(Published in The Hindu Metroplus in March last week)
By Prema Manmadhan
It's dark; rain; billowing trees; swaying clumps of bamboo and ….yes, it's the forest, all right. These are the images that come before your mind's eye when you listen to the coy music that Rajeev's bamboo wind chime makes, when the breeze caresses it. Low pitched and like a congregation of flautists met up to exchange notes, the wind chimes take you to a primordial era, when time stands still, worries disintegrate into nothingness…that is, if you give yourself a chance to be alone and close your eyes.
There are wind chimes and wind chimes. Some that are so high pitched that you won't need much persuading to bring it down after a few days. There are others that cause a near pandemonium when confronted with wind.
Forest as neighbour
“Metal wind chimes don't give you this feel, that is a sort of metallic clang,” says Rajeev V.K., of Thattekkanni, beyond Neriamangalam, for whom the forests and bamboo are part of life, “living next to the forest.” Crafting things out of bamboo had always been his hobby, but Rajeev got a Diploma in Telecommunications from the Polytechnic Institute, as part of a game plan to equip himself better to face life. Being totally disinterested in the subject, he called it quits after a few teaching assignments and got back once again to his organic surroundings and pet love, namely bamboo.
“I researched for five years going by the trial and error method and came up with this method of making a bamboo wind chime,” Rajeev reminisces. Bamboo wind chimes are common in China and Bali.
Spiritual aspect
The spiritual aspects of the wind chime have not been explored in many places as it's done in China perhaps. While in China, it is a symbol of peace, prosperity and harmony, in Bali, where they make very good ones they are used during rituals and also to scare away birds in the rice fields. Tuned wind chimes are not that common, though.
Tuned? Yes, you have to tune them to get the right sounds and vibes. This one that Rajeev holds is a labour of love. First, the right type of bamboo has to be found in the forest and harvested properly. There are many kinds of bamboos and only certain species produce the desired sounds, as in the making of flutes.
Knowhow
“Many do not have the knowhow to cut it correctly, without damage. One has to know which bamboos are matured enough too. It has to be at least one and a half years old, when it is just ripe for harvesting. It has to be self dried,” explains Rajeev. After cutting it right, it has to be smoked for five days so that the water content in it evaporates.
And then begins the real work. After shaping each bamboo (he uses six in a wind chime, the primitive number is that, he insists), the tuning is laboriously done. Chipping off tiny particles of bamboo or layers thinner than a hair, he has to listen to the sound produced intently to see if it is the right tone and pitch. “One wrong move and that bamboo goes into the dust bin,” says Rajeev, describing his work.
Coconut shells
His wind chimes look like the Balinese ones, but he does not drill holes into the bamboos. They are carved with a curve at the top and small pieces of coconut shells help in producing the right notes. They also ensure a longer life for the wind chime, Rajeev says. Strong black thread holds them all together. At the top also, one half of a coconut shell, polished with care, holds the wind chime in place, with a wooden piece in the middle, the striker, which is the pivot that plays the director of the show.
You can even make a raga-based wind chime, says Rajeev, explaining how: “I have made a few in Mohanam, as that is a raga that is associated with happiness and can be sung at any time of the day. Not all bamboos can be used for this. Only rarely do I come across the right type in the forest. Tuning them is difficult as you have to get each ‘swara' of that raga in the same pitch, on each bamboo, for which very careful tuning is needed. And when it is ready, and the wind blows, imagine the combos of ‘manodharmas' in Mohanam that the wind chime produces,” says Rajeev, thoroughly excited.
“Recently, a Czech sound therapist came to my house to see my wind chimes and said they are stress busters, as they relax you.”
Rajeev recommends that the wind chime be hung somewhere where there's light and air, but not outdoors as bamboo is bio-degradable. Hanging it in an air-conditioned room is also not advisable, not only because there is no wind there, but the cold will kill the bamboo. His improved wind chimes are guaranteed to last ten years, he says.
The one worry that haunts Rajeev is that he has yet to find someone who has the patience to learn how to make these wind chimes from him. “I do not mass produce them. I can make just five a month and I am happy with what I get. I will not compromise on quality,” he says.
Research mode
Depending on the size, the prices vary. The one he holds is big and costs around Rs. 4,500, and he has bookings for the whole of this year and more.
And Rajeev is still in research mode, trying to make them better and better and bring in the spiritual element to it.
Monday, April 4, 2011
In the land of Khasak again
(This was published in the Hindu Metro PLus on April 2)
By Prema Manmadhan
Artists and friends got together to pay tribute to the enigmatic O. V. Vijayan on his sixth death anniversary
From Palakkad, he gravitated to the capital, where he spent a great chunk of his professional time and in the evening of his life, O. V. Vijayan made Kottayam his home for a short time, before moving to Hyderabad which turned out to be the last place he lived in. That was exactly six years ago. But he always belonged to Kerala, in his works, in his mind and in his very being, for one does not forget one's childhood and mother tongue.
And on March 30, they were there, all those who knew the thespian at some point in his life, despite the World Cup, on the sixth death anniversary of cartoonist-writer-thinker O.V.Vijayan. The mood at Nanappa Gallery at Orthic Creative Centre in the city was nostalgic, the crowd ready to pay homage to a man who never really got the recognition he deserved, for he always lay low, with a pronounced dislike for attention: An introvert extraordinaire. The visual media made him uncomfortable.
