february 2010 vol 3 issue 11 Monthly
A VALENTINE’s SPECIAL Issue
+ g3 supplement inside
Crime &
In the
mood For LOVE Beautiful
People
Punishment
Sarath Kumar lashes out against pirates
Love
Sex
Let’s talk, baby!
Karthi
How we love our young stars!
The New-Age Loverboy
Deepika Padukone
Call of the Gorgeous starlets who cross the North-South divide
South
pg. 111
pg. 56
pg. 106
contents 02.10 06. editorial 08. readers’ voices
22MOVIE MANIA 22. PEEKABOO
A look at movies ready for release
30. galatta talkies
Movies that hit the screens
42. FIRST CUT
On location with movies in the making
GALA-TTA 46ATIME! 46. WHAT’S ON G.COM
Hot stuff on Galatta.com this month
51. SUBSCRIBE!
Get GC to your doorstep - sign up here!
64. COVER FEATURE
pg. 10
SORBET OF 90ACROSS BORDERS 10STARS 90. BEYOND SOUTH
10. KICKSTARt
92. BRINGING HOLLYWOOD HOME
28. G! People
The Prince, Mahesh Babu
Titbits from the out-of-towners
Charulatha Mani and Mathumitha
54. rising stars
A Golden Globes special
Close encounter with Anuja Iyer
98
MEMORIES
56. spotlight
The many moods of Karthi
72. star of the month
96. NOSTALGIA
AV. Meiyappan, the movie mogul
Macho man R. Sarathkumar
86. behind the scenes
Lensman Manoj Paramahamsa
& 99ROUND ABOUT 99. LOVE ME LOVE ME!
12JUICY STUFF
106. forces of passion
Getting mushy with Namitha
111. love VS. sex: debate
12. galatta grapevine
All the info, all the goss!
26. cool stuff
A Valentine’s Day special with some of the hottest stars of 2010!
Ashwin Sekar
Celebs pick and choose between the two greatest emotions known to mankind
38. SCENE ABOUT TOWN Tinseltown’s shimmering dos
48. game-time
52. fast track
Poonam Bajwa gets candid!
94. stargazing
Travel on the zodiac with the stars
114. wrap up
pg. 54
Contests to win in a flash!
Just in, super-fresh news
80
NOTE WORTHY
80. top of the charts Songs on the #1 lists
82. iN THE GROOVE
44XTRA-G
44. Tender Love and Care
Poongothai, Mona and their Asthtva Foundation
76. 2009 analysis G. Dhananjayan of Moser Baer on challenges faced by Tamil and Malayalam cinema
pg. 99
64COVER FEATURE
64. blurring borders - the north-south romance
Soundtracks worth your money
A sneak peek at actresses who have transcended the North-South divide to a pan-India fan base.
Editor’s Note
love, not war! Make
On the cover: Deepika Padukone Courtesy: Tissot Watches EDITOR Shakthi Girish EDITING CONSULTANT Ashok L. Rajani SUB-EDITOR Padma Iyer WRITERS Kaanchan B., Baiju N., Ambili Design Consultant Sharon Suares Chief Designer Sankaran N. DESIGNERS Punitha V., Rameshkumar M. Suresh Babu V. MANAGER - INDUSTRY RELATIONS & SALES Shailesh Kumaran Seran MD & CEO, GALATTA.COM C.R. Venkatesh
SPECIAL THANKS TO Mr. C. N. Ramdas IAS (R), Chairman, GNG Group of Companies Mr. C. R. Rajendran, Chairman, Bojaraj Textiles
PRESIDENT, GALATTA.COM Girish Ramdas MANAGER – AD SALES Sunil Krishnamurthy MANAGER – AD SALES Abilasha Krishna Assistant Manager – Ad Sales (NCR) Akash Saxena sales & marketing rep. (Hyderabad) Indrani SENIOR MARKETING COORDINATOR Jayshree G. Manager - CIRCULATION Mohan H. PRINTING PRESS Rathna Offset Printers
Mrs. Kamalam Rajendran, MD, Bojaraj Textiles Mrs. Nirmala Ramdas, Director, GNG Group of Companies
Thank you for helping us put this issue together: Mr. Karthik of Hungry Tiger Photography, Mr. Kiran Reddy & Mr. Swaroop Reddy of Sathyam Cinemas, Mr. Vijayakumar Radhakrishnan – CTO, Dot Com Infoway Ltd. and Mr. Gnanam. We thank the ENTIRE FILM industry: actors, producers, technicians, managers and PROs, assistants, other staff and those who have supported us. Special thanks: To our beloved Venket Ram, whose genius is only surpassed by his generosity. His shots inspire great stories! Our buddy Sunder Ramu, whose love for colour is as rich as his exuberance. Stylists and idea-banks who lend unique excellence to Galatta Cinema. Our heartfelt thanks to: Mr. Randor Guy who spearheads the Nostalgia section of our magazine. His superb memory and inimitable writing style have brought an eclectic feel and old-world charm to Galatta Cinema! To advertise on Galatta Cinema, contact: Sunil Krishnamurthy +91-96000 84464 Abilasha Krishna +91-95661 11922 Akash Saxena (New Delhi) +91-99999 84203 Indrani (Hyderabad) +91-98498 34123 Shailesh Kumaran Seran +91-95000 51947 For coverage of events and publicity on Galatta, contact: Shailesh Kumaran Seran +91-95000 51947 Or email us at: ads@galattacinema.com For retail and distribution enquiries, contact: Mohan H. +91-97909 78455 For more info, log onto: www.galattacinema.com Address: Galatta Cinema, Post Box 7166, Chennai 600 102 Talk to us! Email: editor@galattacinema.com Snail Mail: Galatta Cinema, Post Box No. 7166, Chennai 600 102, Tamil Nadu, India
6 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
W
elcome to the new age where love – apart from being celebrated here and there through the year – is also a date on the calendar. Welcome to February and Valentine’s month. We of the new capitalist and shopping-heaven age seem to always want a REASON, a much-publicised date for whatever we want to celebrate – love, good over evil, brotherhood, sisterhood, our parents, our kids... Hm. Well, I may be amused at this need to find a date to give presents, make love and express affection, but it’s not such a bad thing, is it? Think of it as love at least once a year. That’s Valentine’s month for you.
B
ut St. Valentine and the modern day greeting card manufacturers have convinced me to gleefully play around as much as we can in the GC team with the concept and the word called ‘LOVE’. Which means, in this issue, we’re planning to mix serious love-talk with irreverent use and relevance of the L word to making naughty statements on matters of the heart and body. See how we do it: First up! Cover feature. So what’s lovely Deepika doing on the cover of a hard core South Indian magazine? Well, there’s the fact that we have used her as the most beautiful example of how Bollywood is romancing Southerners and the South Indian industry is romancing Bolly babes right back. Then there’s the little matter of how DP is not alone in the story – we have a SLEW of gorgeous women who are on the most wanted list of South and North Indian filmmakers! Thus our cover feature is not a person-to-person love story but that of cross-border mush. Next in line: Our famous Round & About is back and looking yummy. A look at how we love our young stars is closely followed by a tongue-in-cheek debate on Love or Sex, leaving you panting for more.
O
k, the serious stuff. In Tamil Nadu, movies are battling it out for theatre dates as the industry reaches a bottleneck with pending releases competing for space. What happened to those Producers’ Council rules on release formats? We plebeians can’t easily understand, but perhaps they just want to get these foreverin-the-making movies over with so they can start on a fresh year of cinema. AP, Karnataka and Kerala are not so bad. They’re breathing a little easy, even as they wait for their next scheduled releases. Inside, you will find reviews of the January movies and sneak peeks into some expected in February. Meanwhile, Karthi and G. Dhananjayan steal the thunder from everyone – the first with his absolute charm and display of on-screen talent and the other with his methodical and impressive dissection of South Indian cinema. Meanwhile, after the jolt that industry got when R. Sarathkumar’s film Jaggubhai was illegally broadcast online, Radikaa and Sarath gathered their firepower together and with KSR, quickly released the movie across theatres. The star presence at the premiere was awesome – including Rajni and Kamal! Sarath speaks of his movie, the need to be cautious and understand the power of technology and more.
