‡ ‡ ‡ Director™ Bala ‡ ‡ ‡

[directhit]

Bala (born July 11, 1966 (1966-07-11) in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India), is a critically acclaimed Tamil film director, writer and producer of the Chennai film industry in South India.

He started his film career as an assistant director for the famous National film Award winning director and cinematorgrapher Balu Mahendra, where a close friendship between the two grew.

When his first movie Sethu was released, he was in his 30's, but his first movie Sethu which was named earlier as Akilan gave a break to Vikram who was also struggling in the Tamil cine field for more than 12 years without a hit and recognition. But when this movie was released it was a huge hit and it was remade in Kannada, Telugu and Hindi. More than 60 distributors saw the film and hesistated to screen it because of its tragic ending.

Bala's next film was Nandha which gave a career boost to Surya. His third film Pithamagan broke all the sentiments which were prevailing in Tamil cinema. A mega hit, it earned a National Film Award for Vikram in the Best Actor category. In February 2009, the long waited Naan Kadavul in Tamil featuring Arya and Pooja released

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http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/4765/balawo2.jpg
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surprised that there is no thread for this man in hub :? (or maybe i cudnt find it)

[directhit]

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Filmography :

Sethu (1999) starring Vikram, Sivakumar, Abitha
National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil
Filmfare Best Tamil Director Award
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director
Tamil Nadu State Special Award for Best Film
Silver Lotus Award Best Regional Film (Tamil)
The film that gave Vikram his big break, proving his immense talent after 12 years of struggling in the Tamil movie industry

Nandha (2001) starring Surya, Laila, Rajkiran, Saravanan, Rajshree, Karunas (Introduced Karunas as a comedian,Brought Surya into limelight)
Tamil Nadu State Special Award for Best Film
The film that gave Surya his big break

Pithamagan (2004) starring Vikram, Surya, Sangeetha, Laila
Silver Lotus Award - National Award - Best Actor - Vikram
Filmfare Best Film Award - Pithamagan
Filmfare Best Director Award - Bala
Filmfare Best Actor Award - Vikram
Filmfare Best Actress Award - Laila
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award - Surya
Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award - Sangeetha
ITFA Best Director Award

Naan Kadavul (2009) starring Arya, Pooja

National Film Award for Best Direction - Bala
National Film Award for Best Make-up Artist - U.K. Sasi

Tamil Nadu State Awards - Best Female Character Artiste - Pooja Umashanker
Tamil Nadu State Awards - Best Villain - Rajendran
Tamil Nadu State Awards - Best Cinematographer - Arthur Wilson

Avan Ivan (2009) starring Arya, Vishal, Madhu Shalini, Janani Iyer Under Production[/tscii:dd1775f0b7]

[directhit]

[tscii:e4ed99e770]
People who had seen Nan Kadavul might recall this girl Kuruvi (http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5787/dcpzzmxc5.jpg) in the movie. More about her in this post (http://jeyamohan.in/?p=1504) by dialogue writer of this movie and author Jayamohan. Some excerpts


‘நான் கடவுள்’ படப்பிடிப்புக்காக தேனி சென்றிருந்தபோதுதான் மதுபாலாவைப் பார்த்தேன். டைரக்டர் இருக்கைக்கு அருகே ஒரு சிறிய நாற்காலியில் கையில் ஒரு மிட்டாயுடன் அமர்ந்திருந்தாள். வட்டமான முகம். சிரிக்கும்போது இடுங்கும் கண்கள். சிறிய குழந்தைப் பற்கள். மூன்றடி உயரம் இருக்கும். கைகள் கால்கள் எல்லாமே குழந்தைகள் போல குண்டுகுண்டாக இருந்தன. ஒருவயதுக்குழந்தை ஒன்று இரண்டுமடங்கு வளர்ச்சி அடைந்துவிட்டது என்றுதான் முதலில் நினைத்தேன். இல்லை, மதுபாலாவுக்கு வயது பதினேழு.

மதுபாலாவின் பாட்டி படப்பிடிப்பில் ஓரமாக இருப்பாள். பள்ளிக்குச் செல்லும் தம்பி படப்பிடிப்புச் சாப்பாட்டுக்காக மதியம் ஓடிவந்துவிடுவான். அக்காவும் தம்பியும் என்று சொல்லவேண்டும். அவன் மதுபாலாவை விட ஆறேழு வயது இளையவன். ஆனால் மதுபாலாவுக்கு ஏது வயது? அண்ணன் என்றுதான் சொல்வோம். அவர்கள் மிக நெருக்கம். அண்ணன் அருகெ எஇருந்தால் மதுபாலா பிறருக்கு அண்ணைச் சுட்டிக்காட்டியபடியே இருபபள். அவன் எனன் செய்தாலும் சிரிப்பாள்.

எப்படியோ அந்த குழுவில் பாலாதான் முக்கியமானவர் என்று அவளுக்கு புரிந்து விட்டது. பாலா அவளைக் கொஞ்சுவது இல்லை. அவருக்கு அதெல்லாம் பழக்கம் இல்லை. ஆனால் சின்னக்குழந்தைகள் கண்களை நோக்கியே பிரியத்தைக் கண்டுகொள்கின்றன. மதுபாலா எப்போதும் பாலா அருகிலேயே இருக்க விரும்புவாள்.

மதுபாலா படப்பிடிப்பில் இருக்கும் தகவல் தெரிந்ததும் அவள் தகப்பன் அவளுக்கு கூலிபெற்றுச் செல்ல தேடி வந்தான் :x. பாட்டியிஅம் வந்து பணம் கேட்டு அடம்பிடிக்கிறான் என்று தெரிந்ததும் அவனை உடனே தன்னிடம் வரும்படி பாலா சொன்னார் :). ஆள் நல்ல புத்திசாலி. அப்படியே தாவி பாலம் வழியாக தப்பி ஓடிவிட்டான்.

Here is one more pic of her - Click (http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2181/j582o2eo1.jpg)[/tscii:e4ed99e770]

[directhit]

Please limit discussions to Bala's movies as much as possible. Its gonna be difficult in the hub for obvious reasons, but appreciate if you could come up with discussions on the wonderful and absolutely ORIGINAL movies he had made so far!!

[joe]

Anoops :thumbsup: for opening this thread. :)

[joe]

மதுபாலா படப்பிடிப்பில் இருக்கும் தகவல் தெரிந்ததும் அவள் தகப்பன் அவளுக்கு கூலிபெற்றுச் செல்ல தேடி வந்தான். பாட்டியிடம் வந்து பணம் கேட்டு அடம்பிடிக்கிறான் என்று தெரிந்ததும் அவனை உடனே தன்னிடம் வரும்படி பாலா சொன்னார். ஆள் நல்ல புத்திசாலி. அப்படியே தாவி பாலம் வழியாக தப்பி ஓடிவிட்டான்.

:rotfl:

[directhit]

Joe - thanks :)
Joe annan vandhirukkaha
PR/Compli/Equa/CR/thilak ellam vara poraaha
pattrum nam hub uravinargal ellam vara poraaha
thread la kootam serum nu nambaren :)

[Wibha]

Joe - thanks :)
Joe annan vandhirukkaha
PR/Compli/Equa/CR/thilak ellam vara poraaha
pattrum nam hub uravinargal ellam vara poraaha
thread la kootam serum nu nambaren :)

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[joe]

Joe - thanks :)
Joe annan vandhirukkaha
PR/Compli/Equa/CR/thilak ellam vara poraaha
pattrum nam hub uravinargal ellam vara poraaha
thread la kootam serum nu nambaren :)

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Vaamma Minnal :lol:

[directhit]

from a letter to Jayamohan


ஒரு குழந்தையிடம் நாம் பேச வேண்டியதில்லை.கொஞ்ச வேண்டியதில்லை. தூய அன்பு இருந்தால் அந்த குழந்தை நம்மிடம் தானாகவே வரும்.நான் பார்த்திருக்கிறேன். ஏதேதோ வகையில் உடலும் மனமும் பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர்களும் அப்படிப்பட்ட குழந்தைகளே.
தூய அன்பு இல்லாமல் அவர்களை மனதளவில் நெருங்க முடியும் என்று தோன்றவில்லை. பாசாங்கை அவர்கள் எளிதில் கண்டரிந்து விடுகிறார்கள்.

பாலாவால் இத்தகைய ஆத்மாக்களை நடிக்க வைக்க முடிந்திருக்கிறது.
தூய அன்பும் ,அறக் கோபமும் , ஆன்மபலம் உள்ளவரால் மட்டுமே சாத்தியபடக்கூடியது இது. அவருக்கு என் வாழ்த்துகள்.

http://jeyamohan.in/?p=1590

[directhit]

God of small things
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Syd Field? Who’s that?” asks director Bala, even as someone tells him that he’s broken some basic rules of filmmaking, set by world-famous screenwriters like Syd, with his latest film Naan Kadavul (NK).

It doesn’t take one long to realise that this maverick filmmaker isn’t being arrogant and that he is only being truthful when he says he isn’t into cinema other than Kollywood. “I don’t need world cinema to inspire me to make films,” he says quietly, “There are many things around me that are quite an inspiration.”

And he must be truly inspired to be able to blend commercial and creative elements so beautifully in all his films. Bala is just four films old, but the maturity he’s shown even while handling difficult characters has struck a chord with Tamil audiences.

He has received praise for his deft handling of Arya, Pooja and a group of people with special needs in his latest offering on screen. “There’s something in his eyes that drew me,” he says, when asked about his choice of Arya for the protagonist’s role, “There’s a cold look that perfectly suited the character I had in mind. He’s done a great job in the movie. The scenes in which he had to jump from one rock to another were so difficult for him as the script demanded that he land without bending his knees!”

His female lead Pooja, in a deglamourised role, has also received praise for the superb job she has done. “She had a special lens fitted in her eyes that meant that she couldn’t see while shooting,” elaborates the director, “Even for a back shot, she wore it so that it looked convincing on screen.”

He is known in industry circles as a taskmaster and a perfectionist, but why is it that he’s usually described as haughty? “It’s because I don’t talk much,” he smiles, “I’m generally reserved and my personal space is important to me. And the film’s title probably has some people thinking that I regard myself very highly!” But despite popular perception, Bala claims that he’s actually a very jovial person. “Even on the sets, I ensure that I have my share of fun. But when it comes to work, I strive for perfection.”

According to many, certain scenes in NK, that involved people with special needs, introduced them to a world that they never knew existed. How did he go about convincing them to act? “I screened about 5,000 people with special needs from districts near Madurai,” he explains, “I then selected a few and spoke to them. They were quite enthusiastic about the movie and all of them performed very naturally on screen.”

At the audio launch of the film, Mani Ratnam had said that he was Bala’s fan. Is that the best compliment he’s received? “He’s my role model,” stresses Bala, “There are so many things that I would like to talk to him about, but don’t know how to put across.”

While the industry considers his films rustic and offbeat, the filmmaker begs to differ. “I don’t like the traditional meaning given to the word commercial,” he says, “After all, it’s a film at the end of the day.”

So, what’s going on in his mind post NK? “Sometimes, I wish I could do a love story,” he says, “I think I’m in an image trap right now with all my films portraying ‘the other world’. :) So, I guess I’ll have to take the plunge into ‘commercial cinema’ soon. I’d also like to include more dance sequences in my films in future.” Bala also has a dream project, and that’s a historical subject. “It’ll probably take three years to script and another three years to film,” he smiles.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_Buzz/God_of_small_things/articleshow/4105699.cms[/tscii:a872bd6db3]

[complicateur]

An old post. Just re-posting because it might be pertinent (pertinent-ngrAru). After much thought about NK I think PithAmagan is still BAlA's best, purely in cinematic terms.


பிதாமகன் - கடவுளும் குழந்தையும்
தலைப்பிலே எந்த இரண்டு உறவுகளை படம் அலசுகிறது என்று தெரிந்து விடுகிறது.
அசுர வளர்ச்சி அடைந்த குழந்தையென சித்தனைக் கொள்ளலாம். அவனுக்கும் சமூகத்தை அவனுக்கு அறிமுகப் படுத்தும் முதல் ஆணான சக்திக்கும் உள்ள பித்ருத்துவ உறவு என படத்தைக் கொள்ளலாம். முதலில் பரிவும், உணவும் ஊட்டுபவள் தான் தாய் - கோமதி. அவனை சமூகத்தின் போலித்தனத்திலிருந்து பொறுப்பாக காப்பவன் தந்தை - சக்தி. போதையிலும், காவல் துரையின் கம்படியிலும் சக்தி தடுமாறும்போது சித்தனை தோள் கொடுக்க செய்து மகனே பிதாவாகிடும் நிலையையும் படம் உணர்த்திவிடுகிறது.
[உபயம் equanimus] உணவு முடிந்து கை கழுவும் குழந்தை சித்தனிடம் தண்ணி ஊற்றும் கஞ்சா குடுக்கி ஒரு வேண்டுகோள் விடுக்கிறான். "அண்ணே என்னைய கொஞ்சம் ஞாபகம் வெச்சுக்கோங்க. கூடிய சீக்கிரம் என்னைய அங்க கொண்டுகிட்டு வந்துருவைங்க.எரியும்போது முறுக்கேறி எழுந்திரிசிபுடிச்சா அடிச்சுபுடாதீங்க. தாங்கமாட்டேன். அதட்டுங்க, படுத்துகுடுவேன்". இது ஒரு வெட்டியானிடம் உறைப்பதாகவே தெரியவில்லை. கடவுளிடம் கோருவதாகவே எனக்கு தெரிந்தது - குழந்தையும் தெய்வமும் குணத்தால் ஒன்றல்லவா? ஒரு கஞ்சா குடுக்கிக்கு உள்ள அடக்கமும், வாழ்க்கை புரிதலும் சமூகத்தில் உள்ள சில சராசரி மனிதர்களுக்கு இல்லாமல் பொய் விடுகிறது.

எல்லோருக்கும் தந்தையான ஆதி மனிதனெனவும் சித்தனைக் கொள்ளலாம். அவனிலிருந்து எவ்வளவு விலகி வந்து விட்டோம் என்று இன்றைய சமூகத்தின் மறதி நிரூபித்துவிடுகிறது. பரோட்டாவை பங்கிடுவதற்கே பயப்படுகிறது. இதில் "நாரப்பய ஊர்" மீது பழி வேறு. பல்வேறு காரணங்களால் ஊரை விட்டு தள்ளி வைக்கப் பட்டவளாகவே வாழ்ந்த போதிலும் ஊரை வைதவனை திருப்பி வைகிறாள் கோமதி. சமூகம் தள்ளி வைத்தவளுக்கு தான் அதன் மேல் எத்தனை பரிவு! அதே பரிவு சித்தனிடமும் காட்டுகிறாள். காலபோக்கில் பரிவு காதலாகவும், தாய் தாரமாகவும் மாற முற்பட்டு எல்லாம் கூடி வரும் வேளையில் குடி மூழ்கிப் பொய் விடுகிறது. இளையராஜாவும் தனது இசையால் இந்த எடிபல் (oedipal) உறவை உணர வைக்கிறார்.
படத்தின் துவக்கத்தில் கருப்பு வெள்ளையில் ஒரு கருவுண்ட பெண் மயான பூமியை அடைகிறாள். பிரசவ வலி அவளை தாக்கும் பொழுதே அது வரை வந்த பின்னணி இசையில் மாற்றங்கள் புகுத்தி விடுகிறார் இசையராஜா. ஒரு சூரியகிரணத்தின் இடைவெளியில் ஒரு மகனைப் பிரசவித்து அவள் மாண்டு போகும் முன் பின்னணி இசை மாற்றமடைந்து முற்றும் பெற்று விடுகிறது. அவன் பிறந்தவுடன் உலகமெலாம் நிரமுற்று நிற்கிறது அனால் அவன் வாழ்வில் உறவின் இசை இல்லை. அந்த இசையும் உறவும் மறுபடி கோமதியை சந்திக்கும் பொழுது தான் திரும்ப வரும். குறிப்பாக உணவு உண்டு கோமதியை சித்தன் பின் தொடரும் பொழுது பின்னணியில் சித்தனை தரித்த தாய்க்கு கொடுத்த அதே இசையை அங்கும் பொருத்துகிறார் ராஜா. பிராய்டு (Freud) சந்தோஷப்படுவார். :)

[groucho070]

Joe - thanks :)
Joe annan vandhirukkaha
PR/Compli/Equa/CR/thilak ellam vara poraaha
pattrum nam hub uravinargal ellam vara poraaha
thread la kootam serum nu nambaren :)


:lol: :lol:

Joe-voda brother nannum varuveney. But let me watch NK first this Friday. I want to participate here too.

[crajkumar_be]

Anoop :clap:


That scene involving kuruvi was the most disturbing scene in the movie for me

[tscii:1ad20e7696]
People who had seen Nan Kadavul might recall this girl Kuruvi (http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5787/dcpzzmxc5.jpg) in the movie. More about her in this post (http://jeyamohan.in/?p=1504) by dialogue writer of this movie and author Jayamohan. Some excerpts


‘நான் கடவுள்’ படப்பிடிப்புக்காக தேனி சென்றிருந்தபோதுதான் மதுபாலாவைப் பார்த்தேன். டைரக்டர் இருக்கைக்கு அருகே ஒரு சிறிய நாற்காலியில் கையில் ஒரு மிட்டாயுடன் அமர்ந்திருந்தாள். வட்டமான முகம். சிரிக்கும்போது இடுங்கும் கண்கள். சிறிய குழந்தைப் பற்கள். மூன்றடி உயரம் இருக்கும். கைகள் கால்கள் எல்லாமே குழந்தைகள் போல குண்டுகுண்டாக இருந்தன. ஒருவயதுக்குழந்தை ஒன்று இரண்டுமடங்கு வளர்ச்சி அடைந்துவிட்டது என்றுதான் முதலில் நினைத்தேன். இல்லை, மதுபாலாவுக்கு வயது பதினேழு.

மதுபாலாவின் பாட்டி படப்பிடிப்பில் ஓரமாக இருப்பாள். பள்ளிக்குச் செல்லும் தம்பி படப்பிடிப்புச் சாப்பாட்டுக்காக மதியம் ஓடிவந்துவிடுவான். அக்காவும் தம்பியும் என்று சொல்லவேண்டும். அவன் மதுபாலாவை விட ஆறேழு வயது இளையவன். ஆனால் மதுபாலாவுக்கு ஏது வயது? அண்ணன் என்றுதான் சொல்வோம். அவர்கள் மிக நெருக்கம். அண்ணன் அருகெ எஇருந்தால் மதுபாலா பிறருக்கு அண்ணைச் சுட்டிக்காட்டியபடியே இருபபள். அவன் எனன் செய்தாலும் சிரிப்பாள்.

எப்படியோ அந்த குழுவில் பாலாதான் முக்கியமானவர் என்று அவளுக்கு புரிந்து விட்டது. பாலா அவளைக் கொஞ்சுவது இல்லை. அவருக்கு அதெல்லாம் பழக்கம் இல்லை. ஆனால் சின்னக்குழந்தைகள் கண்களை நோக்கியே பிரியத்தைக் கண்டுகொள்கின்றன. மதுபாலா எப்போதும் பாலா அருகிலேயே இருக்க விரும்புவாள்.

மதுபாலா படப்பிடிப்பில் இருக்கும் தகவல் தெரிந்ததும் அவள் தகப்பன் அவளுக்கு கூலிபெற்றுச் செல்ல தேடி வந்தான் :x. பாட்டியிஅம் வந்து பணம் கேட்டு அடம்பிடிக்கிறான் என்று தெரிந்ததும் அவனை உடனே தன்னிடம் வரும்படி பாலா சொன்னார் :). ஆள் நல்ல புத்திசாலி. அப்படியே தாவி பாலம் வழியாக தப்பி ஓடிவிட்டான்.

Here is one more pic of her - Click (http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2181/j582o2eo1.jpg)[/tscii:1ad20e7696]

[Sanguine Sridhar]

Director [TM]-eh? :lol2:

[directhit]

Director [TM]-eh? :lol2: yeah Trademark Director :noteeth:

but seriously i dont think there is any other director in IFI whose all 4 movies till date had such original/fresh scenes - hats off to Bala for that :bow: :bow:

[steveaustin]

but seriously i dont think there is any other director in IFI whose all 4 movies till date had such original/fresh scenes - hats off to Bala for that :bow: :bow:

DH
:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

[omega]

[Sethu [/b][/color](1991) starring Vikram, Sivakumar, Abitha



DH,

1999 I guess....
:clap: for a well deserved thread.

[MrJudge]

Bala puts an end to 'the' rumour

http://thatstamil.oneindia.in/movies/specials/2009/02/12-bala-gets-advance-from-soundarya.html

[HonestRaj]

PadaippaLi Bala -virkku oru thiri :clap: :thumbsup:

Adutha thalaimurai thamizh cinemavin inraya vazhikatti :clap:

(nanum indha varakkadaisiyil padathai parkka aavana seigiraen :) )

[HonestRaj]

Let me welcome BALA-s thread with:

THE GRAND MUSIC OF ILAYARAAJA :musicsmile:

[HonestRaj]

Director [TM]-eh? :lol2:

Anoop.. eppai (TM) -nu thread-la konduvandheenga? Might be useful for me, while opening a new thread :P

[steveaustin]

http://minminipoochchigal.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-post.html

my blog post directed to director-bala.

:|

I am sure everybody here knows what to expect out of me :P



ஒன்றை மிஞ்சும்படி இன்னொன்று. படம் பார்த்த யாரும் சிரித்தபடி வீட்டுக்கு செல்லக்கூடாது என்று கங்கணம் கட்டிக்கொண்டு படம் எடுக்கிறார். கொடுத்த காசுக்கு எப்படி எல்ல்லாம் அழ வைக்க முடியும், எவ்வளவு pessimism காண்பிக்க முடியும், எத்தனை அழுகிய / பழுதுபட்ட இடங்களை உயிரூட்ட முடியும், என்று, தன்னுள் தானே ஆழ்ந்து, இன்னும் இன்னும் கீழே என நோண்டித் தோண்டிப்பார்க்கிறார்.

உங்களின் வண்ணங்களற்ற உயிரற்ற உணர்வுகளின் ஓவியப் பரிசளிப்பு எங்களுக்கு பல நேரங்களில் மனவருத்தத்தையும், ஆழ்ந்த துக்கத்தையுமே மட்டுமே தருகிறது।
SP Madam,

Possibly Bala might have followed the principles of Osho. According to Osho, sadness has a few beauties which happiness can never have. Sadness has depth, happiness is always shallow. Sadness has tears and tears go deeper than laughter can ever go. Sadness has a silence of its own, a melody, which happiness can never have. Happiness will have its own song, more noisy, not so silent. He has not said to choose sadness but try to enjoy it too. And when we are happy, happiness has to be enjoyed.

If a man of laughter is also a man of tears - then a man is perfectly BALAnced. If anyone really wants to laugh, first he should learn how to weap. IMO, Bala's movies equally shared both humour and sadness. NK too had lot of humour scenes amidst sadness which keeps the movie going. Since the impact of sadness is more on us, we failed to notice or enjoy the funnier moments. :)

[HonestRaj]

Siricha madhiri padam venumgravangalukku-than Vikraman madhiri aatkal irukkanga..... avanga padathayum parkka mattoam.. Bala-vum sirichamadhirithan padam edukkanum.. appadi edutha manasukku sandhosam.. aana appavum parkka mattoam.. ippadi sonna eppadi :huh:

[Plum]

Actually, there is a lot of humour in Bala's movies. Maybe it is too dark for some people - everything doesnt work for someone or the other so we should let it go

[Nerd]

IppO dhAn note pannREn thread-ai. Bala thread titlekku indha gimmicks ellAm thEvaiyA? Anyway how about a poll? Best film of Bala? For me, it's sEthu. Seen it 5+ times and seen his others only once, that's one of the reasons may be. Also I think of all his movies sEthu had the best BGM 8-)

[steveaustin]

For me its his Naan Kadavul alone.

[Shakthiprabha.]

Steve,

I agree. All around who watch the movie aren't steve or sp or hr or anyone who UNDERSTANDS what is what. Normal layman gets inspired by movies or sulks again thro movies. HE LIVES in movies.

I just mentioned, such good skills can be instrumental for diff causes too. (and, I aint talking about the movies which he did already)

I am NOT mentioning that these movies aren't done well, or should have been different. I just feel, he can, given his talent take up different SUBJECT line *TOO* .

[Shakthiprabha.]

and steve, thanks for reading :)

[HonestRaj]

I just feel, he can, given his talent take up different SUBJECT line *TOO* .

Maratha suththi paattu paduradhum.. comedy track vechu.. 4 fight panradhu mattume subject illai.. ivaru aliens paththi padam edukkalai.. naattula ullavanga paththi than edukkuraru.. indha madhiri oru ulagam iruppadhu nammil silar / palarukku pudhusa irukkalam

[Shakthiprabha.]

I just feel, he can, given his talent take up different SUBJECT line *TOO* .

Maratha suththi paattu paduradhum.. comedy track vechu.. 4 fight panradhu mattume subject illai.. ivaru aliens paththi padam edukkalai.. naattula ullavanga paththi than edukkuraru.. indha madhiri oru ulagam iruppadhu nammil silar / palarukku pudhusa irukkalam

:sigh2: :tired: sari vidunga :bow:

[HonestRaj]

I just feel, he can, given his talent take up different SUBJECT line *TOO* .

Maratha suththi paattu paduradhum.. comedy track vechu.. 4 fight panradhu mattume subject illai.. ivaru aliens paththi padam edukkalai.. naattula ullavanga paththi than edukkuraru.. indha madhiri oru ulagam iruppadhu nammil silar / palarukku pudhusa irukkalam

:sigh2: :tired: sari vidunga :bow:

:wave: :D :very much tired:

[Shakthiprabha.]

