Mister Madras

Vikram Prabhu’s films, regardless of how good or bad they are, always seem to have attractive titles. When Mudi Sooda Mannan was renamed Sathriyan , the expectation meter rose. In the opening sequence, we aren’t shown a typical do-gooder hero, and definitely not one who’s invincible. When it is shown that he fails to keep his boss safe from harm, I expected a different film in the much-abused gangster genre. The interest, however, ended right there for me, as it goes on to offer barely anything new. Our cinema isn’t new to rival gangs fighting a cat-and-mouse game in order to gain control of a city. It definitely isn’t new to the story of a thug who tries for redemption. Vikram Prabhu has gotten better with each film, but still seems to be quite uncomfortable with close-ups and in dance sequences. Manjima Mohan does well in the role of a college student. Given the theme, it was a pleasant surprise to see her get as much screen space. Sathriyan’s biggest weakness is its lack of a stro

The plot has always been rather straightforward. A mummy that has been left undisturbed for thousands of years gets resurrected, and a group of archaeologists have to destroy it before it is too late. This story has spawned as many as 13 films in the franchise and with the last few films failing to inspire too much excitement, the inevitable reboot comes in the form of The Mummy , which reportedly will be part of a Dark Universe series planned by the producer, Universal Pictures, which has been behind this franchise from its first film. The Original Franchise The 1932 film The Mummy paved the way for the franchise when cinematographer Karl Freund, famous for his work in Metropolis (1927) and Dracula (1931), forayed into direction. The film was about a mummy named Imhotep (loosely inspired by a historical figure of the same name), who gets revived by a magic scroll. He ventures out to the city in search of his lost love, whom he believes to have been reincarnated. Unlike the other ho

When the title got released and it went viral for the right reasons a few months later (in the name of film festivals), I was under an assumption that the film will talk in lengths about how animal sacrifices in the name of religion is still rampant in our state. An interview with the director, Suresh Sangaiah, proved it to be wrong when he told me that the film doesn’t preach anything and that’s when I gave a sigh of relief. Fast forward a few days, I finally got to watch the film on the big screens and yes, it’s better than I expected it to be. When a newly-wed pair and their family set out on a lorry with their villagers to sacrifice a goat in a temple which is in the neighbouring town, an accident in the middle of no where stops the clan midway. With a life of a local villager lost in the accident, the entire group comes up with various antics to save their lives from the clutches of our law and if they managed to do it forms the crux of  Oru Kidayin Karunai Manu.  In an industry d

The trailer made it apparent that it was going to be a heist film on the lines of Natarajan’s (Natty) Sathuranga Vettai . But what we have is a film you get when you chuck the franchises of Dhoom, Fast and the Furious and Gone in 60 seconds into a blender. The film’s lead, Natty, and his gang of friends are a bunch of thieves who make a living out of stealing cars and handing them over to a dealer. As always, there’s the portion where they have to reveal what made these, otherwise normal, youngsters fall on the wrong side of the tracks, and that reason is the usual one given in Tamil cinema to explain protagonists who break the law. On screens that usually throw up titles like as ‘Superstar’ and ‘Ulaganayagan’, appeared the rather amusing ‘Rare Piece’ Natty as the credits rolled. And just a few minutes into the film, one can’t help but wonder what’s so ‘rare’ about Natty. He’s seen sporting the same look as his previous films, trying to hone his Rajini-like mannerisms, and throw som

What differentiates Indian weddings from that of the western counterparts is the complexity that’s involved in wrapping up one. It isn’t a walk down the park (or aisle) and exchanging rings in a silent place of worship but a collage of different customs and traditions that comes together in the form of ‘controlled chaos’ where the fun and frolic starts even before the sun gets to work and goes on till the moon hides beyond the horizon. Indian weddings are known for its colours, culture, drama, emotions and of course…. food. But something else that’s inbred in us is the custom of singing and dancing. Right from a person’s birth in the form of  thalaatu  to one’s death in the form of  oppari,  songs have always been a part of our tradition and whenever good or bad happens, there’s always a song that could elevate that mood to a whole new level. Weddings, especially the ones in our sub-continent, are nothing without songs and dance. So here’s my list of the 20 best Tamil songs that captur