SouthScope - January 2010 - Shriya Cover

Vol 1 Issue 4 january 2010

Rs.50

New Year. New Design. New Look.

RNI NO.: APENG/2009/29389

Pa n o r a m a o f s o u t h c i n e m a

2010

www.southscope.in

Sensuous

Shriya bares her soul

What’s Trisha doing with Akshay Kumar?

Three men in Amrita Rao’s life The case of the missing girls

AVM’s legacy revisited

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Shriya sheds all inhibitions. Here’s what you didn’t know >> about her!

Centre Stage

29

CONTENTS

South Spread Amrita Rao: Not made over!

42

Galleria Singer Karthik on how Rehman discovered him, and more... 18

Exclusives 24 Trisha speaks out on Akshay Kumar!

38 Letting the base kick with music composer Harris Jeyraj!

48 Pure machismo is what we call Vishal!

50 Through ace cinematographer, Madhu Ambat’s lens 52 Filmmaker Krishnan Seshadri on his award winning film

Funda 11

11

07

60

62

56

41

67

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Loading please wait Films in the making Junk mail Trivia on cinema Gold Class Kolly Jolly Simbly Malayalee Mumbai Matinee Bollywood brouhaha Wild West Hollywood hullabaloo Bioscope Movie reviews Kaleidoscope What happened when and where Sing along Karaoke Screen test Launch pad for aspiring actors

Features

Features 26 The timeless legacy of AVM Studios 16 The bloggerati of southern cinema 22 Where are the girls disappearing from Malayalam cinema?

47 A report on the Goa Film Festival

Mumbai Express 54 What’s Aftab Shivadasani up to

tam Which passionate Tamil cinema lover can forget the eternally classical scene that plays out between the poor, emaciated Dharumi, eager for a bundle of gold, and the regal deity Chokkan in the perennial hit Thiruvilaiyadal? The question and answer session between comedian Nagesh and Sivaji Ganesan is a sure-fire example of the actors’ chemistry – and even more so, of Nagesh’s extraordinary talent. Reportedly, Sivaji Ganesan took Nagesh aside before the scene and instructed him to do a good job, as this was a very important segment. Once they’d finished the movie, though, and saw it in the preview theatre, Sivaji Ganesan had another chat with Nagesh in private.

He reportedly said something to the effect: “I know I told you this scene was important – but good god, man, you’ve made me disappear from it!” Nagesh, always told everyone that those were the best words anybody could have said to him.

This young action hero, who entered Tamil filmdom at the right moment, in the right film, and won hundreds of hearts with his inimitable style, had anything but this planned for himself. On vacation in Chennai from Malaysia, he missed the train to Trichy and went back home dejected, only to be waylaid by cinematographer B N Sundaram who dragged him along for an audition with acclaimed director Sridhar.

Our man was so convinced that he’d never make it, he simply lounged around a room, with a careless air, a cigarette dangling from between his fingers – but that was exactly the look that Sridhar needed! He was taken instantly to play the lead in Sridhar’s film. The actor? Ravichandran, who reluctantly entered cinema but created such a blast with the 200-day plus cult classic, Kadhalikkka Neramillai.

King of Romance, Gemini Ganesan was known for many things: his complete loverboy image, the soft and cultured roles he played and a keen sense of intelligence.

Apparently, the soft-spoken hero was soft-hearted as well. When cheques for large sums for him bounced back, he never took re-course to legal action or demand a refund. “Wouldn’t they have given me the money if they’d had it?” he would ask. Talk about magnanimity!

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Mammootty had once played a roguish hunter in a movie called Mrugaya in 1989. It was the story of a hunter who comes to a village to kill a tiger but soon becomes a more agonizing menace than the tiger itself. The film, a huge success then, was scripted by Lohitadas and directed by I V Sasi. Now, cut to those days when the shooting of the film started. Even after the script was ready and the shooting began, those involved had no idea about how the character should look. It was decided initially to give the character a deglamourised look, but there were doubts if the film will be accepted with Mammootty not in his usual handsome avatar. Just days after the shooting began, they finally got the perfect model for the character. There was a man in the crowd who had come to watch the shooting and his look suited the character perfectly. So Mammootty’s hair was made to look unkempt and with crude makeup, a scruffy shirt, unclean trousers and gun. That’s how the character, Varunni was created. It is regarded as one of the finest characters played by Mammootty so far.

He had learnt to crank the camera from the Adayar Film Institute, for the sake of having a professional qualification on his CV. Yet he had always preferred to face the camera instead. Surprised? Well, we are talking about Narain, the actor who shot to fame with films like Achuvinte Amma, Classmates, Chithiram Pesuthadi and Anjathey. Soon after completing his course in cinematography, Narain (who was known by his original name Sunil then) met ace cinematographer and director Rajeev Menon and told him about his fascination for acting. Narain made his acting debut in director Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Nizhalkuthu and the big break came for him with the success of Jayaraj’s 4 the People, in which he played a smart cop.

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Vikram turns producer Mumaith anD Namitha in a who-baresmore fight!

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jollykolly

Ever the busy bee, Vikram has now set up his own production company. Under the banner of Reel Life Entertainment, he’s busy making a film with director Sasikumar. The shoot is progressing quietly, and Vikram seems to be tight-lipped about the project. When we caught the hunky actor-turned-producer at a recent shoot, he said that the project would feature fresh faces and is the result of his quest for meaningful cinema.

Vikram has completed Mani Ratnam’s Raavan and is doing two more films directed by Selvaraghavan and Vikram Kumar. Good going, Chiyaan!

Will Mumaith Khan replace Namitha as the new oomph girl of the Tamil Film industry? Namitha these days is desperately in need of a hit and she seems to be banking heavily on two of her forthcoming films in Telugu. She also has a Malayalam film, Black Stallion in the pipeline, where she plays a bar dancer. The grapevine suggests that Namitha has shed inhibitions (and clothes!) like never before in the film. It features a couple of steamy bedroom scenes, a rain dance in a swimming pool and, get this, a hot number shot in a house boat in the Kerala backwaters! Meanwhile, Mumaith Khan is standing her ground in Tamil films after the En Peru Meena Kumari… song from Kanthaswamy, which became a rage. We hear that she is now in a position to actually replace Namitha altogether, who’s become oh so predictable these days.

What’s more, she might even feature in a lead role!

Mumaith has signed two new films, earlier slated for Namitha. Naturally, this has unsettled Namitha, who has hardly had any new Tamil films of late. But it looks like Namitha would not go down without a fight. She has now reinvented herself and become bolder as she gets ready to shed some more clothes. Who bares wins, eh ladies?

Bhagyaraj’s sonny side up!

One of Tamil cinema’s best-known writers, who later turned filmmaker and actor, Bhagyaraj is back in the scene. His latest project comes after Parijatham, which featured his daughter Saranya. Now Bhagyaraj is back with Siddhu Plus Two First Attempt, where he is trying to give a new lease of life to his son Santanoo Bhagyaraj as a romantic hero. As the title suggests, the film would be a youthful romantic comedy entertainer, featuring Santanoo with new entrant Chandni. The film revolves around these two, who belong to different cities, fail in the class 12 examination and run away from their homes to avoid facing their parents’ ire. They meet at Chennai Railway station, and what happens then is the rest of the story. Yes, we have our fingers crossed too!

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Lakshmi Rai’s weighty issues

Prayan all the way?

There’s Brangelina and closer home, there’s Abhiash or Saifeena. But even closer home there’s Prayan! It’s more than public that Nayanthara and Prabhu are a couple. So isn’t it just less effort to call them Prayan?

Maybe. If you were to do away with the occasional rumour that perhaps they have a tiff or two once in a while…

Pooah Lakshmi Rai! She is always in the news for all the wrong reasons. Be it her new BMW, her posh apartment in Mumbai or rumours of her alleged affair with Prasad, her trainer. Lakshmi sure is peeved at such reports and stated for the record that the guy is only her trainer and a good friend.

Lakshmi, who is already linked with Indian cricket captain M S Dhoni is upset that her name seems to be coming up in every juicy gossip column. Now settled in Mumbai, Lakshmi has also said that she has signed a Hindi film for which she has to shed nine kilos and hence requires Prasad’s help. The trainer, mind you, accompanies her on her outdoor locations. Hmm…

Rambha is getting hitched!

Bharath’s

wild ride

Bharath is on cloud nine after his Kanden Kadhalai turned out to be a hit. He threw a big party, inviting close friends and the team.

After that, he took a break and went on a tour of north India, which he has been wanting to do since he was a child. He went to Srinagar, and from there to Leh and Ladakh, and finally finished with a ten day break at Rajasthan and Agra. An excited Bharath told everyone that he saw a tiger in a wildlife sanctuary in Rajasthan!

He’s back in Madurai and has resumed shooting for Perarasu’s Thiruthani. How you wish the vacation was longer, eh Bharath?

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Actress Rambha will soon tie the knot with the owner of an international sanitaryware brand, Magic Woods, for which she is the brand ambassador. The wedding would take place at Tirupathi. And here’s the best bit. The name of the groom is Indran, which has Rambha pleased to no end since in mythology, Rambha is the celestial dancer in Indra’s heavenly court!

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Mammooka in an ‘enlightening’ role Mammootty is all set to don the look of a spiritual godman for his new film Drona, directed by Shaji Kailas. Mammootty plays a Nostradamus like character, Pattazhi Madhavan Namboodiri a.k.a. Drona and would be clad in saffron robes, rudrakshamala, with jet black long hair, the works. Bala, Vijayakumar and Irshad play his supporters in this crime thriller with three heroines - Kaniha, Navya Nair and Shwetha Vijay.

The film is scheduled for a Republic Day release.

Now that’s what we call a saint in god’s own country!

Kavya’s U-turn

With her short-lived marriage with an NRI over, Kavya Madhavan is planning a comeback to films! Making up for lost time, she went ahead and signed up for the upcoming Mohanlal starrer, Christian Brothers. Now living with her parents in Kochi, we hear she’s also wasting no time in negotiating with her lucky hero, Dileep for his next film Paappi Appacha. What’s more, she is apparently also scheduled to be paired with Mammootty in a film, to be directed by B Unnikrishnan soon. And her fans are more than happy she’s coming back. Well, welcome back!

2012 averts disaster in Kerala Roland Emmerich’s disaster epic 2012, which had a simultaneous worldwide release, in Kerala is turning out to be quite a hit with the local audience.

2012, which opened like a Malayalam superstar film may eventually turn out to be one of the all time big Hollywood hits in the state. The effects-laden film is surely a treat for the audiences, having a better opening in Kerala than the recent string of Malayalam films. In fact, it is speculated that the film would do business in excess of Rs 3 Crores in the state alone. This one’s really earth shattering!

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 9

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Mohanlal:

a well decorated actor

Actor and Lieutenant Colonel Mohanlal is on a new high after receiving the Sri Chithira Thirunal award for 2009 from Chief of Army Staff General, Deepak Kapoor in Thiruvananthapuram. The veteran actor turned emotional as he received the award and commented on how proud he was to receive an award that carried the legacy of a great Maharaja.

Instituted by the Sree Chithira Tirunal Trust in memory of the erstwhile King of Travancore, the award carries a cash prize of one Lakh Rupees along with a citation. Bravo!

Navya having an

arranged marriage!

Mohanlal, Piggy Chops’ husband?

A little birdie tells us that Mumbai-based filmmaker, Vishal Bhardwaj flew down to Kochi to meet Mohanlal. Vishal, who happens to be a big fan of Mohanlal met him over lunch and was apparently bowled over by the star’s humility. After a two hour meeting with Mohanlal, Vishal went back to Mumbai and now it is confirmed that Mohanlal will play Priyanka Chopra’s husband in the film titled Seven. The Bollywood grapevine is abuzz that in Seven, Priyanka Chopra will have seven husbands, and the most important of them is the character being played by Mohanlal! Whoa!