Memories abound
The four walls of the gallery had everything that T. Kaladharan, the organiser, could muster in a short time: Framed photostat copies of Vijayan's published cartoons, all that hit the nail right on the head, paintings that depicted either the cartoonist-writer or the characters in his famous novels and even three sculptures. The Cartoon Academy rose to the occasion and collected a good number of Vijayan's all-time great cartoons, from the time of the language agitation in 1958, one which had the words, ‘linguisticks' in it, to the ones in the Emergency and where EMS features, also from the pre-split days of the CPI. A study of these could give the new generation an idea of the standard of cartoons in those days and also more than flashes of brilliance in the department of cartoons. A sizeable number of the Academy's members drew sketches of Vijayan too.
At the gathering a few remembered their associations with him and two short documentaries, by K. M. Madhusoodan and Jyothiprakash were shown, dwelling much on the writer's seminal work, ‘Khazakkinte Ithihasam', which became even bigger than the writer himself. Manarcadu Mathew, who knew Vijayan for many years, was the chief guest. He spoke of the days he had a professional relationship with him at first and later it turned personal, when he met him many times in Delhi, where he used to live. K.N.Shaji, freelance journalist, said he used to meet Vijayan almost every day at one point of his life, while in Delhi. “He welcomed me, a young man with no job, with the same exuberance as he would a notable personality. We would sit and chat for long. I would have dinner in his house and leave…I learnt so much from a man who lived by his own rules,” he said.
Somananathan Nair (Nadhan) remembered how, as a young man, he was drawing for ‘Shankar's Weekly' and got in touch with Vijayan to get some advice. “He wrote me many letters giving me tips and commenting on cartoons and cartoonists so that I could learn more. He was the best in those days and I was just starting, sometime in the early seventies and yet, he took time to write to me. I have just one letter with me now,” he said and read it out to the gathering. One of the four cardinal rules, he had advised Nadhan, was not to oversimplify a cartoon. That is the essence of all Vijayan cartoons, you realise. The letter contained bold remarks about the famous cartoonists of the period apart from clear instructions on how to improve the drawings. Prasannan Anikkad also spoke.
The characters in ‘Khazakkinte Ithihasam' came to life in some paintings. Artist Namboodiri's sketch brought out much more than the man's physical appearance. K. K. Rajappan, K. P. Soman, C. S, Jayaram, Kaladharan and P.V.Krishnan are the senior artists on show. Three of the paintings were based on ‘Khazakkinte Ithihasam', the old house in Pramod Korampala's work, in K. M. Narayanan's painting and Appukkili in C. R. Manmadhan's work. A few were based on ‘Kadaltheeram', Vijayan's story. Unni, Keshav, Jayachandran, Ajoy, Dinesh R Shenoy, Varghese Kalathil, Binuraj, Rajeev, Sherin Satheesh, Satheesh Babu, T.V.G. Menon, Sajjive, Prasannan Anikkad, Sudhirnath, K. M. Narayanan are the others whose works or photocopies of works are here.
Little known facts
Little known facts about Vijayan were exchanged among the people at the meeting, that he was scared of spiders, though everyone knew how much he loved cats.
This writer was his neighbour for some time, while he lived in Kottayam. He told me then that his next novel (that never happened), ‘Padmatheertham', was all ready in his mind and it just needed to be transferred on to paper. It died with him. He had never used a computer and never ever got to see the number of pages that came on screen if his name was Googled. When this fact was conveyed to him, he looked up, astonished, wondering how it could be possible. He used his pen lavishly in his last years because of his disability to speak and would write a comment as and when he wanted to express something while watching a TV programme. And that equalled a cartoon, always.
And he loved fish curry, the man who contributed so much to the printed word and drawing but never ever got what he deserved in the world of letters.
By Prema Manmadhan
Artists and friends got together to pay tribute to the enigmatic O. V. Vijayan on his sixth death anniversary
From Palakkad, he gravitated to the capital, where he spent a great chunk of his professional time and in the evening of his life, O. V. Vijayan made Kottayam his home for a short time, before moving to Hyderabad which turned out to be the last place he lived in. That was exactly six years ago. But he always belonged to Kerala, in his works, in his mind and in his very being, for one does not forget one's childhood and mother tongue.
And on March 30, they were there, all those who knew the thespian at some point in his life, despite the World Cup, on the sixth death anniversary of cartoonist-writer-thinker O.V.Vijayan. The mood at Nanappa Gallery at Orthic Creative Centre in the city was nostalgic, the crowd ready to pay homage to a man who never really got the recognition he deserved, for he always lay low, with a pronounced dislike for attention: An introvert extraordinaire. The visual media made him uncomfortable.
Memories abound
The four walls of the gallery had everything that T. Kaladharan, the organiser, could muster in a short time: Framed photostat copies of Vijayan's published cartoons, all that hit the nail right on the head, paintings that depicted either the cartoonist-writer or the characters in his famous novels and even three sculptures. The Cartoon Academy rose to the occasion and collected a good number of Vijayan's all-time great cartoons, from the time of the language agitation in 1958, one which had the words, ‘linguisticks' in it, to the ones in the Emergency and where EMS features, also from the pre-split days of the CPI. A study of these could give the new generation an idea of the standard of cartoons in those days and also more than flashes of brilliance in the department of cartoons. A sizeable number of the Academy's members drew sketches of Vijayan too.
At the gathering a few remembered their associations with him and two short documentaries, by K. M. Madhusoodan and Jyothiprakash were shown, dwelling much on the writer's seminal work, ‘Khazakkinte Ithihasam', which became even bigger than the writer himself. Manarcadu Mathew, who knew Vijayan for many years, was the chief guest. He spoke of the days he had a professional relationship with him at first and later it turned personal, when he met him many times in Delhi, where he used to live. K.N.Shaji, freelance journalist, said he used to meet Vijayan almost every day at one point of his life, while in Delhi. “He welcomed me, a young man with no job, with the same exuberance as he would a notable personality. We would sit and chat for long. I would have dinner in his house and leave…I learnt so much from a man who lived by his own rules,” he said.
