Southscope June 2010 Issue Side - B

RNI NO.: APENG/2009/29389 REGISTERED NO.: L II/RNP/HD/1118/2010-12 JUNE ‘10

INDIA> RS. 50 UAE> AED. 10

VOL ISSUE

01 09

PANORAMA OF SOUTH CINEMA

RAAVAN in pictures. And stuff you don’t already know!

SURIYA

on the girl in his life.

And it’s not his wife!

CENTRE STAGE

KHUSHBOO The scent of (one hell of) a woman!

PLUS From Suhasini Maniratnam’s personal diary

Bhavana undresses her image!

Into Priyadarshan’s sassy home

VOL01/ISSUE09

CONTENTS/ CENTRE STAGE/PAGE The rising Suriya

30

VOL01/ISSUE09

CONTENTS/ 52

GALLERIA/PAGE A sneak peak into Raavan

EXCLUSIVES

52

22 G V Prakash’s musicology 25 Khushboo calls a spade a spade 28 Susindran calls the shots 42 Sandhya’s summer romance 44 Through Madhie’s lens 50 A healthy dose of Indrajith

18

FEATURES 38 A R Rahman and Maniratnam’s

spell continues

GALLERIA

25

46 At home with ace director

Priyadarshan

42

25 16

30 On the cover: Suriya Photographer: G Venket Ram Make up: Banu Location courtesy: Fishermen’s Cove, Chennai

VOL01/ISSUE09

CONTENTS/ 18

GALLERIA/PAGE Bhavana turns seductress for Southscope!

FUNDA 09 Junk mail

70 Flash Back

10 Gold Class

71 Sing along

14 Loading...Please Wait

72 Screen test

62 Kaleidoscope

73 Cheesy onscreen dialogues

Trivia on cinema Telugu Tinsel / Kannada Capers Films in the making

What happened when and where

Rewind to Enga Veetu Pillai Karaoke

Launch pad for aspiring actors Sathyaraj gets corny

63 Bioscope

Movie reviews

MUMBAI EXPRESS

66 Mumbai Matinee Bollywood brouhaha

68 Wild West

Hollywood hullabaloo

74 Leaves out of my book

Suhasini Maniratnam’s take

58

Hrithik Roshan turns up the heat

60 Anurag Basu on Kites, the

Roshans and fighting cancer

22

junk mail

TAM

This rather nondescript young man had a mania for cinema right from his childhood. So besotted was he that he left home and a pretty successful family business to pursue his dreams in Chennai.

Like many thousands of actors and directors with stars in their eyes, he found that Chennai was littered with tattered dreams – but perseverance ran through him like a cord of steel. Every day, he would drive on his bike to every cinema company he knew and demonstrate his acting abilities, armed with a few photographs.

Many a times, he was rejected for his so-called ordinary looks, until he got his first break in the film, Inikkum Ilamai. The film may not have created such a stir but it gave birth to a phenomenon: ‘Captain’ Vijaykanth, who turned Tamil cinema upside down, and also broke into the complicated world of Tamil Nadu politics.

Poet Kannadasan was a genius among geniuses; the man could write verses instantly, for any situation and play with words so effectively that every line was a classic. Like many creative artists, he disliked being reminded of deadlines, and wrote largely when he chose to – which meant that many song-writing sessions resulted in interesting lyrics, to say the least. One such incident happened during the making of the film Avan Thaan Manithan, in 1973. Having been requested to write the lyrics, Kannadasan took his time doing it; the producers, concerned that the shoot was about to start, sent reminders often. Finally, aggravated by the deadline, Kannadasan delivered the songs to music director MSV, with a pointer: one of the songs was the direct result of the producers’ constant badgering about shooting schedules. Puzzled, the producers read the songs and discovered that one number, Anbu Nadamadum Kalaikkoodame, was different from the rest. All the lines ended with mey, alluding to the fact that the shooting was to start in May! Such was Kannadasan’s sense of mischief – and brilliance.

The son of noted Malayalam dramatist and writer Jagathy N K Achary, Jagathy Sreekumar who has acted in more than 1100 films had a peculiar habit. He loved to eat at his neighbours’ homes, even on auspicious days like Onam. While everyone was more than happy to let him eat at their homes since he was from a financially well off family, his mother was most annoyed and would even beat him up.

His paternal grandmother would often come to the rescue. Jagathy also had another quirky habit. He would steal money to buy peanuts, chocolates, gooseberries and stuff like that. To escape his father’s beatings, Jagapathy would immediately own up the thefts. His grandmother again came up with an idea. She started to send across areca nuts for him to sell in the market so that he could use the money. But he took to smoking and that in turn also upped his need for money. So his grandmother suggested he sold coconuts instead.

And that’s how it went on for sometime. Thanks to all of that, he didn’t turn into a big thief!

MAL

Jose Prakash, who was known for his roles as villain has acted in more than 58 movies. When the film Velutha Katrina was released, he took his wife Chinnamma to watch it. There was a scene in which his character rapes actress Sheela. When the scene came up, Chinnamma was enraged that her husband could have done something this ‘shameful.’ She even threatened to leave midway but Jose managed to make her watch the film till the end. Later at home, Chinnamma picked up a fight again and was pacified only when Jose explained to her that it was filming technique and he didn’t actually do the raping bit. Chinnamma bought this explanation. But the next morning when a friend told her that there was nothing like a camera trick here, she thought her husband had lied to her. When Jose returned home that evening, Chinnamma was furious and gave him the ultimatum that he should stop acting and concentrate only on his tea business!

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 9

GOLDCLASS

jolly kolly

MEGHANA’S DONE THE HOTTEST TAMIL ITEM SONG! Meghana Naidu who is not doing any films currently turned out to be the hottest item girl with the sizzling hot song, Kuthu for Puli Vesham. But when the song was completed, Meghana fainted from the stress and dehydration! She really put in a lot of effort into this one. This song was shot against a backdrop of empty bottles, on a set which reportedly cost Rs 20 crore. The buzz is that this is the hottest dance item song ever done in a Tamil film and for it, Meghana was paid loads of bucks. Now that’s what we call giving a bomb to a bomb!

ASIN GIVES VIJAY LESSONS ON… Before you get any ideas, let’s tell you, we are talking about a phone here. And no there’s nothing naughty happening with a phone here. Asin is pretty good with her Blackberry so she offered to teach Vijay how to use all its features and get the most out of it. Vijay even bought one on her recommendation and is apparently happy with his new phone. All thanks to his pretty teacher!

THE NEW NAMITHA OF TAMIL? One time director Sakthi Chidambaram used to be a big supporter of screen siren Namitha. But he fell out with her and is now going all out by introducing another bombshell, Sruthi. Formerly known as Hema Malini, Sruthi incidentally is a lot like Namitha in her looks and ahem, figure. So Chidambaram had cast her as the heroine in his new film. He made it a point to make Sruthi look exactly like Namitha in the film, especially in the sizzling swimsuit number on the beaches of Bali. Nobody is indispensable, after all, yeah?

10 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

VIKRAM’S OFF TIME Vikram decided to make the best of his time before the promotions of his forthcoming film Raavan began. So he took his family out on a holiday to the picturesque Wayanad in Kerala.

To be able to spend more quality time with them, he insisted on driving down rather than flying. He apparently had an amazing holiday with wife and kids and is now super busy with the promotions. Good planning, Vikram!

GOLDCLASS

jolly kolly

A HINDI REMAKE OF VTV?

Gautam Vasudev Menon is talking to a leading production house in Mumbai to do the Hindi remake of his sensational hit Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya (Ye Maya Chesave in Telugu). We hear he is camping in Mumbai these days, trying to rope in Ranbir Kapoor to do the lead role. A spokesperson of the production house said that the romantic musical is ideal for a Hindi remake as instead of the boy going to Kerala in search of his love, they can show a Mumbai Hindu boy falling for a Goan Christian girl and going to Goa in search of her. With A R Rahman’s music, it’s got great potential. We sure are waiting for this one!

A MEMORABLE BIRTHDAY FOR TRISHA! Trisha celebrated her birthday with family and close friends in Chennai recently. The celebrations started at the stroke of midnight when her best friends along with her mom Uma decorated the house and brought a huge cake and gifts. She spent the day with her two adopted children and 400 kids at an orphanage. There was a surprise party for her in the evening as well for which dress designer Shabina Khan flew down from Mumbai.

It was the biggest surprise for Trisha to see her closest friend from Bollywood land up for her birthday!

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 11

GOLDCLASS

simbly malayalee

VIJAY YESUDAS TURNS UP HIS ACT Vijay Yesudas has turned actor with his upcoming Avan, set to be directed by Nandakumar Kavil. Vijay plays a singer who takes part in a TV reality show based on convicts who sing songs. Though he has no plans to do movies full time, the singer admitted that he’s not in the act to compete with the superstars. The film would feature Tamil actor Bala in a parallel role, while Muktha has been roped in as the female lead. Hmm so what next, Vijay?

DULKAR SALMAN TO DEBUT Tamil hit maker Lingusamy is all set to launch Malayalam megastar, Mammootty’s son Dulkar Salman as hero!

The film he’s making will be a musical entertainer, with Mammootty himself doing a cameo in the film.

Lingusamy noted recently that Mammooka has been a long time friend, starting from their days of the Tamil film, Anandam. He played a pivotal role in it and the film was a super hit. So when Lingusamy was asked to launch Mammootty’s son in Tamil, he readily agreed. Details are still fuzzy since Mammootty is still away on his US holiday. Might be another son rise in Kerala!

12 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

MAKING UP TO JAYARAM Jayaram is all set for his role as a makeup man in the multi-starrer, aptly titled Makeup Man. The film has Telugu actor Sheela in the female lead. It is directed by Shafi and produced by Rajaputra Ranjith. Sachi and Sethu, the writers who shot to fame with Chocolate have penned the story for this one. It will feature Jayaram in the pivotal role, where he’ll be seen hovering around stars with a comb and mirror tucked at his waistband. Jayaram plays Balu, an MBA graduate who is forced to become the makeup man of a top actor, played by Sheela. While the film is set for an Onam release, looks like Jayaram is living up the greasepaint!

SHRIYA’S ON A SUCCESS SPREE Shriya Saran has been globetrotting for the last one month. She was in London to shoot a song with Arya for her upcoming Tamil film and later in Switzerland with Ravi Teja for the shooting of her Telugu film Don Seenu. She is quite thrilled since her first Malayalam film Pokkiri Raja with Mammootty and Pritviraj has been a super hit. Will we see more of the pretty actor in Kerala? Let’s wait and see…

GOLDCLASS

simbly malayalee

THE HUNT IS ON! Mohanlal has started the shoot of his new film Shikar- The Hunt directed by M Padmakumar, a former assistant of writer - director Ranjith. It is a deadly revenge story with Mohanlal playing a lorry driver and Ananya as his daughter. The film will be shot by ace cameraman Manoj Pillai in the hilly regions of Adimali, Idukki, coastal Thuthukudi and Hyderabad.

PRITHVIRAJ’S ‘ONE’ DESIRE! The race for the top spot in the Malayalam industry just got hotter, with Prithviraj gunning for the top slot. He is virtually breathing down the neck of M & M. What’s more, now he’s gone ahead and got himself a fancy BMW Z4 sports car. And for the license plate, Prithvi wanted the number ‘one’ and he got it! He bid for it at an auction at the Kakkanad RTO office in Ernakulam for a whopping Rs four lakhs. For the price of a small car, the rising superstar chose to get himself a number instead. No one-der!

LOOK WHO’S GLAMMING UP NOW! TV anchor turned actor, Ramya Nambeesan who has done a couple of films in Tamil and Telugu is still waiting for the right break. Her next release is the Tamil film, Aatta Nayagan. To reinvent herself as a glam girl, Ramya got this stylish photo shoot done.

She’s also telling the media that she is open to going totally glam if she’s paired with a top star in a role.

Marketing or what!

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 13

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TAMIL

Cast Director

Dhanush, Kishore, Taapsee Vetrimaran

Music

G V Prakash

Producer

S Kathiresan

Banner

Group Company

AADUKALAM

Dhanush is back with director Vetrimaran who had given him the critically acclaimed box-office hit Pollathavan. The two crucial characters in the film are played by Sri Lankan Tamil writer and political observer V I S Jayabalan, who makes his screen debut along with Kishore. The story is about Karuppu (Dhanush) a man who lives near Madurai.

You can’t classify the film under any particular genre.

14 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

Baana Kaathadi is a realistic romance film with a climax you apparently can’t miss. Atharva, the son of actor Murali debuts as the male lead and is paired with Samantha. The plot is new to south Indian cinema and is all about two young kite fliers, their life and their escapades. The film was shot in Chennai, Gujarat and Thailand. Important scenes were filmed in Gujarat where the International Kite Festival is held every year. Prasanna is playing an important role and Karunas is roped in for comic relief. Richard M Nathan is the cameraman and Suresh Urns is the editor of this film.

