Kuselan and Robot
What good it is to be a Thalaivar fan if I didn't write something about Thalaivar's new upcoming movies, one of which will probably end up as the most expensive Indian movie ever made. So, here are my 2 cents on both these movies:
Kuselan - Simply love what Thalaivar is doing here. He knows Shankar is going to take forever to complete Robot and in the meanwhile, decides to keep the fans interested with a movie that has a role which is tailor made for him. What more? He lets his guru & mentor KB produce the movie and thus doing his something towards helping him out financially. Hires a young music director and gives him an unbelievable chance to compose music for a Superstar film. He makes sure that the film is ready in a matter of few months. Everything until this point is just like a dream come true for a Thalaivar fan. But then comes the only sore point about the movie - P.Vasu directing it. Chandramukhi might have been this monstruous hit (solely bcos of Thalaivar) but I still don't have any respect for this man who clearly is still stuck in the late 80s. But even with him being at the helm, the very prospect of getting to watch Thalaivar on the big screen is good enough for me to place Kuselan as the most looked forward to movie right now. I am also so much excited about the fact that Thalaivar will appear in 20 get-ups in a song, reliving some of his famous roles in his hit movies. That is something I so much love. Actually, when I first heard the lyrics of the Athiradee song in Sivaji, I was hoping that Shankar had done something similar (it is another matter that Shankar made sure I did not even think about this possibility while watching the movie). Anyway, now that the film is almost done and ready to be released sometime between July & September, I just can not wait to see Thalaivar again, as Perinba pechukkaaraa (for starters, that is the starting line of one of the songs in Kuselan)
Robot - To me, Sivaji was like this grand buffet which had everything a Thalaivar fan would like for in a Thalaivar movie. So, having had this sumptuous lunch just now, I don't know how ready I am for another heavy meal a.k.a a Shankar movie with Thalaivar. It is just similar to food - right after you have had just had a good buffet, the very sight of food does not appeal to you and might even repel some. The after effects of the same would last for 1-2 days depending on your digestive system :) Similarly, I am in the after effects period of post-Sivaji (after the original DVD was released last month, I got together with 2 other Thalaivar fans - both of them who have seen the movie atleast a good 8 times and watched the movie again). So, that being the case, Robot just does not interest me, for now. Other than that, there are couple of other things about which I am not too much excited about - 1) what appears to be the genre of the movie, given the title and 2) Aishwarya Rai. I have never been a fan of her and thus can not stand to see her in a Thalaivar movie of this magnitude. I can understand the business reasons why Shankar wants to cast her in the lead role but I am completely against it. I don't know...I mean, if Thalaivar can't pull the crowds to the theater, nobody can. Period. But having said all this, I am sure, after Kuselan releases & the fever subsides down in a matter of 4-5 months, Robot will become the center of attraction for Thalaivar fans like me. And I will channel my thoughts & expectations towards Robot, then.
I know you guys will be wondering why I haven't included Sultan in this list. I don't know but there is something about this effort that just does not suck me in, as any movie featuring Thalaivar would do. Mistake me not, I am all for this first-time-in-the-history-of-Indian-cinema' effort of animating a real life actor and I am so proud that it is Thalaivar's daughter who is doing it (puli-kku pirandhadhu poonai aagumaa?). Also, I sincerely wish and hope that the novel effort will do exceedingly well, given the amount of money that has been channeled in for the movie. But my doubts stem from the fact how will Thalaivar's hard-core first generation fans take to it and also from the not-so-mind-blowing trailer of the movie that was released a while ago. So, I am going to keep my fingers crossed on Sultan. But one thing is for sure - you will definitely find me at the theater screening Sultan, screaming Thalaivaaa when an animated Superstar as Sultan appears on-screen :)
Kuselan - Simply love what Thalaivar is doing here. He knows Shankar is going to take forever to complete Robot and in the meanwhile, decides to keep the fans interested with a movie that has a role which is tailor made for him. What more? He lets his guru & mentor KB produce the movie and thus doing his something towards helping him out financially. Hires a young music director and gives him an unbelievable chance to compose music for a Superstar film. He makes sure that the film is ready in a matter of few months. Everything until this point is just like a dream come true for a Thalaivar fan. But then comes the only sore point about the movie - P.Vasu directing it. Chandramukhi might have been this monstruous hit (solely bcos of Thalaivar) but I still don't have any respect for this man who clearly is still stuck in the late 80s. But even with him being at the helm, the very prospect of getting to watch Thalaivar on the big screen is good enough for me to place Kuselan as the most looked forward to movie right now. I am also so much excited about the fact that Thalaivar will appear in 20 get-ups in a song, reliving some of his famous roles in his hit movies. That is something I so much love. Actually, when I first heard the lyrics of the Athiradee song in Sivaji, I was hoping that Shankar had done something similar (it is another matter that Shankar made sure I did not even think about this possibility while watching the movie). Anyway, now that the film is almost done and ready to be released sometime between July & September, I just can not wait to see Thalaivar again, as Perinba pechukkaaraa (for starters, that is the starting line of one of the songs in Kuselan)
