Taare Zameen Par - Par Excellence!!!

There are only handful of movies for whose review you go in search for great adjectives. Well, that’s exactly what I did before coming up with this appraisal. Aamir Khan has offered his fans with spectacular performances in Dil Chahtha Hain, Lagaan, Rang De Basanti and Fanaa. My ardor for this ace actor of Bollywood has reached a higher level with his directional debut Taare Zameen Par. He could have turned a nice dollar by choosing a commercial story line . Instead of doing a ho-hum run of the mill story, he has come up with a child-based buoyant subject which requires scouting and discretion. Hats off to him for that!!!

Taare Zameen Par revolves around an eight year old boy, Ishaan Awasthi( Darsheel Safary) who has difficulties in reading and writing. His teachers and parents believe that the boy is deliberately not paying heed to studies and is mischievous. Ishaan always envisages himself in a world of wonders, all those surreal things which others around him don’t look at. Studying in third standard for the second time, the boy is often punished in the class for his uncompleted homeworks and low grades. But Ishaan is defiant, he doesn’t lament. He is happy in his own world where nothing is impossible. A particular scene that strikes me, where he imagines numbers 3 and 9 to be planets in the solar system. He loves his family and most of the time engages himself in painting. Recurrent complaints from school forces his father to send Ishaan to a boarding school. Things become worse as he isn’t able to bear the pangs of detachment from his family. The intractable pain makes him feel heartsick and he is on the verge of losing interest on almost everything.

It’s at that point of time like a silver lining Ram Shankar Nikumbh, a temporary art teacher played by Aamir Khan joins the school. He is also working in a school for special children. Nikumbh with his new ways of teaching soon becomes the favorite of all students. The ambiance is never somber when he is around. He observes that amidst all the fun, there was a boy who always sported a lost look. He wanted to find out what was troubling Ishaan so much. By referring his class notes Nikumbh learns that the boy is suffering from dyslexia, learning and writing disability. He soon leaves to Mumbai to meet Ishaans parents. It’s then he comes to know the boy is an adept in painting and craft work. Next few scenes you find Nikumbh advocating to Ishaans parents and to the Principal of the boarding school about Ishaans condition and that the boy will shape up soon if he is given proper guidance. Foremost he wanted to make Ishaan feel that he is not feckless and also to bring back that vim and vigor in him. During one of the classroom session Nikumbh talks to the students about famous personalities who were subjected to dyslexia in their childhood. The examples he gives of celebrities like Einstein, Edison, Leonardo da Vinci, Arundathi Roy makes the entire class stunned. He states that these stalwarts were able to succeed in life because they were able to view the world in their own angle. Nikumbh personally tells Ishaan that in his childhood he too suffered from dyslexia, this gives enough food for thought for the boy. Next few months Nikumbh engages himself in teaching Ishaan and slowly he starts progressing in every subject. To restore Ishaans painting ability, Nikumbh organizes an art competition for all students and teachers in the school. The essence of the movie lies in the last few scenes. To the surprise of everyone in the school, Ishaan emerges as the winner of the competition and Nikumbh who paints Ishaans portrait is declared the second best. Ishaan with tears of joy runs and embraces Nikumbh for all that he has done for him. At the end of the academic year Ishaans parents are extremely happy to hear from the teachers that Ishaan has shown tremendous improvement in all subjects. They thank Nikumbh and the movie ends with Ishaan running and hugging his mentor.

Vipin Sharma, Tisca Chopra, Sachet Engineer, Tanay Chheda have played the roles of Ishaans father, mother, brother and friend respectively. They have brought about the emotions of the characters really well. But the movie fully belongs to Darsheel Safary who has got into the skin of the character Ishaan. Be his indolence and pranks in the first half of the movie or the anguish and ire that he has vented in the second half, both are equally remarkable. The sublime beauty of the movie lies in the way it has been told, I am sure Aamir Khan is going to win accolades for it.

One will also be gratified with the music of the movie, simple yet endearing composed by Shankar- Ehsaan-Loy. The intro song of Aamir, ‘Bum Bum Bhole’ is a zippy number. Prasoon Joshi has come up with some touching lyrics in ‘Maa’ and the ‘title song’. Cinematography by Sethu is remarkable.

The movie is a must watch for children and parents. The movie apprises that one can’t turn a blind eye towards anomalous children . All children have some concealed talent that has to be fostered. As parents one has to encourage and not enervate. We talk about school for special children but here is a thought provoking movie which says ‘ Every child is special’, a strong message to the society.

Jab We Met - In Vogue!!!

Bollywood has offered lots of candy floss love stories. Anything this day taken in the name of romance has become monotonous. The plot in romantic comedy films is no more a secret. So where does the charm dwell? It’s in the screenplay and the narrative style proves Imitaz Ali, Director and Writer of last years blockbuster movie Jab We Met. To ascertain the crux of this romantic flick, I had to watch it a couple of times.