:D :wave:

sleep well :)

[joe]

SP,
Atleast neenga padatha paarthuttu vanthu pesunga ..ithu different subject-a illaiyaannu.

[Shakthiprabha.]

joe,

enaku padam parka aasaiyaay irukku. Thunaikku yaarum illai :(

enakku paarthaal pidikkum endrum theriyum.

I am sure NK would be the best of his movies.

[HonestRaj]

joe,

enaku padam parka aasaiyaay irukku. Thunaikku yaarum illai :(



nan nalaikku padam parkka aal serthuttaen :)

[crajkumar_be]

IppO dhAn note pannREn thread-ai. Bala thread titlekku indha gimmicks ellAm thEvaiyA? Anyway how about a poll? Best film of Bala? For me, it's sEthu. Seen it 5+ times and seen his others only once, that's one of the reasons may be. Also I think of all his movies sEthu had the best BGM 8-)
Good kostin.
For me its Naan Kadavul on both counts

[directhit]

Director [TM]-eh? :lol2:

Anoop.. eppai (TM) -nu thread-la konduvandheenga? Might be useful for me, while opening a new thread :P mm i dont remember the code i used, lemme look for it again. but u can copy from this thread and use. and btw use it only for goundar :evil: :lol2:

[directhit]

IppO dhAn note pannREn thread-ai. Bala thread titlekku indha gimmicks ellAm thEvaiyA? Anyway how about a poll? Best film of Bala? For me, it's sEthu. Seen it 5+ times and seen his others only once, that's one of the reasons may be. Also I think of all his movies sEthu had the best BGM 8-) thevayilla dhaan :) aana my fasstu thread in TF section, adhukku dhaan indha scene.

For me too its sethu though NK wud come a very close second followed again closely by PM. Nanda konjam distance la 4th. lemme try opening a poll

[Nasc]

surprisingly its Nandha which stands 1st in my list.
imo Nandha had an interesting sub plot coupled with well knit chracters.

[directhit]

DH,

1999 I guess....
:clap: for a well deserved thread. thx and corrected :)

Nasc - probably surya in the cast shud have put me off :oops: gotto see it again for rajkiran atleast

[HonestRaj]

Director [TM]-eh? :lol2:

Anoop.. eppai (TM) -nu thread-la konduvandheenga? Might be useful for me, while opening a new thread :P mm i dont remember the code i used, lemme look for it again. but u can copy from this thread and use. and btw use it only for goundar :evil: :lol2:

avarukkuthan ketkuraen :P .. innoru thread 100 pogumangradhu enakku doubt-ah irukku :lol:

[directhit]

HR :lol: :thumbsup:

Poll added makkale - pls vote :)

Mods - pls re-enable the pic, thx :)

[steveaustin]

DH :notworthy:
Thanks for opening the thread for one of the great directors. Voted for NK in poll too.

[directhit]

thx SA :) one of my most fav dir's

[ajaybaskar]

surprisingly its Nandha which stands 1st in my list.
imo Nandha had an interesting sub plot coupled with well knit chracters.

For me too... I came back to normal only after 2 days after watching nandha... Astonishing movie...

[HonestRaj]

From the last option in this poll:

I like c him coming up with a neat entertainer & say to the likes of Jeyam Raja.. "ennala ippadiyum padam edukka mudiyum.. unnala mudiyuma?"

[sarna_blr]

Sethu is close to my heart 8-)
Naan kadavul disturbed my heart :oops:
Pithamagan is fun-filled movie :)
Nandha - not in my list :(

[directhit]

From the last option in this poll:

I like c him coming up with a neat entertainer & say to the likes of Jeyam Raja.. "ennala ippadiyum padam edukka mudiyum.. unnala mudiyuma?" HR :|

[HonestRaj]

From the last option in this poll:

I like c him coming up with a neat entertainer & say to the likes of Jeyam Raja.. "ennala ippadiyum padam edukka mudiyum.. unnala mudiyuma?" HR :|

no .. remake illai.. Bommarillu, Abhiyum nanum kind of family story

[HonestRaj]

mentioned Jeyam Raja.. because he is seen a family director (remake-ah irundhalum family subject-than panraru) adhanala sonnaen.. we can change to .. Radha Mohan kind of directors

[directhit]

adhilla, Bala unga kitta kekka poraaru : ayyo HR (raama) enna aen indha madhiri .... kootu sera vakkara

[HonestRaj]

adhilla, Bala unga kitta kekka poraaru : ayyo HR (raama) enna aen indha madhiri .... kootu sera vakkara

:lol:

next film shud have sethu first half kind of feeling

[directhit]

sethu padathula varadha family entertainment aa 8-) trouble is he CAN but WILL he? (IMO I dont think he needs to prove to any dir)

[directhit]

wow - same time adhaye post panrom :)

[HonestRaj]

sethu padathula varadha family entertainment aa 8-) trouble is he CAN but WILL he? (IMO I dont think he needs to prove to any dir)

no ned to prove to anybody... wide range of variety kidaikkum.. like a Kamalhassan in acting

[directhit]

[tscii:ead30bebee]true. i think he'd do, paapom


So, what’s going on in his mind post NK? “Sometimes, I wish I could do a love story,” he says, “I think I’m in an image trap right now with all my films portraying ‘the other world’. :) So, I guess I’ll have to take the plunge into ‘commercial cinema’ soon.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_Buzz/God_of_small_things/articleshow/4105699.cms[/tscii:ead30bebee]

[HonestRaj]

[tscii:1a0eed264f]‘God’ of a different kind

Director Bala dwells on the making of ‘Naan Kadavul,’ a film which presents rare insights.

It is three years since I met Bala as a newly married filmmaker, happy with the response his ‘Pithamagan’ had received. It was a journey back in time for him from childhood, adolescence and youth to his emergence as a filmmaker of repute. This time too the freewheeling chat with Bala at Hotel Green Park goes on for quite a while as the director shares his cherished moments during the making of ‘Naan Kadavul.’

If the sexton in ‘Pithamagan’ was new to cinema, the sanyasi in ‘Naan Kadavul’ is even more so. That’s probably because Bala consciously seeks characters who have never been conceived as film material. The maker laughs, “After ‘Pithamagan’ I felt people expected something different from me. It was then I thought of the aghoris in Kasi.”

Sitting in the South of the country, Bala has gathered so much information about this group of sanyasis that they look genuine and authentic. “The idea germinated when I visited Kasi long ago. Once I decided an aghori will be the protagonist in my film, I went there again to study their lifestyle,” begins Bala. Alone? “I had four others with me. Aghoris are generally aggressive. And by just looking at you they can gauge whether you are good or bad. But once they allow you to get close to them they are like children…”

Did he actually watch them eating human flesh? “Yes, I did! But even my friends who accompanied me will come to know of it only when they read this piece. I didn’t want them to get scared or think I’m strange, though I know some do,” he laughs and adds, “I would visit them at midnight, when they actually eat flesh. People believe that if an aghori pulls out the bodies of their kith or kin in the burning ghat to be consumed, it is a straight ticket to heaven! They don’t eat all the bodies, they know who deserve it. Aarya has aped their gait and glare to perfection,” Bala goes on as I sit dumbstruck! “Did you notice the two men in the background in the first song? They are real aghoris. As for the subject of beggars, the inspiration is Jayamohan’s book, ‘Ezhaam Ulagam,’” he informs.

But why is anger a predominant trait of all his leading men? “Ilaiyaraja asked me the same. Now my anger is all gone. So my next hero won’t have a temper,” he replies.

About the actors
According to Bala, it was Aarya’s eyes that made him the right choice for the role. “His eyes are very unsympathetic… just like an aghori baba’s. He’s done a splendid job. Again I had seen Puja on screen and always thought she was a tall girl. So I was quite sceptical when my assistants wanted me to meet her. But I saw that she was actually small-made. She was not in the least fastidious,” he recalls. Puja plays a visually impaired girl and so an opaque white lens which blinded her completely was used. “She really couldn’t see. It must have frightened her, but she didn’t say so. Even when the camera was behind her while she tries to escape the villains, I insisted she run on the hillside with the lens on. She stumbled often and bruised herself. She must have been in pain but never showed it,” he says.

But why present such graphic, gruesome images? “Unfettered by commercial gimmicks, ‘Naan Kadavul’ showcases reality. So there’s no place for duets here. But the undercurrent of humour throughout gives more respite than romantic songs would! So actually the commercial elements are many …”he laughs.

In the film, every time a distress call is heard you wait with bated breath for the aghori to enter and punish the offenders. But the hero takes his own time for punitive measures. “I planned it that way. The character should be awaited eagerly. It’s a ploy to enhance the impact,” smiles Bala.

About the maestro he says: “I know that Ilaiyaraja’s music can set right the mistakes and camouflage the minor slips I commit. It has worked out this time too.”

The foremost question on the film buff’s mind is the three-year span that Bala has taken to complete ‘Naan Kadavul.’ But once you watch the movie, the time, you realise, is quite warranted. Training so many challenged and differently-abled folks who have never watched a film in their lives to emote before the camera is no mean task. “They were with the unit on all the 200 days of shoot. I miss them …” he says. As climbing up the hill was impossible for most of them, they were carried in ‘dolis,’ or by the light men. A caretaker was arranged for each of them. “Their spirit, despite the odds, fascinates me. And the rapport was so good that by the time the film got over the technicians knew every actor in the group by name!

“During the making of the film I felt a little guilty about putting Puja and Aarya to so much trouble. Their co-operation was phenomenal. Now after the response it has evoked I’m happy for my contribution to their careers. In fact I feel both responsible and anxious about the kind of projects they would take up in the future…” he laughs.

How does he rate ‘Naan Kadavul?’ “The best among my four films! You have to keep growing, right?”

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/02/13/stories/2009021350460100.htm
[/tscii:1a0eed264f]

[directhit]

'படம் எடுத்தா இப்படி படம் எடுக்கணுங்க...இல்லேன்னா பேசாம சும்மா இருக்கணும்...' - நான் கடவுள் பார்த்துவிட்டு வெளியில் வந்த இளைஞர்கள் சிலர் நமது நிருபரிடம் தெரிவித்த உணர்ச்சிப்பூர்வமான கமெண்ட்தான் தலைப்பில் நீங்கள் படித்தது.


'இனி நான் ஒரு சினிமா இயக்குநராவேன் என்ற தைரியம் வந்துவிட்டது சார், இந்தப் படத்தைப் பார்த்த பிறகு. நான் நினைக்கிற சினிமாவை எடுக்க முடியாதோ என தயங்கிக் கொண்டிருந்தேன்.

அண்ணன் பாலா...ஆம்... இனி என்னைப் போன்றவர்களுக்கு அவர் உடன்பிறவாத அண்ணன்தான்...எடுத்துள்ள இந்த ஒரு படம் போதும். அவர் வழியில் நாங்களும் பயணிப்போம், என்கிறார் உணர்வைக் கட்டுப்படுத்த முடியாமல்.

சென்னை புதுக்கல்லூரி மாணவர்கள் பலர் கும்பலாக படம் பார்க்க வந்திருந்தனர். இவர்கள் இன்று முதல் பாலாவின் ரசிகர்களாகி விட்டதாய்த் தெரிவித்தனர்.

எங்களைப் பொறுத்தவரை நடிகர்களில் ரஜினி சூப்பர் ஸ்டார் என்றால், இயக்குநர்களில் சூப்பர் ஸ்டார் பாலா சார்தான். இருவரும் வெவ்வேறு துருவங்கள்தான் என்றாலும் எங்களால் இருவரையுமே ரசிக்க முடிகிறது..., என்றனர்.

பொதுவாக ஆட்டம் பாட்டம் குத்தாட்டம் என்பதுதான் இளைஞர்களுக்குப் பிடிக்கும் என்ற வட்டத்தை தகர்த்தெறிந்துள்ளது பாலாவின் நான் கடவுள்.

http://thatstamil.oneindia.in/movies/specials/2009/02/06-viewers-hail-naan-kadavul-first-day-first-show.html

[directhit]

[tscii:b84c00d658]8-)

”நான் கடவுள்” - ஒரு பின்னூட்டம்

கண்ணைக் குத்துனாலும் பொட்டுத்தூக்கம் வல்லியே!
ஈனக்குரல் கேக்குறப்ப ஈரக்கொலை நடுங்குதுடா!
நாலு நாளா நான் தவிக்கேன்! அட!
நாசமத்தவனே எங்க பாலா!

அல்லாறையும்போல ரெண்டு குத்தாட்டம், பரதேசத்து டூயட்டு மூணு,
தாலி பாக்கிய செண்டிமெண்டைப் போட்டுத்தாக்கி படமெடுத்தா ஆகாதா?
காலே இல்லாத கசுமால சென்மங்களின் ஓலத்தை ஒலிபரப்பி
நாங்க நாண்டுகிட்டுச் சாவணும்னு நெனைக்கிறியே படுபாவி!

போய்யா ஒன்னோட இதே ரோதனை,
நீ தமிளனுக்கு வந்த சோதனை!
பணம் பணம்னு அலையுற பொணந்தின்னிப் பயலுவளை
நோவாமக் காட்டி நோம்பி கும்பிட்டுப் போவியா!

செத்தும் சாவாம சாக்கடைக்குள் கெடக்குற
சீவனுங்களை நெஞ்சில் ஒலவவுட்டு வேடிக்கை பாக்குறியே!
சந்தியில ஒக்காந்து அளுது முடிச்சாலும் சோகம் தாங்கலியே!
சிந்திப் பூசினாலும் வீச்சம் போகலியே!



கண்ணைக் குத்துனாலும் பொட்டுத்தூக்கம் வல்லியே!
ஈனக்குரல் கேக்குறப்ப ஈரக்கொலை நடுங்குதுடா!
நாலு நாளா நான் தவிக்கேன்! அட!
நாசமத்தவனே எங்க பாலா!

காரிய செவிடா நாங்க, காதுகாதுன்னா வேதுவேதுன்னு போகையில
கர்பத்தைக் கலங்க வெச்சு சேதுசேதுவா மாத்தி நோகடிச்சவனே!
எவனுக்கோ என்னவோ நடக்குதுன்னு நடுத்தர சனங்க தாண்டி நடக்கையில
எமனையே முந்திக்கிட்டு பொழப்பை முடிச்சுக்கட்டி, பொறப்பை அழிச்சவனே!

சில்லறையைப் பாத்தாலே சோறு எறங்கலடா! நான்
கல்லறைக்குப் போறமட்டும் கவளம் கசக்குமடா!

கண்ணைக் குத்துனாலும் பொட்டுத்தூக்கம் வல்லியே!
ஈனக்குரல் கேக்குறப்ப ஈரக்கொலை நடுங்குதுடா!
நாலு நாளா நான் தவிக்கேன்! அட!
நாசமத்தவனே எங்க பாலா!

http://karuthu.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4119&PID=87704#87704[/tscii:b84c00d658]

[groucho070]

I wouldn't say Bala is entirely original. He is a definitely an artistic heir to Barathiraja. And, he is definitely better than the current Barathiraja.

Naan Kadavul is a milestone flick, and Bala is an important figure in the Tamizh Film Industry for sure.

My thoughts on the film (again, if you missed).

http://grouchydays.blogspot.com/2009/02/naan-kadavul.html

[equanimus]

My problems with PM in short:
(a) Sithan characterization. This is the disconnect. Idha mayyama vechu thaane padame irukku....
I actually find this criticism rather vague. I wonder if people are seriously engaging with the character at all. Ultimately of course, it boils down to whether or not one is bought into the very idea of the film, the central conceit if you will. But don't get why people find it so hard to believe that he does not talk in the film. Aren't there many people around us who hardly talk? I'm not presuming that this is your major problem with him. It's just that I think this is one of the things people are really dogmatic about vis-a-vis Siththan. So I'm just addressing this as a starting point.

(c) The depth of friendship between Sakthi->Sithan. Is the basis strong enough?
What depth? Siththan is someone who has barely "discovered" human bonding. His relationship with Sakthi is awkward. That actually makes their ends even more affecting. But yes, Bala is very economical here and gives less screen time show how they become friends, etc.

Nandha, i haven't watched fully. Paatha parts-um seriya nyabagam illa.
See? :) My angst here is actually not that many people haven't watched the film fully, but with respect to how readily people echo the most generic "readings" of the film without themselves having seen it keenly or engaged with it seriously. I'm talking about arbitrarily thrown comments on the lines of "the heroes in Bala's films are psychos/unrealistic." Just prod them a bit more about what they imagine to be a "realistic" patricide situation, they would just give up.

With 'nandhA', I certainly think Bala was talking to an audience that was far behind him. An audience that simply expected the mother to rationalise the patricide because it was so used to seeing the bad guy die without causing any damage, all for good and stuff. "So what if he killed his father? He was after all an abusive husband."

I would like to know what impressed you (and Compli) in PM (Director Bala thread ku sift aidalaam) :)
Actually, the ambitious but hopelessly incompetent person that I am, I thought of writing a series of posts on each of Bala's films last month (in light of the impending release of his fourth, of course), but did just about nothing to move in that direction. But I think I've written quite a bit about 'pithAmagan,' and what excites me about Bala in general, here on the hub.

Compli wrote about the film after he got to revisit it some weeks back. I missed to respond to that post back then. (I at least wanted to mini-rant about the general misperception that Ameer "introduced" ganjA karuppu. :))

[P_R]

I wouldn't say Bala is entirely original. He is a definitely an artistic heir to Barathiraja. And, he is definitely better than the current Barathiraja.

Naan Kadavul is a milestone flick, and Bala is an important figure in the Tamizh Film Industry for sure.

My thoughts on the film (again, if you missed).

http://grouchydays.blogspot.com/2009/02/naan-kadavul.html

Agree in parts. Especially the damsel-in-distress grouse. One can argue that it is a spiritual metaphor that the soul longing for liberation is 'feminine' across cultures and the liberator masculine.

But you see that's the kind of thing one would labour with when the film is engaging enough. This just left me feeling "ahn...appuram !"

Like a standup comic who doesn't get his laugh dipping to coarser humour, the film turned progressively violent for effect. When thAndavan smashes up Pooja one can't help but think of the initial scene where thAndavan rips a mute cripple with a karukku.

I vehemently disagree on the contention that this is better than Pithamagan. It was so easy to easy to feel the relationships of the people there. It felt so real - a word fraught with risk.

Nothing comparable here with the possible exception of Murugan.
Here when the mother slaps father, feels heartbroken at her son's rejection it hardly seemed to matter.

[P_R]

Eq. neenga ivvaLO solradhukkAgavE NandhA innoru trip pAkkaNum..... appidinnu romba naaLa sollittu irukkEn :oops:


The drunken conversation in NandhA made a greater impact than the manushya roopENAm etc. that AryA looks all sombrely worked up about in the movie.

[Nerd]

Surprised to find that sethu does not have many takers in the hub. In terms of *real-relationships* sethu is way above his other films, IMHO
1. Sivakumar and Vikram (avan nallA irunthappa kooda naalu vArthai.. )
2. Vikram and Abitha (Vikram wailing Abi abiiiiii)
3. Vikram and the friends (Line of the film: sethAdA pOyittAn, varuvANdA)
4. Vikram and Nandha's mother (Rajashree?)
etc.

[app_engine]

Sethu - if one takes out the 'kAnakkarunguyilE', it's a phenomenal film - close to perfection! Very different in many aspects from any prior TF, IMO.

Nandha - too much dose of rowdyism related violence in a just ok film. Other than the Srilankan refugee connection, just another above-average gangster movie, with a 'surprise' climax. Quite apt that IR was not chosen as he was not needed and I'm extremely happy with 'mun paniyA' - both the song and the picturization were awesome.

Pithamagan - very good adaptation of 'nandhavanaththil Or ANdi' on screen with some phenomenal BGM. Once again nothing like this film before in TF. The violent climax somewhat brought down the quality of the movie - there may be possible otherwise endings that would have fit the poetic theme.

[equanimus]

Eq. neenga ivvaLO solradhukkAgavE NandhA innoru trip pAkkaNum..... appidinnu romba naaLa sollittu irukkEn :oops:


The drunken conversation in NandhA made a greater impact than the manushya roopENAm etc. that AryA looks all sombrely worked up about in the movie.
PR,
Incidentally, it's running on K TV right now! Watch out for the chilling scene in Periyavar's house after Nandha kills a bigwig's son brutally. Periyavar is laughing out loud uncontrollably, and a shy Nandhaa is standing behind with folded hands. Bala at his sly best. :clap:

[jaiganes]

Eq. neenga ivvaLO solradhukkAgavE NandhA innoru trip pAkkaNum..... appidinnu romba naaLa sollittu irukkEn :oops:


The drunken conversation in NandhA made a greater impact than the manushya roopENAm etc. that AryA looks all sombrely worked up about in the movie.
PR,
Incidentally, it's running on K TV right now! Watch out for the chilling scene in Periyavar's house after Nandha kills a bigwig's son brutally. Periyavar is laughing out loud uncontrollably, and a shy Nandhaa is standing behind with folded hands. Bala at his sly best. :clap:

That was the cluster bomb of bala - to cover everyone in the theatre by shocking them.
The Balu Mahendra in him shines through the first 15 mins. I doubt if there had been any other movie in our cinema with such impctful first 15 mins (Apoorva Sagodharargal comes to my mind). The harikatha, Pradosham in the start - one old guy enquiring Nandhaa's mother (we wonder why she is not replying), Ameer as nandhaa's father - the kid - in a fit of anger - then the siruvar seerthiruththa palli - 'engengo song' with its montages telling a story instead of dragging it back - amazing story progression old in visually arresting style - Rathnavelu and Bala - pure auteurs.
While everyone enjoyed the tracks of Lodukku paandi, I laughed the first time in theatre - but later on pushed the fat forward.
Laila was good in the movie, the mortuary scene, the college bully - characters and scenes that stay with me, RajKiran - the first scene till the scene he sneezes to death made a marked impact. The climax - though well justified (with Mangai cursing nandhaa in front of his house with sand - opening up old wounds of the mother) seemed to be thrust upon the narrative - my friend remarking at that scene - 'tthaa saava poraanda'. Overall it is a film to be remembered more than just a vehicle for relaunch of Suriya Version 2.0. I shudder to think of the original casting of Sivaji in Raj Kiran's role - that would have simply sent 500 MW jolts on the silver screen - wouldn't it have?

[equanimus]

Surprised to find that sethu does not have many takers in the hub.
Nerd,
It's a very well received film in general, isn't it? It's perhaps just me. I think Bala fashioned it like a launch film, pushing the limits only so much. For instance, it's unabashedly manipulative, unlike his later films. But all said, I still really like the film. Bala's sensitivity to the characters truly holds the film together. I wish you had mentioned Abitha's father as well. His is a short role, but he has a couple of beautiful scenes.

In terms of *real-relationships* sethu is way above his other films, IMHO
Well, it's quite problematic to say that characters are more "real" because they are more commonplace. Agreed that his latter films dealt with people who are on the fringe of society, but I don't get why you say those relationships are any less "real."

[jaiganes]

In defense of Bala's Chiththan, the moment the character came into thought, it ceases to be unreal. So much like Edward Scissorhands, he is as 'real' as a velu nayakkar or 'SP Choudhury' as he is a character in a film.

[P_R]

Oh ! Managed to miss it.


I shudder to think of the original casting of Sivaji in Raj Kiran's role - that would have simply sent 500 MW jolts on the silver screen - wouldn't it have? For some reason I am not sure about this.


the moment the character came into thought, it ceases to be unreal Nah ! If only it were that easy... He put it together so damn well.

Siththan v Rudran, I have to acknowledge that partly why the former clicked was perhaps he endearing in his own way.

[sarna_blr]

Surprised to find that sethu does not have many takers in the hub. In terms of *real-relationships* sethu is way above his other films, IMHO
1. Sivakumar and Vikram (avan nallA irunthappa kooda naalu vArthai.. )
2. Vikram and Abitha (Vikram wailing Abi abiiiiii)
3. Vikram and the friends (Line of the film: sethAdA pOyittAn, varuvANdA)
4. Vikram and Nandha's mother (Rajashree?)
etc.

ullEn ayya :)

My taking is in this order

1. Sedhu
2. Naan kadavul
3. Pithamagan

Nandha is not in my list :twisted:

[swathy]

padam release aana adutha naale veetukku pakkathula irundha rendu theatreaiyum (NK release aana theaters) thaandi inoxla poi paarthen. bala-raja combinationa summava

he didn't disappoint me.

hero introductionum andha songum chance illai.

indha padathula vandha madhiri oru katchi ore oru katchiyavadhu yerkkanave vera yedho oru mozhi padathula paartha madhiri irukkunnu solla mudiyuma

[jaiganes]

Oh ! Managed to miss it.


I shudder to think of the original casting of Sivaji in Raj Kiran's role - that would have simply sent 500 MW jolts on the silver screen - wouldn't it have? For some reason I am not sure about this.


the moment the character came into thought, it ceases to be unreal Nah ! If only it were that easy... He put it together so damn well.

Siththan v Rudran, I have to acknowledge that partly why the former clicked was perhaps he endearing in his own way.

