here you go :boo:
Printable View
here you go :boo:
Paandippada :- thanks for Asianet channel :bow: :bow: purely fun-filled entertainer :)
Sarna,
nanRi hai!
AksharangaL. Jeyamohan contrasted Lohi's women with M.T's M.T.Vasudevan's women in Lohi's obit. Easy to notice it when you observe Seema's character in this film. A lot of similarities to her ALkUttathil thaniyE character.
Deepak,
Nice to see you mention about Aksharangal and Alkootathil thaniye. If only you had mentioned that Jayamohan is the character name of Mams in Aksharangal [the teacher role - always felt Mam - IVSasi -MT combo was superb], less initiated would have understood it well.
Another happy news is Mammookka's latest movie "Loud Speaker" directed by Jayaraj and released today seems to be very good. The reviews have been good so far. Here is one
Loud Speaker -Review
By Cine Critic | 20th september, 2009| 3:40:15
Mammootty has proved time and again that he is at his best in family-oriented films. Thaniyavarthanm, Valsalyam, Kazhcha, Amaram,are some of the films which have evoked wholehearted response from the cine-goers. It is a big relief to note that after a brief flirtation with flippancy in Bhootham and Love in singapore, the Malayalam megastar is back on familiar ground in Loud Speaker. The result of the Mammootty-Jayaraj team-up is a delectable mind-blowing family entertainer.
This is the second time Mammootty and Jayaraj have come together, the first time being in Johny Walker. Family-centric plots are Jayaraj’s forte too. Two of his films that spring to mind are Thalolam and Deshadanam, both of which secured critical as well as popular acclaim.
Story starts when Mike Philippose coming from a village to the city to donate his kidney for his financial needs. Menon, (Sasikumar) he lost both kidneys and living on dialysis who requires an emergency kidney replication. Philippose comes and started staying with Menon in flat. Philippose is a loud speaker by nature and becoming a nuisance for both Menon and other people who lives in other flats. But slowly but gradually Philippose becoming a part of their whole life and how this relationship grows and leads into a stunning climax.
Strong point of Loud Speaker is competent performances from, Mammootty and Sasi kumar . And when it is propped up by a powerful script (Jayaraj) and crisp dialogues, the outcome is a fare that appeals to all, cutting across gender and age barriers.Then there is Salim Kumar & Suraj whose mahout provides the comic element, and Gracy Singh who plays an home Nurse, nothing much to do for her but done her part well. Kochin haneef, Jagathi and KPAC Lalitha acquit themselves well in supportive roles.
Bijipal’s music meshes well with the mood of the movie. One song remix of , “Alliyambal” sung by Vijay Yesudas has caught on popular imagination.
All in all, Loud Speaker is a simple story told in a simple way. Jayaraj takes a mighty swipe at modernity that kills relationships and blights fraternal bonds. No matter the hurdles, love ,Friend ship and kin triumph in the end. That is the enduring message of Loud Speaker. And Jayaraj has conveyed it convincingly.
Verdict: Excellent
Waiting for Chennai release.
Regards
[tscii]He meant writer Jeyomahan, who wrote a series of posts about Lohitadas when he passed away. In those posts he contrasted the way MT Vasudevan Nair and Lohitadas portrayed their women.Quote:
Originally Posted by Murali Srinivas
Quote:
Originally Posted by [url=http://jeyamohan.in/?p=3310
Thanks Prabhu for the clarification. The name Aksharangal mentioned by Deepak made me to write that. Now reading his sms type message again [obit etc], I get it.
Regards
PS: On second thoughts, the teacher jayamohan - is it Aksharangal or Anubandham?
Murali Sir,
The Anubandham character is 'Muralidharan Master', I believe :) . In AksharangaL Mammootty plays a writer called Jayadevan.
P_R has rightly pointed out the article I was referring to. I was in a rather cryptic mood while typing the post. Possibly because I didn't expect many people to read it. :)
I am actually more happy for Jayaraj if Loud Speaker is good. For someone who made films like kaLIyAttom and DeshAdanam, 4 the people and its likes were a significant drop in quality.
