Top 12 Thalaivar Moments

While I was a child, my parents took me to watch one movie a year. Yes, Just one movie a year. Same goes for my cousins too…. No prizes for guessing. It used to be a Rajini movie. This was a festival to us. Like Diwali or Pongal-but way more entertaining. The epitome of his greatness is the fact that my grandmother, my mother and I are all huge fans. And I know two year old kids who love his songs. He has entertained four generations and his work would inspire many more. He definitely is the greatest entertainer this country has seen.

If you’re Tamil or grew up in Tamil Nadu, the probability that you’re a Thalaivar fan is going to be pretty high. You might love him. You might hate him. But you just can’t resist his charisma. Be it a fan or a non-Rajini fan

, each and every person has their own Rajini moment. That split second in which he steals the show and makes your heart skip a beat. His songs are the best anti depressants. He makes you laugh, cry and tells you in his own unrealistic way that all it takes is a 5 minute song to melt your sorrows away and go from rags to riches : Rajini Style. What defines the magnitude of this man has to be the fact that he doesn’t mind walking around in public without a wig-And we don’t mind him romancing 20 year olds on screen. The mutual star-fan loyalty at its peak, I must say.

Here’s my pick of the best Thalaivar moments of all time. Those moments that gave you goosebumps/made you laugh/cry or just stayed with you even after years. My own special way of saying Happy Birthday and Thank You for everything.

12. Raja Chinna Roja Song:

You maybe a Pixar or Disney fan. But common, who doesn’t like this cute animated song that put a smile on all our faces. Made us jump up with joy, all the while teaching us a sweet lesson on morality. 

Also this movie had that “Supestaru yaarunu ketta china kuzhandhayum sollum”(Even a small child knows who the super star is!) song. Remember all the colourful confetti and bombs going off in the background?!?! Made you thank God for having a colour television in those days. They’ve moved onto motion capture with Kochadaiyaan, but I think we love this song more than that entire movie xP

 11. Johnny:

When you say Rajinikanth, what comes to your mind is his charisma, the way he walks, the way he talks and off course the way he runs. There have been numerous movies in which he’s made to run especially wearing a blazer. That’s got to be one of the most majestic sites. 

In movies we see him run to save a temple from blowing up or to catch a snake, but my pick of his “runs” would be him running towards his ladylove- the gorgeous Sridevi in Kaatril Enthan Geetham. What a lilting Ilaiyaraja classic and Janaki’s voice haunts you forever! And Indians are a sucker for romance in the rain and the drama of cops chasing Rajini. Should I go on? This is one of those stand out moments.

10. Shiva Sambo:

While on the topic of songs, all of us have a favourite Rajini song. Maybe we’ve even advised/motivated our friends with a few lines from his classics. “Vetri Nitchayam” “Vetri Kodi Kattu” “Oruvan Oruvan Mudhalaali” and all these are inspirational gems.

We’ve also probably grown up listening to stories of how KB decided to cast Rajini as a male lead after his “thuru thuru” antics in Ninaithaale Innikum, a movie where he shared screen space with probably the best actor the world has ever seen. Forget overshadowing, but to even get noticed in a movie starring Kamal Haasan is a huge achievement and he managed that. Testimony to this fact is this song.

9. Thillu Mullu:

The greatest quality to be admired in Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth is their ability to don the angry-young-man and the comic caper avatars and own both these roles. This movie is a laugh riot. Yes. It is indeed a remake of a Hindi classic but this is how classics should be remade with a hint of originality.

This scene wherein Thengai Sreenivasan interviews the Superstar sets the tone for the entire film. Ably directed by the legendary KB, this movie brought to us our Thalaivar who started his career doing negative roles in a full fledged comedy performance and how he won our hearts. Aiyyampettai Arivudai Nambi Kaliaperumal Chandru, you stay in our hearts forever <3

8. Arunachalam:

Nothing gets bigger and better than a Thalaivar film. Just imagine who could’ve pulled off a premise as silly as spend 3000 crores in 30 days? And that too, in such style! High octane drama ensues when Raghuvaran brings in a sum of 20,000 to be spent in 5 minutes and surprise, surprise he manages to!!!!!

That quick wit in paying his assistant and then beating up the thugs, “Aandavan solran, Arunachalam seiran” style with the lizard in the BGM. This is one of those moments you’d rewind again and again.

7. Polladhavan:

Not the best of movies, nor the most heroic. But I fixated with its title track. I love the Rajni-SPB-Rahman combo that started from Muthu and gave us blockbuster songs one after the other. The “Naan Polladhavan” track however is a different ballgame all together.

