Tribute to KB

Tribute to KB:

I have been meaning to write this for quite some time now but as they say life, by life - I mean, college work intervenes. Perks of doing Post graduation, should be! The motivating factor today (two days ago) turned out to be a conversation regarding old Balachander movies. Turns out people actually read my blog and watch the movies that I blog about. So, this is my long overdue tribute to KB, the man who made me appreciate the beauty of the middle-class mentality because that is what we are, in our true form, middle-class, anyways.

If Mani Ratnam thought me to differentiate good cinema from the bad; KB thought me how the script is the HERO of any film. It took me ages to actually discover his films. You do not always listen to your grandmother, do you! But how could you? She even watches Saroja Devi’s overacting movies.

Getting to the point, KB thought us to be proud of what we are. He had the guts to explore tabooed relationships, feelings that are banned and push the boundaries of the human mind. All these, he did in the 60s and 70s. Some of his movies belong in the 21^st century and even now his movies are new, young and refreshing. Here is my pick of ten must see KB films. I was introduced to KB because of a film loving family who took the effort to tell me his work is epic. I’m just passing on the favour. The movies are in chronological order.

Server Sundaram(1964):

Whenever my Dad talks about this movie, he states that KB had the guts to launch Nagesh as the lead in a movie which starred Muthuraaman and KR Vijaya, the then heartthrobs of Tamil cinema. Yes, he did have the guts to pick an actor who wasn’t the conventional hero. (Movies with Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Rajkumar Rao or Irrfan Khan as the lead work these days) Oh and in 1964!!!! This is a charming, naughty, mischievous waiter (or server as it was called those days) with a heart of gold. He falls in love, goes through heartbreak and also becomes an overnight movie star. Poignant relationship moments and Nagesh’s performance of this immensely lovable boy next door will make anyone root for him. Check out his moves in that “Avalukkena azhagiya mugam..” song

Bama Vijayam(1967):

What would you do if someone told you Rajinikanth was going to come visit you at home? I know my Mom would clean the house and make it shine, my Dad would probably tell everyone he knows about the arrival and I’d freak the hell out after someone revives me from my state of unconscious caused by the happiness of that news. Why would all this happen? Because he is a celebrity you adore. And we treat them like demi-gods. This movie goes on to showcase the monumental changes that occurs in a simple middle-class household when they are told that a movie star would come visit them. It explores human behaviour when faced with the arrival of a prestigious person, the pretentious attitudes and how people would go out of their way to please someone they hold superior to them. It also touched upon themes of hero-worshipping movie stars, the fan following, lack of privacy and how people want to earn others’ respect by a phony display of wealth. Loosely based on the short story The Diamond Necklace, this movie is a satirical take on human behaviour when they are to meet a celebrity. Relevant in our times, with all the fangirling-ness that is going on and especially the paparazzi that cannot even spell privacy. It has beautifully written “Varavu ettana…” song that is applicable to any era.

Ethirneechal(1968):

 Not the recent Sivakarthikeyan starrer, but the classic chronicles of “Maadi padi Maadhu” portrayed by the multi-talented Nagesh. This movie explores the relationships that exist between people who live in the same colony and how they treat the poor, orphan boy who lives under the stairs. Alas, this Harry Potter doesn’t have the luxury of magic and he literally has to swim against the tide to overcome his difficulties. This movie has a cult fan following and rightly so. Life is full of impediments, disappointments, judgmental remarks and the insane are saner than normal people. This movie captures middle-class life from the borrowing of coffee powder from the woman next door to gossiping about the unmarried girl who just got back from a psychiatric clinic to poking your nose in other people’s business. Nagesh melts your heart on multiple occasions. The most poignant being when he gleefully exclaims that if people wanted to make a fool out of him, he would much rather make a fool out of himself so as to feel better later. This movie belongs in the annals of cinematic history and I hope the sanctity of the movie is preserved.

Aval Oru Thodarkadhai(1974):

One more reason to love KB would be his respect for women and the way he portrayed the new age woman in the 70s. This movie is a feminists’ delight. The protagonist is an ARROGANT woman and her arrogance stems from the fact that she is adept, smart and intelligent and able to support her huge dysfunctional family. It explores themes like familial burden, responsibilities, sacrifices that have to be made and how having an excessive sense of self-respect can be misread as arrogance. It also touches upon themes of fidelity, pre-marital sex, patriarchic Indian society and that bane of being a woman in a man’s world. Sujatha is just terrific and wins because she makes you hate her, then love her and even in her most vulnerable moment never lets you pity her. This is the kind of woman you know would pick herself up and walk with her head held high regardless of the number of times the world brings her down to her knees. This movie also has two terrific songs by KJ Jesudas and SPB, “Deivam thandha veedu” and “Kadavul amaithu vaitha medai” respectively. This is maybe our very own version of “Taming of the Shrew” meets “Gone with the wind” in that Sujatha embodies the characteristics of both Kate and Scarlett respectively. This movie had Chapters way before Tarantino & Anurag Kashyap made it look cool!

Apoorva Raagangal(1975):

I’ve already included this in my list of ten best Tamil films of all time. I’m a die- hard Rajinikanth fan and of course, the reason I watched this film was that it was Thalaivar’s first film. But, it turned out that he had hardly 15 minutes screen time and the movie turned out be an-in-your-face-delight. Go for the hero and the story entices you. How I wish movies these days could be like that! An inter-generational love story of epic proportions. Saying anymore about the movie would spoil the fun of it. Just keep an open mind and the twist would stun you.

