Most directors give a good film in their 1st movie. coz they produce the movie with watever else they hav known till date. And 4m the nxt film onwards their ’sarakku’ reduces gradually. Shankar is the best(worst) one to mention. V can show only few dirs who dont fall under this category, like KB, Mahendran, BaluMahendra, Maniratnam. Now the list is lengthened further. The GRT dir BALA adds himself to this club. I added him in this list when the film has started, when the B & W turned to color. His performance was even better in Nandha than Sethu. And now after seeing Pithamagan, one may say.... ’Sethu, Nandha ellaam enna padam. Pithamagan thaan padam’.
I remember... When Sethu came, Kumudham wrote like this in its review... ’Evvalavu naalaachu, indha maadhiri padam paarthu!’ I think whenever Bala’s film comes v can write this sentence.
I think Bala knows verywell abt the characterization after KB, Kamal.
Vikram - Knows everything but knows nothing.
Surya - Knows nothing but acts like knows everything.
Laila - 18 yrs child but a matured girl.
Sankeetha - She loves Vikram but not loves Vikram.
They hav ’muranpaadu’ not only with each others char, but also with their own. Wat makes them together? Nothing but ’Anbu’. All others knew sth abt ’paasam’, except Vikram. When he realises it, Bala gets his claps. Even then, Vikram didnt know anbu, but a feeling. V can know tat thr was a change in Vikram’s char after his affection with Surya, when he was dancing. Vikadan critisized this scene. I think this 1st ’chargesheet’ is baseless. So thallupadi seikiren.
And also the ’thukkadaa’ role also... The person who asked Vikram to say vanakkam to the villain, the jail chars, ...If I write all those, then u cant do anyother work other than reading the characterization.
And the dialogues... Showing himself, Villain asked ’Indha vayasula jail’ukku poanaa nallaavaa irukkum?’ (Oru paanai sotrukku oru soru padham!)
And the story.... Like Naveen said very simple story. But the scrnplay matters(like his Guru Balumahendra). I think lot of knots in the film. Vikram’s seclusion n his ’ejamaana visuvaasam’, Surya’s comedy role n his love with Laila, Vikram n Surya affection.... Bala handles these in a fantastic n unexpected manner! Vikadan raised eyebrows over the love b/w Surya n laila. It said Bala didnt show it in the expected lines. But if he showed them, it wud hav deviated the theme of film. Moreover Bala always like this. U can take Sethu... A dialogue b/w Vikram n Apitha in an unnoticed bungalow. And in Nandha... Only a song.. Munpaniyaa. But he showed them in a ’pakka’ manner. So ithaiyum thallupadi seikiren.
And the Direction... Esp in small scenes came only for 10 sec.(like Mahendran, MR) Esp. in jail scenes... the chitfund cheaters’ carelessness while Vikram was brought back to the cell after the police played him with belts, sticks! The jail ’saamiyar’s prayer with the foreigners! n one imp scene... A dog smelled the ’saakku’ which contained Surya’s body, but noother men was ready to untie it. Bala knows cinema is a visual medium. Frame by frame direction by Bala!!!
If I want to mention abt technical aspect, I shud mention abt Editing(Suresh Urs). A very tight editing with the help of very good scrnplay. Beleive me... I watched my watch only two times after I got into the theatre. After 10 min 4m interval and after 10 min 4m the slide ’a film by Bala’. Here I said ’after 10 min’. coz I hav lost myself for 10 min fully. I donno when I got up 4m the seat, how I came to the Bus stand. After Kannathil I saw a very good editing!!
The nxt thing is Camera(Balasubramaniam). He proved himself even in the 1st scene itself whr the camera went sideways n upwards n downwards when Vikram born. n in the intro scene of the villain... when he came out 4m his home! And the art dir(A C Pillai). Tat ’kanja thottam’! Surya’s dead body’s face... Was it art dir or make up? And the fight(Stunt Siva). Such a realistic fight!
Ok... come to the main dept... The one n only IR!!!!!!!! Emotions translator!! Mind blowing songs n Re-recording! This is the 2nd best Re-recording for me after Idhayathai Thirudaathey! Esp. When Vikram n others were walking with horses! Surya - Laila love(lovable too!) tunes! Tat ’Kanja thotta’ tunes! In many places ’Amaithiyaana’ tunes!.....
IR’ai ninaichi paarthaa, tune scenes aruvi maathiri kottuthu! Aana ezhuthanummunu ukkaanthaa... andha ezhuthu thaan.. vaarthai....! Manithar unarnthu kolla idhu manitha music alla.. Athaiyum thaandi punithamaanathu!!!!!!!!!
This is the 2nd film in which tears come out 4m my eyes(after Kutti). Strange thing is these 2 films r by IR.
The film has fewwww drawbacks too...
It didnt give answer why the parents of Laila didnt care abt her even after she had love with Surya.
Why a dentist’s daughter(Laila) studied in a polytechnic? Bala showed her family as upper middle class. So to my knowledge, many wud prefer arts or prof!
Even the final scenes were much different, somewat like ’Thalapathi’!
Did Bala give any resonable reason?(Cut by Theatre opr’s editing?)
Ok... now the question.. Who is Pithamagan?
No one can beat Beeshmar(Pithamagar). So if u take the characterization in the film, Vikram is Pithamagan, even in the acting too!
But if Beeshmar wasnot thr in Mahabharath battle, it wud hav lost its credential. So the Real Pithamagan is IR!
But Without Beeshmar thr cud be no Paandavaas or Gowravaas. Bala was behind all this! So Bala is Pithamagan(duplicate?)!
Ok... tata...
Regards,
Athi
B +ve