Malayalam cinema: Signs of revival?

Last month Anjali published a post titled Ritu. It is about a Malayalam cinema by that name. The writer is annoyed and angry about the movie mainly because the story is an old tale and the script writer has not bothered study the subject and background well enough. I haven’t seen the picture but can understand why Anjali is upset. Many of the new Malayalam cinemas are like that.

Some years ago when I visited Chennai a friend asked me to join him and the scriptwriter of the Malayalam cinema he was producing for ‘working drinks’ at their hotel. I found him and the writer with a collection of English movie cassettes. This was before the CDs and DVDs. They were shamelessly copying from the Western cinemas for the Malayalam picture. I never saw that movie.

The story and script form the heart of a movie. The director, cameraman and actors work to transfer what is written to the celluloid. A good director would work only with a credible and well written screenplay. He and the writer would discuss and finalize the script.

Scriptwriting is a tough job. It requires understanding the place where the story takes place and the people who live there. The visuals and dialogues should give the impression that the story is actually happening there. This requires great concentration and even visualizing the camera angles. Sometimes research is needed. Attention to details is so important.

This is where Malayalam cinema fails. Most of the script writers just rush through the job. Some introduce theatrical dialogues. The producers go ahead with something that should be thrown into the waste basket. There are enough directors who do not bother as long as they get paid. As a result, 90% of the Malayalam movies fail at the box office.

Some time back I had written a post Malayalam Cinema: Going, going, gone? The same situation continues though Malayalam won 13 National awards recently for the year 2009. Imagine, for discovering a good story, Shaji N. Karun, the director of the best film, Kutty Srank waited 10 years. It is a pity that Mammootty lost out to Amitab Bachan for the Best Actor Award in spite of his good performances in three movies, Kutty Srank, Paleri Manikyam and Pazhassi Raja.

Actually, 2009 had six or seven good Malayalam movies. One of them was Blessy’s Bhramaram. I was quite impressed by the film. It had a good story and script. The final portion of the tension filled movie was shot in the rough terrain of the High Ranges. Blessy, and Mohan Lal, the hero are near perfect.

Both Mammootty and Mohan Lal continue to dazzle. Their latest releases, Pranchiyettan and the Saint (Direction by Renjit) and Shikkar (M.Padmakumar) are reportedly doing very well.

One problem is that the younger set of actors do not get really good chances. They are mostly wasted in quickly assembled, fight and dance oriented movies.

Unless new stories are found and the script writers and the directors put in hard work, Malayalam cinema will continue to be of low standard. The recent National Awards should inspire the industry to come out with better products.

Also see

Malayalam cinema: Random thoughts

Star wars in Kerala

There are only two mega stars in the tottering Malayalam cinema industry – Mammootty and Mohanlal. (See Malayalam Cinema: Going, going, gone?) They were superstars till a few years back but were elevated to the higher rank. I can’t answer the question ‘by whom’.

It was not like a Lt. General becoming General or a Secretary becoming Chief Secretary. A few of the next in line heroes (some of them are good) were stagnating and required a new label to enhance their market value and someone had a bright idea. Mammootty and Mohanlal were tagged megastars and the others became superstars.

Not that the change made any difference to performance of the actors. Perhaps their rates went up. Histrionic talent wise Malayalam cinema is well stocked. It is just that some of the actors got stereotyped. Anyway, there is room at the top and near the top for all of them. That is, provided the industry survives.

Mammootty and Mohanlal are great artistes by any standards, anywhere, anytime. Who is better among the two is a meaningless question according to me. (Malayalam cinema: Random thoughts)

Any rivalry between them should be on a healthy level. I have not met either of them. I am sure they are decent people who would not involve in petty squabbles. But the same cannot be said of all their fans. Many of their followers are organized into ‘clubs’.

The conflict between the fans of the mega stars came into the open with the release of the star-studded production ‘Twenty Twenty’ promoted by the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). Almost all top actors including Mammootty and Mohanlal are in the cast.

The protest was sparked off by the posters of that film. Mohanlal supporters felt that Mammootty was given more prominence in the publicity material. It is said that the producers brokered an understanding with the agitating fan clubs to enable smooth release of the movie.

But the embers flared again when the Mammootty film ‘Love in Singapore’ opened recently. The star’s head was cut off from the posters, and flexi boards advertising the cinema were destroyed. Replacements also met with the same fate. The opposite camp retaliated in kind when Mohanlal’s ‘Red Chilli’ was released.

I believe that the posters cost Rs.133 each, and flexi boards Rs.60000 each. One can imagine the extent of this meaningless destruction. The poor producers, many of whom are already deeply in the red, have to bear the additional and unplanned expense.

The simple logic the fans should understand is that even the best actor has a stage only if producers are around to risk the money to make movies. That some film makers producing low quality pictures should close shop is another matter.

[This is inspired by a report in the Malayala Manorama Chennai edition of 18^th February.]

Malayalam Cinema: Going, going, gone?

What is Malayali about Malayalam cinema except the language? Hardly anything. Almost gone are the days of stories with soul in them, themes that deal with people of the land, their lives, the situations they face, their dialogues and music. In the process, Malayalam cinema has lost its identity.

What we have today is a concoction of fighting where the hero vanquishing a group of baddies with incredible ease, bomb blasts, AK 47 firing away, taking law into own hands, spiting the police, theatrical dialogues, dances that are choreographed almost identically. I am told that the thugs who fly off the hero’s fist are paid by the number of turns they take in the air before biting dust.