T
he National and Padma awards were announced, parties were thrown, small movies were pitted against bigger ones and the human world lived on in its usual chaotic manner with an undercurrent of restlessness. So let’s take a moment to breathe in some peace and love; relax and enjoy this Valentine issue of GC, shall we? Love,
Shakthi Girish
Rumours state that Trisha’s mom is busy seeking a suitable alliance for her daughter and has given Trisha’s horoscope to her close friends. It is also said that while Trisha wants to get married after a few years, her mother wants to finalize her marriage ASAP.
Popular Indian actress Genelia has denied rumours of her marriage with actor Riteish Deshmukh. Earlier, a Mumbai-based tabloid reported that the actors had been close ever since the shooting of Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003) and their relationship is now heading towards marriage.
Veteran actor Nasser made a comeback in Sandalwood with Suryakanthi, directed by K.M. Chaitanya. The actor played the role of the hero’s grandfather. Interestingly, Kishori Ballal, who is many years older than him in real life, played his wife.
16 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
FIRST THINGS FIRST!
ON THE LOVE BOAT!
First person you go to with good news... My mom and dad...
Love is all about... Butterflies in the stomach... Long phone conversations... Daydreaming....
First person you go to with bad news... I need just ten minutes to recover from bad news! In those ten minutes, I may howl and cry [and maybe break a few things], but that’s it. I will never look back. And once I’ve recovered, I’ll tell my parents. First crush... I studied in a girls’ school. He was in the boys’ school opposite mine. I was in class six, he was in class twelve! He was the Head Boy. I don’t remember his name, but I just remember that he was very good looking! I remember watching him lead the marchpast... First thing that comes to your mind when we say cinema... It’s is larger than life! First thing you bought with your pay... I got myself a laptop, which I still have by the way! First thing that you thought when you saw yourself on the big screen... People usually say they are very critical about themselves when they see themselves for the first time on the screen, but it was not so for me! I thought I was the prettiest thing on earth! And that the cameraman had done a great job making me look good! I was overwhelmed! First lesson you learnt about cinema, on the job... On the outside, it looks like actors lead a very cushy life! We only see the glam side! But only after I got in did I realize that a hell of a lot of hard work goes into acting! It’s not just all about wearing good clothes and partying! First scene in front of the camera... It was at a temple in Ramoji Film City. Thankfully I did not have a dialogue! A priest at the temple blesses me, saying I should get a good husband! That’s how my reel life began! First friend you made in cinema... Kamna Jethmalani. In fact, she was my friend even before I came into cinema... and still is!
The best way to propose to you... It shouldn’t be very obvious. No going down on one knee, no clichéd dialogues... In fact, I’d much rather he plays hard to get - that will get me more interested! The most attractive part of a man... Physically, for me, it’s the feet and the nape of the neck! I like guys with clean feet; it tells you about their sense of personal hygiene. The nape of the neck, because I like guys with short hair! Personalitywise, chivalry is a quality I admire in a man! It’s almost extinct with men these days. It might seem like an oldfashioned idea, but that’s what matters for me! The perfect Man-Machine would have... Eyes like Suriya, hair like Shahid Kapoor, a smile like Madhavan, a body like John Abraham and a personality like Hrithik Roshan! The most romantic getaway... The beach... Cool mountains... anywhere... it just depends on the company... anyplace can be romantic if you’re with the right person! The most romantic thing you’ve heard... In the movie Sweet Home Alabama, when young Melanie says, “Why do you want to marry me anyhow?” and young Jake says, “So I can kiss you anytime I want!” The love-story you never tire of... Eric Segal’s Love Story. I’ve read it more than 100 times and each time it makes me cry... The ideal on-screen couple... Kajol and Sharukh Khan in DDLJ and Kamal and Sridevi in Sadma [Moonram Pirai] You’d love to romance...
George Clooney To the readers of GC...
Follow your dreams! Go kiss the world!
POONAM BAJWA
Galatta Cinema | February 2010 53
Rising star
ANUJA IYER 54 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
Meet Anuja Iyer, a Chennai-based model-turnedactress, who is currently on Cloud Nine with Kamal Haasan’s recent release Unnaipol Oruvan. A commerce graduate with a Master’s in Mass Communication, this trained Bharatanatyam dancer and singer recently had a chat with Baiju; here are excerpts of the interview. “After my studies in Delhi, I stepped into advertising and was usually behind the camera for making ads for my dad’s ad firm Moulih. I used to go and meet clients with models’ pictures and tell them you could use these models for their ads. At the end, they would ask if I could star in the ad, complimenting my looks. And that is how I started modelling. Fortune Sunflower Oil was my first commercial. I was spotted by director Krishnan Seshadri and my first movie was Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai (M3V).” The first-ever ‘metro-movie’ in Tamil, M3V had Anuja portraying the role of smart, perky, bold and vivacious Sindhu, suffering from chronic heart disease and counting her days. “It was M3V that made me realize I have a talent in acting. That was more or less an experimental thing, because I didn’t plan for it and it just happed. Being actively involved in stage performances like dancing and theatre in my school-college days turned out to be an advantage for me. I wasn’t afraid of the camera and acting came pretty naturally.” Anuja’s second film was K.R. Senthil Nathan’s horror film Sivi, in which she played a ghost. “It was pretty interesting, because Sivi was much more than singing and dancing around trees. My biggest break came with my third film Ninaithale Inikkum. Thanks to Sun Picture’s publicity, many people believe that that was my first film (laughing). Ninaithale Inikkum was almost like a college excursion for me and I never felt I was with an actor (Prithviraj) who has acted in 50 films, National award winning actress (Priyamani) and the son of a very big director P. Vasu. We really got along very well.” Her fourth film Unnaipol Oruvan, was something she never expected and she was really anxious how she could perform before the legendary Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal and Venkatesh. “Because when your shot is on, all of them are sitting around you and watching you perform! I think I’ve managed to do my role except the first one or two shots in which I obviously had problems. Every scene in Unnaipol Oruvan was memorable, as every moment was a learning experience. Perhaps you think that stars are really high-headed. But it was a humbling experience when I saw they are really very simple. They are far and away only in our own eyes, but when you get to work with them, they are so helpful, giving hints and tips, telling you how to do the shot. The veterans do not really have to bother about telling the newcomer what to do, but they are so selfless that they teach you on the set.” Anuja Iyer is currently in talks with a couple of filmmakers and says that nothing has been finalized yet. We wish all the very best to this upcoming actress.
I wanted to be a director. I was also working as an assiStant director for some time. But then paruthiveeran happened. And the rest, as they say, is history.
photography: g. venket ram
KARTHI
An actor for every
MooD Son of veteran actor Sivakumar, brother of the immensely talented Suriya, KARTHI had every reason to be apprehensive and intimidated when he decided upon a career in acting. But surprisingly, it never was so. The reason? He never wanted to be an actor! The young man was always more interested in behind-the-scenes action. He was keen on becoming a director. But sometimes Madam Destiny has a different set of plans. And she had planned bigger avenues and greater success for the young Karthi. Padma Iyer of Galatta Cinema caught up with the actor one evening at his residence. Absolutely at ease with himself, Karthi answered all the questions thrown at him with his characteristic and infectious smile. Excerpts from the conversation as the actor talks about his work, the long wait for Aayirathil Oruvan, his relationship with his father and brother, his upcoming movies and more. Read on...
Galatta Cinema | February 2010 57
CHARMING
It was difficult waiting for aayirathil oruvan to release. I mean, two years is indeed a long wait. But dad supported be throughout. He kept on saying that this was a big film and I was part of something huge.
