Totally Filmi

Malayalam Monday: Anandabhadram (dir. Santosh Sivan, 2005)

Alas, this is not a full write-up of Santosh Sivan's Malayalam directing debut film, Anandabhadram, though it's a film I am, as a total Sivan fan, dying to see.

But blog reader Tina kindly sent me links to a couple of songs from the film, with a note that the first one, "Pinakkamano" was heavily inspired by the work of Malayalam artist Raja Ravi Varma, recreating a number of his paintings in its frames.  I'm by no means an expert on Varma's work, but I am familiar with it (and have a Varma project on the backburner bubbling away for the right moment).

So I thought, huh, why not see how many Varma paintings I can recognize in the clip?

 

Okay.  Here's my best attempt, with a link where you can see the portrait, and an approximate time in the clip to compare:

1.  Lady in her Dressing Room - as the clip opens

2.  Reclining Woman - 0:33

3.  The Milkmaid - 0:59

4.  At the Bath - 2:06

5.  Hamsa Damayanthi - 2:16

6.  In Contemplation - 2:38

7.  Stolen Interview - (I think) - start around 3:00

8.  Lady Holding a Fruit - 3:23

And even though that seems like a lot, I have this niggling feeling I'm missing at least a couple more.  Although I've done *far* better than Wikipedia, which identifies three of them.  If you pick out any more, do let me know in the comments!

Stanley Ka Dabba: new promo

Things still frantically busy here at Casa Totally Filmi, but I had to take a moment to share the new song promo from Stanley Ka Dabba, the Dabba Song (featuring another Casa Favorite, Sukhwinder Singh, if my ears do not fail me):

 

Please, please, please, please, pretty pretty please, Universe, let it open over here, and with subtitles?

But wait!  There's more!  A preview of the song "Life Bahot Simple Hai":

 

 

Edited to add:

Hmm.  It wasn't private when the film's official twitter stream tweeted it this morning, and when I first posted this, so no idea what the nice folks over there in Stanley Ka Dabba - land are doing.  Hmm.

Black: The Man from Darkness (2004, dir. Ranjith)

Black:  The Man From Darkness (or as it is more commonly called, Black) is, as its title would indicate, rather a dark and gritty film.  Billed as an action thriller, it involves underworld activities in the city of Kochi, and the inability of the police to find a way to curb them.

 
 

Lawyer Devin Carlos Padaveedan (Lal) is the head of a gang of goondas, each of whom controls some aspect of the underworld crime, from prostitution to drugs and beyond.  Padaveedan has an accomplice in Shanmughan (Mammootty), a man who was raised up as an orphan from the darkness of poverty with the help of both Padaveedan and Aasan, the local secretary of the Marxist Party (Janardhanan).  Shanmughan manages to overcome his past and become a policeman; however, he's also Padaveedan's hit-man, using his influence on the police force and with others in high places to protect the criminals he works for.

Shanmughan is unorthodox, unruly, and answers to no one except Padaveedan or Aasan.  He's allergic to khaki, and fond of drink, even on dry days. 

 

Actually, one of the fascinating things about Black is how it introduces us to the character of Shanmughan -- it takes a full 18 minutes of various characters dropping his name, describing him, wondering, "Who is Shanmughan?" And all the while, we too, wonder:  who is this man that everyone is talking about?  And just as you ask the question, well, then the film hands him to you:

 Shanmughan has a sense of humour, too.

Black, though, is, ultimately, a film about redemption, about how a man like Shanmughan can overcome the darkness he carries within him to become, as Aasan says, a "gentleman" -- someone who works for good instead of for evil.

 

 

Aasan entrusts Shanmughan with the care of a little deaf and dumb girl, for reasons that become important as the film unfolds. 

 She is also the most adorable kid I've seen in films in a long while, with a beatific smile.

Also entrusted into his care is Ashok (Rahman, in a comeback role in Malayalam cinema), a police officer newly appointed to deal with the crime scene in Kochi. Ashok's brother was one of Shanmughan's early hits, and although he survived it, he has ended up in a wheelchair.  This hit turns out to be one that Shanmughan regrets, and he agrees to Ashok's brother's request to look out for Ashok.