It seems there have been a few good Malayalam movies of late (KANA kaNmaNi, oru black and white kudumbam, Loud speaker...). And Pazahassi Raja is expected in a couple of weeks.
Thanks Deepak for the Jayadevan -Jayamohan clarification again.
Regarding Jayaraj, you are right. He had made films in two extremities. If you see his latest films like Rain ! Rain --, you would be shocked to the core and would wonder whether this was the same guy who did Deshadanam and Kaliyaattam. Now it seems he has redeemed himself with Loud Speaker. This is the first time he had written the screenplay by himself [Mams asked him to do it. Earlier Ranjit was supposed to write it] and it has come out well.
But I am not sure of other films you had mentioned. While Kaana Kanmani seems to be a horror movie [Prethabaadha pidikkuna oru kochukutti] and is average, I heard. After Veruthe Oru Bharya, Jayaram is struggling to sustain that success though Baagya Devatha helped a bit [thanks to Sathyan Anthicaud].
Black and White kudumbam seems to be a disaster. That's what I was told.
Regarding PAzhassi Raaja, the film is scheduled to hit the theatres on Oct 2nd, though the Tamil version may release on Deepavali day. Yesterday the audio release function took place in Ernakulam and here is the link.
http://www.keralapals.com/2009/09/th...lusive-report/
Regards
Thiraikkadha. Prithviraj - Priyamani. Supposed to be based on Kamal-Srividya affair. Too dramatic for my taste. Disappointing. And for those hype and hoopla that Priyamani would get national award for this film, blasphemy. Oru wig vechchukitta, award kuduththiduNama!
It is being dubbed in Tamil to cash in on 'Prithvi-Priyamani' affair.Quote:
Originally Posted by AravindMano
pranayavarnangal...
TV-la sariyA pakkala.. so oru DVD kidaichadhu..
nice movie.. :P
Bhramaram got released here :) is it worth a watch ? anyone please confirm
Saravana,
You can watch Bhramaram solely for Mohanlal. He had given out a splendid performance. [Ofcourse, that's what I heard. I have not seen myself].
Regards
PS: You tell me one info! The film Josh - starring Nagarajuna's son [Naga Chaithanya] and Radha's daughter [Krithika], how was it? Is it a hit?
Two great posts on writing, the differences between Thamizh and Malayalam cinema (or at least what Malayalam cinema used to be) and the literary nature of a screenplay in Jeyamohan's posthumously published interview of A.K.Lohithadas. I am translating it to English because I believe a wider audience needs to read it.
Thanks Deepak. It was a good read. Lohi is one of my favourite screenplay writers and this was a good introspection.
Regards
PS: Pleasantly surprised to see my letter still there in his blog. Earlier the entire thing [Sivaji -MGR kindal] had been removed.
Oh yeah. I was just mentioning it in the other thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by complicateur
As he mentions in his second post, it was apparently published in 2003 itself in a journal edited by documentary filmmaker Leena Manimekalai. He republishing it in his blog.
Murali Sir,
You are welcome.
P_R,
I think in the post-Padmarajan/Bharathan era, Lohithadas written films were the last bastion before Malayalam cinema fell into complete disarray. It seemed that he was losing his touch slightly since SoothradhAran (Jeyamohan indicated possible reasons in his obit).
As artists Lohi and Bharathan are incredibly close to my heart. Which is ironic because we could not be from more dissimilar backgrounds. I am if anything, quintessential middle class, while they were salt of the earth people. And yet I understand nearly every sentiment of theirs. I was so into every word of that interview I translated most of part 1 and posted it on the google groups created for those who attended the workshop. I felt it is sort of essential reading. But as aapiser Panneerrrrselvam might say "Response-E sariyilla" :mad: !
Anyway these are movies I would recommend in Lohi's filmography:
1.ThaniyAvarthanam
2.Kireedom
3.Jathakam (unmentioned usually but I think it is a lovely small film)
4.Mudra
5.His Highness Abdulla (there is a lot of comedy here and I am not sure if subtitles can do it justice - I have the VCD).