Siddharth, son of noted Malayalam director, the late Bharathan and veteran actor KPAC Lalitha, is directing his first film, Mitram.

The film is being presented by David Kachapally, a senior producer who had collaborated in many Bharathan classics. In fact, it was David who discovered Siddharth and made him an actor in the hit campus entertainer, Nammal. But after a few films, it turns out that Siddharth lost interest in acting and he had his sights set on direction, like his dad. Siddharth then became an assistant to Priyadarshan, working wtih him for six films. Mithram is a romantic thriller and features newcomers Asif, Sruthi and Kalabhavan Mani in the lead. Good luck, Siddharth!

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It’s official folks, Navya Nair is all set to marry Mumbai based corporate Santosh Menon. Apparently, the groomto-be came down to his native place, Changanassery in Kerala for a ‘boy meets girl’ meeting with Navya. Their horoscopes matched and ever since they can’t stop chatting on the phone.

The wedding is sometime in January.

Navya is currently playing Mammootty’s wife in Drona and would also feature in Sadgamaya with Suresh Gopi. From reel to real, there seems to be no shortage of husbands for Navya!

New ‘direction’

for Siddharth

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TAMIL

Paiyaa

Cast Karthi, Tamannaah,

Milind Soman Director

Lingusamy

Music

Yuvan Shankar Raja

Paiyaa has Karthi doing a city-based story, quite possibly for the first time in his career. The film was shot in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai and is said to be based on the theme of travel. Packed with action and adventure, Paiyaa would trace the protagonist’s journey from Bengaluru to Mumbai. Soon, the female lead, played

by Tamannaah would join him, as they avert danger to survive their journey. Shot at a breakneck pace, the actionentertainer is being made with highways and travel as the backdrop. The soundtracks, tuned by Yuvan Shankar Raja have already become a hit, while the rain song Adada Mazhaida continues to race to the top of the charts.

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 11

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TAMIL

Aasal

Cast Ajit,

Sameera Reddy,

Bhavana Director Saran Music

Bharathwaj & Y-Kinz

Ultimate star Ajit and director Saran are back with Aasal, their fourth film together. Produced by Sivaji films, the action-entertainer would feature Sameera Reddy and Bhavana in the female lead roles, while Pradeep Rawat, Sampat, Kelly Dorjee and Yugi Sethu complete the cast. The film is said to be a mass entertainer, replete with the bells and whistles of commercial cinema. Ajith fans are likely to be satisfied, what with all the slick packaging the film promises to have. The story is touted to be an examination of greed as a consuming force, set in a backdrop of a family-run business empire. The rest of the story follows how the protagonist Shiva, played by Ajith deals with the situation that risks in a grave loss. With the elements of intrigue, love and betrayal all spun into a tight web, Aasal is set to become an action-filled adventure romp for the audiences.

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MALAYALAM

Kutty Srank

Cast

Mammootty, Padmapriya, Kamalinee Mukherjee, Meena Kumari

Director Shaji N Karun

Ace cinematographer-turned-director Shaji N Karun’s Kutty Srank (Sailor of Hearts), stars Mammootty in the lead role. The film, set in the mid-50s is about a boat driver who runs a parcel service through the Kerala backwaters. The film unfolds through the eyes of three women, Revamma, Pemenna and Kali, played

by Padmapriya, Kamalinee Mukherjee and Meena Kumari. The script follows the life and times of the protagonist, as recalled by the three women, blurring fact and imagination in the process. The film had its world premiere in Montreal and Pusan, screened at the Indian Panorama section in Goa, and the Dubai Film Festival. Mammootty’s performance is said to be commendable as an enigmatic, multifaceted man who seems to go beyond religion and region.

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 13

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Thanthonni

Director George Varghese

A debut venture by George Varghese, Thanthonni has Pritviraj playing the role of a wealthy brat living life on his own terms. The protagonist, Kochu Kunju is the youngest member in a large family, often landing himself into all sorts of trouble because of his wayward nature. Sheela plays a bubbly girl who works as a junior scientist. Sure enough, she loves everything about the reckless lad. Kalabhavan Mani steps in to play the goon Neelakantan, while Jagathy Sreekumar, Vijayaraghavan, Captain Raju and Suresh Krishna also play important roles in the film, which is scheduled to hit cinema screens in January.

Cast Pritviraj, Sheela, Ambika, Kalabhavan Mani

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MALAYALAM

Aamir Khan has been doing it for long now. Big B has another reason to be loved for. Many from southern cinema mean to start soon. But those who are doing it have already become blogbusters! Vrinda Prasad and Rahul Ganguly tune into the trend of star blogging.

From promoting their newest project to the occasional moment of introspection, celebrity blogs are slowly turning into spaces to create fan following. From the gigantic cut-out fad of yesteryears to the click of the mouse, fandom has had an interesting journey so far.

Even though internet penetration in the country remains limited to urban centres; new and established stars seem to be cutting no corners when it comes to their web presence. Celebrities now hold conversations with fans or voice their opinions over their blogs besides flirting, virtual dating and settling scores!

Everybody is doing it these days from Aamir Khan who initiated this to Big B, whose blog is getting as popular as the man himself, at least among web bunnies. But somehow southern stars are trailing behind at the moment. Star of yesteryears, Revathy is already into it but can’t count too many others.

down here, these days there are some restless writers who’d rather blog than remain restless. Ram kickstarted things sometime back with a blog purely for interaction with fans, on his website heroram.com. It’s become a huge hit, especially among girls. “I wanted to start off the trend here and I quite enjoy writing,” Ram stops writing to glance up. “Also, it’s great that my fans love it and I can actually reply to each of them when they write to me.”

Vishal, who describes himself as ‘Putrachi Thalapathy’ Vishal in his blog had people sit up and take notice when he chose to write to charm, in 2008. With everything from news about his upcoming releases to intimate reflections, Vishal’s blog has been having quite a few visitors of late.

Southern stars instead, find their space in Facebook and Twitter to meet and greet. But among the younger actors

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Some are doing it and many more are soon to join the bloggers club. Even Pooja Gandhi, the top choice for every filmmaker in the Kannada industry, will soon start her own blog. At the moment though, she interacts with fans on her website. “I’ll soon start my blog and link it to my website. I’ve been thinking about for a while now, and want to start like real soon,” she says with a touch of sheepish guilt. Ruling the roost in Kannada cinema, Puneet Rajkumar yearns to start off his soon. “It has been more than two years since I first thought about it but now I intend to start anytime,” he shares.

Reema Sen feels more at ease with networking sites, “There is no particular reason why I don’t blog. But I’m happy with Facebook,” she says with that sexy shrug.

Take starlet Sharmila Mandre for example. Though she does not have a blog of her own yet, she is quite taken in

by Abhishek Bachchan’s blog and that’s begun to inspire her to “start one of my own soon.” On a similar note, Kannada actor Chetan, of Aaa Dinagalau fame finds he enjoys following a number of blogs from the Mumbai film industry. He’s not sure about when he’ll start blogging himself though.

Producer Suresh Babu’s son, Rana Dagubatti recently wrote about his experiences of growing up in the shadow of the stars on his blog, which prompted a host of

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comments. His debut film Leader is barely out, but he’s already getting pretty popular and not just because of living in the shadow of the stars…

The blogosphere is now also filling up with voices for causes from the film fraternity. And guess what, these are making quite an impact. Actor Kamal Kamaraju who blogs regularly to publicise social causes says, “We need to spread awareness about various issues that are important, since many of our fans visit our blogs regularly.” Kamal feels that through his blog he is helping people voice their opinions and start making a difference at the individual level.

Journeying along the same road is Ram Gopal Varma.

His blog on his site, rgvzooming.com, is filled with his ramblings on a whole lot of things - his reactions to things that matter, people he meets and much more. He values comments from people who tell him something he wrote, resonated with them.

Despite hectic schedules, more and more people from the southern film industry are investing in the blogging phenomenon. Creative expression, mass networking, and even work opportunities are after all too many benefits in return for a little time (and some virtual space!)

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20 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

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Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 21

The systematic disappearance of heroines from the scene is a rather peculiar issue that has Malayalam filmmakers and stars in a tizzy, writes

Sridevi Sreedhar When was the last time that you saw a Malayalam blockbuster with the female lead in focus? But for a few exceptions, most films revolve around the hero. In a very unusual development kicked off recently, Malayalam filmmakers have suddenly taken to a fascination for prominent female stars from outside the state, to fill in the gaping holes.

It all began when Malayalam cinema started losing most of its top heroines to, ahem, holy matrimony. Count in names like Manju Warrier, Samyuktha, Gopika and Kavya.

Younger stars like Asin, Nayanthara, Navya Nair, Mamta Mohandas, Bhavana and Meera Nandan soon migrated to Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

Suddenly, filmmakers felt the need to import big names from other language industries.

Even Malayalam actors have started paying alluring amounts to get the best of the heroines from other languages. Shriya Saran, for instance, was paid a bomb to feature with Mammootty and Prithviraj in Pokkiri Raja, last month. Sameera Reddy is all set to join the backwater bandwagon too.

Interestingly, Malayalam filmmakers have also grossly cut down on duets and romantic scenes in exotic foreign locales, since heroines have become increasingly insignificant in superstar films. Veteran director Hariharan whose recent blockbuster, Pazhassi Raja turned out to be one of the most talked about Malayalam films, laments: “During the golden era of Malayalam cinema – say the 70s and 80s, heroines like Sharada, Sheela, Jaybharathi, Sree Vidya, Seema etc were celebrated in Malayalam cinema, since scripts by well-known writers had strong female protagonists. Today, where are the girls who can perform as well?”

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Shobana and later Manju Warrier were among the last prominent heroines who were performers and had a strong fan base.

Remember that the hit film Kannezhuthi Pottumthottu had Manju playing the female protagonist? But today’s girls can’t be compared to the leading ladies of those days. In 2005 there was a mass exodus of talented Malayalam female actors into Tamil, Telugu and Kannada industries. It in turn triggered a reverse invasion of actors from the other states into Malayalam cinema, since Malayalam girls were making it big in other language films or getting married at the peak of their career.

In 2008, Kavya Madhavan, Meera Jasmine Gopika, Bhavana, Navya Nair – all Malayalam actors – were at the top of the lists. But taking their place currently are Kaniha, Lakshmi Rai, Padmapriya and Roma - all outsiders.

The import of actors from other language industries is being viewed as a result of the diminishing importance of heroines in films rather than infusion of better talent. With the domination of hero-centric films, some directors prefer working with freshers from other languages.

Kaniha, for instance, got married and practically cut herself off from anything to do with cinema. Noted director, Sathyan Anthikad - the man who discovered Asin and Nayanthara – gave Kaniha a break in his film, Bhagyadevata. His forte is family entertainers with a good sprinkling of humour and drama.

Says Sathyan: “Kaniha has a homy face and she fitted my bill. Her pairing with Jayaram in Bhagyadevata seems to have worked with the audiences.” And with Pazhassi Raja turning out to be huge, she is clearly on top at the moment. A close second is Lakshmi Rai. Her Annan Thambi with Mammootty and To Harihar Nagar have fared well, propelling her to the top. She’s got a handful of movies releasing in the next few months.