Galatta Cinema: A long wait for the release of your second film. How difficult was it waiting for Aayirathil Oruvan? Karthi: It was hard, I mean, two years is a long time. But when I signed the film, everyone on the project, including Selvaraghavan, were not sure about how big this was. As the shooting progressed, we realized how big this movie was. Dad supported me through the long wait. He said that no one would wait for so long for a film after a super-hit like Paruthiveeran and that I was doing the right thing. He kept on saying that this was a big film and I was part of something huge. GC: Your look in the film is very similar to Paruthiveeran. K: The look is similar in terms of the ruggedness of the character and the dark make up. The comedy elements are similar, but Aayirathil Oruvan was more physically demanding. On day one of the shoot, we had 300-400 people and this was the case on most schedules. Also, we shot in such difficult locales: the deep forests in Kerala, the deserts in Rajasthan. I had to prepare myself for the physical and mental challenges of this film. GC: Creative minds can be temperamental. How was it working with Selva? K: I have been a huge fan of Selva’s work: Kadhal Kondein, 7G Rainbow Colony, Pudhupettai... I have loved his style of film making. The way he handles the dialogueless scenes is amazing. He says what he wants but then, he lets you do the scene your way. Working with him gave me a lot of self confidence; he trusted me and that helped. GC: About the ladies Reemma and Andreah K: Quite difficult (laughs). Both of them started to rag me from day one. But it was a lot of fun working with them. And I must commend them on their work. I mean the difficult working conditions, the hard terrain, they performed through all of it. But the best part of it was that I got to be the hero in such difficult situations. (Grins) GC: What is the highlight of the film? K: Besides the fact that it is a first of its kind film in Tamil, amazing camera work by Ramji and G.V. Prakash’ music. There is a flute bit in the film and when we shooting that bit, I could feel vibrations in my body… That was the most memorable moment for me in the film.
GC: After no releases for over two years, now you have two back-to-back releases. How did Paiyaa happen? K: Director Lingusamy was very keen to do a film with me. He came to me with a story, but then I was not too happy with it. I told him that I wanted to do a film like Run. I love the movie, it is so fast paced and the action scenes are absolutely amazing. He was kind enough to oblige me. He said that as the actor, I should be thrilled about the film that I am acting in and agreed to come back with a script that I would enjoy working in. He came back with Paiyaa. I loved it when I heard it... So stylish, urban, fun. GC: So what is the Paiyaa about? And working with Tamannaah... how would you rate your onscreen chemistry with her especially, Suirya? when she has a hit in Ayan K: Paiyya is an out-and-out commercial film. It is a road trip adventure and revolves around two characters. Milind Soman plays the villain and I must say he is a great looking baddie. Well, talking about the chemistry between Tamannaah and me, let me give you some inside information. The assistant directors on the crew saw some rushes of the film and they told me that there was not just chemistry between the two of us, but also physics, biology and all... (laughs).
GC: You are on your cinematic journey. But Paruthiveeran has become a part of your persona today. You are still known as Paruthiveeran Karthi. Does it bother you that you are stuck with that image? K: Not really. Actually, I am surprised that people still remember me despite that fact that it was the only movie they saw me in. The credit goes to Ameer, who gave me the film. It brought me closer to the people. They think of me as one of them. And I am happy that I got so much of appreciation and love for Paruthiveeran.
UBER COOL
GC: After Paiyaa? K: This is a very busy year for me. I have Naan Mahan Alla with Kajal Aggarwal. This is also a complete commercial flick. And I must say that I am enjoying doing these films. I like all the action and stunts, it is such an adrenaline rush.
After playing absolutely rugged and rustic characters in my first two films, with paiyaa and then naan mahan alla, I get to play urban roles, something more like me. And no dark make up! Galatta Cinema | February 2010 59
SUAVE
When I signed my first film, I never thought about what I would get out of it. All I was focussed on was getting my role right. This is true even now. How much money I will make, whether the movie will be a hit... I don’t think about that. For me selecting a good script is important. I have to like the movie that i am doing. only then will the audience also like it.
60 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
Galatta Cinema | February 2010 61
I never thought about any movies of dad or suriya that I would want to redo. But i definitely admire them as actors and I have learnt a lot from them, especially from suriya: his dedication to work is incredible!
GC: Tell us about your relationship with Suriya, especially now that he is married and all. K: What can I say? We have always been close, but we were never the chatting type of siblings. We did our own thing. After marriage, the biggest change is that now Suriya and me talk more to each other. And I think the credit goes to Jyotika. It is wonderful that she is part of our family now and my niece Diya is such a bundle of joy.
GC: Last words on today’s cinema. K: If the audience likes it, great. Suriya never chose a bad script. His films may or may not have succeeded, but he succeeded as an actor. So I want to choose films that I like, scripts that I like. It is also important to present the film for what it is. Tell the audience what they will see. If it is a commercial film, announce it as such; do not pretend to be something you are not. This is something I follow in my work as well as in my life. For more news, pictures and videos on Karthi and his films log on to www. galatta.com
62 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
VERSATILE
GC: Any movies of your Dad and your brother that you’d want to do? K: I never thought about that. But I definitely admire them as actors and I have learnt a lot from them, especially from Suriya: his dedication and commitment to work. I mean, for a few minutes’ scene in Vaaranam Aayiram, he went through so much of physical hard work.
Cover Feature
Blurring Borders The North-South romance Love is in the air; can’t you just sense it? You don’t really need a day set aside to celebrate love, do you? Every day is about finding and falling in love... That’s probably why Indian cinema is all about romance, always! But the love is not just in the story; the true love story is in Bollywood’s undying affair with Southern Cinema... and in return, the seduction of our Southern belles by Big, Beautiful Bollywood! It’s no summer fling that dies in a month - it is eternal and our beauties just cannot keep their pedicured feet in one place: like beautiful migratory birds, they flit from Mumbai to Chennai to Hyderabad and beyond,wooed, lured and enticed by cinema from all directions...An irresistible romantic tale indeed!
asin Pic courtesy: Tissot Watches
deepika padukone
A romance that has stood the test of time. Unstoppable!
Love is all about give and take. You can’t always be on the receiving end. You’ve gotta open the doors and let the passion flow freely! Just as eagerly as we woo and welcome hotties from B-town, we gladly loan them our gals too! Even in the days of black-and-white cinema, we were willing [albeit a li’l green] to let our lovelies Padmini, Ragini, Vyjayanthimala, Hema and Sridevi fly off to Bombay! And those ladies did us proud! We still cannot help beaming every time we hear a Mumbaikar sing praises of those ladies! So why would we not give a red carpet farewell to our women today? Weren’t we happy for petite mol Asin, when she got her big break in Bollywood? Oh, how she lit up the Bollywood scene we thought, when we saw her strutting her stuff with Aamir Khan in Ghajini and then almost immediately again with Salman Khan in London Dreams. A leading B-town magazine did a survey, only to find out that their readers thought Asin is the Most Eligible Bachelorette in Bollywood right now! Though Asin has in fact been getting loads of offers in Hindi flicks, she has bravely rejected over half a dozen of them! We are unhappy she’ll have to divide her attention between us and them, but we’re happy our gal has made it! And if we are happy for Asin, we are mighty happy for Deepika Padukone, who is our gal too!
