An old man and a solitary man: Thoughts on Bharathiraja’s OM & Parthiban’s Oththa Seruppu
My thoughts on Bharathiraja’s OM and Parthiban’s Oththa Seruppu, screened at Singapore South Asian International Film Festival.
Kaala and Pa Ranjith the artist
In this article I argue that Pa Ranjith’s filmography is never lacking in form, even if such complaints abound.
5 Filmmaking Tropes of Mysskin
Shanmugha Raja was so impressed by the character of Prince Myshkin in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot that when he began his film career, he decided to rechristen himself as Mysskin.
Stray Dog, 8 Thottakkal and a problem
There’s a whole bunch of young filmmakers who’re making their entry into films, but lacking a certain maturity and perspective of life. I felt comparing 8 Thottakkal (8 Bullets) to Stray Dog, the film it was inspired from, would be a good case study of this problem.
Not Ghatham ghatham: Or Why Baba deserves a second chance
Watching the film was a magical experience for me.
Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum
I love the way Vijay Sethupathi’s character Kathir is built up in this film. We don’t get any flashbacks.
Agantuk – Satyajit Ray’s Last Film
Ray has absolutely no hurry in narrating the story. It’s a relief to watch his films after all the swishes and jittery cuts of modern cinema.
Why I Loved Kaakkamuttai
As the director mentioned in an interview, there will be at least one moment that will remind you of your childhood, no matter where and how you grew up.
Why I think Kaaviyathalaivan failed
For a film that talks a lot about acting (Nasser saying that superb line about heart and body in sync), I felt this film had some of the worst acting performances.
On Establishing Character
Two films I watched recently provoked me to think about the means of establishing character in a story. One was a delightful German comedy about a chef and his troubled restaurant called Soul Kitchen. The other was a moody revenge saga from the director of Attakathi, called Madras.