 

Ashok, though, is a bit of a hot-head, determined to eliminate the criminals using whatever legal methods are within his means, no matter how brutal (and a general warning:  there's not a lot of violence in Black, but what there is is spectacularly brutal and not for the faint of heart).  Shanmughan tries to warn him that this approach causes more trouble than it solves, to no avail.

 Trust me.  He's warning him off.

What happens to Ashok serves as yet another catalyst for Shanmughan's transformation.  The final link in the chain of events that leads to Shanmughan's change of heart is Andanam (Sriya Reddy, in her Malaylam film debut), a migrant Tamil woman whose husband, a street-side clothes presser, is wrongly accused of a crime (the Tamil characters in this film are all the lowest of the low -- poverty-stricken, helpless migrants who, as Shanmughan says at one point, are just there to make monied Malayalees look good by pressing their clothes). 

 
 

She begs Shanmughan to help them.  He initially refuses to get involved, but in the end relents.  It's just one more step on the path back to the light.

Black was a hit in 2004, and although some have suggested that it's because there wasn't much else on offer at the time, I'd say that the fact that there were scads of copies on the shelf at the grocery I buy my DVDs at would indicate that it remains an audience favorite.  And I can see why:  what Black does well, it does very well.  Intriguing cinematography, with lots of funky colours and camera angles:

 Yes, it often is.

Social subtext worth chewing on:

It's a discussion about how to deal with crime and criminals.  Interesting. 

The problem, of course, is that when Black falls down, it does so in spectacular fashion.  To start with, the story is overly-complicated and at times confusing.  Be warned that you have to be paying attention right from the opening credits (where there are, of course, no subtitles, though all you need to retain at this point is one name:  Shanmughan), there are a lot of characters to keep track of, and, in the case of those of us who need the subtitles, well, as you may have noticed from some of the screencaps, they are pretty much rubbish.  There are points in the film where I can read the subtitles and recognize them as English, but they make no sense whatsoever.  I did find a second viewing of the film immensely helpful though, but many viewers might not be so committed to doing that given the film's weaknesses, which include some pretty hamfisted incidental music (the lawyer has his own creepy signature, which is kind of interesting, except that it's completely overused), some bizarre touches (a mad-woman chained to a bed, a severely disabled son in a wheelchair, some references to Christian practices that for me kind of bordered on the mystical), and some dizzying camera work (I love me some interesting camera angles, but some of the ones used in Black made my head spin).

Perhaps most striking for a film billed as an "action thriller", there are very few thrills, and the action sequences are at best a little sluggish, and at worst, actually laughable (I felt guilty, but I honestly couldn't help myself). 

As an aside:  it's kind of ironic that at the same time I was trying to figure out what to write about Black, a notification for an Upperstall review of Mammootty's latest film, Doubles, popped into my mailbox.  And this paragraph leaped out at me:

Mammootty, seasoned with years of tough cop roles, has mastered his superman act. And he does it with panache, these days - tossing strong bodied people into the air, coolly, and then, posing mocking questions to them with a sweet smile. He also raises his legs in the air quite impressively, and puts up a good fight using two short iron rods. However, there's plenty of scope for improvement: his actions are a little too slow, making it very evident that the stunts are staged. Also, many of the movements are repetitive; he ought to demand a wider range of fight sequences from his choreographers.

 

I realized, reading that, that not much has changed since 2004, because I could say the same thing about his action scenes in Black.  Rahman fares marginally better, though not much; the choreography of all the action scenes leaves a lot to be desired.

But here's the thing:  I think what makes Black as popular as it seems to be, and absolutely worth viewing, comes down to Mammootty.  The man has a presence, a charisma, and a style that just oozes off the screen.  He manages to convey a lot by doing very little sometimes, just a small gesture, a few words, and that sweet and often sly smile.

 

As well, you have the added bonus of Rahman's performance, though, sadly, he's not there in the second half of the film.  I rather liked the moments he and Mammootty were on-screen together, and wish there had been more of them, or that they'd been a little more developed (though given the constraints of Ranjith's story, that probably wouldn't have been possible).