6.Bharatham
7.Amaram
8.Venkalam
9.BhoothakkaNNAdi (directed by him)
10.Kanmadam (directed by him)
That is 10 films. How many filmmakers can you say that about in India?
compli, link to your translation please
Plum,
It isnt posted anywhere you can read it immediately... So I will post the part I am done translating here. P_R, Murali Sir and others may correct any mistakes. If there are enough requests I will continue translating the whole thing.
Jeyamohan (JM): Why did you choose cinema as your medium? What kindled your interest?
A.K.Lohithadas (AKL): Cinema became my medium much later. My first medium was literature. My first introduction to the written word was at a young age. To be honest, I think writing came to me well before reading.
Every child looks to express itself, to justify its existence. It finds an outlet based on its own character, talents and surroundings. Music, sports, studies etc… Writing was something that reached me in this manner. From a very young age, I found indescribable strength in giving my worries and tears words. I felt untouchable … as if I was beating my worries…
JM: Your youth was quite sorrow-filled.
AKL: Yes. My father abandoned us when I was young. I grew up a hungry orphan. Lived in many of m relative’s homes. The written word was my greatest companion. I am a littérateur at heart. Cinema is the medium for my literature.
At the same time, words were insufficient. I needed acting as well. I would always act out what I wrote in my mind. I started writing in a manner that engendered acting and these became suitable for theatre. By 22 I was a recognized theatre writer, my first play “The Sindhu flows peacefully”.
In 1985 my first movie ‘ThaniyAvarthanam’ was released, directed by Sibi Malayil. That was a play I had originally conceived. I believe theatre is a basic art form. Acting is older than literature, maybe even language…
JM: Yes. In “The Gods must be crazy” the Bushmen act out their hunting experiences. Their language is still a very basic sound…
AKL: Everyone is an actor. Every second that we speak with our mouth, we speak with our body as well. As we grow older we grow extremely conscious of our bodies. That self-consciousness becomes a barrier to ac. It is harder to make an intelligent person act than it is a slightly developmentally challenged person. Youngsters are usually very willing actors. Teenagers are especially melodramatic…
JM: What is the relationship between theatre and literature?
AKL: Literature that can be acted out is theatre. At some point in history they should have been one and the same.
JM: In Meera Kathiravan’s thamizh translation of P.Padmarajan’s screenplay of Peruvazhiyambalam, Balu Mahendra insists that “screenplay is not literature, it cannot be read”. It is just a note for a director… (Translators Note: He said as much at the workshop on the last day)
AKL: That is a perspective. I do not want to argue. My perspective is a reflection of my reading and influences. A screenplay is definitely literature. If screenplay is not literature neither is playwriting. Shakespeare did not write to be read, he wrote to be acted. Keerthanai’s were written to be sung, yet they are literature too…
JM: Ingmar Bergman is a favorite director of mine. His Seventh Seal is unrelated to language. It is a scenic description, but reading it felt like reading literature. In our the reality of our imaginations is a greater cinema than he intended…
AKL: Theatre is considered literature only because the reader is able to visualize and act within oneself. People enter and exit our viewfinders. Screenplay is the same…
JM: But a screenplay will always be restricted by the requirements of film. Is that not a handicap?
AKL: Does theatre not have space constraints? Does it not need to fit in a cube? But the great playwrights turned this into the strength of the medium (Translators note: I remember reading how Sujatha created a play rehearsal as a play because his actors did not have time to learn the lines. This way they could carry their dialogs on stage…). They make all of life’s inequities and conflicts meet at a central point. There is a phrase called “Nadakaantham kaviththuvam”.
A screenplay is similar to that. It has to SHOW everything. It cannot meditate or think. It has to SHOW. That is its strength. Screenwriters have SHOWED life’s greatest tragedies, questions and happiness. That is how a screenplay becomes literature. Because when we read it everything comes to life in our imagination.
JM: Since the beginning in Malayalam writers have written screenplays.. Uruf wrote for ‘Neelakkuyil’, Thakazhi Sivasankarap Pillai, Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer, S.K.Petracott, Paarappuraththu Maththai, S.Suseendran so on and so forth. Malayalam cinema was shaped by great writers…
AKL: Pay attention though... these writers did not bring towards language (Translators note:I believe this might be a point against what happened in Thamizh where the sing-song nature gave way to verbosity, which was novel for its time, but does not seem relevant now). They built it as a visual art. Thoppil Bhasi, S.L.Puram Sadanandan, M.T.Vasudevan Nair (writer of the upcoming historical Pazhassi Raja), P.Padmarajan … the list goes on. They all wrote visual screenplays. Vice-versa today’s literature has been significantly affected by cinema.