Meanwhile, glam girls like Parvathi Melton, Sharbhani Mukerji, Gowri Munjal, Richa Pallod, Charmi, Bhumika, Meenakshi, Namitha and Shriya Saran are more than happy to take up Malayalam projects. With a call sheet of only 10 to 15 days, and good money, say anything between Rs 10 to 15 lakhs - depending on their box-office ratings - Malayalam films seem to be readily grabbable. What’s more. Doing films in Kerala gets them lucrative offers for gold and textile endorsements plus stage shows in the gulf and US. It’s almost like a paid for picnic. Who can resist that, now?

The case of the

During the golden era of Malayalam cinema – say the 70s and 80s, heroines like Sharada, Sheela, Jaybharathi, Sree Vidya, Seema etc were celebrated in Malayalam cinema, since scripts by well-known writers had strong female protagonists.

Today, where are the girls who can perform as well?

missing girls

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In a quick chat, Trisha shares with Sridevi Sreedhar all about the experience so far, with her Bollywood debut

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Men may come and men may go, but I’ll go on forever…

In Trisha’s case of course, it’s women may come and more women may come, but she’s not wavering from the top. Besides Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya in Tamil with Gautham Menon and Namo Venkatesha in Telugu already releasing soon, she was noted director Priyadarshan’s first choice for a southern face in his Akshay Kumar starrer, Khatta Meetha.

With her Bollywood debut now underway, Trisha seems to be having quite a time of her life. Almost sixty percent of the shoot is completed in Baramati near Pune. And she’s loving every moment of it. Doing a Hindi film must be a different experience. “Priyan introduced me to cinema with the Tamil, Lesa Lesa and he is a mentor of sorts to me. It was the whole high of working with an excellent filmmaker and wonderful human being. Everything else is a bonus.” She goes on to confess that she signed the film only because of Priyadarshan and didn’t look beyond that. And about Akshay Kumar: “Akki is so chilled out, disciplined and a great actor to work with. It is turning out to be an enriching experience for me as both Akki and Priyan have gone out of their way to make me comfortable.

Priyan’s films are well liked entertainers always and I am glad to be working with him after many years. He really pampers me on the sets and the entire unit is a pleasure to work with. It’s like one big party for me”.

The film is based on Priyadarsan’s 1990 Malayalam hit, Vellanakalude Nadu, which had Mohanlal and Shobhana in the lead. Trisha is doing a role made memorable by an actor of Shobhana’s caliber. “I have two different avatars in the film and it will be more challenging than the roles that I’ve played so far. And I have not seen the Malayalam film to borrow from Sobhana’s performance.” At one point, Trisha was only shooting for Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya and not much else going on for her. Must have been bothersome to stay home. “It would be a matter of concern if there was a long break and I wasn’t getting any work,” she says frankly. “But fortunately, work has always come my way even before I go about looking. I have never really had to get desperate,” she stays confident.

Fortunately, work has always come my way even before I go about looking. I have never really had to get desperate.

It sure helps that all top actors and directors have repeated her in their films, something of a rarity in southern cinema. “I never had an issue with my costars or filmmakers I’ve worked with, in my sevenyear-long career. When minor issues crop up, I usually believe in resolving them by talking.”

Talking of which, what’s with the rumours that she is seeing Silambarasan? “Seeing him? Are you pulling my leg or something?” She breaks into a bemused laugh. I am not seeing him for sure. Sim has been a good colleague and we get along very well. When we’re working together, we vibe perfectly. Otherwise, both of us are really busy with our respective careers.”

So from male costars to female colleagues, does she feel the competition getting aggressive with younger girls on the block like Tamannaah? “No, it’s never bothered me. I don’t see anybody as a threat,”she says.

All her focus as of right now is on Khatta Meetha and then she has a new Telugu film with Ravi Teja in the pipeline. On her personal life she concludes: “I have never hidden my personal life. I have always been a person who loves life and enjoys it to the hilt. I balance my profession and my personal life and find time for my family and friends. Be it my annual holiday with a close set of buddies every year or giving 100 percent for a perfect shot, the passion is the same”.

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Pavithra Srinivasan traces the history of the famous AVM Studios and the illustrious A V Meiyyappan, who set it up

A rare legacy of southern cinema...

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in the business of selling records, but he decided to manufacture his own records, instead of having to buy the stock and sell them.

The records of Musiri Subramaniya Iyer, Kittappa, K B Sundarambal and Subbiah Bhagavathar were the reigning monarchs of music sales in those days. “Musiri’s records have sold more than 30,000 copies. That is a milestone in Carnatic music,” revealed AVM once.

When the heyday of gramophone records wound down, though, he turned his attention to cinema.

Alli Arjuna was the first film he produced. With no studio facilities in the then Madras, he had to go all the way to New Theatre in Calcutta. His experiences during the making of this film were pretty interesting and enriching. “Watching rushes was impossible, in those days,” he once said in an interview. “When we finally did get to see the film, we found that not even 10,500 feet could be salvaged. Because of the scorching sun, everyone had closed their eyes during the day – and the technicians never noticed – because they had closed their eyes against the sun as well! We had to piece together cartoon clips to even out the length!”

AVM made Ratnavalli and Nandakumar as well, but these movies didn’t fare very well at the box office. True to his personal motto of ‘effort never fails,’ he set about analysing his losses, and deciding on how best to learn from his expereinces. One of his first decisions was to build a studio, and he decided on Pragathi Studios in Bangalore. But his partners in business wanted out,

Stop anyone in Tamil Nadu and ask them randomly about a movie studio that comes to mind, and one name that calls for instant recall would be the A V Meiyyappan – or AVM Studios. They might or mightn’t be familiar with the Secretariat, but everyone knows the revolving globe that’s been an iconic landmark in the cultural fabric of Tamil Nadu over decades. Practically every movie made in Tamil on cinema has had scenes of youngsters queuing up at the studio to try their luck.

AVM has had an intriguing past, which is 75 years old this year. It wouldn’t be too much to say that the history of Tamil cinema – of southern cinema even – is closely associated with AVM Studios.

The best directors, technicians, composers and production units held their sway within these sacred precincts. They commanded respect and ruled the box office then and continue to do today as well.

Back in 1935, no one would have guessed at exactly how the brainchild of A V Meiyappa Chettiyar – who set up the studio might change the face of cinema. Although that wasn’t how events began. AVM’s forefathers were in the money-lending business, and the young A V Meiyappan had been apprenticed into trade at 13. He had an enterprising mind and the passion to go beyond the limited worldview he was exposed to. His father was Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 27

and the studio moved to Madras. At a rent of Rs 350, this was where Bhookailas, Harischandra, Sabapathi and Sri Valli were produced between 1941 and 1945. Harischandra, originally made in Kannada, was dubbed into Tamil and created a record of sorts, while Sri Valli made its own mark and became even more popular later when the lead pair, T R Mahalingam and Rukmini got together in real life. Not to mention the elephant starring in the film, the chartbusting numbers and outdoor locations.

Bhookailas, on the other hand, rewrote history in a different way.

“It’s a Telugu movie, with a Tamil producer, a Hindi director and Kannada artists!” AVM was known to joke about it.

Then came the Second World War, and entertainment took a back seat. But even then, AVM scouted for land in Kodambakkam to build a studio complex, despite a severe shortage of electricity.

He shifted base to Karaikkudi, and eventually set up AVM Studios at Devakkottai road close by. It was a 120 by 60 feet shed, with materials from Madras. Vedala Ulagam, best known for its bravura special effects was created here, as also Nam Iruvar, with poet Bharathiyar’s songs. AVM, who had purchased the rights to Bharathiyar’s poems for Rs 25,000, turned them over to the government later, respecting the chief minister’s wishes.

The war finally came to an end and this time, AVM decided to go beyond the small confines of the existing studio. He bought several acres of land, dismantled the studio in Karaikkudi, and reassembled it in Madras – and thus was created the third floor of AVM studios, where poojas are still conducted.

Then came one of AVM’s unqualified hits, Vaazhkai - starring Vyjayanthi Mala – which was directed by AV Meiyappan himself.

This was later followed by Bahaar in Hindi and Jeevitham in Telugu. So, what prompted AVM’s entry into Hindi? “Once Vaasan produced the hugely successful Chandralekha in Hindi, we decided to plunge in as well,” was AVM’s answer. Hum Panchi Ek Dal Ke won the Prime Minister’s Gold Medal in 1958.

It wasn’t just creating blockbusters that the studio was interested in. A good many trend-setters found their way to celluloid from their banner, evolving southern cinema in the process. There was Kuladeivam, which took up the story of widow remarriage (1956), and Naanum Oru Penn (1963) which set out in heart-rending detail, the travails of a dark-skinned girl in an affluent family. There was Andha Naal (1954) as well, a novel concept which details a murder and all the ways it could have been committed – without a single song.

Along the way, the studio not only churned out great films but also made some of the greatest stars of Indian cinema. Sivaji Ganesan, Vyjayanthi Mala, Kamal Hassan, T R Mahalingam … the list is endless. It was once said that if the AVM Studios decided to elevate an actor to stardom, his position was made.

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Interestingly, four stars associated with AVM Studios went much beyond the realm of cinema. Arignar Anna wrote Oru Iravu, Kalaignar Karunanidhi penned the dialogues for Parasakthi; MGR played a lead role in Anbe Vaa, Jayalalitha was heroine in Major Chandrakath – all four later went on to become the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu.

Over the years, AVM Studios has continued to remain the face of Tamil cinema. And still does. What’s made them retain the spotlight even today? Perhaps it’s their ability to adapt, change with changing times and understanding what the audience wants.

Instead of sticking to a rigid regimen, set studio structure and an old set up, AVM constantly reinvented itself as a studio, and a brand. Today their facilities are state-of-the-art, and their buildings now glitter in chrome and steel, rivaling the best IT companies in grandeur. That apart, the biggest Tamil hit of 2009, Ayan featuring Suriya and Tamannaah, was produced by them as well. And there’s something new going on at AVM, all the time. They’ve set the bar high and those who compete or follow struggle to keep pace, even today!

AVM Studios has produced 174 films so far in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi etc. Meiyyapapan died in 1979. AVM Studios is right now managed by M Sarananan and his son, M S Guhan. Also involved are Meiyyapapan’s great grand daughters, Aruna Guhan and Aparna Guhan.

Conversations with

Began weeks ago, in snatches mostly and over various occasions, this tête-à-tête was always meant to be long. But intriguing and full of surprises it turned out, as Shriya Saran transformed from actor to girl to child and back! Join the coffee table with Mona Ramavat and see for yourself.

She opens the door of her hotel room with her phone caught precariously between one ear and shoulder. Designer tracks, short gym tee (showing nicely toned abs) bare feet, high pony tail, contorted face. She hangs up promising to call whoever back in she doesn’t know how much time, but she surely would. She says hello after first apologizing. She can’t invite me in. “The room is pretty messy. Actually, I forgot all about the interview,” she smiles sheepishly. So the first time I chatted with Shriya Saran in person was across a doorframe.

She laughs at my persistence to carry on this way. That mingling with the hurried energy around her creates the effect of a dozen butterflies finding their way. Our Powerpuff girl needs to get dressed and get somewhere in record time. “Haven’t showered yet. But let’s start talking anyway. I’ve got exactly three minutes to tell you about the films I’m doing right now.” It was a rather take it or leave it kind of proposition. But one that came with her promising to do a longer chat sometime later. And Shriya sincerely keeps her promises, I was told; the timing goes just a bit awry, I found later.

