One of Tamil cinema’s yesteryear heroes Mohan is to make a comeback to the big screen with director Vijay Sri’s upcoming film ‘Hara’. Mohan, whose films were known for their mellifluous songs, has acted in a number of blockbusters including Mani Ratnam’s cult classic ‘Mouna Ragam’. Mohan, who was determined to act only if he […]...
- 1/1/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
KollywoodIn this piece, we look at some of the films that can be considered path-breaking for the industry in terms of content, making, innovation or intent.Sowmya RajendranThe first-ever Tamil film was called Keechaka Vadham and was released in 1918. It's been over a hundred years since then, and the Tamil film industry has contributed several important films to the art of cinema. In this piece, we look at some of the films that can be considered path-breaking for the industry in terms of content, making, innovation or intent. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and fans are sure to have their own favourites that they feel should have made it. 1. Andha Naal (1954): Directed by S Balachander, a visual from this film that shows several people pointing a gun still features in several memes. The first film noir in Tamil, Andha Naal has no songs at all. The...
- 12/9/2021
- by Sowmya
- The News Minute
OTTWhile some popular films from the 1980s and 90s have now been added to Amazon Prime, a good number of new releases are also available online.Tnm StaffSoon after South Korean film Parasite directed by Bong Joon Ho took home four Academy Awards including Best Picture just weeks ago, a 1999 Tamil film was brought to the limelight from obscurity by devout Tamil fans who compared similarities between the two films. This sudden buzz around Vijay’s Minsara Kanna has now ensured the film’s release on Amazon Prime UK and it may not be long before it finds its way to Amazon Prime Video India as well. There have been a good number of new releases on Ott platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video India so far, some just weeks after the films’ release. While Fazil’s Aniyathipraavu (1997), Mani Ratnam’s Mouna Ragam (1986) and Bharathiraja’s Karuthamma (1994) have now been added to Amazon Prime,...
- 2/19/2020
- by Vidya
- The News Minute
Cinema Revathy has consistently defied the rigidity and prejudices of the film industry, making a place for herself as one of its most versatile actors. Anjana ShekarScreenshot - Power PandiThere are only a handful of actors who have been game changers during their time on screen and just a notable few have been able to sustain and evolve over time. Born Asha Kelunni Nair, actor Revathy is a familiar face in the Indian film industry and has enthralled many with her performances. Not to be tagged as an actor from the eighties, Revathy did more than just run-of-the-mill, girl-next-door characters. From the eighties through the nineties to now she has had a number of substantial roles to her credit. From the demure looking, simple-minded Muthupechi in Mann Vasanai (1983) to the bold and gutsy Sathya in Magalir Mattum (1994), Revathy has had a dynamic career, spanning across Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi film industries. The beginning of stardom Revathy’s first role, the one that fetched her the Filmfare Special Award - South in 1983, was that of a young girl from a village, Muthupechi. Directed by P Bharatiraja, Revathy was just 17 when she made her first debut. The very same year, her second film in Malayalam, Kattathe Kilikkoodu by director Bharatan, was a great success in Kerala that won several awards. After her third in Telugu, Seethamma Pelli by director Bapu, Revathy went on to play a blind, rape-survivor Seetha in Tamil in J Mahendran’s Kai Kodukkum Kai (1984). Revathy and Pandian in Mann Vasanai (1983) - Screenshot 1984 was an important year in Revathy’s career that helped her gain a reputation for playing undaunted, vivid women characters who were capable of fending for themselves. This was also the time when directors like Balu Mahendra, K Balachander and Mahendran were breaking stereotypes with their women-centric storylines with strong female leads and Revathy seamlessly fit into those roles. Following Kai Kodukkum Kai, Revathy went on to play Seetha in Pudhumai Penn directed by Bharathiraja. Seetha, just like her mythological namesake, is distraught when her husband doubts her chastity and Revathy does a commendable job as someone who defies the expectations of a male hegemonic society. Drawing inspiration from writer Subramania Bharati’s Pudhumai Penn poem, the climax shows her leaving her undeserving husband, an idea that veered away from conventional endings. The same year she also did Vaidhegi Kaathirunthaal, directed by R Sundarrajan, playing a young, lonely widow who lives with her alcoholic father. An accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, her performance in the song Azhagu Malar Aada was highly appreciated by many. The film was a great success and was later remade in Telugu and Kannada. As an actor Revathy didn’t just win hearts. She was versatile in her choice of roles and often played strong, relatable women characters. Her big break, the one that put her name high on the charts, was her portrayal of Divya, a very spirited and headstrong girl who transforms into a woman through the course of the movie, in Mani Rathnam’s