Prabhu Ganesan - Charismatic, Affable and Underrated.

Murali-sar, why apologise? No need. We are too engrossed with your postings in NTs and in the Padalgal Palavitham threads. How are you going to find time to post it here.

This thread is not going anywhere. So, we can wait...with gratitude to your previous postings here.

Thanks for the new list. I didn't know of his particiaption in Mani's film. Will be third time, wouldn't it?

Yeah. After Agni Natchathram and Anjali.

Just watched Agni Natchathram - he is such a fluent performer :clap:

Duet (1994)
Written & directed by K. Balachander
(Assited by Anandhu).
Starring: Prabhu, Ramesh Aravind, Meenakshi Sheshadri and introducing Prakash Raj.

The film was one of the most highly anticipated for the time, due to many reasons, chiefly association of K. Balachander, the then leading hero, Prabhu and of course, the new musical chartbreaker, A. R. Rahman.

Making films with already established hero is a rare thing for K.B 80s onwards, so it was with curiosity that we viewed this film. The result was not disappointing. The film has its flaws, but good performance and great music, and apt direction saved it.

Alas, I am told, it did only average business. As scriptwriter William Goldman said about success of films, “Nobody knows”.

By now most of you should know the story. It’s basically a love story. Two brothers in love with a girl. Also, its love among the brothers and, unknown to some of the lead, love of a stepmother.

Prabhu plays Guna, a saxophonist and music composer and writer, while Ramesh Aravind plays his brother, Siva, a singer, an ex-suicidal case and career whiner. Meenakshi Sheshadri, hot from Bollywood, plays the love subject here (is it me, or does she look a lot like Saroja Devi?).

Of course, the film also marks the debut of Prakash Raj. And it was quite a debut…a lasting impression, so much so, that Prakash Raj is now one of our finest character actors, and also a good producer (he named his film company after this film).

He plays Star Hero, an antithesis of Rajini perhaps. He is opposite of the image of Rajini as we know it, arrogant, crude, violent, possessive and is full of himself. And he too is in love with Meenakshi. They should have named this film, Everyone Loves Meenakshi.

And so the struggle goes….till the bloody ending. Yes, it involves death, unnecessary but it happens.

Let me go department by department.

Writing and direction:
Nothing new from one of the masters of multiple angled love. KB’s direction by now has become a bit pedestrian, and predictable. The shock and awe tactic of the 70s is gone, and is now replaced with simpler shots.

I recall an interview which KB said he was directly involved with the song sequences and fight sequences. Former was good, and the latter sucked.

I believe KB wanted this to be a masalaic feature, and I’d say it is in between the usual dramatic KB fare and typical masala flicks.

And he could have avoided the dreadful comedy track. It was horrid.

Music:

ARR rocks! The specialty in this film is the sax. He roped in Kadrith Gopalnath to do the solo sax…which sees a unique way of playing. The sax is made to sound like nathaswaram…interesting and very unique.

Also, I was told that there was a second sax player in this film. But it was Kadri who got the spotlight.

All the songs rock. My non-Tamizh speaking fiancé loves Kulichaan Kuttaalam. We all love En Kathale, a powerful ballad that even SPB now would think twice to sing (of course he can). Yes, who can forget the melodious Anjali. The fusion-istic Mettu Poodu

And the background score too. ARR is only two years in the industry (as film composer) and he was already composing like a senior. Look at him now…

Acting.

Everyone did a good job. Prakash Raj, of course, steals the show here and there.

But the heartbeat of the film is Prabhu.

Here, he displays his biggest strength as an actor: displaying vulnerability. There is always something about his performance that moves us. It is further emphasised here when his body size is made fun off. His character takes it easy, but there is pain in there.

And he is constantly thrown in moments where he cannot fight back…and we feel for him, when he is unable to speak for himself, unable to defend himself, and when he can only sulk in silence.

Here, he is a nice, gentle creature with fallibility. And when he falls, he falls hard. And Prabhu excels in showing innocence in jeopardy. Sure, there are some tough guy moments, when he indulges in physical fight with, or confronting Prakash Raj. Other than that, you feel his loneliness.

Watch his facial expression when he plays the sax for En Kathale. That is a lonely man in a house filled with gaiety. A lonely man easing his pain through music and entertainment to the public.

Great performance. Great actor. I don’t know what else to say.

Aside: Our very own Mohanram-sar plays Prabhu’s dad. May I, with all the arrogance of a film critic, say that his credibility in playing an elderly character was destroyed by the fact that he looked (and still do) damned young! End of aside.

The others did a competent job. Those who likes to use the label “overacting” should take a look at Ramesh Aravind here.

Overall:
Could have been greater, if not for the silly comedy, unnecessary fight sequence. Best to be remembered for excellent music and Prabhu.

Note: This film was shown in Vellitirai yesterday. Joe, thanks for the info.

Watched the movie yesterday. tremendous performance by Prabhu uncle. Not that anyone else were bad, but Prabhu was just too good.

