The Changing Face of Tamil film Industry

The not-so-macho-looking macho heroes, thugs with unruly hair who roam in packs but disciplined enough to come at the hero one-at-a-time, heavy looking thugs getting beaten up by beaten-rice sized heroes – ah! those fancy days of Tamil cinemas. Those days when the dialogues were as innovative as the idea of a circular wheel today, and the sequences of scenes followed the diktats of the days of Sivaji and MGR, when watching movies was an effort of sitting through and appreciating the talent of the teams involved in repeating the age old chants just like the school kids – the days of Tamil cinema from the time I began to watch movies. Thankfully, I think those days are coming to an end. Why? Some of the movies coming out now are highly refreshing; they give me the audacity to hope. The songs are still there, the fights are still there, the villains are still getting beaten up. But there is an element of believability. Some of the recent movies like 1. Unnale Unnale, 2. Anjathey, 3. Saadhu Mirandaal, 4. Polladhavan, 5. Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu, 6. Subramaniapuram have been so good to watch.

What is so special about these movies? Well, they start with a story - stories with a bit of realism here and there. The crew have started with a story, worked on it, and then went to cast the actors. This is a path-breaking effort in Kollywood! Making a movie had become a mechanical work. Get dates from a huge hero, put in 4 songs and an item number, arrange 4 fights in the middle, and then add mother or father or both, let us see who is supposed to be killed by the villain and how the hero fights the injustice. How much difference it makes when you start with a story rather than a hero! Albeit some of the movies listed above have some negatives, there are still some refreshing things in the movie that even out, if not outweighing the negatives. It just shows that a bit of realism here and there would go a long distance in outweighing the unwanted aspects and repetitions.

I have heard of some more movies which are good, but then it has been long since I have taken anyone's word for Tamil movies. When I land on some such movies, maybe I will like them. But please, someone should say no more formula movies. For example, Villu was an absolute disgrace. Prabhu Deva should be stopped from movie making.
Out-of-place songs go a long way in irritating a viewer. Making a movie is similar to writing a paper to publish in an academic journal. Any piece that is out of place, or is not substantiated or is unnecessary would only irritate the reviewer and increase the chances of rejection. Repetition of an earlier work, without acknowledgement, would surely be kicked out. The same applies here too. Did the piece of prose in italics irritate you because it was out of place and without any connection? The same happens in movies too.

One could argue that it is just for entertainment and no need for strict rules in making movies. I say, making movies is their profession. And any professional cannot be allowed to get away with mediocrity, be it in any field. Cricket is for entertainment, would the fans keep quiet if the team does not perform well? Why doesn't the same apply here?

How did it come to this!

The Munna Bhai wants to contest in the coming Lok Sabha election. Our favorite Munna wants to be a member of the parliament. He wants to represent the lucky people of some constituency. He wants to make decisions for them, take responsibility for their lives. He wants to do a lot of good for the people in that constituency. A very nice and appreciatable intention. His father, late union minister, would be very proud of him.

Let us see what his qualifications are:
1. Popular bollywood star,
2. Son of a late union minister.
Are these enough? Let us look a bit more:

3. A well known ex-drug addict,
4. Convicted for having a machine gun,
5. Convicted for having no license for it,
6. Convicted for procuring it illegally,
7. Accused in the mumbai terror blasts,
8. Accused of having ties with Dawood Ibrahim.

Does this look like a winning resume for any job? Are these the qualities we look for in our representative to anywhere, let alone the Lok Sabha? Should the Election Commision allow him to contest this election, this would be a new and ground breaking low in the history of Indian Politics. This would be a shameful event, and an insult to the great statesmen of the past. It would be an insult on the parliament and the countless MPs and the few statesmen who have walked that ground, sat there, spoken there, made decisions there, represented the people there.

I do not hate Sanjay Dutt, he is a gifted entertainer. I am among the countless fans of the Munna bhai movies. But movies are not real life. If he was Munna, then he was also the Don in many movies. Are the Indian people so blind, or so forgiving? This is not just against Sanjay. This is also against the countless convicts and accused who are contesting the elections. This is also against the countless fakers and frequent visitors to the jails who are contesting the elections. I just wish that EC would have a backbone and deny these gentlemen tickets.

