Quick Takes: What I've seen lately ...

It's been busy, busy, busy around here lately. End of the summer meant no more school/camp for the kiddo (which means no break for mommy), we moved to the suburbs and are still climbing over boxes and unpacking, etc. Then I spent a week at home in Detroit helping my husband's niece settle in at University of Windsor (Canada). It's been a lot of running around and falling into bed exhausted at the end of the night.

But anyway, that doesn't mean that I haven't been watching movies. I have been. A good amount, actually. Not many count as true 'Bollystalgia' material, since they aren't old or favorite films, but I thought I'd just share what I've seen lately and my quick thoughts on them:

Patiala House (2011)
A pretty solid film, though a touch melodramatic at times. I am not a fan of Akshay Kumar, but I'm beginning to like these films in which he plays a loser - he does it well. Anushka Sharma is cute and charming in her role, though I am not fond of the blue-gray/hazel contacts. Of course, the highlight of the film for me was Rishi Kapoor. I love him so much that it's very, very hard for me to see him as the antagonist, but he is such a beautiful, skilled actor and I am so glad his career is still going strong. Overall, a good film - worth seeing.

Kaavalan (2011)
This film is, as most people know, the Tamil version of the Malayalam film Bodyguard (recently remade in Hindi with Salman Khan - I can't wait to see it!). For the most part it seemed like your typical Vijay stuff - fight scenes, romance, etc. Nothing astounding. The ending had quite a twist though and I was surprised by it. So I'll say the film was memorable compared to most other Vijay films. Asin was the usual - cute but not extraordinary. I'm looking forward to the Hindi one to see what Salman brings to it.

 We Are Family (2010)
I know this is unbelievable, but I don't think this movie was as bad as everyone made it out to be. I really liked the original Hollywood movie (Stepmom) and thought it had good material for a Hindi remake - but honestly the casting was just all wrong. I wish KJo had cast Kajol in the Julia Roberts role and chosen a mature woman for the Susan Sarandon role - someone like Madhuri Dixit for example. Anyway, I watched this film expecting to hate Kareena Kapoor, like I always do. I ended up finding her the most tolerable of the three lead actors. I didn't expect much from Arjun Rampal so I wasn't shocked when he didn't perform well, but Kajol was just awful. Unfortunately they stripped away all the complexity of Susan Sarandon's character and made Kajol's character really annoying. And yes, the "Jailhouse Rock" song was indeed a travesty. But the movie as a whole was ... ok. Very, very flawed, but still interesting. I think the standout from the film was Aanchal Munjal as the eldest of the three kids - Aleya. She even looked like Jena Malone!

Seedan (2011)
I saw this film a while ago actually, but I thought I'd throw it in here. I found it interesting and somewhat different from your typical Tamil hero flicks. Ananya plays the lead and I thought she was really cute - though she did remind me quite a bit of Devyani (not one of my favorite actresses). I'm not a fan of Dhanush, but his character was quite special in this - no spoilers but I figured it out as soon as he appeared. The film deals with loss of faith in God after 'love-failure' and how it is restored. Not particularly profound or anything, but I just thought the film was simple and sweet and different, so I enjoyed it. Apparently it was a remake of the Malayalam film Nandanam (starring Prithviraj).

Siruthai (2011)
Don't you just love that picture of Karthi? It makes the film look a lot more rocking than it was. But don't get me wrong, it was fairly good. Masala-goodness with the likeable Karthi in a double-role (which requires the filmi suspension of belief about two totally unrelated people looking exactly alike) and Kareena Kapoor Tamannah taking care of the glamour quotient. The first half was very light-hearted and fun while the second half was heavy handed with fighting and emotional drama. Most memorable was the song 'Chellam Inda Chellam' picturized on the beach.


 
HouseFull (2010)
The first time I tried to watch the movie, I failed miserably ... somewhere around the point where Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh get electrocuted and the vacuum cleaner sucks up Lara Dutta's pet bird. But the second time around I actually surprised myself by enjoying portions of it. It definitely got a few snickers out of me, though I wouldn't go so far as to call it a good movie. It's not even decent. It's silly, slapsticky and nonsensical - which is all great when you're in the right mood for it. But still, the Tamil film Kadhala Kadhala - from which HouseFull borrows many, many scenes and situations - was FAR superior. I mean, Akki and Riteish can never be even close to as hilarious as the combination of Kamal Haasan and Prabhu Deva. Kadhala Kadhala is still one of my favorite Tamil movies to date and is truly hilarious. But HouseFull was brainless fun - and again, loser!Akki works for me.

Vaanam (2011)
I caught this film on Sun TV soon after we moved into our new place (and got Dish Network - woo hoo!) and was almost instantly sucked in. This was one of those films where multiple storylines are all running at the same time until they all converge in the climax. Running around are Simbu, Bharath, Anushka Shetty, Prakash Raaj and several other characters. There's so much going on that you end up a bit overwhelmed but it all comes together neatly at the end. A really, really interesting film and I highly recommend it. Standouts were Anushka Shetty in a somewhat coarser role than I would expect from her, and of course Prakash Raaj (he's so awesome!).

Peranmai (2009)
This film was quite a surprise! Another one I caught on SunTV, I found it very different. Jeyam Ravi, who I've always seen as a 'chocolate hero' TOTALLY buffed himself up for this film. It's unbelievable! And he displays it quite prominently (read: NEKKID) in the beginning of the film. But it also stars a cast of young women who are in training as NCC Cadets - a striking difference from the glamour girls we usually see in Tamil films. Not only are these girls in training for physical combat, but they are also mean, spiteful, spoiled young girls who mistreat Jeyam Ravi's character for being of a tribal cast. Even the one girl we see as having a soft spot for Jeyam Ravi ends up betraying him pretty badly. Luckily for all of us, nothing brings people on opposite sides together like a little national threat - i.e. foreigners trying to sabotage India's fab new satellite launch. Jeyam Ravi is incredible in this - he's acted beautifully and physically transformed himself beyond any of our current, working action heroes. Color me impressed!