JM: What is the beginning of a story?
AKL: The same way a short story or novel or painting begins. It is never planned. It is a lightning urge. That is all I can say as that is my experience. It is like full cloud waiting to burst in rain. It looks like it will happen now. But it might never deliver. One can never say when, where and why. It starts instantaneously. First as drops then as a downpour.
JM: I have heard that a character is the start of a screenplay.
AKL: Yes that is certainly important. A drama or a screenplay is a portion of life. Whose life? The question springs immediately. Hence a character is an important starting point. But a conflict or a basic question can serve as the start. My ‘Padheyam’ and ‘EzhuthAppurangaL’ were begun with the central conflict. ‘ThaniyAvarthanam’ and ‘Kireedam’ (Translators Note: My personal favorites in his work) were begun with a central character.
JM: Has a philosophy or idea been a starting point?
AKL: Rarely. Of my screenplays only ‘Jathagam’ (Translators note: another lovely small movie) was started this way. It is an observation of the belief in astrology. A screenplay’s seed is planted in the recesses of our mind well before it begins to be written. The unrest or lack of peace in you is the beginning.
For example my first directorial venture ‘BhoothakkaNNAdi’, came from a story of sexual exploitation of underage girls. It created great unrest within me, particularly a photograph of the schoolbag of one such girl. I could only view that through the eyes of a father!
VidhyAdharan was born from that unrest. He is very nervous about everyday life in the current social scenario. But he doesn’t say or do anything because he is a middle-class coward. And so his mind slips. I viewed my problem through his eyes.
JM: When I write a novel I write with a head full of steam. Then I discuss it with my editors. But here screenplays are discussed at the concept stage.
AKL: My screenplays are written like your novels. I never discuss the idea. Only after writing it completely do I discuss it with the director or actor. Discussing the central conceit will make the story seem contrived.
JM: Have you ever discussed?
AKL: Once. A story called ‘VisAraNai’ got stuck and did not gain momentum. That is the problem with a story discussion. Each person has a perspective and the central idea gets pulled in different directions. It is like fighting blindfolded. I can only make my point if I let it unfold completely as a screenplay. I can only debate certain technical aspects of screenplay writing with others.
JM: But in thamizh the norm is still to discuss.
AKL: Here cinema is a form of entertainment that tries to bring together multiple other forms of entertainment. That can always be discussed and brought into existence. A certain format or template has even been reached for this. But the soul of a story cannot be arrived at through discussion. There will be no unity in a ‘discussed’ story.
This much for today……. The rest at a later date.
Deepak,
Really great translation.You have done it without the soul of his views getting harmed. Kudos to you! Please continue.
Also a good list of Lohi's movies. Though I would include Dasaratham and Vatsalyam. Yes, a bit melodramatic but the central protagonist did make a deep impact inside. May be they having a shade of NT on them must have made it more attractive for me.
Regards
thanks :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Murali Srinivas
blade :oops:Quote:
Originally Posted by Murali Srinivas
thanks compli. I didnt realise the original was in Tamil(thought you'll be translating from malayalam). Now that I read both, have to agree with Murali Srinivas. Great translation - looking for the next part.
Very good translation compli. Do carry on
Since Lohi is discussed here, let this also be here.
http://blog.mammootty.com/2009/07/blog-post.html
Deepak, hope you will be able to read it. For others, this was the obituary that Mammootty wrote in his blog when Lohithadas passed away. Poiganant.
[Where is Anoop? Not to be seen this side]
Regards
..and I hope will be able to translate it too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Murali Srinivas
How about into tamil this time.
Unfortunately, the browser doesn't seem to support the font. Even if it did my reading skills in Malayalam are rudimentary at best! Let me finish JM's interview first....Quote:
Originally Posted by P_R
Thanks for that, Complicateur.
I've uploaded the following extras of my favorite Adoor film.
