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| Ajith
: "I am back" |
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Rich
legacies need worthy inheritors, they don’t
come easy or fast, they can be the most unexpected
and most underappreciated candidates for the privilege
and yet they inherit the legacy with pride and
distinction. There is a portion out of the English
animation film Ratatouille that seems appropriate
here. The voice over in this portion said ‘In
many ways, the work of a critic is easy’.
We risk so very little andyet enjoy a position
over |
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those who offer their work and self up to our judgment. We
revel in negative criticism which is both fun to write and
read but the truth that we must admit is that in the grand
scheme of things the most average piece of junk is probably
more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.’ |
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But
there are times when the critic in us gets a chance
to defend something new, something that deserves its
place at the top. Talent is nothing without opportunity
and the world often tends to be unkind and dismissive
to talent that does not get the right opportunity.
Not every opportunity is the right one but the right
one can come any time and when the time comes the
talent blooms. For years now this man has been the
Aegan in Kollywood, battling on, fighting and faltering
but never giving up. For a leading hero his success-failure
ratio is not very bright, something even he will agree
being an honest and straightforward man. Yet for the
thousands of Thala fans who throng theaters every
time his film releases he has been and remains the
Ultimate Star Ajith Kumar. His career has been much
like a rose plant, there have been the roses of success
but there are also thorns of failure that have hurt.
Looking at it objectively, he has had more ups and
downs in his career than the average Kollywood flick
in which he appears and in spite of all that he is
here in 2008, more than 15 years after his debut,
vindicating the unflinching support of his adoring
fans, his well wishers. Today Billa completes 100
days in theaters.
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What
does this unique 100 mean to Ajith? First, it is a rasping
answer to all those who have doubted his abilities.
When Billa was announced there were a lot of aspersions
cast. Can Ajith carry off a role that was immortalized
by the Superstar, can he bring the same magic on screen
or will this one be a lame and pale reflection on one
of Rajini’s landmark movies? These were tough
questions to answer and to carry on with one’s
work in the face of such imposing expectations was tougher.
But driven by conviction, determination and faith in
the director Ajith soldiered on. The confidence that
stemmed out of his widely appreciated performance in
Kreedom must also have helped. The product was not a
simple recreation of what we saw and loved in 1981,
Billa 2007 was a stylish, slick and sleek adaptation
of Tamil cinema’s Don. Style was redefined and
a new genre of Tamil cinema emerged, one driven by style
and presentation, we are sure to see more movies bordering
on this genre soon. The hard work put in and the faith
sown in the director shine through in every frame of
Billa. |
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To not give adequate credit to the entire team that realized
the Billa dream would be gross injustice and so here is the
roll of honor. First, to Vishnuvardhan for his great vision
and gumption to attempt something as risky as Billa, no film
in the recent past has margins of error with potentially disastrous
consequences as Bill had. Also, a very special mention on
behalf of all Thala fans for bringing to us the resurgent
Ultimate Star, free from the shackles of troublesome failures.
The technical team was of paramount importance in actualizing
the stylish vision that Vishnuvardhan had for Billa. Be it
the fights, the chases or the lighting, everything had class
and finesse, elements that separate the hits from the blockbusters.
2007 has been a great year for fans of the Ultimate Star.
Their faith in their beloved Thala has come good. Of course,
the year started off in the same familiarly disturbing pattern
of failure with Aalwar. But Kreedom turned the tide. Not a
money raker, but a movie that reminded us of the talents that
Ajith possesses as an actor. Then, along came Billa and the
rest as they say, is history. Today, on the 100th day of Billa’s
theatrical run (reign) when we look back down the line we
can see how close Thala was, to being a spring that may never
have blossomed. There were times when weaker men would have
lost hope but he stood firm. Ajith is back and he is on track.
Maybe, becoming a father brings with it the charms of success.
May this charm continue to work. We need the Aegan of Kollywood
to give us more Billas.
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