Mankatha (2011)
This is the first Indian film I've seen at the theatre in a while and I was super excited to see it! It was quite a whirlwind of a film too. I must say that by the end my head & eyes were actually aching from the furious pace of the editing and effects - it was a bit too much for me. But the stunts and action sequences were great. I also want to mention how pleasing it was to see two solidly middle-aged heroes (Ajith Kumar and Arjun) playing roles that were MEANT to be middle-aged. Ajith's new salt-and-pepper look was actually kind of hot! And 'Action King' Arjun looks slimmer and more fit than before. The film was a bit convoluted but reminded me a bit of Ocean's Eleven, The Fast Five and Sin City at different times. Some of the side characters were particularly compelling (Vaibhav Reddy as Sumanth, for example). Trisha was totally unnecessary in the film but I enjoyed the song sequence where the background kept morphing (I called it the HGTV/Ikea commercial song). I was disturbed by the pairing though - even though he's supposed to be much older than her, they just looked creepy together. Overall though the film was totally entertaining and great action fun, but man, if your eyes can't handle craziness then watch out!

Race (2008)
We ended up watching Race right after we came home from Mankatha because a family friend said that it was along similar lines. We stayed up until 3 a.m. watching it - which I'm still not sure was worth it or not. It was painful waking up the next morning. Anyway, there were definitely things about Race I really enjoyed - the tension between the brothers (Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna), Akshaye as a baddie, EVERYONE as a baddie, Anil Kapoor as the fruit-loving cop, the slickness of it, guessing the twists, etc. But I think I started to lose it at the 3rd or 4th twist. I think it had a ton of potential and was definitely entertaining, but ultimately my favorite bits were ditzy Sameera Reddy and Johny Lever's cameo. Verdict? Fun but not amazing or re-watchable.

Anyway so that's it. I have a couple posts a-brewing and now that the kid is starting school maybe I'll actually find some time to organize my thoughts and write them!

Song of the Day: Blister in the Sun, but BETTER! - Manam Virumbuthe from Nerukku Ner

The other night I was watching one of those 'hit song hours' on Jaya Max (can I just say how much I LOVE having Tamil channels through Dish Network?), and this song came on. I had almost completely forgotten about how much I love this song! Yes, ok, the lifted part from 'Blister in the Sun' is sort of silly, and the main part is copied from Thyagaraja's Manavyalakim (Carnatic/Classical song), but still - when this song came out EVERYONE was humming it.

Simran (one of my favorite Tamil actresses - ok I know she's not Tamil, but she was by and large, a Tamil film star) looks totally GORGEOUS and super young in it - I love her! And I actually cracked up laughing when Surya walks on-screen ... I had forgotten how absolutely teeny he was in Nerukku Ner (1997). Even if you don't watch the whole song, you HAVE to check out the part at about 1:10 when Surya walks in and strikes a pose.

The sidey girls are kind of hilarious in this too. It's like they purposely sought out the homeliest girls in all of India. It's almost sad when they make them gyrate like that (and a bit frightening too). I'm not sure what the random Kathakali dancers and the Elephant are doing there towards the end of the song, but whatevs.

I LOVE Harini's voice too ... she's so young but her classical touches are so lovely. She sounds really sweet. Githa from Words from a Lotus reminded me that there was an Unnikrishnan version of this song on the album that never made it in the film. Hahaha ... I would have loved to see a Baby Surya version of this!

Enjoy!

Iconic SPB - some of my favorite Bala songs!

There is absolutely no way to really represent all that there is to love about S.P. Balasubramaniam. That booming, powerful, distinctive voice really speaks for itself. I've been to three SPB Concerts in my life, and loved every moment of each one. I would totally go to a million more. I remember the first time I was sitting in the auditorium for his concert ... I closed my eyes as he started singing and inexplicably, Salman Khan's face flashed before my eyes. Damn Raamlaxman! Their use of SPB as the 'voice' of Salman in films like Maine Pyar Kiya, Patthar Ke Phool, and Hum Aapke Hai Koun has permanently fixed a Salman=SPB equation in my mind, even though I don't think it actually suits him at all. You'll note that the end of my playlist below is heavy on Salman songs ... I couldn't help it!

So when Githa of Words from a Lotus mentioned that she was doing SPB Day, I immediately started trying to compile my favorite songs. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I am SUCH a fan of his that it was absolutely impossible for me to do so in a day. So many, many days later, here is my humble playlist of favorite SPB songs. This is by no means a comprehensive list, I'm sure there are many more that I've forgotten, but these were definitely the ones that came to mind first!

I've started with Telugu, Tamil and then Hindi - so it's not quite in a 'real' order, just by language. Enjoy the voice of this LEGEND!