Adoor Gopalakishnan on Elippathayam/Rat-trap Interview Part 1
Adoor Gopalakishnan on Elippathayam/Rat-trap Interview Part 2
Pazhassi Raja
The most awaited Malayalam movie of the decade got released on friday the 16th and the report is extraordinary. The opinion is unanimous and after a very long time the public [including extremely polarised fans] have given a thumbsup verdict for this movie.
It is not a one man show and everybody had contributed. Mamootty as Pazhassi Raja had given out a splendid performance and Sarathkumar has got rave reviews. Padmapriya and Manoj.K.Jayan all have earned accolades.
Pasting one sample review from another forum.
Heroes are depicted in a movie in many ways. If it is a pure fiction then the writer has his own liberty to sketch a character with ultimate heroism. But if they are unfolding a chapter from history, their key challenge is to mold up the character with heroism by sticking on to the facts. But for this man, the legendary writer M T Vasudevan Nair, this challenge is a great bliss. While watching Pazhassi Raja, one will defenitely marvel at the craft which he brought into play to illustrate the heroic deeds of one of the brave sons of Kerala.
In a career spanning over three and half decades, this director can now be proud of himself. Because he has proved that ‘impossible is nothing’. Director Hariharan has given Malayalam filmdom a movie, with a flame of class and cult. In other words, the most brilliant and technically crafted movie ever made in Malayalam cinema. Breathing new life to his extra-ordinary talent which Malayalam Cinema had earlier witnessed in Oru Vadakkan Veera Gadha, he succeeded in refreshing that burning desire in him to create a new movie hero like Chanthu of OVVG. The result - On screen: Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja :
The actor who is known for his outstanding voice, exhilarating charisma and brilliant talent …. Megastar rocks. Who else can portray such a brave warrior with such exactness? His walking, costumes, dialogues, the radiance which he creates on each and every scene… Mammootty is at his best. That extra ordinary brilliance is evident in each and every scene. Delivering each and every dialogue with total perfection and splendor, he rules the canvass. Through out the movie, one will have feeling that ‘he is your King and you are residing in Pazhassi’s kingdom’. Ruling the minds of the viewers, it is simply a superb show by Mammootty.
Be it the sound of an arrow, chirp of a bird or a heavy shower or a dusty wind , Oscar Winner resul Pookkutty’s sound mixing is a different experience. The Pookkutty factor is another major reason for the entirety of the film.
Sarath Kumar as Idachena Kunkan also excels. Excellent performance by the actor. Likewise is Manoj K Jayan as Thalakkal Chanthu, Suman as Pazhayam veedan, Padmapriya as Kunki and Kaniha as kaitheri Makkam. Suresh Krishna as kaitheri Ambu also executed his character well.
Pazhassiraja is a testimony. The film shows that Maollywood can produce quality films if given the means. The film that benefits from a huge budget is of course spectacular and luxurious, but at the time by giving adequate depth to the characters, the director fully utilized all the actors. Such a solid star cast with the presence of talented actors is usually a rare occurrence for a big budget film and it proved good to Pazhassi Raja.
Ratnakar Shetty’s cinematography which is rich with artisitc touches give life to the film and brought an unexpected visual dimension. The action sequences co-ordinated by Ravi Dewan and the background score by IlayaRaja are also above the par.
It is not an ordinary movie. It reminds you of one of the great warriors which Indian soil gave birth to… It sings you an unsung story of a legend who horrified the British empire with his courage, determination and bravery…. The film will rejuvenate that patriotic flame in you …
Pazhassi Raja is …. the gem of a movie……
Theatre: Kottayam Abhilash
Show time: 9.45 am
Status: House Full__________________
The film is doing extremely well at the Boxoffice. A report.
Pazhassi Raja storms Kerala!By Moviebuzz | Sunday, 18 October , 2009, 11:22
Hariharan- MT Vasudevan Nair classic Pazhassi Raja produced by Gokulam Gopalan with Megastar Mammootty playing the title role has taken Kerala by storm.
The film has grossed an amazing record Rs 1.53 crore from 125 screens in Kerala on its opening day (October 16).