Galatta Cinema | February 2010 65
Tanushree Dutta
Aishwarya rai bachchan
Yes, she is! Shahrukh Khan takes credit in giving her an explosive Bollywood opening, but we take credit for discovering the sizzling dusky beauty. If we take a look at her filmography, we see that Deepika made her acting debut in the Kannada thriller Aishwarya! And in spite of her Bollywood crown, she was more than happy to do a dance number in the 2009 Telugu movie Love 4 Ever! Again, it’s not the first time! Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, fresh out of her 1994 Miss World win, tested cine waters with the Tamil film Iruvar, directed by Mani Rathnam. She was born to be a hit in showbiz, so does it surprise us that big, bold, Bollywood whisked her away? She did a couple of films more here, but the big chunk has been in Bollywood. And just to show that she loves us forever, we’ll be seeing her shortly in Shankar’s next flick Enthiran opposite our Super Star Rajinikanth! We told you South Cinema is irresistible, didn’t we! Sushmita Sen, the Diva of Indian cinema, did not shy away either! We can’t boast of giving her her first break, but we did lure her here with the 1997 mega movie Ratchagan opposite Nagarjuna and we sincerely hope one of our filmmakers will concoct a fab story to bring her back to us, even if for just one movie! It’s only fair, because we have loaned B-town another fair lady Trisha!
66 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
Genelia d’souza
hansika motwani
mallika sherawat
A romance that has stood the test of time. Unstoppable!
Dreamy-eyed Trisha, who has been the apple of our eye ever since we saw her in Lesa Lesa, is busy prepping for her big Bollywood debut, Khatta Meetha. Director Priyadharshan, who cast Trisha in Lesa Lesa, is the director of her Hindi debut as well. Looks like she’s making a successful start there tool! We’ll keep our fingers crossed for that! Let’s hope that Trisha is quite as lucky as dear Genelia. Technically, Genelia was not our find. Her debut was in the Hindi film Tujhe Meri Kasam, but we were only too happy to win her over with Boys and then keep her here! She did a string of successful films down South, including Sathyam [Telugu], Bommarillu [Telugu], Sachein [Tamil], Sye [Telugu] and Santhosh Subramaniam [Tamil] before winning the lead role in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na that rekindled her Bollywood career. Another Bollywood bombshell poised for success in the South is Tanushree Dutta. She is hot; there is no two ways about that. And we love hot. After her debut in Hindi [Aashiq Banaya Aapne], she appeared in the Telugu flick Veerabhadra in 2004, and once again, was swamped with offers from Btown. So it’s been a while since she was spotted here. However, she just had to surrender to the Southern Temptation when we went to her with Theeradha Vilayatu Pillai opposite Vishal! Watch out for that one!
Galatta Cinema | February 2010 67
trisha
shriya saran
Another reason to watch out for Theeradha Vilayatu Pillai? Neetu Chandra. We saw how pretty she looks when she’s terrified in Madhavan starrer Yaavarum Nalam. Now, we’ll get to see how super hot she looks when she’s all glammed up! Talking of glamour, there’s the story of Shriya Saran! She is the essential glam Goddess of the South, so it’s quite natural that the B-town boys fell for her and wooed her with their fancy flicks! Shriya, who has had a super successful career in the South, has been taking baby steps in Hindi with movies such as Awarapan and Mission Istanbul, besides a few others. And while she awaits that big break, we surely are giving her no reason to complain; she continues to reign over us! There is one Bollywood beauty who we have not had enough of at all. One movie is just not enough to satiate our love [lust] for someone as delicious as Kangna Ranaut! She was the ravishing lovely in Dhaam Dhoom, but we want to pick up where that romance left off. And it’s quite understandable that this National Award winner has not been able to spare more time for us; obviously Bollywood fears the worst – she may not return to them! She could learn from the likes of Tabu how to keep her career going in Mumbai, while also keeping in constant touch with us southies (no puns intended)!
68 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
A romance that has stood the test of time. Unstoppable!
Kangna Ranaut
tabu
Padmapriya
photography: munna s.
You’ve got to love Tabu! She’s not your typical beauty, but there is something so haunting about her looks that you just cannot ignore or forget her. She made her acting debut as a child artiste in Hindi, but it was in Tollywood that she landed her first heroine opportunity! She has come a long way since Coolie No. 1 with Venkatesh; she has proved that she is a skilled and versatile actress. That’s why the moment we hear she’s doing a South film, we can’t help the adrenaline rush! That’s one sure sign of love, right?! Then there’s the li’l fling we had with Bipasha Basu. Now that’s an affair to remember! She played the second lady in Sachein [Tamil], but we were all set to give her first preference, if only the other lass on board had not been sugary sweet Genelia! Of course, we all were upset when a song of hers was snipped from the movie, but we made the most of what we finally got to see! But like they say, it’s the chase that makes the romance more exciting! But how about another bone for the puppy Bips? Speaking of ‘not enough’, there’s one more lady we are aching to see more of (again, no puns intended!): Mallika Sherawat. She could not refuse the southern siren-like attraction, not when it came from Kamal Haasan. So obviously she stopped by and took our breath away! Let’s just hope she finds more reasons to come South.
Galatta Cinema | February 2010 69
A romance that has stood the test of time. Unstoppable!
picture courtesy: glamsham.com
Celina jaitley
sameera reddy
70 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
In the meantime, we will feast our eyes on the other dusky chica from up above: Sameera Reddy! Oh, aren’t we ready to love her till the end of time! Her pretty sisters Meghna and Sushma Reddy may have escaped Cupid’s aim, but he was bang on target with Sameera. What do we love about her the most? Her sexitude or the way she is completely unaware of how many hearts she has stolen? But isn’t that what all these Bollywood ladies do? Priyanka Chopra dazzled us in Tamilan opposite Vijay, but has strayed since then. And while we await the former Miss World to re-enter our dreams, we will entertain a fond affection for Celina Jaitley, a former Miss Universe! She did a Telugu flick a while ago and just when we thought it was a one-movie-stand, we got news that she is making a southern comeback with the Kannada movie Shreemathi! Hurrah! Then there’s our gal Padmapriya waiting to make a splash in Mumbai, and their gal Hansika Motwani already making waves here... More gals yield to this unending love story, but nobody is complaining at all! We may have our many differences, but when it comes to loving our women, we are all alike! They graciously let our dear Sridevi take up the reins, and we had no qualms losing our mind over Khushbu, Jyotika and oh so many of them! It’s a romance, a cross-pollination that is timeless. Classic. Unbridled. Let the music play on! Love is in the air, indeed! KAANCHAN B.
Star of the month
Man on a Acting is only one of the many roles Sarathkumar plays on a day-to-day basis. He runs a political party, heads the Tamil Nadu Actors’ Association and is even the chief editor of the magazine Media Voice that is aimed at educating the masses on various burning issues: social, political and spiritual. He may have entered cinema with the dream of attaining the glory of MGR, but unlike that massman, he prefers not to use cinema to propagate his political ideas. He knows where to draw the line.
GC: You began acting at a time when it was considered that cinema was not for educated people – only for school and college dropouts. But you had a degree in hand... RSK: When I decided to act, my father was against it. First of all, he was shocked! He wanted me to write the Civil Services examination and become an IPS officer. But I wanted to act. I wanted to be like MGR. When I began my cine career, that’s all that mattered. I was not really thinking about doing a job based on what I had studied. It just did not matter. There were educated people in cinema then too. But the majority, you can say, were people who knew nothing beyond cinema. Then slowly, a more educated group of actors came in. They had had more exposure to the world. Then we started getting more people who had studied various aspects of cinema at places within and outside India. And then we started having Indian corporate companies showing interest in producing movies. Now there are NRIs and Hollywood production companies making Indian films. It’s been a gradual growing process.
mission
- sarath kumar
r. sarathkumar
between entertainment and politics, and when you talk to him, you cannot but admire him for doing what many of us never would - taking the plunge into politics in spite of having a flourishing career in another sphere! Where you and I would rather crib about the system, Sarathkumar is ready to face it head-on! A slice of the interesting chat Kaanchan B. had with the man...
photography: g. venket ram
from the movie: jaggubhai
Jaggubhai will go down in the history of cinema as the movie that woke us up and forced us to be more cautious.