My Favorite SPB Songs Playlist:
 
- Shankara Nada Shareera - Shankarabharanam (1981)
- Nada Vinodamu - Sagara Sangamam (1983)
- Mannil Inda Kadhal - Keladi Kanmani (1990)
- Ilaiyanila - Payanangal Mudivathillai (1982)
- Pani Vizhum Malarvanum - Ninaivellam Nithya (1982)
- Pothi Vecha Malligai- Mannvasanai (1983)
- Punjai Undu Nenjai Undu - Unnal Mudiyam Thambi (1988)
- Kala Kala Magam - Punnagai Mannan (1986)
- Guruvayoorappa - Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal (1989)
- Rathiriyil Poothirikkum - Thanga Magan (1983)
- Priya Priya O Priya- Kattabomman (1993)
- Devi Sri Devi - Vaazhve Mayam (1982)
- Rum Bum Bum - Michael Madana Kamarajan (1990)
- Mettupodu - Duet (1994)
- Madathile - Veera (1994)
- En Veetu Thottathil - Gentleman (1993)
- Oruvan Oruvan - Muthu (1995)
- O Maria - Saagar (1985)
- Dil Deewana - Maine Pyar Kiya (1989)
- Aaja Shaam Hone Aayi - Maine Pyar Kiya (1989)
- Tumse Milne Ki Tamanna Hai - Saajan (1990)
- Tumse Jo Dekhte Hi Pyar Hua - Patthar Ke Phool (1991)
- Sun Beliya - 100 Days (1991)
- Saathiya Tune Kya Kiya - Love (1991)
- Aaja Aaja Give Me A Kiss - Love (1991)
- Pehla Pehla Pyar Hai - Hum Aapke Hai Koun (1994)
- Teri Hi Arzoo - Chandramukhi (1993)

Painting by Venkat Meruvu

Happy Birthday Rampwalk Remo!

ARGH. So I totally suggested to all my BollyBlogging friends that we should do Vikram-posts on Sunday April 17th in honor of his 45th birthday. And then in the midst of traveling home to visit my mom in Michigan, I wasn't able to do a post yesterday. There were some fabulous tributes to the brooding, masculine, sexy Vikram yesterday which you should definitely check out:

• Filmi Girl's Happy 45th Birthday to Vikram
• Sitaji's Vikramji! Many Happy Returns
• Ness's review of Bheema
• Louella's B'day Boy Tumblr post
• Liz's Prakash Pix: Happy belated birthday Vikram
• ApunBindaas's Happy Birthday Vikram Tumblr post

My friends, I failed you all yesterday. And it's not from any lack of Vikram lust love. I absolutely adore Vikram ... as evidenced by my earlier Primer on Chiyaan Vikram. In it I describe my favorite Vikram movies, and a little about his incredible appeal.

Since there's no time to do a full movie recap or anything very deep or profound (Mom's household means non-stop guests and dance classes going on), I will leave you all with this intense moment from Kadhal Sadugudu which I ALWAYS think of when I think of Vikram ... mmmm ... (how jealous am I of Priyanka Trivedi???):



Happy birthday John Kennedy Vinod Raj aka VIKRAM aka RAMPWALK REMO aka RAINBOW REMO, you sexy beast you!

Picspam time!

He's even hot in drag! (from Kandhasaamy)

Song of the Day: Oh Vanthathu Penna - Aval Varuvaala (1998)

Ahhhh - this song. I was addicted to this song when it came out. It's so soft and dreamy and romantic! And I was also battling a major crush on the puffy-haired, super-moustached Ajith Kumar at the time. This is the Ajith that I loved ... the lover, not the fighter! In more recent years he's become an action hero ... probably because he packed on pounds when he married Shalini and couldn't play the young lover boy anymore. But I found him totally adorable back in the day. Of course, he always played the "nice guy" (except for maybe the evil brother in Vaali and the rough-exteriored role in Amarkkalam), so it was easy to fall for him.

And then of course there's my girl Simran! She's rocking the 90s outfits in this and looking super-glam. She's one of the few South Indian actresses (ok I know, she's not really South Indian, but she was a Tamil movie star!) that could really, truly ACT. I mean REALLY ACT. Check her out in Kannathil Muthamittal if you don't believe me. She's phenomenal! But back in the day, she was the glam queen of Tamil Cinema. And correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't she the one that started the trend of (relatively) slim actresses in Tamil movies?

Anyway, this song from the movie Aval Varuvala (based somewhat on Sleeping with the Enemy, remade in Hindi with Esha Deol as Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche) was one of my absolute favorites in the late 90s. Of course the picturization is not at all what I had in mind. I was thinking paavadai-thaavanis and sarees, but hey, it's Simran, and she looks great in whatever.

Music was done in a typical tamil style by S.A. Rajkumar, and the song was sung by my absolute favorite singer Hariharan ...

Enjoy!

My favorite CLASSICAL dancers in Indian Cinema

The lovely Nicki of Hmong Chick Who Loves Indian Cinema and I were tweeting back & forth about our favorite dancers in Indian Cinema, which got me thinking about my favorite CLASSICAL dancers in Indian Cinema ... and since list-making is my favorite thing EVER, of course I had to compile a list and share it!

Now though the people on this list have legitimate Classical Dance training, it's rarely represented in their films. There's Classical Dance, and then there's FILMI Classical Dance, which is usually a slightly grotesque version of the real thing with exaggerated movements and expressions. Filmi Classical also always has a generous helping of hip-shaking and unnecessary hand/finger flourishing. I get annoyed by it, and yet, I seek it out. It's always nice to see Classical Dance represented in films, but then when it gets tarnished or cheapened I get angry.