 

Perhaps the best moment in the film is its one song, "Ambalakkara" (featuring a special appearance by Meenakshi).  Ashok (Rahman) has asked Shanmughan (Mammootty) to take him along to a wedding party in one of the poor slums.  Shanmughan resists at first, but then agrees, not realizing Ashok has motives for wanting to go that he doesn't make Shanmughan aware of.  But the song is a catchy one, and the film's two leads just ooze confidence and style:

 

(Note:  it is apparent to me that I will find any man in a Lacoste polo shirt appealing, q.v. Sunny Deol in Yamla Pagla Deewana.)

So, should you watch Black?  I'd say you might not want to go out of your way to find it, but if you happen to stumble across it at the local grocery, like I did, you might want to give it a try.  Writer/director Ranjith (he of house fave Nandanam fame, and the producer behind Kerala Cafe, as well as writing/directing many other very good films) does know how to create a compelling story and create continuity by tossing in some very fine small details.  Black may not be his best work, but it's certainly got much going for it, not the least of which are Rahman and Mammootty. 

 
 Maybe not, but several viewings of Black made me appreciate the film, and Rahman and Mammootty, that much more.

 

 

Shaitan

Any film with the name Anurag Kashyap attached to it is automatically guaranteed to be a house fave here at Casa Totally Filmi -- we still await the release of That Girl in Yellow Boots (seeing it at TIFF was not enough), and today, we are very keen to watch the leaked trailer of Shaitan, produced by Kashyap, starring amongst others another house fave Kalki Koechlin, and written and directed by Bejoy Nambiar.

I feel kind of compelled to repeat that last point, as everyone seems to be declaring this "Anurag Kashyap's next film".  Shaitan is Bejoy Nambiar's directorial debut -- his previous experience includes being a line producer for Mani Ratnam's Raavan and Raavanan, and assistant director on another Ratnam film, Guru.

That said:  this leaked trailer bears a lot of classic Kashyap fingerprints on it:  the cinematography (especially the use of colour), the style of the thing.  In fact, I'd say I had a bit of a Paanch* and Black Sunday via No Smoking flashback while watching it:

One thing is certain, however:  if this film opens over here, I am *so* going to watch it. 

 

*In fact, I had a very strong Paanch flashback.  This makes me intensely curious.  And just adds to my desire to see the film.

**Also?  I feel compelled to mention that the film is being edited by A. Sreekar Prasad, who also worked on Urumi.  Just to let you know that I'm still longing to see the film.  Sigh.

Stanley Ka Dabba

House favourite Amole Gupte (also in the much-anticipated Urumi, I note wryly) is making his directorial debut with the upcoming film Stanley Ka Dabba.  And you know what?

 

I really, really, really, really, really want to see this film.

Here's the synopsis from the film's official site,

"Imagine this boy in your mind's eye. He arrives in school much before any of his classmates to drum away his blues on empty benches. He stuffs himself with water instead of the nutritious food that his schoolmates relish during the lunch break. He covers up for his lack of social rank with the finesse of the most seasoned diplomat. Who is this child? What is he like? Why is he anything like he is? Wouldn't you like to know? Meet Stanley, the protagonist of the much awaited 'Stanley Ka Dabba

'Stanley Ka Dabba' is the latest offering from the insightful writer-director, Amole Gupte that throws light on the everyday life of a school going child. The character, Stanley, tugs at your heartstrings with his indomitable spirit, while warding off the hostile world he is surrounded by at all times, everywhere. The film reveals how this is child-soldier, rises above his choking real life situation on the way setting a template for all whiners to learn from, even emulate.

Like most others his ilk, Stanley loves to be amongst friends and win the appreciation of his peers and colleagues. He uses his sparkling wit and innocent wisdom to impress everyone he touches. At times spinning-a-yarn amongst friends about his mother's flight, while on occasion conjuring some heartfelt poetry to impress the lovely English teacher, Rosy Miss (Divya Dutta). There are though teachers like the pungent Science Madam, Ms Iyer (Divya Jagdale) whose rigid beliefs smother Stanley's innovative science experiment with all the contempt at her disposal. Then there is the gluttonous Hindi master, Verma Sir (Amole Gupte) who emerges as the catalyst in helping the boys bond for Stanley's dignity and rightful place in the school.