Also probably because Vikram brought his on flourish to Sithhan, which Bala allowed.
As far as Rudra is concerned, I haven't seen the movie, but going by Arya himself, he did what Bala asked him to - no improvisations were done. Also the fact - from the reviews - this is a rather cold character - no arc - no progression - no realisation - no u-turns - more like that 'mottai thalai' in Anjaadhe - but visible and with a need to function in climax (the mottai thalai in Anjaadhe does nothing and is inconsequential).
sithan - traditional character who progresses from being an outcast - to a member of a ganja gang to a member of a circle of friends to back to the start due to circmstances. The arc is a perfect circle and I dont know if the arc makes him endearing or the antics. Probably both. he is not an unstoppable force - the police are easily able to compromise him and trap him, Sakthi is able to control him - Looks like rudran is more of a primordial force incomprehensible and unstoppable. He obliges because he feels like - no reasons attached - definitely a hard character to like, sympathize or empathize. Siththan is someone whom you feel for and therefore even if we dont empahize him or relate to him, we still find it easy to feel sad or happy for him. Looks like PR there is an effort to compare apples and oranges here.

[Nerd]

Well, it's quite problematic to say that characters are more "real" because they are more commonplace. Agreed that his latter films dealt with people who are on the fringe of society, but I don't get why you say those relationships are any less "real."
I dont know how to explain but let me try. As you put it, sriman or sivakumar or abitha's dad characters are commonplace and I as a viewer could easily relate to them. OTOH, I had problems with the charecterizations in PM, even surya's. If you put thANdavan in place of surya and if he had done what Surya does to Laila in their first meeting, it would have felt so different. Surya was so evil in that scene, stripping Laila off all her belongings. But we know, its Surya, one of the protagonists and he would not do something which is bad. And the whole romance thread between them was dealt in a superficial manner.

Vikram's side of the relationship (with surya) was brought out beautifully. But I don't get how Surya becomes that close with Vikram. He goes to the extent of tattooing his name in his heart. At least sithan was longing for *love*, surya has got everything in his life, is it not!

Disclaimer: Have seen PM only once, five years back as soon as it released. So I might be missing something.

[equanimus]

The Balu Mahendra in him shines through the first 15 mins. I doubt if there had been any other movie in our cinema with such impctful first 15 mins (Apoorva Sagodharargal comes to my mind). The harikatha, Pradosham in the start - one old guy enquiring Nandhaa's mother (we wonder why she is not replying), Ameer as nandhaa's father - the kid - in a fit of anger - then the siruvar seerthiruththa palli - 'engengo song' with its montages telling a story instead of dragging it back - amazing story progression old in visually arresting style - Rathnavelu and Bala - pure auteurs.
Absolutely, Jaiganes. I couldn't agree more. This is exemplary economical screenwriting. The whole film is superbly shot. And by the way, I don't think the man who plays Nandhaa's father is Ameer.

While everyone enjoyed the tracks of Lodukku paandi, I laughed the first time in theatre - but later on pushed the fat forward.
I agree again. Though quite funny in itself, it's the weakest comedy track among Bala's films. It's quite indifferently done, and more importantly, simply (or should I say rudely) interrupts the narrative here and there.

The climax - though well justified (with Mangai cursing nandhaa in front of his house with sand - opening up old wounds of the mother) seemed to be thrust upon the narrative - my friend remarking at that scene - 'tthaa saava poraanda'.
I've thought about this too -- whether the climax is thrust upon just for the sake of it. But I think it's a potent ending and a truly resonant tragic closure. Psychologically, the mother is the one who finds it most difficult to come to terms with a bad son (bad offspring if you will). It's an old trope (from 'Mother India' to 'Vaastav'), but I found it effective here. In some ways, the whole story is about a family -- the mother, the father and the son -- in an Oedipal situation. The son overthrows his father. This is what's most disturbing for the mother and she can't come to unite with him. In Periyavar, he finds the father he never had. And when his mother finally comes around to reconcile (he has to do his pithruk kadan to wash away the memories of the dhurmaraNam), he has already embraced Periyavar as his surrogate father. But he can't have them both.

[equanimus]

I shudder to think of the original casting of Sivaji in Raj Kiran's role - that would have simply sent 500 MW jolts on the silver screen - wouldn't it have?
Like PR, I too am not sure if it'd have played out just as ambiguous had Sivaji played it (keeping in mind the preconceived image of someone as stellar as Sivaji). Bala is extremely sly with respect to the Periyavar character. He's an immensely respected and ruthless Godfather-like figure, compassionate but just as much terrifying. The powerful patriarch of an erstwhile Royal family who at some level mourns his waning power in independent India. His is a superbly written role. And Raj Kiran is just brilliant -- the best performance in the film, and to my mind, in his career too.

[groucho070]

I wouldn't say Bala is entirely original. He is a definitely an artistic heir to Barathiraja. And, he is definitely better than the current Barathiraja.

Naan Kadavul is a milestone flick, and Bala is an important figure in the Tamizh Film Industry for sure.

My thoughts on the film (again, if you missed).

http://grouchydays.blogspot.com/2009/02/naan-kadavul.html

Agree in parts. Especially the damsel-in-distress grouse. One can argue that it is a spiritual metaphor that the soul longing for liberation is 'feminine' across cultures and the liberator masculine.

But you see that's the kind of thing one would labour with when the film is engaging enough. This just left me feeling "ahn...appuram !"

Like a standup comic who doesn't get his laugh dipping to coarser humour, the film turned progressively violent for effect. When thAndavan smashes up Pooja one can't help but think of the initial scene where thAndavan rips a mute cripple with a karukku.

I vehemently disagree on the contention that this is better than Pithamagan. It was so easy to easy to feel the relationships of the people there. It felt so real - a word fraught with risk.

Nothing comparable here with the possible exception of Murugan.
Here when the mother slaps father, feels heartbroken at her son's rejection it hardly seemed to matter.

Thanks for the comment in my blog PR. As usual, you make me think in retrospect.


My issue with Pithamagan is simply the performances of the leads. Vikram and Surya seems to be trying too hard. Whenever they are acting, no matter which film they are in, they seemed to be...acting.
That puts me off. Best compliment my dad used to give to any actor is, "he doesn't know how to act", as opposed to "he can't act".

Am a bit snobbish when it comes to acting, so that is why I was put off by the performances in PM. Otherwise, its a technically very competent film.

But as I said earlier, you made me re-evaluate the film. Paarpom, several years down the road eppadi irukkum-nu.

[sarna_blr]

Vikram's side of the relationship (with surya) was brought out beautifully. But I don't get how Surya becomes that close with Vikram. He goes to the extent of tattooing his name in his heart. At least sithan was longing for *love*, surya has got everything in his life, is it not!

Disclaimer: Have seen PM only once, five years back as soon as it released. So I might be missing something.

wn Surya got beaten up police and threw into jail and the following scenes will answer ur question :)

[crajkumar_be]

My problems with PM in short:
(a) Sithan characterization. This is the disconnect. Idha mayyama vechu thaane padame irukku....
I actually find this criticism rather vague. I wonder if people are seriously engaging with the character at all. Ultimately of course, it boils down to whether or not one is bought into the very idea of the film, the central conceit if you will. But don't get why people find it so hard to believe that he does not talk in the film. Aren't there many people around us who hardly talk? I'm not presuming that this is your major problem with him. It's just that I think this is one of the things people are really dogmatic about vis-a-vis Siththan. So I'm just addressing this as a starting point.

Sithan is shown as a "Mouglee", or Truffaut's "Ugly Child". Contrived and artificial. Fit agalaye...


(c) The depth of friendship between Sakthi->Sithan. Is the basis strong enough?
What depth? Siththan is someone who has barely "discovered" human bonding. His relationship with Sakthi is awkward. That actually makes their ends even more affecting. But yes, Bala is very economical here and gives less screen time show how they become friends, etc.
[/quote]
Nerd ketta madhiri, this is also a bit contrived. It is so because Bala says so. Its not about screen time.

The Laila-Surya episodes might have provided comic relief (and irritation) but sirappo thanichirappo irukkara madhiri theriyala




See? :) My angst here is actually not that many people haven't watched the film fully, but with respect to how readily people echo the most generic "readings" of the film without themselves having seen it keenly or engaged with it seriously. I'm talking about arbitrarily thrown comments on the lines of "the heroes in Bala's films are psychos/unrealistic." Just prod them a bit more about what they imagine to be a "realistic" patricide situation, they would just give up.

Actually i have commented very little on Nanda AFAIR (Neenga podhuva thaan solreenga nu puriyidhu....)

[crajkumar_be]

I vehemently disagree on the contention that this is better than Pithamagan. It was so easy to easy to feel the relationships of the people there. It felt so real - a word fraught with risk.


Erkanave sonna madhiri, disagree. Sithan, Sakthi->Sithan, Sakthi-Layla.. idhu real aana Naan Kadavul beggars relationship real illaya? :huh:

[P_R]

Erkanave sonna madhiri, disagree. Sithan, Sakthi->Sithan, Sakthi-Layla.. idhu real aana Naan Kadavul beggars relationship real illaya? :huh:

Sakthi is the only (first) guy - excluding thAthA- to take Siththan for what he is. He 'understands' him in his own way. Siththan is shown to 'care' or atleast try to conect/understand Sakthi. (piRaiyE piRaiyE). That too is borne out of reciprocity- only to the extent Siththan can understand a feeling like that. Gomathi feels the connection much milder, but Sakthi is the free spirit and feels personally about getting him bailed out. The scene were he hoists the released Siththan and Vikram's mix of perplexion and joy are so natural - here I go again. IR in full flow.

Sakthi's hilarious drunken repentance for armtwisting Manju- seen in NK's Murugan - ably makes amends for his crookedness in the first encounter (if at all that is something to be made amends for). Manju is shown to be madcap - admittedly over the top. But was it ever too difficult to see the mOdhal-to-kAdhal ? The scene where he goes to meet her after getting released from prison is all about one dunce and one playing dunce to match the other. idhukku mEla avanga enna pEsikka/pagirndhukka mudiyum, before they get together.

The 'family' centering around Gomathi just happens without any conscious step-by-step set up. The coming together and oneness shown in iLankAththu veesuthE just has no rough edges.

Overall it is a film that draws us naturally inot thinking about relationships.For starters: the father protects the son from the "slings and arrows of outrageous" society. There are role reversals in this relationship that time brings about. But with Siththan and Sakthi the blurred line of parent-ward roles and who failed whom (if at all any failed the other) is left to us. ippidi ellAm I couldn't bother with NK.

NK beggars camaraderie, vulnerability all fine. But after a point the humour seemed to be there just for being funny. For instance the scene where Murugan - who IMO is the most impressive character in NK - brings Pooja to her 'spot'. The"engaNNaNai oru thozhiladhibar aakki, oru nadigaiyai katti vaikkalAmnu paarthaa.." :lol:

Murugan's dialogue and ensuing reply (enna nee vara vara pichaikAran kittayE pichchai edukkura) were sure funny. But 'unreal'. IMO of course. Till then he is shown to have as much/little softness as he can afford but is no less brutal in that he is an accomplice to brutality. That they bully him, empathize with, urimai eduththufy with him (indha kazhudhai moothiraththai kudichchA thEn unakku pAsam pongum) are all quite fine. But would does the public meekness in that moment of bowing go with him or was it engineered for the laugh. adhu dhaan prachanai.I felt the latter. It was so damn un-Bala like.

Many many like this. Nair was so damn surface, the 2 laksh to 10 lakh price jump made when the ugly man is within earshot was so naive, the reactions to his face, evandA saami dialogue my AryA, the multiple challenged midget 'God' opening eyes and smiling at Arya's sanskrit elaboration of Godness .....so many moments that tried to be but just wasn't.

[equanimus]

See? :) My angst here is actually not that many people haven't watched the film fully, but with respect to how readily people echo the most generic "readings" of the film without themselves having seen it keenly or engaged with it seriously. I'm talking about arbitrarily thrown comments on the lines of "the heroes in Bala's films are psychos/unrealistic." Just prod them a bit more about what they imagine to be a "realistic" patricide situation, they would just give up.

Actually i have commented very little on Nanda AFAIR (Neenga podhuva thaan solreenga nu puriyidhu....)
Yes. I was commenting in general, wasn't addressing it to you at all. Clarifying it just in case. It's the arbitrary meaningless comments like "Bala's protagonists are psychos" that really gets my goat.

We'll continue to talk about the "Mowgli-like" strains in Siththan. I'm not sure if it's a problem in itself. In some sense, it's as if Bala removed Mowgli from the comic book setting and put him in the graveyard of a village in Theni district. As for the playful Sakthi-Manju relationship, I've nothing to say really. It's largely a comedy track. Ultimately, this sort of inter-class "opposites attract" romance that is all too familiar in Tamil cinema, and Bala is just playing it out to the audience there. The film revolves around Siththan and the two people who take him in their arms, Sakthi and Gomathi. Siththan is the central concern for the film. The film simply expects the audience to buy that. (And frankly, I think dwelling on Sakthi and Manju is to miss the whole point.)

That is why we see that the film glosses over Sakthi's and Gomathi's feelings for Siththan. I'd go as far to say, we see glimpses of their affection like Siththan himself would have. Sakthi's death is itself a MacGuffin of sorts. (Why, the film doesn't stay too long with Sakthi even when he's about to die! It's through Siththan we actually come to know that he's dead.) It's the end of Siththan's journey that is more important to the film than Sakthi's death. Ultimately, the film worked for me that way. It's as if Bala sets up the film all for Siththan. For instance, the film wouldn't have been a fraction as interesting had it ended with a tokenistic retribution by Siththan (or, say, no retribution at all). It's the way Bala stages the climax that makes the film what it is. Consider the moment where Siththan stares at his dead friend's skulls. It's a bravura moment, and as far as I'm concerned, reason enough to look past all the off-key notes in the film.

[sarna_blr]

Nair was so damn surface, the 2 laksh to 10 lakh price jump made when the ugly man is within earshot was so naive
ivlO yosippeengalaa :o

ippadiyum konjam yOsingalEn :) eththanai-eththanai avamaanangal, eththanai-eththanai yElanangal, iththanayum thaangikkonda sevigal/idhayam(ugly man's) , alpa panaththirkaa varuththappadappOgiradhu :?

[P_R]

sarna, I am not saying that guy will care. 2-10 lakh is a huge jump even for him. But even then we can assume that away. But a middle man like Nair is unlikely to go from a 2 lakh to 10 lakh just like that. idhai thaan unreal 'ngrEn

[rajasaranam]

Many many like this. Nair was so damn surface, the 2 laksh to 10 lakh price jump made when the ugly man is within earshot was so naive, the reactions to his face, evandA saami dialogue my AryA, the multiple challenged midget 'God' opening eyes and smiling at Arya's sanskrit elaboration of Godness .....so many moments that tried to be but just wasn't.

ippidi ellAm I couldn't bother with NK.


PR,

Agreed completely on Nair and his characterization. For me the complete timeline of the movie was put into jeopardy due to this 'Nair'. When Rudran is seeking out for 'Ganja' in the beginning he comes to the spot where a prostitute and the police constable are standing. She tells "Ada poyaa nee vera 'Margazhi' maasamum athuvuma pasanga ellam maala pottuttu irukaanga....ithula unakku vaera padi alakanuma" to the constable. The establishment of time factor in the movie can never be clearer than this that the film is happening during december-January/Maargazhi-Thai, until Nair comes to thandavan few days later and tells him "Onam ramsannu pandigai ellam varuthu...Puthu urupadinga venum". The first time he was not wearing a maalai but the next time when he comes to buy Amasavalli He is wearing a maalai and utters 'Saami saranam' after telling about the sexual needs of the ugly man.

His whole character was contrived and seemed just to bring in the 'conflict' plot establishment in the movie. Could've been done better without this character IMO too and the screenplay could've been crafted better when 'Bala' had taken his own sweet time, making 'Ajith' wait for so long, in the pretext that he is not yet ready with the screenplay.

Thus said, apart from this I still this is a great movie (Sathiyama naalu vaatti thuttu aluthotomaennu illa :lol: Given a chance I wish to revisit this movie again and again)

Ippadi ellam you couldn't bother with NK and that is where Bala has succeeded, by disconnecting the viewers from 'Ruthran' or even 'Amsavalli'. One is beyond our comprehension with a powerful aura and the other is weak minded and a meek personality who takes life as it comes and surrenders to the demanding situation. If Dimple or Murugan did not fuel her against the ugly man I would not wonder if she had accepted marrying him. Thus was her character built by 'Bala'. The final dialogue of her did not make me sympathetic on her... I thought 'Romba azhugaachi panra'! earlier too the scene where she advises Rudran about motherhood ?I thought 'Romba pesra'. I don't remember her smiling in the whole movie...her life is a pathetic one and 'Rudran' justly ends it.

Given these are case with the principle characters of the movie how do you expect a Pithamagan'ish emotional connect with them or the movie on whole? PM was a league of its own with every character oveflowing with fun filled life and later bringing in 'Sithan' also within their life... Later he dances during the simran episode...A dance which was forbidden for him till then. Its very natural for us connect here...while its also very natural for us not to connect with NK :)

[complicateur]

I would like to know what impressed you (and Compli) in PM (Director Bala thread ku sift aidalaam) :)
Compli wrote about the film after he got to revisit it some weeks back. I missed to respond to that post back then. (I at least wanted to mini-rant about the general misperception that Ameer "introduced" ganjA karuppu. :))
Yes the short thamizh condensation of the ideas are on the first page of this thread. I figured it was bound to come up in post-NK discussion especially in light of the Siththan vs. Rudran discussions. A lot of what R says in his posts are all mentioned (though probably not as eloquently in that post). And yes that Ganja kudukki in the intro scenes for Gomathi is 'Ganja' karuppu. Avinga ellAm orE saving settu!

A repost of the repost below.


An old post. Just re-posting because it might be pertinent (pertinent-ngrAru). After much thought about NK I think PithAmagan is still BAlA's best, purely in cinematic terms.


பிதாமகன் - கடவுளும் குழந்தையும்
தலைப்பிலே எந்த இரண்டு உறவுகளை படம் அலசுகிறது என்று தெரிந்து விடுகிறது.
அசுர வளர்ச்சி அடைந்த குழந்தையென சித்தனைக் கொள்ளலாம். அவனுக்கும் சமூகத்தை அவனுக்கு அறிமுகப் படுத்தும் முதல் ஆணான சக்திக்கும் உள்ள பித்ருத்துவ உறவு என படத்தைக் கொள்ளலாம். முதலில் பரிவும், உணவும் ஊட்டுபவள் தான் தாய் - கோமதி. அவனை சமூகத்தின் போலித்தனத்திலிருந்து பொறுப்பாக காப்பவன் தந்தை - சக்தி. போதையிலும், காவல் துரையின் கம்படியிலும் சக்தி தடுமாறும்போது சித்தனை தோள் கொடுக்க செய்து மகனே பிதாவாகிடும் நிலையையும் படம் உணர்த்திவிடுகிறது.
[உபயம் equanimus] உணவு முடிந்து கை கழுவும் குழந்தை சித்தனிடம் தண்ணி ஊற்றும் கஞ்சா குடுக்கி ஒரு வேண்டுகோள் விடுக்கிறான். "அண்ணே என்னைய கொஞ்சம் ஞாபகம் வெச்சுக்கோங்க. கூடிய சீக்கிரம் என்னைய அங்க கொண்டுகிட்டு வந்துருவைங்க.எரியும்போது முறுக்கேறி எழுந்திரிசிபுடிச்சா அடிச்சுபுடாதீங்க. தாங்கமாட்டேன். அதட்டுங்க, படுத்துகுடுவேன்". இது ஒரு வெட்டியானிடம் உறைப்பதாகவே தெரியவில்லை. கடவுளிடம் கோருவதாகவே எனக்கு தெரிந்தது - குழந்தையும் தெய்வமும் குணத்தால் ஒன்றல்லவா? ஒரு கஞ்சா குடுக்கிக்கு உள்ள அடக்கமும், வாழ்க்கை புரிதலும் சமூகத்தில் உள்ள சில சராசரி மனிதர்களுக்கு இல்லாமல் பொய் விடுகிறது.

எல்லோருக்கும் தந்தையான ஆதி மனிதனெனவும் சித்தனைக் கொள்ளலாம். அவனிலிருந்து எவ்வளவு விலகி வந்து விட்டோம் என்று இன்றைய சமூகத்தின் மறதி நிரூபித்துவிடுகிறது. பரோட்டாவை பங்கிடுவதற்கே பயப்படுகிறது. இதில் "நாரப்பய ஊர்" மீது பழி வேறு. பல்வேறு காரணங்களால் ஊரை விட்டு தள்ளி வைக்கப் பட்டவளாகவே வாழ்ந்த போதிலும் ஊரை வைதவனை திருப்பி வைகிறாள் கோமதி. சமூகம் தள்ளி வைத்தவளுக்கு தான் அதன் மேல் எத்தனை பரிவு! அதே பரிவு சித்தனிடமும் காட்டுகிறாள். காலபோக்கில் பரிவு காதலாகவும், தாய் தாரமாகவும் மாற முற்பட்டு எல்லாம் கூடி வரும் வேளையில் குடி மூழ்கிப் பொய் விடுகிறது. இளையராஜாவும் தனது இசையால் இந்த எடிபல் (oedipal) உறவை உணர வைக்கிறார்.
படத்தின் துவக்கத்தில் கருப்பு வெள்ளையில் ஒரு கருவுண்ட பெண் மயான பூமியை அடைகிறாள். பிரசவ வலி அவளை தாக்கும் பொழுதே அது வரை வந்த பின்னணி இசையில் மாற்றங்கள் புகுத்தி விடுகிறார் இசையராஜா. ஒரு சூரியகிரணத்தின் இடைவெளியில் ஒரு மகனைப் பிரசவித்து அவள் மாண்டு போகும் முன் பின்னணி இசை மாற்றமடைந்து முற்றும் பெற்று விடுகிறது. அவன் பிறந்தவுடன் உலகமெலாம் நிரமுற்று நிற்கிறது அனால் அவன் வாழ்வில் உறவின் இசை இல்லை. அந்த இசையும் உறவும் மறுபடி கோமதியை சந்திக்கும் பொழுது தான் திரும்ப வரும். குறிப்பாக உணவு உண்டு கோமதியை சித்தன் பின் தொடரும் பொழுது பின்னணியில் சித்தனை தரித்த தாய்க்கு கொடுத்த அதே இசையை அங்கும் பொருத்துகிறார் ராஜா. பிராய்டு (Freud) சந்தோஷப்படுவார். :)

[complicateur]

RS,
Valid points about Amsavalli and marrying the Ramanathapuram trader. Why must she be informed of his deformity? Even if she is why would someone with no concept of visual beauty be disinclined to 'marry' someone because of his looks [I see the obvious 'she can feel his face with her hands' argument coming]?
From the Wiki on 'Conceit' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceit) : "In the metaphysical conceit, metaphors have a much more purely conceptual, and thus tenuous, relationship between the things being compared. Helen Gardner[2] observed that "a conceit is a comparison whose ingenuity is more striking than its justness" and that "a comparison becomes a conceit when we are made to concede likeness while being strongly conscious of unlikeness.""

To me NK is a film where the ingenuity is more striking than the justness. To use a personal classification "idea-ellAm nallA thEn irukku".

Disconnected people are the toughest characters to represent on screen. A screenplay writing teacher once told me that "a character who is dispassionate immediately engenders a lack of interest in the audience - so never write a dispassionate character". She was of course speaking from a very 'American' standpoint but I understood her point of view. This is why I was very intrigued with Rudran and how BAlA was going to pull it off. To me it felt like BAlA decided to let RAjA shoulder that emotional load by trying to get the audience to be in either 'fear' or 'awe' of Rudran. This tactic maybe a little hit or miss.

Rudran exists as an independent entity, structurally as well as in terms of his connection with the rest of the character's. One cannot connect with Rudran because that was never the intention. So PR's 'ahn appurom...' reaction is not completely surprising to me.

[equanimus]

And yes that Ganja kudukki in the intro scenes for Gomathi is 'Ganja' karuppu.
Of course. That's where he got the prefix of his screen name from. Actually when I read your response to my post about that scene, I was wondering if you had just noticed him. Ameer has often just borrowed his supporting cast from other films, never mind the grand showboating about bringing in "unknown" faces. (Ok, I've vented it out!)

[P_R]

In the metaphysical conceit, metaphors have a much more purely conceptual, and thus tenuous, relationship between the things being compared. Helen Gardner[2] observed that "a conceit is a comparison whose ingenuity is more striking than its justness" and that "a comparison becomes a conceit when we are made to concede likeness while being strongly conscious of unlikeness.""

idhai naan veettukku pOyi padikkiREn

[rajasaranam]

Compli,

Thanks for adding onto my insights :) I had pondered about this too much trying to find out the mind of 'Amsavalli'. The disconnect with Rudran was very obvious, while with 'Amsavalli' Bala has masterfully crafted her to make us disconnect from her. :thumbsup:

'Amsavalli' never felt herself a worthy human being for survival. She doesnt care for her own life much, unlike the other people around her who have found meaning in their crippled existence. She takes in whatever comes in her way without cribbing about it hence when confronted by the question 'Ennada paattu paadi gouvrathaya sambarichittu irunthome, inga vanthu pitchai edukka vechutaangalennu nenachu alaraalo ennamo?' she replies 'Athellam onnum illai akka' in a nonchalant attitude. Yes she is crying at that moment due to the shock of finding herself in a new surrounding but she will take this up and move on, never trying to get back to her earlier family. Same will happen to her if married to the 'Disfigured' man (Atleast she would have settled in life, given that he was a wealthy man ;)).