Still, there are some Actors and Actresses that always show that little extra skill in dancing, and it is indeed because of their Classical Dance training. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Kamal Hassan
He's definitely my #1 favorite because he was SO compelling and strong when he danced. Also Bharatanatyam is made for a male body (Nataraja was the Lord of Dance after all), and it falls more naturally on the male structure. Kamal Hassan definitely made it look effortless and graceful yet 100% masculine. Here he is in a gorgeous item from Sagara Sangamam:



2. Shobhana
I think Shobhana is one of the most spectacular classical dancers from films. She is utterly elegant and beautiful. I do have ONE problem with her and that's that she doesn't complete her movements, but I fault the choreographers and film directors that try to make her dance so fast. Her dance style is also REALLY different from the kind I learned - hers is more flowy and influenced by ballet, but one of my best friends also learned from Smt. Chitra Visheshwaran (Shobhana's Guru) in Chennai and she dances with this same style, so I gained a great appreciation for it. Shobana won the National Award for her performance as the possessed dancer in Manichitratazhu (the Malayalam original of Chandramukhi and Bhool Bhulaiya):



3. Vyjayanthimala
I gained my love for Vyjayanthi from my mom who was an uber-fan and used to prance around Mumbai spouting her dialogues at 'roadside romeos' that tried to tease her and her friends. But she is indeed a spectacular dancer and unbelievably gorgeous in full Bharatanatyam costume. She is also incredibly versatile and has one of the most expressive faces in Indian Cinema! Check out her display of dances from all over India, ending with the Thillana in Bharatanatyam from Ladki:



4. Vineeth
I haven't seen a TON of Vineeth, I'll admit. I remember him from Kadhal Desam, most famous for the Rehman song "Mustafa Mustafa Don't Worry Mustafa". It wasn't till much later that I realized he was a classical dancer! As well he should be, since he's related to late Actress/Dancer Padmini and Shobhana as well. He's a student of Dr. Padma Subramanyam and has that more flowy style associated with the Vazhavoor style of Bharatanatyam. You might recognize him from the Rajnikanth blockbuster Chandramukhi and it's Hindi remake Bhool Bhulaiya. I get an instant crush on any man that can do classical dance and maintain the masculinity of it (it's rare these days). And he also looks like a young Kamal Hassan. Whenever I mentally choreograph classical-based film duets, I always picture Vineeth as my partner. Here he is strutting his stuff in a live performance:



5. Madhuri Dixit
I don't even need to explain Mads. Everyone knows that she is one of the most brilliant dancers in recent Bollywood years. Her Kathak training is evident in every kind of dance she does, but she has also had ample opportunity to show off her Classical Dance skill. I always remember her joy and exuberance in the Kathak practice scene from Dil To Pagal Hai, but I think her Magnum Opus is definitely her grand scale performance in Devdas said to be composed by the great Pandit Birju Maharaj:



6. Padmini
Padmini Aunty was a regular visitor to our house in my childhood as my mother was very close with her family. My mom is always saying that I remind her of Padmini or her sister Ragini when they were young. Since I'm the youngest of three sisters, my mom used to often call us her own Lalitha/Padmini/Ragini. But before she was the gravelly-voiced, laughing Aunty at our house, she was a featured classical dancer in many, many films. I always feel that the choreography they gave her was absolutely ridiculous, but she certainly gave it her all! A student of the famous Vazhavoor Ramaiah Pillai, she had some very solid training behind her. One of her most famous roles was in the Tamil movie Thillana Mohanambal in which she played a noted dancer (*the video below does not feature the original singer) -- points if you spot Manorama as "Jillu Jillu Ramamani":



7. Meenakshi Seshadhri
I miss the 80s. And Meenakshi was an actress that actually had a strong background in Classical Dance but very, very rarely had an opportunity to showcase it. One of the moments where she got to show off what she could do was her Tandav Dance from the amazing movie Damini. Incidentally, she currently runs a dance school in Texas somewhere. Here she is performing "Madhuban Mein Radhika" at a live performance in Dubai:



8. Waheeda Rehman
Waheeda Aunty was another friend/colleague of my mom's and I of course love her dancing because she learned from our same Gurus in India - the one and only Gurus of Sri Rajarajeshwari Bharata Natya Kalamandir in Mumbai, particularly Guru Mahalingam Pillai who I was lucky enough to study under in the early 90s. Though my favorite performance of hers was much later (Mahaan - 1983), her earlier films have wonderful displays of dance that really show her talent. You can see her dance training shine through in items from Neel Kamal, Guide, and Teesri Kasam. Here she is in Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1961):



9. Komal Mahuvakar
She's virtually unknown, but I totally LOVED this girl. She couldn't have been more than 15 when she starred in the Rajshri film Payal Ki Jhankar which was ALL about dance (and therefore is one of my favorite movies of all time). I never saw her in much after that, though she had a small role as one of the household children in Khusboorat (she briefly dances in "Piya Bawri"), and I vaguely remember her in Nagina. I guess she moved down South later and starred in Tamil films like Michael Madana Kamarajan under the name "Roopini". But Payal Ki Jhankar is definitely her career highlight. The dancing is filmi-classical for sure, and often sloppy or odd-looking, but there is some definite training behind it. I loved her in "Dekho Kanha Nahin" (she's not the girl dancing at the beginning, you have to forward a bit to get to her part), and you can see her schooling her co-star in the Jugalbandi Dance-Off "Kar Singar". Check her out, looking extremely pretty in pink:



10. Hema Malini
Hema Malini may be a bit of an obvious choice, being well-known for being one of the best classical dancers in Bollywood. I've seen her classical dance productions on stage when they toured in the U.S., and I have to say I was less than impressed. However she's done enough beautiful work on-screen for me to appreciate her, and I also appreciate the work she does to promote Classical Dance. She also got some of the best classically-based songs in Indian Cinema,in movies such as Mrig Trishna, Mehbooba, Abhinetri, Kinara, Lekin and so many more. Here she is dancing with her daughters in a live stage performance (does anyone else think Esha looks like Deepika Padukone in Odissi costume?):



