirror, of the writer,work partially. But I don’t see in what way they represent the blurring of the lines between reality and fiction. If you are the kind who finds those pathetic cubic images of Picasso fascinating Swimming Pool may interest you.If you want to be seen as having an interest in art house cinema again you might want to watch it,as the film is a critics darling,going by the reviews I have read. I saw Kalvanin Kadhali starring that unpretentious,badshah of dirty jokes,S.J.Suryah a few days back. I would any day watch his films than a too scared to admit it is a bit padam,which is what Swimming Pool is. My Rating of the film - * out of * * * * * Verdict – Terrible

Survival of the Fittest

- a curtain raiser to Pudhupettai

Pudhupettai Selvaraghavan's 4th feature film is about "the rites of passage of a don"in the director's words.Those familiar with his style of film making will know that Selva's films showcase a brooding,on your face,realism.I have compiled below some links which attempt to give a balanced perspective about the man who is hailed to be "the poor man's Mani Ratnam" by some and among the best things to have happened to South Indian cinema by others.So here goes -

Birth of a don ,preview of Pudhupettai.

Watch the Pudhupettai trailer here.

The Hindu's review of Kadhal Konden.

Guru Subramanian,blogger on Kadhal Konden .

Why some good films are wrong films! -by Sudhish Kamath,journalist on 7g,Rainbow Colony.

Visit the official website of Pudhupettai.

What can we expect to see in Pudhupettai?I would say an unsullied,birds eye view,of Chennai's underworld,by the man who sees the world in shades of grey.

15, Park Avenue

(above) Konkona Sensharma as the mentally challenged Methi, in a still from the film.

Cast - Shabana Azmi, Waheeda Rehman, Konkona Sensharma, Rahul Bose Genre –Drama Directed by – Aparna Sen Story in brief – A tale of two sisters – Anu (Shabana Azmi) and Methi (Konkona Sensharma). Anu is a divorced Physics professor living with her mother and schizophrenic younger sister. Methi had led a comparatively normal life (albeit with traces of abnormality) until she went on a reporting assignment in Bihar where an incident changes her life forever.

Performances – Konkona Sensharma as Methi comes up with a performance that at once touches you and disturbs you at the same time. Her struggle to separate the delusional from the real is very, very, realistically portrayed. While all the other actors give good performances artistically there is very little for them to explore or portray. Needless to say ,both Rahul Bose as the guilty ex-fiancé, and Shabana Azmi as Methi’s sister who places her life on hold, stand out. The Ending – Will leave you totally stumped. Literally an ‘open’ ending! I quite liked it though. As most of the characters lead incomplete lives the inconclusive end is apt. My Verdict – I really loved the film. Though for the record I must state not in the same league as Mr and Mrs Iyer I was deeply moved by Methi’s struggle to find the elusive joy in her life.15, Park Avenue - a place that does not exist - becomes a metaphor for Methi's search for stability and permanent joy in her life. My Rating - * * * * out of * * * * *

100 Writeups

Rang De Basanti

Cast – Aamir Khan, Om Puri, Atul Kulkarni, Siddharth Music – A.R.Rehman Directed By - Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra Imagine two parallel stories from different ages running side by side and merging into one universal theme – revolution. The sheer audacity to compare a bunch of yuppie rebels without a cause with extremist freedom fighters and yet managing not to make this seem blasphemous! Rang De Basanti keeps you interested through the entire runtime of 157 minutes. But what could have been a great film ends up as a great idea. Sue an English filmmaker wants to make a docu-drama about a group of Indian freedom fighters. Her auditions to find the right cast miserably flop. As she befriends a circle of mostly college boys she realizes in flashes that this group could be her cast. While all seems pleasant on the outside most of the gang have different insecurities. Karan (Siddharth) for instance does not see eye to eye with his super rich father. DJ (Aamir Khan) conveys in an emotional outburst why he still hangs out with college guys. An unexpected event in the second half turns the lives of the primary characters topsy-turvy. This incident acts as a catalyst for them to take on the corrupt system .The movie starts slipping this point onwards and sort of becomes like a Shankar film (Indian, for instance). As Karan announces over the radio why the group decided to assassinate a senior politician, and urban youngsters react in national T.V. in favour of their action, one gets that sense of dejavu. While most characters are well etched out, the ones which I could relate to most were those of Siddharth and Atul Kulkarni.The screenplay is fabulous though at times the comparison of these rebels to our freedom fighters seem absurd. The music by our very own Rehman perfectly blends into the story and background. The whistle as his name flashes in the title credits is more than what even Aamir Khan gets!We are proud of you man!The promo of Rang De… reads 'a generation awakens'. They may have might as well made it ' a generation awakens to anarchy' - as that’s how the film comes across in the tragic finale at the All India Radio. - - - - - This is the 100 th writeup in my site.I would like to thank my family,friends and everyone else who has been reading what I write and encouraging me.

Humour / Waiting for Bayam

or the short film that does not exist ?!? Last summer Sridhar (he of Rebel in a Teacup fame) declared that he was shooting his 1st film along with his pal Dinesh.He was very excited about it and the to be short film was titled Bayam (Fear). He also proudly announced to me after our journalism class that they would be sending the film for short film festivals across the world. Me wannabe a filmmaker one day (if you didn’t know that already!!!) and went on a PR campaign promoting this entity. Virtually all my friends came to know about the now absconding magnum opus as I went gaga saying we must promote independent cinema in our midst. A few months passed and the director duo (ala Matt Damon and Ben Affleck) proudly announced the completion of their movie in Sridhar’s blog. Just when I was prepared to catch a pre editing screening of the film it went into a prolonged surgery on the editing table. It was stuck in cold storage for so long that I started getting my first doubts about whether there was any footage to edit in the first place (basically I started wondering if Bayam is the yeti of world cinema!). After I started pulling Sridhar’s leg about this, the master copy became just out of reach. It was rumored (by the co-director himself) to always be in his bag whenever we met, but only after we met! That is to say Sridhar would innocently say something like,'' Even today it was in my bag''. Now Dinesh and he have apparently screened it to a bunch of his friends.I am next in the hit list of prospective viewers. Sridhar has a last chance to prove that Bayam is not a myth he conjured to impress his fiancée! Amen.

Neofeminism

I don’t like gender-based bifurcation of issues. Inequality, discrinmination, abuse or any other problem needs to looked at as human maladies which need to be addressed and not divided into men’s and women’s issues. Unfortunately neofeminism ends up being no different from what it supposedly condemns – a male dominated society where women are constantly stifled. It ends up becoming just as immature and byzantine as chauvinism and neofeminists are more than glad to indulge in silly debates and conversations , which are in no way constructive. What exactly do I mean by neofeminism? I will try and define it in the context of our milieu. It is the narrow, convenient, misinterpretation of feminism, by a small section of urban Indians. It is exclusive of a large cross-section of Indian women who are in real need of empowerment. These jokers think that raising your voice against Salaman Khan beating up plastic Aishwarya Rai is being liberal and forward thinking! Wonder how many of these jerks even heard of the Imrana case. True feminism as I see it looks at empowerment of women as a whole rather than spin up pulp sentiments of the educated elite. It is an inclusive philosophy open to debate from men and women from all walks of life who are reasonable. Feminism and its ugly sister, i.e, neofeminism are as poles apart as Medha Pathkar and Shoba De.The philosophy of neo feminism is the philosophy of ‘cool’. It is a hopeless wannabe, which is more interested in wearing an attitude (remember the Weekender adds?) than highlighting any real issues. It is an insult to anyone with a genuine concern for women’s rights and human problems as a whole.