By Srinivasan Sundar
This is the pre-final of a five-part series of random reminiscences of the recent decades of Kollywood.1980s, 1990s and 2000s are here. The 2010-decade was definitive. It had character. Largely due to Naalaiya Iyakkunar there was new blood in the industry. The screens had something fresh to offer.Genres were getting reinvented (Kalavani, ’96, Super Deluxe, Jigarthanda, Pisaasu). Masala films were also getting refined; The 100-Cr Club got bigger and stronger. Making films was getting more serious. The importance of audience grew. OTT was becoming a force to reckon.There was so much activity and it all came to a screeching halt just after the end of the decade because of a virus.
Petta (2019, Karthik Subbaraj)
Well, this maybe the Superstar’s last great movie as the Superstar. A fanboy film by Karthik Subbaraj, Petta not only utilised the magnetic reserves of the Superstar to the fullest but also consolidated it.The film tried to create a crossover for Rajinikanth between the old and the new world. The story locations too manifest that: haughty hinterland with goondas and guns vs. a college campus nestled in cool clouds. It is something smart. Casting the veteran Simran opposite to the star provided us a nice balance – an enjoyable romance track, without inflicting the pain of watching Rajinikanth carrying outdance drills with a freshly-minted heroine. Anirudh’s first for Rajinikanth, the music was splendid and aligned with the film. On the flip side, I wish the film had not dragged towards the end, and more importantly – Nawazuddin Siddique had got a meatier role.One expects (hopes) the Superstar digs deep into his acting skills and gives us a taste of his pre-Superstar days.
Demonte Colony (2015, Ajay Gnanamuthu)
It was nearing midnight. I was chilled to the bone during one of my recent revisits of the film as I clearly felt the whole place trembling. Soon I realised it had nothing to do with me watching Demonte Colony (much relief!). The city actually experienced mild (fortunately) tremors. Demonte Colony is a real horror film. I am not sure if any other director had started his career with a proper ghost film like this one. Hats off to Ajay Gnanamuthu!
Vikram Vedha(2017, Pushkar–Gayatri)
Style and substance; beauty and brains. Meticulously created, Vikram Vedha’s specialty lay in establishing a thing and then turning it over the head.Characters shift colours; good and evil go on roller-coaster rides. The film mostly deals with human minds as they exist in real life – fallible, vulnerable, opportunistic, irrational and so on. It is rare to see such characters getting written. Even Chandra, the girlfriend, readily runs away with her man’s money bag. It is not just the mere arrangement of the sub-stories as chapters/episodes that makes the screenplay structure of Vikram Vedha stand apart from most films – but the created need for these chapters is what makes the screenplay extraordinary. Music by Sam C.S. elevated the film. Another feather in the cap of Vijay Sethupathi!
Kadal(2013, Mani Ratnam)
Kadal is a creation that the multiple Oscar-winner A.R.Rahman would be proud of throughout his life. On one hand you have this Elay Keechaan.., sung by the composer himself, that is such a peppy song with all this Spanish guitar-type of cool stuff, while on the other extreme there is this ultra-complex and unconventional Adiye.. sung by Sid Sriram (debut). Anbin Vaasale.. by Haricharan is grand yet humble. It has something soothing about it, but the song does not let you fall asleep. Chithirai Nela.. by Vijay Yesudas is my personal favourite. I find it deep and soulful. Moongil Thottam. (Abhay, Harini) and Nenjukkule (Shakthisree Gopalan) are among the all-time top melodies of Rahman. The latter brought the singer closer to our hearts and the bond continues till date with Aga Naga.. (PS -2). By the way, if you are unlucky it’s just not that the bullet gets way off the mark, but worse the gun doesn’t even fire. But to rise and rise from the rock-bottom to accomplish something like Ponniyin Selvan (2022& 2023) – it is unparalleled. No other filmmaker has ever pulled off such a feat. Mani Ratnam rocks!
Sathuranga Vettai (2014, H.Vinoth)
Director H.Vinoth created a new genre of Tamil cinema with his debut film SathurangaVettai. Picking up from real life, large scale con incidents the film takes us into a world where greed and ingenuity are the two sides of a coin. Natty, essentially a cinematographer, excelled as an actor as he carried the entire film on his shoulders as Gandhi Babu. A well-written film with some memorable dialogues SathurangaVettai yet again proved what it takes to make a gripping and successful film. It is sad that the much-awaited SV-2 is yet to hit the screens. Or is it not?
Other memories: VIP, Veeram, Mundasupatti, Naan Mahaan Alla, Thuppaki, Uriyadi..
P.S.: The concluding part will be done once the decade ends.