GC: After so many years in cinema, only now you have acted in a Malayalam movie Pazhassi Raja. Didn’t you have any reservations playing a supporting role? RSK: When I was told the story, I was very taken by the theme. Being a Nationalist in my views, the subject of Pazhassi Raja fit perfectly with my thoughts. And the character given to me is not an ordinary one. It is that of an Army Chief. Irrespective of whether the part was written with me in mind or not, it fit me perfectly. And though the movie is based on the king Pazhassi Raja, the story gives ample scope for all the other stars to perform. That, the essence of the movie, and the idea of working in a period film, are what attracted me to the movie. GC: Pazhassi Raja has a whole bunch of popular Malayalam actors. Why don’t we see more such multi-starrers in the South? RSK: It would be great to do a multi-starrer in Tamil as well. In fact, my next Malayalam movie with director Joshi also has two other top actors: Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi. I am absolutely for multi-starrer movies. I believe that multistarrers are the future of cinema. That’s the best way to bring audiences to theatres! Also, it helps take the burden off one man. The success and most importantly, the loss, are shared by everybody! For the producer, it’s a safer bet, because when you have more than one big star attached to the movie, you immediately arouse audience interest and moreover, you’ll have fans of both the stars coming for the movie! GC: How did you feel when you found that Jaggubhai had been pirated? RSK: We were shocked! We are all aware of movie piracy and in our own way, we are trying to stop it. But we just did not expect our movie to get leaked even before re-recording! The news came as a rude shock – a wake-up call – not just to our team, but to the whole cinema industry. In that way, I guess Jaggubhai will go down in the history of cinema as the movie that woke us up and forced us to be more cautious. Thanks to the efforts of our Chief Minister and the Police, we were able to stop the circulation of the movie in a matter of just a few hours. We are very grateful to Chakri Toleti and the American firm LLC which is playing a vital part in tracking down the culprit. It’s only a matter of days before we get the guy. I am very thankful to everybody who came forward to support us and help us get through this. GC: What are the ways to prevent video piracy? RSK: Licensing and encryption is something that has become imperative now. We have to find a way to implement that as soon as possible. Another factor against us is the fact that today, umpteen copies of a movie-in-progress are made to be given to various technicians associated with the movie. The editor has one, the music director has one... No more do we do all
the post-production work at one studio. Editing suites are plentiful. Recording studios are many. So either we bring back the single window system or we must each recognize our moral responsibility to the job at hand with more care. Video piracy must be made a punishable offense. When you’re shooting in a public place, you cannot stop everybody in the crowd from taking a video on their mobile. But you most certainly can prevent someone from stepping into an editing room or a dubbing studio. GC: About Jaggubhai... RSK: It’s my tenth film with director K.S. Ravikumar and we’ve tasted success 90% of the time. And everyone who watched the leaked version of Jaggubhai has said that the movie is good! It’s like the result for our examination has come way ahead! But of course, the proper results will be out soon, and we hope for the best! It’s a great script and KSR has shown me in a new dimension. There are a lot of great action sequences in the movie which are bound to make an impact. It’s an action story based on a father-daughter relationship, which means the emotional angle is also there. I have tried a different role and it’s that kind of variety that the audience wants. As an actor, I too need to do lots of different roles. GC: And your producer treated you well? RSK: Absolutely! If only all production houses were as giving as Raadan! They let us do everything we deemed necessary for the movie. We bought five BMW cars, just to blow them up! Even Shriya was pretty upset we couldn’t spare her one! We hired a helicopter for the entire climax sequence... Our stunt choreographer William is from Hong Kong and every idea he had, we were allowed to try out. If we didn’t have the support of our producer, nothing would have been possible! GC: You mentioned that you wanted to be like MGR. He used cinema for political propaganda. Why don’t you? RSK: When MGR came into politics, the political climate was very different. Today, politics is much more complicated. One cannot imagine the amount of money that goes into a single election. It was not at all the case then. People saw MGR on the screen. They liked him. They believed in what he said. Today, as an actor I may be able to draw crowds to an auditorium. But will I be able to convert them to votes? It is a much bigger task today to win the trust and confidence of the people. Getting youngsters to vote is an even greater task. Their priorities have changed. Politics is nowhere on their agenda. All they want is a good job, preferably abroad, good salary, then buy a car and then buy a house. In the middle of all this, there’s room only for fun. They have no time to think about how to change the system. The only way to get them involved is to take care of them – see to it that they get good jobs here. Only then will they feel that sense of belonging. GC: Has being a politician affected your choice of movies? RSK: I prefer to keep cinema and politics apart. But even before I became a politician, I have always been aware of my social responsibility. I have not done characters that have put the wrong ideas in youngsters or roles that have questionable morality. I recently watched movies that use obscene language. I will never do such things in my movies.
I have not done characters that have put the wrong ideas in youngsters or roles that have questionable morality. GC: For a non-cinema person, it appears that filmmakers are not really hoping for a 100 day run. They just hope to make a grand opening to recoup their costs. RSK: To a certain extent that’s true, because nowadays we are making movies that cost way too much and when we invest so much we obviously want to recover it. Honestly speaking, nowadays no movie runs for 100 days. Given massive publicity, it would run for a couple of weeks. There was a time when movies like Suriyavamsam truly ran house full for 100 days. Now, all we see is how a movie recovers twice its cost in three days, by having 200 prints made and released all over the state, a few in other states and a few abroad. First, we’ve got to reduce production cost and spend it on marketing – we must expand the market for Tamil movies. A movie like Avatar costs millions, but the market for that movie is so widespread. For a Tamil film, that’s not the case. Hollywood production houses such as MGM and Fox are showing keen interest in producing Indian films. We must use the collaboration not just to make money, but to take Tamil cinema to the world! That’s Sarathkumar’s big dream for Tamil cinema, and all the signs of it coming true are there. But it’s his strong political ambition that is most inspiring. and for the greater good, we do hope he realizes those dreams as well!
Galatta Cinema | February 2010 75
behind the scenes
Manoj Paramahamsa You’ve seen his work. Now it’s time to get a closer look at the man. Like everyone else, we too wondered how this lean guy manoeuvres a bulky film camera. As he tells everyone else, with a chuckle he assures us, “I have assistants to help out!” Manoj Paramahamsa is one more reason to celebrate cinema. Like all the fresh talent making explosive statements on the big screen, he too brings a load of new ideas and enriching visuals to film-making. Kaanchan B. caught up with this ambitious yet unassuming cinematographer, and threw light on his story...
86 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
GC: Dad’s a director, mom’s a producer, why didn’t you become an actor? MP: I guess I was always fascinated with the big cameras! The fact that I was going to get into cinema was planned long before I was even thinking of a career! My father is a director and my mother a producer, so cinema is in my blood. But cinematography is the field I chose. Assistant directors would always be hanging about my house; at the shooting spot, the camera was a big attraction for me – the movement and the handling. So I guess I naturally gravitated towards a behind-the-scenes job! After school, I did a course at the Film Institute and then joined as an assistant to Saravanan sir, one of the best cinematographers in the South, and began learning the ropes.
GC: Cinema is always another story from the inside! On the job, what was the most important thing you learnt, something that the classroom does not prepare you for? MP: Handling people! We all know that cinema is all about teamwork. Lots of people have to work together to make a movie. In college, they teach you the theory and we even do lots practical work. The only thing is that in college, the team is comprised of a bunch of friends. So you know each other, and there are no date issues as long as it’s just us! But when it comes to actual cinema, there’s so much more to consider. You need to know how to deal with the big stars as well as the youngest assistants on the team. Making all these very different people work in unison requires good people skills, and until you start working in real movies, you will just not know how it’s done! And the great thing is: My first movie with Saravanan sir was Pammal K Sambandham! So right from day one, I was exposed to dealing with lots of people, big stars included!
GC: Does the bigness of the star make a difference to you?