She talks incessantly about her current projects and it’s amazing how someone can manage to pack so much in one breath! “My Tamil film, Jaggubhai is coming soon. It’s all about a chance meeting between a father and daughter. The girl doesn’t know it’s her father. The five days they spend together transforms them both in such beautiful ways. You need to watch the film to believe it. I’ve got no costar as such for this one and I found the idea pretty fascinating. Then I’m doing a Tamil film, Kutty,

with Dhanush and Sammir Dattani. You know, this one’s a love story with familiar feelings like understanding love and the selfrealisation that comes with it, but said in a refreshingly youthful way. It’s one of those college films that everyone would relate to. You’ll see it and say, ‘hey my best friend was like that’ or ‘we also had a couple like that in college.’ I’m sure people will love it.

I’m also doing a Malayalam film that I’ll start shooting for soon.

Oh, and another film called Chiku Buku with Arya,” she finishes as she’s rushing in, closing the door with an apologetic OMG-butI’m-so-late-already kinda face.

It’s difficult not to have a great first impression of Shriya. Some say it’s difficult to have an equally great lasting one. She’s known for those unpredictable moods. And don’t know when she might turn snappy. But so far, it’s more than so good. She doesn’t call back for a few days.

At the Southscope Style Awards, Hyderabad, this October, we meet again and briefly this time too, a little while before the show. She’s rushing towards the venue, handling at least four items of luggage, but refuses to slow down or take help. We find a relatively quite place in the middle of the chaos of the last minute rehearsals. We picked up from where we left off the last time, like the days in between never happened.

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 29

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Tell us more about your Hollywood production, Cooking with Stella

How was the experience of doing an international film?

Cooking with Stella is my jaan! It’s coming soon and I’m sure people will love it. It’s about how westerners look at domestic help in India. I’m playing this very interesting character called Tanu, who is a nanny. How she changes as an individual from the beginning to the end of the film is truly beautiful. It’s one of my favourite characters so far!

It was unique and enriching. The film was written by Deepa Mehta and her brother, Dileep. Working with them was a wonderful experience. In true international style, we would have workshops and discussions before the shoot so you got the sense that, yes you are doing something! Everyday we would wait for work to begin and once it was over, the next day would be essentially the same, yet so different!

Something that seldom happens here.

You’ve done southern cinema, Bollywood and an international film too. So, what now?

How did acting happen to you?

What challenges came in the way of your becoming an actor and climbing the success ladder?

What now? I’ve just about gotten started! Still got lots of films to do.

Where to from here, if you ask me, I haven’t really decided. I stopped planning things long back. Whenever I did, I fell flat on my face!

Not many people believe when I tell them that I never wanted to be an actor.

I have always been a performer though, since I trained to dance at a very early age and began dancing even earlier!

I learnt Kathak and attended various acting workshops. I was barely out of school and happened to do a few music videos. Directors Raj Kumar and Vikram noticed me in some music video and decided to offer me the lead role for Ishtam in Telugu, my debut. Since then, I quite took to the camera.

Initially it was all given to me on a platter. So I faced practically no challenges in the beginning of my career. Yes, there were ups and downs later, but I don’t regret anything. For me a new challenge each time is to outperform myself. After Sivaji for instance, I had to see how best I could do better in the next project. I would say, I am my only competition.

Photographer- G Venket Ram Stylist- Richa Goenka Clothes- Chaitanya Rao, Richa Goenka Hair- Surekha Nivate Make-up- Maqbool Patel Cordination- Sridevi Sreedhar Location courtesy- Taj Mount Road

On the home front?

My parents were very happy. Dad however, was a bit reluctant initially, not because he was apprehensive, but because for him I was always his little girl. He just couldn’t believe I had grown enough to do a film as heroine! But once he made up his mind, he was so proud of me like I climbed the Everest or something.

She turns a little impatient at this point, and understandably. It took her forever to figure out her outfit the previous evening and she can’t find her jewellery now. She can’t find the stage choreographer either. She’s to walk the ramp in less than two hours. She grows solemn from bubbly. The thin film of perspiration just under her nose (despite the air conditioning) is enough to say she’s fighting for control. Nothing is going quite her way for the last couple of days. But when she opens the fashion sequence later in the evening, none of the stress of a harrowed backstage experience so much as shows. She gets into the act in the time it takes to walk from the green room to the wings…

Cut to the Taj Mount Road hotel, Chennai a couple of weeks later. The photo shoot is meticulously planned and everything seems to be in place.

Except, Shriya is suddenly not sure if she wants to go ahead with a bikini kinda mood. A panic situation ensues. The early afternoon doesn’t feel quite as cheerful as it did moments ago. Nobody is sure about what to do. It takes a terrorist’s negotiator’s skills to convince her. But when she sees the clothes, Shriya decides she’d like to do a real bold shoot after all, just like that. Now she’s cranky, now she’s game. And the result was stunning. “It takes a lot of experience to make such wonderful pictures in such a short time,” she says beaming. Her personal favourite seems to be the one in the pool.

Like she’s using some supernatural siddhi, she lies on the surface of the water, hold your breath, for a good 45 minutes!

She emerges in true water nymph style and almost immediately, starts talking about her scuba diving holiday she came back from some time back.

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“You must do it to know what I did! I went scuba diving to Lakshadweep through Laca dive. I saw shipwreck, a hundred different kinds of sea life, the coral was so beautiful and everything else too. Wonder why a teeny little fish should have scales of twenty different colours? I saw the most awesome colours I’ve ever seen, under the sea.

I’m not exaggerating when I say I saw some fifty different shades of green alone. You know, when you are under water and you stop breathing for just a second, you are filled with all the noises of the ocean which are not chaotic but together create a sense of calm. It’s like learning a new language, learning to walk all over again, oh it’s beautiful.”

And was enriching for your personality…

For sure. I started scuba diving about four years ago when my friend casually suggested I try it. Glad I did. Now I’m a certified scuba diver. And yes, the whole experience is very enriching. Every moment is like a new moment I’ve lived. Every second of your life changes you because it affects you. Be it scuba diving, dancing, painting, acting, meditation, everything.

You’re quite a spiritual person…

Yes I am. I believe in the concept of the soul and also that souls are born in groups. We meet who we meet for a reason. Friends we make as we go along are our friends for deeper reasons than we can understand. And I also believe in the idea of a soul mate. I’m very romantic! But a soul mate could be anybody – your lover, husband, mother, sibling, anybody.

Do you believe in destiny?

Not a hundred per cent, but enough to know that had it not been for destiny, I would probably have sat here writing articles, while you would have been an actor!

Ever considered getting a past life regression?

No. While I do believe there’s life after death and karma equations have to be fixed, the idea of knowing who I was in some previous life doesn’t appeal to me too much. I’m too scared! What’s over is over and done with anyway.

She seems to be in a conversational mood now and it’s hard not to take advantage of her patience. We promised surprises, didn’t we?

What makes you tick?

Hmm, I haven’t consciously thought of it. A lot of things actually. I love my work too much. That makes me tick. How my two and a half year old nephew goes about finding everything intriguing ticks me. He’s going to school from tomorrow, by the way. And he calls me bui (meant to be bua which means, father’s sister) and we play hide and seek and all kinds of silly things. These little things inspire me. I let the child in me surface quite often and feel connected to it. That ticks me too. I’m a slow learner, so I take my time, but it happens.

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If you could turn the clock back, what would you want to change about your life?

If you were to rate how pretty you think you are, on a scale of 1-10, what would that number be?

Oh I wish I could be ten all over again! The thought itself is so wonderful. But apart from that, I wish some films I did could be erased forever.

I am as pretty as I feel from within at any given time. The happier I am, the prettier I look. I try to remain composed always, but I’m human after all.

But you are an actor!

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So what! I don’t think you need to be pretty to be an actor. It’s destiny and my hard work that I’m here. Don’t you see so many beautiful women even otherwise?

They are not all actors, are they?

What do you value most about your life, and what you couldn’t care less about?

Do you think you are a complicated person?

Do women get a raw deal in the film industry?

I value a lot of things but most importantly, I guess the fact that I’m breathing. Yes, we take our existence for granted. Living is by itself such a miracle.

I value my family, the people I work with, my work itself. I also value Isha yoga and my Sathguru. I couldn’t care less about people with fake attitudes.

Well, I am struggling to understand myself. But I think I’m pretty simple. Not a hundred per cent. But quite a bit.

It’s a man’s world after all. Save for actors, which other aspect of filmmaking has an equal ratio of men and women.

Even here, how many female actors are paid more than men? Some of my closest female friends are production assistants, but they are just a handful when compared to men. It’s why I really admire Suhasini Mani Ratnam.

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One book that’s always inspired you Hmmm, let me tell you about the one I’m reading now. It’s called A diving bell and the Butterfly by Jean Dominique Bauby, who is an ex-editor of Elle magazine. He suffered a stroke of some sort and woke up to find himself completely paralysed, save for one eye that would blink. He had the entire book written just with the help of one blinking eye!

Read it. You’ll love it. Then of course, I’m inspired enough

by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to believe that I’ll find a Mr Darcy too!

One thing you’d definitely like to do in this lifetime Find Mr Darcy, have two kids, travel the world, win a National Award, manage to keep Darcy, take my parents on a world holiday, do ten great films that I can show my grandkids…

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Are female actors’ careers really more short lived than those of the males?

Hmm, that’s a tough one. What I think is that most movies are made with the heroine presented as a youngster. So say after 30 or whenever, when an actor decides to get married the chances of her continuing to feature in the lead role are reduced considerably. With the exception of somebody like Khushboo. It’s sad that not too many films these days are made with themes like marriage or motherhood or about women and not girls. Women like you and me, your mom or mine. Tell me, how many films like Bridges of Madison County or Mama Mia do we make? In the history of Indian filmmaking, I would say about 25-30 years ago we had actors like Nutan and Madhu Bala play strong characters in more mature story lines. And their films were great hits. It wasn’t just offbeat films they did for a niche audience. Guess it will take as much time for us to turn to such characterisation for women again.

So after you get married, do you see your acting career slowing down?

I don’t know. In any case, I’ll always have my dance and theatre. Guess I might just foray into editing or photography. Who knows, they might start making films with more mature women characters soon enough. Let’s hope…

Something about your childhood that you miss the most…

My childhood was a rather simple one and I miss every moment of those days. I grew up in a place close to Haridwar, at the foot of the Shivalik ranges. It used to be cold for long seasons and we would cycle to school or anywhere we had to go. That was loads of fun. When it would be very cold and we needed an extra cup of coffee and mom wouldn’t give it, we would cycle to a friend’s place. The best way to extract a cup of hot coffee from the friend’s mom would be to have a good conversation with her. Tell her how sweet she is etc. And that’s how you earned your cup of coffee.

Chocolates were a luxury too. We didn’t get chocolates anytime we pleased. We had to do something really good or really bad to be given a chocolate! Then in the winters, we used to go up to the terrace and munch on jaggery and peanuts. Any kid who grew up in or around a hill station would have done that. Another fascinating thing was climbing the mountains and it was funny how it would rain on one mountain and not on another right in front. Those were simple things I miss so much. I can’t tell you how much.

Tell us one incident about back then that you’ll always remember My mother is a trained Kathak dancer too and she was a school teacher then. She would choreograph and sometimes perform at functions in the school. I would see her and pick up steps. I think I began dancing as soon as I learnt to walk. My mother and I once went to Jaipur and there we visited the Birla Temple. It’s quite big and beautifully constructed. It has an almost ethereal charm. When she was busy with the darshan, I slipped away from her side. She kept looking for me frantically everywhere.

After a while and much searching, she saw a group of people and heard bhajans. She found me in their midst and dancing to the bhajans! I was lost to their rhythm and they were to mine. More people gathered around us just to see me dance! I was all of five then. I loved the attention and the fact that I was performing for an audience. For the following cultural programme in my mother’s school for the following year, she decided that I would dance.