The concept of being tossed around like a commodity comes to her only after her being 'enlightened' by Dimple and Murugan and again added on to the fuel by a Christian nun, that she tries to confront 'Thandavan'...and after being rendered severely by him, she meekly surrenders herself to 'Rudran' about whom she has 'heard' that he has the power to heal her wounds and would relieve her from her pains. She is not worthy of anybody's sympathy and 'Rudran' sees that with his logically sympathetic mind hence his answer to her call is justified. Remember the first time she tries to get his help, he tries to wring himself off from her clutches as though asking 'Ennai yeandi thontharavu panra?'.
I also think that only as an afterthought during film making, when the character was completely perceived by him, that 'Bala' had removed those songs (Kannil Paarvai, Amma un pillai, Oru kaatril alaiyum) evoking sympathy on 'Amsavalli'. Antha paattellam irunthiruntha very 'emosanal hathyachaar' aayIrunthirukkum, but we (PR'um saerthi) would've made a connection :)

One other thing which is running in my mind is the songs which she sings are not in her own voice. Was this also pre-conceived by Bala in her character building so as to show her not having any sort of 'Self-Identity' or is it a mere thought to show her as a mimicry artist. (Even then I feel mimicry artists are people who don't have any kind of self respect or self identity, though I acknowledge it as a form of art...Deva'vavum oru artist thaane avaru entha composer'a mimic pannalum :)).


One another character whom this disconnection was there is 'Rudran's father namachivayam (Intha paerae oru azhagu thaan - Appan namachivaayam pulla sivohum). Innum avara pathi yosikkala Ana mangalA oru thought mattum irukku 'Tha josiyakaaran paeachu kaettuttu chinna pulliaya kasi'la kondu vittuttu vanthavan thaan antha rascolu'.

Ippadiyaaga neraiya vishayangal irukku for making us disconnected from the movie, 'Rudran' and 'Amsavalli' while Bala has kept us engaged and connected with most of the other characters appearing in the film including the mother of 'Rudran'. Athunaalathaan 'Characterisation'la intha padam 'Pithamagan'a thaandiduchunnu solla vaendi irukku. Screenplay and plot construction'la chinna chinna kuraigal irunthaalum.

[rajasaranam]

...இதையும் சொல்லிடனும் 'வாழ கூடாதவர்கள் நிறைய பேர் இருக்கலாம் ஆனால் வாழ முடியாதவர்கள் அம்சவல்லி போல் எத்தனை பேரை சந்திப்போம் நாம்?' Rudran doesnt do the same he did to Amsavalli, to any of the other onlookers from the same 'clan' because they have formulated their meaning for life and he had already liberated them from 'Thandavan'. Amsavalli is the one who cannot confront with the world and he does what has to be done before returning back to his abode in kasi.

[equanimus]

the other is weak minded and a meek personality who takes life as it comes and surrenders to the demanding situation. If Dimple or Murugan did not fuel her against the ugly man I would not wonder if she had accepted marrying him. Thus was her character built by 'Bala'. The final dialogue of her did not make me sympathetic on her... I thought 'Romba azhugaachi panra'! earlier too the scene where she advises Rudran about motherhood ?I thought 'Romba pesra'. I don't remember her smiling in the whole movie...her life is a pathetic one and 'Rudran' justly ends it.
Whoa, couldn't disagree more, Rajasaranam. I'm not sure what to make of Amsavalli's death (I seriously doubt that the film really attempts to resolve anything at all apropos of her death), but this, it just isn't. I'm actually amazed that you're not only reading the film this way (like many of the film's critics have), but also commending it in that light.

On a different note, I think the disfigured man is a terrific ploy though it's not very well realised in the film. It came off like a Marxist counterpoint in the film's examination of lives of the physical deformed/disabled.

[Nerd]

Nair was so damn surface, the 2 laksh to 10 lakh price jump made when the ugly man is within earshot was so naive
:huh:
First of all, thANdavan is neither as powerful or as clever as periyavar (nandhA). The price jump was made because,
1. The ugly dude was going to live with thANdavan for a few hours (which later becomes days) and he was the one who tries to buy pooja and 'obviously Nair can't cheat thANdavan in front of him.
2. Quoting 2L would have hurt the ego of the ugly dude, that's why it warranted such a sharp reaction from the 'nair'

RS, amsavaLLi was shown laughing to her heart's content in the ammAvum neeyE scene (with live commentary from the midget lady). She was living happily there until the ugly dude enters.

[complicateur]

Whoa, couldn't disagree more, Rajasaranam. I'm not sure what to make of Amsavalli's death (I seriously doubt that the film really attempts to resolve anything at all apropos of her death), but this, it just isn't. I'm actually amazed that you're not only reading the film this way (like many of the film's critics have), but also commending it in that light.
Are you rejecting outright the allegory to the somewhat populist Hindu belief of reincarnation until salvation? Or are you just rejecting that Hamsavalli was a form of life that 'deserved' it?


On a different note, I think the disfigured man is a terrific ploy though it's not very well realised in the film. It came off like a Marxist counterpoint in the film's examination of lives of the physical deformed/disabled. This is far too succinct. Tayam kedachchA konjam espand paNrathu. Are you talking about the 'liberation' of an 'uruppadi' because of his finances?

[P_R]

Ippadi ellam you couldn't bother with NK and that is where Bala has succeeded, by disconnecting the viewers from 'Ruthran' or even 'Amsavalli'.

Hmm.....actually I am not sure how to react to this too :-)

At some level I think objective standards for art appreciation is essentially futile. Appeal is essentially subjective. But no doubt we will and have to keep trying to aim to move towards objectivity. But it is more a process of trying to understand why we like what we like. But the liking happens first. (Atleast for me).

I for one, just can never make a statement like "it is a great film but it did not interest me". Because it is my experience of enjoying it that I bother to evaluate, explain and in many ways relive.

Which is why I started with : it was either hit or miss. And this one missed.

When we (I mean I) like something I tend to shrink faults and expand goods. Reverse when I dislike. I try to be conscious about shrinking/expansion but I have to acknowledge that it is not something consciously done either. It just happens. In some ways all discussions here and elsewhere are failed attempts.

So when you say Bala's sucess was in leaving the viewer disconnected/ aloof, that doesn't seem like a "success" to me. Sometime back Jaiganes mentioned something like, movies that make you react strongly, even if negatively are successes. (Jai, correct me if I understood wrong). I just don't see it that way. That it has to appeal to my conscious likings, is the only yardstick I am comfortable with.

Apropos of nothing :

Many great films of all time leave me untouched. I don't say this in a blase, so-what-if-its-great-it's-not-good-enough-for-me coolness. Those are earnest attempts that have not worked. Much like poetry with reputation that you want to enjoy. Sometimes you "try" (and it is not something to be frowned at to "try" to like and expect it to be a natural love-at-first-sight click all the time). But it doesn't always work.

[rajasaranam]

equa,

I think I've elaborated on my reading of the movie in further posts. Will you also elaborate on your reading so that we can move on further into better understanding...or shall we conclude like I said in an earlier post that this is a postmodern movie opening up multiple possibilities and interpretations in extremes.

(Neenga post pannuveengannu ethirpaarthu Dictionary.com site open panni vechirukkaen :) )

[P_R]

In the metaphysical conceit, metaphors have a much more purely conceptual, and thus tenuous, relationship between the things being compared. Helen Gardner[2] observed that "a conceit is a comparison whose ingenuity is more striking than its justness" and that "a comparison becomes a conceit when we are made to concede likeness while being strongly conscious of unlikeness.""

idhai naan veettukku pOyi padikkiREn

Not sure if I got it. Particularly what the "comparison" is all about ?I am guessing, by comparison what is meant is the connection to oneself or atleast one's conception of "reality" .

i.e. There is no reason to believe something of this sort may not have happened within the "reality of the movie". Whether the viewer has bought into that or not is the question. Correct me if I am wrong.

It is not so much the aloofness of Rudran alone that is the problem. varisaiyA varEn... The indhi pandit's acting (household reactions) didn't feel (assume the appropriate word) 'natural', namachivAyam's swoon, weeping moping mother, her sense of loss...edhuvumE.....

For instance when he dismisses her with the siththar pAdal and she comes home and begins the initation ritual for her daughter, it is a wonderful moment. One child of hers has rejected, even cheapened the very bondage she is initiating her second child into.
(Kasi Aghori acquainted with SivavAkkiyar...ok he started off in a Tamil mutt....okay but SivavAkkiyar was essentially not Vedic, no belief in rebirth, let alone taking up the responsibility of breaking rebirth cycles....okay he just quotes appropriately like every well read guy. yaaru Jayamohan-A ?)

But that scene where she declares him to be a suyambu, was again a miss for me. If it was more convincing to feel her loss, her disappointment and understanding of her son's bondless state, that scene/situation would have been awesome.

What else could have been done to achieve all this. I honestly have no answer.

[P_R]

Ameer has often just borrowed his supporting cast from other films, never mind the grand showboating about bringing in "unknown" faces. (Ok, I've vented it out!)
I noticed much later that poNaNthinni - arguably the best character in Paruthiveeran - actually came in VirumaaNdi (with a near similar voice). He is the guy who handa Kamal the matchbox in the scene where the beehive is disturbed.

[P_R]

Nair was so damn surface, the 2 laksh to 10 lakh price jump made when the ugly man is within earshot was so naive
:huh:
First of all, thANdavan is neither as powerful or as clever as periyavar (nandhA).

All the more reason for Nair.


The price jump was made because,
1. The ugly dude was going to live with thANdavan for a few hours (which later becomes days) and he was the one who tries to buy pooja and 'obviously Nair can't cheat thANdavan in front of him.
It is not about 'cheating' Nerd. Every middle man is going to talk about payment. When thANdavan is expecting 2L why would Nair straight jumpt to 10 L ? It is in his interest to be "fair" to both his 'clients'. And the magnitude of 2L to 10L to all three is huge - even to the ugly Dude.
Convincing-A illai. It was pretty rushed.

In the whole deal what I enjoyed the most was the final kick thAndavan gives the ugly guy. Even though 10L is insanely huge for thANdavan, he is not going to change himself to get it. Not just that, it also shows that money still does not suffice for someone like the ugly guy to earn the respect of someone who purportedly is what he is in the quest for money/power.


2. Quoting 2L would have hurt the ego of the ugly dude, that's why it warranted such a sharp reaction from the 'nair'
Why would it hurt the ego ? That he got him something 'cheap' instead of a 'bride' whose price/worth would be more ?

[P_R]

By the way, Nair is played by the guy who comes as Umapathi's right hand man in Agni Natchathram right ?

[rajasaranam]

It is not about 'cheating' Nerd. Every middle man is going to talk about payment. When thANdavan is expecting 2L why would Nair straight jumpt to 10 L ? It is in his interest to be "fair" to both his 'clients'. And the magnitude of 2L to 10L to all three is huge - even to the ugly Dude.
Convincing-A illai. It was pretty rushed.



May be Nair had some more 'business plans' that he needed to achieve through Thandavan while the 'Disfigured man' was just a one time client. Probably in this triangle Nair wanted only to impress Thandavan and get his confidence not the disfigured mans, If then this is perfectly OK... Business'la ithellam sAtharanamappa :D

[Nasc]

Nair was so damn surface, the 2 laksh to 10 lakh price jump made when the ugly man is within earshot was so naive
:huh:
First of all, thANdavan is neither as powerful or as clever as periyavar (nandhA).

All the more reason for Nair.


The price jump was made because,
1. The ugly dude was going to live with thANdavan for a few hours (which later becomes days) and he was the one who tries to buy pooja and 'obviously Nair can't cheat thANdavan in front of him.
It is not about 'cheating' Nerd. Every middle man is going to talk about payment. When thANdavan is expecting 2L why would Nair straight jumpt to 10 L ? It is in his interest to be "fair" to both his 'clients'. And the magnitude of 2L to 10L to all three is huge - even to the ugly Dude.
Convincing-A illai. It was pretty rushed.

In the whole deal what I enjoyed the most was the final kick thAndavan gives the ugly guy. Even though 10L is insanely huge for thANdavan, he is not going to change himself to get it. Not just that, it also shows that money still does not suffice for someone like the ugly guy to earn the respect of someone who purportedly is what he is in the quest for money/power.


2. Quoting 2L would have hurt the ego of the ugly dude, that's why it warranted such a sharp reaction from the 'nair'
Why would it hurt the ego ? That he got him something 'cheap' instead of a 'bride' whose price/worth would be more ?

adding to nerd's point -> the deformed dude sure wasnt some one concerned abt money rather the agony he had been having all his life,we see him not ready to accept someone who is unwilling .it denf talks a lot abt his character.may be he had already gone thru this ordeal earlier .its defn a clever potrayal by bala.

side note - I found the kusumbu of Bala in showing him right on our face first and then having it in the dialogue that one cant even have water for a month on seeing his face.that scene was a direct interaction bala had with the audience.

[Nasc]

glad to see someone mentioning Periyavar (from nandha)here.

IMO - Periyavar is the best characterization among bala's padaipugal.

[groucho070]

side note - I found the kusumbu of Bala in showing him right on our face first and then having it in the dialogue that one cant even have water for a month on seeing his face.that scene was a direct interaction bala had with the audience.

I thought the effect would have been better if we were revealed the face same moment as Thandavan did. You know, horror-movie editing style.

Another nit-picking: I was surprised that Thandavan got shocked looking at his face. I mean, he has been dealing with all kinds of disabled, and has no problem treating them bad. Shouldn't he be unsurprised with that face? Hmmm....sari vituduvoom.

[jaiganes]

Sometime back Jaiganes mentioned something like, movies that make you react strongly, even if negatively are successes. (Jai, correct me if I understood wrong). I just don't see it that way. That it has to appeal to my conscious likings, is the only yardstick I am comfortable with.

I mentioned in the sense that movies that are able to split the audience into camps -strongly agreeing vs strongly disagreeing are the ones where the director has succeeded - because the craft has caused reactions - which is the intention. On the other hand - if a movie is unanimously accepted - it would be a 'populist' and a compromising piece and if it is universally shunned - it would be a dud. For a strong movie - polarisation of audience - though unintended - is inescapable - unless and otherwise it is a Ghilli - Sholay kind of movie.
I did not mean that movie that makes you not react is a great movie. Bala's movies have always polarized the audience and that is one reason why he gets labelled by some as 'sensationalist' and exploitative director, while other call him a sensational and one making consistently movies on exploitation.

[rajasaranam]

Another nit-picking: I was surprised that Thandavan got shocked looking at his face. I mean, he has been dealing with all kinds of disabled, and has no problem treating them bad. Shouldn't he be unsurprised with that face? Hmmm....sari vituduvoom.

There is a subtle difference between 'Dimple' getting shocked seeing his face and 'Thandavan' being taken aback seeing his face...Thandavan infact is not atall shocked seeing him, its just a sense of disturbance at the first look and immediately he balances himself in acceptance...watch out for the ensuing dialogues 'sariyaana urupadiyya, ivana mattum maatha kovil vaasalla kondu poi poatta kaasa allidalaam illa'. He is well composed while telling this but in next frame Dimple is seen still in shock.

[groucho070]

Another nit-picking: I was surprised that Thandavan got shocked looking at his face. I mean, he has been dealing with all kinds of disabled, and has no problem treating them bad. Shouldn't he be unsurprised with that face? Hmmm....sari vituduvoom.

There is a subtle difference between 'Dimple' getting shocked seeing his face and 'Thandavan' being taken aback seeing his face...Thandavan infact is not atall shocked seeing him, its just a sense of disturbance at the first look and immediately he balances himself in acceptance...watch out for the ensuing dialogues 'sariyaana urupadiyya, ivana mattum maatha kovil vaasalla kondu poi poatta kaasa allidalaam illa'. He is well composed while telling this but in next frame Dimple is seen still in shock.

Hmm..okay, you got a point there. Yeah, he does say that.

[equanimus]

Whoa, couldn't disagree more, Rajasaranam. I'm not sure what to make of Amsavalli's death (I seriously doubt that the film really attempts to resolve anything at all apropos of her death), but this, it just isn't. I'm actually amazed that you're not only reading the film this way (like many of the film's critics have), but also commending it in that light.
Are you rejecting outright the allegory to the somewhat populist Hindu belief of reincarnation until salvation? Or are you just rejecting that Hamsavalli was a form of life that 'deserved' it?
Compli,
The latter, but it's not about deserving "salvation." I'm rejecting the theory that she is "justly" killed in the film because she is "weak minded and a meek personality who takes life as it comes and surrenders to the demanding situation." Rajasaranam's post dealt with only this notion of 'deserve,' isn't it? For instance, do you feel that the film tries to disconnect the audience from Amsavalli by showing her as a helpless (or feckless) being?!

An exhausted Amsavalli asks for death and Rudran, endha vidhamAna salanamum illAmal, gives her that. What does it mean? Some people have criticised the film for such a note of 'resolution.' But I think the film does NOT offer that as a resolution at all, forget "justifying" Amsavalli's death. If anything, it only tries to reiterate all the questions the film has raised until that point. Questions not just about Amsavalli's death but about her life as well. The former, as the film frames in a obvious manner for us, is God-given (a God-exclusive if you will).

[rajasaranam]

equa,

I think I've already wrote about this 'Vaazha mudiyathavangalukku tharra maranam'. What is it that Bala trying to say by reiterating this sentence twice/thrice in the movie.
There can be so many instances in between the two extremes of
Vaazha koodathavargal & vaazha mudiyathavargal like Vaazha theriyathavargal, vaazha vazhiyillathavaragal, vaazhakkai tholaithavargal, vaazha pidikaathavargal etc., Everyone in between can have retribution if we educate, show path or give a helping hand. But these 'Vaazha koodathavargal & Vaazha mudiyathavargal' are very dangerous to the social setup. Its that Bala & Rudran are seeing her as 'Vaazha mudiyathaval' they end her life as a 'Varam' (Definitely not as a punishment) to her pained soul. Had 'they' seen otherwise 'they' would've left her with the gang and gone away.


If anything, it only tries to reiterate all the questions the film has raised until that point. Questions not just about Amsavalli's death but about her life as well. The former, as the film frames in a obvious manner for us, is God-given (a God-exclusive if you will).

OK fine inga naan mattume konjam elaborate'a pesikkittu irukira mathiri irukku, you are just giving pointers and few glimpses into what you are thinking. Let me know what are questions the film is raising. I can understand that you are trying to say the film is non-conclusive and Bala has left us with questions alone. But my reading is there are well articulated questions and answers in the movie.

[equanimus]

equa,

I think I've elaborated on my reading of the movie in further posts. Will you also elaborate on your reading so that we can move on further into better understanding...or shall we conclude like I said in an earlier post that this is a postmodern movie opening up multiple possibilities and interpretations in extremes.
Rajasaranam,
Sorry for responding a bit late. Yes, I'll try to expand on my reading, but (as I said earlier) I'm not sure what to make of it all myself. I find Rudran's "brief interlude" at Malaikkoyil more than a bit absurd. The film constantly frames Rudran as the perfectly indifferent (the Nietzschean overman in terms of his amorality). In his guru's words, all living beings are the same for him. The only role he can play is the agent of death, and that is all he does. I think Bala is being very ambiguous here. In some ways, Bala is putting God in his place by framing Rudran as one. But whichever way I see it, I think the film ultimately heads to a moot point in these parts. Amsavalli's death is completely meaningless. (Is it just a note of resignation from Bala?)

What I objected to in your suggestion that the film frames Amsavalli exclusively (in the process, also rationalising why the rest of them aren't killed) as a living being who deserves death. Not for a moment did I feel Bala wanted to alienate us from Amsavalli. It's Rudran who's constantly alienated (I of course agree with you there), and naturally, we are alienated from his final action as well. As I said, I think the film reaches a moot point here. But even if there is more meaning to it, it just can't be along the lines of "Vaazha mudiyathavargal' are very dangerous to the social setup." Is that all, you think, Bala accomplishes with this film?!

[Sanguine Sridhar]

Bala kooda ivvalo yosichiruka maataru pola!

[sarna_blr]

Bala kooda ivvalo yosichiruka maataru pola!

kannil thOndrum kaatchiyil dhaan karpanai theerndhu vidum
kannil thOndraa kaatchiyil dhaan karpanai valarndhu varum :P

BTW SS , ur avatar suits ur post :wink: very well :thumbsup:

[equanimus]

Bala kooda ivvalo yosichiruka maataru pola!
Sanguine Sridhar,
I know you said it in jest and it is off-topic, but allow me to go on a tangent. It always amazes me how easily we condescend to local filmmakers. Why is that? For instance, if I, or anyone else for that matter, kept writing pages and pages about the latest Kaufman film, would someone ever make this remark? Ever?

The other day I read someone reflecting innocuously in a comment on Baradwaj Rangan's blog that he or she was expecting to read a conversation between the "much refined" Baradwaj Rangan and "raw unpolished carbon"-like Bala. I mean, what the hell! It's not like the said commenter doesn't like Bala as a filmmaker. He or she is actually likening him to diamond or something to that effect, and yet...

[P_R]

May be Nair had some more 'business plans' that he needed to achieve through Thandavan while the 'Disfigured man' was just a one time client. Probably in this triangle Nair wanted only to impress Thandavan and get his confidence not the disfigured mans, If then this is perfectly OK...

Even if he was intent on building a reputation with thANdavan than the other ugly man, the open loud jump offer like that was quite unbelievably odd.

Anyway, I will drop it here as this is a minor point compared to what RS/Eq are discussing.

[P_R]

Bala kooda ivvalo yosichiruka maataru pola!
Sanguine Sridhar,
I know you said it in jest and it is off-topic, but allow me to go on a tangent. It always amazes me how easily we condescend to local filmmakers. Why is that? For instance, if I, or anyone else for that matter, kept writing pages and pages about the latest Kaufman film, would someone ever make this remark? Ever?

The other day I read someone reflecting innocuously in a comment on Baradwaj Rangan's blog that he or she was expecting to read a conversation between the "much refined" Baradwaj Rangan and "raw unpolished carbon"-like Bala. I mean, what the hell! It's not like the said commenter doesn't like Bala as a filmmaker. He or she is actually likening him to diamond or something to that effect, and yet...

Eq. I am quite guilty of holding sentiments similar to what you quote. Rather than deny it or dismiss it hastily (slave mendality !), I am trying to understand why.

With the possible exception of Kamal, I don't expect consciousness of creating art from anyone else. This is not to be disrespectful to Bala. But I do harbour the notion that he is so damn good without even knowing it.

For instance when Orson Welles made Citizen Kane, everybody marvelled camera angle (below the ground looking up) in the post election scene between Welles and Joseph Cotton. When someone asked him if it was indeed (as critics concurred) to show the men larger than life in that political vs. friendship moment. Welles replied "I just thought it would look good". That is how I feel about Bala or say Balaji Sakthivel's Kadhal.

Compli's post is lovely - I read it multiple times yesterday. The musical continuity in the BGMs between Gomathi and the opening scene is very compelling evidence. But I would still take it as a beautiful interpretation of a rasikan. I would be surprised if Bala had indeed consciously put it together. Why ? Not sure. And I am not even one of those who says the intent of the artist does not matter. At the end of the day, I don't buy that thing. So if indeed Bala had intended it the way compli reads it, I would only feel even more happy about it.

Charlie Kaufman - I am willing to be hit by several Synechdoches - and it wouldn't scratch the surface on the intellectual (there I said the word) phenomenon that is Adaptation.

[complicateur]

Compli,
The latter, but it's not about deserving "salvation." I'm rejecting the theory that she is "justly" killed in the film because she is "weak minded and a meek personality who takes life as it comes and surrenders to the demanding situation." Rajasaranam's post dealt with only this notion of 'deserve,' isn't it? For instance, do you feel that the film tries to disconnect the audience from Amsavalli by showing her as a helpless (or feckless) being?!
Not really. Hence the quotes around deserved. Which is why I made the earlier reference about the metaphor being more ingenious than just.



Ippadi ellam you couldn't bother with NK and that is where Bala has succeeded, by disconnecting the viewers from 'Ruthran' or even 'Amsavalli'.

Hmm.....actually I am not sure how to react to this too :-)
Have to agree with PR. Disconnection from the character is not the same as feeling the disconnection of the character [to make a possible tangential connection think Travis Bickle].
And I second that all post-facto analysis is relevant only once one has liked the movie. I was consciously aware of myself deconstructing NK as I watched it.. as opposed to say PM where it happened after a second or third viewing when I was able to gain some dissance.

[equanimus]

PR,
Firstly, whether an artist did something consciously or not, never matters. (And that's why I consciously said that my tangential comment is off-topic in that it just doesn't matter here.) I'm sure you too agree with me here. Good is good is good. Whether the artist knew it or not is his or her headache. (There's a beautiful passage about "the insecure mind of an artist" in Sudara Ramasamy's preface to his first novel. I'm resisting quoting it.) I find it even romantic that an artist (or a mathematician for that matter!) is not aware of what all he or she is doing, and actually needs someone else to tell them that.

[Incidentally, I'd typed a rather long comment that I've not submitted yet in that post in response to another regular commenter who had questioned whether "Bala thought of all these." In that comment, I've dealt with that question in a more head-on fashion -- that it doesn't matter one bit.]

But what I'm saying is such trigger-happy condescension in itself very problematic. Attributing a sort of sophistication to someone like Baradwaj Rangan and not to Bala with little sense of history about the two smacks of elitism. I can't see it as just a comment that translates to "the artist is not conscious of it while Baradwaj Rangan is." That is why I picked Kaufman. Let's get more local. Would a Mani Ratnam or a Kamal Haasan ever look like "raw unpolished carbon" alongside Baradwaj Rangan?

[thilak4life]

Firstly, whether an artist did something consciously or not, never matters. (And that's why I consciously said that my tangential comment is off-topic in that it just doesn't matter here.) I'm sure you too agree with me here. Good is good is good. Whether the artist knew it or not is his or her headache. (There's a beautiful passage about "the insecure mind of an artist" in Sudara Ramsami's preface to his first novel. I'm resisting quoting it.) I find it even romantic that an artist (or a mathematician for that matter!) is not aware of what all he or she is doing, and actually needs someone else to tell them that.