This is the highest ever opening day collection for any film in Kerala breaking the record of Twenty:20.
Says Gokulam Praveen, the Executive producer of the film: “We are very happy with the film and its gargantuan opening, which also justified our faith in the team.” Early reports say that the film’s word-of-mouth is so good that it has potential to become a mega blockbuster.
Also pasting some photos of the crowd.
Trivandrum
http://i36.tinypic.com/2jsl7s.jpg
http://i34.tinypic.com/317f894.jpg
http://i36.tinypic.com/2v8jnt3.jpg
Palakkad
http://i35.tinypic.com/wleids.jpg
http://i38.tinypic.com/23mwiv6.jpg
Kottayam
http://i33.tinypic.com/2pt1lz5.jpg
http://i35.tinypic.com/5ml4js.jpg
Kollam
http://i35.tinypic.com/2br8f6.jpg
http://i33.tinypic.com/euet7t.jpg
Ernakulam
http://i33.tinypic.com/mrpahg.jpg
http://i38.tinypic.com/1t33fc.jpg
Regards
That is truly great news if Pazhassi Raja is good. Hopefully it will translate into more work for MT. Maybe I will try and catch it in Kerala this week.
Compli, catchunga, catchunga, reviewivunga, reviewivunga. Thalaivar music pathi rendu moonu postaavadhu podanum ok?
I yaam very sorry 2 say... Audio kooda innum kEkkala :oops:
There is another notable effort that has taken place. Ranjith, the script writer -director who also turned producer had hit upon a novel idea. He called 10 of his director friends and asked them to make 10 short films each with a maximum duration of 10 to 15 minutes. All are different stories with different artists. The common thread for all the 10 stories is Travel [payanam or yaathraa].
All the short films will come under one single film. Titled "Kerala Cafe", it has established directors like Shaji Kailas, Lal Jose, Anvar Rashid, Shyamaprasad and younger ones like Revathi, Anjali Menon, Unnikrishnan etc.
Again starting from Mammootty, Suresh Gobi and Prithiviraj, the artists have coordinated with the project and majority of them have not taken any renumeration for acting.
The film was first screened at Abudhabi in the Middle East film festival and is hitting the theaters on 29th of October.
Seems very interesting.
Regards
When in Pazhassi Raja releasing in Chennai ?
Shantanu, son of Bhagyaraj who had an unsuccessful debut in Tamil had turned his attention towards Malayalam. And for him the Guardian Anjel was none other than the person who made his debut as a villan in his mother's [Poornima's] maiden movie.
Aptly titled as Angel John, it had Mohanlal playing the Angel who helps the teenager in his hour of distress. But unfortunately bad luck seems to follow Shantanu wherever he goes. Released last week, the movie has not been received well and the WOM is not good. Though some persons tried to classify this, as a movie with a message, the same is not reflecting in the BO as of now.
Regards
I heard it will release here on Nov 6th. All technical works have been completed and it seems that producer is negotiating for a higher price in view of it turning out to be a blockbuster.Quote:
Originally Posted by P_R
Regards
MS,Quote:
Originally Posted by Murali Srinivas
If one goes by sify report, it appears angel has become villain to Lal :
http://sify.com/movies/malayalam/ful...hp?id=14917048
That/s what I also told na! The only difference is I put it mildly [from what I came to know] whereas Sify has hit it point black.Quote:
Originally Posted by app_engine
Regards
Don't see in tamil! Pointless.Quote:
Originally Posted by P_R
But I have a feeling it won't match up to your bolly sensibilities anyway - pArthuttu sodhaa akbar levelukku illainu sollitteengannA remba manasu udainju poyiduvom adhanaala ninga paarkaama irukkaradhe nalladh :-)
Hullo...waiting for Malayalam wonly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Plum
pazhaya schoolfriend oruthanai dhoosi thatti contact renew paNNiyirukkEnnA en aarvathai paathukkunga.
adhunaala dhaan naan jodha akbarE paakkalai :lol2:Quote:
Originally Posted by Plum
KovaarigarOda swadesathumbOdhE sudhaarichittEn
innum yaarum Pazhassi Raja paarkaliyA?
Am I the only hubber to have seen it yet?