 This is raw attitude at display and the camera angles that focuses on a drunk Rajinikanth, the lyrics that personify “Who the hell gives a damn!” This is a rare gem. 
I like it better than “Raaman aandalum, Raavanan aandalum” which is hailed as an arrogant man’s anthem. Pay attention to the lyrics. This is better.

Now we’re halfway through the list. And if you’ve persisted thus far, you surely should be wondering why I’ve not touched upon those things that make Rajini, Rajini. Thus far it has been an ode to the quirky thalaivar moments. Henceforth, let’s get down to serious fangirl business.

6. Shivaji:

The director known for his larger than life movies meets the person who defined larger than life in our country. This is what happens when a tornado meets a volcano. And sparks flew in the theatre. Be it “Singam singlah dha varum” or that “Coin Toss”, this was a pucca mass masala movie. I love that Thee Thee song, a tribute to Rajinikanth.

 That scene where the bullet moves back on its own frightened by thalaivar stare, catches fire and falls down is sheer AWESOMENESS. You get kids to like you. That’s half the battle won. When this movie released, my then 5 year old cousin described this scene to my Mom and made her watch it. Can anyone ever beat that extent of love?

5. Moondru Mugam

“Naangellam Rajini padam posteraye moonu mani neram paapom. Moonu Rajini irundha kekava vennum”(We’d stare at a Rajini poster for three hours. Should you even ask about a movie with Rajini in a triple role!)

That walk in the police uniform. That policekaran arrogance and that epic “ Ashe kozhandha kitta poi Alex Pandian nu sonna Amma vaayayum sethu moodum”dialogue.  ENOUGH SAID!

4. Thalapathi:

The movie that defined class meets mass. Thalaivar in a Kadavul(God) film. Each scene is like a piece of sculpture. Sculpted to perfection. The scene where Jayshankar tells Rajini his parentage with the sun fading in and out of his face(He was called Surya in the move if you didn’t already know).

 But the scene that defined mass was that “Thodra paakalaam” scene in the police officer’s room. Thalaivar thalaiar dhaan. Also, don’t you think he looked smoking hot in this film!!!

3. Annamalai:

“nee epdi yen vita idichi….. indha naal un calendar la kurichi vachiko”

Please tell me you read that in Rajinikanth’s voice. That same way he says “epdi”. Generations of actors who are now stars in the industry have admitted that they auditioned for their movies using this monologue. Probably, the best monologue in Tamil cinema (I don’t really care for the Parashakti time monologues).

 Legend goes that he did movie for a total salary of a rupee. Says a lot his devotion to his guru whose company he saved from bankruptcy due to this gesture. And he was the coolest “Paalkaran” EVER. Watch closely. He wears a pair of Reebok shoes in the song “Vandhedaan paalkaran” xP

2. Padayappa:

Everybody loves this movie. Most diehard fans would consider this to be their most favourite Rajini movie amongst his commercial films. I like this film but wouldn’t put it on the pedestal. Yes. A self obsessed arrogant female lead, wonderfully portrayed by a super awesome Ramya Krishnan. But, come to think of it, all Rajini does in this movie is keep her at bay when she plays him like an instrument. Or that’s how I saw it.

 Being a feminist, thalaivar telling a woman her place isn’t my favourite form of art.

Having said that, “the oonjal scene” in this movie has got to be one the most heroic Rajini moments of all time. Followed by the, “Koodave porandhadhu eppovum pogadhu” dialogue. The salute. Style Quotient =BIG WIN.

                                         *drum rolls please*

1.Baasha:

This is the Bible of anyone who wants to make a mass masala movie that doesn’t insult the intelligence of the audience. The intermission scene has got to be the best intermission ever written in the history of Indian cinema. That lamb like auto driver transforms into a lion. From that classic “Ulle po” to that turn, stare, beat up all the thugs. I’ve seen this movie 37 times till date and make it a point to see it on every birthday. I still remember my parents taking me to this movie and considering I’d have just started school then, this is an example of subconscious love, awe and respect. 

No matter the number of times, my heart still skips a beat when he pulls that pipe out of the ground and says, “Oru dhadava sonna, nooru dhadava sonna madhiri” in the movie for the first time. This movie was India’s ode to organized crime, in all its swag. Blazers, sunglasses in the night and autodrivers wearing Nike. “Orey oru Baasha dha oorkellam”(Only one king to rule all the cities)  And that would be Thalaivar forever.

                                            HAPPY BIRTHDAY.            

                 My own way of paying my respects, love and admiration.

Top Ten Movies that changed Tamil cinema forever.