Mouna Ragam (1986). The film explored several themes like the complexity of arranged marriages, how a woman copes in a new environment, especially after marriage and the topic of divorce that was then a very taboo topic. It remains one of Revathy’s best performances to date. Following Mouna Ragam was Punnagai Mannan, K Balachandar’s 25th film, where she played the chirpy Sinhalese girl, Malini who tries to woo the once-scorned-in-love Kamal Haasan. A brilliant dancer herself, the film gave her ample opportunity to display her talents. Revathy and Mohan in Mouna Ragam (1986) - Screenshot By the late eighties, Revathi was juggling both Tamil and Malayalam films simultaneously. In 1988, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Malayalam for her performance in a women-centric film (with no male leads), Kakkothikkavile Appooppan Thaadikal. As a mischievous, gypsy vagabond she personified free spirit and played the outsider perfectly. In just five years since her debut, Revathi proved her mettle to portray complex and fluid characters, giving herself a distinct edge in the industry. Peak of her career The nineties brought several notable roles her way and she lapped them all up, sometimes even steering the focus away from the male lead. Playing the multi-layered and reticent Thayamma in Kizhaku Vaasal (1990) brought home the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress. Portraying a character such a Thayamma, a vulnerable, single woman who had to keep herself safe from the prying hands of an influential village chief, was as complex as roles could get. With very less dialogues, the character was her most expressive one yet. As a pained and helpless mother, Revathy made a mark for herself in Anjali (1990) directed by Mani Rathnam. Now here’s an actress who chose to play the mother at the peak of her career. Winning several awards, the film was pivotal in nurturing Revathy as an actor. In 1991, Revathy forayed into Hindi cinema with Love, a remake of her Telugu film Prema (1989). Her second film Muskurat in 1992 was also a remake of her 1991 Malayalam comedy blockbuster Kilukkam. The early nineties saw Revathy at her peak, straddling roles in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam cinema. This period also saw several notable performances coming from Revathy. In spite of being part of several star cast movies, often male-centric, Revathy managed to carve a niche for herself with her performances. For instance, as Panchavarnam, a naive and doting wife to a village chieftain's son in 1992’s Thevar Magan, she won several accolades including National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. Revathy in Thevar Magan (1992) - Screenshot The following year in 1993, Revathy again won the Filmfare for playing Thulasi in Balu Mahendra’s Marupadiyum. As a woman caught in a failing marriage, Revathy portrays anguish, acceptance and eventually poise as a headstrong, independent woman. The film, a remake of Mahesh Bhatt's 1982 Hindi film Arth, was Tamil cinema’s coming-of-age depiction of a strong woman characters. The cherry on the cake really is her portrayal of Sathya in 1994 Magalir Mattum. The film was lauded during its days for addressing sensitive topics like workplace harassment and the hardships faced by working woman. Her most recent Malayalam film, Molly Aunty Rocks! (2012) gave her a great platform after a long time for which she was nominated in Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam. Directorial venture Revathy’s directorial venture happened in the year 2002. Encouraged greatly by her husband Suresh Chandra Menon who was also its producer, Revathy directed Mitr, my friend, an English film written by V Priya with screenplay by Sudha Kongara Prasad. The film won Best Feature Film in English, Best Actress (Shobhana) and Best Editing (Beena Paul) at the 49th National Film Awards. The film was also special for having an all-women crew. Her second film, Phir Milenge (2004), though not a commercial success explored the topic of AIDS and its actors, Shilpa Shetty and Abhishek Bachchan, received acclaim for their performances. Her last directorial venture was Red Building Where The Sun Sets (2011), a short film on the kind of emotional damage a child undergoes due to his/her parents fighting all the time. The short film won the National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film on Family Welfare. Revathy was also one of the very few actors who forayed into television serials during the peak of her career. Penn (1991), a mini television series, directed by Suhasini Maniratnam had a stellar cast and Revathy was part of the first episode that discussed mother-daughter relationship. She also did a few other serials, including Boom Boom Shakalakka (2000), a TV series for children, where she played a liliput with magical powers. One of the most versatile and transformational actors in the industry, Revathy is a constant presence on screen working on films like 2 states (2014), Margarita With A Straw (2015), Amma Kanakku (2016), to name a few. After Pa Pandi in 2017 (Tamil) she is currently filming Azhiyatha Kolangal and Gulebakavali in Tamil that are slated for release in 2018. Revathy also hosted Malayalee House (Malayalam equivalent of the reality show Big Boss) in 2013 on Surya TV. She is now part of Azhagu, a Tamil television soap that is currently on air.
