Ala Vaikuntapurramlo

There are few movies that I have admired in all aspects (that are not manirathnam's that is!).. but recently this Telugu movie made that list of timeless movies in my book.. Below I will explain why..

a) Allu Arjun - Of course, he carries everyone of his movies single handedly on his shoulders... (just like a Rajini and SRK does).. and he does the same in this movie.. fluidly changing expressions, insane dance moves and dialogues that are pure mass.. the movie is watchable again and again for allu arjun alone - Allu, I am your eternal fan girl ;) 

b) BGM score - The movie has dark scenes, emotional scenes, romantic scenes, fight scenes and funny scenes.. the music adds to all of this by telling its own story.. One of the few movies not by ilayaraja (think Mudal Mariyathai) where the BGM tells its own story!

c) Fight scenes - There are a couple of fight scenes in this movie that are more artistic than testosterone driven.. The one with the scarf getting washed - I don't think I have seen another fight scene on repeat in the last decade!!

d) The female boss - Let's be honest, I just love the idea of a female boss falling in love with a male secretary (Proposal is one of my all time favorite movies). This movie has the same vibe with the hero calling the heroine "Madam" and getting liberally punched as he slowly but surely makes the her fall hard for him. 

e) Casting - I loved the casting in this movie! The dad, mom, ARK, grandfather even the police guy.. they were all amazing! 

Hats off to Trivikram Srinivas from giving us a funny, moving, romantic, mass movie that really shines!!!

Tamil fan girl of Allu Arjun

Ok.. finally had to write this. I have a HUGE crush on Allu! If by any close to non-zero chance of his reading this, my request to him is to make a Tamil movie! Arjun, you act, dance and look better than all tam actors combined.. one movie, and Tamil film industry will be at your feet! 

As a Rajini lover, I can confidently say that you are the only other actor South Indian film industry that comes close in terms of acting and charisma. YouTube and Twitter has made film stars appear so much closer than they really are and so the fandom blurs the line of reality! Anyhow, I am enjoying this feeling and so thanks for being a great actor and a beautiful human being ;) not to mention a fantastic dancer!! 

I love the way you enjoy your daughter the most!! It's so cute.. and your high pitched laughter.. you look so beautiful when you laugh!! You and I are the same age, and you probably left Chennai just when I got there (studied in adyar only!! IITM).. well here is one fan who will look forward to your movies and pray that you remain healthy and young always :) 

It feels so weird to be highly educated and having a dream job to be nursing a crush on an actor at age 37!! It's weird.. but that's the best part about blogs... You can write stuff and just put it out there and hope that someone might enjoy it someday! 

Thalapathy!

So this is one of my all time favorite movies.. and yes, it's made by Manirathnam! So what makes this movie amazing? Let me attempt to explain!

1) Ilayaraja's background score - The poignancy that Ilayaraja is capable of eking out of his music, very few directors can manage. Especially Chinna Thayaval - what has got to me an academy award deserving music!! I found this blog on this topic: https://rajamanjari.blogspot.com/2011/06/ilaiyaraaja-simple-and-esoteric.html that explains more.. but this song makes my cry till my nose turns red at any given moment!!

2) Casting - Rajini's uncanny ability to show the sorrow of an abandoned orphan, a guilt ridden rowdy, a compassionate lover, a considerate father figure, a loyal friend and a protective brother.. wow, the number of roles he has taken on and does it so naturally!! He is a super star for a very very very good reason. And his charisma in spades!! While Shobana (with her playfulness) and Arvind swami (with his elitism) add their uniqueness to this mix, to me the real stars of this movie are Jaishankar and Srividya!! I love how Jaishankar is this quiet, solid, supportive presence to Sri Vidya and how he accepts her broken heartedness. Not everyone will have this patience - but he shows his consideration so beautifully. And Sri Vidya - the eternal mother figure by which I judge all mother figures! Her salt and pepper hair, her youthful beauty and her bottomless sorrow at giving away her first born... my god, it moves me every single time. 

3) Story - This is loosely based on Mahabharata and the characters Surya (based on Karna), Arjun (based on Arjun) and Devaraj (based on Duryodhan) are all there. But Bhanupriya's character - Pure genius on Manirathnam's part! How can one emote so much with just her eyes? And her baby does the talking for her! 

4) Lighting/staging - This is a gory tale at best. It's about slums, gangs, prisons.. but Manirathnam blends in the temples and the water and sunsets to add a mystical beauty to this movie. There is a reason he is a genius. 

5) Last but the not the least - This is a through and through creation of Manirathnam. It has his elevating touch! I am so thankful to the few geniuses that have elevated my own world - Jane Austen, Manirathnam, Gandhi and Lincoln - probably the 4 people I consider a genius from whom I would love to emulate!!

Gap years

You know my happiness in life is inversely proportional to how much I write in this blog!

2011-13 - years I didn't write a single post, was when my baby was born until she turned 3.. those were wonderful years.. wonder years.. she sucked me in completely.. I was a goner.. in a good way :)

2018-19 - nothing was missing in my life.. i had my friends, my life.. hope.. a meaningless hope.. and I forayed into tamil books.. which was amazing.. my best friend got married.. a siblings married or a best friends marriage is always a shock to one's system.. they are no longer free.. they have entered a contract that has nothing to do with you..

2020 - the year started great.. it was a dream come true.. i was in india.. but i realized very soon that this year was going to be different.. i have to let things go.. really let it go.. nothing is more pathetic than feeling unwanted.. being unwanted.. but you still have to move on.. know that you are born on this earth, you have to live in it.. do what you have to... find what satisfaction you can.. and survive.. find acceptance and peace..

here's 2020 - the beginning of a new decade, the morning after youth sleeps, the month after love breathes farewell.. to a new home, new life, new friends, new place, even new babies :).. this is going to be the year of good byes and the year of welcomes... all in all a year of change.. 

i wish i could be like the trees here.. they become bare with no leaves come winter.. and sprout anew come spring.. they look so desolate one month.. and so beautiful the next! nature purges and rebirths.. i want to be purged and reborn too.. 

My all time favorite proposal scene :)

This is my all time favorite proposal scene. 

The background score is just magic - the kind that only ilayaraja can dream up!

Sri Devi is the very picture of a progressive lady - a woman who is daring enough to achieve fame and success and propose to a man, but insecure enough that she takes his rejection as a pronouncement on her character! And Rajini, the very picture of a tortured man in a helpless dilemma... who respects her more than anything in the world but doesn't want to lose her respect by owning up to who he is.. how he can balance the act of being a criminal but also a gentleman in the truest sense - just amazing.. I can never get tired of watching the play of emotions in these two excellent actors' faces.. her shyness, frankness, shame, anger, vexation and finally the tiny loving smile of victory!... and his fear, shock, resolution, and finally his own acceptance that he cannot hurt her.. and that he has to accept her proposal... and figure out his mess. What a situation! What acting! What a resolution!! Art at its best!!