11. Aishwariya Rai
Ash is also slightly obvious, though I don't necessarily LIKE her as an actress or consider her one of my favorites otherwise. I do always appreciate her dancing. She is trained in Bharatanatyam and I remember reading somewhere that she had trained up to arangetram level (professional debut) but didn't complete it. She is a natural dancer and lovely to watch! I always love seeing her dance and wish they would really showcase her full ability like they did for Hema Malini and Madhuri Dixit. Umrao Jaan gave her a great opportunity to show her classical training, as evidenced by many of the clips in this fan-made video on YouTube (v. well done!). Here she is in my absolute favorite Aishwariya movie, the Tamil film Kandukonden Kandukonden (inspired by Sense and Sensibility):



12. Prabhu Deva
Prabhu Deva may seem like an odd choice, but he IS indeed trained in Classical Dance and quite skilled at it. It's probably what gives him such an edge over other amazing dancers like Lawrence and Vijay. We almost NEVER see it, although there is the number "Saravanabhava" from the HILARIOUS movie Kadhala Kadhala (also starring Kamal Hassan) - which I can't find anywhere on YouTube unfortunately. But here's a clip from Kadhalan in which his character is trying to learn Bharatanatyam to win over his ladylove:



Of course I should mention that there are many more famous Classical Dancers in Cinema, such as Kamala Lakshman, Gopi Krishna, Bhanupriya, Jaya Prada, Anjali Devi, Bombay Meenakshi etc. They certainly deserve credit for their brilliant work. My mom particularly loves Kamala Lakshman, and she performed with Gopi Krishna all over India and North America. But I just had to list my personal favorites!

For more on Classical Dance in Indian Cinema, I definitely recommend you visit the fabulous Minai's blog - her stuff is just brilliant!

The Rajnikanth Entry Song - A Genre of it's Own

So we're one day away from ENDHIRAN's release here in the U.S. and I for one am super excited. There's somewhat of a rush going to a new Rajnikanth movie, a feeling of exhiliration when sitting in the theatre with a bunch of rowdy Tamilians who will no doubt whistle, stomp and cheer for Rajni's entry ...

... which brings me to my list of Favorite Rajni Entry Songs. Tamil movies consistently have a 'Hero's Entry Song' - usually a fast-paced, all-male dance number that uses the lyrics or setting to tell you about the Hero's background and character. It usually shows the Hero in the streets with a gang of friends (and extras!) having a jolly time, making passes at girls (the girls usually stop to dance along for a while too) and generally being charming and exciting.

Rajni's Entry Songs are even more powerful because it's simply the first moment you see him on-screen - which of course HAS to be loud and thrilling! Often times the song will echo into his next film somewhere because they are so beloved by his throngs of fans. He usually walks/leaps/turns into his first shot and gives some sort of recognition to the audience - either a smile, namaste or wink - and the masses go WILD. It's freakin' awesome.

So after creating my list of favorite Rajni movies yesterday, I found myself humming some of his most popular tunes and decided I had to make a list, and as long as I was making it, why not share it? So here is my list of favorite Rajnikanth HERO'S ENTRY songs:

Vanthenda Paalkkaaran - Annamalai



Naan Autokaaran Autokaaran - Baasha


Oruvan Oruvan - Muthu


Athanda Ithanda - Arunachalam


Singanadipottu - Padaiyappa


Dippu Dippu - Baba


Devuda Devuda - Chandramukhi (re-peeeaaatuuuu!)


Balailakka - Sivaji


I can't remember if this is the first song in Kuselan (the tamil predecessor of Irrfan Khan & SRK's Billu), but it certainly is the best! This awesome song features tons of familiar faces and is a tribute to the 75th anniversary of the Tamil Film Industry:

Cinema Cinema - Kuselan


These aren't necessarily my favorite songs from these movies, just the ones that best exemplify the "Rajni Entry". I am waiting to see what happens when Rajni is first shown on screen in Endhiran. I can't wait! I am going to be on a family vacation during the release weekend, but I'm trying to figure out a way for all of us to go see it together.

I hope you enjoy these classic Rajni songs! Check back soon for @SujoySingha's Rekhatober Celebration!

Shivaji Rao Gaekwad/SUPERSTAR Rajni's Top 12 films (according to me)

So with the release of Endhiran this Friday causing so much buzz, I thought it was time to do a little primer on Rajnikanth (similar to my post on Vikram) ...

Most people can't help but be charmed by the story of Rajnikanth, a man from a poor background who had worked as a coolie and a bus conductor, who eventually became the 2nd highest paid actor in Asia (the first being Jackie Chan, naturally). He's an institution in Tamil Nadu, a star that the masses won't let fade, because they love him too much. What can be said about Rajnikanth? He's almost universally loved. Even though he's done a limited number of Hindi movies, he's always recognized for his style. He's been called the Baadshah of the Box Office - it doesn't matter what the subject is, who the director is, or who his co-star is ... Rajni's presence will drive fans to the theatres in droves. He is so beloved that the audiences of Tamil Nadu will reject any movie in which he dies!

Slate.com did this nice Rajni 101 article that I appreciated ... it wonderfully describes Rajnikanth this way:

This is Rajinikanth, and he is no mere actor—he is a force of nature. If a tiger had sex with a tornado and then their tiger-nado baby got married to an earthquake, their offspring would be Rajinikanth.

That's pretty epic. As is the man it's written about. Here's another article about Why Rajni Rocks!

Yet another great article published in the PR flurry of his latest release Endhiran (co-starring Aishwariya Rai Bachchan) lists some of the most popular Rajnikanth jokes (in the vein of the Chuck Norris jokes). CLICK HERE to check out the entire article, but here's some of my favorites:

• Rajnikanth doesn't move at the speed of light. Light moves at the speed of Rajnikanth.
• Rajnikanth never wet the bed as a child. The bed wet itself in fear.
• There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Rajnikanth lives in India.
• Google won't find Rajnikanth because you can't find Rajnikanth. Rajnikanth finds you.
• Rajnikanth doesn't need a visa to travel abroad, he just jumps from the tallest building in Chennai and holds himself in the air while the earth rotates.