Business going haywire, girl friend getting married to someone else, Aditya Kashyap(Shahid Kapoor) is in a frenzy. He has lost fervor for life and is wandering like a nomad in the streets of Mumbai. He boards a train aimlessly, out of the blue he bumps into Geet Dhillon( Karrena Kapoor). She is leaving to her hometown Bhatinda in Punjab. Geet is full of gusto, she doesn’t mind talking to a stranger about her whereabouts, Mumbai , hostel life and answering all that unsolicited questions. You will not know whether to feel pity for Aditya or to laugh at Geets crazy talks, in particular when she says ‘From childhood itself I am crazy about getting married and now that I am in love I m planning to elope soon’. Exasperated over her relentless chattering Aditya decides to leave the train. In an attempt to get Aditya into the train, Geet herself misses it. She blames Aditya and says that he is accountable and now he has to take the onus of dropping her at her house in Punjab. Geet does all the talking, Aditya already besieged by so many problems chooses to stay calm. They decide to spend the night in some hotel. The hotel scene is one of the most funniest scene in the movie. When Aditya asks the receptionist about the cost for one day’s stay, Geet intervenes and says that they need room only for 3 hrs. The receptionist mistakes her to be a call girl and Aditya could do nothing but laugh at Geets folly. When Geet finds out that Adityas girlfriend has dumped him, she tells him not to worry and to burn her photo and flush her out of his life. It’s from then Aditya starts liking her company. They set about their journey to Bhatinda. Geet is in love with a guy called Anshuman who is in Manali. When they reach Bhatinda, Geet comes to know that her family are making arrangements for her marriage. She decides to run away from the house, and now Aditya and Geet are mistaken to be lovers . Aditya leaves her in Manali and decides to get back to his business. Endued by Geets ‘don’t care’ attitude towards life, Aditya starts to look at his life in Geet’s perspective and is able to face all challenges in business. Meanwhile Geets family comes in search of Aditya and Geet, they are still under the misconception that both of them were lovers and by now would have got married. Aditya doesn’t tell them the truth but promises to bring Geet home within 10 days and decides to go to Manali to bring Geet and Anshuman back. When he reaches there he finds out that Anshuman has forsaken Geet and she is in a feeble and desperate state. In deference to all those things that once Geet did for him, Aditya decides to bring back her zest for life. He also succeeds in conciliating the broken relation between Geet and Anshuman. The three reach Bhatinda, the family still believes that Geet and Aditya are lovers. Geet finds it hard to reveal the truth to her family, and realizes that she has fallen in love with Aditya. They marry and live happily thenceforth.

You might be wondering what is so brilliant in this movie now. Yes the storyline is not new , but the narration is fresh. The dialogs are mind-bending, some of them even create breakthroughs. The director conveys with humor that love failure isn’t the end of your life and however desolate you feel now, you will surely live on and fall in love again. Shahid Kappor and Kareena Kapoor have given their best shot. Shahid looks simply dashing and has given a torrid performance. Kareena, arre waah!! She does what she always does best. One cannot but be surprised that the chirpy girl who does things at a whim in the first half of the movie is the same girl who is in dismay in the last half for what life had to offer her. Such an exuberant and vivid performance. I bet it’s a tailor-made role for Kareena, her tantrums and élan can’t be imitated. It is Shahids and Kareenas fourth film together. Unlike the other three flicks, in this movie their chemistry, their confluence leaves you charmed.

Music by Pritam is refreshing. Irshad Ali has to be given credit for the lyrics in the song ‘ Tum se hi’. Shahids effortless dance in the Punjabi song ‘Nagada Nagada’ is graceful. Shreya Ghoshals mesmerizing voice makes the song ‘ Ye Ishq Hai ‘ an enjoyable one. ‘ Mauja Hi Mauja’ is an out-and-out party number, to finish the movie with. The picturesque and vantage locations of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh are well pictured by cinematographer S. Natarajan Subramaniam.

The fast paced script, the songs are definitely plus points. But the magic that will pull you to the theater again is the charm in the lead pair, the way they have vented their emotions is phenomenal, which is undoubtedly the USP of the movie.

Kannathil Muthamittal - A Lovey-Dovey Peck On The Cheek

‘Chinnam siru kiliye kannamma selva kalanjiyame ennai kali tirtte ulagil etram puriya vandhai’, an immortal song by Subramanya Bharathy, wherein he depicts Devi Parasakthi as his daughter and compares the Devi to a parrot (killi), he sings kannama( with love), you are the wealth I own( selva kalanjiyame) and you have come to take away my sins( ennai kali tirtte) and raise me in this world(ulagil etram puriya vandhai). After a romantic cum commercial hit film Alaipayuthe in 2000 much was expected from the ace director of Indian Cinema, Mani Rathnam. In 2002 he bobbed up with a movie, the title being an inspiration from the above mentioned Bharathi song esp one particular phrase from it, ‘kannathil muttamittal ullam tan kal veri kolludadi’, Bharathi sings, when he kisses his daughter on her cheek his heart is filled up with immense joy. And Mani does justice by fulfilling our hearts with joy with his Kannathil Muthamittal.