What was the movie watching experience all about when you were a kid?

We didn’t have any multiplexes back home. It was an open air theatre that we would go to with our little picnic and loads of food. And we would collect money for a screening.

for more pics log on to www.southscope.in

At that time, did you ever imagine that one day you’ll be an actor?

Never! Not even in my wildest imagination. I’m told kids there pooled in their money to watch one of my films, recently.

And here’s the last one. One dream that’s still unfulfilled.

Hazaron khwaishein aisi ki har khwaish pe dam nikle… (I’ve got thousands such desires.

Each one is worth dying for)

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 37

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the call – and it’s the CM!” The call came, apparently, to ask his participation in Kalaignar Karunanidhi’s latest project, based on his historical novel, Ponnar-Sankar!

Whoa the CM! But wouldn’t that be a marked departure from the romantic/action fare he’s done so far? He grins in return. “I choose my projects pretty carefully. I always have,” he answers with a crafty smile. “But yes. This would certainly be a different genre.”

The experimenter, he always was, although they say he follows certain set patterns at times. “You get a fresh perspective on your work when you decide what to take and what to leave,” he says. “Success, I sometimes think, starts with the word ‘No’.”

And you feel a little sorry for the people he’s turned down so far, as his strike rate is pretty high. Perhaps it’s all in the genes. His father was a well known musician as well, and once cherished dreams of turning his son into a vocalist.

Harris himself, though, entered the field of music at 12. “At one point, I was the youngest guitarist in India,” he smiles.

He’s worked with acclaimed music directors including Ilaiyaraja and A R Rahman, before turning full-fledged composer for Gautam Menon’s Minnale. He was 24 then.

From then on, it’s been awards galore for him, plus many projects and a popularity that’s touching the roofs. He slowly but surely became a youth icon who could crystallize romance, angst and sorrow into music with perfection.

“Essentially, I’m a guitarist. I favour western classical,” he explains. “I have tried Carnatic music too. I composed Aiyangaru Veettu Azhage in raga Chalanattai and Kumari in Araabi,” he quips. No, we don’t doubt that he knows his Carnatic musicology as well.

Every cab in Tamil Nadu these days plays his hit numbers. FM stations and music channels are flooded with requests for his songs and movie theatres go wild when opening sequences composed by him begins. Filmmakers want him, singers and songsters make a beeline outside his studio, commoners like us sing, listen and dance to his music.

And now it’s time to meet the pied piper. After the mandatory half hour wait at his studio in K K Nagar, Chennai, we’re ushered into the sanctum sanctorum; the tiny room where Harri Jeyraj weaves his magic. Computers are scattered all around the freezing room, lights blink on consoles; squiggly lines dance across screens while the formidable keyboard screams for attention. While we look around fascinated, here’s Harris, dressed casually in white t-shirt and jeans.

“I’ve just come off the phone,” he lets us know, out of breath, half amused and half excited. “I mean – I just go in and take

Moving to other things he shares with us that he’s been lucky so far to work with no fuss directors and lyricists.

We know a mischievous glint when we see one! “Yes, there have been moments when I couldn’t really vibe with some, but on the whole, I’ve never had to offer my directors a dozen tunes, have them reject them and then start work all over again. I also make sure to set one day aside for scripts.

I don’t want to miss out on any interesting project, no matter how big or small. Even if the budget is only Rs 50 lakhs,” he says.

Sticking to that rule, he devotes each Sunday to Church and scripts, in that order. “So that makes it, what, 52 scripts a year?” he chuckles. “And I spend the workweek on music. I’m a lazy person.

I can’t just sit in my studio and work, day after day.

Sometimes I can’t bear to step in. Other times, I sit here day and night. I understand the situation in the film, choose tunes, tweak them and work with the lyrics …”

Alright, now listen to this: Harris is known as much for his inordinate love of incomprehensible words as his music.

“Oh God, yes,” Harris laughs. “That tends to happen, but if you ask me why. I guess it’s because I like working with lyrics that challenge me, that bring a different spin to the song.”

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 39

Like Hasili Fisiliye, from Aadhavan? What on earth does it mean, anyway? Laughter again, and Harris tries his best to find an explanation. “I don’t know.

Chinmayi, one of the singers, said it sounded like a Rajasthani necklace. Someone else said it was a Bengali sweet,” he cracks up again. “You’ll just have to ask the lyricist, Pa Vijay. I kept badgering him for happy lyrics and at first, he wrote just that. Then he came up with this. Go figure.”

Speaking of songs, how difficult is it actually to find the right singer? “Unimaginably complicated,” he smiles, and explains that he gets around 2500 – 3000 CDs, every one of which gets the run-through from his assistants, after which he picks singers.

“I’ve had as many as five singers sing one particular song. Sometimes, I get it right away. Else, it takes days.” For the chartbuster Adiye Kolluthe, he considered a number of singers and eventually zeroed in on the husky-voiced Shruti Haasan. “But in the end, it works out.”

Indeed it does, and with some filmmakers more than others. He grins self-consciously when we point out – as have others before – that some of his best albums - Minnale, Kaakha Kaakha, Pachaikkili Muthucharam and Vaaranam Aayiram - have been produced in collaboration with Gautam Menon, his first director and with whom he shared an unusual chemistry. Lately, though, the two have hit headlines not for their work but for their infamous split up. The buzz is that they will never work together again.

“With some directors, you feel a connection, the same kind of frequency,” he says quietly. “You know, even when you’re working on it, the first day or the first hour even, that this one is going to be something. It’ll be a blast. There’s this great synergy that helps you focus and brings out the best in everyone. When Gautam first came to me with his script, things clicked for us both. I’ve felt that way with Jeeva and others as well.”

Post Pachaikkili, though, things hit a snag, and fans were disappointed to know that they’d never team up again. Now, though, Harris holds out a ray of hope. “I believe in God. I surrender myself completely to Him,” he says firmly. “I’ve never had and still have no bitter feelings. I don’t know if I’ll do a project with Gautam, but if the opportunity comes up, God willing, then I’m certainly open to it.”

Meanwhile, he’s flooded with opportunities. There’s a Telugu film, Orange coming up, as well as untitled projects by both Prabhu Deva and K V Anand for which he’s flying abroad soon. “I’ve signed up for three stage-shows as well,” he lets us know. “Stageshows are different. Different synchronisation and energies. But the problem is,” and he grins, “where on earth am I going to find the time for it?” Well, wherever the show’s happening, we guess!

40 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

Madhavan was one of the volunteers at the ‘Habitat For Humanity’ event held in Bangkok recently. He joined John Abraham and Pooja Bedi from India, and Jet Li from China, who were among 3,000 volunteers who constructed and repaired 166 homes in Thailand, Vietnam, China, Laos and Cambodia.

KALEIDOSCOPE

Pic: V Rajesh

Pic: V Rajesh

Madhavan’s helping hand

A trilogy on AIDS

Pic: V Rajesh

On World Aids Day, People’s AIDS Initiative had a grand launch of a trilogy on AIDS awareness at the Sathyam cinemas in Chennai.

Durgavathi Stalin lit the inaugural lamp. KS Ravikumar, Dharani, Radha Mohan, PC Sreeram, Narain and others at the event, represented the film fraternity.

Sidney’s birthday bash

Amitabh Bachchan watched Paa alongside music maestro Illayaraja, Balki, the director of the film and cinematographer P C Sreeram at Santham theatre. Speaking on the occasion, Amitabh Bachchan said that he loved the city, having made a number of films there. “The kind of discipline you see in Chennai is not there in Mumbai. Today technicians from south have made it big in Hindi cinema.” The actor was all praises for the cast and crew of the film, a majority of whom were from Tamil Nadu, including Vidya Balan.

Pic: V Rajesh

Acclaimed Chennai-based designer, Sidney Sladen recently celebrated his birthday. In the theme-party, guests arrived dressed like royalty from the Tudor period of British history.

While Sidney came dressed as King Henry the VIII, Trisha was Queen Mary. Reclusive star Ajith and wife Shalini, who prefer not to attend parties, surprised everybody and came dressed in Tudor costumes. This sure was a regal treat!

Big B watches Paa with Illayaraja

The Rotary Club of Madras conferred the prestigious lifetime achievement award (2009-10) to Ulaganayagan Dr. Kamal Haasan, “for his outstanding contribution to the society through his films”. George Cherian, President of the Rotary Club presented the award to the veteran actor.

Pic: V Rajesh

Kamal bags a Rotary award

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 41

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would prefe r one think so,” s he sm in real life arran ile ge to in lov d or love s. “Actually o. “No, I marria don’t e and , it’s n ot d g to the e e chara ciding to m . It’s all ab about an upbrin cter I out fa arry t p ll g h clearly ing and In layed in Viv en. I can r ing e a d la h u ia te , n n t ders han va states rathe tood that lues, but it ks to my r emp I’ hatica m not like must be And t lly. ha that,” her h t brings u she s to th is mu e thir se. “B muse d man eing in its , c e got c ountle lf is a big alled Huss who made ain S ss pa Eleve h o n aha ou int n one, A years after ings but o r, because b’s nly tw Madh mrita h uri Dix “beca o mu e’s caugh us se it t perfo e of Vivah MF Hussa was the ch s!” rm o . in Indian ance and He loved m ’s inspirat sen ions, tradit y cha was q racte of cla ions. H uite t ra ss e a must ic Indian b called me ken in by nd have eauty t h the e tru .” d yes! T here a one a lot o Hussain, w e essence re so f pain even e are m a tin s “Ever single one any of them gs of her ure . “Oh y pain ,” Am , b u t I don’ rita r ting full m ue to ha o Vivah on in it, sin d a poon s with a s wn a , if yo mile. ce my m ka u Krish recall name chand na .A and s , since I lo nd also so was Poona or o doe m in ve ev me tr e s a favou rite o Hussain S rything ab ce of Lord out K ne is ahab,” she s the rish ay s portra s and the first one h he shares na . Her e pain idea w its ar e him t he ide so celebr as hers to ted of her, a a o. “H The a ted, s of doin is s rt o It was ist and his g a paintin I suggeste elf g d to a por m o f u h s e im an t let m d me. e see rait within on the sa me ca it whil a por result tra nv e w thoug as soul stir it was bein it. He wou as. ht. ldn’t ring,” g don she le e aves u , but the s with that

44 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

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Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 45

led b’s l a c a ing n Sah lf e “B sai itse r, s Hu se in onou mu big h he’s is a ause tless only bec coun but s got nting es!” pai mus two

46 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

Of sun, sand and celluloid:

IFFI 2009, Goa

Southscope brings you an overview of the cinematic frenzy at the Goa film festival The 40th season of the International Film Festival of India that concluded last month, was as usual packed with filmmakers and film buffs alike. Quite a few big names from the international cinema circuit hob-nobbed with film enthusiasts. Goa turned from tourist hotspot to film lovers’ paradise, as 6500 odd delegates flooded multiple venues across the state. The jury present to pass the verdict on the competitive category at the event included Joao Batista de Andrade from Brazil, Kenichi Okubu from Japan, Jean-Michel Frodon of France and actor Sarika among others.

Among the many screenings that were seen and appreciated, the collection of documentary footage by Films Division on Indian music maestros, screened at a special segment was a clear favourite.

The international cinema segment, had a rich assortment of films from Iran, Italy, Latin America and India, and this year, films from Scandinavia, Slovak nations and Nigeria made it to the festival too.

A special screening of French films garnered advance keeping of front row seats. The Indian section, while being crowded with films in Marathi, Hindi and Bengali threw up a surprise in the

retrospective on filmmaker of Indian origin, Gurinder Chadda, which managed to draw in a number of viewers.