You can check out some more Rajni jokes here. So obviously Rajnikanth is an institution and a legend in Tamil Nadu (and also in Japan!) ...

There's even an app for Rajnikanth:

An Australian fan created an iPhone app for Rajni fans!

If you've never seen a Rajni movie, you definitely need to. Just don't start with Padaiyappa, you may not come back to us. However once you are sucked in, Padaiyappa can be fun! Especially the lines Abbas delivers in praise of Rajni - "What a man!" and "Illai, ungalakku vayasu ahallai!" (No, you haven't gotten old!)

He zoomed to popularity in films from the late 70s such as Moondru Mudichu and 16 Vayathinile, playing the baddie with such panache that you were drawn in despite the negative character. Even in Hindi films he was popular for his antics with sunglasses and cigarettes (flipping and flicking them with fabulous sound effects!), as well as his kick-a$$ mojo.

He's everyman, yet he's Superman!

He also became famous for his one-liners ... dialogues that he uses several times in his films until they become cult-classics ... much like the way Salman Khan used the line "Hum tumri jaan mein itna ched karenge itna ched karenge… ki confuse ho jaoge ki..Saas kaha se ley aur pade kaha se" in the movie Dabangg (2010). However Rajni's lines were a regional craze! The image below from Forbes India showcases some of his best ones:

So EVERYONE who's ANYONE will probably be checking out what Rajni (at age 60) has got in Endhiran, which releases tomorrow, October 1, 2010. But here's a list of some of my Top 12 favorite Rajnikanth movies:

1. Billa (1980) - an almost scene-for-scene remake of Amitabh Bachchan's Don, but it's an incredible ride because it's RAJNI man!

2. Thillu Mullu (1981) - another remake, this one is of Amol Palekar's popular comedy Gol Maal (1979).

3. Geraftaar - Hindi (1985) - the combo of three of my favorite actors, Amitabh, Kamal Hassan and Rajnikanth, is too killer! And gratuitous cigarette flipping by Rajni also features prominently.

4. Guru Sishyan (1988) - great blockbuster comedy with Rajni and Prabhu. This hit was remade by Director Shakti Chidambaram in 2010 with Sathyaraj of all people, which I think is a travesty.

5. Chaalbaaz (1989) - obviously I love Sridevi, who is the ultimate star in this movie, but Rajni's taxiwallah character was really memorable and hilarious, especially his little sing-song "Aaj Sunday hai, to kya? Aaj hamare daaru peene ka day hai!"

6. Hum (1991) - Again this wasn't Rajni's movie - Amitabh was the star through and through, but it also had a powerhouse combo of Amitabh-Rajni-Govinda which made the movie AMAZING.

7. Thalapathi (1991) - again an amazing star cast, but the only one I really remembered was Rajni. And of course the awesome song "Raakamma Kai Thattu" featuring the beautiful Shobhana. How could they take such a great song and turn it into "Tu Tu Tu Tu Tu Tara"???

8. Annamalai (1992) - I think this is my ultimate favorite Rajni movie. It is HILARIOUS, and features Rajni with Khushboo (who had such a huge fan base in Tamil Nadu I heard they built a temple for her). We still use running jokes from this all the time ... such as "Prince?" "YES!" ... you just have to see it. I also LOVE the scene where there's a snake in Khushboo's bathroom and Rajni is terrified but has to save her. Just couldn't stop laughing!

9. Veera (1994) - I'm not sure why I loved this one so much, it could be because I totally love the actress Meena or the song "Madathile" ... the story takes a weird turn at some point and I absolutely CANNOT reconcile the end AT ALL, but I still enjoyed this movie in general. It was remade in Hindi by David Dhawan as Saajan Chale Sasural but Gharwali Baharwali also had that awkward, WRONG ending that Veera had. Veera also had a line-play on one of his earlier films ... a one-liner that my husband and I always say ... "How iiiis iiiiit? Suuuuuuuuper!"

10. Muthu (1995) - Another mega blockbuster that featured Rajni with Meena (who is just such an amazingly gorgeous lady, but god, do they ever stuff her into the most ridiculous outfits). Directed by one of my favorite comedy directors K.S. Ravikumar and featuring music by A.R. Rehman (the first time he did music for a Rajni blockbuster!), this movie was most memorable for the lavish song picturizations, especially "Thillana Thillana"  (yes, I know they sampled that bit from Deep Forest). This movie was apparently dubbed for Japanese audiences and made Rajni a sensation in Japan!

11. Arunachalam (1997) - a kind of version of Brewster's Millions, but Rajni-fied! I tend to get the storylines of Annamalai, Muthu and Arunachalam mixed up, but honestly who cares? They're all awesome! Once you start watching you will get sucked in and love every sunglass-twirling, towel-flourishing second. Rajni was paired with Rambha and Soundarya in this one.

12. Chandramukhi (2005) - most everyone knows this one as the remake of the Malayalam hit 'Manichitrathazhu' or the inspiration for the Hindi 'Bhool Bhulaiya' ... this was a really over-the-top and yet perfectly intriguing film. Is it a ghost story? Is it a psychological drama? It seems even most reviewers aren't sure. One thing it has in common with Rajni blockbusters is a point where a character does an entire soliloquy about how amazing Rajni's character is. All Hail Rajni! Jyothika was also given a very prominent role, though she is opposite Prabhu instead of Rajni. Rajni is paired with then newcomer Nayantara (who hasn't looked the same - or worn as much clothing - since. I suppose it worked in her favor since she's now Prabhudeva's ladylove). Interesting how Jyothika had such a great run in Tamil Cinema before marrying Surya Sivakumar but never paired with Rajni! Then again, nor did Simran who was one of the top Tamil actresses in the mid to late 90s and early 2000s. Anyway, I don't know who would EVER consider Akshay Kumar to take on a role played by Rajni ... he simply couldn't carry it off.