.

[rajasaranam]

But even if there is more meaning to it, it just can't be along the lines of "Vaazha mudiyathavargal' are very dangerous to the social setup." Is that all, you think, Bala accomplishes with this film?!

Oops it came out wrongly :oops: I was meaning 'Vaazha koodathavargal' as dangerous to the society. somehow 'Vaazha mudiyathavargal' also got mixed up into my thoughts while writing :|. What I wanted to mean was there in the continuing sentence...That She was being liberated from her miserable life as she is not able to continue living in this world.

[equanimus]

And I am not even one of those who says the intent of the artist does not matter. At the end of the day, I don't buy that thing. So if indeed Bala had intended it the way compli reads it, I would only feel even more happy about it.
Oh, I didn't read this part. Interesting, but you should perhaps ask yourself why you would feel even more happy. Is that because you liked the film and incidentally the filmmaker has in fact consciously made it so damn well? But ultimately, this type of love story is most likely heading towards a tragedy! For instance, I've spent several nights thinking about mahAnadhi. The more I think, the more what I see becomes my own, much cliched as it sounds. If some day, I get to talk about all that to Kamal, most definitely he would find it unbearable beyond a minute or two. (It cuts both ways. Most likely the sheer idiocy of what I'm saying would be unbearable. But on the other hand, the burden of being accoladed for things he didn't think of in the first place, might also be.). In short, I'm not saying that the viewer or the artist must not suffer from "the headache." adhukku marundhu dhAn nAn ippa sollikkittu irukkaRadhu. :)

[equanimus]

On a different note, I think the disfigured man is a terrific ploy though it's not very well realised in the film. It came off like a Marxist counterpoint in the film's examination of lives of the physical deformed/disabled. This is far too succinct. Tayam kedachchA konjam espand paNrathu. Are you talking about the 'liberation' of an 'uruppadi' because of his finances?
Compli,
Um, appadiyum sollalAm. I didn't mean to sound mysterious or anything. I was just intrigued by how Bala momentarily turns the tables, lest the audience sees this whole situation as caused by the cruel nature that carelessly "allows" the birth of physically disabled/deformed etc., by introducing this guy who's also "one of them" but is in a contrastingly well-to-do position. I thought this was a clever ploy which serves to disrupt the superficial margins that the audience might have drawn. Marxist reading in the sense how, by and large, it all boils down to assets, class/caste. For instance, what are the chances of seeing a physically or mentally challenged brahmin kid in this group?

[equanimus]

Compli,
The latter, but it's not about deserving "salvation." I'm rejecting the theory that she is "justly" killed in the film because she is "weak minded and a meek personality who takes life as it comes and surrenders to the demanding situation." Rajasaranam's post dealt with only this notion of 'deserve,' isn't it? For instance, do you feel that the film tries to disconnect the audience from Amsavalli by showing her as a helpless (or feckless) being?!
Not really. Hence the quotes around deserved. Which is why I made the earlier reference about the metaphor being more ingenious than just.
Yes, I got why you put 'deserved' in quotes and also that you are rather talking about whether her character can be put to "salvation" for some metaphor's sake (which is an artistic choice; very different from saying that it is the point the film drives home, which is squarely didactic). Hence my clarification that I'm not talking about "salvation" or any such. When I read Rajasaranam's post on how Amsavalli is specifically shown to be a meek personality who takes life as it comes, that she wails too much in the last scene (incidentally, rebellious enough to somewhat contradict the first claim!), and things to that effect, I just couldn't disagree more. adhaith thAn sonnEn.

[equanimus]

But even if there is more meaning to it, it just can't be along the lines of "Vaazha mudiyathavargal' are very dangerous to the social setup." Is that all, you think, Bala accomplishes with this film?!

Oops it came out wrongly :oops: I was meaning 'Vaazha koodathavargal' as dangerous to the society. somehow 'Vaazha mudiyathavargal' also got mixed up into my thoughts while writing :|.
Ok, never mind then, Rajasaranam.

What I wanted to mean was there in the continuing sentence...That She was being liberated from her miserable life as she is not able to continue living in this world.
This is what Rudran says in the film (and repeats a few times lest we forget it by the time we're in the parking lot). My contention is that the film does not drive home this point as a 'resolution' at all. I'm saying, to think that was the film's answer is to take Rudran way too seriously. He couldn't care less.

[P_R]

And I second that all post-facto analysis is relevant only once one has liked the movie. adhE adhE.


Firstly, whether an artist did something consciously or not, never matters. ......... I'm sure you too agree with me here. Trick question actually. I am grappling with it. For instance ezhuthiyapiragu padippavanukkE ezuththu sondham, the author is dead ellAm sari dhaan. irundhaalum..... Let me try and explain.

Good is good is good. True. Now let me use the metaphor and justness concept that compli introduced a few posts ago. For "justness" I am willing to acknowledge good is good is good. But for a metaphor (naan enna solla varEnnA types) I am not willing to throw away the artist's intent that easily.


Whether the artist knew it or not is his or her headache. Is it really that easy ? honestly try to believe that. Because to not believe it goes against all sorts of other convinctions I have regarding the artist v art dichotomy. But this subclause alone is another matter I willingly except.


There's a beautiful passage about "the insecure mind of an artist" in Sudara Ramasamy's preface to his first novel. I'm resisting quoting it. Why resist it I say. This is exactly the kind of thing missing in the Hub. If not here post elsehwhere, surely this discussion has a broader context.


I find it even romantic that an artist (or a mathematician for that matter!) is not aware of what all he or she is doing, and actually needs someone else to tell them that. Wait a moment. I perhaps didn't word my previous statement correctly. The extent of impact, context and importance of his work is something the artist is ideally oblivious to. And that is quite healthy too for an artist IMO. But what I meant was when he is unaware how "beautiful" his work is. When the rasikan goes beyond - big word that - the artist here I am in an odd situation.


Would a Mani Ratnam or a Kamal Haasan ever look like "raw unpolished carbon" alongside Baradwaj Rangan? I am not sufficiently familiar with Baradwaj Rangan. As I was telling compli, I used to faithfully follow his erstwhile pun column in he papers but except for a few sporadic instances I have not read his reviews. But from what I have read I know he is one helluva reviewer. So I get the "polished" bit. Having neither read the comment I shouldn't answer this rhetorical question. But I still will to make another point to differentiate between MR and Kamal. I would feel it inappropriate if the polishing was suggested only in the case of Kamal.


Interesting, but you should perhaps ask yourself why you would feel even more happy.Is that because you liked the film and incidentally the filmmaker has in fact consciously made it so damn well? deliket posisan.

At some level it is the boyish joy of solving a crossword puzzle clue. To reduce something like 'art' to puzzle-solving is sort of demeaning but what to do ? That is how it is. a la Guna's "sirippu varudhE". Which brings me to what you term the pastiche : the closest equivalent formal/scary word being hypertextuality.

There the usages are clearly "above and beyond" the intentions of the original artist. But the more it is employed by us the more we love the original for no credit of it.


The more I think, the more what I see becomes my own, much cliched as it sounds.
Very true. Particularly in the case of poetry. I would be quite ashamed to seek validation of all my precocious theories. (Sometimes too self conscious to share with others, let alone the artist.) But then that will not deny the fact that I will be thrilled to get something validated.

For instance I mailed Katradhu thamizh director Ram asking him just one qn: why he called Karunas Huan Chawang. It is something I bring myself to asking easily. (Like Chris Rock said : "I want to be the guy who doesn't bother Woody" - check the link Thilak posted in the Woody Allen thread). But still I asked and decided to live in regret as he was not quite Kamal (avarukku kostins attach paNNa email attachment limit reach aayirum).
I got quite the apt response: none.

Which is better than the one I feared more: the film is yours from now.


But on the other hand, the burden of being accoladed for things he didn't think of in the first place, might also be. Exactly exactly. It is damn scary. But this is a risk in the mataphor world not in the justness scheme of things. Atleast not as big a risk.


adhukku marundhu dhAn nAn ippa sollikkittu irukkaRadhu aRivukku puriyudhu....aanaa marundhAchchE kasakkudhu.

[P_R]

ok stepping away for the weekend....vandhu padikkiREn. nadaththunga :wave:

[equanimus]

PR,
I think we should put this to rest. I was just going off on a tangent in my original post about how easily we (and I include myself) condescend to the personal sensibilities of many filmmakers knowing next to nothing about them personally. It feels odd to talk about the comment of a person whom I'm not acquainted where he or she is not around. I don't mean any offence to the commenter at all. Like I said, it was an innocuous comment. Honestly, I was thinking of the many instances when I've condescended to filmmakers/writers when I made that comment.


Would a Mani Ratnam or a Kamal Haasan ever look like "raw unpolished carbon" alongside Baradwaj Rangan? I am not sufficiently familiar with Baradwaj Rangan. As I was telling compli, I used to faithfully follow his erstwhile pun column in he papers but except for a few sporadic instances I have not read his reviews. But from what I have read I know he is one helluva reviewer. So I get the "polished" bit. Having neither read the comment I shouldn't answer this rhetorical question. But I still will to make another point to differentiate between MR and Kamal. I would feel it inappropriate if the polishing was suggested only in the case of Kamal.
I get that you're just trying to say that you think only of Kamal as that sophisticated generally speaking (but what does that even mean!), but you are missing the point. It's not at all about how refined or elegant Baradwaj is. I'm very familiar with his writings and truly respect him as much as anyone else if not more. I'm just questioning the assumption. I'm saying one knows close to nothing about the personal sensibilities of these filmmakers (whether it is Bala or Mani Ratnam) even when one's trying to guess whether or not it's "appropriate" to make such a remark! That is all.

[equanimus]

About the gulf between the artist and the audience, we can perhaps take it to a different thread. Arbit talk is too much fun to miss!

[Sanguine Sridhar]

equa,

You can skip my post. I was indeed appreciating you, trust me!

Now you should understand the importance of an emoticon! :P

[equanimus]

[tscii:4242a4e4b4]
equa,

You can skip my post. I was indeed appreciating you, trust me!
Sridhar,
Oh, no! Seriously I was just going off on a tangent! Call it just my childlike urge to share an observation which I thought was worth sharing. (Utlimately, it is all about self-promotion, you see.)

Bottomline – You don't have to use emoticon-fillers. It would make no difference. :)[/tscii:4242a4e4b4]

[thilak4life]

:lol: (I can't intersperse a word here)

[rajasaranam]

When I read Rajasaranam's post on how Amsavalli is specifically shown to be a meek personality who takes life as it comes, that she wails too much in the last scene (incidentally, rebellious enough to somewhat contradict the first claim!), and things to that effect, I just couldn't disagree more. adhaith thAn sonnEn.

Shabba Mudiyalla :) Ennanga ithu? athaan anthamma manasa muruganum dimpleum sernthu keduthutaangannu solli irukkane. appa kandippa pastum lastum contradictoryathaan irukkum, enna seirathu!

[equanimus]

That was a side note said in half-jest, Rajasaranam, which is why I said "incidentally." I think I've clearly explained my disagreements with your reading in this post (http://www.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=1698638#1698638) itself (second paragraph). Let's move on.

[vasanth2006]

I think Bala's first interview on TV....

http://www.tubetamil.com/view_video.php?viewkey=92b453d0d8ebae2e2cff&page=1&viewtype=&category=

Ilaiyaraja is the first hero of the Movie.....Bala :notworthy:

[mexicomeat]

Bala's movies have a common thread - i.e., hero alienated from his family since childhood and grow up in a strange environment.

In Sethu, we saw Sethu not-so-attached with his family and ending up in a mental asylum.

In Nanda, we saw Nanda growing up in a jail

In Pithamagan, we saw Chittan grow up in a cemetary

And finally in Naan Kadavul, we saw Rudran grow up as Aghori. Bala also covered another strange environment - i.e, physically disabled / beggars in this movie.

Seeing the pattern, I am going to guess that Bala's next movie will involve a family being subjected to black magic who run to a mandravaadi :twisted: :twisted: to help them out. The mandravaadi baba tries to relieve the family from black magic but unfortunately could only save the little boy of the family.

Seeing that the other members of the family are dead (due to black magic), the mandravaadi takes the child with him and raises him as a mandravaadi.

And oh yeah., the mandravaadi will be completely devoid of human contact (like pithamagan) and the hero character will become a big mandravaadi.

When the mandravaadi dies, the hero will return to the village ............................... <insert comic scenes involving old sivaji / mgr songs here /> ........................<insert a villian character here />...............................hero kills the villian. The End.


8-)
Disclaimer: I, too, am a big bala fan (who feels bit let down with the predictable story line of his recent movie naan kadavul). [/b]

[jaiganes]

whatever said - he is the guy who put the pillayaar suzhi for young directors storming the film world. Now the latest entrant is Suseendran of Vennila Kabaddi kuzhu.

[bimmer]

Bala's movies have a common thread - i.e., hero alienated from his family since childhood and grow up in a strange environment.

In Sethu, we saw Sethu not-so-attached with his family and ending up in a mental asylum.

In Nanda, we saw Nanda growing up in a jail

In Pithamagan, we saw Chittan grow up in a cemetary

And finally in Naan Kadavul, we saw Rudran grow up as Aghori. Bala also covered another strange environment - i.e, physically disabled / beggars in this movie.

Seeing the pattern, I am going to guess that Bala's next movie will involve a family being subjected to black magic who run to a mandravaadi :twisted: :twisted: to help them out. The mandravaadi baba tries to relieve the family from black magic but unfortunately could only save the little boy of the family.

Seeing that the other members of the family are dead (due to black magic), the mandravaadi takes the child with him and raises him as a mandravaadi.

And oh yeah., the mandravaadi will be completely devoid of human contact (like pithamagan) and the hero character will become a big mandravaadi.

When the mandravaadi dies, the hero will return to the village ............................... <insert comic scenes involving old sivaji / mgr songs here /> ........................<insert a villian character here />...............................hero kills the villian. The End.


8-)
Disclaimer: I, too, am a big bala fan (who feels bit let down with the predictable story line of his recent movie naan kadavul). [/b]


:lol: :lol: :lol: Athayum different attempt nu solli thalayile thotkkivechu aduvanga...

[Nasc]

Bala's movies have a common thread - i.e., hero alienated from his family since childhood and grow up in a strange environment.

In Sethu, we saw Sethu not-so-attached with his family and ending up in a mental asylum.

In Nanda, we saw Nanda growing up in a jail

In Pithamagan, we saw Chittan grow up in a cemetary

And finally in Naan Kadavul, we saw Rudran grow up as Aghori. Bala also covered another strange environment - i.e, physically disabled / beggars in this movie.

Seeing the pattern, I am going to guess that Bala's next movie will involve a family being subjected to black magic who run to a mandravaadi :twisted: :twisted: to help them out. The mandravaadi baba tries to relieve the family from black magic but unfortunately could only save the little boy of the family.

Seeing that the other members of the family are dead (due to black magic), the mandravaadi takes the child with him and raises him as a mandravaadi.

And oh yeah., the mandravaadi will be completely devoid of human contact (like pithamagan) and the hero character will become a big mandravaadi.

When the mandravaadi dies, the hero will return to the village ............................... <insert comic scenes involving old sivaji / mgr songs here /> ........................<insert a villian character here />...............................hero kills the villian. The End.


8-)
Disclaimer: I, too, am a big bala fan (who feels bit let down with the predictable story line of his recent movie naan kadavul). [/b]

wow - am eagerly waiting for one if its abt manthravadhi..any movies yet with manthravadhi as the protaganist? & if handled by bala wud sure be true to the facts (or atleast we will learn a few oursevles out of curiosity - wat say!!!!)

[Nasc]

Bala's movies have a common thread - i.e., hero alienated from his family since childhood and grow up in a strange environment.

In Sethu, we saw Sethu not-so-attached with his family and ending up in a mental asylum.

In Nanda, we saw Nanda growing up in a jail

In Pithamagan, we saw Chittan grow up in a cemetary

And finally in Naan Kadavul, we saw Rudran grow up as Aghori. Bala also covered another strange environment - i.e, physically disabled / beggars in this movie.

Seeing the pattern, I am going to guess that Bala's next movie will involve a family being subjected to black magic who run to a mandravaadi :twisted: :twisted: to help them out. The mandravaadi baba tries to relieve the family from black magic but unfortunately could only save the little boy of the family.

Seeing that the other members of the family are dead (due to black magic), the mandravaadi takes the child with him and raises him as a mandravaadi.

And oh yeah., the mandravaadi will be completely devoid of human contact (like pithamagan) and the hero character will become a big mandravaadi.

When the mandravaadi dies, the hero will return to the village ............................... <insert comic scenes involving old sivaji / mgr songs here /> ........................<insert a villian character here />...............................hero kills the villian. The End.


8-)
Disclaimer: I, too, am a big bala fan (who feels bit let down with the predictable story line of his recent movie naan kadavul). [/b]


:lol: :lol: :lol: Athayum different attempt nu solli thalayile thotkkivechu aduvanga...
illiya pinna!!!

[crajkumar_be]

Makkale,
Hasini Pesum Padam la Bala Q&A. Among other things he says "I wanted to drive home a message through the Amsavalli character - i wanted the viewer to contemplate on the question of existence f God, especially after the last scene, through her dialogues (pleading)"...

[rajasaranam]

A glimpse of the creators mind :)
http://jeyamohan.in/?p=1869

The article ends with [Melum]. We can expect more I think!

[joe]

A glimpse of the creators mind :)
http://jeyamohan.in/?p=1869

The article ends with [Melum]. We can expect more I think!

:) Great one.

[P_R]

[tscii:21f125cc58]'Validates' most of what I thought about the film. i.e. why something was the way it was, the possible level of depth and introspection the film's material naturally accomodates.

Eq, I think I can better answer why I have an unhealthy obsession with intention. Perhaps going beyond the material is fine when there is a departure from intention. But at the bare minimum, as a rasikan, I feel an anxiety to have covered, at the least, what the artist 'intended' to offer. Particularly to feel underwhelmed without having 'understood' (loaded word) is his own loss. I get it but still...is a completely relieving state of affairs for a rasikan. That is what a validation of this sort gets me.

What sayst thou (http://www.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=1700553#1700553) ?


பாலா ஒரு விஷயம் சொல்வதுண்டு– சினிமா கோடிக்கணக்கான பேரைச் சென்றடையும் ஓர் ஊடகம். அதைப்பார்ப்பவர்கள் பலவேறு மனநிலைகளில் அறிவுநிலைகளில் பண்பாட்டுச்சூழலில் வாழ்பவர்கள். அவர்கள் பல்லாயிரம் தரப்பை உருவாக்கிக் கொள்வார்கள். அவற்றை எல்லாம் எதிர்கொண்டு விவாதிக்க எழுத்தாளன் முயன்றான் என்றால் அவனால் வேறு எதையுமே செய்யமுடியாது. hmmm...
[/tscii:21f125cc58]

[app_engine]

http://jeyamohan.in/?p=1873

Part 2

[directhit]

http://jeyamohan.in/?p=1869
http://jeyamohan.in/?p=1873
:clap: :clap:

[directhit]

http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2009/mar/10slde1-bala-on-naan-kadavul-god-and-faith.htm

Exclusive: Bala on Naan Kadavul, God and faith
In the Bala school of filmmaking, there is a difference in class. Some learn their basics, some raise their standards.

Every Bala film is unique in its own way. Naan Kadavul is no different. Asking existential questions about faith and God in Naan Kadavul, Bala goes deeper, showcasing the lives of beggars and their existence. Abusing God, faith, swamis and disciples, Bala cocks a snook at the star system prevalent in Tamil cinema through some dark humour.

The avant garde journey began with Sethu in 1999. What can be called as a Tiger Woodsian debut, Bala initiated a new wave in Tamil cinema. Two years later came Nanda, another tale wrapped in angst. If Vikram was reborn in Sethu, then Suriya exploded into the Tamil arena in Nanda.

Then came Bala's directorial tour de force Pithamagan. Rarely has a film established a director as prominently in the minds and hearts of film-viewers as Pithamagan did. It was ensemble cast -- starring Vikram and Surya -- with Bala leaving his indelible mark on every shot.

Describing him as the only auteur in Tamil film, director and cinematographer Rajiv Menon once said, "Bala is the true original voice. He takes the dark side of human beings and travels them deeply into emotionally, if not analytically. He is a master at recording the descent and decline of human spirit. Bala is rewriting the Tamil Hero."

In Pithamagan, the protagonist was a cremation worker of bestial nature. Sethu gave Vikram -- then 33 -- a new lease of life, and made him a top star.

Bala rewrote the narrative and conventions as well. Pithamagan began with a graveyard scene that Tamil cinema had never seen before. What unfurled had to be seen to be believed -- Vikram's character, growled, grunted, even drank water like a dog. The characterisation was unparalleled, the narration unique.

Bala has also infused life into thousands of assistant directors in Tamil films. It was he who gave the confidence to assistants to dream big. Two of his assistants went on to make landmark Tamil films -- Ameer made Paruthiveeran, while Sasikumar filmed Subramaniapuram.

Says ace cinematographer K V Anand, "Bala is unique. He has blended parallel cinema with commercial ones. But he won't fall into any of those category. You can't compare him to anyone else. He was the one who made tragedy a success in films. Subhramaniapuram and Paruthiveeran happened because of Bala."

Call it tragedy or euphemistically, the story of fringe elements. If Bala's mind carved out quotidian characters from the edge of society, it is the artist (Bala is a painter) in him that frescoed stunning imagery on celluloid.

Comparisons with auteurs like Kim Ki Duk are inevitable. A painter himself, Ki Duk etches out characters from the margins of society -- what Bala did in Tamil. Both were mavericks, and each of them enjoys a cult following in South Korea and Tamil Nadu respectively.

Naan Kadavul has bowled over many hitherto Bala critics. Tamil writer Charu Nivedita, who disapproved of Bala's previous films, compares him to legendary Spanish director Luis Bunuel for his powerful depiction of the poor and fringe elements. Nivedita compares Naan Kadavul to no less a film than Akira Kurosowa's Lower Depths.

'It is a world-class film; many times better than Slumdog Millionaire. I have always criticised Bala, but this is really a masterpiece,' says the critic in a magazine article.

Next is what? Sitting on a mountain of offers, Bala is no hurry to sign up.

After Naan Kadavul, music maestro Ilayaraja asked him, jokingly, 'Where are you going? I wonder where you draw the line? Where is your limit?'

A recluse, Bala rarely opens up. But when prodded, Bala talked like never before. In an exclusive interview -- the most comprehensive one yet -- after his much-acclaimed film Naan Kadavul's release, Bala talks about God, faith, existence, critics, mentor and Naan Kadavul.

Over to Bala:

[directhit]

..contd

You have worked so hard for the film, Naan Kadavul. You spent almost three years on it. Are you happy with the outcome?

Yes. It was difficult shooting such a long and hectic schedule. More than me, some of the actors -- particularly Arya and Pooja -- had a tough time. Then, some actors who did sideroles. Like the midgets and others. It was comparatively easy for me. I won't call it stressful, but it was a task. I am happy that it bore the right results.

Is this your best film?

It has to be. Because after every film, the director has to grow. He or she can't go backward. There should be a steady progress after every film made.

But some of the critics, especially the English media, seem to disagree with you. And you seem to be very upset over some reviews.

No, 99.99 percent of the reviewers liked the film. Many people called me up personally as well. Yes, one or two tore the film apart. I was not upset reading them. Instead, I felt pity. When everybody praises something, some people have a tendency to go the other way. By such negative writing, they want to show everyone that they are smarter than the writer, director and other reviewers. I feel pity for such people, who try to show off. I welcome constructive criticism, but not (this).

What was the best you heard?

Ilayaraja sir was very supportive. He asked me jokingly, 'Where will your journey end? Where is your limit?' There were many. Dropping names will not be good. Yet, I am awaiting Balu Mahendra's review. He said he would give his feedback later.

You went to Kasi and stayed for a month to do a recce?

Yes. I went there six years ago. It was unbelievable. I mostly rely on first-hand experience.

The name, Naan Kadavul, evokes so much passion. It is a title only Bala can have...

There is nothing like that. The script demanded such a thing. Actually, it is not about God, it is about mere mortals. That is why such a title is given. God is with you, nowhere else.

So you don't believe in God?

[Kandippa Illa]. No, for sure.

But your films invariably touch upon issues like faith -- or the lack of it -- and God. If something is not there, why are you going deep into it?

The more I try to prove something, the more I fail. Leave films, people never learn from reality. The more they suffer, the more they seek shelter in God. Yet, I am trying to convey my point. People seek a solution to all problems in God -- but they never realise they themselves are in the best position to solve the miseries. Kadavul is with you. It is not anywhere else.

Then, is death the only one way to end all suffering?

I am not talking generally. Unfortunately, for a section -- disabled, beggars -- the suffering never ends. Even normal people in some situations -- be it the rich or the poor -- say that I want to die. So, it comes naturally. Some people forget that phase soon and get onto their lives, thinking optimistically. But think about the people who always suffer. What will they do? How will their sufferings end? When will that end?

You started Pithamagan from a graveyard. Don't producers object such a move? Do they call for the mandatory pujas?

The script demanded such a shot. It was not an ideological statement. I know what I want. It was a story of a vettiyan [cremation ground worker]. I could not have started the film with a temple and a priest [laughs].

Regarding pujas and all, I attend since everyone insists on my presence. But with no involvement.

You made stars out of Vikram and Surya. As their mentor, how do you see their progress?

I won't say that I made them stars or better actors. They came up because they had enormous talent. It won't be fair if I claim their success.