Considered a landmark of sorts, an exclusive section of IFFI 2009 was dedicated to digital films at the Inox theatre complex. Likewise, the segment titled Digicinema 2009 highlighted 11 digital films from Argentina, Greece and Philippines.

The closing ceremony was a surprise too.

It was Malayalam superstar Mammootty who did the honours!

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 47

He’s got arrogance, high handed manners, and rough neck behaviour. But these are opinions that we didn’t go with to meet Vishal. A first hand sampling should be sans prejudices, hmm? When we did meet him in between post production schedules at his palatial three storied office in Saligram, Chennai, he was all that and touched with a rugged charm. The effect was fiery!

From action to romantic comedy with his forthcoming film, Theeratha Vilayatu Pillai, Vishal is all set to create a new image. The question is - will he be able to pull it off? But Vishal seems confident.

What is Theeratha Vilayattu Pillai all about? It is a youth entertainer with a

well written script, great twists and many edge-of-your seat moments. We have a new, young vibrant set of technicians and of course, I got the opportunity to work with three heroines. Prakash Raj does a cameo and the film is releasing worldwide including its Telugu version Killadi on Jan 14. I play Karthik, a contemporary casanova. I have a different look for this one and Banu gave me this makeover. It’s my most ambitious project so far.

Why did Ramesh the original producer of the film walk out of the project? After

Thoranai not doing too well, Ramesh wanted me to do a film with an established director.

But I could not wait for another script to fall in place and get dates from a big director.

He wasn’t convinced about this project and we parted as friends.

But when your home banner GK Film Corporation decided to produce the film, it was rather surprising? Yes, many

people said that it is suicidal and Vishal is over confident and crazy. I really believed in the script and after hearing it, my brother Vikram was also gung-ho and we decided to produce it. I wanted to surprise everyone 48 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

by dishing out a romantic film. I always go by my instincts and I know that TVP’s script will click.

Do you feel that a six pack is a must for stars today? I don’t know why this hue and

cry about the six pack. Personally, it was an achievement for me, as I wanted to look like a fit cop in Sathyam. Now that I’ve done it I feel good and having a good body has become a long term commitment.

You have been linked with all the heroines that you have worked with. Some say it’s a publicity gimmick… I don’t believe in such cheap tactics. I can understand if they said it during my Chellamay days, but now after being an established star, why would I resort to such cheap publicity?

People in the industry call you arrogant.

What do you say? Let them. I guess people are entitled to have opinions. As an actor, you have to get used to them and I don’t have to justify myself. When what others think bothers you so much, you’re thinking a lot less about what you’re supposed to be doing. I don’t really stop to think about other people.

That was about the women. Do you have many male friends in the industry?

Surprisingly, I do not have many male friends in the industry. My friends are mostly technicians. Among actors it is Arya, Vikrant, Jayam Ravi and Sibi Raj.

Do you agree that you have become more comfortable with the camera since your Chellamay days? You should be telling me that. As far as I think, I have come a long way. I couldn’t dance during those initial days. But I took it up as a challenge and worked very hard. Personally, I’ve become more determined after all the ups and downs in my career.

You involve yourself in all aspects of your film. Have you ever thought of direction?

Yes, that is my dream. I have a few responsibilities to take care of first. Maybe after that, I’ll direct a film.

Would you ever play a gay character? That would be interesting; I am game if the script is good.

They say you are temperamental and even beat up Iyappan, the director of Sathyam? ( Laughs) I am a non-violent guy who would never beat anyone up. If I were to do that, why would I do it to a poor guy like Iyappan?

Remember that I’ve worked with absolute dud directors like Tarun Gopi. The only person I fight with is my brother Vikky. We have our daily quota of arguments and after a while we patch up. It’s like a love-hate relationship but our wave lengths match.

You were compared to Vijay early in your career. Then somewhere down the road, you tried going the Suriya way by doing romance and comedy? I don’t want to

compare myself to anyone. How can you compare a 50 film old Vijay with me, who has done just six films? And I’ve never tried to ape or imitate anyone. Success follows your actions. You have it sometimes, you don’t have it other times. All you can do is to work honestly and it will happen.

What is your next film? I will be shooting for director Bala’s next film which also features Arya. After hearing the narration for one hour, I was dumb struck. I didn’t want to miss such a fabulous script and such opportunities come by once in a life time. I truly believe that it will be one of the important films in my career. Then I will be doing the remake of the Telugu film, Shouryam.

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 49

Romancer of the lens...

When cinematographer Madhu Ambat first held the camera, it was somewhat like first love euphoria. Thirty five years later,

Mona Ramavat

finds, the effect on him is still the same!

Taking Madhu Ambat away from his work even for sometime, calls for a guilty conscience. Ours not his! He reluctantly peels himself away and the next half hour is an enriching potpourri of his life and work – both of which merge so inseparably, it shows.

The film he’s doing at the moment is the Malayalam Makaramanju, starring another cinematographer in front of the camera for the first time. “Santhosh Sivan is playing the artist Raja Ravi Varma in this one,” Madhu tells us. So is this one all about the artist’s life? “Well, it’s not a full biographical account in that sense. It’s more inspired from Varma’s work, his painting of Urvashi and Pururavas, – characters in Indian mythology – the political turmoil of that period and Varma’s own inner conflicts as an artist. That sort of forms the story of the film.”

Known for his very distinctive aesthetics,

50 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

there’s no question about how the mise-enscène will turn out. More than two hundred films in nine languages and two National Awards later, it’s more a question of what treat to the eyes awaits us next. So is the visual style of Makaramanju inspired by Varma’s artistic style too? “No, it does not revolve around his style. I have instead used a combination of Vermeer’s strong sense of light and Caravaggio’s contrasts to sort of show the turmoil of the artist’s mind,” he shares. We see a hint of all the thought that must have gone into a unique treatment such as this.

After more than three decades of being director of photography, film direction seemed like a natural progression. Madhu has just completed his directorial debut, a film in English, 1:1.6, An Ode to Lost Love.

There are a couple of more scripts that he’s written. “The first one I’ve titled, The Death of Madhu Ambat much against a lot

of persuasion to change it,” Madhu smiles self contentedly. “It is somewhat abstract and deals with the question of absolute realism. What is reality in the world of a filmmaker, for instance, who spends so much constructing a new reality for his film? So what is reality at all? It’s all about such questions.” And we are sure rather than answering any, it raises more questions. To this Madhu laughs heartily, dispelling all notions of him being the terribly serious kind.

“The second one is called Black Moon, which is the opposite of blue moon, as in once in a blue moon.” So is this one also pretty abstract? “Well, no. It’s more philosophical.

It’s about this woman who is trying to seek happiness from material wealth.

Deals with loss, happiness and that sort of thing. Simpler story. More understandable than The Death of Madhu Ambat,” he smiles. We wonder if these offbeat films are meant only for the festival circuits or what. “Well, they can be multiplex releases as well, especially Black Moon,” he says.

Competing with the more masala variety of films that we seem to love the most?

“How can you know people might not like something without even offering them something different? And audiences are now a bit more open to different genres and ideas than they were even a few years ago. We are somewhere in the middle of being asleep and awake. Just a matter of time.” And from the filmmakers’ point of view? “It’s about looking beyond the tried and tested. Going beyond the masala.

Getting out of our set frameworks and limitations. It calls for a paradigm shift, a change in attitudes more than anything else.” This is probably also the reason why we still lag behind despite having very good talent and technology. “Absolutely,” agrees Madhu, adding, “we have very good technicians and there is no dearth of good talent. What’s missing is the right attitude and approach. It’s usually one frog pulling down the other kind of attitude that a lot of people work with.”

Having greyed his hair in the industry (quite literally!) Madhu is the much respected, much loved guru of cinematography. At this his eyes turn moister and fill with affection. Right time to ask him who his mentor was when he started all those years ago. “Sethu Madhavan was my godfather, really,” he shares. “He changed the face of Malayalam cinema back then.

I also worked closely with G V Iyer. We did 12 films together.” The nostalgia is hard to miss. So did he always want to be a cinematographer? “I was drawn to the

arts. My parents (even so many years ago) gave me all the freedom to choose what I wanted to pursue. I decided to give it a shot and got through at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune,” after giving up a seat at the IIT. Madhu’s father was a very popular magician, by the way. So did he learn some tricks from his father? “Oh yes,” he smiles at the thought. “I would also hold small shows when I was in college.” But after he started to understand the camera, no other kind of magic held his interest. He can’t stop watching movies and cannot not read. And he’s deeply introspective. The mélange of all this shows in his work. We wonder which films have made a lasting impression on him. “Apocalypse Now is one film that has the most amazing photography. Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro quite literally writes with light! Then again I like Pan’s Labyrinth for its mystical feel and Memoirs of a Gheisha.

36 Chowringhee Lane is also quite well shot. Does he have a particular style? “Not really. With every project, I use something new and my style evolves.”

We revisit the classic debate then, on what should be more important – aesthetics or technology? “Technology in India is used to create gimmicks a lot of times. It should aid the visual and not take away from it. Good photography in a film is all about telling the story of the character and not coming in the way of the viewing experience. Like when you read a novel, you are drawn in by the effect the words create. That’s good writing, versus words that hamper and call undue attention to them.”

So the camera is his pen. And he’s 60 now, yet handles it with the enthusiasm and strength of a beginner. “I never said 60 was my mental age too. I love my camera and keep telling my wife that she’s my second wife, the camera is my first,” he laughs.

“The camera after all doesn’t nag!” laughs even louder. “Thankfully my wife has a wonderful sense of humour!”

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 51

There’s always a first time

Adman-turned filmmaker Krishnan Seshadri Gomatam takes time off to share with Rahul Ganguly all about his award winning film and his take on offbeat cinema.

52 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

With Krishnan, everything begins with a hearty grin. So here he is, trademark spectacles and shaggy mane in place, delving straight into what he loves talking about best. His works of course, and films in general. When he speaks, you are disarmed by Krishnan’s effortless congeniality. Having recently bagged the silver at the Cairo Festival for his debut venture Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai, which translates as First Time, he made news again, not just in the festival circuits, but even otherwise.

He started his career behind the camera with ad commercials and later Krishnan worked with Mani Ratnam and P C Sreeram in films for some time. “Then”, he says, “as it were, the inevitable step into filmmaking happened.” These days though, you may find him busier making ads and music videos for Two’s Company, the company he started alongside ace cinematographer Santosh Sivan.

Speaking of his film, Krishnan shares that “it is actually about the making of the film itself!” The story, we are told, follows an obsessive filmmaker, Hayagreev, a.k.a.

Huggy, desperate to make his first feature film. Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai or M3V as he likes to call it is “about people encountering first time experiences.” True to its spirit then, Krishnan seems to have consciously steered clear of roping in established names, opting instead for fresh artists. “In a sense therefore, the basic premise of the film lends itself into the way it was made, quite literally turning out to be a first time for everybody,” Krishnan smiles.

For a film that risks falling into the art-house clique, Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai is anything but, insists Krishnan. “Offbeat films need not be limited to a particular niche,” he says, “so long as it is made in an accessible manner, a good film should be able to draw in the crowds. In that sense, alternate cinema can go beyond the art circles provided it appeals to the core emotions of the audience.”

Shot on HDV, the film, claims Krishnan, “is a breezy, accessible take on some serious concerns of life and existence.” Inspired by the sudden demise of a close associate, he claims that “the core concerns of the film remains a universal meditation on the cyclic nature of life.” The storyline is a clear departure from conventional narrative structures and, “it is, in a sense the first ‘metro film’ coming out from Chennai.