Also very memorable was that when I went to see this film at the theatre, there was an aunty there wearing a nightie. Awesome.

So there are definitely some honorable mentions that didn't make my personal top 12, such as Andhaa Kanoon, Gair Kanooni, Padaiyappa, Baasha, Ejjamaan, Kuselan and many of his earlier films that have merits. These are just my favorites, the ones that I can watch over and over!

I am definitely excited for the release of Endhiran, even if I do think a Rajni-Ash pairing is absolutely ridiculous ... I have high hopes that this film will erase the disappointment of Sivaji and Baba. I will probably be shelling out for that $20 ticket, because when push comes to shove, I love me some Rajni.



I'm going to try and quickly throw together a post of the best Rajni-Entry-Songs from his films. It's a genre of it's own.

I hope you check out some of Rajni's films ... if you don't know where to begin, I'd recommend Annamalai and Muthu!

Also coming up in October - it's Rekhalicious October, spearheaded by @sujoysingha over at oneknightstands.net. Definitely check out his blog for some great stuff, and I'll be doing some special Rekha posts as well!

Song of the Day: Lawrence dances it up for the Gan-Man

Ok so it's Ganesh Chaturthi 2010 and I had this song in my head ... I posted it on Twitter but I wanted to post it here as well. It's not the most devotional song in history or even my favorite Bollywood song in which Ganesha is featured, but it just popped in my head when I realized it was Ganesh Chaturthi.

I did love this movie - the angsty Ajith, the lovely, delicate Shalini, their TRUE chemistry ... the bad guy who changes for love ... aah! It had great, catchy songs too - I love Satham Illatha Thanimai Kettai and Unnodu Vaazhvadu. Even Sondha Kuzhalil Paadu started out annoying, but I ended up humming it too.

So here's Tamil dancing star Lawrence in his "item-number" from Amarkalam (1999), which starred Ajith Kumar and child-star-turned-heroine-turned-filmstar-wife Shalini:

SRIDEVIPALOOZA: Star-Crossed Lovers, Green Kumkumum and a Bat Grove: Devaragam (1996)

When I first watched the Tamil-dubbed version of this movie back in the late 90s, I was completely entranced. I watched it over and over again, got my best friend addicted to it too, then got our mothers into it as well. It brought about a lot of deep conversations and debates about brahmin culture, feminism, family-bond, tradition, etc. Devaragam was a Malayalam-language film directed by Bharathan, starring Sridevi, Arvind Swamy and Nedimudi Venu. There's some question via online sources whether it released in 1996 or 1999, but the one consensus is that it was a huge flop.

I'm not sure why people disliked this movie. I seriously loved it. The acting was superb, the music gorgeous and the storyline typical of Malayalam films - a tearjerker. The brightest spot of the entire film was definitely Sridevi, as the beautiful Lakshmi.

Though a little Arvind Swamy never hurt anyone either:

RAWR!

The film opens with a young child climbing into a bullock cart and insisting that he also go with the cart to pick up the 'Shavundi' - a person who performs funeral rites and lives amongst the cremation grounds. Though essential to the funeral ceremonies, he is often considered frightening or unlucky. He certainly looks that way too - covered in ash and grime, sleeping in a bat-infested grove and given ominous background music. The 'Shavundi' and child begin talking in the cart ride to the funeral, and then a flashback takes us to meet Lakshmi.

Life for Lakshmi turns head over heels when Vishnu (Arvind Swamy), the new priest's son and priest-in-training, shows up in her village. Lakshmi is instantly intrigued by the new young man in town, as you can see towards the end of this beautiful (albeit not very devotional in nature with all the thumkas) dance, Tham Thanananam(LOVE her expressions at the end, starting at 3:53):



Lakshmi uses all her charm and nakhra to try and attract Vishnu, but he rebuffs her over and over. These scenes are some of the most memorable in the whole movie, and Sridevi is simply perfect in them. She captures the innocence and playful flirtation of a young girl PERFECTLY when she was well-past that age by the time this film was made. The scenes still play in my head as some of the most romantic I can remember in Indian films, I don't know if it's due to the soundtrack which is one of the most hummable tunes ever, or if it's the chemistry between the lead pair, or what. The dhaavani flying through the air, Lakshmi's expression as she offers milk to Vishnu, the amazing display of emotions that cross her face when she finds him watching her create Rangoli patterns, the especially notable "green kumkumum" scene, the way she relentlessly pursues him in such a bold way ... it all comes together in such a natural, appealing way. They tease each other much like the boys and girls in first grade do, pretending to be annoyed with each other when they really like one another. Usually these kind of antics are overdone in Indian movies, and yet somehow, I am totally charmed by these two.

Lakshmi catches Vishnu watching her creating a Rangoli pattern

Pachchai Kumkumum Scene - her acting is INCREDIBLE!

At one point she traps him and tries to force him to tell her what he said about her to a friend, and he launches into this beautiful description of a goddess-woman in Karivari Vandugal ... she is completely caught up in the romance and is literally lifted off the ground with pride ... until she comes crashing back to reality when he says he was singing about the Goddess Mother and not about her. This scene is a MUST watch:



Their love is solidified when Vishnu saves Lakshmi from near-death by tree. Or rather, tries to save her. See, she climbs up a tree to toss flowers down to her chattery group of friends below, when she glimpses Vishnu painting by the river (what a soft, sensitive soul he is!). In trying to get a better view, she slips and knocks herself out but is still stuck in the tree. The friends cry for help, and Vishnu comes a-running. He climbs up to save her, but the branches break and they both fall into the river ... and he lifts her up and carries her out in the cheesiest romance scene style possible, but I'm still all a-flutter because of the gorgeous soundtrack.