The camaraderie between the boys comes to the fore when they thwart Verma Sir's desperate attempts to polish off their dabbas with all the guile at their disposal. The gang makes the 'invincible' Verma show his true vulnerable self for once as he marches from one possible hideout to another in the school premises trying to binge upon their home made food.

Stanley, the little protagonist of Amole Gupte's, latest film 'Stanley Ka Dabba' shows how, like the proverbial lotus, can one rise above all the filth around and make the world a better, beautiful place to live in.

The way he goes about bringing cheer to his colleagues and his little friends is what makes him the Stanley we all need to be in today's day and age. Wise and sensitive, loving and mischievous: living every moment as if there is no tomorrow."

 

And if that's not enough to tempt you, then perhaps the trailer is?

 

 

Sadly, I'm willing to bet this film won't get a theatrical opening over here.  Perhaps I'll be proved wrong?  I would so love to be wrong.

I've gone quite over the deep end with this film, and if you're like me, you can follow its progress in a number of ways:

On Facebook:  Stanley Ka Dabba

Stanley seems to have a blog, too.  And he's on twitter:  @StanleyKaTweets

And, of course, Stanley's Youtube Channel.

Kapoor Fest

 

The Toronto International Film Festival recently started some buzz with the fact that they're going to organize a retrospective of Raj Kapoor films to coincide with the IIFAs being held in Toronto in June.  (They're also going to have props and posters from some of the films on display at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, too, I believe.)

 

I was following the announcements for this the last couple of days, and suddenly, I got thinking:  have we ever done a Kapoor fest out here in the Bollyblogosphere?  There's been a Shashi Week and a Neetu Singh-Along, but have we ever done the broader Kapoor clan?

And maybe, might that not be kind of a fun idea for the month of June?  TIFF can celebrate Raj Kapoor, and the rest of us can write about the rest of the Kapoors?  I'm thinking everyone related to Raj (even by marriage) is fair game:  Shashi, Shammi, Randhir, Rishi, Neetu, Ranbir, Bebo, Lolo...am I missing someone?

If this is an idea that's already been done, let me know.  If it hasn't, and you think it should be, let me know.  If you want in, let me know!  And if no one else is interested, well, maybe I'll just do it all by myself.

(And if you can think of a more creative name than "Kapoor Fest", let me know that, too, it was just the first thing that popped into my head when I was reading all the tweets announcing the Raj Kapoor retrospective this morning. "Kapoorama" maybe?)

Malayalam Monday: Some Urumi Odds and Sods

First!  A new clip from Urumi, the song "Chimmi Chimmi", picturised on Prabhu Deva and Nithya Menon:

 

 

I wasn't familiar with Malayali actress Nithya Menon before this, but a quick boo at her filmography revealed that I actually own two films with her in it:  Aakasha Gopuram (starring Mohanlal, it's an adaptation of Ibsen's "The Master Builder"), and Angel John (also with Mohanlal, purported to be loosely inspired by Bruce Almighty).  She is also, apparently, in Kerala Cafe, a film I am *dying* to see.

There was an interesting interview with her the other day on the Rediff site, which included some insights into Urumi and its shooting, along with some other tidbits.

Another article I came across that I found interesting was one entitled "Urumi:  history from the vanquished's eyes", in which Santosh Sivan described the film as "a representation of historical facts on a fictional platform than an accurate narration of history."  I'm more and more curious to know how this will play out, and how the English language version, purported to be slightly different from the Malayalam original, will turn out.

Finally, an interview in Rediff with Urumi's screenwriter, Shankar Ramakrishnan.  The most intriguing part of this interview, for me, was his answer to the question "How authentic is the film?"

His response?  "The film keeps intact a chronological history as it is recorded but deviates in creating composites in character and shifting time lines for dramatic purposes."