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TAMIL

BAANA KAATHADI

Cast

Atharva, Samantha, Prasanna, Karunas

Director

Badri Venkatesh

Yuvan Shankar Raja

Music

Producer

Senthil Thyagarajan, T Arjun

Banner

Sathyajothi Films

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 15

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CHRISTIAN BROTHERS Christian Brothers had hogged headlines from the time of its launch because of its elaborate star cast and huge budget. The story is about Captain Varghese (Sai Kumar), a patriot who belongs to the wealthy Palamattam family. He has high hopes for his four children – Christie (Mohanlal), Joji (Dileep), Jessy (Lakshmi Gopalaswamy) and Stella (Kaniha). The film is set in a joint family and several twists and turns in the story finally lead to the truth. Christie is a police informer in Mumbai while Joji joins the seminary to become a priest, but later opts out of it after he falls in love. Anil Nair is the cinematographer of Christian Brothers and the lyrics are penned by Kaithapram.

16 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

Cast

Mohanlal, Dileep, Saikumar, Suresh Gopi, Jagathy, Sarath Kumar, Biju Menon, Kavya, Lakshmi Rai, Lakshmi Gopalasamy, Kaniha

Director

Joshiy

Deepak Dev

Music

Producer

Tomichan Mulakupadam

Banner

AVA Productions and Varnachitra Big Screen

Cast

Innocent, Kunchacko Boban, Sarathkumar, Kalabhavan Mani, Suraj Venjarammood, Salim Kumar

Director

Shaji Aziz

Music

Mohan Sitara

Producer

Shaji and Basheer Silsila

Banner

Nila Creations

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The film deals with the relationship of a postman and his son. It is a serious story filled with humour, romance and emotional drama. The plot revolves around the escapades of Gangadharan (Innocent) and his son Reghunandanan (Kunchacko Boban). The father is a postman in a village but he is not punctual and fails to deliver letters and money orders on time and that is a cause of concern for everyone. Reghu is a hardworking young teacher. Tamil actor Sarath Kumar plays Yasin, a wildlife photographer in a pivotal role. K Gireesh Kumar has written the screenplay and dialogues, and Anand Balakrishnan is the cinematographer of this film.

ORIDATHORU POSTMAN

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 17

The shoulder effect: That’s what we call ‘shouldering’ sexuality!

Photographer: James Kottakal Make up: Jayesh Sulthan Outfits & Styling: Rejani Vivek Coordinated by: Sridevi Sreedhar

Nothing says sexy better than eyes they say! Couldn’t agree more...

bhavana

Bhavana at her flowerful best!

As sensual as a summer evening breeze!

Working well into the wee recording hours of studio fo the n r a quick chat with ight, a visibly tire d G V Pr Sridevi S akash em reedhar erges 22 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

from his

Photographer: K L Raja Ponsing Make up: Basu Styling: Arun Nayar Coordinated by: Sridevi Sreedhar

TAMIL // EXCLUSIVE

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JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 23

Work p ressur e I enjoy my wor k and s do han o I don g out w ’t feel a it heavy ny duty pa h my close fr iends, b pressure. I rtying. take m ut When I y bike a want to there’s no nd to confe re ss that go for a ride at nigh lax, I just I’m jitte succes t. B so ry the film f my music d on a Friday, b ut I have ecause . If the e film bo pends on th the es mbs, so does th uccess of Piracy e music .

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Lookin u a r g e.

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RAPID

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Photographer: G Venket Ram

TAMIL // EXCLUSIVE

After all the fire fighting, Khushboo is still left with a lot of that fire it takes to face 22 criminal cases and win a battle of self expression. Kavita Shanmugam stokes the embers.

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 25

TAMIL // EXCLUSIVE

The developments at the time the June issue of Southscope was going to press – Khushboo decided to join the ruling DMK party and not the Congress as she indicated in her interview. At this point she was in the process of calling on the DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to enroll herself as a primary member of the party.

Television audiences all over Tamil Nadu were in for a shock when their favourite TV game show, Jackpot hosted by Khushboo on Jaya TV, was yanked off air and replaced by a ‘repeat’ interview with Vadivel! Jaya TV was forced to take off their number one programme which fetches them good TRPs, since the anchor had joined the enemy camp!

She strolled into the living room of her palatial bungalow in Chennai in a fetching beige raw silk sari done up in pretty white and pink kantha work. A huge red bindi adorns her fair forehead. Khushboo, who hit 40 this year, is still every bit the sexy, confident, been-there-done-that kind of woman, entirely comfortable in her skin.

We get a peek of the heart and peacock tattoos on her back and arm, as she turns to talk to her husband and actor Sundar C, who had us entertained with Tamil movie banter in the meanwhile.

But we didn’t have to wait for long.

Khushboo’s tattoos are vying for attention again. They are such a reflection of her unconventional personality, her independent fiery spirit, which might be difficult to rein in, as two small local political parties in the state recently found out to their dismay.

Back in 2005, the Pattali Makkal Katchi and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi had hauled her to court for ostensibly encouraging pre-marital sex through her remarks in an interview with India Today. But the Supreme Court quashed all 22 criminal cases filed against her due to lack of strong evidence to support the accusations.

Basking in her victory against the “hypocritical moral brigade” (in her words), Khushboo these days is a picture of relaxed confidence.

26 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

“I won because there was no basis in their accusations,” Khushboo begins this conversation as we broach the subject.

“Nowhere had I said it was fine to indulge in pre-marital sex. I have two daughters. I would not say something like that. All I had said was if you are involved in pre-marital sex, you must take precautions.” But a Tamil daily misconstrued her statements and published a rather twisted version of what she had originally said. According to Khushboo, some people used this to their own advantage.

How different were her remarks on premarital sex from what is taught in schools as sex education today? She smiles wryly not rising to the bait smartly, and replies, “Everybody knows pre-marital sex is happening but they prefer to turn a blind eye.

In fact, even as many people congratulated me for winning, they also said my views were debatable and disagreeable.”

But she is far from being affected by all this.

“It doesn’t bug me,” she smiles. Khushboo has had her fair share of personal scandals rocking her life. “I am only against anyone trying to stop me from having my opinion.

I want my freedom of expression,” she is firm. Her basic right to speak freely is what the Supreme Court judgement stood by, she admits. And, what if the judgement had not swung in her favour? “I would have sat in the middle of the road in front of India Gate

or Supreme Court until I got justice,” she responds to that. No two ways about it!

She’s spunky and she’s bold and brazen. Take it or leave it! “If young people should not use condoms then who should use the ones promoted by the government? Are condoms meant only for married people who indulge in extra-marital affairs?”

People who took her on obviously overlooked Khushboo’s fighting spirit. After all, this actor, who had arrived in Chennai in the 80s (with a mother and three brothers in tow) had made it to the top all on her own. She had started her acting career as a child artiste in Mumbai. Having been paired with all the leading heroes of her time from Rajnikanth to Arjun, she has earned much popularity and acclaim including state awards for her films - Chinna Thambi, Kolangal and Pathini. ”People targeted me because I’m an actor and an intelligent woman,” she finds. “But they forgot I’m a survivor. I have a strong survival instinct.” In her four-year-battle with her detractors, was there a time when she did break down? She reminisces, “Yes, once I could not take my daughter Avanti, who was suffering from high dengue fever, to the hospital because 2,000 people had parked themselves outside my house and she had to be treated at home with IV drips.

I could not bear to see my daughter in that state and I broke down.” This could have

made anyone else crumble but not Khushboo, whose determination to fight kept her going.

Today, she has pushed out all the ugly memories of that time and is reveling only in the congratulatory messages flowing in. She seems large-hearted enough to forgive the crowds who had gathered outside the Mettur court, armed with rotten eggs and tomatoes, being misled by some hypocrites. Or even look back on days hiding to avoid jail as an experience. It was not as if the relentless hounding did not affect her. Her producers had to suffer a setback when her Tamil movie Vetrivel with Sathyaraj was blocked. Kalyani Silks store, for whom she had done a commercial were under threat too.

On what she learnt from this entire episode, Khushboo says, “I realised I had a lot of inner strength. And I also found people who love you don’t ask questions. None of my family or close friends who stood by me during this period ever asked me once what I had said. I realised, people who love you don’t need an explanation.”

She was also accused of luring youngsters to indulge in live-in relationships and so the Supreme Court also passed a statement observing live-in relationships are not wrong and cannot be an offence. Incidentally, after being in a live-in relationship for five years with actor and film producer Sundar C, Khushboo married him.

She has been married for ten years now and has two young daughters and enjoys her status of being called anni (sister-in-law) and marumagalai (daughter-in-law) by her fans and the film industry. She points out, “A live-in relationship is fine if it is going to culminate in marriage because it is important to be married if you have children.

Sundar and I got married because we did not want our children to have an illegitimate tag. I’m a firm believer in marriage. The idea of a family is important to me.”

But she’s got some firm views. Citing the example of singer Bhupen Hazarika and film director Kalpana Lajmi, she says, “They have been living together for the past 35 years and not being married doesn’t make a difference to them. I think it is up to the individual. It’s better than living in a bitter marriage and washing dirty linen in public.”

In her “roller-coaster” life, she admits, sometime in 1993, she had to face another kind of challenge. “I lost five big films in one day. For very personal reasons, I was suddenly thrown out and I faced the possibility of no work for two years,” she recalls. A shadow of sadness flits across her face. Was it the time she was crazily in love with a much-married actor Prabhu, son of the legendary Sivaji Ganesan?

She remains silent for a while, “I am a survivor, a fighter. Remember?”

However, the same producers came back to her asking for dates, which she gave on her own terms later.

“I definitely made mistakes. But I don’t regret whatever happened.

I had a wonderful life so far and if I had not made those mistakes I would not have had such a good life. There have been screams, laughter and tears, and I’ve loved every moment of it,” she shares.

She says, “I may look independent but I am completely lost without him. I look to him for every decision I make. We are incomplete without each other. We are very different people but the bottom line is we love each other. There’s lot of love and trust in our marriage. In the ten years of our marriage, he or I might have met people, who we thought might have been better partners for us but these attractions are flimsy and superficial. I love this man, and together we would do what it takes to protect our family.”

Surely, she is not the kind who is going to stay in a marriage for the sake of children. Emotional fidelity is more important than physical, she says. “I’m not behind my husband 24/7, wondering if he’s physically attracted to someone else. We all have our hormones and we react to them. If he’s not cheating on me emotionally, that’s fine with me”, she says candidly.

The stars seem to be shining on her as she is all set to act with her childhood hero, Amitabh Bachchan in Revathy Varma’s new untitled film. “Revathy sent me the script before I left for London. The story is about a father who has a young daughter and is not able to come to terms with his wife’s death, twenty-four years back. I play the dead wife, I don’t exist. It’s a cute character. We’ll start shooting once we get Big B’s dates,” says Khushboo, who played the young Zeenat Aman in the Amitabh starrer Laawaris many decades back.

Her TV career is also steaming ahead as her game show, Jackpot is in its ninth year and she’s onto a new reality show Azhaghai Tamilmaagan which involves finding the best bachelor in town. As a TV producer, she has produced successful TV serials like Kalki and is all set to do another soap for Jaya TV. If you thought that was all, we’re letting you in that Khushboo, whose very interesting and wonderful life with all its bumps and highs can make for a good book, is all set to politics soon.

“Yes, I want to join politics, I want to start an NGO and fight for women’s issues” Khushboo raised a few eyebrows and probably the anxiety levels of political parties in the state when she announced her intention of joining politics. Is it an attempt to get back at her detractors for the trouble they gave her? “No,” she insists, “I won my battle singlehandedly because I was strong; I had family support and money. But, what about others? Women who contract HIV through no fault of theirs, get thrown out of their homes. Men don’t have guts to stand by them. I want to work for them. I am already doing it in a low key way; I give money and counsel HIV patients.”

Another issue which is close to her heart is child-abuse. “I want to start an NGO and help children who are victims of abuse. I need financial support and a higher pedestal to take on these issues and that’s why I want to join politics,” she says. She hasn’t yet made up her mind on which party she would join yet, but she seems inclined towards the Congress party. “I have not met Rahul Gandhi or anyone,” she admits. It’s more of a wait and watch thing at the moment.

Khushboo has moved on and is just happy being with husband Sundar.

CAN’T RESIST - Roadside food. Love the sandwiches outside Alsa Mall and the nice bajjis outside AVM Studios at Chennai. HATES - Stepping out of home after six in the evening PASSIONATE ABOUT – My family, my husband and our two daughters LOVE – My three German Shepherds and one pug BIGGEST SUPPORTER DURING THE CRISIS - Husband

FIRST MALE CO-STAR TO CALL IN SUPPORT - Kamal Haasan from

America QUOTE-UNQUOTE – “It is India’s loss if we could not fight to keep an artist like M F Husain in the country. It must have been difficult for a man in his 90s to fight back like I did. I think the people of India should have fought for him.”

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 27

TAMIL // EXCLUSIVE

TAMIL CINEMA’S OWN DARK HORSE Will he fulfill the expectations he’s created with his successful directorial debut? Rinku Gupta gets cracking on the trail of the elusive N Susindran to find out.