Of these, Varun Gandhi deserves a special mention. He has maligned the name of Gandhi. He has maligned the bloodline of Nehru. He has maligned the two greatest statesmen this country has produced. Stopping him from contesting the elections is the most lenient punishment that I can think of.

Idiots in this beautiful world!!

Number One Idiot of 2006
I am a medical student currently doing a rotation in toxicology at
the poison control center.
Today, this woman called in very upset because she caught her little
daughter eating ants.
I quickly reassured her that the ants are not harmful and there
would be no need to bring her daughter into the hospital. She calmed
down and at the end of the conversation happened to mention that she
gave her daughter some ant poison to eat in order to kill the ants.
I told her that she better bring her daughter into the emergency room right away.

Number Two Idiot o f 2006:
Early this year, some Boeing employees on the airfield decided to
steal a life raft from one of the 747s. They were successful in
getting it out of the plane and home.
Shortly after they took it for a float on the river, they noticed a
Coast Guard helicopter coming towards them.
It turned out that the chopper was homing in on the emergency
locator beacon that activated when the raft was inflated.
They are no longer employed at Boeing.


Number Three Idiot of 2006:
A man, wanting to rob a downtown Bank of America, walked into the
Branch and wrote this: "Put all your muny in this bag."

While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he
began to worry that someone had seen him write the note and might
call the police before he reached the teller's window.

So he left the Bank of America and crossed the street to the Wells
Fargo Bank. After waiting a few minutes in line, he handed his note
to the Wells Fargo teller. She read it and, surmising from his
spelling errors that he wasn't the brightest light in the harbor,
told him that she could not accept his stickup note because it was
written on a Bank of America deposit slip, and that he would either
have to fill out a Wells Fargo deposit slip or go back to Bank of
America.
Looking somewhat defeated, the man said, "OK" and left.
He was arrested a few minutes later, as he was waiting in line back
at Bank of America.

Number Four Idiot of 2006:
A motorist was unknowingly caught in an automated speed trap that
measured his speed using radar and photographed his car.
He later received in the mail a ticket for $40 and a photo of his car.
Instead of payment, he sent the police department a photograph of $40.
Several days later, he received a letter from the police that
contained another picture, this time of handcuffs.
He immediately mailed in his $40. Wise guy.

Number Five Idiot of 2006:

A guy walked into a little corner store with a shotgun and demanded
all of the cash from the cash drawer.
After the cashier put the cash in a bag, the robber saw a bottle of
Scotch that he wanted behind the counter on the shelf.
He told the cashier to put it in the bag as well, but the cashier
refused and said, "Because I don't believe you are over 21."
The robber said he was, but the clerk still refused to give it to
him because he didn't believe him.
At this point, the robber took his driver's license out of his
wallet and gave it to the clerk.
The clerk looked it over and agreed that the man was in fact over 21
and she put the Scotch in the bag.
The robber then ran from the store with his loot.
The cashier promptly called the police and gave the name and address
of the robber that he got off the license.
They arrested the robber two hours later.
Idiot Number Six of 2006:

A pair of Michigan robbers entered a record shop nervously waving
revolvers.
The first one shouted, "Nobody move!" When his partner moved, the
startled first bandit shot him.

Idiot Number Seven of 2006:

Arkansas: Seems this guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He
decided that he'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store
window, grab some booze, and run.
So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the
window. The cinder block bounced back knocking him unconscious.
It seems the liquor store window was made of Plexi-Glass.

The whole event was caught on videotape.
IDIOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
I live in a semi-rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the
local township administrative office to request the removal of the
Deer Crossing sign on our road.
The reason:
"Too many deer are being hit by cars out here!
I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore."

IDIOT SIGHTING:

I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport
employee asked,
"Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?
To which I replied, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I
know?" He smiled knowingly and nodded, "That's why we ask."

IDIOT SIGHTING:

The stoplight on the corner buzzes when its safe to cross the street.
I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine.
She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for.
I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red.
Appalled, she responded, "What on earth are blind people doing driving?!"


IDIOT SIGHTING:

When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up
our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the
service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock
the drivers side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I
instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked.
"Hey," I announced to the technician, "its open!"
His reply, "I know. I already got that side."


STAY ALERT! They walk among us ,and they REPRODUCE