Anything with a difference is accepted widely by tamil audiences and that is the reason why Mani’s movies do well in the market. The critical acclamation that his movies receive is because of the fairest characters and situations he portrays. One might ask, all Mani’s movies have to do with terrorism or love then what is the difference. Yes you are right, but then in movies it is not the subject but how well the subject is rendered by the characters and how well the situations are pictured which makes the movie stand out. In a single word it’s ‘how the movie makes you feel’. In that case Mani doesn’t make a mistake, as his movies have a remarkable script with well-incised characters, brilliant dialogues, excellent cinematography, first-class art direction and phenomenal music. Many make a comment that the technicians behind the screen store the best for Mani but I think it’s he who makes the best use of the experts in all fields.

Without boring you people let me start with my review. Doing a child based subject is not new to Mani having done Anjali. The best part I like about Mani’s films is that it will have to do justice to two or more subjects, for eg in Roja, love and Kashmir terrorism were the themes. Linking the themes is where he makes the mark. Kannathil is also one such. Here the storyline is not that simple, an adopted child eager to know about her parentage and desiring the love of her biological mother convinces her parents to take her to Srilanka which at that time is at the peak of civil-discord. Mani counterpoises and links a family drama along with the bitter conflicts within a nation. It’s not a bird’s eye view; he succeeds in bringing the audience close to both the themes.

The movie begins with the marriage of Shyama(Nandita Das) with Dileepan (J.D.Chakravarthy) in Maankulam, a village in Srilanka. Both of them are Srilankan tamilans. Dileepan being a militant had to leave when a civil war broke out between the militants and the army, leaving his wife Shyama who was then pregnant. Shyama had no choice but to leave the terror-struck place and move to a refugee camp in Rameshwaram where she gives birth to a girl child. The next scene is in Chennai after 9 years. A girl introduces herself as Amudha(P.S.Keerthana) and also gives an intro about the members in her family. Amudha lives with her father Thiruchelvan( Madhavan) an engineer who is more popularly known as a writer who writes in the pen name Indra, the name of his wife Simran. Amudha has two younger brothers Akhil and Vinay and grandfather Ganesan(Delhi Kumar, of Metti Oli fame) who is a retired Tazildhar. The first few scenes show you a happy, lovesome family.

Thiru is a loving family man and an outright person. All the characters are well-defined. You get to spot Madhavan with specs, a total matured look contrary to the youthful guy you find in Alaipayuthe. Simran plays a loving mother, possessive about her children and hubby. She is not the glam lass you find in many other films, she proves herself as a performing artist. Akhil and Vinay will remind you of your own younger brothers. But yes it’s Keerthana who leaves you spellbound; there is so much of realness that she adds to a scene.

Back to the story, it is Amudha’s ninth birthday. Thiru and Indra tell her the truth of her parentage. The couple didn’t want to conceal anything from their daughter. Thiru tells her that she was adopted from a camp in Rameshwaram. After knowing this Amudha emotes, she crys, whimpers, and complains why they adopted her. To which Thiru replies ” Naanga unna thathu eddukale, nee dhaan engala thathu eduthe”(We didn’t adopt you, it was you who adopted us). Mani again takes you nine years back, this time the location is Rameshwaram. Indra is a college girl and Thiru has just embarked on writing. They are neighbours. Thiru titles his first story as ‘ Kudai’(Umbrella). Well Kudai is about the refugees who were forced to leave their nation, and Thiru mentions about a girl child who was abandoned by her mother who came as a refugee to the camp in Red Cross out there in Rameshwaram. I cannot resist myself from writing down those lines in the story that moved me. ‘ Yaar ivargal, oru theepatti padhinainthu rubaiku vikkum, mannanai; minsaram; maruthuvam edhuvum illadha naatil, palikoodangalil yudha sathum edhur ollikum nerukadiyil, sondha natayum odamaigalai thurandhu padageri , vandha naatilum varra verpillamal, unmayagave nadu kadalil thavika vidapatavargal. Avargal kettadhellam orru kudai nizhal, tharkaliga karunai, avargaluku naam thandhadhu enna agathi mugaam endru peyaril oru thirandha veli chiray. Siruvar, sirumigal, vaisaligal,penngal, ivargalil oru penn aval vayatril ulagay sandika avasra padum oru kuzhandai. Andha kuzhandayin kadhay idhu. jennal vazhiye kuzhandayay etti paarthaal, pirandha kanname andhu pinju virral thaayin veralai arindhu paatri kola, than viralai vidivithu konda porapadum badi avalai seluthiyadhu edhu, sondha naatil avaluku enna eerpu, kadamaya, kannavana,yudhama. Yaaruku theriyum? Kannathay kanneril nanaika, maarbil thaaipal nanaika, piranda udanaye, marandhu, pirundhu pogum kodumayay orru kalla kattathilum nyaya paduthu mudiyaadhu.Oru murai kuzhandayay thirumbi paarthal. Idhu dhaan kadaisiya, yaaruku theriyum, idhay sattrum ariyadha andha kuzhandayin mudhal azhugai amudhamai ollithadhu’. To translate the last line, ‘the child’s first cry flowed as sweet as nectar’. The lines are by writer Sujatha. And to say the least he is just awesome. The narrative never swags. Thiru decides to adopt the child, but the rules don’t allow for a bachelor to adopt. Thiru and Indra have a liking for each other. Their chemistry is well filmed by Mani. They marry and also adopt the child whom they name Amudha.