Till he pulled it off, no one really believed that a film based on the Indian sport of Kabaddi would actually tug at the attention of the masses. The stakes were high, considering the all new star cast. But for director N Susindran, the success of his debut film Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu was a certainty, even before its release. And it’s with this same quiet confidence that he is currently directing his second film, Naan Mahaan Alle featuring Karthi - still fresh from his hat trick success - and Magadheera queen Kajal Aggarwal. What tricks does this dark horse of Tamil cinema have up his sleeve this time, we wonder. What’s the man behind the silent mask really like?

For the boy who cleared his plus two exams despite watching two films a day, ending up in Tamil cinema comes as no surprise! “I was okay in studies, but cinema was always in my blood,” Susindran reminisces with a grin, adding animatedly, “I had been watching films at the Pavendhan Thiraiarangam where touring talkies were the norm, ever since I was 11 years old,” he shares.

Just how did cinema happen for this Amarapoondi-born filmmaker?

“Well my chithappa (uncle) was into films and when I turned 18, I decided to join him in Chennai to try my luck too. I wanted to be a director,” he says. He stayed with his uncle for a year, though he later joined a bunch of struggling youth and began spending his days hot in the pursuit of cinema. “It was a jolly time in my life,” he says, eyes sparkling. “I tried my hand at script writing, visiting director’s offices to gain experience and did many part time jobs to support myself.”

28 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

Luck really played hide and seek with Susindran for some time. After four years as a full time film struggler and part-time job specialist, Susindran struck gold. It wasn’t a bagful, but it gave him his first steps into the future. He enlisted as assistant to director S T Saba for Irunda Peyar, though the film never released! Soon, things looked up and he assisted director Amutheswar in Satyamoorthi. Susindran followed it up with Duet Films’ Naam. By 2006 he was assisting Ezhil in the Jeyam Ravi - starrer Deepavali.

By this time Susindran had already written the script of Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu. He was determined to only feature newcomers and struggling actors who hadn’t got their due in cinema. The film was based on incidents from in the life of his father, B Nalluchami, who had been the captain of a local Kabaddi team in Ottanachatram, near Pazhani. The story was set in his mind and it took shape when he found a like minded man in producer Anand Chakravarthy of Imagine Creations. Playing the tag team were young twenty something cameraman Laxman Kumar and maestro Vikku Vinayagaram’s musically inclined son Selva Ganesh. The youngsters marked their debut in the industry.

Susindran introduced 40 new faces in the film inclusing Vishnu, who is presently playing the male lead in Bale Pandiya and Drohi. The nine main characters in the film were all talented strugglers who have now made it big, post the success of Vennila. Susindran may have been new to filmmaking, but he was no novice in executing his well planned strategy. “I gave them dialogues to practice and trained them via workshops for four months before the actual shoot. Now at least 25 per cent of the industry is following this practice,” he reveals. Apart from learning Kabaddi and actually playing in local matches in rural Tamil Nadu, the ‘actors’ had to rough it out in the sun, getting tanned and rugged to look their parts and feel like Kabaddi players. Susindran was making a film that not only looked real but for the most part felt painfully real for all the actors who went through the tough grind! It’s no surprise then that the film hit a chord with the masses.

The first rush of success came when he saw the audience reactions at A V M Rajeshwari theatre on the first day, first show screening.

“I was thrilled with the response. After all, it’s for the audiences that we make films,” says Susindran with a quiet sense of achievement.

His dad’s words were the icing on the cake.

“He said ‘son, if I die at this moment, I will die a happy man,’” recollects Susindran.

Compliments and calls from renowned

directors like Ameer, Balaji Sakthivel, Lingusamy, Vetrimaran, Sasi and Sasikumar added to his golden moment.

So does Susindran make films only based on personal experiences? “Not really. An artist should not be limited in his scope, drawing only from his own reality. When we see a beggar, we can imagine and research his story and how he got there. All lives are interesting. We just have to creatively turn those lives into scripts.” For now, that seems to be Susindran’s mantra.

Susindran’s current project, Naan Mahaan Alle is nearing completion. This time he moves on to urban terrain with a Chennai based story of a middle class boy. The film explores a father-son relationship with tinges of a crime thriller. This too is an attempt at realistic cinema. “Naan Mahaan Alle is about how one small incident can change many lives,” explains Susindran, exuding confidence. “Vennila too, I was confident would succeed. If a film doesn’t run, I take it as my fault. I would find the reason and improve on it. Only when you act upon your failures that you can find success.” That’s his formula.

With Karthi and Kajal in the lead and a strong script to match, Susindran feels he’s found his pot of gold. “This will be among the top ten best films of Karthi’s career, even when he is fifty films old,” Susindran muses.

Karthi has already stunned audiences with his performance in Paruthiveeran. Will this film put Kajal in the hot seat in Tamil? “Yes, it sure will. After Ghajini, Asin aquired a quiet grace. Post Magadheera, this film will be the perfect launch pad for Kajal in the Tamil industry. The romantic scenes are thoroughly enjoyable and the Ghajini-like

chemistry laced with humour and charm is the mainstay of these characters,” says Susindran, as he gives us a sneak peek into the hush-hush project.

Madhie cranks the camera and Yuvan Shankar Raja is scoring the music for this one. There are lots of kids in the film.

Susindran believes it will be an all-round entertainer. “This film will be appreciated by kids, parents and people in love alike. It’s a thought provoking film that will make people sit and think about how to prevent such mistakes from happening in their own lives.

In short it’s a daring attempt.”

But not waiting for laurels, the director is well into his third project, Azhagar Samiyin Kudirai. And from what we hear, the story will be quite simply about a man and his horse!

The village hills form the backdrop, while the stout and curly haired Appukutty, who was one of the Kabaddi players in Vennila, plays the hero.

Will Susindran step out into the arena of mass masala films too? “I have no fixed ideas and I am sure my horizons will expand. I don’t want to limit myself. But when I do make a masala film, I will be true to that genre completely as well. I want the audience to forget all about their lives and just indulge in my film for two and a half hours.”

“I had been watching films at the Pavendhan Thiraiarangam where touring talkies were the norm, ever since I was 11 years old,”

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 29

An actor cannot have a squeaky clean image. Period. When it’s Suriya we are talking of though, that notion is miles away. But then, his six packs, his moustache variations and the constant charm are undoubtedly scandalous! Some call him a powerful actor, others a wonderful human being and we, the photographer and interviewer’s delight!

gentleman among men…

Text: Rinku Gupta

Photographer: G Venket Ram

SURIYA // CENTRE STAGE

Makeup: Banu Location courtesy: Fishermen’s Cove, Chennai

SURIYA // CENTRE STAGE

Twelve years and twenty five Tamil films later, Suriya’s transition from Shy Guy to Mr Confident has been simply remarkable. Add to that: an ideal family man who is clearly as much in love with his wife as he is with his craft. Then, that’s not all. Besides being a superstar, he is also a philanthropic educationist, writer, a good son, inspiring brother and doting father. His fans find it easy to hero worship him.

But it hasn’t all been a smooth ride for this not so tall, dark and very handsome fantasy man to many female southern film fans.

He’s had his ups and downs too which have perhaps turned the unsure Saravanan into the suave Suriya we see today.

A pensive lad, Suriya had a penchant for adventure, which perhaps pushes him to explore newer things even today. “I was a quiet child with no special qualities, unlike others who excelled at something or the other - drawing, sports, singing or studies. Being good at something instills confidence. Since I was not good at anything, I began hero worshipping the kids who were,” recalls Suriya. “Their spirit of adventure was alluring. So I would do crazy things like drive my kutti (small) BMX bike on the Gemini flyover with them, which was out of bounds for children!”

“After I grew up, I was interested in tennis, hockey, football and swimming but movies didn’t excite me at all! After seventh grade, I moved from Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan school to St Bedes in Chennai, an all boys school that exposed me to the rough life,” chuckles Suriya. “I remember the first time a boy used foul language I was so taken aback that I complained to the principal!”

Suriya enrolled for a BSc in commerce at Loyola College and sat in the first row for just a week after which he joined new friends Vivek and Ramkumar’s ‘car park gang’ and back bencher fraternity. Bunking class was an adrenaline rush and sticking posters for the famed Loyola Theatre Society was as close as he got to acting!

“But these student days were a reality check giving me an insight into how life treated people and the importance of money and education. But I was still struggling for the answer to ‘what next’?” confesses Suriya.

After college however, he became a merchandiser in a garment factory on his own steam without using his dad’s name as a calling card. His mentor Thyagu was a strong guiding support.

“He was like a Bodhi tree teaching me invaluable lessons

on how to carve my own niche, make an identity of my own, command respect, stand by my word, be focused and follow principles in life,” Suriya shares.

So how did films happen? “Dad was signing less films and I didn’t have enough funds for my own factory. Director R V Udayakumar told me cinema was a ‘no investment’ option. If I was successful it would get me fame and good money! My friends encouraged me and my parents too didn’t oppose the move. That’s how acting happened” And aren’t we glad it did!

Suriya’s father, Sivakumar is also an actor, but unlike most star kids, Suriya didn’t have a debut waiting on a platter.

Meeting Mani Ratnam, the producer of director Vasanth’s Naerkku Ner (1997) was a turning point. “I was 22 and a gawky youth with braces and no great talent but Mani Sir said ‘I am confident he’ll turn out to be a good actor.’ After that, it was director Vasanth who saw me through the film!” chuckles Suriya.

The wobbly ride led him through film after film till Nanda, Kaaka Kaaka, Pithamagan, Perazhagan, Ghajini, Vaaranam Ayiram, Vel, Ayan and Adhavan established his presence as a mass and class actor.

Moving to the other love of his life, or shall we say the love of his life, Suriya says, rather fondly, “I respect the fact that my wife, Jyotika made it so big professionally despite not knowing the language. I realise how tough that is now that I am doing a Hindi film! She is unbiased and honest and has turned me into a more positive person. I go that extra mile in life just for her.”

Jyotika is an actor too who was paired with Suriya in several films.

“I thought I couldn’t love anyone more than Jo,” says Suriya, “but with Diya I found even deeper reservoirs of love.” Diya is their little daughter who he dotes over like mad! “I adore her unexpected chatter. I miss her when I go out for long shoots and sometimes talk to her on Skype. One day when I was telling her I was going to go away for a long time she said, ‘No Appa, I’ll see you on the laptop soon!’ She loves attention, enjoys constructive toys, puzzles, reading and watching a movie with me. She speaks mostly Tamil and English and is still getting used to Hindi!” he shares Hands on parenting has given Suriya much more insight into his own upbringing. “Parents play a bigger part in a child’s life than the school. I have learnt values from my father from the

examples he set for us. Dad is not business minded and is very content pursuing his passions like oratory, painting and writing now. Like him, I’d also like to be passionate about what I do. Amma is simple person, undemanding and strong for whom family, relatives and roots matter the most. All this has kept me grounded,” says Suriya.

As a kid Suriya was the bullying elder brother to Karthi, who is also an actor today. “He was chubby, smart and a good student and so got all the attention. I enjoyed pushing him around. But all that changed when he went to the US and I began to miss him!” he smiles. “When he needs advice, I explain to him that tough times are a passing phase. I am there for him always.”

Besides being an extremely close knit family, they are also quite passionate about charitable causes. Dad Sivakumar ran the family charitable educational trust for thirty years before handing over the reins to his sons. Suriya set up the Agaram Foundation to educate first generation literates in rural Tamil Nadu. His Vidhai programme facilitates donors to channelise their money to reach deserving children in need of education. “In my initiative towards being socially committed, Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi’s blood bank and Appa’s work were huge inspirations,” says Suriya. Why the philanthropic bent of mind at such a young age? “Society has given me so much, making me what I am. If lack of money alone is stopping someone’s progress in life then why not help them? Education empowers an individual to raise the standard of living of his entire family.”

Explaining why he wrote his autobiography Eppadika Suriya, he says “Through my own life example I wanted to tell people that you can’t blame your parents for what’s missing in your life. It’s every individual’s responsibility to make the change to get ahead.” And education certainly plays a significant role in that, for which Suriya and his family have always been forthcoming.

Meandering back to his acting career, Suriya says “After Aadhavan, I learnt that apart from entertaining, people expect me to explore newer concepts and set new trends. It’s a huge responsibility,” says Suriya thoughtfully. But he is optimistic about his foray into Bollywood with director Ram Gopal Verma’s Raktha Charitra (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu) “As an established southern actor, I was apprehensive about getting the right project for such a huge and new market. But this film is superb. I love RGV’S characterisation and designing of sounds and visuals. He makes you think intelligently and gets together the best talent.”

The recently released Singam is Suriya’s 25th film. He is now in the process of shooting for A R Murgadoss’s next film produced by Red Giant Movies, in which he will be paired with Shruti Haasan, followed

by K V Anand’s next. “I’m happy; I am widening my markets with Telugu and Hindi, giving my producers more business. I owe this growth to my directors, films and fans who keep up the pressure to deliver my best!