MP: Not just me, but it does impact everybody. When it’s a set of newcomers or relatively new stars, we have more flexibility! The bigger the star, the more the restrictions. For instance, if you take the movie Eeram, director Arivazhagan and I are friends from the Film Institute, so we shared a great rapport. Since the actors were young with no star baggage, we could take some liberties with them! When Arivazhagan first told me the story, no songs were planned per se. But when he heard ‘Mazhaiye Mazhaiye’, he knew he wanted to use it, but we had no extra dates to shoot it in. Honestly, we had no budget for that song! But because our actors were willing, we managed to shoot sequences for the song before and after the actual shooting schedule! I’m not sure if it would
e e r a M
have been possible if the stars were bigger. But then again, getting big stars to accept your ideas is just a matter of proving you have the stuff. When we were shooting for Vinnaithandi Varuvaya, everyone warned me that getting Simbu to the set on time was going to be a tough task. At times when we needed to shoot at 6.30 a.m., we had to coax him into making it – but he did. And for my part, I made sure that when he arrived, he didn’t have to wait for his shot to begin.
GC: What about the experience of the director? How does that effect you?
MP: When I got the call from Gautham Menon sir, I
V i n n a i t h a A n d i v a r u v a A y a A
could hardly believe it. It took a while for it to sink in that my first individual project was going to be a movie by Gautham Menon. He is a very good director with a great visualization capacity. He knows what he wants, and knows how to get it. At the same time, he is open to good suggestions and on-the-spot improvization. For instance, while doing a trial shoot for Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikalam, which was my first task, the lead pair was made to walk on an uneven road, which was wet because of the rains. I was told to follow them with the camera, but during a take, I decided to tilt the cam down and show their feet picking their way through the puddles. Gautham was immediate to appreciate my idea. If it’s a good one, he will take it.
GC: And Arivazhagan? MP: Like I said before, Arivazhagan and I have been friends since college, so I knew we’d have no problem. But I must say at the very outset that while at college and even now, Arivazhagan was a very quiet guy, the silent type, always thinking about something. So you can believe my surprise when he narrated a horror script to me! Since he and I have a good understanding, working with him was very easy. Initially, I came on board only to help him shoot sample sequences that he wanted to use to show prospective producers to give them a visual idea of his story. But when it was decided that I was to do the film also, the two of us drew up a meticulous chart and stuck to it.
GC: How did your first film happen? MP: Many people think that Eeram is my first movie. That’s the one that released ahead, but the first movie I signed on for was Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikalam. I was working with Saravanan sir in a Malayalam movie, when my friend Manikandan, who works with Gautham Menon sir, called me. He told me that when Gautham said he wanted a new cinematographer for his movie, Manikandan had suggested my name, Gautham had approved and now wanted to see me! I was zapped! I did not know what to do. I told Saravanan sir everything. He asked me to leave for Chennai immediately. Gautham Menon was shooting Vaaranam Aayiram at that time and hence wanted a new cinematographer for Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikalam for flexible dates. There were no two
Galatta Cinema | February 2010 87
ways about it. I readily began working on the movie. But that movie is on hold, and in its place he gave me Vinnaithandi Varuvaya.
GC: Wow! But in the meantime, Eeram is out, and you are already considered a cinematographer to reckon with... MP: I am very thankful to the press for appreciating my work in Eeram. Often, the cinematographer is left out in the movie review, but for Eeram, several people had picked out specific scenes where they thought my camera work was good. But obviously, the masterstroke for the movie came from Arivazhagan. However, at this point I must also add that the main reason every little thing about the movie was successful was because of our immense planning. At the institute, when we are given projects, Step One is to take pictures of the location with the characters. We had to make this story board before going into shoot. We applied this to the entire script! That way, we knew exactly what we wanted from every shot! And because we knew perfectly what we wanted, it was even more difficult to get it! We wanted a grey apartment building. We hunted in four cities for it before finding the ideal one in Chennai. But we had to haggle with the building owners, who refused point blank to loan us the place. Finally, when we mentioned that our producer was director Shankar, they let us proceed. GC: Sounds like Eeram was a lot of work... MP: Yes, and more so because we would not settle for anything substandard. Another example would be our flooring requirement. See, the basic colour coding for the movie is dark shades and everything had to be consistent with that – even the flooring. But the thing is, most often while constructing a set, nobody bothers about the flooring, saying it will hardly register. But we had planned this scene where the water would trickle down on black granite flooring. Initially, our production team did not see the need for granite, so we had to convince them. We created a 3D version of the sequence using 3D Max software. The simulation showed clearly how the water would flow and what the shot composition would be. We got our granite flooring! Another tough part was making sure there was
88 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
no red in the movie, save for those times just before the murders, when the hero would spot something blood red. We call it the ‘Red Instinct’. Every time he sees something red, he gets a bad feeling and something bad happens! So we took pains to make sure that there were no reds in any other part of the movie – and that was quite a task! Hence, we even designed the clothes of all the junior artistes!
GC: After a black movie, doing a colourful movie like Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya must be a welcome change... MP: Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya is not your typical colourful movie! Gautham Menon was determined to make WHITE the colour of the movie! For a cinematographer, using lots of white is a big challenge! Most cinematographers would prefer not to use white, because it could bleach or flare... But I took it as a challenge, and because it came to me just at the time when I was wrapping up a movie that had a lot of black, I was happy to do a white movie! From the clothes to the buildings, everything in Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya is white or offwhite. That’s what Gautham Menon wanted – elements of white in every shot. So please don’t go expecting very colourful visuals! But this movie is a very bright, well-illuminated one, unlike Eeram – that I guarantee! We have shot most of it in natural nice bright sunlight! Sometime we even called it a wrap when the light dimmed a bit! GC: But it’s the dim-lit movie that has led you to brighter horizons! So what’s coming up for you? MP: The press has been very kind to me, giving me good reviews. After Eeram and the promos of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya, I’ve been getting offers from a lot of people, including some really big names in the industry. I must apologize to all the people I’ve turned down, because as it stands now, I have lots on my platter. There’s the actionthriller by Gautham Menon starring debutant Karthik, Sameera Reddy and Tabu which is already underway. Then in April we will start shooting for Gautham’s movie with Ajith. I have also committed to one more movie with Arivazhagan and one with my friend Manikandan, who put me on to Gautham Menon in the first place. Manoj is fully booked which means we’ll be looking at the world through his lens in quite a few movies to come! Now that’s a great start!
Film: VinnaithaAndi varuvaAyaA Film: Vinnaithaandi VaruvaAyaA
THE INDIAN MOVIE MOGUL
AV. MEIYAPPAN
- Randor Guy
(Continued from previous issue...) Meiyappan was so business savvy that he would never miss an opportunity to enlarge his business. When Bhagavathar sang his best-selling songs of Chintamani, Meiyappan realized that some of the popular songs of earlier Bhagavathar films Naveena Sarangadhara (1936) and Satya Seelan (1936) had not been exploited as gramophone records. He had Bhagavathar render the songs again with the Saraswathi Stores orchestra and the records were freshly released. The songs ‘Sivaperuman kirupai vendum’ and ‘Sollu paapaa’ became best sellers and continue to be popular to this day. While Saraswathi Stores made waves in Madras, Meiyappan did not neglect his family business back at Karaikudi. Indeed, he expanded his activities to improve the business. He expanded the activities of AV & Sons and also founded another unit named Sarada Stores.
Among Nattukottai Chettiars, there was a ritual to celebrate the first birthday of a child in the family with pomp. On such occasions, it was the custom to offer biscuits and sweets to guests and well-wishers. Meiyappan brought about a change in such social customs with his Sarada Stores. The stores sold several varieties of sweets and also chocolates besides biscuits. Against orders, the various items would be packed in bags for being conveniently offered to guests. During those days, quality biscuits were not manufactured in India; to enable his customers enjoy the taste of highclass biscuits, Meiyappan began to supply the famous biscuits manufactured by Huntley and Palmers. Their ‘Marie’ biscuits were great favourites of all in those days. Thanks to the innovative marketing methods of Meiyappan, the citizens of Ramanathapuram district for which Meiyappan had distribution rights could savour all varieties of the famous imported biscuits.