HInt: from what I know of the film, it starts in the present day, and then shifts backwards in time, as Prithviraj's modern-day character learns about his ancestry.

Also, a point I found quite telling:  "The English version of Urumi takes a totally different structure from the Malayalam version and it is as original but entirely different in its stance."

What I've been very curious about with the news that keeps trickling out about the English-language version is if that one would be watering down the "history from the vanquished's eyes" to make it more palatable for an audience that sees Vasco da Gama as a pioneering hero? 

Frankly, this is the stuff that intrigues the student of history in me (oh, yes, my major at the University of Toronto was History, and this is just right up my alley!)

Um, and also?  URUMI GRAPHIC NOVEL?

"I am planning to bring out a graphic novel on Urumi which will have an independent visual text from the film.  I have been working on it for some months now.  The research and styling is just getting over."

All I can say is, "Review copy, anyone?"  And, "Pass me the Malayalam/English dictionary."  Or, "English-language version PLEASE?"

And, as a total aside:  in doing some searching around for stuff on Urumi, I stumbled across the fact that director and cinematorapher Santosh Sivan recently made his acting debut, in the 2010 film Makaramanju (directed by Lenin Rajendran).  It's the story of one moment in the life of celebrated painter Raja Ravi Varma, with Sivan in the role of the artist.  The film seems to have gathered some acclaim, but has yet to be released.  It is now on the top of my Most Desired Films Wish List:

 

 

lies, damned lies, and statistics

Or, "how Gadar:  Ek Prem Katha screws up my Zip.ca ratings and denies me valuable ZipRewards points to use towards free fillums."

Some of you may be familiar with Zip.ca -- it's an on-line movie rental source, not unlike Netflix, except, with no streaming (yet), and in some cases, not as good as selection of films.  Note:  this is comparing it to Netflix in the US.  The Canadian version of Netflix is woefully inadequate for my needs, especially as they have so very, very few French-language films, or they did last time I went searching, and since I live in a bilingual country with two official languages (French and English), I find that kind of disheartening.

But I digress.

One of the reasons I didn't quite feel up to the task of doing a proper write-up of Gadar:  Ek Prem Katha is that I really felt I needed to watch it a couple more times and do some research and some thinking about it.  But since I'd got the film as a rental from Zip.ca, and the clock was ticking, I ended up having to send it back, so the write-up will have to wait 'til I can get it back again or finally get my own copy of the film.

Here's the thing, though:  Zip has this rewards system, where you get points for doing a whole variety of things, such as reporting your DVDs as having arrived, being returned, for writing reviews, and, quite simply for assigning a rating to the film.

Zip's rating system is a scale, with stars (obviously) attributed to a film.  It goes from 1 - 5 where:

1 = Hated it

2 = Disliked it

3 = Liked it

4 = Really liked it

5 = Loved it

 

Now:  here's a screen shot of the overall rating for the film:

 

So, based on the Zip users who have watched and rated the film, it gets an overall rating of 3 1/2 stars, meaning that, on average, people liked or really liked this film.

Now, that could be based on a whole range of variables:  it could mean that a bunch of people watched the film and had no context to judge it, and liked it overall; it could mean that people watched it who totally approved of the messages in the film; it could mean that people watched it who disapproved, but, on the whole, enjoyed the whole sweep of the story.

It could also be as simple as people don't understand the rating system and just hit any option to get their ZipRewards points.

Or perhaps there are other options that I'm not even thinking about.

Thing is?  Gadar:  Ek Prem Katha becomes the first film that I'm not assigning a star rating to.  I stared at all the options and just decided I couldn't choose one, not even for points that would get me a free fillum rental.

On the one hand, how can I say I hated or disliked the film, when I clearly loved the first half?  Equally, how can I say I liked it or loved it, when I really hated so much of the second half?

Clearly, I need an option that allows me to say, "there is much I love about the film, yet so much about the film that disturbs me, and I cannot simply click on a star because I need to frame it in more context than this star will allow."

Mind you, I guess that's what having a blog is for, right?