SURIYA // CENTRE STAGE

As a kid Suriya was the bullying elder brother to Karthi, who is also an actor today. “He was chubby, smart and a good student and so got all the attention. I enjoyed pushing him around.

I WOULD WANT TO AVOID: Anything that goes against my conscience, character and upbringing.WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY: My daughter Diya. I smile from my heart when I am with her. I CHILL OUT WITH: My close friends over a small dinner party at least once a month.

WHAT PUTS ME OFF IN A PERSON: Unprofessional behaviour. WHAT MOVES ME: When someone does not get their due in life despite being worth much more. WHAT KEEPS ME GROUNDED: The fact that life is a bubble and will change for me too a few years down the line. Acting is a just a job I am doing like any other. ONE THING I WOULD WANT TO CHANGE ABOUT MYSELF: I don’t spend time sharing a conversation and some quiet moments with my parents. I wish I could do more of that. FAVOURITE CUISINE: Lebanese, Thai, Bhel puri, sea food. No fast food and sweets! MY THIRD SIX PACK: Is for Raktha Charithra.

ROJA TO RAAVAN // FEATURES

FROM ROJA TO RAAVAN Pavithra Srinivasan traces a decade of the Mani Ratnam-A R Rahman association and the magic their synergy has spurned. Now we know what two legends can do together. Or do we…

38 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

“When I first worked with Rahman for Roja, I wasn’t really concentrating on the music director, per se,” Mani Ratnam had once said in an interview. “I was concerned with the music, yes, but my focus was on the movie, as a whole. I didn’t anticipate the great acclaim Rahman would achieve later. When Roja was being made, I listened to the sample music he gave me, and I was impressed. I knew he was the best music director for it. I liked the way he broke established conventions and brought in something new. This was what I’d been looking for. Rahman was a bridge between Indian music and international technology.”

You can’t quite guess the thoughts that must have run through the ace director’s mind when he sat in a waiting room off A R Rahman’s studio with singer Minmini, but Rahman called them both in, only after completing work on a few ad jingles. This was not a sign of disrespect. His concentration, colleagues say, is complete when he’s on a project and he gives his all to it. Much later, people would learn that Mani Ratnam was in the process of conceptualising a song called Chinna Chinna Aasai for his next film – Roja.

Those were the hey-days of complete entertainers. The Indian film formula has always revolved around the songs-fights-sentiment; it was even truer of the 1990s.

Not so for director Mani Ratnam though. He worked within the formula as well, yes. But his films had a touch of the whimsical. Light and shade effects brought the camera in as a character; men and women seemed to be drawn straight from life and situations brought out the extraordinary from men next door. A simple Madras girl marries against her wishes and settles in faraway Delhi with a husband she can’t stand, and eventually comes to understand his heart: (Mouna Raagam – Silent Symphony). An orphan runs away to Bombay after his father’s death, and grows up to become a mafia don (Nayagan – Hero). Two step-brothers hate each other on sight, but slowly come to realise that they’re bound by the strength of blood (Agni Nakshathiram – Fire Star).

Mani Ratnam was staunch in following his instinct: his stories were legends, and he was a creator of epics.

Even considering his track record, Roja was like building a fort on a precipice: this was the story of a young Tamil village girl who suddenly encounters the terrible world of terrorism in Kashmir. Straddling two different universes has never been difficult for the director, but he needed a band of artists to bring the milieu to life.

For years, Ilaiyaraja had been his right-hand man, the one person who could fashion a musical landscape out of nothing. But talent comes with its own values, rules and fine sensibilities. Creative differences arose between them although they had worked together amicably for years. By the time Roja came around, the differences came to a head; Mani Ratnam and Ilaiyaraja would not work with each other. Instead, Ratnam decided that he wanted a man who would see Roja the way he did – musically.

In A R Rahman, he found what he was looking for. Roja’s music brought the exhilaration of breaching new shores.

The movie took India by storm.

Post this heavy subject, Mani Ratnam wanted a lighthearted romantic adventure. He set it in Tamil Nadu; a tale of two thieves, joined willy-nilly by a girl. Rahman had created history for a few more movies by this time and was ready, once more, to join hands with his mentor.

Thiruda Thiruda might not have set the box-office on fire, but who cared, when it was so much fun? Everyone was already on the lookout for more from him. And then came Bombay.

This time, Mani Ratnam planned the simple romance of a Hindu boy and Muslim girl, against the terrible 1992 riots of Bombay, following the Babri Masjid demolition. It was a tale few creators would have touched with impunity.

Ratnam based his entire movie around it. Rahman’s task was daunting; he had to bring in simple romance, as well as powerful terror.

Bombay’s music mesmerised critics and fans alike. The movie touched upon situations and wrung a brilliant performance from Manisha Koirala. “I was stunned. Was this really the girl I had seen so far, dancing and singing in movies?” commented Shah Rukh Khan. Rahman and Ratnam received threats, but overwhelming congratulations far outweighed them.

Singers and technicians flocked to work with the duo.

“Singing under the tutelage of Rahman is a different experience,” singer Shrinivas confided, once. “Nothing would be ready when you began. Rahman would compose a few basic chords. But when you put the headphones on, you would feel an ecstasy. Like entering a new world. Rahman has always given the fullest freedom to musicians and singers.”

After being flooded with awards, controversies and an even bigger audience, Mani Ratnam returned to Tamil Nadu, with an impressive storyline. This time, his plot was the friendship between two men, an actor and a politician, spanning a few decades. Iruvar was a frank, poetic and touching tale of two real-life legends (although the movie posted a tongue-in-cheek disclaimer.) Rahman delved into the quirky film music of the 1940s, 50s and 60s, delivering a spot-on album. “Till date, I consider Iruvar one of my best performances in Tamil,” Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has been quoted as saying. His portrayal of Anandan is now considered a classic. And there was the ravishing Aishwarya Rai, as well.

Iruvar ran into political problems when it released, considering its protagonists, and had a limited theatre run. Yet, it’s considered one of the duo’s best works.

Next up was a magnificently planned love story set once more against the backdrop of terrorism. This time, though, Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala were the lead pair, while Rahman’s music sizzled to the top of the charts. And trains too! Chaiya Chaiya became a universal anthem and Sukhwinder Singh a pop idol. Forget the cash registers; the bar for filmmakers, whether it was cinematography, sets, dialogues or music – had been raised. And it was time for a change.

Few would have expected Mani Ratnam to turn around the way he did, considering his huge success on the national front, but that’s what he did. The love stories

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 39

of younger days beckoned him; he began work on a modern-day love story set in Chennai – except that the romance was relegated to the first half of the movie, and the love struck couple’s marital trials formed the real crux. R Madhavan, chocolate hero of the masses made a scintillating debut while Shalini, Tamil’s most popular child artiste made a sudden and brilliant transformation as a subtle, realistic heroine.

And then there was Rahman. If there had been whispers that he had already delivered his best, then his detractors would be proven wrong. After terror-strikes, soulful laments and serious themes, he came up with an album that was a breath of fresh air. Alaipayuthe proved once again that Mani Ratnam had the pulse of the nation; its Hindi version, Saathiya was testament to it as well. And romance onscreen was rewritten for good.

It’s been a Ratnam trend to shift genres, and Kannathil Muthamittal did just that. Revolving around a child who discovers that she’s adopted, the movie shifted between Tamil Nadu and war-torn Sri Lanka, showcasing two worlds far removed from each other. Rahman came up with a collection of tunes that showcased terrorism through a child’s eyes.

Then came Ayitha Ezhuthu, a curious mixture. Ratnam decided to tell the story in a different fashion, linking three separate narrations to one common point: that of an idealistic socialist; a wannabe underworld thug and a peppy student. Loud cries arose that Ratnam had plagiarised Amorres Perros; he proved that it was nothing of the sort. Rahman aided the proceedings with songs that suited the mood.

In Hindi, Yuva rewrote the career of one young icon: Abhishek Bachchan. But Ratnam’s best was yet to come.

Yet another Mani Ratnam movie, they said. We’ve heard the rags-to-riches story so many times. But Ratnam’s Guru wasn’t just a one-dimensional tale. It skirted boundaries, questioned ethics and asked audiences point blank: how wrong is it to make money?

By now, it was a foregone conclusion that Rahman would be Ratnam’s music director. The duo had been together ever since Ratnam reportedly heard a commercial Rahman had tuned, and wanted the music director for Roja. Film after film had brought them both acclaim; this one, based on a slick entrepreneur was no different. Rahman’s Maiya Maiya set everyone singing, while Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan’s onscreen romance spilled out into real life.

Guru was hailed as a landmark film and a courageous one, for having ruthlessly portrayed one man’s story to the top.

Awards and accolades followed hotfoot. Post Guru, Rahman submerged himself into music once again, while Ratnam began work on his next. The musician liked to work quietly, so no one knew quite what to make of it when news floated around that Rahman was working on an English movie called Slumdog Millionaire. Little did they know that the whole world would be talking about it a year later.

“He is special. That’s all. It doesn’t matter which award he gets. All that matters is that his work had been recognised

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internationally,” said Mani Ratnam in an interview, when asked how he felt about his protégé winning the coveted Academy Award twice, for the Danny Boyle film. “We should be proud of it, and I am especially very proud of him.”

And now, the golden duo is back again. This time, Mani Ratnam has gone to the Ramayana for inspiration. He’s focusing on the villain of the epic, Raavan who is the hero in this film. And Rahman’s music has already created quite a sensation. National Award winner Vikram pits his considerable strength against Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. “I had started out with Mani Ratnam and it’s been an interesting journey. More than us, people must be speculating on what we are going to do next,” A R Rahman is quoted as saying. “We are on the same ground and each time I look at one of his scenes, it’s a kind of challenge for me and I always speculate on what else can be done.

When he listens to my songs, I guess he feels the same.”

Once again, buzz begins. “Every time my career needs a fillip, Mani Sir arrives,” Abhishek Bachchan jokes with the media. The buzz about Raavan is all over. Everywhere.

The world waits with bated breath. After all, it’s a Mani Ratnam - A R Rahman film. From Roja to Raavan, the duo has completed a decade. And we are sure, the best is yet to come…

FEATURES

SOUTHERN BREEZE IN EGYPT! Imagine a film like Priyadarshan’s National Award winning Kanchivaram winning accolades in theatre halls in Egypt! And mind you, Indian films are not just appreciated by Indians living there. Among the films hitting the Egyptian screens in recent years also include a good number of south films that are finding audiences in the most unexpected of markets.

“Indian films had little formal presence in the region up until a few years ago,” explains Gaurang Jalan, head at Gaurang Films that is the only Indian company that liaisons between Indian film production houses and distribution channels in Egypt. Starting out with film production back in 1976, the film company has been the Advisor & Representative to the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), Egypt since 2001. The company is presently planning to intensify their operations to bring in more audiences into the theatres in Egypt that screen Indian films. Good news is, apart from the bigger banners, a whole gamut of smaller films from the south have been screened in theatres in Cairo since the last few years.

As per the present distribution strategy of the company, Indian films will be released mainly in the cities of Cairo and Alexandria, which comprise over 90 per cent of the exhibition market. Films will be released both in multiplexes and single screen theatres. While a number of films are shown in the screening segment at the CIFF, some handpicked films are considered for wide release in Cairo. There is also an exclusive children’s edition at the festival, which promotes films aimed at kids, including many southern films. The company provides the service on an honorary basis in association with the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Egypt.

But coming back to southern films, Jalan notes that the company has been recommending and sending Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films besides other regional language films to the CIFF every year. A number of film personalities from the south, like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Revathy and Sridevi have also been invited to attend the

Forget America, let alone Canada and Europe, Indian films are now getting big in Egypt as well! While Rahul Ganguly finds that big budget Bollywood films are pretty popular here, there is a slowly but surely growing market of southern films as well.

annual event in Cairo. In terms of the spread of southern cinema in Egypt, Tamil and Malayalam films have the biggest share of the pie in Cairo and Alexandria.

From the Tamil industry, films like Vishnu Vardhan’s Billa, Kannathil Muthamittal and Guru by Mani Ratnam, Kanjivaram by Priyadarshan, Kanavu Malayilekku by M G Sasi and Krishnan Seshadri Gomatam’s Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai have met with an enthusiastic response from Egyptian cine goers. From the flock of Malayalam films, Paradeshi, Ore Kadal, Oru Pattiyude Diwasam, Mankolangal, Sesham, Kazhakam, Sayanam, among others were screened at the CIFF. Interestingly, the Children’s film segment at the CIFF received a number of Kannada films in recent years, including titles like Care of footpath by Kishan Srikanth and P Sheshadri’s Atithi (The Guest).

The film industries in the south being a major chunk in the country, there is ample scope for bringing south Indian cinema to the Egyptian audiences. Moreover, the film prints are screened with Arabic subtitles, or in some cases with a dubbed soundtrack.

“This erases the language barrier and as such, any Indian film with a potential market can be screened in Egypt,” he adds. The focus is to primarily spread Indian cinema in North Africa and West Asia regions.