Nice writeup Groucho :clap:

Good one groucho. Prabhu would have done a great job in Duet. Particularly in " En kadhale" song, he will be playing the sax and suddenly look at Meenakshi entering the hall. Immediately his eyes would brighten up and without stop playing the sax he will switch over to "Anjali" song. His facial expressions & eyes will speak volumes in this scene.

Rakesh,

Nice write up on Duet. Prabhu underplayed that role to perfection. What I wanted to quote, Mohan has already done. But still I would second him regarding that scene. One more scene that was so nicely done by Prabhu was the one when lights would go off and you can hear the water drops falling from the tap. With this backdrop Prabhu would recite a kavidhai laced with emotions (kudos to Vairamuthu also).

But the best compliment came from Kadhiri Gopalnath. He said that barring one or two fleeting seconds, Prabhu's handling of saxophone was near perfect. But Rakesh, as you always used to say, Prabhu's performance never got the due credit. People took it for granted that it is no great deal for Sikkal Shanmugasundaram's son to do it in a perfect manner.

Now coming to the let downs, as you had rightly pointed out the comedy and unnecessary fight sequence were the major ones. Worst still after the movie's release KB blamed Prabhu fans for insisting on including such heroics. I used to wonder (in fact still wondering) who were those fans who went to warren road to demand such scenes. Nice excuse for a man of his calibre who lifted the vaazhaipazha comedy from Karakaattakaran and made it as a cheque (instead of vazhaippazham) here.

Regarding songs what to say except that as an album and as a combination of Vairamuthu - Rahman, it is on top of my list. (On a lighter vein always used to enjoy Prabhu with his trademark கன்னக்குழி புன்னகை lip syncing நடிச்சா எங்கப்பன்).

One magazine while reviewing the movie said that in our Tamil culture, it is 101 that occupies a predominant position than 100 and likewise Duet, the 101st film of Prabhu would occupy a more prominent position in his career. How true!

Regards

One scene which I love in the film is the one where he puts together the jumble

When his stepmother rearranges "வாசி வாசி" as the intended "சிவா சிவா", his reaction will be great. He will know that it is after all the more probable meaning. In a mix of embarassment and self-pity he will go into denial.

In another (following ?) scene in the terrace, the stepmother waxes eloquent about how he should be the bigger man (உன்னைப் பத்தி என்னவோ நினைச்சிருந்தேன்.... இவ்வளோதானா நீ ?). Then recounts her life's experience about the unparalleled joy in sacrifice. Prabhu will respond with "இதையே ஏன் நீங்க அவன் கிட்ட சொல்லக்கூடாது ?"

The delivery of that line is very impressive.This dialogue in particular is atypical of his character and he would have pulled it without sounding suddenly villanous or anything. He knows what he says is not possible. He knows Siva more than anyone else in the world.Yet he will display almost childlike petulance out of his love.

When he is recounting Yuvarani jilted him for being obese, you will see the anger : அவளை அடிச்சு பல்லை கிழட்டிருப்பேன் (or something like that...Sivaji also uses that expression in many films :-) )

I will compare it to Virumaandi's reactions when recounting his days to Angela. As he describes his face will show the various emotions pertinent to what he is describing. What is endearing about Prabhu's acting is that he is recounting a low-point in his life several years earlier when he has still not moved on considerably.
To quote a memorable line

Embarrassment is one of the most enduring of emotions, with a terrible needling rhythm. Grief heals; hate like love, fades over time; but when touched by memory old embarrassments throb like fresh wounds - Irene Dische (Sad strains of a Gay Waltz)

An excellent actor. Hope he gets to do more interesting roles in the coming years.

PR, thanks. I wanted to do a list of scenes to watch out, and yours and Murali sars were supposed to be in. But I wanted fellow hubbers input as well. Yes, those scenes are amazing example of his acting prowess. What went wrong towards the late 90s and 2000s, I don’t know. I guess as the quality of TFI itself deteroriated (my assessment), so did the quality of roles that came his way.

And that is a nice quote. Fits the situation you described. And yes, that “palla kazhutiduveen” is very NT.

Murali-sar,

Thanks. Of KB, I recall very well (appa-appa memory work pannum) an interview he did where he actually bragged about doing the action sequence himself. He said, normally he will leave it to the stunt master and someone else to shoot, if there is a fight scene, but this time he personally handled it. If he is not interested, he could have got someone to do it, right? As a director who understands market, I am sure that using Prabhu, he would have WANTED to include that scene to cater the market.

I am glad that you like the album, it is one of my favourite too…My brother, a ARR fan(atic) said that there was actually a second sax player used for the film. And yes, we NT fans relish that “Nadiccha enggappan” line. A wink from Vairamuthu to fellow NT fans.

Oh, another smashing scene: The “Vennilaavin Theeril” and Prabhu’s silent suffering. All patient elder brothers (like me) can relate to that sequence, that’s for sure.

Thanks to VCD/DVD, we have forward button, and we can enjoy this film without the silly comedy and

Oh well, lets see what else the cinema industry has to offer to Prabhu.