Somananathan Nair (Nadhan) remembered how, as a young man, he was drawing for ‘Shankar's Weekly' and got in touch with Vijayan to get some advice. “He wrote me many letters giving me tips and commenting on cartoons and cartoonists so that I could learn more. He was the best in those days and I was just starting, sometime in the early seventies and yet, he took time to write to me. I have just one letter with me now,” he said and read it out to the gathering. One of the four cardinal rules, he had advised Nadhan, was not to oversimplify a cartoon. That is the essence of all Vijayan cartoons, you realise. The letter contained bold remarks about the famous cartoonists of the period apart from clear instructions on how to improve the drawings. Prasannan Anikkad also spoke.
The characters in ‘Khazakkinte Ithihasam' came to life in some paintings. Artist Namboodiri's sketch brought out much more than the man's physical appearance. K. K. Rajappan, K. P. Soman, C. S, Jayaram, Kaladharan and P.V.Krishnan are the senior artists on show. Three of the paintings were based on ‘Khazakkinte Ithihasam', the old house in Pramod Korampala's work, in K. M. Narayanan's painting and Appukkili in C. R. Manmadhan's work. A few were based on ‘Kadaltheeram', Vijayan's story. Unni, Keshav, Jayachandran, Ajoy, Dinesh R Shenoy, Varghese Kalathil, Binuraj, Rajeev, Sherin Satheesh, Satheesh Babu, T.V.G. Menon, Sajjive, Prasannan Anikkad, Sudhirnath, K. M. Narayanan are the others whose works or photocopies of works are here.
Little known facts
Little known facts about Vijayan were exchanged among the people at the meeting, that he was scared of spiders, though everyone knew how much he loved cats.
This writer was his neighbour for some time, while he lived in Kottayam. He told me then that his next novel (that never happened), ‘Padmatheertham', was all ready in his mind and it just needed to be transferred on to paper. It died with him. He had never used a computer and never ever got to see the number of pages that came on screen if his name was Googled. When this fact was conveyed to him, he looked up, astonished, wondering how it could be possible. He used his pen lavishly in his last years because of his disability to speak and would write a comment as and when he wanted to express something while watching a TV programme. And that equalled a cartoon, always.
And he loved fish curry, the man who contributed so much to the printed word and drawing but never ever got what he deserved in the world of letters.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Urumi Review
Musings of a cineaste after the first day, first show of ‘Urumi', (Published in The Hindu Metro Plus, Kochi, on April 4)
Prithviraj has a vision, which he professes at every opportunity, that he will one day be the ambassador of Malayalam cinema and through him Malayalam cinema will get its due. ‘Urumi' could well be his first effort in that direction to fulfil his dream. Mani Ratnam's ‘Raavanan' paved the road for him to do it and here he is, with August Cinema's ‘Urumi'.
August Cinema's CEO is Mallika Sukumaran, say the credits. Homage is paid to Sukumaran before the movie begins as also to another producer's father, Nadesan. Sukumaran would certainly have been proud of his younger son. Santhosh Sivan, who dons a producer's, cinematographer's and director's robes, wears one for far too long.
Guess which robe? The cinematographer's of course. If you compare ‘Ananthabhadram', ‘Raavanan' and ‘Urumi', you can see the same pair of eyes looking through the camera.
As to who won the toss, the director or cameraman in ‘Urumi', again, the cameraman triumphs! For ‘Urumi' is eye candy…eye candy..eye candy supreme. Watching the movie in a multiplex gets you all the comments, honest and unafraid ones. The visuals floor you; all comments are united on that score.
There is the sea from several offbeat angles, the cave also lighted by torches with the light and shade playing, mountains and village locales, tribal men and women, animals and birds, namely the Manila duck, a parrot, horses, cows and buffaloes.
The colours are so much in harmony, earthy and natural green, and the costumes, few and classy (close ups are few). In fact, Prithviraj's costumes, very few, are natural and suit him.
There are just a handful of scenes in which Prithviraj Sukumaran does not appear. Muscles ripple and fight scenes abound, a la Crouching Tiger style. Prabhu Deva's is a comic character, the second longest after Prithviraj's. No, there are no dance scenes. Genelia D'Souza, who has the longest female role, tries her hand at kalaripayattu and makes bold attempts to look extremely serious about her persona. But in one of the roles she plays, (yes, several actors play double roles, one group in the past and the same group in the present) she is very much at home, that of a mentally deranged girl. Vidya Balan's much hyped item number is tastefully captured, except for one or two crude shots.
And Tabu? Your heart bleeds for the actor, who can hardly be recognised in that guest appearance. Nithya Menon is charming, sexy and cute, in turns. Jagathy, Arya and a host of small screen actors, who come in and go off in a few minutes at the beginning, do well. Deepak Dev's music is different. Only snatches of songs are picturised in some scenes, which go down well with the audience,
Sexual innuendos abound in Shankar Ramakrishnan's dialogues. More overt than covert. All in chaste language.
How many issues can one film hold? ‘Urumi' has environment, history (?), land mafia, love et al. If you don't take the history part too seriously, you will enjoy the movie, thoroughly, like a lovely fairy tale. But does anything stay in your heart, post ‘Urumi'? Prithviraj's flowing costumes did, in mine.
Prithviraj has a vision, which he professes at every opportunity, that he will one day be the ambassador of Malayalam cinema and through him Malayalam cinema will get its due. ‘Urumi' could well be his first effort in that direction to fulfil his dream. Mani Ratnam's ‘Raavanan' paved the road for him to do it and here he is, with August Cinema's ‘Urumi'.