Diving into the workings of the distribution system, Jalan notes, “We have similar cultural roots and way of life which reflects in our cinema. Till about two decades ago, Indian cinema was being imported regularly into Egypt but had stopped since the mid 90s,” he says. The present move to reintroduce contemporary Indian cinema to Egypt is part of a larger plan to bring in more players in the field. The next step for the company is to attempt simultaneous release of films in Egypt in the same week of release in India. This would be among the first steps to create a commercially viable market for Indian films in Egypt.

film distributors from the south and other regions. The present arrangement is, as Jalan explains, “to source films from their stable and send them for final approval to our Egyptian counterpart. Once approved, the films will be imported and released with proper Arabic sub-titling and publicity, like in any other overseas territory.”

In this connection, Indian films have garnered a considerable fan base over the years, and a number of classics are still popular with the masses. In the distribution side, the company has a counterpart present in Cairo, which distributes films from big labels like Warner Brothers, Fox films. Domestically, the company has tie ups with major production house in India, like Yash Raj Productions, UTV, Reliance BIG pictures and Madras Talkies among others. The distribution of Indian films that are suited for wide release is done in accordance with standard practices.

Posters are printed, media campaigns are organised and publicity material is produced.

Jalan notes, “Unlike other NRI markets for Indian films, Egypt does not have a very large NRI community. However, their films are family oriented and have a lot of music, dance and colour, akin to Indian cinema, which appeals to the masses in Egypt as they do not have a mind set or prejudice for any specific actor or genre or Indian language.”

In the near future the company may have plans to tap into the Middle Eastern markets. The next logical step from wide and limited release will be streaming Indian films through cable television networks. In the mix, the future of films from the four southern states looks bright.

Though the bias for wide release is tilted to the bigger Bollywood releases for the time being, the company is on the lookout for JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 41

Photographer : V Rajesh

AT HOME WITH PRIYADARSHAN

Priyadarshan has made a big mark in Bollywood with his light hearted comedies, most of them remakes of Malayalam films. Hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, his father was a librarian.

He is one of the top Indian filmmakers today with over 80 films in various languages. Since winning the National Award for Kanchivaram in 2008, he has done some fun flicks like Bum Bum Bole, Khatta Meetha as well. He has films lined up with Neil Nitin Mukesh and Ajay Devgan, both touted to be action entertainers.

Priyan as he is popularly known met his wife Lissy on the sets of his second Malayalam film. They worked together in 12 films before they got married. Post marriage, Lissy plays the perfect home maker, and is Priyan’s pillar of strength. She also runs Four Frames, the best preview theatre/postproduction facility in Chennai.

Text: Sridevi Sreedhar 42 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

Priyan, who wanted the lush green look of Kerala somewhere in his home, insisted on a small compact garden by the side of the bar which has a smoking area. One wall opens up to a lush green garden area.

There are fountains and an underground spring here, giving the garden a cool look.

Unlike most Malayalees whose homes are done up in the typical Kerala architecture, Priyan and Lissy’s home is contemporary with an ultra chic décor in white, black and red, designed by architects Sajith and Vivek.

The house is unique in the sense that there is no wood used anywhere and it’s more of glass and metal. All the furniture was hand-picked by the couple from Singapore. The 4500 square feet home is adjacent to Priyan’s state-of-the-art Four Frames studio.

Remember Lissy along with her friends organised the Class of 80’s party? The who’s who of south Indian cinema (including Dr Vishnuvardhana who passed away recently) had come together for this party and a huge picture of that autographed by the guests adorns the wall of the dining room.

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Priyadarshan with wife Lissy and their daughter Kalyani and son Siddharth

Lissy’s favourite space is the family living room where she loves spending time reading or watching television and keeps an eye on everything through the close circuit TV which covers 16 areas of her home and office.

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Kalyani’s room is all pink. On one wall is a collage of pictures right from the time she was born up till now.

The state-of-the-art gym on the fourth floor has all the high end gadgets including a steam and sauna.

The 5-seater mini theatre on the ground floor has an in focus projector and recliner seats. Priyan has a huge collection of DVDs and the walls in his home theatre are covered with posters of Hollywood gods.

The bar is bright and colourful with lot of sunlight coming in. One wall opens up to a lush green garden area. There are fountains and an underground spring here, giving the garden a cool look.

Priyan who has a keen eye for anything in silver and metal picked up this clock from FCML store

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MALAYALAM // EXCLUSIVE

INDRAJITH: IN CHARACTER

The engineer turned actor is excited about facing the camera and says this is what he wanted to do always.

Listen to Indrajith, as he tells Vijay G about films and life.

For this man, acting was a matter of reaching out to his destiny. His parents, Sukumaran and Mallika have been movie stars and his brother Prithviraj is emerging as the next superstar of Malayalam films. With a wide variety of roles, Indrajith has let the world know his credentials as well. By his own admission, he took the tougher path, opting for negative roles during his initial days as actor. Like the wily cop in Meesha Madhavan, for instance. Sometime later, he surprised everyone with his comic timing in films like Classmates and the recent hit, Happy Husbands.

But Indrajith is a happy man with all the positive feedback coming his way for his role in the recent film, Nayakan, in which he plays a soft spoken Kathakali artiste. His character seeks revenge on the men who killed his father and sister. The actor worked a lot at the character and he thinks that it has all proved worthy now. While younger brother

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Prithviraj believes that it is Indrajith’s best role yet, we get more from the man himself: How did acting happen for you?

I’ve always had a fascination for films, right from my childhood. Guess it’s because my father was a big star. But my parents were very clear that we had to be focused about academics for sure. It was only a matter of time before we were drawn to acting. Acting was my prime interest all along, but then you never know about your future in films.

We cannot just plan things and make them happen. It is not that easy for an actor.

Recall some acting moments from your school days…

Both Prithviraj and I were pretty active on the stage in school. In school I once played Mark Antony. Perhaps it was the most challenging character I played during those days (laughs). My parents were seated

among the audience my dad told my mother then that I am going to be an actor some day. Obviously, it was also my first serious move towards acting.

Does that mean you were more drawn to character roles than the male lead?

(Smiles) That may be a coincidence and though Julius Cesar was the hero, Mark Antony’s performance was pivotal to the play. Perhaps I was selected for the role because they felt I was a good actor.

Do you feel that the tag of being a starson has worked to your advantage?

There is always some pressure since I am the son of a star, but then it also makes it easy to enter the industry. The audience tends to compare you with your dad. My efforts have been to find a space in the industry, and to prove my credentials as an actor. I believe I have been lucky so far.

Is it difficult being Prithviraj's brother since people constantly compare you two?

Five years down the line, Nayakan will be talked about much more than what it is now.

See, such comparisons are bound to happen. But as far as I am concerned, both of us had different routes ever since we entered the industry. I started off as a villain and I was aware that it would take time for me to climb the ladder to more substantial roles. Nobody can be a Hrithik Roshan in Malayalam. That means nobody can become a huge star just after one big success. Even Prithviraj took several years to find his footing in the industry, though he tasted success in the early phase of his career. From then on, he had started working with the best in the industry. For that matter, all the big stars from Mammootty, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi or Dileep had taken time to reach the heights they are at right now. I was never really in a hurry to become a hero and I think it has helped me to establish myself as a credible actor.

Is this the wrong time to be a youngster in Malayalam cinema?

Maybe it was worth all the trouble, since you have got some fabulous characters unlike most other Malayalam actors of your generation?

Absolutely. From the villain in Meesha Madhavan, I could do a totally different role in Mizhi Randilum.

Or my roles in Chanthupottu and Classmates. Or for that matter, in Twenty 20 and Happy Husbands. I have been lucky to play such characters of varying shades and that has worked for me in a big way.

This year has been really special with two big films for you, Happy Husbands and Nayakan.

Yeah, 2010 has been wonderful for me with those films, which were different in their own way. Happy Husbands has been a big success and Nayakan is a milestone in my career.

(Laughs) Yeah, I think it is a wrong time for the youngsters to a certain extent. Both the big stars of Malayalam - Mammootty and Mohanlal - had spectacular subjects and filmmakers during their younger days. Even the audience accepted their experimenting during those days. As young actors, you really become frustrated at times. Youngsters are doing exceedingly well in the other industries, with the kind of films that they are getting. For instance, Tamil actor Arya gets a wonderful role like the one in Nan Kadavul at such a young age and I may have to wait for another 15 years to get a character of that range. Of course, the youngsters too have a responsibility to bring something new to this industry.

Perhaps, I am among the privileged few. That is the reason we go to other languages and do films there.

The variety you get to do and the acceptance you receive is phenomenal.

Finally, what is your criterion while accepting a film; now that Nayakan has raised the bar?

It should really offer me a good character and excite me as well, perhaps the way Nayakan did. I think people know by now that I am a decent actor. Of course, I have done films in the past, just to be part of some big projects or celebrated names. I think I will be more careful about choosing films in the future.

How did you prepare for your role in Nayakan?

When I first read the script, I felt it was unique and after I saw director Lijo Jose Pellissery’s short film, I was convinced about his abilities as well. The character required great physical fitness and I toned my body to suit that requirement. I have trained in Kathakali for some time and took time off to get into the character. When I read the reviews now, I think it was worth it!

Still, were you disappointed when the film didn’t do wonders at the box office?

Look, a sensational film like Paleri Manikyam has not run well now even though it had a superstar like Mammootty in a fantastic performance. That is the sad state of Malayalam cinema today. People are more drawn to the hardcore commercial entertainers.

Nayakan is highly enjoyable, well written and was made in a spectacular way. Malayalam cinema has been known for its experimental themes but I think such things are not being accepted by the viewers these days. With the current state of film distribution, where new ideas are not given enough time to attract viewers, things can be difficult. Maybe all these can change with the coming of more multiplex theatres.

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 47

RAAVANAN // GALLERIA

INTO THE M

Mani Ratnam has put the skills of National Film Award-winner actor Vikram to the ultimate test in Raavan and Raavanan! In the Hindi version, Vikram stars as Dev, alongside Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (as Ragini) and Abhishek Bachchan (as Beera). But in the Tamil version, Vikram plays Beera, the part played by Abhishek in the Hindi version! Meanwhile, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan stays on as Ragini while Prithviraj Sukumaran plays Dev.

Aishwarya Rai found Raavan quite challenging since she had to say the Hindi and Tamil dialogues back to back. “I had to write the Tamil dialogues with the meaning since I had to know what I was saying,” she says.

That’s how Mani Ratnam preferred it.

MYTH! Both versions of the film were shot simultaneously, forcing Vikram to constantly change his clothes, make-up, body language and mannerisms.

“It was difficult to dub in Hindi, but I think I was lucky that I had to do Beera in Tamil.

Beera is more volatile. If I had to do Beera in Hindi, it would have been more difficult. Dev is quite cool and very focused. He does not go ballistic, so it was quite easy. And I always had Mani sir’s help,” says Vikram.

Rahman delivers a sound mix of zingy rusticity and zealous verve that is inspired by the calypso-flavoured wilds of Africa against the trumpeting dramatics of desi folk. Beera’s effectiveness is further escalated through the booming fervour of Vijay Prakash and Mustafa Kutoane.

MALAYALAM // FEATURES

MINDING THEIR OWN LANGUAGE! Sridevi Sreedhar gets the ringside view of the latest on the whys and why-nots of local protectionism in the Malayalam industry

In Kerala, the local flavour rules supreme. And what’s more. Now in Kerala, films from other languages like Tamil, English and Hindi will be screened two weeks after their release everywhere else. The trade in Kerala does not want a simultaneous release of Other Language Films (OLF) in the state. This has apparently been egged by Malayalam superstars, the reason being box office collections. Or the lack of it.

In the last few months, Hollywood, Bollywood and Tamil films have eaten into the market share of Malayalam films. Films like Avatar, 2012, Vinnayithaandi Varuvaaya, Vettaikaran, 3 Idiots and My Name Is Khan have done fantastic business in Kerala. At the same time, heavyweight Malayalam films of stars like Mammootty and Mohanlal have bombed miserably at the box office.

The result? Now, the Film Distributors Association of Kerala (FDAK), controlled by Malayalam film distributors wants to implement the ruling at the earliest and have films in other languages release in Kerala only two weeks after their worldwide release. They also want the government to bring about a rule against dubbing films from other industries.

This is seemingly meant chiefly for Telugu films dubbed into Malayalam. The decision smacks of protectionism, while industry observers view this as a subtle effort to scuttle the popularity of OLF in Kerala.

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Siyad Kokker, president of FDAK clarifies. “All other states in the south protect their local language films. In Tamil Nadu, there is no entertainment tax on Tamil films. In Karnataka, nobody can dub OLF into Kannada and they can only be restricted to limited screens.” Kokker then delves into specifics. “The Tamil film Sura released in more number of screens than a hit Malayalam film. All the while, they are charged the same entertainment tax as films made in Malayalam.” He says that for the time being, the finger points at theatres. “Theatres are not interested in promoting Malayalam films, which makes it difficult to secure a proper release.”