Avargal(1977):

Another classic on the plight of being a woman in India. Again, the protagonist is a terrific Sujatha. But what sets her apart in this movie is the vulnerability she brings in to her character. She portrays what millions of women in our country go through every day. It is about a young lady and three men in her life at three different points in time. It is her evolution from a naïve, meek, shy person to a self-thinking, independent woman capable of not letting her past overshadow her present or her future. Watch this movie for Rajinikanth’s portrayal as a suave, sophisticated, chauvinistic, misogynistic bastard with sociopathic tendencies. This is one of my favourite Rajinikanth performances. KB does bring out the best in his pupils.

Varumaiyin Niram Sigappu(1980):

Being your own true self in a world that is constantly trying to change you is not such an easy thing. Kamal Haasan goes through every trouble someone with integrity would face in a world where mediocrity is glorified and the talented are expected to be apologetic about their talent in the name of humility. A man with his own morals; one who isn’t willing to give them up even if that means eating an apple that fell into the drainage. Howard Roark in the Indian streets where unemployment and poverty prevail and it helps when it is portrayed by the best actor the country has ever produced. What stands out in this movie are some choke in your throat scenes! The scene where the friends pretend to have a good meal while Sridevi waits in the hall, the interview scene when Kamal loses his cool, the apple from the drainage scene, the climax showdown at the Salon. These days you would count yourself lucky if there was one memorable scene in a 3 hour long movie. This movie is seemed to be peppered with great screenwriting. The timely Bharathiyar recitals take the story forward. I remember my Mom telling me the story in a single line, “Epdi naalum vaazhazham gradhu vazhkai illa; ipdi dhan vazhanum gradhu dhan vazhkai”(Live isn’t something that can be lived in any which way, life is what is lived by some principles and morals.)

Thillu Mullu(1981):

This was the remake of Amol Palekar’s “Golmaal”. If you love Tamil cinema and especially the funny ones, this has to be on your priority list. There are well made remakes and there are those that spoil the original and make you cringe in your seats. This belongs to the former. Watch this movie for the impeccable comic timing by the Superstar as well as by Sowcar Janaki. This is a laugh riot. Thengai Seenivasan plays a pivotal role and this movie has a cult following. And it truly deserves it. This was the movie that brought out Rajinikanth’s adeptness in comic timing and changed his image from the angry young man. Humour became a major chunk in his later movies and continues to be so till date. You just cannot miss this movie.

Sindhu Bhairavi(1985):

Dull marriage. Ambition. A spark of new hope. An affair. Booze. Humiliation. Depression. Recovery. Music, Music and more Music. You name it and you have everything in this movie. The leads, Sivakumar and Suhasini live their roles with gusto. The other leads who contribute immensely to the movie are Yesudas who becomes the singing voice of Sivakumar and Ilaiyaraja’s music which ranges from carnatic to dapanguthu. Definitely a must watch. A true musical. Also touches on marital bonds and effects of alcoholism. Your heart reaches out to Sivakumar in that “ Thanni thotti” song.

Kaialavu Manasu:

I know I started this off as a movie blog but when someone says KB, I cannot sign off without mentioning this gem. Made for TV, Soap opera about a mother and her three children and follows their story across a span of about 3 decades. Wonderfully written. Real life people with real life problems that do not make you cringe with melodrama. Tender, heartwarming and explores themes like the independent woman who finds a life of her own even after she loses her family. Watch this for Geetha, the backbone of the show. And for the then future star-in-making, Prakash Raj who ably complements her. You know something is really good when I rememner watching this on TV when I was just 4. Also, the so called TV serial writers should take a cue from this on how to write for TV. Please! Oh Please! Show re-reruns on TV. Check out the title track. SPB Sir = <3 <3 <3

My other recommendations would include:

 Iru Kodugal:

There is a song in this movie that goes, ”Punnagai Mannan….”which encapsulates the entire movie. Another marital discord story on what happens to a married man when his past re-enters his life. I almost forgot to write about this and then I realize the beautiful LIFE-FILE scene and then I couldn’t.

Punnagai Mannan(1986): My mind is playing this movie’s theme as the BGM as I type this. Wonderful music. Tragic love story. The movie states that you can fall in love twice and the irony of what you want and what you get. And Kamal Haasan doing an impersonation of Charlie Chaplin, what else do you want? This movie has brilliant music and this gave us a singing sensation in Chitra. This movie is the personification of the phrase, “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings”

Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal(1989): Explores a loveless marriage, finding love elsewhere, only to return to your wife out of duty. Differentiates between loving someone and being in love with someone. It also highlights how people are obsessed with celebrities and how the media tears down their personal lives. Geetha is a treat to watch as the paranoid, bipolar wife, vulnerable and hateful at the same time.

Vaaname Ellai(1992): For the youth of the nation who believe that their life is unfair and are always cribbing about the injustices done to them. They are angry and rightly so. This is a bunch of youngsters who have given up on life, want to kill themselves only they decide to live together for a few days before they die and what happens thereafter. Brilliant poetical references and the scenic beauty of the place also add to your experience. The climax is a sure lump-in-your-throat stuff.

I’ve not seen Neerkumizhi, Major Chandrakanth or Thaneer Thaneer but these are widely characterized as true KB gems. So go ahead, try watching these films and do let me know if you liked any.

Hope this blog helps you experiment with your choice of movies. In memory of KB, thank you for these immortal gems.