August Cinema's CEO is Mallika Sukumaran, say the credits. Homage is paid to Sukumaran before the movie begins as also to another producer's father, Nadesan. Sukumaran would certainly have been proud of his younger son. Santhosh Sivan, who dons a producer's, cinematographer's and director's robes, wears one for far too long.
Guess which robe? The cinematographer's of course. If you compare ‘Ananthabhadram', ‘Raavanan' and ‘Urumi', you can see the same pair of eyes looking through the camera.
As to who won the toss, the director or cameraman in ‘Urumi', again, the cameraman triumphs! For ‘Urumi' is eye candy…eye candy..eye candy supreme. Watching the movie in a multiplex gets you all the comments, honest and unafraid ones. The visuals floor you; all comments are united on that score.
There is the sea from several offbeat angles, the cave also lighted by torches with the light and shade playing, mountains and village locales, tribal men and women, animals and birds, namely the Manila duck, a parrot, horses, cows and buffaloes.
The colours are so much in harmony, earthy and natural green, and the costumes, few and classy (close ups are few). In fact, Prithviraj's costumes, very few, are natural and suit him.
There are just a handful of scenes in which Prithviraj Sukumaran does not appear. Muscles ripple and fight scenes abound, a la Crouching Tiger style. Prabhu Deva's is a comic character, the second longest after Prithviraj's. No, there are no dance scenes. Genelia D'Souza, who has the longest female role, tries her hand at kalaripayattu and makes bold attempts to look extremely serious about her persona. But in one of the roles she plays, (yes, several actors play double roles, one group in the past and the same group in the present) she is very much at home, that of a mentally deranged girl. Vidya Balan's much hyped item number is tastefully captured, except for one or two crude shots.
And Tabu? Your heart bleeds for the actor, who can hardly be recognised in that guest appearance. Nithya Menon is charming, sexy and cute, in turns. Jagathy, Arya and a host of small screen actors, who come in and go off in a few minutes at the beginning, do well. Deepak Dev's music is different. Only snatches of songs are picturised in some scenes, which go down well with the audience,
Sexual innuendos abound in Shankar Ramakrishnan's dialogues. More overt than covert. All in chaste language.
How many issues can one film hold? ‘Urumi' has environment, history (?), land mafia, love et al. If you don't take the history part too seriously, you will enjoy the movie, thoroughly, like a lovely fairy tale. But does anything stay in your heart, post ‘Urumi'? Prithviraj's flowing costumes did, in mine.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Asianet's Mammootty the Best Actor 2011
This was published in The Hindu Metroplus dated February 24
Come Sunday next and a new reality show begins on Asianet. Actually, not new, but the second edition of a show. (Yawn?) But ‘Mammootty the Best Actor 2011' is nothing like the first one, says M. R. Rajan, Asst Vice President, Asianet. “It's a totally new type of show, lasting for just 13 episodes,” he promises. That's cause for relief, no doubt.
It's a hunt for good actors from Kerala, for Mollywood, as ‘there is a deficiency in that department, in the industry,' as cinematographer Venu, one of the three on the jury, puts it. The other two are actor-director Revathy and director Ranjit.
Of the 3,000 plus applicants, all between 10-30 years, 1,000 took the screen test and the number whittled down to 50. The in-house team did this job at centres in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Dubai.
New generation directors
At the next stage, 10 new generation directors (many of whom have one or two films to their credit), like Mohan Raghavan who made the absorbing ‘T.D.Dasan Std IV B', Shaiju Anthikkad, Deepu Karun, Radhakrishnan Mangalath and others took over and 10 of the lucky and talented contestants were chosen from among them. Now, these ten directors are moulding them in the several departments of acting like dialogue delivery (maybe dubbing is discouraged, which is a good sign). Well, each director works on one contestant and finally on April 1, in Dubai, the top three contestants will be selected by the super threesome jury.
For Venu, this is his maiden TV show. Why now? “I like asking questions”, he answers. The judgement will not be based on appearance or glamour, but sheer talent, he says. The rounds include those that bring acting potential to the fore.
The ten directors are making ten short segments of films with the contestants, bringing out these qualities in each for the winners to be picked. The quality of moulding and innate talent will go a long way to creating the best actor. Kids from age 12 compete with adults in their late twenties. The 13 episodes will feature these ten contestants going through the grind with the jury.
Mammootty's role
Which brings us to the question: why it's called ‘Mammootty the Best Actor 2011'. Mammooty's role in the show is giving acting tips to contestants, interaction with the ten finalists and the topper will be given a role in a movie made by his production house, Playhouse, according to Rajan.
Yet another question why ‘Mammootty the Best Actor 2011' is telecast by Asianet channel when he is the chairman of Malayalam Communications Limited, which operates the channels under the Kairali TV, is a loaded one for which answers are yet to come.
Anyway, your afternoon nap after a full lunch on Sunday for the next few weeks will be affected. The show is from 2-3 p.m
Come Sunday next and a new reality show begins on Asianet. Actually, not new, but the second edition of a show. (Yawn?) But ‘Mammootty the Best Actor 2011' is nothing like the first one, says M. R. Rajan, Asst Vice President, Asianet. “It's a totally new type of show, lasting for just 13 episodes,” he promises. That's cause for relief, no doubt.
It's a hunt for good actors from Kerala, for Mollywood, as ‘there is a deficiency in that department, in the industry,' as cinematographer Venu, one of the three on the jury, puts it. The other two are actor-director Revathy and director Ranjit.
Of the 3,000 plus applicants, all between 10-30 years, 1,000 took the screen test and the number whittled down to 50. The in-house team did this job at centres in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Dubai.