Recently at a public function, Mohanlal lashed out at other language films for spoiling the party for Malayalam films in Kerala. The superstar said, “Some kind of regulation has to be put on OLF in Kerala, otherwise our industry will crash.

Priority should be given to Malayalam releases, at least during the holiday season.” Mohanlal felt that the state is not doing enough to protect the interests of the local film industry. “In Kerala, Malayalam films made on a measly budget of Rs three to five crore have to fight with big budget films likes James Cameron’s Avatar. Otherwise, they have to put up with big budget Bollywood and Tamil films.” At this juncture, Mammootty is also backing him to the hilt. Last heard, the actor has been trying to put pressure on the Kerala government to make Malayalam films tax free and also regulate the release of OLF. The Malayalam film industry has a point here, as OLF are definitely eating into the market, while chomping off a chunk out of popularity. Many theatres in small towns in Kerala are switching over to OLF as it is more profitable. They get 50 to 55 per cent of the net collections, while as per FDAK agreement with theatres, Malayalam film distributors get 60 per cent of the net collections in the opening week.

But theatres in Kerala have hit back and have refused to implement this controversial decision taken by FDAK. Suresh Shenoy, the biggest theatre owner in Kerala, who runs four screens in Ernakulam defends his stance. “We will not allow anybody to decide what film we should screen. It’s purely a commercial decision. Please note that no theatre in Kerala can survive 52 weeks a year without screening OLF.” Ernakulam, by the way happens to be the highest collecting centre for OLF in the state.

Noted writer and film critic Beena Ranjani feels that Malayalam films are getting drowned in an ocean of OLF. Youngsters find the song, action scenes and popular stars featured in these films quite appealing. It has come to a situation where youngsters compare M & M’s dancing prowess to that of Allu Arjun or Vijay. Such a state of affairs is enough to have

the superstars get into a tizzy. “In Thiruvananthapuram, there are more fan club hoardings of Vijay and Suriya than Malayalam superstars. The latest film songs or scenes from films in other languages can be seen due to the proliferation of satellite channels and the growth of DTH,” she says.

Popular music critic T P Sasthamangalam questions, “Why blame the theatres alone for the popularity of OLF in Kerala?”

Sasthamangalam explains, saying that the Malayalam channels feature stars from other languages for their award events, while music-based programmes and reality shows play Tamil and Hindi songs. “Will a channel in Andhra or Tamil Nadu telecast a Malayalam song?” he quizzes, adding that “young kids are seeing the latest Telugu film songs and films dubbed in Malayalam, while Malayalam channels say they have better TRPs, when they telecast Tamil films dubbed into Malayalam!”

Sasthamangalam wonders if the powers that be, who claim to be promoting Malayalam language are planning on a remedy: “Our culture is slowly getting eroded by this invasion from other industries.”

By the looks of it, the heat is on and the battle for screen space is going to get hotter. The superstar - driven Malayalam film industry is yet to find new young stars who can make a film commercially viable at the box office. Mammootty and Mohanlal alone are finding it difficult to deliver hits. The recent Pokkiri Raja featured Mammootty and Prithviraj, and the younger star walked away with all the credit for making the film a smash hit. The film, made like a Tamil mass entertainer even had punch lines in Tamil, which clearly emphasises the influence of Tamil movies in Kerala.

According to a young and upcoming director, “today, we just cannot make a film purely set in a Kerala milieu with a theme woven out of local nativity.” The filmmaker, who is working on a new project confesses, “The script has undergone many changes to make it more mass with elements taken from popular other language films.” The situation looks bleak for the home industry, as he vents his anguish: “We have to compete with Bollywood and Tamil films on a shoestring budget of Rs five crore!”

Desperate times, indeed call for desperate measures. How will the move to curtail films from outside the state affect the equation within the Kerala film industry, is the question.

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 53

MUMBAI EXPRESS // EXCLUSIVE

HEAT, PRAY, LOVE… Hrithik Roshan shares with Anil Merani why he doesn’t celebrate stardom, how he could think only of dance even while on crutches and all about his kite flying high

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Stardom never came easy to him despite being a Roshan, despite a dream debut. But Hrithik has never been hung up on it either. The moments and milestones, he celebrates with a lusty gusto but the stardust left behind is for the media at best, when we are talking Hrithik Roshan. When he stammered as a child, who would have imagined he would even sing for two of his films some day. And two years ago, a severe knee injury left him mostly immobile. Again nobody (including doctors) imagined he would ever dance again.

Hopefully, someone would have seen Hrithik on the sets of Kites and later on screen, romancing life like nothing of that sort ever happened.

“I was on crutches and the doctors felt that I will never be able to dance or do any stunts again. But I never gave up hope; you only live once, after all. I did just about everything possible. I must have consulted some 40 top class doctors in Mumbai, went abroad for treatment too. I also tried all kinds of therapies, even went ahead and drank those ‘magical’ concoctions of roadside quacks.” But finally what did it was Kites.

“I was on crutches when I heard the script and I was really kicked about it. Just visualising myself as this character gave me an adrenaline rush. I just knew that I had to play this guy of Indian origin from Los Angeles, who gets into a tragic love affair with a Spanish girl. I hobbled back to my room and told Suzanne that I have found my calling and soon everything will be alright. Guess god also felt that I had had enough.” Call it a miracle or what you may, Hrithik was back on his feet by the time Kites got on the floors.

These days – understandably – he can talk for hours about the film. He feels that Kites (released both in Hindi and English) has all the possible chances of truly crossing over.

“We have been very realistic in our story telling. There is no unnecessary drama like most Hindi films have. The hero and heroine don’t break into song and dance every 25 minutes. It was this realism which inspired me to sing for the film too. I had asked for two months to practice, but was given only two weeks. So I was rehearing Sa Re Ga Ma with my synthesizer twenty four by seven!” Hrithik smiles, the smile of a content man.

He had been missing from big screen, post Jodha Akbar but he doesn’t think of that time as wasted. “It’s not that I don’t want to do more projects, but first my knee problem happened and then even Kites got delayed. The foreign editor wanted six months more, as he felt the project could be taken to a much higher level. There had been a big gap after Koi Mil Gaya as well. I can’t push my creative side. I let things happen.

Most of my films have been big projects which inevitably take longer. One other reason I’m not doing too many films at a time is that earlier I would not really bother about the script and leave it to the wisdom of the director. But then I realised a lot of my time was getting wasted since the films would get too long and then had to be chopped during editing. So now I make sure that the script is ready, before I begin shooting. . In any case, life is not just about good or bad experiences, we need to learn from every moment and evolve to become better human beings. The effort to achieve our goals must follow us to our graves”

feel that that if this guy with all his problems and challenges could achieve so much in life, why not them.”

And now on his plate is Guzaarish which will release by the end of the year. He’s sung for this one too. Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Milegi Na Dobaara is on full swing too and we expect it to be out early next year.

Talking of films, Hrithik admits that Kites has been his best so far and the others were, well a prelude to this ultimately satisfying performance. “Koi Mil Gaya was another milestone of my career, for I really felt creatively satisfied during its making. When the director would scream cut, I would have no idea what I had delivered, but could see the magic on the monitor. I have also loved the song and dance of Dhoom 2 and would love to take it the next level.”

Looks like the challenges and limitations that Hrithik has emerged from have made him rather philosophical. He’s absolutely composed as we move on to questions about Suzanne and Kites costar, Barbara Mori. “It’s funny. If you consider the number of articles on me or Suzanne shifting out to new pads, I would have been a property mogul by now!

My neighbours call me and ask why the press has published a picture of their bungalow as mine. I don’t blame the media, for sometimes journalists do such things to attract attention to themselves. Most people in this world are highly stressed out and carry a lot of angst in their heart. Another reason could be my lack of responses to their requests for interviews which might have annoyed them and they decided to hit back like this. But they need to understand that when I am working, I totally isolate myself from the world. I don’t even pick up my mother’s calls. The poor thing has to call my driver during emergencies. My funda in life is clear; I don’t try to hide anything for sooner or later everything is bound to come out. But having said that, I don’t waste my time responding to baseless rumours everyday.” Now that’s an intelligent way of having us move on to the next set of questions!

So we talk society generally. Hrithik, we gather thinks about society as a whole and has a valid take on the issues these days. He is not just about gloss and good looks. “I would really request parents not to pressure their kids to excel in academics. Studies should be enjoyable.” Another issue that hurts Hrithik is gay bashing. “Such people have existed for thousands of years. Who are we to say that their form of love making is unnatural? Live and let live is the way forward.”

Talking further about his philosophy, he says “Blind patriotism is wrong when you end up loving only your country and hating others’. I should be proud when they sing the US national anthem besides Jana Gana Mana as well.” When asked what makes him think so different, Hrithik says, “Everybody has it in them. Since I am an artiste, I have the time and luxury to question everything. It does not make me a better or worse person.”

And here, we’ve saved the best for the last: Love. “True love is selfless,” Hrithik begins. “If the person you love is happy you are happy for them irrespective of whether you are a part of that happiness or not. Unfortunately, such love hardly exists.

Most couples fight over one not being able to give time to the other. We don’t want to love but only possess each other. This is not a relationship. It’s an ego trip.”

Hrithik does not really consider his stardom to be a big deal either. “When the audience claps for my work, they are actually celebrating the hidden potential in themselves. They

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 55

KITE RUNNERS The direction of the wind was just right and the strings, limitless. Anurag Basu flew up his kites and how! Anil Merani gazes up in wonder…

MUMBAI EXPRESS // EXCLUSIVE

Anurag Basu is clearly on a high. After his biggest film till date, Kites won him rave reviews, he is all set to look ahead and is now working on a new project with Priyanka Chopra, Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif.

Looking back at his journey, this 35 year old Bihari seems quite satisfied.

And it all started with a lie!

“Although I came to Mumbai, I told my folks that I joined FTII for studying light engineering as that was the only way I was allowed to leave home,” he smiles. “In Mumbai, I had a year long struggle, but it was not as bad as most of the other biggies have had. I managed to get my first writing assignment for Tara, the TV serial within a year. This was way back in 1994. Private television in India was just taking off. And unlike now, the content then was truly out of the box. Ok, idiot box! We were exploring the theme of the librated Indian woman.” He had since then gone on to direct a number of other well known TV shows like Koshiish Ek Asha, Saturday Suspense etc.

56 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

But returning to cinema, his first film, Kuch to hai produced by Ekta Kapoor was a bad experience he says. “There was lot of interference and I decided to quit. Luckily, my decision proved right. Initially, I was a bit afraid that my walking out will impact my film career. But then the Bhatts came along and I gave Murder and Gangster. There was a lot of hype surrounding the bold narrative and these films also garnered much criticism, but all said and done they were successful.

I have a very comfortable relationship with the Bhatts. Even now I go to their office and chat for hours. We will soon work together again.”

So how did Kites happen? “Well Rakesh Roshan did not watch Gangster thinking it was a B grade film, but when he watched he was impressed and asked me to write something for Hrithik. He also gave me the idea. Working with Duggu was fun. “He was quite excited and dedicated. He would limp around because of his injury and I tired to help him as much as possible during the shoot. Once Duggu said ‘Dude I really

appreciate your concern’ and I blurted out ‘I am not doing this for you, but I am scared that if you over do it, my film will get stuck.’”

Anurag admitted to having some major differences with Rakesh Roshan during the scripting stage. “But it was all good because we got a democratic discussion. All these days, I was making films like a dictator!”

On the subject of the exotic Barbara Mori, Anurag says the reason he chose a Spanish girl was because the story obviously demanded it and Spaniards share a similar culture with ours. “Barbara is also quite a well known and talented actor. During our first meeting, she was a bit hesitant about the elaborate song and dance routine and we assured her that the film will not have them. She then immediately agreed and seemed to relate to the script. The language was a big issue throughout the shooting. She hardly understood a word of English so I had to use sign language. But after working with us for two years, she has learnt Hindi she insists,” he smiles.

One more thing that brings Anurag and Barbara closer is the fact that both are cancer survivors. “I don’t want to make it look like big thing. Those days, I would just pray that I could last out the next few months. What was even tougher was that my wife was pregnant with our daughter. I must give full kudos to my doctor who helped me pull through. The only common thing that Barabara and I shared in our respective pain was that we both lost our hair.”

So how was it working with a free hand in terms of budgets? “Until now, I have always worked within a limited budget so I would write my script keeping the monies in mind.

But here, my producer told me to let my imagination fly. The biggest challenge in this situation was to keep the soul of the film in mind and not get carried away with the opulence. Having mastered this balance, I now hope to make an even bigger budget film next time around.”

Anurag is hopeful that the international release of Kites will help Indian cinema cross over more powerfully on the international screen. “Up until now, we didn’t quite appeal to western audience all that much. We are still trying to crack the code of how other Asian industries like Korea and China (with similar cultures and loud drama) can make films which not only run in their domestic markets, but also rock overseas. This is quite a task since we need to really work hard to make our films pan India acceptable first.

