VISITOR COLUMN

This year is the Indian Cinemas Centenary Celebration Year, and this is the time to congratulate our Indian Cinema. I would like to share my thoughts about our Tamil Cinema in this Great occasion. Tamil Cinema has traveled with lot of ups and downs for the past several decades. 

Cinema is a paid entertainment. We are paying money to entertain our self. Director’s creative angles in each and every frame of the 3 hrs drama make us euphoric for so many years. " ENTERTAINMENT " is the Mantra for any successful film. If a director deviates from the Mantra "entertainment " , sure he will become a scapegoat in the box office.  I have lot of doubts about the Directors angles in creating the films and cine goers mind sets accepting those films. The following are the few doubts of me, wanted clarifications from my fellow readers or visitors.

1. Let me analyze the facts entertainment, good film, bad film and a successful film. I would like to consider this year examples like Kanna Lattu Thinna Assaiyaa , Paradesi, Alexpandian. Out of these KLTA is an entertaining film. Paradesi is a good film, while Alex Pandian is a bad film, which are my own perceptions. But which is the successful film out of these three? The answer is KLTA. How it happened? Why Paradesi has not done impact in Box Office ? Siruththai was a hit, but Alex Pandian was not a hit. But both are commercial films. Cine Goers have given same marks for a good film like Paradesi and a bad film like Alex Pandian. Which is common in the above said good film and the bad film? Lack of entertainment?

2. Why do some of our directors force their concepts to the audience, who are paying money for an entertainment? Here I would like to share my personnel views about Bala's approach in creating films. I was a hardcore fan of Bala, few years back. His Sethu, Nandha, PithaMagan were outstanding films. All those films were picturized in such a way that, those had created lot of impacts in public, which made a big fan base for Bala, and all the three films were blockbusters too. If anyone analyzes those films, one can find out that, those films had equal mixing of good music, sentiments, action, twists and typical Bala style real characters. I believe equal mixing of sentiments / action / twists / and music are much needed for a good screenplay. That is an entertainment. Now let us see Naan Kadavul, Avan Ivan and Paradesi- All these films are too good films for Bala's fans. But Bala has deviated slowly from the Mantra entertainment. He has forced his concepts to the audience [my own perception], which deviated more from the cine goers mind set. For eg. in Pitha Magan, even though the hero was portrayed as insane, he has done heroism at the climax. But in Naan Kadavul, the Hero has killed the heroine. Even though the Hero character of Naan Kadavul justifies the climax , it becomes an anti climax , which didn't entertain most of the cine goers. Similarly in Paradesi, in Climax Hero was helpless and he was crying loudly, even though most of the other fellow workers were working in that tea estate with more physical & mental strength. A hero should save others. Instead if he cries, it may not entertain people. Even though Bala justifies his heroe’s characters in these two films, he forces his concept and mind angle towards the audience, forgetting they are paying money to get an entertainment. Fans alone can’t make a film successful. 

3. In 1980 s SakalaKalaa Vallavan was a blockbuster. It was produced by AVM, directed by SP MuthuRaman and music was by IlaiyaRaja.. But next year the same AVM has produced Payum Puli , with the same techies. Both were commercial films, but Sakalakakala Vallavan was a Hit and Payum Puli was not a hit. Why it was so? It means commercial films alone can’t entertain people. People are accepting entertainment not only in commercial movies, also in art movies like Moontraam Pirai, Engeyo Ketta Kural, 6 lirunthu 60 varai, Aval oru Thodarkathai, Paruththi Veeran, Vazhakku En 18/9, 16 Vayathinile and Sethu. If the directors presentation are good even in sorrowful screenplay, cine goers entertained and engaged in those movies and movie lovers are ready to make those films as blockbusters. 

4. Some of the best directors who entertain movie lovers for long time are Balachander and Bharathi Raja. In Balchander's carrier lot of ups and downs were there. His Ethir Neechal, Aval Oru Thodarkathai, Arangetram , Thanneer Thanner were more or less art films. But those were mixed properly with music, mild comedy as well as some universal entertaining concepts. But in Kalyana Akathikal film, BalaChander had forced some controversial concepts to the audience [this is also my own perception] and from that film onwards, his films were not doing well for some period of time. Afterwards he rectified himself from his concepts and he had given universal entertaining films like Sinthu Pairavi, Punnagai Mannan etc. Same in the case of Bharathi Raja too. After so many successful films, he has changed his concepts after Vetham Puthithu, from that period onwards he couldn't deliver an entertaining film. 

5. I believe K.Bhagyaraj is the Best screenplay writer of the Tamil Cinema. he was successful in all departments like acting, screenplay and direction . He was UNIQUE. But the directors like SJ Surya, Cheran, ThangarPachaan, Sundar.C, Ameer, have tried BhagyaRaj's way and failed flatly. These directors had forced their presence as the actors in silver screens, which were neglected by the audience. It’s True. Sundar.C has come out from the actor's image and now he is successful as a director for the last couple of films and cine goers are expecting the same from the other actors turned directors too..

6. No creator will be successful, if he deviates more from the common cine goers likings. All the commercial directors are not successful always, which means commercialism in Cinema is not alone an entertainment. Apart from that, reading the pulse of cine goers is the most important thing for a creator. Shankar is the best, who delivers commercial films too in artistic way for long time. But at the same time, small budgeted films like Vazhakku En 18/9, Kumki are also successful attempts to entertain public in classic manner. 

My final suggestion is "ENTERTAINMENT " is the Mantra for a good cinema either for an artistic or for a mass film . If the mind angle of a creator doesn't focus properly on the mindset of cine goers, it will be a defeat for that creator. Am I correct?