We know that you enjoy a great friendship with both of them. How do you compare them? And there was also a talk that you had a fight with Vikram. Will you work with them again?

There is no need to compare; both are outstanding actors. Vikram is a friend while Suriya is like a brother. Suriya has come a long way while Vikram has already proved his mettle. Unknowingly, there came a gap in Vikram's career. But that is a temporary phase. I guess there is an interesting competition between them. If the script demands, we all will work together again.

Regarding fights, if I pick up one, I am responsible for it. You know, I am short-tempered. So, no need to talk about it.

As a filmmaker, you have shown your strengths. Any shortcomings or limitations when it comes to filmmaking?

[Pauses] I guess a critic can give that answer. But excessive sleeping is becoming a detriment. It is very difficult to wake up early, but no problem in working late in the night. Because of that, sometimes schedules can go astray. Then, I have to rush to finish the rest of the shoot. That can sometimes affect the quality.

Having said that, I won't say sleeping is bad. There's nothing better than a sound sleep.

Your assistants made great films -- Ameer's Paruthiveeran and Sasikumar's Subramaniapuram.

I knew they would come up. They had the spark in them. My expectations were not lost. Both were outstanding work; it is not fair to compare.

Will we ever see Bala making a film, like say, Sivaji -- The Boss?

Definitely, I am interested. But I am not sure If would do such a project.

A R Rahman has just won the Oscars. You have never worked with him. Will you work with him? Is he suitable for your kind of films?

I can't predict the future. But one thing is sure. Rahman's music would not have worked for my films, from Sethu to Naan Kadavul.

Do you watch international films?

I don't watch any other language films. Only Tamil.

So there's no question of being inspired by foreign films. So do you read?

I am not a voracious reader, I read occasionally. I spend time watching television. I don't watch news. I can't see the gruesome tragic news around the world. I am scared to see accidents on TV :shock:. I keep watching Tamil comedy programmes. Now we even have a 24-hour channel for comedy.

Is this Bala -- the man who shoots such macabre scenes -- talking?

Yes, shooting for a film is different from real-life incidents. Sometimes, it is too ghastly to watch.

Do you rely on the Internet and other such resources while making films?

I don't surf the Net. Basically, it is a world where everybody is unknown. Anyone can write and abuse anyone there.

Have you seen Slumdog Millionaire? It is a glorified version of your film?

No. I did not see Slumdog. But many people suggested me to see the film. I may see to know what is there.

Industry is strife with reports that you have signed a new project with an international company.

No way, I have not committed any new projects. It is too early to think on new films. If anything is there, I will not hide it.

Can you think of anyone whom you are indebted to?

Balu Mahendra. It was from him that I learnt everything in life. Not just about films, but so many other things. I was too raw a human being to appreciate things. I was a different man. My life was turned upside down. I was taught like a child. Those seven years was like studying in a school all over again.

I am indebted to Balu Mahendra in every way. That is why I said I eagerly await his feedback to Naan Kadavul. But jokingly he asks me, 'When are you going to become a human being?' I knew what he means [Laughs out loud].

[viraajan]

[tscii:fabc4b0e72]Bala’s change for Soundarya
March 24, 2009

If you are weak hearted who can’t stand depressing scenes in movies, you have every reason to keep off from Bala’s movies. Although critically acclaimed for their intensity and powerpacked performances, there’s no denial of the fact that his movies are disturbing. However, as per the latest grapevine, Bala seems to have decided to revisit his decision about serious movies by opting for a light-veined one.

If sources are to be believed, Bala’s next film will be a sugary sweet romantic comedy with lots of mush. And given the fact that there are rumors about his association with Soundarya Rajinikant’s Ochar Studios for his next flick, the change could only be welcome.

http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/mar-09-04/bala-24-03-09.html

// :cool: Hope this plan materializes.[/tscii:fabc4b0e72]

[joe]

[tscii:2ec2ea7068]Director Bala’s next hero – Jeeva?
IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, April 01, 2009]

This has really kick-started the sensations across the tinsel town… Soundarya Rajnikanth of Ocher Studios has been insisting Bala to complete her project soon within a period of 4 months.

Earlier, there were buzzes that Bala has plans about roping in Suriya for the lead in his next film. However, rumors were that the film will have a group of newcomers for a film based on black magic. Finally, one of the sources has revealed that Bala has finalized Jeeva to be his protagonist for next film.

Seems that Ameer who was very much impressed with Jeeva’s performance in ‘Ram’ and his close pal’s flick ‘Katradhu Thamizh’ had recommended to Bala…. If things are once confirmed, Jeeva should be ready for great honors that will follow him once the film is released.



[/tscii:2ec2ea7068]

[NOV]

:yes:
great news indeed. but jeeva better get ready to "die" in the end. :shaking:

[groucho070]

Seems like a good news, if its true. Jeeva is a very promising actor and is a director's actor. From Arya to Jeeva - two from my list.

[joe]

Jeeva is one actor among youngsters who is script conscious..Good for Bala and Jeeva. :D

[Vivasaayi]

jeeva will get moulded :)

Good :)

[Tia]

I hated Nan Kadavul :evil:
so scary

[Anban]

I hated Nan Kadavul :evil:
so scary :lol:

[Sourav]

Director Bala Admits His Mistake & Says Ajith Is A Good Hearted Person

Published in Nakkheeran bi-weekly magazine dated Feb 28, 2010

http://www.starajith.com/media_display.php?id=1922 8-)

[venkkiram]

பாலா மனம் திறந்து பேசியது பாராட்டுதலுக்குரியது. சினிமா உலகில் இதுபோன்ற சில உண்மையாக மனசாட்சிகள் உலவுவதால்தான் கொஞ்ச நஞ்சமாவது நேர்மை வாழ்ந்து வருகிறது.

நக்கீரனில் அஜித் - ஷாலினி பற்றியும் ஒரு செய்தியை படித்திருக்கிறேன். அலைபாயுதே படப்பிடிப்பில் மணிக்கு அதிக அளவு மன உளச்சலை கொடுத்தது ஷாலினியாம். மாதவனை அப்புறப்படுத்தி விட்டு என் கணவரை படத்தின் நாயகராக போடுங்கள் என நிர்ப்பந்தித்தாராம். இதெல்லாம் எந்த அளவு உண்மை எனத் தெரியவில்லை.

[MADDY]

நக்கீரனில் அஜித் - ஷாலினி பற்றியும் ஒரு செய்தியை படித்திருக்கிறேன். அலைபாயுதே படப்பிடிப்பில் மணிக்கு அதிக அளவு மன உளச்சலை கொடுத்தது ஷாலினியாம். மாதவனை அப்புறப்படுத்தி விட்டு என் கணவரை படத்தின் நாயகராக போடுங்கள் என நிர்ப்பந்தித்தாராம். இதெல்லாம் எந்த அளவு உண்மை எனத் தெரியவில்லை.

no one dares to trouble Mani once they are signed to him :) .......its true that Shalini recommended Ajith and Mani too had a idea but it didnt take any shape and i dont think there was any controversy over it........Madhavan had given interview of how shalini used to encourage him a lot durin AP shooting :D

Bala - nee nallavana illayannu theriyala, aana nee oru manushan-nnu prove pannitta :clap:

[venkkiram]

no one dares to trouble Mani once they are signed to him :) .......its true that Shalini recommended Ajith and Mani too had a idea but it didnt take any shape and i dont think there was any controversy over it........Madhavan had given interview of how shalini used to encourage him a lot durin AP shooting :D


உண்மையோ, பொய்யோ ஒரு விஷயம் கசிந்து விட்டால், அதில் சம்பந்தப் பட்டிருக்கும் மனிதர்களே அதை விளக்கும் போது (பாலா-அஜித் விவகாரம் போல) உண்மை புலப்படுகிறது. அதுவரை, நக்கீரன் போன்ற பத்திரிக்கைகள் சொல்றதில ஓரளவுக்கு உண்மை இருக்குமோ என்ற சந்தேகமே எழுகிறது. இந்த மணி-ஷாலினி விஷயத்தில் எந்த அளவு நேரிடையாக நீங்கள் சம்பந்தப்பட்டிருக்கிறீர்கள் என எனக்குத் தெரியவில்லை.

[Vivasaayi]

venki,

yenga...maniratnam kitta shalini prachanai panaangala?

rumourna nambara maadhiri eludha venama?

nakeeran ..... "yenda ..ungalukku vera pere kidaikalaiya?"

[Aalavanthan]

Vivs.. it was more of a kind of emotional request .. appo Shalini love-la pudhu vera.. So kept on insisting to Mani about replacing Madhavan with Ajith.. its not a rumour.. its a known thing in the industry

[Vivasaayi]

Vivs.. it was more of a kind of emotional request .. appo Shalini love-la pudhu vera.. So kept on insisting to Mani about replacing Madhavan with Ajith.. its not a rumour.. its a known thing in the industry

manikku "mana uLaichal" kudukura alavukku trouble pannadha potangale..adhaan sonnen :)

[PARAMASHIVAN]

I hated Nan Kadavul :evil:
so scary

You should not have watched it, it is not disney animation for kids.. :rotfl:

Ayam bhramsmi Aham Bhrammi Jai Bholenath :notworthy:

and it is leading the poll :notworthy:

[app_engine]

Digression

Whether Shalini gave heart attack to MR or not, what was widely reported was the way MR got irritated with the requests "not to have too close interactions with the hero" (Shalini had already been known for the "Nadhiya-like" disposition ; on top of it she was engaged to Ajith / about to quit field when this was getting filmed).

Apparently, MR reacted by swinging to the "other extreme" :-) I don't think she has acted "closer" than AP in any other movie.

End-digression

[P_R]

Shalini had already been known for the "Nadhiya-like" disposition Very good choice of words :clap:

[bimmer]

Digression

Whether Shalini gave heart attack to MR or not, what was widely reported was the way MR got irritated with the requests "not to have too close interactions with the hero" (Shalini had already been known for the "Nadhiya-like" disposition ; on top of it she was engaged to Ajith / about to quit field when this was getting filmed).

Apparently, MR reacted by swinging to the "other extreme" :-) I don't think she has acted "closer" than AP in any other movie.

End-digression

Nera patha madhiriye sollreenga... :lol: :lol:


This is a rumor. I don't think this is true.

what is true was Ajith requested Shalini to quit movies. the only movie that had issues was Piriadha varam vendum which was awaiting Shalini'S call sheet for completion.

[bimmer]

I hated Nan Kadavul :evil:
so scary

You should not have watched it, it is not disney animation for kids.. :rotfl:

Ayam bhramsmi Aham Bhrammi Jai Bholenath :notworthy:

and it is leading the poll :notworthy:

I did not like the movie either...

It was too gory..."THIS IS EASILY THE MOST OVERHYPED MOVIE" and many Hub Pundits will disagree with me.

[app_engine]

More digression

bimmer,
:-)

All these are kisu-kisu's only :-)

However, what's on-screen in the movie AP is not kisu-kisu, don't you think those were unusual for Shalini? Also, AP shooting was in progress while she got engaged.

I love 'snEkithanE' and 'kAdhal sadugudu' so much (among my most preferred ARR songs and got played 100's of times in the car) but cannot play the youtubes to my daughter - she's not 4 yet but will tell me these are "asingam" and ask me to change :-) Only 'pachchai niRamE' gets her approval (and, well, I'm not a fan of that song).

End-digression

[bimmer]

More digression

bimmer,
:-)

All these are kisu-kisu's only :-)

However, what's on-screen in the movie AP is not kisu-kisu, don't you think those were unusual for Shalini? Also, AP shooting was in progress while she got engaged.

I love 'snEkithanE' and 'kAdhal sadugudu' so much (among my most preferred ARR songs and got played 100's of times in the car) but cannot play the youtubes to my daughter - she's not 4 yet but will tell me these are "asingam" and ask me to change :-) Only 'pachchai niRamE' gets her approval (and, well, I'm not a fan of that song).

End-digression

I don't know whether it is unusual for Shalini...Maybe

But it is not uncommon in MR movie..You have intimate scenes if the script demands...Iruvar, AE and also Bombay.

It dosen't matter if Shalini intervened or not AP would have had a over the top intimate scenes.

[Plum]

Shalini had already been known for the "Nadhiya-like" disposition Very good choice of words :clap:

Oh yeah!
Where is LM? :escape:

[leosimha]

Digression

Whether Shalini gave heart attack to MR or not, what was widely reported was the way MR got irritated with the requests "not to have too close interactions with the hero" (Shalini had already been known for the "Nadhiya-like" disposition ; on top of it she was engaged to Ajith / about to quit field when this was getting filmed).

Apparently, MR reacted by swinging to the "other extreme" :-) I don't think she has acted "closer" than AP in any other movie.

End-digression

//digg// is it because of these "asingams" that shalini requested MR for Ajith to be a part of the movie. ;)

[Prabo]

Not sure about the AP issue, but piriyaatha varam vaendum was delayed due to Ajith-Shalini marriage. Mani had Ajith in mind for AE and it was initally rumoured that Ajith-Madhavan-Siddharth were the cast. As usual Ayan man came into the picture somehow :P

[Plum]

ayan man
:lol:

[Roshan]

Not sure about the AP issue, but piriyaatha varam vaendum was delayed due to Ajith-Shalini marriage. Mani had Ajith in mind for AE and it was initally rumoured that Ajith-Madhavan-Siddharth were the cast. As usual Ayan man came into the picture somehow :P

:lol: enakku adutha GVM movie'leyum Ayan man nozhenchiruvArOnnu oru tension irunthuttE irukku.

[Aalavanthan]

ayan man
:lol:

siripu oru pakkam irundhaalum, Hub worldla Surya vuku oru solid patta peyar kedaichaachu.. now its NOVs and Thiru's turn to rename Surya's thread as Ayan Man Surya 8-)

[raghavendran]

ayan man
:lol:

siripu oru pakkam irundhaalum, Hub worldla Surya vuku oru solid patta peyar kedaichaachu.. now its NOVs and Thiru's turn to rename Surya's thread as Ayan Man Surya 8-) :lol: :lol:

[Prabo]

Not sure about the AP issue, but piriyaatha varam vaendum was delayed due to Ajith-Shalini marriage. Mani had Ajith in mind for AE and it was initally rumoured that Ajith-Madhavan-Siddharth were the cast. As usual Ayan man came into the picture somehow :P

:lol: enakku adutha GVM movie'leyum Ayan man nozhenchiruvArOnnu oru tension irunthuttE irukku.

Quite possible :(
But he is locked with RGV and ARM project :D

[raghavendran]

Not sure about the AP issue, but piriyaatha varam vaendum was delayed due to Ajith-Shalini marriage. Mani had Ajith in mind for AE and it was initally rumoured that Ajith-Madhavan-Siddharth were the cast. As usual Ayan man came into the picture somehow :P

:lol: enakku adutha GVM movie'leyum Ayan man nozhenchiruvArOnnu oru tension irunthuttE irukku.

Quite possible :(
But he is locked with RGV and ARM project :D
nalla vele...killer adhavan

[Appu s]

Not sure about the AP issue, but piriyaatha varam vaendum was delayed due to Ajith-Shalini marriage. Mani had Ajith in mind for AE and it was initally rumoured that Ajith-Madhavan-Siddharth were the cast. As usual Ayan man came into the picture somehow :P

:lol: enakku adutha GVM movie'leyum Ayan man nozhenchiruvArOnnu oru tension irunthuttE irukku.

:twisted: :twisted:

[cepark]

ayan man
:lol:

Thi pori aarumugam maathuri irrukku..........:lol:

[joe]

ithu Bala thread thaane :roll:

[P_R]

enakku adutha GVM movie'leyum Ayan man nozhenchiruvArOnnu oru tension irunthuttE irukku. :roll:

ஓஹ்.. ஜம்பு'வுக்கு அப்புறம் சூர்யாவை வச்சு படம் எடுத்தா GVM standard பாதிக்கப்பட்டுருங்களா ?

[Roshan]

enakku adutha GVM movie'leyum Ayan man nozhenchiruvArOnnu oru tension irunthuttE irukku. :roll:

ஓஹ்.. ஜம்பு'வுக்கு அப்புறம் சூர்யாவை வச்சு படம் எடுத்தா GVM standard பாதிக்கப்பட்டுருங்களா ?

Ajith has (unintentionally) been too kind to Ayan Man with his wrong decisions. intha vAttiyum appadi nadanthurumnu tension. (Not that I dont like Ayan man)

PS: Simbu ungaLa rombavE thontharavu paNRaarnu nenekiREn :lol2:

[equanimus]

Actually Surya's public persona is already a bit too influenced by Gautham and his films. பேசும்போது வூடு கட்டறது, எதுக்கெடுத்தாலும் நெகிழ்ச்சி, the wide-eyed wonderment etc. More of அயன், I say!

[MADDY]

Actually Surya's public persona is already a bit too influenced by Gautham and his films. பேசும்போது வூடு கட்டறது, எதுக்கெடுத்தாலும் நெகிழ்ச்சி, the wide-eyed wonderment etc. More of அயன், I say!

:rotfl:

[HonestRaj]

Actually Surya's public persona is already a bit too influenced by Gautham and his films. பேசும்போது வூடு கட்டறது, எதுக்கெடுத்தாலும் நெகிழ்ச்சி, the wide-eyed wonderment etc. More of அயன், I say!

:rotfl3: :rotfl3:

[Plum]

Actually Surya's public persona is already a bit too influenced by Gautham and his films. பேசும்போது வூடு கட்டறது, எதுக்கெடுத்தாலும் நெகிழ்ச்சி, the wide-eyed wonderment etc. More of அயன், I say!

:rotfl3:

[raghavendran]

Actually Surya's public persona is already a bit too influenced by Gautham and his films. பேசும்போது வூடு கட்டறது, எதுக்கெடுத்தாலும் நெகிழ்ச்சி, the wide-eyed wonderment etc. More of அயன், I say!

:rotfl: :noteeth:

[Sourav]

Vishal moves out from bala's 'avan ivan' as per junior vikatan magazine.... :?

[viraajan]

The news came already. But that was a rumor, as told by an insider :?

[viraajan]

Ramal,

That's a rumor. Got an info from a reliable source :P
Since thEni suffers from hot summer, the shooting has been given a pause and will resume by June!

[app_engine]

re-posting from NK thread :


per Deccan Herald, Bala romba realism paNRavarAm (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/110607/infusing-realism-cinema.html)

Thank you Nerd, for unearthing this :-)

[Vivasaayi]

Actually Surya's public persona is already a bit too influenced by Gautham and his films. பேசும்போது வூடு கட்டறது, எதுக்கெடுத்தாலும் நெகிழ்ச்சி, the wide-eyed wonderment etc. More of அயன், I say!

:lol:

I hate his interviews to the core..on the other hand vijay handles interviews well with a bit of sense of humour..

vikram .. mokka potutu avare siriparu...

[NOV]

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[SuraTheLeader]

Adhu Yaarupa Dir Bala pakathula nikkaradhu..
Guiness Record-la Edam Pidikaratha sonnare Avara ?

[raghavendran]

Adhu Yaarupa Dir Bala pakathula nikkaradhu..
Guiness Record-la Edam Pidikaratha sonnare Avara ? :roll: edhuku?....
btw vishala adhu? :shock: ...andha getupla nenachi paakave mudiyala :shaking:

[SuraTheLeader]

Adhu Yaarupa Dir Bala pakathula nikkaradhu..
Guiness Record-la Edam Pidikaratha sonnare Avara ? :roll: edhuku?....
btw vishala adhu? :shock: ...andha getupla nenachi paakave mudiyala :shaking:



Vishal carves his way to the Guinness Records
By: Kalyani Prasad Keshri
Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 12:18 [IST]

The film Avan Ivan directed by Bala will surely add another feather to the feathery hat of actor Vishal. Vishal did not reveal much about his character in the film from the very first day the film started shooting.

However, a close source to the film reveals that Vishal is portraying a character in the which has not been drafted earlier in the history of Tamil cinema. The source confirms that Vishal has performed the character so stupendously that the film has a lot of possibilities of entering into the Guinness Book of World Records.

http://entertainment.oneindia.in/tamil/exclusive/2010/vishal-guinness-book-world-records-231110.html

[jinju]

was watching Naan Kadavul yesterday in Kalaignar TV.

After he kills the malayali broker guy, the judge asks Arya what he did of the man, and Arya replies something which is muted using the "peeee" sound but everyone including the judge is shocked by the answer, and Arya's reply kind of forces the judge to wash his hands off from making a proper decision.

it was muted when i watched it in the theater too. any repeat watchers here interpreted it? if unparliamentary, pls pm.

[ajaybaskar]

It was discussed long back.. :-)

I think he eats the corpse after killing.

[jinju]

It was discussed long back.. :-)

I think he eats the corpse after killing.

hmm..had thought so, given the rumors about cannibalism and also coz the corpse wasn't found that this was the only possibility but cudn't get the exact word. if there's a movie i'd like to watch the director's cut, it wud be this one.

[Nerd]

[tscii:283d2c0c66]Vikatan Answers[/tscii:283d2c0c66]

விகடன் மேடை - பாலா

கே.துரை, விருதுநகர்.
''தலைக்கனம் பிடித்தவராமே நீங்கள்?''

''பின்னாடி கால் கிலோ கறி... நல்லி எலும்பு மாதிரி கையும் காலும். அதுக்கு ஒரு தலை... அதுல ஒரு கனம் வேறயா?''

எஸ்.மரிய இருதயம், தூத்துக்குடி.

''அறியாமையை அறிந்துவிடுவார்கள் என்பதால்தான் அதிகம் பேசுவது இல்லையா?''

''கண்டுபிடிச்சுட்டியே ராசா!''

வி.திவ்யா ஷங்கர், சென்னை-17.

''புதுமுகங்களைக் கதாநாயகர்களாக அறிமுகப்படுத்தும் தைரியம் உங்களுக்கு இல்லையா?''

''விக்ரம், சூர்யா, ஆர்யா, விஷால் எல்லோரும் என்னிடம் புதுமுகங்கள்போல்தான் வந்தார்கள். எனக்குத் தேவைப்பட்ட விதத்தில் அவர்களை நான் வடிவமைத்துக்கொண்டேன். அதற்கான அர்ப்பணிப்பு அவர்களிடம் இருந்ததையும் குறிப்பிட வேண்டும்.

என் திரைப்படங்கள் கேட்பது ஒரு நடிகனைத்தான். நட்சத்திரத்தை அல்ல.

ஓ.கே... இப்போ சொல்றேன், என் அடுத்த படத்தின் கதாநாயகன்... நிச்சயமாக ஒரு புதுமுகம்தான்!''

எம்.ஜவஹர்லால், தக்கலை.

''உலக சினிமாவை தமிழ் சினிமாவோடு ஒப்பிட முடியுமா?''

''தமிழ் சினிமாவும் உலக சினிமாதான்பா! நாங்க மட்டும் என்ன செவ்வாய்க் கிரகத்திலா படம் எடுக்கிறோம்?''

பெரியார் பிரியன், திருச்சி.

''நீங்கள் நாத்திகம் பேச யாரிடம் கற்றுக்கொண்டீர்கள்?''

''நாத்திகத்தை யாரும் கற்றுத்தர முடியாது. அதை உணர வேண்டும். எனக்கு உணர்த்தியது அகால மரணங்கள். ஜானி என்ற என் ஆட்டுக் குட்டியிடம் ஆரம்பித்த பாடம் அது. இதோ, ஈழத்தில் நிகழ்ந்த இன அழிப்பு வரை இவ்வளவு கொடுமைகளைப் பார்த்த பிறகும், நாத்திகம் பேசாமல் இருக்க முடியுமா?''

ஆர்.தமிழ்ச்செல்வி, திருத்தங்கல்.

''அது ஏன் எப்போதும் விளிம்பு நிலை மனிதர்களைப்பற்றியே படங்கள் எடுக்கிறீர்கள். அவார்டு வாங்கத்தானே?''

''வி...ளி...ம்...பு... நி...லை. எங்கே பிடிக்கிறீங்க இந்த வார்த்தைகளை எல்லாம்?

மனித வாழ்வின் அற்புதமும், அவலமும், அழகும், குரூரமும் பராக் ஒபாமாவிடமும் பார்க்கலாம். பட்டிவீரன்பட்டி முருகேசனிடமும் பார்க்கலாம். இந்த உலகத்தில் எல்லோரும் ஏதோ ஒருவிதத்தில் விளிம்பு நிலை மனிதர்கள்தான்.

என்னை நான் கண்ணாடியில் பார்ப்பதுபோலத்தான் என் திரைப்படங்களையும் எடுக்கிறேன்!''

வி.கோபி, சென்னை-41.

'' 'நான் பாலாவின் ரசிகன்’ என்று மேடையிலேயே மணிரத்னம் சொல்கிறார். அதிகம் பேசாத இருவர் சந்தித்துக்கொண்டால் என்ன பேசுவார்கள் என்று அறிய ஆசை. பேசியதைச் சொல்ல முடியுமா?''

''சொன்னால் சிரிப்பீர்கள்!

ஒருமுறை நான் எங்கோ சென்றுகொண்டு இருக்கையில், மணி சாரிடம் இருந்து எனக்கு போன். அவசரமாக காரை ஓரம் நிறுத்திவிட்டுப் பேசினேன். 'இங்கியே இருந்துட்டு இருக்கக் கூடாது பாலா. வேற லெவல் போகணும். உங்களுக்கு என் ஃப்ரெண்டு ஒருத்தர் பேசுவார். ஃபெஸ்டிவல்ஸுக்குப் படம் அனுப்புங்க.ஓ.கே -வா?’ என்றார். அதன் பிறகே, என் படங்கள் சர்வதேசத் திரைப்பட விழாக்களில் பங்கேற்றன. அந்த அன்பு, அக்கறைக்கு நான் என்றும் நன்றியுடன் இருப்பேன்.