New generation directors
At the next stage, 10 new generation directors (many of whom have one or two films to their credit), like Mohan Raghavan who made the absorbing ‘T.D.Dasan Std IV B', Shaiju Anthikkad, Deepu Karun, Radhakrishnan Mangalath and others took over and 10 of the lucky and talented contestants were chosen from among them. Now, these ten directors are moulding them in the several departments of acting like dialogue delivery (maybe dubbing is discouraged, which is a good sign). Well, each director works on one contestant and finally on April 1, in Dubai, the top three contestants will be selected by the super threesome jury.
For Venu, this is his maiden TV show. Why now? “I like asking questions”, he answers. The judgement will not be based on appearance or glamour, but sheer talent, he says. The rounds include those that bring acting potential to the fore.
The ten directors are making ten short segments of films with the contestants, bringing out these qualities in each for the winners to be picked. The quality of moulding and innate talent will go a long way to creating the best actor. Kids from age 12 compete with adults in their late twenties. The 13 episodes will feature these ten contestants going through the grind with the jury.
Mammootty's role
Which brings us to the question: why it's called ‘Mammootty the Best Actor 2011'. Mammooty's role in the show is giving acting tips to contestants, interaction with the ten finalists and the topper will be given a role in a movie made by his production house, Playhouse, according to Rajan.
Yet another question why ‘Mammootty the Best Actor 2011' is telecast by Asianet channel when he is the chairman of Malayalam Communications Limited, which operates the channels under the Kairali TV, is a loaded one for which answers are yet to come.
Anyway, your afternoon nap after a full lunch on Sunday for the next few weeks will be affected. The show is from 2-3 p.m
Monday, November 30, 2009
Neelathamara, film review
(This was published in the Hindu Metroplus, Kochi, dated November 30) R emakes always draw a high degree of curiosity interest. How is it different from the original? The actors are compared, the technicians, music and most of all how faithful it has been to the original. To tackle the last part of the doubts, if it is as faithful to the original as possible, then why make another film at all?
Well, one goes to see a Kathakali performance, knowing the story well, even the dialogues and the ‘padams' perhaps. Then what is it that draws audiences to such performances?
The Ambika link
Let's evaluate the overall effect of the new batch of artistes and technicians. The one link that Ambika has with the new Neelathamara, directed by Lal Jose is this: her brother Suresh Nair acts the role of Apputtan, a negative character. Ambika can definitely be proud of her kid brother who has made this cameo role memorable, with his apt mannerisms.
The woman-centric film that Suresh Kumar, of Revathy Kalamandir, dared to make, rather remake, is an experimental one in many ways. “The producers' association decided to make small budget movies and this is the first one after that decision. Neelathamara cost us under Rs. 1.5 crore. The decision to make movies with new faces was also implemented. After the first day, we are happy that the cinegoers have accepted this small movie with open arms,” says a visibly happy Suresh Kumar, who saw the film 14 times in his youth. Such was its romantic draw. “There's one person who saw it many more times than me: Suresh Gopi, who saw it 27 times,” Suresh Kumar laughs.
M.T.Vasudevan Nair, director Lal Jose and producer Suresh Kumar
Where the first ‘Neelathamara' ends, the present one opens. The remake is actually the flashback. MT has woven a topical twist to his old script which jells well. Sreedevi Unni who dons the mother's role stands out for her natural acting.
Archana Kavi has that vulnerable look and understated emotions that go well with rural girls. The male protagonist is played by Kailash. The smaller characters like the caretaker, the man under the banyan tree and the old servant leave an impression with the viewer.
Carefully cast characters
The young set of characters and the old ones are very carefully cast. When you see a dentist among the credits you wonder why, but Jaya had dentures similar to Samvrutha's fitted in to bring about the similarity.
Rima Kallingal did not seem comfortable in the role of Sharath Ammini. Every character, howsoever small, is a crucial link in the chain of events unfolded in this super-star script.
The short movie (less than two hours) has wonderful photography by Vijay Ulaganathan. Lal Jose has proved that he can handle quite a handful. Cheers to the small is beautiful credo!
Prema Manmadhan
Well, one goes to see a Kathakali performance, knowing the story well, even the dialogues and the ‘padams' perhaps. Then what is it that draws audiences to such performances?
The Ambika link
Let's evaluate the overall effect of the new batch of artistes and technicians. The one link that Ambika has with the new Neelathamara, directed by Lal Jose is this: her brother Suresh Nair acts the role of Apputtan, a negative character. Ambika can definitely be proud of her kid brother who has made this cameo role memorable, with his apt mannerisms.
The woman-centric film that Suresh Kumar, of Revathy Kalamandir, dared to make, rather remake, is an experimental one in many ways. “The producers' association decided to make small budget movies and this is the first one after that decision. Neelathamara cost us under Rs. 1.5 crore. The decision to make movies with new faces was also implemented. After the first day, we are happy that the cinegoers have accepted this small movie with open arms,” says a visibly happy Suresh Kumar, who saw the film 14 times in his youth. Such was its romantic draw. “There's one person who saw it many more times than me: Suresh Gopi, who saw it 27 times,” Suresh Kumar laughs.
M.T.Vasudevan Nair, director Lal Jose and producer Suresh Kumar
Where the first ‘Neelathamara' ends, the present one opens. The remake is actually the flashback. MT has woven a topical twist to his old script which jells well. Sreedevi Unni who dons the mother's role stands out for her natural acting.
Archana Kavi has that vulnerable look and understated emotions that go well with rural girls. The male protagonist is played by Kailash. The smaller characters like the caretaker, the man under the banyan tree and the old servant leave an impression with the viewer.