The audience in Bihar is completely different from that in Mumbai. And likewise, other places.”

Talking of Kangana Ranaut, Anurag seems to have quite a comfortable working relation with her. “I gave her a break in Gangster.

She actually kept calling me when she heard

about this special appearance character in Kites. I was a bit hesitant to rope her in as she is a big star and the role was small. But she was adamant and I finally gave in. She has done full justice and more so, she put in a lot of effort in the rehearsals for her song. Such effort is normally only seen when you are doing a lead.” He denied that there was any bad blood between them over her absence during the promotions. “She was always in the loop. How can I upset her by not casting her in my films in the future?”

Anurag has had a close working relationship not just with Kangana but many other beautiful women. So has he never had the urge to give in to temptation? “I believe in the sanctity of marriage. One more reason I have never strayed is that I love and respect what my parents have for each other even after so many years of marriage. But having said that being a man, I do turn around to give a second look if I see a pretty girl on the road and wife usually subjects me to one painful elbow thrust on such occasions!”

Now that he’s doing both films and TV, his plate is rather full. And he’s not giving up one for the other either. He produced Love Story on SAB after Metro. “I am working on more projects which will soon see the light of the day,” he shares. He would like to do an out and out comedy film. “As a director, I always want to go beyond my comfort zone and try different themes. You always want to better your last outing.” He also does not want to be bound by parallel or main stream cinema.

(Life in a Metro was called offbeat by some) I stand for making honest films which are entertaining.” In closing, Anurag has a word of advice to upcoming filmmakers. “Be bold in your approach but keep budgets in mind.

At the end of the day, this is business.”

HIGHLY FLYABLE Hrithik Roshan was very conscious while recording his song and had requested the recording studio to be made dark. Anurag was quite impressed and felt that Hrithik has a career in play back singing as well.

Hrithik was not very impressed when his dad had first narrated the story of Kites to him but when Anurag made changes to the first draft and presented it to him, Hrithik was super excited.

The song sequences were shot without the lyrics being recorded. This was tough for music director Rajesh Roshan since he was working with a limited range of options.

The length of the international version is thirty minutes lesser than the desi version. The song and other scenes were trimmed keeping the international sensibilities in mind.

When Anurag first met Barbara Mori the narration took four hours since Barbara couldn’t understand English.

Anurag was not very happy with the performance of his first American stunt director and had him changed. He was later heard saying that Indian stunt directors work better with lesser fuss.

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 57

Pic: V Rajesh

Pic: V Rajesh

The first look of Mani Ratnam’s Raavanan was simply magnificent.

The glitzy promo launch, held at the Lady Aandal School auditorium at Chetpet in Chennai hogged quite a bit of the spotlight.

Parvathy Omanakuttan, former Miss India has been roped in as heroine in the Tamil film Umamaheswaram, directed by young director Nithin Ramakrishnan. Newcomer and dancer Mani is playing the hero.

Pic: V Rajesh

Pic: V Rajesh

KALEIDOSCOPE

TAMIL / MALAYALAM

Producer Udhayanidhi Stalin has managed a casting coup of sorts.

He announced at a grand event that new members who will be joining the dream team of his new film, 7 aum Arivu. In the rolls are director Murugadoss, Suriya, Shruti Haasan, music director Harris Jayaraj, cameraman Ravi K Chandran and editor Antony.

Patta Patti 50 50 marks the launch of cricketer Sadhagopan Ramesh as hero in Tamil cinema. The audio launch of the film was a glittering affair at the Sathyam cinemas complex.

58 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

Pic: V Rajesh

Pic: V Rajesh

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi launched the theme song for the World Classical Tamil Conference, tuned by the maestro AR Rahman at a function in Chennai.

Bombay Mittai has been in the news mainly due to its interesting cast.

Politician Amar Singh dons the role of a Hindustani singer, while Dimple Kapadia plays his wife. The two attended the audio release function of the film, held recently at Kochi.

bioscope

TAMIL

IRUMBU KOTTAI MURATTU SINGAM Cast

: Lawrence, Lakshmi Rai, Padmapriya, Sandhya, Manorama

Director : Simbudevan Music

: G V Prakash Kumar

Good Director Chimbudevan, who gave us Imsai Arasan 23Aam Pulikesi, and Arai Enn 305-il Kadavul is back with a cowboy story after a gap of 38 years.

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The story in a nutshell follows the typical cowboy film formula popularised by legends like actor John Wayne and director Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns. All the trimmings are included - guns, girls, horses, exotic wild outdoors and the final shoot out between the good guys and the bad.

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His idea of making a film in the same genre by mixing comedy with action, laced with one-liners, slapstick humour, sentiments and songs works.

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The supporting cast of Nassar and Saikumar as the baddies are menacing. Mouli, Ilavarasu, MS Bhaskar and Charms, the guy who plays the interpreter are hilarious.

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Muthuraj’s sets and Sai’s costumes lends to the film the feel of an authentic cowboy film.

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Alagappan’s camera work, especially the outdoor shots gives it the look of a wide canvas. The crisp editing of Raja Mohammed makes the film racy in the second half.

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G V Prakash’s background score is awesome.

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Could have been better...

Wild West meeting Tamil cinema backfires with all its formulas. At times you get the feeling that even though this is a spoof on cowboy films, the story is missing.

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The story drags in the first half while the second half moves faster, with some interesting episodes like the treasure hunt and the climax.

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Lawrence is a superb choreographer but as an actor he just does not have the screen presence. His star charisma levels are lacklustre at best.

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Sandhya is not utilised in her role; while Padmapriya and Lakshmi Rai are just about adequate.

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Unless you’re up to date with at least MacKenna’s Gold, Indiana Jones and our very own Ganga, the injokes would go a bit over your head.

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- Sridevi Sreedhar JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 59

bioscope

MALAYALAM

KADHA THUDARUNNU Cast

: Jayaram, Mamtha Mohandas, Innocent, KPAC Lalitha

Director : Sathyan Anthikkad Music

: Ilayaraja

Good n

Like all Sathyan Anthikkad films, this family entertainer too is rooted in Kerala milieu and seeped in realism.

Could have been better...

Melodrama, clichéd dialogues and the usual characters you see in Sathyan films are here too.

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The film moves at sluggish pace and the presentation is pretty old fashioned.

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The story moves on in a predictable manner with no major surprises or twists.

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The supporting actors are stereotypes you would have watched in all earlier Sathyan films.

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There are some touching situations in the film.

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The director has to be lauded for making a film which is told through the point of view of its heroine, something rare in Malayalam cinema these days.

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This one’s definitely not in the league of the director’s earlier hits.

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Baby Anikha looks cute and Asif Ali is promising.

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Venu’s camerawork is good.

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Ilaiyaraja’s music is quite uplifting as well.

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Mamta Mohandas, in an author backed role shines. This role is probably the best in her career.

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Jayaram without any qualms has his moments and scenes in which he scores.

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60 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

- Sridevi Sreedhar

bioscope

BOLLYWOOD

KITES Cast

: Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori, Kangana Ranaut, Kabir Bedi

Director : Anurag Basu Music

: Rajesh Roshan

Good Hrithik’s brief but powerful jig in the beginning.

Although that left us asking for much more. Hrithik’s honest performance (he really looked like he was in love with this girl, Natasha!) And of course Hrithik’s abs. The show was brief again.

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The chemistry between Hrithik and Barbara is truly, let’s say honest again?

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Could have been better...

The music was a definite disappointment.

Even if the film was made keeping in mind the international audience, we could certainly have done with more Mexican, Spanish fare.

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Hrithik didn’t dance enough! How can a Hrithik Roshan movie be complete paisa vasool without his dancing, now?

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The camerawork and visuals are quite a treat.

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The styling (especially Hrithik’s and Barbara’s) is nice in a nice way, you know.

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You can see the crow’s feet around both Hrithik’s and Barbara’s eyes. That kind of realistic portrayal makes her perfect figure and his perfect contours stand out even more.

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Far too many hard to believe car crashes that our guy and girl come out of almost unscathed.

The Indian element in this crossover film is certainly missing in more ways than one.

- Mona Ramavat

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 61

bollywood brouhaha

AKSHAY’S GROUNDED! Unlike his onscreen funnyman persona, Akshay Kumar is quite the serious man, who prefers to spend time with his family. Turns out, he still loves keeping up with his old college mates and meets them regularly. Akki was recently heard saying that he still has his old 1956 model fiat and his old apartment, since he is really sentimental about his old things. They remind him of his initial days as a struggling actor and keep him grounded. Good, we say!

UDITA: BY THE BOOK Udita Goswami seems to have a lot of time these days, no wonder this Darjeeling girl is finally completing her studies. She had dropped out early as she started acting 16. She is convinced that there is a right age for studying. A little birdie tells us that Udita even claimed that the fact that most Bollywood heroines are high school pass outs is uncool. Apparently, just speaking fancy words is not enough. You need to study to be really aware of what is happening. While Udita took Arts in high school, she has opted for commerce for her undergrad studies. Way to handle the finances, eh?

ANURAG’S DESI DISTASTE Director Anurag Basu is all gung ho when it comes to promoting his Kites lead, Barbara Mori. He’s been saying that the Mexican actor is very talented and realistic and does not dish out plastic performances, unlike our desi girls. Since he’s already worked with Shilpa Shetty, Konkana Sen Sharma and Kangana Ranaut, we can only guess that the jab is directed at the cast of Life in a Metro. Well, we know Anurag needs to pitch for Barbara, but he might get himself in a sticky spot once the she’s left for Mexico. After all, Shilpa, Kangana and Konkana are still very much around. Once the word spreads, he can land up in a spat with the local actors. After all, biggie producer Rakesh Roshan won’t be around all the time, will he?

62 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

bollywood brouhaha

WHAT WAS A JOURNALIST DOING TO KATRINA KAIF? Looks like Katrina Kaif better improve her Hindi if she wants to stop the brickbats from the media. Her hopes have been pinned on bagging a National Award for her supposed portrayal of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in her recent release, Rajneeti. At a press conference of the film, writer-director Prakash Jha was all praises for her learning Hindi and the hard work she put in during the shooting and dubbing process. At this, a journo asked her to recite a dialogue from the film, which she refused.

Katrina continued with the conference and spoke in English, while telling the scribe that even if she spoke in English, they should assume that she is speaking Hindi!

Wait, what was that again?

SUKHWINDER’S NOT ON A SONG Everybody wants a piece of the acting pie. The latest to join the rat race is playback singer, Sukhwinder Singh. The Grammy award winner (Jai Ho) recently made an acting debut with Kuch Kariye. The film tanked at the box office.

A fly on the wall notes that the reason it didn’t do well was that it was shot more like a music album than a film. Apparently, there was total confusion while filming, and nobody knew what was going on. Of course, the net result was there for all to see. Sukhwinder’s saying that he will only act in select films from now on. Wonder what that means now!

CANNES MALLIKA DO IT? While Mallika Sherawat’s all busy doing the international film, Hiss, she is still a long way from reclaiming the desi industry’s respect. She was recently seen in Cannes. Though get this; the other two notable Indians, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Deepika Padukone who were also there, maintained a discreet distance from her. Maybe they did not want to be photographed with Mallika? Hiss is her second international project after her two bit scene with Jackie Chan in The Myth.

The promos looked promising and Mallika was hoping for other international producers present at Cannes to pick her up. We ask however, why settle for Mallika when you have Aishwarya and Deepika walking the same red carpet?

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 63

hollywood hullabaloo

WHEN WILL THE KARDASHIANS MAKE UP THEIR MIND? Can the Kardashian siblings get any weirder? Earlier, Kim posed in the buff for Harper’s Bazaar after she declared how much she loved her generous curves. But this is the same woman who given half a chance, touts an unregulated weight loss supplement! Kim was even heard saying that she was fascinated by her sister Kourtney’s drastic weight loss, post pregnancy. Chances of that happening are ‘slim’, if you ask us.

HUGH HEFNER SAVES HOLLYWOOD!

MICHAEL DOUGLAS’ EARLY START All of 65 and quite the family man, Michael Douglas was apparently a playboy all the way in his younger days. That was of course, before he met Catherine Zeta-Jones, lest you get ideas! It all started at age 16, when Douglas had his first fling with older women - Mrs. Robinson style. The actor confessed that the first of many such encounters happened with his mom’s friends. He later clarified that he’d like to bury the hatchet on this one, since most of the women in question were probably dead and gone by now. Of course, this is most likely the first his mom is hearing about the ‘interesting’ encounters. Talk of early starters!

The big daddy of Playboy, High Hefner still has appreciation for natural beauty. Not the babelicious sort, for a change! Hefner recently chipped in a whopping 900,000 dollars to the Trust for Public Land in Hollywood, California. The money would go in buying out the 138 acres surrounding the iconic Hollywood sign, which was at a risk of being sold to land developers. Hefner noted that he was happy to help protect the sign, which he dubbed as the Eiffel tower of Hollywood. Who better to save a Hollywood icon than a Hollywood icon?