மற்றபடி மணி சாரை எங்கே சந்தித்தாலும், எத்தனை முறை சந்தித்தாலும், அவர் 'ஹாய் பாலா’ என்பார். நான் பதில் வணக்கம் வைப்பேன். அவ்வளவுதான் எங்களுக்குள் உரையாடலே!

என் மனசுக்குள் இருப்பதை எல்லாம் பேசுவேனா அல்லது, பேசாமலேயே இருந்து விடுவேனோ... தெரியாது!''

எம்.திலீப், ஊட்டி.

''உலக சினிமாவில் இருந்து என்னென்ன காட்சிகளைச் சுட்டு இருக்கிறீர்கள். உண்மையைச் சொல்லுங்கள் சார்?''

''என் பாட்டி சுட்ட வடையே எனக்குப் போதும். எவளோ ஒரு வெள்ளைக்கார அம்மத்தா சுட்ட பீட்ஸா, பர்கர் எல்லாம் எனக்குச் செரிக்காது!''

ஆ.மணிமேகலை, மதுரை-2.

'' 'சேது’, 'நந்தா’, 'நான் கடவுள்’ என உங்கள் படங்களில் வரும் பெண் பாத்திரங்கள் மரணம் அடைவது ஏன்?''

''என் அதீத அன்பு காரணமாக இருக்கலாம். பொசசிவ்னெஸ்!''

எம்.சங்கரப்பன், பொள்ளாச்சி.

''பாலா ஒரு சுய மதிப்பீடு?''

''நானோர் பரதேசி...

நல்லோர் கால்தூசி!''

ஆர்.திலகராஜ், வத்தலக்குண்டு.

''பாலாவின் ஜாலியான பக்கம் எது?''

''நண்பர்கள்... குடி... கும்மாளம்... அரட்டைக் கச்சேரிதான். செம காமெடியான கும்பல் நாங்கள். ஊர் உலகத்தைப்பற்றிய கவலையே இல்லாமல் கூத்தடிப்போம்.

நிறையப் பழைய பாடல்கள் பாடிக்கொண்டே இருப்போம். 'நானிருக்கும் நிலையில் உன்னை என்ன கேட்பேன். இன்னும் நன்மை செய்து துன்பம் வாங்கும் உள்ளம் கேட்பேன். நன்மை செய்து... துன்பம் வாங்கும்... உள்ளம் கேட்பேன்’ என்ற வரிகளையே 24 மணி நேரமும் திருப்பித் திருப்பிப் பாட ஒரு அப்பனையே நான் தத்து எடுத்து வளர்க்கிறேன். அந்த அப்பனையும் மாமா என்றுதான் அழைப்பேன். நாங்க டுபிட் ஃபெல்லோஸ்!''

சா.அப்பாஸ் மந்திரி, தென்காசி.

''கற்பனை வளம் என்பது மண் சார்ந்ததா? இப்போது தமிழ் சினிமாவில் தெற்கத்தி இயக்குநர்கள் அதிகமாக இருப்பது அதனால்தானா?''

''கற்பனை வளம் என்பது மண் சார்ந்தது இல்லை. அது, மனம் சார்ந்தது. அனுபவம்தான் படைப்புகளின் ஆணிவேர்.

எல்லோருக்கும் நேரும் பிரச்னையையும் படமாக எடுக்கலாம். அல்லது எங்கோ, எவனுக்கோ நேர்ந்ததை எல்லோரையும் பாதிக் கும்படியும் படம் எடுக்கலாம். அதை ஓர் அனுபவமாக ஆக்குவதில்தான், அந்தக் கலை நேர்த்தியில்தான் ஒரு படைப்பு உருவாகிறது. இதில் தெற்கத்தி, வடக்கத்தி, அட்டைக் கத்தி என்று தனியாக எதுவும் இல்லை!''

லெனின் ஸ்டாலின், கோவை-21.

''ஏன் ஒரு படம் எடுக்க உங்களுக்கு வருடக்கணக்கில் ஆகிறது?''

''நீங்கள் என் தயாரிப்பாளராக இருந்தால், உங்களுக்குப் பதில் சொல்ல வேண்டியது என் கடமை. ஆனந்த விகடனில் பதில் சொல்ல வேண்டிய அவசியம் இல்லை.

தினம் காலையில், 'ஐயோ... பாலா படம் இன்னிக்கும் வரலியே’ என யாராவது பட்டினிகிடக்கிறார்களா என்ன?

என் முதல் படத்தை எடுக்க எனக்கு 30 வருஷம் ஆச்சுங்க. என் படத்தின் வரவு- செலவுக் கணக்குகள், ஏன் தாமதமாகின்றன என்பதெல்லாம் அந்த வியாபாரத்தில் சம்பந்தப்பட்டவர்களின் கவலை.

மற்றபடி, எனக்காகத் தங்கள் வாழ்நாளின் இரண்டு மணி நேரத்தைத் தரும் பார்வையாளர் ஒவ்வொருவருக்கும், நான் என் படைப்பின் மூலம் மட்டுமே கடமைப்பட்டவன். அந்த இரண்டு மணி நேரம் உங்களுக்குப் பிடிக்காவிட்டால், என்னை எப்படி எட்டி மிதிப்பீர்கள் என்று தெரியும். படம் பிடிச்சிருந்ததா, இல்லையான்னு மட்டும் பாருங்களேன். என்னைப் புரிந்துகொள்வீர்கள் என நம்புகிறேன்!''

விக்னேஷ்வரன், மதுரை.

''விதவிதமான மாலைகளை அணிவது ஏன்?''

''மண்டை ஓட்டு மாலையைக் கேட்கிறீர்களா? 'எதுவும் நிரந்தரம் அல்ல’ என எனக்கு நானே உணர்த்திக்கொள்ள அணிகிறேன்!''

சி.சாய் ரமேஷ், உசிலம்பட்டி.

''உங்கள் படம் பற்றிய தகவல்களை மூடிவைத்து, அவ்வப்போது ரிலீஸ் செய்வதே பில்டப் ஏற்றி, படத்தைப் பார்க்கத் தூண்டும் உத்திதானே?''

''உத்தியோ, புத்தியோ இருந்தால், என் முந்தைய படம் ஓடி இருக்க வேண்டுமே? அது போக, மூடி மறைக்க, நான் என்ன கள்ளச் சாராயமா காய்ச்சுகிறேன்?''

எஸ்.லலிதா, செங்கல்பட்டு.

''இயக்குநர்கள் எல்லோரும் நடிக்க வருகிறார்களே... நீங்கள் ஏன் நடிக்கக் கூடாது?''

''மேடம் கலாய்க்கிறாங்களாமாம்!

நான் ஏன் தனியா சினிமாவில் நடிக்கணும்? அதான், நிஜ வாழ்க்கையிலேயே... என் மனைவியிடம், நண்பர்களிடம், தயாரிப்பாளர்களிடம் எல்லாம் நடிச்சுட்டே இருக்கேனே... ரொம்ப நல்லவன் மாதிரி!''

பி.ராமச்சந்திரன், பாண்டிச்சேரி-3

''நான்கே படங்களில் இவ்வளவு பெரிய பெயர் வாங்கியது பெருமையாக இருக்கிறதா?''

''கூச்சமாக இருக்கிறது!''

-அடுத்த வாரம்...

''இயக்குநர்கள் சங்க விழாவில், என் குருநாதர் பாலுமகேந்திராவிடம் இருந்துதான் 'தங்க அடையாள அட்டை’யைப் பெற்றுக்கொள்வேன் எனப் பிடிவாதம் பிடித்தது ஏன்?''

''லைலாவைப்போல இன்னொரு நடிகை கிடைப்பாரா உங்களுக்கு?''

''உங்கள் மகளுக்கு என்ன பெயர் வைத்து இருக்கிறீர்கள்?''

-பாலா பதில்கள் தொடர்கின்றன...

[vithagan]

Nice read.. TFS :ty:

[app_engine]

ஆர்யா, விஷால் எல்லோரும் என்னிடம் புதுமுகங்கள்போல்தான் வந்தார்கள்.

:lol:

[ajithfederer]

:rotfl:


Actually Surya's public persona is already a bit too influenced by Gautham and his films. பேசும்போது வூடு கட்டறது, எதுக்கெடுத்தாலும் நெகிழ்ச்சி, the wide-eyed wonderment etc. More of அயன், I say!

:rotfl:

[littlemaster1982]

Loved his answers :) Thanks Nerd :D

[ajaybaskar]

[tscii:5987ee89a1]''ஏன் ஒரு படம் எடுக்க உங்களுக்கு வருடக்கணக்கில் ஆகிறது?''
''நீங்கள் என் தயாரிப்பாளராக இருந்தால், உங்களுக்குப் பதில் சொல்ல வேண்டியது என் கடமை. ஆனந்த விகடனில் பதில் சொல்ல வேண்டிய அவசியம் இல்லை.

தினம் காலையில், 'ஐயோ... பாலா படம் இன்னிக்கும் வரலியே’ என யாராவது பட்டினிகிடக்கிறார்களா என்ன?

என் முதல் படத்தை எடுக்க எனக்கு 30 வருஷம் ஆச்சுங்க. என் படத்தின் வரவு- செலவுக் கணக்குகள், ஏன் தாமதமாகின்றன என்பதெல்லாம் அந்த வியாபாரத்தில் சம்பந்தப்பட்டவர்களின் கவலை.

மற்றபடி, எனக்காகத் தங்கள் வாழ்நாளின் இரண்டு மணி நேரத்தைத் தரும் பார்வையாளர் ஒவ்வொருவருக்கும், நான் என் படைப்பின் மூலம் மட்டுமே கடமைப்பட்டவன். அந்த இரண்டு மணி நேரம் உங்களுக்குப் பிடிக்காவிட்டால், என்னை எப்படி எட்டி மிதிப்பீர்கள் என்று தெரியும். படம் பிடிச்சிருந்ததா, இல்லையான்னு மட்டும் பாருங்களேன். என்னைப் புரிந்துகொள்வீர்கள் என நம்புகிறேன்!''

:lol: [/tscii:5987ee89a1]

[Plum]

''உலக சினிமாவை தமிழ் சினிமாவோடு ஒப்பிட முடியுமா?''

''தமிழ் சினிமாவும் உலக சினிமாதான்பா! நாங்க மட்டும் என்ன செவ்வாய்க் கிரகத்திலா படம் எடுக்கிறோம்?''

Cool. This is not just a smart answer. This is fact.

[San_K]

as usual great writings by Bala :)

[Nerd]

Loved the response to Bala-Laila kisukisu :rotfl3:
And his mudhal mariyaadhai response :mrgreen:
And the response to the last question.

விகடன் மேடை - பாலா


மகிழை. சிவகார்த்தி, புறத்தாக்குடி.


''ரஜினி-கமல் இவர்களை வைத்து படம் இயக்கு வீர்களா?''

''சத்தியமாக... நிச்சயமாக... உங்கள் கேள்வியின் மீது ஆணையாக... மாட்டேன் மாட்டேன் மாட்டேன்!

ஏன்னா... அவர்களும் என்னிடம் மாட்டவே மாட்டார்கள்!''

சிவகாமி, பொள்ளாச்சி.

''லைலாவைப்போல இன்னொரு நடிகை கிடைப்பாரா உங்களுக்கு?''

''கிடைத்தாளே... பூஜா என்று ஒரு ராட்சஸி!''

த.அசோக், மதுரை-11.

''உங்களிடம் தொழில் கற்றுக்கொள்ள விரும்பி துணை இயக்குநராக வாய்ப்பு கேட்டு வருபவர்களிடம் நீங்கள் எதிர்பார்க்கும் தகுதிகள் என்ன?''

''என்னிடம் இல்லாத எல்லாத் தகுதிகளும்!''

ஐ.சி.எப்.சுந்தரராஜ், சென்னை-53.

''மாற்றுத் திறனாளி’களையும் 'நான் கடவுள்’ படத்தில் நடிக்கவைத்தீர்கள். ஓ.கே! ஆனால், அவர்களை ரொம்பவும் இம்சைப்படுத்திவிட்டீர்களே... இது நியாயமா?''

''இம்சைப்படுத்தினேன் என்று எவன் சொன்னது? அந்த 300 பேரையும் என் குழந்தைகளாகத்தான் பார்த்துக் கொண்டேன். இன்றும் என்னைத் தேடி வந்து என் மடியில் விளையாடும் குழந்தைகள் அவர்கள். குழந்தைகளை எந்த அப்பனாவது கொடுமைப்படுத்துவானா?''

சுப்புலட்சுமி ராகவன், திருவல்லிக்கேணி.

'' 'பாலா-லைலா காதல்’ என்று முன்பு கிசுகிசு வந்ததே? அது என்ன ஆச்சு?''

''நேக்கும் கல்யாணம் ஆயிடுத்து. அவாளுக்கும் கல்யாணம் ஆயிடுத்து. செத்த சும்மா இருக்கேளா மாமி!''

த.சத்தியநாராயணன், அயன்புரம்.

'' 'நான் கடவுள்’ படத்தை எடுக்க தங்களுக்கு இன்ஸ்பிரேஷனாக இருந்த விஷயம் எது?''

''நம் வாழ்வின், வழியெல்லாம் எதிர்ப்படும் எல்லாப் பிச்சைக்காரர்களும், ஏழாம் உலகமும்!''

லெனின் பிரசன்னா, திண்டிவனம்.

''இயக்குநர்கள் சங்க விழாவில், 'என் குருநாதர் பாலுமகேந்திராவிடம் இருந்துதான் தங்க அடையாள அட்டையைப் பெற்றுக்கொள்வேன்’ என்று நீங்கள் பிடிவாதம் பிடித்தது ஏன்?''

''குழந்தை என்றால், பிடிவாதம் பிடிக்கத்தானே செய்யும். மேலும், அந்தத் தங்க அடையாள அட்டைக்கு சொந்தக்காரரே அவர்தானே!''

ச.மங்கையர்க்கரசி, கொடைக்கானல்.

''உங்கள் மகளுக்கு என்ன பெயர் வைத்து இருக்கிறீர்கள்?''

''அகிலா!

http://new.vikatan.com/av/2011/02/09/images/p53.jpg

அம்மாவைப் பேர் சொல்லி அழைக்க முடியாத சங்கடத்தால், சும்மா பேருக்குப் பிரார்த்தனா!''

க.பக்திவிசுவாசம், மலையடிப்பட்டி.

''எனக்குப் பிடித்த இயக்குநர் நீங்கள். தங்களுக்குப் பிடித்த இயக்குநர் யார்?''

''ஆமா, இது உங்களுடைய உண்மையான பேர்தானே? அப்படி என்றால், கேள்வியும் நீயே... பதிலும் நீயே!''

ஆதிரை வேணுகோபால், சென்னை-94.

''ஏன்டா சினிமாவுக்கு வந்தோம் என்று என்றாவது ஒருநாள் நினைத்தது உண்டா?''

''தினமும்! அதிகாலைகளில் என்னை எழுப்பும்போது எல்லாம்!''

மதுரை முருகேசன், தஞ்சாவூர்.

''நடிகர் திலகத்தின் எந்தப் படத்துக்கு தேசிய விருது கிடைத்து இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று ஆதங்கப்பட்டீர்கள்?''

'' 'முதல் மரியாதை’!''

ஆ.சுரேஷ், துறையூர்.

''உங்களுக்குப் பிடித்த எழுத்தாளர் யார்?''

''தினத்தந்தியின் கன்னித் தீவு படக் கதை யின் படைப்பாளி. ஆனா, அந்த சார் பேர் தெரியலியே!''

த.கதிரவன், தூத்துக்குடி.

''இயக்குநர் பாலா ஆனதால், நீங்கள் பெற்ற தும் இழந்ததும் என்ன?''

''பெற்றதும் சுகம்... இழந்ததும் சுகம்!''

பா.செல்வி, செனை-91.

'' 'இந்தப் படத்தை நான் எடுத்திருக்க வேண் டும்!’ என்று ஏதேனும் ஒரு படத்தைப் பார்த்து நினைத்தது உண்டா?''

''நிறைய... சமீபத்தில் 'நந்தலாலா’!''

சி.எம்.கேசவன், மன்னார்குடி.

''உங்களுடைய மனைவி, குழந்தைக்காக விட்டுக்கொடுத்த விஷயம் ஏதாவது!''

''சுய மரியாதை!

கால்ல விழறதுதான்... வேறென்ன!''

வீ.பூபாலன், நாகப்பட்டினம்.

''நடிப்பைப் பொறுத்த வரை ரஜினி-கமல் இருவரில் யார் உங்கள் சாய்ஸ்?''

''இருவரும் இல்லை. சிவாஜி கணேசன். (பதில் உபயம்: கமல்ஹாசன்!)''

எல்.வித்யா, செந்துறை.

''யாருடைய இறப்புக்குப் பிறகு... அவருடைய பிரிவுக்காக வருத்தப்பட்டீர்கள்?''

''பழனிச்சாமி என்ற என் 'அப்பா’...வி!''

கி.பாலு, திருப்பூர்.

'' 'தவறு செய்துவிட்டோமே என மனம் கலங்கி நின்ற சம்பவம் ஒன்றைச் சொல்லுங்களேன்...''

''அது நிறைய உண்டு. சமீபத்திய தவறு... விகடன் மேடையில் பதில்கள் சொல்ல சம்மதித்தது. அறிவிப்பு வந்த நாளே, என் மனைவியிடம் இருந்து எனக்கு ஒரு வேண்டுகோள். 'உண்மையைப் பூராம் சொல்றோம்னு எதையாச்சும் உளறி, எல்லாரும் என்னைப் பரிதாபமாப் பாக்கிற மாதிரி பண்ணிடாத மாமா’ என்றாள்.

கலங்காதிரு மனமே!''

-அடுத்த வாரம்...

''மிகைப்படுத்தாமல் இயல்பாக இருப்பதே நடிப்புக்கான உங்கள் இலக்கணம் என நினைக்கிறேன். சரி... தற்போதைய நடிகர்களில் உங்கள் இலக்கணத்தில் பொருந்துபவர் யார்?''

'' 'நான் கடவுள்’ படத்தில் அஜீத் நடிப்பதாக இருந்து, பிறகு ஏதோ மோதலில் விலகினீர்களே... என்னதான் நடந்தது?''

'' 'அவன் இவன்’ எப்படிப்பட்ட படம் பாலா? ஜாலியான கலாய்ப்பா அல்லது நெஞ்சைப் பிழியும் டிராஜடியா?''

-பாலா பதில்கள் தொடர்கின்றன...

[complicateur]

What a wicked, wicked sense of humor the man has. I loved the answer on the Laila kisukisu. :lol:

[kid-glove]

oh bala knows his box language. Such eloquence.

[SoftSword]

that started from the days he started callin 'aramandayan'...
and when i read that reply i could see 'lodukku pandi'

[Nerd]

Edited the post with a picture from vikatan in the appropriate place :D

[venkkiram]

Edited the post with a picture from vikatan in the appropriate place :D

அம்மாவைப் பேர் சொல்லி அழைக்க முடியாத சங்கடத்தால், சும்மா பேருக்குப் பிரார்த்தனா!''

இப்போதான் நல்லா வெளங்குது.

[littlemaster1982]

Edited the post with a picture from vikatan in the appropriate place :D

Those who had read "Ivandhaan Bala" would have got it even without the pic. Thanks for posting the interview here, Nerd :)

[kid-glove]

Loved all his answers. What's great is that they're all intelligent while also instinctive answers.

[joe]

அருமையான பதில்கள் :clap:

[kid-glove]

Joe,
Stop teasing us with your occasional presence. You should be more active! :)

[San_K]

Wov Bathilgal Bala :clap:

Welcome Joe :)

[P_R]

Loully intree.

A very GMish நக்கல்....'கலாய்க்கிறாங்களாமாம்' :rotfl:

நானோர் பரதேசி/ நல்லோர் கால்தூசி :clap: Rajatard 'mbAingaLE.
A very catchy song

Welcome back Joe :thumbsup:

[raajarasigan]

Those who had read "Ivandhaan Bala" would have got it even without the pic. Thanks for posting the interview here, Nerd :)ejaAtLy!! I was able to identify that with his answer..

[ajaybaskar]

Joe Anna, Welcome back!! :D

[gurusaravanan]

Nice post nerd na. Tfs

[Sarna]

''ஏன்டா சினிமாவுக்கு வந்தோம் என்று என்றாவது ஒருநாள் நினைத்தது உண்டா?''

''தினமும்! அதிகாலைகளில் என்னை எழுப்பும்போது எல்லாம்!''

ellaarum nammala maadhiri'dhaan indha field'ku yEndaa vandhOmnu nenakkuraanga pOla :lol:

btw, all answers were :clap: :clap: Thanks nerd for posting

[directhit]

Bala :bow: wonderful replies... the comedy scenes in his movies are always awesome, seeing this no wonder why :D

[HonestRaj]

Loully intree.

A very GMish நக்கல்....'கலாய்க்கிறாங்களாமாம்' :rotfl:

நானோர் பரதேசி/ நல்லோர் கால்தூசி :clap: Rajatard 'mbAingaLE.
A very catchy song

Welcome back Joe :thumbsup:

catchy song.. yarukkunnu theriyumulla :)

[Nerd]

Great going Bala. Excellent answers. Response to the last question was :rotfl3:

விகடன் மேடை - பாலா

ஜி.விஜயன், திருவாரூர்.

'' 'அவன் இவன்’ எப்படிப்பட்ட படம் பாலா? ஜாலியான கலாய்ப்பா அல்லது நெஞ்சைப் பிழியும் டிராஜெடியா?''

''விஷால் பேரு... வால்டர் வணங்கா முடி. ஆர்யா பேரு... கும்பிடுறேன் சாமி.

ஒருத்தன்... அடிச்சுட்டே இருப்பான். இன்னொருத்தன்... அடி வாங்கிட்டே இருப்பான். அடிக்கிறவன்கிட்ட கோபம் இருக்காது. அடி வாங்குறவனும் வருத்தப்பட மாட்டான். வந்து பாருங்க வேடிக்கையை!''

பா.மோகன், சென்னை-63.

'' 'நான் கடவுள்’ படத்தில் அஜீத் நடிப்பதாக இருந்து, பிறகு ஏதோ மோதலில் விலகினீர்களே... என்னதான் நடந்தது?''

''அப்படி எல்லாம் என்னுடன் யாரும் மோதிவிட முடியாது. எப்போதும், யாரிடமாவது நான்தான் மோதுவேன். முட்டாள்தனமாக, சிறுபிள்ளைத்தனமாக, நான் நடந்துகொண்டேன். தவறு என்னுடையதுதான். அந்த வருத்தம் இப்போதும் இருக்கிறது. ஆனால், அதற்காக நான் கவலைப்படவில்லை!''



கே.சாந்தகுமாரி, நாகர்கோவில்.

''மிகைப்படுத்தாமல் இயல்பாக இருப்பதே நடிப்புக்கான உங்கள் இலக்கணம் என நினைக் கிறேன். தற்போதைய நடிகர்களில், உங்கள் இலக்கணத்தில் பொருந்துபவர் யார்?''

''இலக்கணமா? என் இலக்கணத்தைத் தூக்கிக் குப்பையில் போடுங்க!

பொதுவாக, நடிகர்கள் இலக்கணமற்று இருப்பதுதான் அழகு. அடக்கி வாசிக்க வேண்டிய இடத்தில் அடக்கி வாசித்தும், மிகைப்படுத்த வேண்டிய இடத்தில் புகுந்து விளையாடவும் வேண்டும். நடிப்பில் காற்றுக்கென்ன வேலி... கடலுக்கென்ன மூடி!''

எம்.ஜெயக்குமார், வேலூர்-3.

''எழுத்தாளர்கள் ஜெயமோகன், எஸ்.ராமகிருஷ்ணன் இருவரும் உங்களுடன் பணியாற்றியவர்கள். ஒப்பிட முடியுமா?''

''ஜெயமோகன் - பேசிவிட்டுச் சிரிப்பார். எஸ்.ராமகிருஷ்ணன் - சிரித்துவிட்டுப் பேசுவார். ஜெயமோகன், சரமாரியாகச் சந்தே கங்கள் கேட்டே கொல்வார். எஸ்.ராம கிருஷ்ணன் - கருத்து சொல்லிச் சொல்லியே கொல்வார். ஜெயமோகன் எதையாவது விவகாரமாக எழுதிவிட்டு, யாராவது அடிக்க வந்தால், ஓடி ஒளிய இடம் தேடி என்னிடம் வருவார். எஸ்.ராமகிருஷ்ணன், படம் முடியும் வரை என் பக்கத்திலேயே இருந்துவிட்டு, முடிந்தவுடன் ஓடி ஒளிந்துவிட்டார்!

ஆனால், 'அறிவினம் சேர்’னு பெரியவர்கள் சொன்னதால், பல்லைக் கடிச்சுக்கிட்டு இருவரிடமும் பொறுமையா இருக்கேன். அவர்கள் என்னைச் சகித்துக்கொண்டு இருப்பதும் அன்பால் மட்டுமே!''

கி.மனோகரன், பொள்ளாச்சி.

''உங்கள் இயக்கத்தில், உங்களின் குருநாதர் இயக்கத்தில் உங்களுக்கு மன நிறைவைத் தந்த படங்கள் எவை?''

''என் படங்களில் இதுவரை இல்லை. அவர் படங்களில்... 'வீடு’, 'சந்தியாராகம்’ இரண்டும்!''