Carefully cast characters
The young set of characters and the old ones are very carefully cast. When you see a dentist among the credits you wonder why, but Jaya had dentures similar to Samvrutha's fitted in to bring about the similarity.
Rima Kallingal did not seem comfortable in the role of Sharath Ammini. Every character, howsoever small, is a crucial link in the chain of events unfolded in this super-star script.
The short movie (less than two hours) has wonderful photography by Vijay Ulaganathan. Lal Jose has proved that he can handle quite a handful. Cheers to the small is beautiful credo!
Prema Manmadhan
Scripts, books and more (on John Paul)
(This was published in the Hindu Metroplus dated November 30)
What sets John Paul apart from many of his tribe is the ability to call a spade a spade in decent language, be it cinema or a book. He does not sandpaper over faults in bombastic euphemisms, neither does he even call them faults, but qualities that humans possess.
What would one choose to call him? A scriptwriter or a writer? Both hats suit him well. In the eighties, most good Malayalam cinema had one thing common: John Paul. Be it P.N. Menon, Bharathan, I. V. Sasi, Mohan, Balu Mahendra, K. S. Sethumadhavan, Fazil, Kamal, they all made movies with John Paul's story or script. Films like ‘Marmaram', ‘Kathayariyathe', this love affair with words, which started in the late seventies, continues in different avatars today.
“One MUST change one's attitude to cinema with the times. Reading the pulse of the audience is important,” says John, whose latest book on Bharat Gopi (‘Adayala Nakshatramayi Gopi', published by Green Books) is being released tomorrow. He did not have to do much research for this book, for his association with Gopi went back to ‘Palangal' days. This movie had Gopi playing the brother-in-law who coveted his wife's sister. “We would sit on the banks of the Bharathapuzha and talk about various subjects till the wee hours of the morn. There was a certain chemistry between us which lasted till the end. There was really no need for me to do much. This book was already within me, it just needed to be documented. His attitude to any role was so intense, taxing, that it would take a toll on his health. It was spiritual as much as it was physical. He always said ‘Every character is the first and last for me'.”
While doing the role of the tabala player, Ayyappan in ‘Yavanika', he told K.G.George that he did not know how to play the mridangam. “George told him, ‘but Ayyappan does'. And that was it. While shooting, he played as if in a trance, getting into the skin of Ayyappan's role, it was a sort of super reality,” remembers John.
John's earlier books on cinema and people he was close with like Bharathan, was honest and appreciated precisely for that, for not sensationalising the truth. That is not to say John has distanced himself from what he is best known for, scripting. His next movie, ‘Swapnangalil Hazel Mary' is directed by George Kithu. And that will be his 99 {+t} {+h} film! What about the 100 {+t} {+h}? “Maybe next year. There are a few ideas but nothing has been decided,” says John.
Passion for cinema
Though John's philosophy of life is very different from the present crop of filmwallahs, he has learnt to be take life as it comes. “For our generation, money was not the only aim. Cinema was a passion, it still is and we thrived on learning more and more about cinema, discussing cinema and making them as best as we could. We all helped one another. When Mohan's grandmother passed away, it was K. G. George who directed some scenes for the movie ‘Vida Parayum Mumbe'. That was the kind of relationship we shared.” Though John has not done a single script for K. G. George, he remains a very close friend of his. Teamspirit was also very strong in those days, he reminisced. Aravindan was someone who was unparalled in creativity, John says, who was a very strong influence.
The film society movement initiated John into tinselworld. Else how would the Economics post graduate who worked in a bank be in cinema today? The passion for cinema brought him close to many in the field. Once I. V. Sasi asked him to recraft the script of ‘Njan Njan Mathram'. And that was thespian Thoppil Bhasi's script. He was shocked. But he did it without changing anything. “I just rejigged it with 27 flashbacks and that was my first brush with scripts. Mankada Ravi Varma helped me a lot when I worked with him in my early days, in documentaries.”
Is a good script the ticket to a successful film? “No,” says the veteran scriptwriter. “No good script can be made into a good movie, unless it is directed well. Likewise, the very best direction cannot make a bad script into a good movie. I didn't say that, Kurosowa said it,” he says smiling.
There is a lot to be documented in the Malayalam film world, which will be lost if not done soon, John feels. He is busy teaching about cinema at various intitutions and says he is surprised at how much he enjoys teaching. At the back of his mind is a play, an academic play. On Thespis, who is credited with putting up the first play.
Prema Manmadhan
What sets John Paul apart from many of his tribe is the ability to call a spade a spade in decent language, be it cinema or a book. He does not sandpaper over faults in bombastic euphemisms, neither does he even call them faults, but qualities that humans possess.
What would one choose to call him? A scriptwriter or a writer? Both hats suit him well. In the eighties, most good Malayalam cinema had one thing common: John Paul. Be it P.N. Menon, Bharathan, I. V. Sasi, Mohan, Balu Mahendra, K. S. Sethumadhavan, Fazil, Kamal, they all made movies with John Paul's story or script. Films like ‘Marmaram', ‘Kathayariyathe', this love affair with words, which started in the late seventies, continues in different avatars today.
“One MUST change one's attitude to cinema with the times. Reading the pulse of the audience is important,” says John, whose latest book on Bharat Gopi (‘Adayala Nakshatramayi Gopi', published by Green Books) is being released tomorrow. He did not have to do much research for this book, for his association with Gopi went back to ‘Palangal' days. This movie had Gopi playing the brother-in-law who coveted his wife's sister. “We would sit on the banks of the Bharathapuzha and talk about various subjects till the wee hours of the morn. There was a certain chemistry between us which lasted till the end. There was really no need for me to do much. This book was already within me, it just needed to be documented. His attitude to any role was so intense, taxing, that it would take a toll on his health. It was spiritual as much as it was physical. He always said ‘Every character is the first and last for me'.”