Is this the formula that the audience wants? Not if the figures are to be believed. Out of the sixty odd Malayalam movies released in 2008, only about five were commercially successful. There were movies which ran for only three days. Why do the producers persist with the beaten (!) path?

It seems that an emerging trend is for some of the actors to come up with story lines where they are depicted as larger than life heroes. The thread is then developed into a script. Who now cares whether the producer loses money or not. There will be always another one who is ready to sell his ancestral house or beg or borrow to produce a movie.

Where is the scope for good stories, enchanting music and soul stirring lyrics in this scenario? In the rush for knocking together a movie, creativity and histrionic talents have no place. Pulling the trigger does not require great acting capabilities. And, there are enough English action movies to borrow from.

Songs are sometimes finalized in a few minutes. The director explains the situation to the music director and the lyricist. An instant tune is hummed and the poet fills in the words. Presto, the song is ready. There is no chance for the music director and the song writer to apply heart and soul. It is almost like a factory production line.

Amazingly, in the crumbling Malayalam celluloid world, two figures stand tall – Mammootty and Mohanlal. There is still no one to challenge them. Among the heroine, in my opinion, the pride of place goes to Meera Jasmine and Gopika.

Do you agree with me on the current state of Malayalam cinema?

Also see

Malayalam cinema: Random thoughts

Life without computer

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Let us spare a minute to pray for the victims of the latest horror episode in Mumbai – the dead, the injured and the hostages, and their families. There is nothing communal about those who are suffering, those beyond suffering – all human beings like you and me.

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‘No work on the computer’ was the medical advice after a plaster cast was put on my left foot which had a fracture. That was earlier this month. The leg, I was told, had to be kept up all the time.

I was quite upset about this. Felt that the doctors were making unnecessary fuss. But they had a point. At the age of 75 one has to be careful about such things.

The first impact of the restriction was that I realized I could still write with hand after depending on computers for about ten years. I acquired a writing board which can be kept on the armrest of my easy chair. I could keep my feet up and write. My daughter keys in my handwritten manuscripts.

In that manner I could keep my blog going, concentrating on posts that did not require research. But emails pose a problem. Don’t know how long it would take me to catch up with the backlog. Hope that no one would be offended by the delayed response from me.

One good thing that came out of my enforced computer holiday was that I could get on with my reading. Currently I am on to Empires of the Indus – The Story of a River by Alice Albinia. It had earned Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award for work in progress.

This fascinating book combines history with the experiences and observations of the British born author’s travels along the Indus River. Considerable amount of research has gone into the beautifully written work. It is good reading as well as a reference book.

The next one lined up is India’s Unending Journey by MarkTully who had a long stint in India with the BBC. He is a world famous radio personality. You might have read his earlier work, No Full Stops in India.

I was also able to watch some good movies, mostly Malayalam. It is amazing how the two actors, Mammootty and Mohanlal, continue to dominate the Malayalam cinema, something that they have been doing for quarter of a century. At one time Prem Nazeer was known as the evergreen hero. Now it is the turn of these two versatile artists.

But the best thing that has come out of the enforced rest is that I spent more time with my family, particularly my little granddaughter. She tells me about her school, friends, ideas and so on. That is great.

The plaster cast on my foot was taken off yesterday and a bandaged applied in its place. Two more weeks of rest. But I am starting selective use of the computer. In fact this post is done all by myself.

Also see: How I write Blog posts

Malayalam cinema: Random thoughts

The mention of Dasaratham by Maddy of Maddy's Ramblings in his comment on my post Reproductive tourism & other matters triggered a chain of thoughts on Malayalam cinema in my mind. Dasaratham was a good picture in which Sibi Malayil competently dealt with the daring theme of surrogate mothers. Initially I mixed it up with Devasuram a movie that I liked very much. In my opinion, it was IV Sasi’s finest directorial venture.

But apart from that, what made Devasuram such success? For one, the screenplay by Ranjit. I believe he modeled Mangalasserry Neelakantan on a real life character. Then of course, Mohanlal’s towering performance. Revathi living the part of Bhanumathi with characteristic ease. Innocent in a totally different role – versatile, I must say. The net result was a box office hit.

I am amazed by artistes like Revathi and Suhasini. Their strength is not glamour but great histrionic talent. The fluidity of the face, smile that spreads sunshine, eyes that reflect expressions of life, body movements that are so natural – all these and more put them on a different pedestal. A comparison could be Sharada of the previous generation. Also Smita Patil, Shabna Azmi, Jaya Bachan.

I am not really in touch with the current movies. Two good actresses, Manju Warrier and Samyukta Varma, I believe, are out of action now. Then there is Kavya Madhavan who grew up with the movies. Also a pack of talented young girls of glamour. But the outstanding one, I think, is Meera Jasmine.

Let me deal briefly on the sensitive and difficult to answer question – who is a better actor, Mammootty or Mohanlal. Both have great stage presence and done many superb roles effortlessly. If my memory serves me right, Mohanlal once said words to the effect that Mammootty wanted to be an actor and tried hard to be one, but he (Mohanlal) happened to become an actor by chance. Mammootty seems to have more professionalism. I wonder if either of them could have emulated the performance of PJ Antony in Nirmalyam. Not that such comparison has any meaning.

Normally I don’t read film reviews. For serious viewing I select movies based on three factors – director, script writer and the lead actors. In that order. This criterion has not let me down so far. I have come across some Malayalam movies that are very good.

Ends.

Also see: A Malayalam cinema and its lyrics.