எம்.வெற்றி, பையூர்.

''பாலா... பணம் சம்பாதிக்கச் சிறந்த இடம் சினிமாவா... அரசியலா?''

''இரண்டையும்விட, இப்போதும் எப்போதும்... ஆன்மிகம்!''

எஸ்.கே.தனபாண்டியன், மதுரை-4.

'' 'சேது’ பாலாவுக்கும், 'அவன் இவன்’ பாலாவுக்கும் என்ன வித்தியாசம்?''

''அவன்... பிளாட்ஃபாரக்காரன். இவன்... வாடகை வீட்டுக்காரன்!''

மா.விஜயலட்சுமி, சேலம்-5.

''விக்ரம், சூர்யா, ஆர்யா மூவரும் உங்களிடம் இரண்டாவது படமும் நடித்ததுபோல், விஷாலும் உங்களிடம் இன்னொரு படம் நடிப்பாரா?''

''தெரியலையே! போன வாரம் படப்பிடிப்பு முடிந்ததும், பின்னங்கால் பிடறியில் பட விஷாலும் ஆர்யாவும் ஓடிய ஓட்டம் இன்னும் என் கண் முன்னால் நிற்கிறது.

யாரை நம்பி நான் பொறந்தேன்... போங்கடா போங்க. என் காலம் வெல்லும், வென்ற பின்னே... வாங்கடா வாங்க!''

வா.குழந்தை, மன்னார்குடி.

'' 'நான் கடவுள்’ படத்துடன் உங்களின் சரக்கு தீர்ந்துவிட்டது என்கிறேன். நீங்கள் என்ன சொல் கிறீர்கள்?''

''சரக்கு இருக்கும் வரை சரக்கு தீராது. புரிந்துகொண்டவர்கள் புரிந்துகொள்ளுங்கள்... புரியாதவர்கள்... புரிந்துகொண்டவர்களிடம் தெரிந்துகொள்ளுங்கள்!''

எஸ்.கே.ரித்திகா, துறையூர்.

''காசியில் உங்களை மிகவும் பாதித்த சம்பவம் எது?''

''லோட்டா பாபா!

நர மாமிசம் உண்ணும் அகோரி அவர். 'நான் கடவுள்’ படத்தில் அவரை நடிக்க வைத்தேன். என்றோ ஒருநாள், அவரிடம் நான் எதிர்பார்த்த முகபாவம் வரவில்லை எனக் கோபத்தில் ஏதோ திட்டிவிட்டேன். பச்சைக் குழந்தைபோல தேம்பித் தேம்பி அழுதார். உறவுகளை அறுத்து, உலகம் வெறுத்து, நர மாமிசம் உண்டு வாழும் அகோரிக்குள் இப்படி ஒரு குழந்தை மனசா? அவரைப் போய் வருத்தப்படுத்திவிட்டேனே!''

செ.பவுன்துறை, திருநெல்வேலி.

''ஒரு படத்தை இயக்குவதற்கு முன்பும், இயக்கி முடித்த பின்பும் உங்கள் மனநிலை எப்படி இருக்கும்?''

''நாளை மற்றுமொரு நாளே!

உங்களுக்கு ஒரு நாளும் மறுநாளும் எப்படி இருக் குமோ... அப்படியேதான் எனக்கும். எல்லோருக்கும் ஏதேதோ ஒரு தொழில் இருப்பதுபோல, என் தொழில்... திரைப்படம் எடுப்பது, அவ்வளவுதான். மற்றபடி, இதை ஏதோ மகத்தான காவியம்போல உயர்த்தாதீர்கள். ஒவ்வொரு படமும் ஓர் அனுபவம். அவ்வளவுதாங்க!''

மு.பவித்ரா, திருப்பூர்.

''அழகானவர்களை அழுக்கானவர்களாகக் காட்டுவதில் உங்களுக்கு அப்படி என்ன ஆர்வம்?''

''ம்... என்னைவிட எவனும் அழகா இருக்கக் கூடாதுன்னுதான்!

ஒரு நடிகன், அந்தக் கதாபாத்திரமாக மாற வேண்டும் என்றால், அப்படிக் கொஞ்சம் மெனக் கெட்டால் நல்லது. அது அந்த கேரக்டரின் நம்பகத் தன்மையைக் கூட்டும்!''

-அடுத்த வாரம்...



பாலா, நீங்கள் ஒரு சைக்கோதானே?

உங்களுக்குப் பெண்கள் மீது மரியாதை இல்லையா? அது ஏன் எல்லா ஹீரோயின்களையும் லூஸுப் பெண்களாகவே காட்டுகிறீர்கள்?

சினிமா என்பது மிகச் சிறந்த மீடியா. அதன் மூலம் சமூகத்துக்கு நல்ல கருத்துக்கள் சொல்லலாம். அப்படிச் சொன்னவர்கள், மக்கள் மனதில் நிலைத்து இருக்கிறார்கள். மக்கள் தலைவர்களாகவும் இருக்கிறார்கள். கெட்ட பழக்கங்களைக் காட்டாமல், சமூக நலன் சார்ந்த படங்கள் கொடுக்க ஏன் மறுக்கிறீர்கள்?

[SoftSword]

sarakku illaamaya ivlo periya aala iruppaaru... :lol: :notworthy:

[San_K]

again :clap:

[cujoo]

'' 'நான் கடவுள்’ படத்தில் அஜீத் நடிப்பதாக இருந்து, பிறகு ஏதோ மோதலில் விலகினீர்களே... என்னதான் நடந்தது?''

''அப்படி எல்லாம் என்னுடன் யாரும் மோதிவிட முடியாது. எப்போதும், யாரிடமாவது நான்தான் மோதுவேன். முட்டாள்தனமாக, சிறுபிள்ளைத்தனமாக, நான் நடந்துகொண்டேன். தவறு என்னுடையதுதான். அந்த வருத்தம் இப்போதும் இருக்கிறது. ஆனால், அதற்காக நான் கவலைப்படவில்லை!''

Damn..... it was his fault but he is not bothered with it :(

[SoftSword]

thappa otthukiradhaa dhaane sollirukkapdi???

[Nerd]

Loved his interaction with NT and his response to #3 (appadiyaa :rotfl3:)

Surya from next week. I don't like his public persona at all, so skip dhaan.

விகடன் மேடை - பாலா
ஆர்.மணிவண்ணன், பெங்களூரு-12.


''பாலா, நீங்கள் ஒரு சைக்கோதானே?''

''புதியதல்லவே... என்னை சைக்கோ என்பது.புதுமையல்லவே... அதை நீயும் சொல்வது!''

கி.வீரா, திருப்பூர்.

''உங்களுக்குப் பெண்கள் மீது மரியாதை இல்லையா? அது ஏன் எல்லா ஹீரோயின்களையும் லூஸுப் பெண்களாகவே காட்டுகிறீர்கள்?''

''என் படங்களில் வரும் பெண்கள், நீங்கள் சொல்வதைப் போல் லூஸுப் பெண்களாகவே இருக்கட்டும். ஆனால், அவர்களை எந்த விதத்திலும் கொஞ்சம் கூட நான் கொச்சைப்படுத்தியது இல்லை. நான் என் திரைப் பெண்களையும் மதிக்கிறேன். இன்னும் சொல்லப்போனால், ஆராதிக்கிறேன்!''

மா.ஆசை, தேனி.

''சினிமா என்பது மிகச் சிறந்த மீடியா. அதன் மூலம் சமூகத்துக்கு நல்ல கருத்துக்கள் சொல்லலாம். அப்படிச் சொன்னவர்கள், மக்கள் மனதில் நிலைத்து இருக்கிறார்கள். மக்கள் தலைவர்களாகவும் இருக்கிறார்கள். கெட்ட பழக்கங்களைக் காட்டாமல், சமூக நலன் சார்ந்த படங்கள் கொடுக்க ஏன் மறுக்கிறீர்கள்?''

''அப்படியா?

சக மனிதன் மீது அன்பு செலுத்துவதை விட, சிறந்த சமூக நலன் என ஏதேனும் உண்டா என்ன? அந்த அன்பையும் அக்கறையையுமே என் திரைப்படங்கள் எப்போதும் பேசும்!''

வி.ரமா, மதுரை-3.

''உங்கள் பார்வையில், உண்மையான அழகு எது?''

''முதுமை. அந்த முகச் சுருக்கங்கள். அவர்களின் குழந்தைத்தனம்!''

எஸ்.ரமாமணி, சென்னை-49.

''உங்களின் உயரிய லட்சியம் என்றால், எதைக் கூறுவீர்கள்?''

''அதான், விகடன் தாத்தா சொல்றாரே... 'எல்லோரும் இன்புற்றிருக்க நினைப்பதுவதே யல்லாமல் வேறொன்றறியேன்...’

'பராபரமே’ மட்டும் கட்!''

ரா.ரவி, நாமக்கல்.

''சந்தோஷத் தருணங்களில் பாலா முணுமுணுக்கும் பாடல்..?''

'' 'எல்லோரும் நலம் வாழ நான் பாடுவேன். நான் வாழ யார் பாடுவார்?’ ''

எம்.பாக்யராஜ், சென்னை-91.

'' 'எனக்குத் தெரிந்தவரையில் பாலா ஒரு சிடுசிடு கடுவன் பூனை ரகம்’ என்கிறான் என் சென்னை நண்பன். உண்மையா பாலா?''

''அப்படி நான் சிடுசிடு என இருக்கும்போதே, பல பெருச்சாளிகள் எனக்குக் குழி பறித்ததே!

அப்படிப்பட்ட ஆட்களிடம் கொஞ்சம் நெருங்கி, சிரிச்சுப் பேசி இருந்தேன்னு வெச்சுக்கோங்க... 'பாபா’ பாஷையில் சொன்னா... நான் கதம் கதம் கதம்!''

கு.பூபதிவர்மா, நிழலிசெட்டிபாளையம்.

''உங்கள் குருநாதர் உங்களுக்கு அளித்த மறக்க முடியாத பரிசு?''

''அன்பும், அறிவும், வாழ்க்கையும்!''

உஞ்சை ராணி, திருச்சி-5.

''உங்களை மிகவும் பாதித்த படம்?''

'' 'அரங்கேற்றம்’, 'அவள் அப்படித்தான்''’

மு.பார்த்திபன், திருப்பூர்.

''சிவாஜி இப்போது இருந்தால், அவரைவைத்துப் படம் இயக்கும் ஆசை உண்டா?''

''இருந்தபோதே... ஆசைப்பட்டேன்!

'நந்தா’ படத்தில் பெரியவர் கேரக்டரில் நடிகர் திலகத்தை நடிக்கவைக்க வேண்டும் என எனக்குப் பேராசை. கதை சொல்ல வரும்படி அன்னை இல்லத்தில் இருந்து அழைப்பு.

உள்ளே நுழைந்தால் பகீர் என்று இருந்தது. ஹால் சோபாவில் சிவாஜி சார் மட்டும். ஆஹா, சிங்கத்திடம் தனியே சிக்கிக்கொண்டேன். 'சலங்கை ஒலி’ கமல் மாதிரி என் கால்கள் இரண்டும் பதற்றத்தில் பரத நாட்டியம் ஆடத் தொடங்கி இருந்தன.

'வாப்பு, ஒக்காரு!’

'இல்லீங்...’

'ஒக்கார்றதுக்குத்தேன் சோபா வாங்கிப் போட்ருக்கேன். சும்மா ஒக்காருங்க. சோபாவுக்கும் கொஞ்சம் பெருமையா இருக்கும்ல.’

அமர்ந்தேன்.

'என்ன சாப்பிடுறீக... காப்பியா... டீயா? நம்ம வீட்ல ரெண்டும் இருக்கு.’

'இல்ல, இப்பத்தான் சாப்பிட்டு வந்தேன் சார்.’

'ஒண்ணுமே சாப்பிட மாட்டேன்னு சொல்றதுக்கா, இம்புட்டுத் தூரம் வந்திருக்கீங்க. என்ன சாப்பிடுறீகன்னு கேட்டேனப்பு...’

'டீ சார்.’

டீ வந்தது. டம்ளர் டான்ஸ் ஆட ஆரம் பித்தது.

'அப்பு, ஒனக்குச் சொந்த ஊரு எது?’

'நாராயணத் தேவன்பட்டிங்க.’

'ஓஹோஹோஹோ...’ கண்கள் கபடி ஆட, உதடு குவித்துச் சிரித்தபடி தாடியை வருடினார் சிவாஜி.

'என்ன படம் பண்ணி இருக்க?’

' 'சேது’ன்னு ஒரு படம்.’

'ஆங்... ச்சொன்னாய்ங்க... ச்சொன்னாய்ங்க...’ என்றார் ராகம் போட்டு.

என்ன செய்வது எனப் புரியாமல் மிரள மிரள உட்கார்ந்து இருந்தேன்.

'சொல்லுங்க டைரக்டர் சார்... உங்களுக்கு நான் என்ன செய்யணும்?’

'ஒரு படம் பண்றேன்ங்க. அதுல நீங்க நடிக்கணும்.’

'என்னவா நடிக்கணும்?’

'அது வந்து... ஒரு பெரியவர் கேரக்டர்ங்க. சேதுபதின்னு ராஜ வம்சம்ங்க. அவர்கிட்ட அநாதையா ஒரு பையன் வந்து சேர்றான். ரெண்டு பேருக்குமான அன்புங்க. அப்புறம் ஊர்ல நிறையத் தப்பு நடக்குதுங்க. இந்தப் பொடியன் போய்த் துவம்சம் பண்றானுங்க. பழி வாங்க வர்ற வில்லனுங்க உங்களைப் போட்றா னுங்க... அப்பிடி ஒரு லைன்யா’- உளறிக்கொட்டுகிறேன் என எனக்கே தெரிந்தது.

'ம்... போட்றாய்ங்களா? அவ்ளோ ஈசியா என்னைக் கொன்ற முடியுமா? அவிய்ங்க என்னை நாலஞ்சு வெட்டு வெட்டுனா, நான் ஒரே வெட்டாச்சும் வெட்ட மாட்டேனா... ம்ம்ம்ம்...’ - மீசையை முறுக்கி சிவாஜி எழ, வசமாச் சிக்கிட்டேன் என்பது மட்டும் புரிந்தது.

'இல்ல, பில்ட்-அப்லாம் இருக்கு சார், அது பண்ணிரலாம்.’

'என்னாது... பில்ட்-அப்பா? ஓஹோஹோஹோ, போய் நல்லா பில்ட்-அப் பண்ணுங்க, ம்ம்ம்... நான் சொல்றேன் சரியாப்பு!’ எனக் கை கூப்பினார். அப்படியே 'வசந்த மாளிகை’ சிவாஜி சிரிப்பு.

வணக்கம் சொல்லி வெளியே வந்த எனக்குப் பதற்றம் குறையவில்லை. தெரு முக்குப் பெட்டிக் கடையில் ஒரு தம் வாங்கிப் பற்றவைத்தேன். இரண்டாவது பஃப் இழுக்கையிலேயே, 'ஐயோ... அன்னை இல்லத்தில் இருந்து ஏதாச்சும் ஜன்னல் வழியே சிவாஜி சார் என்னைக் கவனித்துக்கொண்டு இருந்தால் என்னாவது?’ எனத் தோண, அப்படியே சிகரெட்டைப் போட்டுவிட்டு, எடுத்தேன் ஒரு ஓட்டம்!''

ஏ.வி.அரவிந்த், அரசாணிமங்கலம்.

''பாலாவின் அடுத்த படத்தில் புதுமுகம்தான் ஹீரோ என்கிறீர்கள். அதற்கான தகுதி என்ன? பணம்? சிபாரிசு? திறமை?''

''முதல் இரண்டும் தேவைப்படாத ஒரு திறமைசாலியைக் கண்டுபிடித்துவிட்டேன்!''

எல்.கே.ரவி, பண்ருட்டி.

''நீங்கள் ஈழத் தமிழராகப் பிறந்து இருந்தால்?''

''அங்கே பிறந்து இருந்தால்... செத்து மண்ணோடு மண்ணாகி இருப்பேன்.

இங்கே பிறந்துவிட்டதால்... குற்ற உணர்வில் செத்துக்கொண்டு இருக்கிறேன்!''

''ஏன்டா பிறந்தோம்னு எப்போவாவது நினைத்தது உண்டா?''

'' 'இவனை ஏன்டா பெத்தோம்?’னு என் அம்மாவும் அப்பாவும் என் கண் முன்னே கலங்கி நின்ற அத்தனைத் தருணங்களிலும்!''

[groucho070]

''மிகைப்படுத்தாமல் இயல்பாக இருப்பதே நடிப்புக்கான உங்கள் இலக்கணம் என நினைக் கிறேன். தற்போதைய நடிகர்களில், உங்கள் இலக்கணத்தில் பொருந்துபவர் யார்?''

''இலக்கணமா? என் இலக்கணத்தைத் தூக்கிக் குப்பையில் போடுங்க!

பொதுவாக, நடிகர்கள் இலக்கணமற்று இருப்பதுதான் அழகு. அடக்கி வாசிக்க வேண்டிய இடத்தில் அடக்கி வாசித்தும், மிகைப்படுத்த வேண்டிய இடத்தில் புகுந்து விளையாடவும் வேண்டும். நடிப்பில் காற்றுக்கென்ன வேலி... கடலுக்கென்ன மூடி!''Well said, No wonder he's NT fan. Love all those NT song references. Thanks Nerd.

[app_engine]

''நீங்கள் ஈழத் தமிழராகப் பிறந்து இருந்தால்?''

''அங்கே பிறந்து இருந்தால்... செத்து மண்ணோடு மண்ணாகி இருப்பேன்.

இங்கே பிறந்துவிட்டதால்... குற்ற உணர்வில் செத்துக்கொண்டு இருக்கிறேன்!''


This is classic!
:cry:

[app_engine]

His interactions with Sivaji...

I think similar awe must have kept some talented young directors away from colossal talents in TF (like Sivaji / Ilayaraja)...

[Siv.S]

'அது வந்து... ஒரு பெரியவர் கேரக்டர்ங்க. சேதுபதின்னு ராஜ வம்சம்ங்க. அவர்கிட்ட அநாதையா ஒரு பையன் வந்து சேர்றான். ரெண்டு பேருக்குமான அன்புங்க. அப்புறம் ஊர்ல நிறையத் தப்பு நடக்குதுங்க. இந்தப் பொடியன் போய்த் துவம்சம் பண்றானுங்க. பழி வாங்க வர்ற வில்லனுங்க உங்களைப் போட்றா னுங்க... அப்பிடி ஒரு லைன்யா’- உளறிக்கொட்டுகிறேன் என எனக்கே தெரிந்தது.

'ம்... போட்றாய்ங்களா? அவ்ளோ ஈசியா என்னைக் கொன்ற முடியுமா? அவிய்ங்க என்னை நாலஞ்சு வெட்டு வெட்டுனா, நான் ஒரே வெட்டாச்சும் வெட்ட மாட்டேனா... ம்ம்ம்ம்...’ - மீசையை முறுக்கி சிவாஜி எழ, வசமாச் சிக்கிட்டேன் என்பது மட்டும் புரிந்தது.
:lol: :rotfl:
:clap: :clap:

[ajaybaskar]

That NT episode was classic!!! :clap:

[kid-glove]

Well narrated episode with the LION.

Ace response(s) again. :clap:

[groucho070]

Thilak, your avatar. Konjam konjamaa paravikittirukku. Nestu nyanthaneyo!

[kid-glove]

Thilak, your avatar. Konjam konjamaa paravikittirukku. Nestu nyanthaneyo!

Kamaan ya!

[San_K]

Wov pathilgal :clap: no wonder he is the top 'creator' in TFM now

[jinju]

Seriously FUNNY!
If modesty is a virtue, Bala has it in excess, and if frankness is a fault, his exchanges brim over with it! Looking a lot fitter than he did when I met him just before the release of Naan Kadavul, he welcomes me with a warm smile. This meeting is about Avan Ivan, Bala's next.

“Certain interactions remain with me for long. I vividly remember our last conversation,” he says. It was at Hotel Green Park and even then, his candour surprised me.

Bala is still the same. Doesn't he feel he has to exercise caution, particularly when talking to the media?

“Why should I? Then after you leave when I look at myself in the mirror, won't the image mock at me?”

Fair enough, only that such forthrightness from an interviewee is rare to come by.

Bala is known to take a long time for each project. Comparatively, Avan Ivan seems to have been completed early. “Not really — we shot NK for 260 days with breaks in between and AI for 220 at a stretch.” But unlike NK, this is said to be in a light-hearted vein and yet … “Yeah, even then it took me that number of days,” he nods.

Two films each with Vikram, Suriya and Arya — does he have a particular reason for repeating his heroes?

“Sure, because most heroes are wary of working with me,” his tone is serious, and I sit up! Which actor wouldn't want to be part of a Bala film? “The general feeling is I'm not an easy person. The media has created that impression. And that my films take too long to get over,” he shrugs.

The latter is true to an extent. “Not the former,” he cuts in. “Once the actors begin to work with me they know I'm very cool. That's why Vikram, Suriya and Arya are still my well-wishers. They are constantly in touch, and after AI Vishal has joined the group,” smiles Bala. “Arya knew about the story I had in mind and it was he who brought Vishal to me,” says Bala.

Then why does he subject his heroes to such torture? Arya, for example, had to master ‘sirasasanam,' the yogic posture, in 30 days (perfecting it takes a year and a half generally) for NK, and now it is Vishal who will appear with a squint throughout AI. “I feel bad too. I thought I should do something different for Vishal, who had reposed confidence in me. The idea came to me on the set. And he was game,” says Bala.

For nearly 25 days Vishal practised holding his eyeball to one side. “I felt really sad to see him do it, because the nerve on that side of the face would at once get swollen and it would take half an hour for the swelling to subside. So each time we had to wait that long for a shot — obviously we couldn't shoot him with the nerve looking prominent. A real ordeal,” his voice shows concern.

Comparatively Arya's challenges in AI seem less. “Yes, I want to show that he can shine in a light character too,” he says.

It is said that Vishal is playing a transgender. “Not at all, he is a theatre artist who has played female roles for so long that he has an effeminate streak in him. Even that vanishes, once he becomes an action hero,” Bala explains.

Bala believes in finding stories from life. “It's just observation, inspiration and imagination,” he smiles.

And was Vishal able to deliver? “As I've told you, no actor is bad. It's up to the director to elicit a good performance from him. What else is a director for?”

Heroines Janani and Madhushalini are greenhorns who've made it to Bala's territory. “They've also dubbed for their roles.”

AI is being touted as a comedy — a genre new to Bala. “It is fun till the last 15 minutes, after which it turns serious,” is all he divulges. The levity trip is because people began to brand him a cynic. “My director (his mentor Balu Mahendra) and others advised me to change tack. I have. Let's see how it works,” laughs Bala.

Barring Nanda with Yuvan, Bala has always gone with Ilaiyaraja. This time it's Yuvan. “I sincerely feel that there's more talent left untapped in Yuvan — particularly the emotions he can bring to music. His job for AI is of international standard,” he comments. Lens man Arthur Wilson has joined hands again with Bala after NK. “We are on the same wavelength and that makes work easy.”

Avan Ivan is Bala's fifth film and according to him this is the first time he hasn't locked horns with the producer! “That's because I was very careful with my behaviour. Agoram is a great person and I wouldn't have forgiven myself had I upset him,” he says. The others? “The mistake was always with me, not with them. I consciously didn't wish to repeat it this time.”

Not once does Bala get defensive. “My director would tell me, ‘Accepting mistakes and apologising are the hallmarks of a good human being.' The words have stuck.”

Awards, musings...

Bala feels that Arya and Pooja deserved recognition at the National level for NK. “I was awarded, but they should have been too. Arya had to go around with that long mane and unkempt beard for almost a year. His costume was just a set of clothes throughout, which had to be worn unwashed. Physically too, he had to learn the asanas really fast. And when the opaque lens was used on her eyes Pooja couldn't see at all. She had to be guided up the hilly terrain. It wasn't easy,” he recalls.

But it's been a bountiful harvest for Tamil films this year. “It isn't enough. Madarasapattinam and Angaadi Theru ought to have been honoured and Mynaa should have won a few more awards.”

http://www.hindu.com/cp/2011/05/29/stories/2011052950030100.htm

[NOV]

But it's been a bountiful harvest for Tamil films this year. “It isn't enough. Madarasapattinam and Angaadi Theru ought to have been honoured and Mynaa should have won a few more awards.”
You are my man Bala :thumbsup:

[littlemaster1982]

Bump!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nerd]

Yeah right... அவரு எப்போ மதராசபட்டிணம், மைனா எல்லாம் புகழ்ந்தாரோ அப்பையே டவுட் ஆனேன்.... :oops:

[HonestRaj]

:lol: Myna.. My_'aatta irundhadhu
but Madharasapattanam.. OK.. heroine & gvp songs nalla irundhadhu

[raghavendran]

Nerd
Mynaave yardhan pugazhala?...from Kamal to Myshkin ellarum pugazhndachu...periya alungalam apdidhan..Anurag kashyap subramaniapuratha aha ohonu sollaliya?..idhellam arasiyala sadharanam..idha vechilam Bala standarde decide panreenga?..:)

[Dinesh84]

Subramaniapuraththukku enna koraichal nnaen.. :evil:

[Plum]

adhAnE -adhai Kashaypa munivar indhila remake vERA paNdrApla.
namakku dhan cinema sariyA theriyalainu nenaikkaREn - avainga(Kamal, Bala, Kashyap) ellAm theLivAvE irukkAnga :(

[raghavendran]

exactly...enakkum adhe doubtdhan irukku