Meiyappan obtained the distribution rights of the famous Parry Sweets (which in those days enjoyed a monopoly) for Chettinad area. The orange and lemon boiled sweets were best sellers. They were inexpensive and tasty and great favourites of young and old. During the early 1930s, Parry & Company marketed an almond sweet which was extremely popular in cities like Madras, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ootacamund. It was somewhat expensive and mostly patronized by the well-to-do and sophisticated class. Meiyappan realized that Chettinad area was quite prosperous and could afford such sweets even though the sophistication of a city was perhaps lacking. He held discussions with the visiting Parry’s salesman and convinced him of the market potential for the premium almond sweets in Chettinad and soon, the special sweets were available (thanks to Meiyappan’s business acumen) in small towns and villages like Sivaganga (the seat of a feudal zamindar, Raja of Sivaganga, now the headquarters of the newly formed Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar district), Nattarasankottai, Ponamaravathi, Puduvayal, Pudupatti, Devakottai, Kotttaiyur, Keezhasevalpatti, Pallattur, Pudukottai and of course, Karaikudi. Meiyappan was able to procure such huge orders for this sweet that the Parry & Company sales department were surprised! Meiyappan had deposited a sum of Rs. 3,000 with Parry & Company as security for good supply. However, the business turnover was in the range of Rs. 15,000 and Sarada Stores did not have the financial strength to increase the security deposits as required by the manufacturers. Meiyappan once more revealed his brilliant business sense and took a policy of indemnity with Lloyds Insurance Company for Rs. 15,000 which satisfied Parry & Company and ensured regular supply of the popular almond sweets. It was perhaps the first time that a small town businessman had used this method to safeguard his business interests. AV & Sons, Sarada Stores and Saraswathi Stores in Madras. All the businesses were prospering, a creditable and praiseworthy track record for a small town businessman still in his twenties. But Meiyappan had set his sights higher and farther. He was not satisfied with minor victories. The urge to forge ahead constantly stirred his insides and he was looking for greener
Movie: Alam Ara
pastures. If he could make a success of manufacturing and marketing songs of films why not try his hands at making films? Movies began to talk Tamil in1931 with Kalidas directed by the Grand Old Man of Ardeshir Irani South Indian Cinema, H.M. Reddi. Produced in Bombay by the Indian film pioneer Ardeshir Irani, it featured the popular stage and silent film star T.P. Rajalakshmi in the lead role. Interestingly, Kalidas was not a hundred percent Tamil talking picture. Rajalakshmi spoke and sang in Tamil while the hero did so in Telugu. Some characters spoke in Hindi. Why were so many languages used in a single film? Thereby hangs a tale, apocryphal perhaps, but certainly interesting. According to the legend, Ardeshir Irani had certain doubts lurking at the back of his mind whether the German sound recording equipment which was used by him for the first Indian talking picture Alam Ara (1931, Hindi), would also record the Tamil language! What about Telugu? As an experiment, he had characters in Kalidas speak both Tamil and Telugu and to make sure he had Hindi too, a language which the equipment had already recorded successfully. Well, the German equipment had no language bias and recorded all the three languages impartially! Indeed, Kalidas could be aptly described as the first multi-lingual film produced in India. In 1933, Valli Thirumanam, featuring T.P. Rajalakshmi in the title role, was a huge success and became the first box office hit of South Indian Cinema. Directed by P.V.
T.P. Rajalakshmi Galatta Cinema | February 2010 97
Rao, totally forgotten today, the film was so popular that for several weeks, it was screened with one reel missing (lost in the Calcutta laboratory), yet nobody batted an eyelid or asked questions! Its thundering success attracted many investors to the new talking picture business which seemed to hold bright prospects as a business venture with attractive profit potential. Many entrepreneurs began to think of picture production and one of them was AV Meiyappan. He discussed it with his partners Narayana Iyengar and Sivam Chettiar and also with other friends. The first four years of Tamil cinema 1931-34 saw 14 films being produced, of which Valli Thirumanam (1933), Bhama Vijayam (1934) and Pavalakodi (1934) were big grossers. Most of these films had well known actors and actresses like T.P.
Pavalakodi (1934)
Lava Kusha (1934)
Released early in 1935, Alli Arjuna turned out to be some kind of blind man’s buff and sank without a trace. The film had lost Rs. 80,000, which was quite high for the day. As there were no proper studio facilities in Madras to shoot talking pictures, Meiyappan had to go all the way to Calcutta, which added to the cost. (To be continued)
Rajalakshmi, P.S. Ratna Bai, Maharajapuram Krishnamurthi, P.S. Saraswathi Bai, M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, S.D. Subbulakshmi, K.T. Rukmini and others. Friends advised Meiyappan that stars were necessary ingredients to make a successful film, a theory to which Meiyappan did not subscribe. Early Tamil films were song-studded with as many as 40 to 50 songs, a fact proudly advertised by producers as a box office attraction. Indeed Lava Kusha (1934) had as many as 63 songs and was known as Sangeetha Lava Kusha. Meiyappan did not like this aspect either. He felt that a film could be made with new faces, less expensive artistes and lesser number of songs. On an eventful day, Meiyappan decided to take the plunge and promoted Saraswathi Sound Productions as a partnership firm with his colleagues of Saraswathi Stores and launched his maiden venture Alli Arjuna, a mythological built around Arjuna, the hero of the epic Mahabharatham which was a popular Tamil stage play. The film was shot in Calcutta with noted stage artistes K.S. Ananthanarayana Iyer and K.R. Kanthimathi Bai playing the lead roles. Alli Arjuna proved to be a disaster. The stage artistes were new to movies and totally unused to the bright big studio lights. They had their eyes shut tight almost right through the picture while they sang, spoke and emoted! The silver nitrate based negative film stock available in those days was ‘slow’ (not so sensitive to light) and cinematographers preferred to err on the right side and used more lights than necessary. With no film institutes to train them, technicians of that era learnt the craft while they worked by trial and error methods, Often by error and as a measure of safety, they had more lights and also had artistes
98 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
sing and speak louder, almost with the decibel level almost like shouting. Microphones used in those days were of the carbon displacement kind and not so sensitive.
Movie: Alli Arjuna
ROUND AND ABOUT : a valentine special
Love me VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL love me You gotta love them, but you gotta do it right!
we’re betting that you got to this page thinking we’re gonna feed you a strong dose of tinseltown’s take on love. uh-huh. this month, we want to be heard! we want to gush and spread mush about some of these stars we simply love...
She’s simply irresistible, but there’s always a certain uncertainty about her... Is she being friendly or more than that? Go with your gut! Treat her right!
100 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
photography: ram bherwani
sameera reddy
She’s sexy, sporty like a Cherry Crush! Playful as a kitten with a ball of wool Mirthful as a child on a merry-go-round Alive like a butterfly frolicking in a rose garden Teasing like a teen who knows your dark secret! Sparkling like broken glass on a marble floor... Naughty like the moon that chases the sun across the skies!
prithivraj
Work up a sweat for this Ice Cooler! He’s got a smile like sunshine But when he frowns, there’s no eclipse quite so dark! He’s got witty words to bring on a laugh, But beware, it could turn into a double-edged sword! He’s sportive, playful, funny and nice, But only if he likes you and calls you a friend!