While doing the role of the tabala player, Ayyappan in ‘Yavanika', he told K.G.George that he did not know how to play the mridangam. “George told him, ‘but Ayyappan does'. And that was it. While shooting, he played as if in a trance, getting into the skin of Ayyappan's role, it was a sort of super reality,” remembers John.
John's earlier books on cinema and people he was close with like Bharathan, was honest and appreciated precisely for that, for not sensationalising the truth. That is not to say John has distanced himself from what he is best known for, scripting. His next movie, ‘Swapnangalil Hazel Mary' is directed by George Kithu. And that will be his 99 {+t} {+h} film! What about the 100 {+t} {+h}? “Maybe next year. There are a few ideas but nothing has been decided,” says John.
Passion for cinema
Though John's philosophy of life is very different from the present crop of filmwallahs, he has learnt to be take life as it comes. “For our generation, money was not the only aim. Cinema was a passion, it still is and we thrived on learning more and more about cinema, discussing cinema and making them as best as we could. We all helped one another. When Mohan's grandmother passed away, it was K. G. George who directed some scenes for the movie ‘Vida Parayum Mumbe'. That was the kind of relationship we shared.” Though John has not done a single script for K. G. George, he remains a very close friend of his. Teamspirit was also very strong in those days, he reminisced. Aravindan was someone who was unparalled in creativity, John says, who was a very strong influence.
The film society movement initiated John into tinselworld. Else how would the Economics post graduate who worked in a bank be in cinema today? The passion for cinema brought him close to many in the field. Once I. V. Sasi asked him to recraft the script of ‘Njan Njan Mathram'. And that was thespian Thoppil Bhasi's script. He was shocked. But he did it without changing anything. “I just rejigged it with 27 flashbacks and that was my first brush with scripts. Mankada Ravi Varma helped me a lot when I worked with him in my early days, in documentaries.”
Is a good script the ticket to a successful film? “No,” says the veteran scriptwriter. “No good script can be made into a good movie, unless it is directed well. Likewise, the very best direction cannot make a bad script into a good movie. I didn't say that, Kurosowa said it,” he says smiling.
There is a lot to be documented in the Malayalam film world, which will be lost if not done soon, John feels. He is busy teaching about cinema at various intitutions and says he is surprised at how much he enjoys teaching. At the back of his mind is a play, an academic play. On Thespis, who is credited with putting up the first play.
Prema Manmadhan
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Kerala Café, film review
The Kerala Café experience (published in The Hindu Metroplus Weekend on October 31)on
CINEMA Kerala Café, a portmanteau film by ten directors, is truly touching, says Prema Manmadhan
The first day, first show of Kerala Café is an experience I will never forget. Prejudiced that 10 short films will not please me, I sit, waiting just to find out what’s new. At the end of two and a half hours, I left the cinema, wondering which of the ten was the best and trying to remember which director directed which. A few scenes refuse to move out of my heart. I am glad I went for Kerala Café.
Eight men and two women (to borrow heavily from Adoor) star in this venture, ‘Kerala Café’ made by Ranjit’s production house, Capitol Theatre. These stars are the 10 directors of as many films woven together by a single thread called Kerala Café, a railway canteen somewhere in Kerala, the one link that brings these diverse subjects under one umbrella, under another label called journey. The ‘sutradhar’ of it all is Ranjit, who is not content to sit back and write scripts or direct movies alone.
Such an experiment, to give the audience a cinematic version of a short story book, has succeeded and failed, though it’s a very new concept. "It has failed where the director has not been able to touch the hearts of the viewers," Ranjit says, confidently, when confronted with this question.
And touch the heart Kerala Cafe did, for all 10 connect with the plight of people. , some the majority and others, the minority. ‘Bridge’, the one directed by Anwar Rasheed, left such a big stone in my heart that not even a two-hour slapstick comedy can lift it off. The fate of the unwanted in society, love notwithstanding, where the practical overrides the emotional as it does in the 21st century, is communicated in great cinematic style. The script, the camera and the actors all merge to make it noteworthy.
Revathy’s ‘Makal’ is another of the social issues that mock society, that is clothed so much in realism that the last scene stings. ‘Mrityunjayam’, Uday Ananthan’s film, belongs to the ‘horror’ genre and is set in today’s milieu. It stars Rima Kallingal, Thilakan and Fahadh Faasil, (remember the guy in ‘Kaiyethum Doorathu’, Fazil’s son?) who plays a journalist. He has since matured into a good actor and a handsome young man. The camera and the ambience take you back into the past but the dilapidated old ‘illam’ and the goings on remain a mystery.
Padmakumar’s ‘Nostalgia’, has the very busy protagonist longs for Kerala at the soirees in his flat, over a drink, in a Gulf country, but actually dreams of pulling down his aristocratic home to build flats: A practical man for whom emotions don’t count, a very contemporary theme, indeed. The other topical subject that is not so serious to many but very worrisome, has been handled by Anjali Menon in ‘Happy Journey’. In long distance buses girls really don’t know who may sit beside them on the plush seats. And that’s the subject. Period. Jagathy and Nithya Menon make this one tenth of Kerala Café memorable.
