The challenging critics have always come up with a frustrating question. When will Tamil cinema fans get professional movies consistently? They have been asking the question consistently and with equal consistence failed to understand their role towards their target. Professionalism doesn’t come instantly, it comes only with experience.
Movie making is a process where every director has a theme, which he projects to the audience with many efforts. If you want to infuse professionalism, you have to infuse them in one or all of these three places (1) Theme (2) Effort and (3) Audience. With high commercial interests evolving in Tamil Cinema, many directors don’t opt for professionalism in the first two categories thanks to the level of professionalism in the third category.
Whenever Tamil cinema creators try to create some novel themes and try some bold attempts, there is always a ghost that walks inside them; the ghost of Failure, the ghost of commercial loss, the ghost of future and most importantly the ghost of either or neither of classes or masses owning the film. In the process, he/she has to make some compromises. The final product is not entirely the director’s envisioned brain child, but one that is intercepted by producers, critics, seniors, distributors, editors and off late politicians. I remember Gautam Menon raising this question in an elite cinema forum and Saran coolly replying that perception of the director cannot be fully projected. The Ghost of Tamil Cinema always walks in every director.
In Mayaavi, director D.P.Singapuli seems to have put that ghost to rest. He tries an interesting but short theme and gives it a lot of dimensions. Whether or not, the movie creates an impact on you, it gives you three hour entertainment. There are some logical gaps, yet there is not taking back that this is a well made movie. Let us analyze the major contributors of Mayaavi and their contributions.
BALA & KALAIPULI THANU : This is the debut venture of Bala’s B Studio. Kalaipuli Thanu has seen a lot of highs and lows. However it is interesting and ironic that these two contrasting personalities had come together to give a clean (not clean hit) movie for the summer. They should be appreciated for giving the director a free hand without pressing for any commercial purposes.
D.P.SINGAPULI This director has really evolved a lot after the unforgettable(also read unforgivable) Red. He seems to have got into an entirely different plane. The storyline (I have heard enough of criticism) was interesting, if not innovative. The screenplay was well designed and it is hard to find faults in his direction. The casting was appropriate and he made all the characters work suitably. The director maintained an air of liveliness throughout the film. If only he head tightened the noose in the second half, the results would have been much better.
RATHNAVELU : There was not much scope for Rathnavelu, when the most of the story revolves inside the eight walls of the room. Yet his camera provides rich visual experience outdoors. His capturing of the forest kidnapping scene, Mamallapuram locales, the railway station subway in bright lighting etc makes cinematography look easy. Rathnavelu establishes his class with his camera’s yet again
VIJI : This person once again takes us for a ride. Viji has started from exactly where he had left in Azhagiya Theeye. He adds to the prevalent humour with his tickling dialogues that keep your body ticking on for a long long time. His take on Sathyan/Surya elaborating Jyothika’s overacting, Surya’s genorisity of 10 bucks to the foreigner, Surya’s justification of the kidnapping puts Viji in contest for the Dialogues of the Year yet again. (I haven’t watched Ameer’s Ram yet. And I know Ameer’s dialogues are always bolt out of the blue sky)
DEVISRIPRASAD : After the first half, I thought his performance was very mediocre. But he made amends in the second half. All the three songs “Jyo Jyo Jothika” “Kadhavul Thantha” and “ Kaathdai Pola” were off different genre, yet he established his authority in each one of them. He was well supported by the lyrcist in all the three songs. His variety in playback singers is worth mentioning. Nevertheless, Devi Sir Prasad has miles to go in BGM.
SURESH URS : If only he had done what my theatre operator did in the second half Mayaavi would have gone head to head with Raam. Simply the theatre operator just took off “Kaatadhi” song and the long dialogues between Surya and Jyo in the climax. In the process he entirely removed the romantic angle between the lead pair.Believe me, the film looked so good without the romance.
THEATRE ARTISTS ; Three theatre artistes gave noteworthy performances; the characters manager Shanmugha, inspector Neelakandan and Easwarika(try guessing their real names). The theatre artistes had forged well into the film and performed their roles suitably. Their easiness in doing the roles only make us feel that they get more meaty roles.
VISHNUPRIYA : This spastic girl has won the hearts of critics and fans, all alike. As Sigappi, this real spastic girl has acted out the shades of her real character. It should have been a mentally and physically painful experience. Yet you turn speechless by her serious performance in reel life and humorous performance in real life.
SATYAN : This film should be an important milestone in his career. After starting as an hero and shifting to tiny roles besides heroes, Satyan finally makes grade in the character “Sathyaraj”. He plays an ideal foil and humour comes to him naturally and spontaneously. For once, Sathyan got a suitable role and he has made the most of it.
JYOTIKA : Acting out her real character should have been an unique and tasking experience for Jyotika. Jyo, as usual overacts (or I should say, has given the producer more for her money). All the same, you cannot stop loving this bubbly creature, full of expressions. Her natural voice with all North Indian accent is refreshing to our ears. And as always, Jyotika is refreshing to Tamilian’s eyes.
SURYA : His evolution in Tamil Cinema has been a stunning story and the fairy tale continues. Surya’s dedication and homeworking abilities have always been highlighted by critics. And just like you were with Nanda(Nanda), Gautam(Mounam Pesiyuthey), Anbuselvan(Khakka Khakka), Langarkattai(Pithamagan), Michael Vasanth(Ayutha Ezhuthu), you are completely fazed about Balaiyya. Only after the movie, you recognize its good old Surya. And he revels in all, humour, action and emotion in that order. I don’t think it’s intentional, but his imitation of Ajith was ultimate. I could not stop laughing.As Surya keeps going in his stride, we have to wait for Vikram’s performance in Boys. The battle between Bala’s boys is only getting big with every film.
And finally credits are due to the person who played Jyo’s mother, the lyricist for “Kadhavul”, art director and stunt director for tuning their performance with the likes of the movie.