- 1/8/2018
- by Editor
- The News Minute
MusicRahman has experimented across genres of music and has left his stamp on each of them.CV Aravind ar rahman pti-compressed.jpgPTIAs a young boy, he used to hang around when his father, Rk Shekar used to compose music for films. At nine, Dileep Shekar lost his father and had to don the mantle of the family’s breadwinner soon after. Renowned music directors like Dhanraj and M K Arjunan took him under their wing and young Dileep could by then play the synthesizer like a young pro. After the family embraced Islam, Dileep was re-christened as Alla Rakha Rahman and came to be known in the field of music as Ar Rahman. With music in his genes, he soon gained mastery over several instruments and with a group of friends, he formed a music band called. ‘Roots’. From there, he graduated to composing music for jingles. He also earned expertise in his craft by freelancing for music directors like Ms Viswanathan, Ilaiyaraaja and Raj Koti and also found opportunity to accompany stalwarts like Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and L Shankar. In 1992, veteran director Balachander produced Roja under his home banner with Mani Ratnam as director. The duo decided to introduce a new music director for their film and the opportunity came Rahman’s way. Until then, Ilaiyaraaja had been Mani’s favourite composer and his scores had embellished films like Mouna Ragam, Agni Nakshathiram and Nayagan among others. But the gamble paid off and Roja heralded the arrival of a new composer who would eventually conquer the world of film music in the years to come. With a baton like a magic wand, Rahman would regale audiences around the globe, working not just in Kollywood and Bollywood but in Hollywood films as well. Roja became a trendsetter for its music score and Rahman made bold by introducing singers like Minmini (Chinna Chinna Aasai) while relying on proven performers like Sp Balasubramanian, Chitra, Sujatha, Unni Menon and Hariharan. Vairamuthu’s lyrics set to Rahman’s music in Roja became a rage and the two of them would later work together in several movies, enthralling listeners of all ages. If Kadhal Rojave had a ring of pathos to it, Rukkumani Rukkumani was a foot tapping number and Hariharan’s rendering of Thamizha Thamizha was rich in its soulful quality. Rahman might have worked in any number of films after Roja but there are many admirers who still feel that he is yet to surpass Roja, the lyrics of which also became chartbusters in Hindi and Telugu. And incidentally Time magazine has included Roja in a list of top ten soundtracks of all time. A commonly heard quip is that Rahman has always reserved his best for films directed by Mani Ratnam who was instrumental in giving him his first break. And logic supports this argument as Rahman has won two of his four National Awards for Mani’s films (Roja and Kannathil Muthamittaal) and their combination turned Bombay into one of the largest selling albums in Tamil cinema. Rahman has also been an integral part of Mani’s Hindi films like Dil Se, Yuva, Guru and Raavan. The soundtracks of other Mani films like Kadal, O Kadhal Kanmani and Kaatru Veliyedai too bore Rahman’s stamp. Apart from Mani, Rahman has also shared a great rapport with director Shankar who has repeated Rahman in all his films right from his debut film Gentleman. Their latest collaboration 2.0, starring Rajnikant which is slated to hit the screens next year, is eagerly awaited by the diehard fans of the actor, the director and the music director as well. While most of the films for which he composed the music were set against an urban backdrop, Rahman was not found wanting when working for films with pastoral themes either. His films with Bharathiraaja, Kizhakku Cheemayile and Karuthamma amply proved that rural themes were right up his street. Sangamam was another classic example of Rahman excelling in compositions with a distinct folk flavour. Jana Gana Mana and Vandhe Madharam, his non film albums too were huge hits. Rahman was no stranger to Bollywood as the lyrics in the dubbed versions of his films like Roja and Kadhalan had turned out into smash hits. However, his first break in Hindi cinema came through Ramgopal Varma’s Rangeela, the Aamir Khan starrer which was a runaway hit. A number of films like