While googling best movies to download, you come across not many lists related to South Indian films. Ever wondered why? Even fewer when it comes to Tamil who along with the Mallus make some of the best movies in the country each year (though the former has been making more potboilers than poignant movies of late.) Agreed, Tamil cinema is on the decline and I had given up on it a long time ago until I saw a movie that brought back to me the reasons why I loved Tamil films so much. It gave me my most needed push to start blogging about movies-my first and only love (at least for the time being xP)

Every movie buff (I’m a self proclaimed one) starts off with movies in his/her own mother tongue. And so did I with Tamil films. I adore Martin Scorsese now, but it was Mani Ratnam who introduced me to meaningful cinema. Al Pacino maybe the best actor in the world but it was Kamal Haasan who taught me to tell the difference between the good and the bad. Nolan’s uncanny ability to narrate complex storylines in contrast to K. Balachander’s seemingly simple problems set in a common man’s living room. I enjoyed both. The simplicity of the latter made me appreciate the complexity of the former better.

Here’s my list of ten movies that I think changed Tamil Cinema forever. The list is in chronological order and not the order of the magnitude to which it affected the industry. Also, these aren’t the movies that were commercial successes or darlings of the awards circuit. These are movies that consciously/sub-consciously changed mindsets and gave generations of film makers the courage to try out similar/bolder themes.

1.      Apoorva Raagangal(1975):

I still remember the first time I saw the film, borrowing it from a friends’ Dad’s collection of movies. So I see the film, go back and Google the year of release cuz I couldn’t understand how a movie like this was made in the 70’s and how the audience actually received it well.

A young boy in love with an older woman, a young girl in love with a man twice her age, two weddings on the cards and a twist in the tale and what freakishly awesome twist it was. Nobody protested calling it unethical, nobody shunned the film and this movie set the stage for every bold love story thereafter. From, Alaigal Oivadhilai to Mozhi. Its love and love happens in whacky scenarios and ridiculously complicated situations not just on mountain tops or around the trees in the rain.

2.      Aval Appadithan(1978):

You wanna talk feminism? Go watch what this director, the flag bearer of feminism actually did. Feminism today is PC and DP drinking, smoking up, sleeping around and not being judged for it. Sripriya did it all and in style. And nearly half a century earlier. No regrets. No strings attached. And she never once compromised on her integrity

.

 The classic ending dialogue wherein she when she asks this other girl what her thought on women empowerment were and she replies that she doesn’t think about such things and Sripriya comes up with the classic “No wonder you’re happy”. Peppered with intelligent dialogue, Kamal and Rajini’s contrasting take on women-one worships them and the other objectifies them.

It’s the docile versus the chauvinist. This was a tribute to women empowerment in an age where the word was unheard of.

3.      Mullum Malarum(1978):

A product is always appreciated by the way it differs from its predecessors. In an age where high melodrama, over-the-top-acting, political ideologies all ruled the roost in Tamil films, there came a movie which tried a subtle take on a novel. Movies are a medium of storytelling and Mullum Malarum did just that. Human emotions were ably beautified with apt dialogue, scenic poetry and lilting music.

It concentrated on the story and emotions which were supported by its cast giving superior performances. Be it Shobha or the great Rajinikanth. This is a masterclass on how and why cinema should always be a medium of storytelling and Mahendran, probably the best story teller the industry had seen. The director had already proved his mettle in Uthiripookkal but this deserves a place on the list because it was more proclaimed.

4.      Moonram Pirai(1982):

Easily the most parodied climax ever. And you know what they say; Imitation is indeed the best form of flattery. And every blonde who enters the film industry says Sridevi’s role in this film would be her dream role. Silence (before Mani Ratnam became its poster boy) spoke more than words here. People learnt to appreciate camera angles and BGM’s starting from this movie, I should say. Subtlety gained the upper hand over the melodramatic (well, until the climax at least). It made one embrace the beauty in sorrow and the closest that I had come to experiencing poetry on celluloid.

The actors easily gave the best performance of their lives (up until that point in time, at least and being the legends that they were, went on to break it by superior performances in the future). I remember wondering why the hell they didn’t give Sridevi the National Award for the film (until I realized that the award went to a master class on subtle acting-Shabana Azmi in Arth).

5.      Agni Natchathiram (1988):

You might even be rolling your eyes as to why I’d pick this movie over Nayakan or Thalapathy. But remember I spoke about changing mindsets in the very beginning;

If there ever was a movie that brought in a certain kind of cool, then this was it. It broke all the conventional definitions of … well, frankly everything! The women were skinny, wearing leotards and grooving seductively; they stunned with their in-your-face-sensuality; this movie was youthful in every sense of the word.

