|
justice to his character and deserves the accolades
in every sense. Amy Jackson is not only enchantingly
beautiful but she steals the show with her impeccable
performance. The 2008 Miss teenage World has fitted
very well into the character and has carried the weight
well by an apt display of emotions.
Good music, good cinematography, good performances
so what? It’s been the case with many other
period flicks that were attempted before as well.
What else makes this movie special?
Yes, though there have been various attempts at making
period movies in the recent past from Siraichalai
to Hey Ram to Bharathi to Periyar and though the technical
aspects were equally good and though veterans like
Kamal Haasan have been the directors, there has been
a missing element. The element that is responsible
for connecting these dots- A good Screenplay. The
one significant factor that differentiates Madharasapatinam
from all similar attempts before is the gripping screenplay.
Vijay belittles all other departments in this aspect.
After perhaps the days of Veerapandiya Kattabomman
by the legendary Sivaji Ganesan, I feel the Tamil
audiences were captivated by a period script only
in Madharasapattinam. Kudos to Vijay for the brilliant
screenplay. Except for the odd placement of the ‘Aaruyire’
song which slowed the pace of the movie a little in
the 2nd half, there was no glitch anywhere in the
entire screen play.
Besides showcasing extraordinary talent in all departments,
I think the movie will have a big social impact. How
many of us who have walked, run, slept and (Sorry
to say this but) spat in the Chennai Central Station
have thought that it is one of the biggest historical
monuments of the city? The next time Chennaites see
the Coovam they will for sure feel a tint of shame
for what they have done to the once scenic ‘Buckingham
canal’.
Although one would feel shades of Lagaan and Titanic
during the course of the movie, as a whole package
I think it has taken Tamil Cinema to new heights.
And the least we can do to encourage such creators
and creations is to watch the movie in theatres.
Thank you Vijay for the wonderful journey that took
me from the polluted, stinking, Chennai I know of
to the beautiful Madharasapattinam and (importantly)
back. Sometime again in my life when I do pass by
the Central Station and if the clock strikes, I will
remember the lovely couple- Paridhi and Amy Wilkinson-
who spent a night in the very clock room once upon
a time in Madharasapattinam.
Thanks,
Manikandan
orangedusk@gmail.com
|