Taal, Swades, Rang De Basanti, Lagaan and Jodhaa Akbar enabled him to establish himself firmly in Bollywood. Veteran director Subhashi Ghai who directed Taal once confessed that he was almost driven to despair by the unique working style of the maestro whose composing generally began after all the cows had reached home and went on till the wee hours of the morning. But Taal was an inspiring score that was instrumental in the success of the film at the box-office. Rahman won a National Award for Lagaan a film based on a rural subject and the tunes became chart toppers in no time .His scores in films like Rockstar, Ranjhaana and Highway too were highly appreciated. While Rahman also composed music for stage productions like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bombay Dreams and Deepa Mehta’s Water, the crowning glory came with Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire a blockbuster which had riveting music. Two Academy Awards, BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe and two Grammy’s were among the honours that have come to Rahman for his overseas assignments. While fast, peppy numbers like Chikku Bukku Rayile (Suresh Peters, G V Prakash), Muqabla Muqabla (Mano, Swarnalatha) have been his forte, his melodies like Munbe Vaa (Naresh Iyer, Shreya Ghosal), Mannipaaya (Shreya Ghosal, A R Rahman ) and Yaarumilla Thiraiarangil ( Swetha Menon) have tugged at the heart strings of listeners across the world. There is hardly any genre of music that the Mozart of Madras has left untouched and his versatility has been the hallmark of his musical career. Experimentation has been a key word in his dictionary and in instrumentation, using non-traditional voices and so on, Rahman has blazed a new trail. Rahman’s expertise has stretched to classical, western, pop, reggae and sufi, music and he has left his stamp on all of them. Apart from his international awards, Rahman’s tally includes four National Awards, 15 Filmfare Awards, 16 Filmfare Awards ( South) and a Padma Bhushan as well. His state of the art Panchathan Studio in Chennai and a highly popular music school are among his abiding passions. Enanble Notification: NoTNM Marquee: No...
- 12/23/2017
- by Editor
- The News Minute
The shoot of Suriya’s Thaana Serntha Kootam, the remake of Akshay Kumar’s Special 26, is inching close to completion. After the dismal show of Si 3, Suriya has pinned high hopes on Thaana Serntha Kootam, which is being directed by Vignesh Shivan.
The film marks the first-time collaboration of Suriya and the young filmmaker, best known for helming Poda Podi and Naanum Rowdydhaan. After roping in veteran comedian Senthil in an important role in the film, it is believed Vignesh has now signed on Mouna Ragam fame Karthik in a pivotal role.
The film marks the first-time collaboration of Suriya and the young filmmaker, best known for helming Poda Podi and Naanum Rowdydhaan. After roping in veteran comedian Senthil in an important role in the film, it is believed Vignesh has now signed on Mouna Ragam fame Karthik in a pivotal role.
- 6/17/2017
- by TNM NEWS
- The News Minute
Mani Ratnam (b. 1955, Chennai) is that rarest of film directors nowadays: an artist capable of making exquisitely crafted, hugely entertaining, yet intelligent and provocative films on a range of social and political issues. Museum of the Moving Image is proud to present a special tribute to Ratnam featuring the director in person with a trilogy of films that follow lovers against a backdrop of Indian politics: Roja(1992), Bombay (1995), and Dil Se (1998)—the last featuring one of the most famous scenes in all of Indian cinema, the “Chaiyya Chaiyya” musical number on top of a moving train. The series, Politics as Spectacle: The Films of Mani Ratnam, runs from July 31 through August 2, 2015. Ratnam will participate in conversations after each film, moderated by Richard Peña.
“Mani Ratnam is a treasure, and we are pleased to host him in New York with three of his most significant and beloved films,” said Christina Marouda,...
“Mani Ratnam is a treasure, and we are pleased to host him in New York with three of his most significant and beloved films,” said Christina Marouda,...
- 6/15/2015
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
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