Vishnu saves Lakshmi from Death by Tree.

Then they're all dreamy-dreamy about each other, and the song Ya Ya Ya Yadava showcases Sridevi looking absolutely STUNNING (HOW MUCH did I want her lehengas in this, especially the yellow & purple one) - though I must mention my BFF's mom was amused that they turned a Brahmin into a Yadava for this song, but I didn't mind so much, my heart totally melts when he sings the "Oh Radhayai" part ... le sigh!:



Now somewhere the dreams cross into reality, and Vishnu and Lakshmi have completely fallen in love. The problem is, Vishnu is supposed to be a brahmachari. His time and attention has been devoted to Lakshmi, and this does not escape the notice of his father, who punishes him for coming to a puja ceremony late by making him stand outside in the rain at night and repeat sacred chants. However Vishnu and Lakshmi have already passed the point of no return, and their passion for each other is consumated in the BEAUTIFUL song Sisirakaala:



There is SO MUCH going on here. First of all, they don't just hook up out in the woods - they get MARRIED. Yep, they set a fire burning, make some garlands and exchange them. All you need for a bonafide wedding. And once they are married, they go for a LITERAL romp in the hay. But look at all the symbolism! He breaks her belt (chastity?), and she has her fingers all tangled in his poonal thread, but doesn't break it! She leaves his status intact!

Incidentally, the first time we were watching this movie, the local priest in our community happened to stop by for something or the other EXACTLY DURING THE SCENE THAT THEY'RE GETTING IT ON. WITH ALL THE FOCUSING ON HIS POONAL THREAD. Awkward, yes.

This is most definitely the films turning point - it's all downhill from here. Lakshmi's father's elder sister comes to visit, and as she practically raised him he is very indebted to her and falls all over himself to please her. But this time, her request is for Lakshmi to marry her son Parthasarathy. I know, they're cousins, but this is how things were done back in the day to keep money within the family. It's even still done sometimes in villages. When Lakshmi's father shows hesitation, his sister FREAKS OUT and shows how angry and betrayed she would be if Lakshmi married someone else. Finding himself unable to bear his sister's anger, Lakshmi's father agrees to the match.

Lakshmi tries to tell her father

Meanwhile, Vishnu's father insists that Vishnu himself must conduct Lakshmi's wedding with Parthasarathy, as he is unwell. And when Lakshmi tries to tell her father that she cannot go through with the wedding, that she already loves Vishnu, he locks himself in a room and beats himself in the head with a brass lamp, then practically sets the place on fire. When Vishnu comes to break down the door and save him, he begs Vishnu to give Lakshmi up and to follow tradition. The star-crossed lovers can't fight their fate, and Lakshmi is forced to marry Partha.



A gorgeous wedding song, I even used it for my entry during my wedding in 2005, though I was quite a bit happier than she is. But check out the loser Lakshmi has to marry ... and watch her face when she realizes who is conducting her marriage ... just unbelievable acting. Beautiful.

Now the complications have multiplied even further. To marry your own wife to another man is an utter, complete sin. With all the family pressures built on either side for these star-crossed lovers, can Vishnu go forward and conduct Lakshmi's wedding? Who curses Vishnu to become the 'Shavundi'? And can Vishnu and Lakshmi ever be together? And what kind of dude is Partha???

That is one scary dude.

There is no simple, uncomplicated ending for this tale, and though it does get extremely melodramatic and downright depressing, there is still something hauntingly beautiful about the love between Vishnu and Lakshmi. Also at well-beyond the eleventh hour, it is finally the woman who has to decide that she's DONE with putting up with tradition, expectation and everything else that has put her through so much misery. She blasts out at everyone with the strength she has left in her. But is it all too much too late?

This movie may not be the most astoundingly original story out there, or the happiest ending in the world, but the acting gives it some real meat. Particularly Sridevi in her transition from the wide-eyed, flirtatious young maiden to the hard-worn, devastated mother, makes this movie worth watching. Also the film has a rather snarky, funny portrayal of money-grubbing city priests in the second half that rang very true to me. This is perhaps not Arvind Swamy's strongest work, especially considering Roja and Bombay. His role is more subdued, especially compared to Sridevi's powerhouse performance. Then again, she has that way of stealing the show, doesn't she? Still he'd probably charm me into a romp in the hay too -- check him out:

Post-coital Vishnu ... Anantashayana indeed.

Not to mention the super-cool demonic special effects that denote his being cursed to a life of graveyard shift, literally.

But if none of that entices you, let me just say that Sridevi's wardrobe in the first half of this movie is to DIE FOR gorgeous. Lots of beautiful, traditional South Indian paavadai-dhaavanis, long braided hair with rakodi and malligaipoo (jasmine flowers), gorgeous lehengas in the Yadava dream scene, and gorgeous jewelry too.

Well anyway here we are, with Neetu Singh-Along almost upon us, and I'm still going on and on about Sridevi. I do still want to recap a few more Sri movies, and will definitely keep going, but the Neetu posts are starting very soon and I need to get to work on them. So please do keep an eye out for posts about Neetu and more Sridevi, coming soon!

Thanks for reading and I hope that if you've seen Devaragam, or if you end up watching it, you will share your thoughts with me! I know I'm in the minority when it comes to liking this film!