The tax season ain’t over yet for Christina Ricci. According to records kept at the Revenue Department in the US, the actor apparently owes a lot of greenbacks to the state.

According to a federal tax lien filed earlier, Christina owes a whopping 179,568 dollars in unpaid taxes, all the way back from 2008. According to her publicist, she is set to turn things around and address the tax bug in a responsible manner. Finally waking up, are we?

64 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

CHRISTINA RICCI’S TAXING TIMES

hollywood hullabaloo

OLIVIA MUNN’S NAKED TRUTH Olivia Munn, who’ll be seen in Iron Man 2, has gone on a shedding spree! She happens to be the latest celeb to strip for PETA’s new campaign. Munn has thrown away the threads in a new ad that advocates freeing animals in circuses and admits that she’s moved by the cause. But what of the others who could be more than a tad distracted by the beautiful Munn sans clothes, out to end the plight of animals in circuses!

JOHN MAYER HATES TWITTER! Rock singer-songwriter John Mayer has dismissed Twitter as a fad that will soon fade away. Mayer admitted he’s been considering closing his Twitter account for sometime.

The reason: quite simply sandwiches.

Confused? Well he says he’d rather make a sandwich than spend his time responding to tweets in his free time. His 3.2 million-odd followers on the network though, may not like his decision just yet.

KRISTEN’S JUST A REGULAR GIRL Kristen Stewart is busy scampering for private space after she got famous. Ever since pictures of her smoking cigarettes were leaked online, worried parents have accused her of sending the wrong message to her young fan base. Kristen though insists that she’s just like any girl her age and got her own set of insecurities. The cancer stick just happens to be a matter of personal choice. Wonder what squeaky-clean boyfriend Rob Pattinson would have to say to that, though?

WHO KILLED ANNA NICOLE? Even two years after her death, actor and model Anna Nicole Smith’s still making news. This time, the fingers point to a little known doctor of Indian origin, Dr Sandeep Kapoor for his alleged involvement in her death. So far, the prosecutors say that Kapoor, along with Howard K Stern and Dr Khristine Eroshevich fuelled Anna Nicole Smith with drugs, which ultimately killed her. In the court papers, Kapoor acknowledged filling a prescription for Anna under a pseudonym, but he claims he only did so to protect her privacy. So what’s the truth here, doctor?

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 65

Looking

BAC K Film: Chidambaram

Director & Screenplay G Aravindan

Cinematography: Shaji N Karun

Music: P Devarajan

Cast: Gopi, Smita Patil, Sreenivasan, Mohan Das, Murali

V Shree Chitra recounts wondrous moments of Chidambaram, the Malayalam classic set in the temple town of Tamil Nadu Based on a short story, Chidambaram is a symbolic exploration of human attraction, leading to disloyalty, followed by guilt and redemption.

Though essentially an art film, Chidambaram created a record when it ran for 100 days. Chidambaram also was director Aravindan’s most popular hit.

The idea of Chidambaram was based on a short story by C V Shriraman, by the same name, that appeared in the Mathrubhoomi weekly.

Aravindan decided to shoot the film in the picturesque locales of Mattupetti in Tamil Nadu. Though the story had Andaman and Nicobar islands as the background, considering the production cost, Aravindan had to shift his location to Mattupetti. He also tweaked the characters and altered the climax to in the film.

The story revolves around Muniyandi (Sreenivasan), his wife Sivakami (Smita Patil) and the office superintendent of a tea estate, Sankaran (Gopi). Muniyandi, a labourer brings home his bride Sivakami. It is Sankaran who takes their wedding photo, although he does not notice the beautiful Sivakami then.

Sivakami soon takes to the natural surroundings in the estate and when she visits Sankaran’s garden, he is instantly drawn to her beauty. He starts dreaming about Sivakami and manages to takes some photographs of her. Slowly, yet surely, Sivakami finds a permanent place in his thoughts.

Muniyandi, who senses something fishy prevents her from meeting Sankaran. He even takes her to the Madan Temple for prayers, so that she would not give in to temptations.

However, Sankaran finds it impossible to pass even a day without meeting Sivakami. On a wintry night, Sankaran finally meets her and they make love. Muniyandi, who is away at the cattle shed, suddenly feels uneasy and rushes home, only to see Sankaran leaving the house in the darkness. He is shocked to see Sivakami in her fiery red silk sari. Feeling helpless and angry, he attacks her with a sickle. The neighbours find Muniyandi, hung from the ceiling, the next day.

Sankaran is racked by a deep sense of guilt and he eventually takes to alcohol. He leaves his job and home and wanders alone, seeking salvation. Finally he reaches the temple town of Chidambaram and there he finds Sivakami, who has become a 66 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

shoe-keeper near the temple.

Aravindan had met Smitha Patil on numerous times mostly at film festivals she would ask him to cast her in a good role.

Aravindan contacted Gopi and offered him the role of Sankaran. According to the script, Muniyandi was a short, dark and average looking man. But Aravindan decided to cast Srinivasan in the role of Muniyandi as soon as they met.

In Shriraman’s story, Sivakami and Sankaran recognise each other at Chidambaram and when Sankaran begins wants to ask her a question, Sivakami points to the temple telling him to get the answer from the Lord himself. However, Aravindan chose to have a different ending.

In the film, when Sankaran meets Sivakami, he starts chanting her name. By then, the camera tilts up to the temple tower and the sky.

It is believed that the temple at Chidambaram can give salvation to those who have sinned. In the film, Aravindan drew a beautiful parallel with Sivakami as nature and Sankaran as purusha, the man, in the process showcasing the principle of Advaita.

Aravindan’s films are known for their skilful use of music. He often utilised the immense potential of classical music in the background score of his films. He had the distinction of even using Hariprasad Chaurasya for his film Pokkuveyil.

For Chidambaram, Aravindan collected Thevaram, Nandhanar Charitam (which showcases the yearning of Nandanar to visit Chidambaram) by Gopalkrishna Bharathi and several folk songs.

The songs in the film include Attile pokum thanni by Seerkazhi Sivachidambram, Unnamalai by Madhrui, Thonda random and Margazhi masam thriuvathiranaal.

Shaji’s camera work was not only a visual treat but also an exhilarating experience. The last few iconic shots were filmed by Venu since Shaji was by then involved in another project. But what was considered a miracle for Chidambaram was its commercial success. The posters and newspaper advertisements designed by Gayathri Ashok were the talk of the town. It is said that no art film was ever marketed the way Chidambaram was. It won the National Award for the best film and two State Awards for the best film and director in 1985. It has the rare distinction of being screened thrice in the Indian Panorama Film Festival.

karaoke // tamil

RAAVANAN Singer : Karthik Music : A R Rahman Lyrics : Jayanth Kaikini Intha Bhoomiyila Eppa Vanthu Nee Porantha En Buthikula Theeporiya Nee Vethacha Adi Thaeku Mara kaadu Perusuthaan Chinna Theekuchi Osaram Sirusuthaan Adi Thaeku Mara Kaadu Perusuthaan Chinna Theekuchi Osaram Sirusuthaan Oru Theekuchi Vizhuntha Pudikuthadi Karunthaekumara Kaadu Vedikuthadi Oosurae Poguthey Oosurae Poguthey Othata Nee Kondam Suzhikayila Oooo Maaman Thavikiraen, Madipicha Kaekaraen Manasathaadi En Manikuyilae Akkarai Cheemaiyil Nee Irunthum Aiviral Theenditha Nenaikuthadi Agini Pazhamunu Therinjirunthum Adikadi Naaku Thudikuthadi Odambum Manasum Thooram Thooram Otta Ninaika Aagala Manasu Sollum Nalla Solla Maaya Odambu Kaekala Thaviya.. Thavichu..

Osur Thadam Kettu Thiriyudadi Thayilanguruvi Enna Thalli Ninnu Sirukudadi.

Intha Mammutha Kiruku Theeruma Adi Manthirichu Vitta Kozhi Maaruma En Mayakatha Theethuvechu Manichudumaa..

Santhiranum Sooriyanum Suthi Orae Koatil Varuguthey Sathiyamum Paththiyamum Ippa Thalaisuthi Kidakuthey Oosurae Poguthey Oosurae Poguthey Odatha Nee Kondam Suzhikayila Oooo Maaman Thavikiraen, Madipicha Kaekaraen Manasathaadi En Manikuyilae Akkarai Cheemaiyil Nee Irunthum Aiviral Theenditha Nenaikuthadi Agini Pazhamunu Therinjirunthum Adikadi Naaku Thudikuthadi Intha Olagathil Ithu Onnum Puthusulla Onnu Rendu Thappi Pogum Ozhukathula Santhiranum Sooriyanum Suthi Orae Koatil Varuguthey Sathiyamum Paththiyamum Ippa Thalaisuthi Kidakuthey Oosurae Poguthey Oosurae Poguthey Odatha Nee Kondam Suzhikayila Oooo Maaman Thavikiraen, Madipicha Kaekaraen Manasathaadi En Manikuyilae JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 67

VASIM

SHAIK

Movies always interested Vasim more than studies. Growing up, Vasim would go back home and imitate the actors from every movie he would watch. That’s when he decided to take up an acting course at Barry John’s Acting School, Mumbai.

He has also been involved with theatre in Mumbai. Besides acting, Vasim is extremely passionate about singing and aspires to make a career out of that as well. He was also featured on the cover of Magazine.

68 SOUTHSCOPE JUNE’10

Southscope invites aspiring actors to send in their portfolio pictures to vrinda@southscope.in

screentest

tamil // sathyaraj

Ennama Kannu? Sowkyamaa? You look like an airplane (Hello, darling! Doing well?) carrying missiles.

Thagidu, thagidu!

No one understands my character ya!

My boys are impulsive, you know? They might kill you by mistake.

What’s that in your hand?

Fingers?

You are not appointed.

Because, you a cleaner, are more glamorous than me, a lorry-driver!

Aha! This man will hold shooting for 200 days and become a great director.

The difference between fits and dance is that one is a disease, the other is treatment.

Basically I’m a Lazybones.

JUNE’10 SOUTHSCOPE 69

LEAVES OUT OF MY BOOK >> Suhasini Maniratnam

Actor extraordinaire Suhasini Maniratnam turns columnist to share her personal diary exclusively with Southscope readers.

LET FILMS IMITATE LIFE My first co star was Prathap Pothen. He had a great sense of humour. We had a lot in common as both of us were more interested in directing films than acting. In between shots instead of rehearsing our dialogues, we used to talk about world cinema. We went on to do three more films in the next year itself. Every time he was unhappy with the approach of a new director, he used to get frustrated. After a complicated shot I still remember how he would curse some directors. “He can’t even direct his little son to the bathroom, how can he direct a movie?” he would say. I used to laugh so much, imagining the 55 year old director literally directing his two year old son to the bathroom.

But years later when I had my child and was raising him, I realised that directing your one year old son to the bathroom was equally tough.

So what makes directing movies so tough? It was not difficult for Satyajit Ray, Kieslowski and Bharathi Raja. They did not look into their imagination or any other film to set their story in. They looked around life; life that was just next to them and made that ambience, the very people they meet everyday into characters and converted simple everyday life into art.

All of us have a story in our lives. Many stories around us.

But we don’t have the eye for detail and the smartness to make great fiction out of our ordinary lives. But only when you read a book like Arundhathi Roy’s God of small things, it hits you. Oh my goodness! This is the kind of village I grew up in! This was my complicated childhood and equally weird relatives. These are the political theories that rocked our small town. But she goes ahead and records it on paper and goes on to win the Booker Prize while I am still directing my grown up son to the bathroom.

My advice to prospective movie makers is that “record everything that’s happening around you.” I record all in my mind as my memory is good. But Mani has a small black note book and whenever he comes across some thing out of the ordinary, he writes two lines in his book. Let me give you some of his two lines with the dates, which were major movies later on.

January ‘93 - UNPRECEDENT RIOTS BROKE OUT IN BOMBAY –THE EFFECT –MASS EXODUS –A STUDY. Film released in August ‘94 as Bombay.

January ‘94 - Two people meet at a railway station. They are going different ways. They are falling in love. They part, their desperate search to find each other. Film released in 1995 as Dil Se.

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August ‘89- An engineer goes to Kashmir with his wife on an assignment. He is abducted by terrorists. Wife’s 14 day ordeal - Film released in Feb 1992 as Roja.

We don’t do this when we read the newspaper or when we visit a friend’s house and find that they have a story that will make a movie or a novel. But people like Arundhati Roy, Mani Ratnam and Bharathiraja do.

One saw the real rural life of Tamil Nadu only after seeing Bharathiraja’s films or the lives of pandits of Varanasi from Satyajit Ray’s films. They picked their stories from the environment they grew up in. Anyone who wants to make movies will have to gather from life and from people around us, not necessarily from our favourite films.

But then how did J K Rowling gather her characters and Hogwarts school? She is different, she dreamt and she still dreams and converts dreams into breathtaking fiction.

If you want to write or make movies, either dream like Rowling or look around like Satyajit Ray, Bharathiraja or gather like Mani Ratnam. Start today.