 It was in sync with the mentality of the youth, portrayed the energy of the 90’s, show cased the change in trends with the turn of the decade. It glorified the naughty, chirpy, skinny heroine, a trend that is yet to be gotten rid off. The hero was HOT (remember Karthik dancing on a platform?!), for, I think the first time ever!!! The dialogues were tacit and this went on be the directors’ idiosyncrasy. As they say, fashion, trends and style may change, but what is COOL would always be COOL. And this movie is an epitome to that statement.

6.      Michael Madana Kama Raajan(1990):

Comedy as a genre made a comeback with this film. Not with sidekicks who did most of the comedy, but the lead himself donning on multiple roles, each different from the other; Kamal Haasan has always been a greedy actor and here he prove his mettle with four roles, with each one of these characters speaking a different slang of tamil.(whoever knew there were so many ways to speak the language that warrant laughter!!!).

 The stupendous success of this movie revived the out and out comedy genre. It gave the David Dhawan’s and Sajid Khan’s their career and this movie/portions of this movie has been ripped off by numerous Bollywood films. If that doesn’t qualify for trendsetting, I don’t know what does.

7.      Sethu(1999):

With this movie, we did not only get a movie that changed mindsets but a brand of cinema that did-Bala’s school of films- Dark, unsettling, poignant, and drastic, heart wrenching, touching your soft spot and a punch-in-the-gut kind of cinema. Very few directors’ have that kind of power; one so captivating that it’s hard to look away even when you can’t bear to look at it anymore.

 Sethu, left me with a weird pain in my gut and that stayed on for a couple of days after the film. Nanda did the same thing to me. After which I decided I’m not going to watch anymore of Bala’s films and have stuck to my decision. It hits you so hard and the feeling lasts days later. His films are the kind of poison that kills slowly. Sethu gave Vikram his career in films and brought him super stardom. And Bala went on to repeat the same for Suriya, Arya and Adharva. He made stars out of strugglers and this movie is on the list as it started the journey.

8.      Kaakha Kaakha(2003):

What are we? Cops

What do we do? Spout punch lines, get “lanjam” and arrive after everything is over.

This was how cops were portrayed until this movie in Tamil cinema. True, there have been uptight cops who are conscientious do-gooders with a page long dialogue on how they serve the nation. But here came a cop, who was decent, taciturn, who fell in love without kuthu-paatu, didn’t take bribes, was educated and wasn’t portrayed as totally invincible.

 Being a cop’s daughter, the amount of interest I got in school after the movie released was glorious. It brought in love, a sense of awe and above all the respect that cops deserved, all the while making it look so COOL. This changed the mindset towards cops and looked at them as detectives rather than thugs who beat people up wearing a uniform. (The director would later go on to make the coolest cop movie EVER with Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu. Here again the beginning of the journey is documented.)

9.      Polladhavan(2007):

Talk about naming your film after classic Thalaivar films and besmirching the name forever. But this is one movie named after a Rajini film that proved to be way better than its name sake. This is a story of the relationship between a boy and his bike and where that takes him. (Inspired from the classic Bicycle Thieves). What’s so special about this you might ask? This movie brought out the underbelly of Chennai, what happens when you go hunting for a lost bike at night on the streets of the city, this was North Madras in all its grit.

Millions of movies have been made about North Madras but this isn’t the documentation of the rise of a Don; this is a story of an ordinary boy who happens to cross paths with the mafia. Gritty, dark, laced with a reality that makes you believe that this could happen to the boy next door. It revived Dhanush’s career and gave us our next promising director to root for. Vetrimaaran’s next, Aadukalam went on to win numerous National Awards. This movie in particular inspired many more Namma Chennai movies and celebrated the “Never underestimate the power of the common man” type of cinema. This is an all time favourite.

10.  Jigarthanda(2014):

That film which gave me the much needed push to start blogging again. I seem to live under a rock and hence couldn’t catch this film as soon as it released (An ashamed movie buff). This Tarantino meets Mani Ratnam movie about an aspiring director wanting to make the next big gangster movie in Tamil after Thalapathy and Nayakan and the obstacles he faces in his journey provide the platform for this thriller-comedy. What a cool genre! Now beat that!

Karthik Subbaraj made the audience sit up and take note of him with his runaway hit “Pizza” easily the best Tamil film in recent memory. Honestly, I expected him to be a one film wonder who got lucky due to a supernatural script (YAARKU DHAN PEI PADAM PIDIKADHU?!) And he proved us all wrong with Tamil cinema’s very own Pulp Fiction. Jigarthanda, definitely is going to change the way movies are made. I still can’t get that haunting “Ding Dong” song out of my head. Reminded me of Kill Bill’s “Bang Bang”.

             This was my list. Let’s agree to disagree. And I’ll catch you in my next blog. Feedback and comments welcome. And I know this was quite a long read. Thank you for sticking till the end. Next time, I promise to keep it a little short.