Robot - To me, Sivaji was like this grand buffet which had everything a Thalaivar fan would like for in a Thalaivar movie. So, having had this sumptuous lunch just now, I don't know how ready I am for another heavy meal a.k.a a Shankar movie with Thalaivar. It is just similar to food - right after you have had just had a good buffet, the very sight of food does not appeal to you and might even repel some. The after effects of the same would last for 1-2 days depending on your digestive system :) Similarly, I am in the after effects period of post-Sivaji (after the original DVD was released last month, I got together with 2 other Thalaivar fans - both of them who have seen the movie atleast a good 8 times and watched the movie again). So, that being the case, Robot just does not interest me, for now. Other than that, there are couple of other things about which I am not too much excited about - 1) what appears to be the genre of the movie, given the title and 2) Aishwarya Rai. I have never been a fan of her and thus can not stand to see her in a Thalaivar movie of this magnitude. I can understand the business reasons why Shankar wants to cast her in the lead role but I am completely against it. I don't know...I mean, if Thalaivar can't pull the crowds to the theater, nobody can. Period. But having said all this, I am sure, after Kuselan releases & the fever subsides down in a matter of 4-5 months, Robot will become the center of attraction for Thalaivar fans like me. And I will channel my thoughts & expectations towards Robot, then.
I know you guys will be wondering why I haven't included Sultan in this list. I don't know but there is something about this effort that just does not suck me in, as any movie featuring Thalaivar would do. Mistake me not, I am all for this first-time-in-the-history-of-Indian-cinema' effort of animating a real life actor and I am so proud that it is Thalaivar's daughter who is doing it (puli-kku pirandhadhu poonai aagumaa?). Also, I sincerely wish and hope that the novel effort will do exceedingly well, given the amount of money that has been channeled in for the movie. But my doubts stem from the fact how will Thalaivar's hard-core first generation fans take to it and also from the not-so-mind-blowing trailer of the movie that was released a while ago. So, I am going to keep my fingers crossed on Sultan. But one thing is for sure - you will definitely find me at the theater screening Sultan, screaming Thalaivaaa when an animated Superstar as Sultan appears on-screen :)
posted by Filbert at 4:12 PM
4 Comments:
I completely agree with your thoughts on both Kuselen and P.Vasu.
Now to Robot, I have a feeling (and hope) that this will be a serious movie. If tamil cinema would ever see a si-fi movie - it will be from Shankar. If there is anyone who can direct thalaivar in a si-fi setting - it will again be Shankar.
Shankar has proved that he can direct a Rajini movie that is tailor-made for thalaivar's fans. I mean, Sivaji had everything that one would expect from a Rajini movie - clean comedy, good songs, thalaivar in different getups, and thalaivar coming over the villan with command. Shanakr did his bit to respect thalaivar's cult status.
But, somewhere deep down in me, I have a feeling that thalaivar should come out of this stereotype (may be just once) and perform in a sensible, different movie. Other directors (except Shankar and Mani sir) cannot possibly implement this change. I mean, I can't imagine P.Vasu/KS.Ravikumar directing Rajini in a movie like Mudhalvan. Thalaivar has no need to prove a point anymore, we know he is a good actor. But, this can be seen as his service to the movie industry in general.
I hope for this change and in the meantime I can also be seen at Adelaide theaters screening Kuselen, Sultan and Robot.
-Rajesh
If I had written a longer post on Robot, I definitely would have written everything that you have said about how Shankar is the best director who could pull this sci-fi movie with Thalaivar in the lead, off. Plus, like you said, unlike in Sivaji, I do not see any compromises on Shankar's part in Robot and will turn out to be an out&out serious movie.
I also agree whole-heartedly about how Thalaivar should atleast do one movie that does not cast him in his stereotypical role. Just for once. And I feel that we are not asking for too much with such a request :) There are just too many of the present-day kids who just do not know anything about the kind of acting that only Thalaivar can pull it off (say, like in Mullum Malarum)
BTW, thanks for that awesome comment and sorry about the delay in replying :)
ROBOT .... REBOOT aagaamal irukka enadhu vaazhthukkal .
Thanks for the wishes, Kumar :) With Robot being Shankar's most ambitious project, I am sure there would be reboot required for Robot!!!
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