It is smart, witty, sensitive and speaks to the viewer in a lighter vein. After all, filmmaking is about entertainment. People should come in, have a good time and think about the film long after the curtain falls.” So is the film autobiographical too? With booming laughter he clarifies, “the film is not so much about my personal beliefs as a filmmaker as much as it is about what we learn from life.”

Even as he struggles with distribution issues back in India, the film continues to rake in laurels from the international film community. “I’m not much of a people’s person, you see. I’d rather be making films,” he jests. As the buzz goes, there may even be a Hindi remake of Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai, provided Krishnan plays his cards right. “It all depends on where life takes us. Without God’s grace, I would not have made it here, and I am grateful for the journey thus far.”

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 53

ClearlyAftab!

Anil Merani gets up close and not so personal with Aftab Shivdasani!

Photographer: Avinash Gowariker

54 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

You remembered him then as the eternally eager adorable kid in Mr. India, Chalbaaz or Shahenshah and suddenly in Mast you saw the same enthusiasm sans the chubby cheeks of course! “When I was offered the lead role for Mast, many people questioned my chances of making it since not all child artistes grow up into promising actors,” shares Aftab who is not so caught up with projects at the moment, rather waiting for the right ones to happen. “But I was confident and knew that it’s a matter of the film clicking,” he exudes the same confidence.

Though he has done over 35 films in the last decade, Aftab admits that only a handful like Ankahee, Kasoor and Shukriya had given him any sort of creative satisfaction. ”We are quite clear in our minds what we do films for. The money or the challenge,” he says.

“The latter is quite tough, given the story line of most films,” he adds with a naughty sort of a grin.

Aftab recently forayed into film production as well with Aao Wish Karein. Though the film didn’t do all that well, Aftab is nevertheless confident that he has made a good film. Ever the optimist, he doesn’t give up so easily.

“I compare the entire process of making a film to childbirth, wherein we create a new product.” We wonder aloud if it was the right time to make a film though. “When we started out in 2007, things were quite different. Nobody expected the recession to be that bad,” he shrugs.

But we already said how optimistic Aftab is and will not give up on making films.

“It all depends on getting the right kind of script. Being a producer is a humbling experience. For the first time you realise what is on the other side of the fence. As an actor we take many things for granted.”

Then, on a quieter note, “what I learnt over the last one year was much more than what I picked in the past ten years.” One of the most important things he’s learnt as a producer is that even more than critical acclaim, what really matters at the end of the day is box office returns.

Cinema is his comfort zone. Naturally. But move away a bit and talk about something like, ahem, the women in his life and he turns reclusive. Ask him about Aamna Sharif, who was paired with him in Aao Wish Karein and who he was speculated to be having a relationship with and Aftab simply shrugs.

“Let the media keep on speculating.” Many thought that she was the chosen one for Aao Wish Karein because of personal reasons.

“We chose her simply because she fit the bill. We had worked together earlier in Aloo Chaat as well. So we just took her,” he dismisses all further talk on the subject.

Aftab’s earlier relationship, with Yana Gupta had soured over time, though he takes it all in his stride. “Whatever I am today is a culmination of all my previous experiences,

both good and bad. Relationships are ultimately made by individuals. Whether they work or not is purely a personal call.”

He’s also been linked to a whole lot of others in the industry. “Sometimes such affairs are ‘created’ just to sell the film, and maybe other times they happen by default.

I have had a decent working relationship with all my leading ladies.” No screen favourites? “My chemistry is limited to making my costars comfortable. I know if actors are good friends, it shows on screen.

But that’s all there is to it.”

Coming back to the kind of films he wants to do, Aftab shares that he now needs to be more aggressive in choosing the right kind of projects. “Quality rather then quantity will be my new mantra.” Rather than focusing on genres, Aftab would look out for roles that would encourage him, as he puts it, “to come to the sets everyday.” Though he has not signed up for any film now, Aftab indicates that he is considering a few scripts. “I prefer to take my time.” Embracing his work with a no-regrets approach, Aftab has no qualms over his recent box office debacles - Acid Factory and Daddy Cool. Oozing confidence aplenty, Aftab says, “Once I do something then I will never question it.”

Being connected with a number of NGOs, Aftab claims there is more work to be done yet. “Over time, I also would like to work with differently-abled individuals. I feel I need to give back something to the society.”

The need to help others also stems from a personal issue, which Aftab struggled with in his childhood. He would stammer as a kid.

“It was very humiliating. I could not even announce my name in class. But one day I decided that I would overcome it. I worked very hard and soon God blessed me,” he smiles. The only solution to issues like his, Aftab feels, “is to stop pitying yourself and work at the issue.”

Bet you didn’t know this about him.

Something else that very few know about Aftab is that his debut onscreen assignment happened when he was all of 14 months!

“Yeah,” he smiles. “It was a baby food commercial that I was a model for!” When he grew up some more, Mr India happened.

“It was great fun then as there was no responsibly or stress. You just had to give your shot and go home.” Turns out, Aftab apparently had a huge crush on Sridevi during his Mr India days. He smiles, “Given a chance, I would love to work with her now.”

As we wind up our afternoon chat, we ask Aftab if there are any projects in the pipeline for him. “I am game for some interesting international projects as the Indian film industry gears up to become truly global.”

For now, the best bet is to keep your eyes peeled for upcoming releases. Who knows?

You might be pleasantly surprised!

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 55

bioscope

TAMIL

Good

Yogi is heavily copied from South African director Gavin Hood’s Oscar winning film, Tsotsi (2005). Some minor changes have been made in the second half to suit Tamil commercial cinema nativity. Ameer’s comfort-level is obvious in his dialogues.

n

Yogi

Cast: Ameer, Madhumita Direction: Subramaniam Shiva Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Jackie’s art direction is superb and it shows the Chennai slums realistically.

n

RB Gurudev’s camera work is quite remarkable and his choice of colours gives that grim look to the film.

n

The real heroes are the supporting cast including the little baby who immediately grabs your attention.

n

Ameer has worked hard to get into the skin of the character and it shows.

n

Could have been better...

Ameer, who debuts in the film as an action hero, fights an army of well armed men single handedly, which is unbelievable.

n

Some scenes in the film are disturbing, like when Yogi feeds the baby with condensed milk to stop the crying and later when he returns he finds that ants are all over the infant!

n

The film sags in the second half with heavy duty melodrama and a long drawn out climax, which is predictable as the director projects the protagonist as a hero.

n

-Sridevi Sreedhar

There are too many loopholes in the script.

n

Of course, we would prefer Ameer the director (to the actor) any day. n The flashback scenes are disturbing. n Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music is average. n

56 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

Good The crime thriller moments are exceptionally brilliant and intelligently executed

n

bioscope

MALAYALAM

Cinematographer Manoj Pillai excels and proves that he is one of best young talents of the country

n

Mammootty’s performance in multiple getups proves his immense charisma, screen presence and style.

n

Mammootty is especially outstanding as Ahmed Haji and this character will remain as one of the best to have happened in Malayalam films.

n

Swetha Menon’s scintillating performance as Cheeru is another highlight that couldn’t have been missed.

n

Music by Sharath and Bijibal syncs perfectly with the mood.

n

Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Kadha Cast: Mammootty, Shwetha Menon, Director: Ranjith Music: Sharath and Bijibal

Could have been better...

The supporting cast is overshadowed by the towering performance and screen presence of the lead star

n

The second half drags a tad.

n

-Sridevi Sreedhar

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 57

bioscope

Bollywood

Rocket S ingh Salesma n

of the Y

ear

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Shazahn Padamsee,

Mukesh Bhatt, Prem Chopra Direction: Shimit Amin Written by: Jaideep Sahney

Good Ranbir Kapoor! What can we say about a guy who practically pulls off the film on his own steam?

Kapoor slides effortlessly into the skin of the young and honest-to-goodness Harpreet Singh Bedi a.k.a HP, a Punjabi munda snared in the ruthless world of corporate sales. He pulls off a convincing performance, right until the last frame.

n

The character of the cocksure sales shark, played

by Naveen Kaushik gets better with every minute, exaggerated sideburns and goofy goatee included.

n

The attention to detail is impressive; from the plastic cups in the office party scene, right down to the brica-brac in the opening credits.

n

Kudos to Jaideep Sahney for penning a narrative that captures everyday life in all its honesty. While dwelling on the job struggles of middle class India, the script redeems itself, simply because it is breezy and treats familiar situations with refreshing unfamiliarity.

n

D Santosh, although braving a small amount of screen time, shines as the porn-obsessed computer repair guy, Giri Reddy. His peculiar variation of the Hyderabadi Hindi is mighty fun!

n

Could have been better...

The first half of the film was promising but sort of sagged after a while. Post intermission however, things begin to get interesting, as the characters are entwined in an increasingly sticky situation.

n

Ranbir remains convincing with his delectable naïveté, but the idealism of his character gets a tad too preachy at times. And really, there’s only so much sugar we can take at a time!

n

Shazahn Padamsee’s much-hyped debut performance fizzled out a bit with her bitsy screen time, and she could not do much beyond looking pretty as a peach. Wish she had more lines.

n

- Rahul Ganguly 58 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

bioscope

Bollywood

Good Auro

n

A 12-year-old boy with a rare genetic disorder (Progeria) that accelerates his aging process by five to six times. It’s a character that comes along once in a lifetime. If you have a once in a life time actor like Amitabh Bachchan playing that role, and his son Abhishek playing his father, that’s what you call a casting coup de mâitre.

Amitabh didn’t just play that role, he lived it! He did that without evoking an iota of pity. Perhaps the movie should have been called Auro! Take a bow!

Sensational is the word. . .

n

To describe Vidya Balan in what is perhaps her best act since Parineeta. She was saddled with the “mother of all the mother roles” in Bollywood in recent times, but Vidya was all class. It’s also the most beautiful she’s looked ever.

It all about the story

n

PAA

The best part of the film is that it just sticks to the story avoiding the temptation of raising awareness of the plight of children suffering from this rare genetic condition. The disorder is just used as a backdrop to make way for a basic human drama. This one’s going out for Balki, for sticking to the brief.

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Paresh Rawal, Arundhati Nag Director: R. Balakrishnan Music: Illayaraja

Could have been better Miscommunication?

n

If you saw the promos of Paa with Abhishek carrying Auro you would have thought the film is about the father and son. As it turns out it’s more about the mother and the child. But if you went there expecting Big B and Abhishek turning it on, you might just go back a little disappointed for the best moments in the film are the ones with Vidya and Big B. Auro had to die . . .

n

In Bollywood, the more the things change the more they seem to remain the same. After doing a great job of staying different, avoiding unnecessary melodrama for most part it kind of takes the road oft taken in the end. So Auro had to die having united his estranged parents. Are we being too harsh on the director? May be not.

- Karthik Pasupulate Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 59

bollywoodsnippets

Vidya’s fall collection in winter!

BigB

blowing hot and cold?

*

This one’s about Big B and his love-hate relationship with the media. A little birdie told us that Bachchan actually struck off several names from the media list presented to him, moments before the press interaction for his ongoing reality show, Big Boss.

But now with his home production Paa already out, Bachchan once again opened the doors of his celebrated home for the press. It leaves us wondering if Amit ji would ever stop with his now-you-see-itnow-you-don’t attitude. That’s a big question!

Scene unseen, Sallu bhai?

Does Salman Khan need glasses?

At a time when the whole world is screaming that Zarine Khan, his babelicious new co star in Veer has an uncanny resemblance to Katrina Kaif, Sallu brushed the idea aside. He was even quoted as saying that he would have noticed the similarity, had there been any! When we found him on the sets, he actually called Zarina, destiny’s child, since they found her, quite literally at the eleventh hour. When asked why he didn’t pick Katrina for this one, he quipped saying their last film together, Yuvraj was a flop. Cool Kat…cat!