Shankar Ramakrishnan, an assistant of Ranjit’s gets into independent mode with ‘Island Express’. Prithviraj, with his new hairstyle is dashing with a capital ‘D’. The Perumon tragedy relived by a few whose closest relatives perished then, forms the theme. B Unnikrishnan’s ‘Aviramam’ tackles life during recession, and the hopelessness of it getting to be unbearable. Recession is also the topic that Shyamaprasad deals with in ‘Off Season’, how it has hit westerners too, handled in a lighter vein. Shaji Kailas’ ‘Lalithamhiranmayam’ is again very contemporary, in fact too broad minded for domestic consumption, where the other woman and the official woman don’t tear each other’s hair. Lal Jose’s ‘Puram Kazchakal’ does not make Mammooty into a Pazhassi Raja, but a strong hearted man who keeps his sorrows to himself. Based on C. V. Sreeraman’s story, Lal Jose has handled it with care.
Actors in this big venture are Sreenivasan, Suresh Gopi, Sona Nair, Shantha Devi, Jyothirmayee, Siddique, Salim Kumar, Sudheesh, Dhanya, Jayasurya, Rahman, Sukumari and a few others.
The camera plays a big role in Kerala Café. Credit goes to all these technicians.
Kerala Café was shown at the Middle East International Film Festival earlier this month. "It was a dream I had last May," says the man who dared to gamble with this experiment. The work was stupendous, Ranjit admits when compared to one feature film with one person at the helm. The budget of course is as low as it can get for most of the directors and artistes worked for free, he says. Why isn’t Mohanlal in this venture? "There was no slot for him in any of the scripts as any one can see, that’s why," explains Ranjit.
CINEMA Kerala Café, a portmanteau film by ten directors, is truly touching, says Prema Manmadhan
The first day, first show of Kerala Café is an experience I will never forget. Prejudiced that 10 short films will not please me, I sit, waiting just to find out what’s new. At the end of two and a half hours, I left the cinema, wondering which of the ten was the best and trying to remember which director directed which. A few scenes refuse to move out of my heart. I am glad I went for Kerala Café.
Eight men and two women (to borrow heavily from Adoor) star in this venture, ‘Kerala Café’ made by Ranjit’s production house, Capitol Theatre. These stars are the 10 directors of as many films woven together by a single thread called Kerala Café, a railway canteen somewhere in Kerala, the one link that brings these diverse subjects under one umbrella, under another label called journey. The ‘sutradhar’ of it all is Ranjit, who is not content to sit back and write scripts or direct movies alone.
Such an experiment, to give the audience a cinematic version of a short story book, has succeeded and failed, though it’s a very new concept. "It has failed where the director has not been able to touch the hearts of the viewers," Ranjit says, confidently, when confronted with this question.
And touch the heart Kerala Cafe did, for all 10 connect with the plight of people. , some the majority and others, the minority. ‘Bridge’, the one directed by Anwar Rasheed, left such a big stone in my heart that not even a two-hour slapstick comedy can lift it off. The fate of the unwanted in society, love notwithstanding, where the practical overrides the emotional as it does in the 21st century, is communicated in great cinematic style. The script, the camera and the actors all merge to make it noteworthy.
Revathy’s ‘Makal’ is another of the social issues that mock society, that is clothed so much in realism that the last scene stings. ‘Mrityunjayam’, Uday Ananthan’s film, belongs to the ‘horror’ genre and is set in today’s milieu. It stars Rima Kallingal, Thilakan and Fahadh Faasil, (remember the guy in ‘Kaiyethum Doorathu’, Fazil’s son?) who plays a journalist. He has since matured into a good actor and a handsome young man. The camera and the ambience take you back into the past but the dilapidated old ‘illam’ and the goings on remain a mystery.
Padmakumar’s ‘Nostalgia’, has the very busy protagonist longs for Kerala at the soirees in his flat, over a drink, in a Gulf country, but actually dreams of pulling down his aristocratic home to build flats: A practical man for whom emotions don’t count, a very contemporary theme, indeed. The other topical subject that is not so serious to many but very worrisome, has been handled by Anjali Menon in ‘Happy Journey’. In long distance buses girls really don’t know who may sit beside them on the plush seats. And that’s the subject. Period. Jagathy and Nithya Menon make this one tenth of Kerala Café memorable.
Shankar Ramakrishnan, an assistant of Ranjit’s gets into independent mode with ‘Island Express’. Prithviraj, with his new hairstyle is dashing with a capital ‘D’. The Perumon tragedy relived by a few whose closest relatives perished then, forms the theme. B Unnikrishnan’s ‘Aviramam’ tackles life during recession, and the hopelessness of it getting to be unbearable. Recession is also the topic that Shyamaprasad deals with in ‘Off Season’, how it has hit westerners too, handled in a lighter vein. Shaji Kailas’ ‘Lalithamhiranmayam’ is again very contemporary, in fact too broad minded for domestic consumption, where the other woman and the official woman don’t tear each other’s hair. Lal Jose’s ‘Puram Kazchakal’ does not make Mammooty into a Pazhassi Raja, but a strong hearted man who keeps his sorrows to himself. Based on C. V. Sreeraman’s story, Lal Jose has handled it with care.
Actors in this big venture are Sreenivasan, Suresh Gopi, Sona Nair, Shantha Devi, Jyothirmayee, Siddique, Salim Kumar, Sudheesh, Dhanya, Jayasurya, Rahman, Sukumari and a few others.
The camera plays a big role in Kerala Café. Credit goes to all these technicians.
Kerala Café was shown at the Middle East International Film Festival earlier this month. "It was a dream I had last May," says the man who dared to gamble with this experiment. The work was stupendous, Ranjit admits when compared to one feature film with one person at the helm. The budget of course is as low as it can get for most of the directors and artistes worked for free, he says. Why isn’t Mohanlal in this venture? "There was no slot for him in any of the scripts as any one can see, that’s why," explains Ranjit.
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