You gotta give him space, if you wanna get closer... You gotta lengthen the tether to tighten the knot!
trisha
She’s sweet as Sugar Candy! Cool like the breeze Refreshing like a drizzle Immaculate like dew on a rose petal Delicate as a leaf combating the winds Gentle as the warmth of a loving embrace Naive like a child asking, “And what does this do?” You gotta care and caress her, smother her with kisses and pamper her with love as soft and sweet as herself!
styling & clothes: basics life makeup: jayaraj
simbu
hair: rachel photography: g. venket ram
Catch a breath, here comes the Tempest... He’s got the airs of a King, But he’ll gladly submit to his Queen! He’s never short of words, But makes sure his actions speak more! He’ll never glide into your heart, But will explode into your being, if only you’ll let him! You gotta prepare yourself for a turbulent flight, ’Cause a guy like him is the calm before the storm, and the storm itself!
Galatta Cinema | February 2010 103
andreah
She’s mystifying as a Minty Mist! Mysterious like the night sky Hypnotic like the buzz of a bee Smooth as the edge of a wet cliff Silent like an ocean contemplating a storm Forceful like the wind that whisks up a feather Calm like the ocean taking a breather, post-destruction You wanna love her, but you don’t know how! You wanna say the right things, But you have no clue! Don’t try too hard, just be yourself. That’s all she wants...
ramcharan teja
He’s the Dreamer that haunts your dreams! He’s got the charm of a Moghul Prince, But he’s just the boy-next-door with his eyes in the stars! He’s got the charisma of Sherkhan, But he’s just the ambitious cub with his eyes on the deer! He’s got the gait of a soldier, But he has no borders, and most certainly no boundaries!
You gotta let him charm you, woo you and love you... Just be sure to return the favour! It’s that simple! Galatta Cinema | February 2010 105
forces of
passion
L
ve is like
It’s all-consuming. It spreads throughout your being in such a hurry and there’s no point fighting it. It’s the most powerful feeling and possesses you more fiercely than a demon.
106 Galatta Cinema |February 2010
fire
ROUND AND ABOUT : a valentine special
L ve is like
photography: srinivasan Karthik [www.hungrytiger.in]
Location: Dreamcast studio & taj mount road
Love is like air. You can’t see it, but you know it’s there and need it to live; you just have to feel it, take it in, hold it close, then let it out. It’s yours. It’s not going anywhere!
air
L
ve is like
It’s free-flowing by nature. It takes its natural course, finds its destination by mere instinct. You can bottle it up, but one day it’s gonna come bursting right out!
water
L ve is like It has no beginning and no end. It is unconditional and all encompassing. There’s no way to know where it starts, but you will know in your heart that it will go on forever...
sky
L
ve is like
Strong and powerful, yet silent and giving. You can give love a beating, tear it to shreds, but once you’ve cried your heart out, it’s still very much there. Patient, permanent and unrelenting.
earth
ROUND AND ABOUT : a valentine special
Love
SEX
VERSUS
valentine mush running amuck. yes, we do need all the love we can get in this strife-ridden world, but how about a little naughty debate on whether love rakes in more popularity points or sex? stars don’t get bolder than this!
all you need is
love It’s an ageless debate, from the birth of man. Does love prevail or sex? Is longterm happiness better or shortterm pleasure?
photography: g. venket ram
Love vs. Sex
lakshmi rai meera chopra Oh God, this is a difficult question to answer without sounding controversial. I am in enough trouble already with the tabloid press (laughs)! I’d give each an equal rating. Sex is damn important to a relationship and needless to say, great for short-term gratification! But love is like aged wine – lasts longer, is more memorable and remains long after the body goes weak and the age of the person wears on. I know both sides of the story and love is still the sweetest pain one can experience, so the concept of sex is gonna find it tough to match up to this!
I may be a bold and outspoken person, but conservative in many ways. I just cannot bring myself to even think of love and sex as two separate issues - they must go hand in hand. So, physical pleasure for me is impossible if I am not in a together-forever relationship with the man and I am not ready to go all the way without a commitment! Would you rather risk getting your heart broken or getting clap? Well, we’re not sure if we can ever reach a conclusion, but each side’s allies are fun to listen to! Enjoy our Valentine debate!
andreah Tough debate. Mm... why can’t the two go hand in hand? ‘Sex’ has such a crude sound to it, physical gratification notwithstanding. Love plays with feelings, forces one to make choices, teaches one to think of the other person. So it’s obviously the winner for the long run. But throw carnal pleasure into the love angle... and you have a perfect combo – together forever and young forever!
Venkat prabhu
Before all you mushy people kill me, I love LOVE, every human’s ultimate emotional goal. That said, let me also say that concepts like love at first sight and making love are just polite ways of saying SEX! Face it, the two go hand in hand; one can’t be without the other!
photography: g. venket ram
simbu
Love all the way! Remember, I have been there, done that! My broken heart has always hurt more than a celibate life and I am looking for my Ms. Right who I can connect to on an intellectual, physical AND emotional level. If it were a simple matter of sexual gratification, I could have gotten it anytime in the past several months that I have been single. But that’s not my style. I prefer being completely, unequivocally into a relationship. Love gets two thumbs up and sex is just a bonus.
Let’s Talk about Sex baby!
reemma sen Each has its pluses and do I even need to tell you that! Love without physical satisfaction is like eating food that keeps you alive but is tasteless. And sex without love is like overdosing on yummy dessert... but you’re nowhere close to being satisfied despite being stuffed to the brim. Both are winners all the way, but only together!
photography: g. venket ram
mamta mohandas
arya
Love and sex are like yin and yang: inseparable. I am a true Scorpio, intensely passionate and unbridled, but just cannot abide by the concept of pure physical gratification alone. Sex should actually be making love, which should actually only involve two people in love. It is not a cage; it’s freedom! Imagine this freedom of being kinky, creative and together forever, emotionally and intellectually.! Heaven!
When you’re young, sex is the winner all the way and love and the C word (commitment) sounds like a burden! But as one grows older and the world wears on you, sex is still very important but the need for a far stronger emotional attachment is far stronger. That’s love, a perfect harmony of the heart and the body.
Galatta Cinema | February 2010 113
Aa
SA L
CO R
NE
R
W ra p u p Ilayaraja, A.R. Rahman and Resul Pookutty have become pround recepients of the Padma Awards. The musical geniuses were given the Padma Bhushan while Resul was conferred with Padma Shri. Congratulations to the trio!
As you are reading this, you would have already watched Sivaji productions’ Ajith starrer Aasal or you would be on your way to get your tickets. If neither, then it is high time that you did. After all, there are many reasons why this movie is a must-watch. First and foremost, it is an Ajith-starrer. Then it boasts of two lovely and talented actresses: Sameera Reddy and Bhavana. The movie has not one or two but five villains, each talented in his own right. The movie brings together the hit trio of Saran, Bharadwaj and Ajith. This is Sivaji Productions’ next after the super-hit Chandramukhi. These are reasons enough to catch this movie. So go on get into the Aasal groove!
The National Awards were announced recently. Director Bala bagged the best director award for Naan Kadavul. Gautham Menon’s Vaaranam Aayiram was adjudged the best Tamil film, while Thirakatha was the best Malayalam film.
Most premieres are star-studded affairs. But the premiere of Jaggubhai was something else. The show saw almost the whole Tamil film industry come down in support of Sarathkumar and Radikaa. Superstar Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Dhanush with wife Aishwarya, Simbu, Shriya Saran, Trisha, Gautham Menon... you name one and that celebrity was there. Jaggubhai has been in the news due to the piracy issue and it looks like the entire film fraternity was there to prove that they are ready to fight the threat jointly.
Published by T.S.P. Shanmuga Raja on behalf of Dot Com Infoway Limited from “GNG House”, K-48, Anna Nagar East, Chennai – 600 102 and printed by B. Ashok Kumar at Rathna Offset Printers, 40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai – 600 014. Editor – Shakthi Girish RNI No.TNENG/200721243, Postal Registration No. TN/CCN/310/10-12
114 Galatta Cinema |February 2010