A discussion about small-budget films?

Well folks, I don't know if there's already been a thread about this... If there has, then please direct me there... but if there isn't, then I'd like to talk about this...

First, I'd like to ask if anyone can give us at least a general explanation about the economics/finance side of film-making in Kodambakkam...

Secondly, I'd like to talk about low-budget films that were widely acclaimed...

I'm assuming Mysskin's "Anjathey" was a small-budget production - am I correct about this? I mean - there were no big name stars in the cast (although they all performed really well), no big stunt sequences, no songs filmed in exotic locations, etc. - none of the elements that usually push up the production costs... but despite that, I really liked the film - I felt it was the best Tamil film I've seen in a long time...

Likewise, another Tamil film I really liked - but made a looooooooooonnnnng time back, was Mahendran's "Uthiri Pookal", which again, I assume, was a low-budget production...

What's the future for films like these? I mean, typically, what do they cost, how long do they take to produce, what's the returns like on such films?

Also, I'd like to ask you guys to provide your analyses of these films...

Let's discuss, folks...

A few brief points about "Anjathe"...

I watched the film last year, and though I liked it, much has faded from my memory, so excuse any omissions...

The story - about two good friends, Krupa and Satya, both of them sons of policemen. Krupa is highly motivated to become a policeman, while Satya is much less ambitious... however, the cruel irony of circumstances results in Krupa entering (and getting trapped in) the world of crime whereas Satya is drawn into the police service, almost unexpectedly... Krupa's anger and frustration at being denied what he wanted destroys their friendship... matters are further complicated when Satya finds that his friend is linked to the criminals he is pursuing...

Now we've seen these themes before - the theme of a "good guy turning to crime", the theme of broken friendships, etc., but what was impressive here was the way the director takes these and weaves them together in the screenplay - the film is paced in a way that the flow of the action assumes prime importance, and in the latter half, the film functions as a crime thriller that also has a meaningful story - so the viewer is absorbed into the film - the turn of events takes you by surprise... You want the police to stop the criminals, yet you feel for the Krupa character as his situation goes from bad to worse in nightmarish fashion, because at heart, he is not a bad man.

The performances - The two main actors - Narain as Satya and Ajmal as Krupa were both relative newcomers, yet both performed impressively. The villains were played by Prasanna and Pandyarajan, neither of whom has played negative roles before - an effective casting move. Prasanna could have worked a little harder, though.

The cinematography - this was really impressive - the locations (including indoor spots) they picked, the camera angles, the lighting, the colour balance, etc. - everything adds to the overall feel of the film - creates the right "mood" - there's a sense of sadness and despair in the second half of the film - although Satya is the lead character, there is an overwhelming feeling of sorrow at his former best friend's downward spiral. As far as I could tell, there was no compromise on the cinematography despite the low budget - I've seen more expensive films with less impressive camera work.

The music - Sundar C Babu's music was good - I mean it served this film perfectly. "Kannadasan Karaikudi" and "Mannasukkul" were two numbers that were perfect for the respective situations in the film - again creating exactly the right feel. "Kannadasan...", while it is a song for an occasion of conviviality, seems to carry a hint of sadness, striking when you listen to the song after you've watched the film. At least, that's my impression.

Well as you can tell, this is not a very deep review, I'm not hugely knowledgeable about film-making, I just thought I'd put a few of my thoughts here... when I have the time, I might write more - I might re-review the film...

It is a very good movie. Indeed one of the best I've known. Just that I hated the way they chose to end it off. (Not the climax) Still, stunning cinematography, performances and direction.

I'd like to mention Aanivaer. And movies like Kanda naal mudhal, arindhum ariyamalum, naam, iyarkai, Chennai-28.