60 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

Vidya Balan had a nasty fall during the shooting of her latest film Paa, where she plays mom to a 13-year-old Amitabh Bachchan. The shot demanded that she carry a 45-year-old midget actor on her shoulders and run. Our friends at the sets told us that despite warnings from the cameraman, she put her best foot forward and went ahead with the shot.

But no sooner did the clapper board clap, she came crashing down, midget and all!

Looks like Vidya’s really accident prone.

Earlier on, she pulled similar stunts and fractured her leg during the shooting of a music video. Great commitment Vidya, but we wish you (don’t) break a leg!

bollywoodsnippets

*

Will Aamna or

won’t

she?

Say yes to Aftab Shivdasani that is. Aamna, a TV actor got her first break along with Aftab in the Anuj Saxena produced comic caper, Aloo Chat.

Apparently, they came together during the shoot of this film and when things got more serious between them, Aftab offered Aamna a role in his debut production, Aao Wish Karein. It went up to the couple talking marriage.

Sadly though, this fantasy film bombed badly at the BO. But it remains to be seen if the affair will stand despite the failure.

Aftab’s earlier torrid scene with super model Yana Gupta had ended after she supposedly walked out on him since her Bollywood career was not taking off.

Let’s hope, this time things will be different.

What Ranbir and Katrina did together one whole evening…

At the recent telly awards show of the ITA (Indian Television Academy), Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif made an appearance as guests, much to the surprise of onlookers. They were even offered The ITA Scroll of Honour (Entertainment), 2009 for Ajab Prem Ki Gazaab Kahani. The hotshot screen duo managed to find time for an event that most film personalities would otherwise skip! We were left wondering how come nobody bothered to ask how a film can be felicitated at a telly awards ceremony?

Incidentally, this award was given at the fag end of the ceremony, which explained why most people left as soon as Ranbir and Kat made it to the exit.

Last heard, director Raj Kumar Santoshi and producer Ramesh Taurani were also felicitated with the award for the same film. Small screen, big games?

*

Looks like Govinda has been bitten by the health bug, and is going around claiming he’s become very picky about his diet. While shooting for Chai Garam in Hong Kong, he even cooked his own meals! Apparently, he also uses Ayurvedic ingredients in his diet, though we still wonder where all the goodness goes, considering Chi Chi’s frame is not much to be talked about. It’s time Govinda moved beyond just munching on veggies and salads. Where was that gym routine again?

Govinda’s

excess baggage

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 61

hollywoodsnippets

Schwarzenegger

is a tax defaulter!

T e r m i n a t o r has turned tax evader! Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger is being hounded by tax officials for allegedly owing them a cool 80,000 dollars in unpaid charges.

S c h w a r z e n e g g e r, presently serving as the Governor of California has apparently failed to pay his dues from 2004 to 2005. The tax officials however, promptly filed papers at the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Arnie sure is not a happy man these days, knowing that his moolah is being eyed by the tax guys.

Sources also revealed that he owes the government about 40,000 dollars for each of the two years. This sure will be a taxing time for him!

Shakira starts her talent hunt Pop crooner, Shakira is all set to launch her new talent show for aspiring artists, to feature in her world tour next year. Shakira invited participants through her website via an online announcement. The candidates would undergo a gruelling session with the star and her crack team of performers. The finalists would then be selected as opening artists for her various shows on her world wide tour, which will begin early 2010. We hear that Shakira wants to help talented artists by giving them an opportunity on her stage. This sure is her way of repaying her fans. Cool!

Rihanna’s

Daddy uncool!

Singer Rihanna finally admitted to not wanting to reconcile with her estranged father. At a recent announcement, Rihanna was quoted to say that her dad is apparently like a stubborn teenager who is difficult to deal with. Their relationship hit rock-bottom after her dad created a drunken ruckus at one of her shows last year. Rihanna confessed that it is her mom who has been her biggest strength, who always ensured she never took the wrong decision in life. Talking of one parent, being both‌

62 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

*

hollywoodsnippets

Katie grovels but Peter looks away Katie Price, a.k.a Jordan, one time wife of pop hunk Peter Andre can’t seem to keep her eyes off her ex. It seems she made an emotional phone call to Andre, begging him to reconsider their relationship.

Peter however, clearly does not want any of that. After their nasty breakup a few years ago, he apparently put his foot down on the matter, and this time we hear, it’s the real deal. We can’t blame the guy for turning her down though. Price abandoned their kids, Junior, aged four and two-year-old Tiaamii in Peter’s care. What’s more, Peter is also playing dad to seven year old Harvey, Price’s son by footballer, Dwight Yorke. The idea of a reunion is not something Peter would even consider. Seems like Katie has a steep ‘price’ to pay for her wayward ways!

Polanski

to cool his heels in style Filmmaker Roman Polanski is set to spend house arrest time at a luxury Swiss ski resort! The filmmaker of The Pianist fame faced arrest in Zurich on charges of unlawful sex with an underaged girl.

Rumours indicate that Polanski fled the US after pleading guilty for the case, way back in 1978. A Swiss court announced that the director would be granted bail in exchange of 4.5 million dollars, but must stay under house arrest. The 76year old Polanski will reportedly remain confined to the luxury chalet until the Swiss government sends him back to the US to serve his time. Penalty? What’s that, now?

Fergie’s new Italian obsession Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie announced that she studied Italian cinema for her role as a prostitute in the film, Nine. She is said to have gone for auditions in London after a heavy dose of Fellini films. Director Rob Marshall seemed pretty convinced when Fergie slipped into her role as the vampish Saraghina. Fergie apparently spent hours imitating the mannerisms of Italian actresses. She also confessed to walking and talking like them even off screen. Now that will surely make the Italians proud!

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 63

Looking

BAC K Pavithra Srinivasan travels back in time and finds herself engulfed in myriad emotions that Veera Pandiya Kattabomman can still stir

Movie: Veera Pandiya Kattabomman Director & Produced: B R Panthulu Music: G Ramanathan Lyrics: Ku Ma Balasubramaniam Cinematography: W R Subbarao, Karnan

64 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

Cast: Sivaji Ganesan S Varalakshmi Gemini Ganesan Padmini OAK Thevar Ragini

No one who’s a passionate aficionado of vintage Tamil movies can complete a list of perennial favourites without Veera Pandiya Kattabomman. This B R Panthulu film has all it takes to make a classic: honour, valour, romance, humour and a healthy dose of patriotism.

But perhaps it’s best known for another, more important reason; the establishment of Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan as the uncontested star of Tamil cinema. Historicals have always been few and far in between in the industry. The sheer cost of production and immense research is not everyone’s cup of tea, after all. This movie however, scored on both counts.

But the reason why it became phenomenally popular was due to its screenplay and star cast. The whole cast vied with each other to give the performance of their lives.

Set around the year 1798, the story revolves around the Palaiyakkara chieftain Kattabomman, who ruled Panchalangurichi, and was one of the few princes who began the fight for Indian Independence long

before the sepoy mutiny of 1857. The story is told a tad dramatically. The characterisation however, was impeccable. The essential players were all well-etched with a mixture of heroism, humility and an intense thirst for freedom. The tapestry was further enriched by stirring dialogues, elaborate costumes and evocative songs.

There was Vellaiyathevan (Gemini Ganesan), a heroic commander who eventually falls to the British; his wife the playful, spirited Vellaiyamma (Padmini), whose love for her husband eventually forces her to join him in the battlefield; Jakkamma, (S Varalakshmi) who fears for her husband’s fate; and the star of the show, Veera Pandiya Kattabomman himself, last of the whittled down Pandiya kings, waging a lone battle against the enemy.

Although historians argue on the real motivations of Kattabomman, songs and dialogues from this movie have since become legendary, not to mention the character itself. Who can forget the famous, “Vatti, vari, kisthi …” speech emphatically delivered by Kattabomman? For years later, those lines became a text book example for dialogue delivery that aspiring actors sometimes still use.

Practically every frame of the movie is dominated by Sivaji Ganesan. He plays a doting father to his adopted child, affectionate husband to his concerned wife and fond friend even to his sub-ordinates. But above all, he’s a fearsome warrior, a keen strategist who despises the yoke of slavery and will do anything to live free. Sivaji Ganesan symbolised all that was great about the Tamil heroes of yore.

His dialogue delivery, the way he put his soul in recreating the angst of a statuesque ruler, and the inevitable end, where he remains a king and warrior proud of his heritage, even when he’s about to be hanged, won him many accolades. The film stirred such emotions that anybody who watch it may feel the fierce urge to timetravel and join the struggle for independence, or are reduced to tears.

For the sheer emotive brilliance on screen in a role larger than life, very few could match Sivaji Ganesan’s acting prowess in Veera Pandiya Kattabomman. Something that holds good even today.

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 65

66 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

-Vrinda Prasad

Southscope invites aspiring actors to send in their portfolio pictures to vrinda@southscope.in

got what it takes to make it.

An investment banker otherwise, Apoorva has been modeling for a few years now and trained with Prasad Bidappa, Marc Robinson and Rahul Dev Shetty. She did a guest appearance for Rohit Bal at the Castle India Men’s Fashion Fair and walked the ramp for a number of corporate promos, including the Colombo Fashion Week 2009. Among other things, Apoorva also participated in the Lux Style Divas contest, while she’s already done a few TV commercials and print ads. A trained Bharathnatyam dancer, she is well versed in English, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada. Multilingual and multi-talented, looks like she’s

apoorva SCREENTEST

Song Film Singers Music Director

Anuraga vilochananayi Athilere Mohithanayi Padimele nilkkum Chandrano thidukkam Anuraga vilochananayi Athilere Mohithanayi Padimele nilkkum Chandrano thidukkam Pathinezhin pournami kanum Azhakellamulloru poovinu Ariyathinnenthe enthe ithalanakkam...Puthuminukkam Cherumayakkam (Anuraga..)

Palanaalayi thazheyirangan Oru thidukkam…

Kaliyum chiriyum nirayum kanavil..

Ilaneerozhuki kuliril Thanalum veyilum punarum thodiyil...

Mizhikal payunnu kothiyil Kananullilulla bhayamo..

Kananerayulla rasamo Onnayi vannirunnu veruthe padavil

: : : :

Anuraga vilochananayi Neelathamara V Sreekumar, Shreya Ghoshal Vidyasagar

Kaathirippoo vingalalle Kalaminnu maunamalle Maunam theerille…

(Anuraga) Palanaalayi thazheyirangan Oru thidukkam…

Puzhayum mazhayum thazhukum sirayil Pulakam pathivayi niraye Manassin nadayil viriyan iniyum Maranno nee neelamalare Naanam poothu poothu kozhiye Eenam kettu kettu kazhiye Namo yathra poyi thaniye Akale Rakkadambin gandhamode Raakkinavin chanthamode Veendum cherille…

(Anuraga) Palanaalayi thazheyirangan Oru thidukkam…

Jan 2010 SOUTHSCOPE 67

Just rememvber that...! A Saint c be rascal mayundo Ee a rascal c m? (Do you never be member this saint Bha face?)

Pulle Bloody Shit I am a bas Suresh Gopi’s Dialogues

Really Sidey

Just remember that...!

Ormayundo Ee Mukham? (Do you remember this face?)

Bloody Shit

A Saint can be rascal but a rascal can never be a saint Bhaa Pulle

I am a bastard born out of one father

born out one fathe 68 SOUTHSCOPE Jan 2010

can l but can a aa

stard of er