Amudha having heard the story couldn’t withstand the strong feeling of getting back to her biological mother. She runs away twice from house. Thiru and Indra decide to take her to Srilanka in search of Shyama. Dr. Wikramsinghe( Prakashraj) plays the role of a caring host and he takes them to Maangulam which at that time is war-torn place and people are getting displaced for safety. Amudha also views at close angles a suicide bomber. When Thiru and Wikram are speaking about the brutalities of the war, they are overheard by the militants. Thiru is recognized by one of the militants as a tamil writer, and they question him why they have taken a risk of coming to the place. One of the militants happens to be Shyamas brother, played by Pasupathy. When he comes to know they have come in search of his sister, Pasupathy tells him to come to a park in a nearby town. But once they reach the park they witness another attack, a face to face between the militants and the Srilankan army. The Audiography by Laxmi Narayanan and Art Direction by Sibu Cyril help in recreating Srilanka. Indra gets injured badly. Amudha could not handle any more as she could not see her foster parents suffering because of her. She tells Thiru that she wants to leave back home. On their way to airport they stop once in the park where they had decided to meet Shyama the other day. To their surprise Shyama had come there with her brother. Amudha asks Shyama the reason why she desolated her. Shyama speaks less but her body language does the job. Amudha wants to take her mother to Chennai. Shyama replies ’Eppa yavudham oru naal idhu yudham illadha bhoomi ya maarum, vidiyal varum, annaiku thiramba vaa’ (Someday there will be peace in this country, thn come back to me). The scene is a quintessential one in the movie and needs to be watched to get the real feel. Nandita Das does the small role given to her with perfection. Shyama leaves and the movie comes to an end with Amudha kissing Indra; Kannathil Muthamittal.

The music of the movie is by A.R.Rahman, and it is outstanding. ‘Oru Deivam thandha poove’ rendered by Chimnaye and another version by Jaychandran is a remarkable song. Chimnayee is a Rahman product and amazes you with her pitch in singing, the low and high notes are delivered with flawlessness. No wonder why Chimnayi became a household name. Written by Vairamuthu, the lyric excels. It is about the love of parents for their child, it’s a pain and a pleasure ( sugamana valli). My favorite line is ”Ennadhu vaanam nee, izhandha siragum nee. Naan thooki valarthu thuyiram nee”. Ravi.K.Chandran makes Marina beach look beautiful than ever for the picturing of this song. Quite different from oru deivam wherein Rahman makes use of so many instruments, “Vellai pookal” is a delight. Here the guitar plays the magic and ya the vocal is by the maestro himself. It reminds me of Newyork Nagaram, Khamosh raath which were also songs with excellent strumming of the guitar. The lyrics once again by Vairamuthu are striking. “Engu siru kuzhandhai, Than kaigal neettidumo, Angu thoandraayo, vellai, nilavey. Engu manidha inam, Poar oindhu saaindhidumo, Angu koovaayo, vellai, kuyile” . The song is a favorite of many music lovers. To feel the freedom unburdened by fear. That is what the song asks for.

The film won six national awards in different categories, had a warm welcome everywhere and was acclaimed in many International film festivals. The movie is a brainchild of Mani Rathnam. The filmaker who believes that any story he makes has to start with life and end with it. Universal love and fight against terrorism has been his keen interests. Kannathil Muthamittal is just about the same. A plot which I believe is second only to Mani’s Ayutha Ezhuthu.

Kodi keerthanamum Kavi koartha vaarthaigalum, Thuli kanneer, poal artham, tharumo? Alike, this movie needs to be watched by one to get the real flavor and tone!!