What is wrong in a Masala Movie?

It's been a long time since I wrote here. Well, whenever I come back here, blogging after a long time, it would be only for a movie review.
However, this time its not exactly a movie review, but just in general about movies. To be precise, about Masala Movies.
I have no intention to hurt anyone or offend any one's thoughts here. But I always wonder why people (read as "A class people" in terms of Cinema Industry) do not appreciate masala movies. They fail to understand that Masala Movies are one of the genres and a major revenue earning source for Indian Cinemas. I never liked Sci-Fi movies, but I dont go and watch all those movies and start cribbing about them. I simply dont watch them. I expect such a thing from these so called "Quality Audience"

I would like to introduce who these people exactly are: The ones who watch all mani ratnam movies, bala's, kamal's etc. But again, I am the one too, who watch all these guys' movies. But they are different. They watch only these people and these kinda movies. They dont give a damn about others. I know that you all understand whom am talking about.

"A" Class people get to see many non-English foreign pictures nowadays and they see a lot of English movies as well. But when they come back to see our Indian movies, they never appreciate the very local, national, commercial, typical masala movies. They fail to understand that those movies are of different genre. They may not see Al Pacino, Rober DeNiro, Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Samuel L Jackson kind of actors in these movies. In fact, most of these actors have acted in few so called action movies in hollywood. Those movies would definitely fall under Masala if they were dubbed to Thamizh or any regional movies.

People fail to understand that creativity is involved in making Masala movies too. The creators need to understand the pulse of crazy fans and get the movie reel go in favour of audience.
Lots & lots of effort have been put to make these kinda movies as well. More than the efforts, belief, faith and more than anything a lot of M.O.N.E.Y is spent on these movies. The most irritating behaviour of these people is that, they talk rubbish about all these movies just because they don't like watching these movies. They fail to realise that there are people who would want to watch movies of this genre or at least, who would not complaint watching movies of this genre.

When a movie in Hollywood had nothing but simple comedy and romance in it, people praise and categorize the movie as 'Simple, light hearted movie'. Whereas, if the same was done in our regional languages, these people categorize as 'Not worth a penny', 'Waste of time' and what not? May be 'Not at all a movie'. :)
I wonder why they don't simply ignore the genres they don't like. Instead, they keep cribbing about those movies. And the worst part is, it is them who book the tickets in the very first weekend the movie is released and comment on each and every scene they watch. It would be absolutely irritating when you are in the hall and if your intention is just to while away the time by watching such movies. I would also blame these die hard fans of Masala heroes. ( I would rather not mention those names, cos they are always known to all). It is those die hard fans who do so much of hype for those movies and probably these people get irritated and start flagging against these movies. Flagging against each and every scene is some what boring you know. Some times such comments get boring than the actual movie. :P

We all know and have seen Samuel Jackson in lot of quality movies. But then, I have seen him in worst movies like Snakes on a plane. I would never forget to mention about Clive Owen's Shoot 'em up in these arguments. I have seen the best comedies like 'Hangover' and not so good comedy like 'Hot Tub Time Machine' or take ' Confessions of a shopaholic ' for an example.
People appreciate movies like American Pie, but complaint about movies like Boys. I simply don't understand why.

People must understand that an every day meal is made of all ingredients. We don't eat all sugar meal for breakfast or all spicy meal for lunch or all salty meal for dinner. We mix them all for every meal. Movies, as well, are like that. When you are in mood to watch Mani Ratnam, watch his movies. But do not forget that Sankar is not so bad either. It is just that his genre is different.
If you could appreciate Bala, dharani is second to none when it comes to pacy, action packed masala movies.
One must understand that there is someone always better than the one we think of. If someone say Balu Mahendra's July Ganapathy is good, I would say Rituparno Gosh's Raincoat was better than that. Leave alone that July ganapathy is purely a remake of an English movie. But then these people say that the movie has been inspired by the director. :)
But its just don't end here. I would say movies like Forrest Gump or Terminal are far better than Raincoat. It goes on and on.
I can compare any number of directors/movies like this on and on. But then, Too much of anything is no good. Too much of praising masala movies is not good either. :D Take this blog as a light hearted movie. :) Chill now. :D :D

காத்திரு...

This picture was shot and uploaded by my wife's uncle in facebook. There were few poetic comments on this. Apparently they were really good. I was trying to comment on it, I was unable to do it. There were many reasons, I am not as good as those writers. May be I am not as spontaneous as others. But one thing kept my mind busy. I knew the inner thoughts of those comments and my feelings did not match. No offence meant, Every one has their rights to expose ones' opinion. Well, enough of reasoning and excuses for not writing a comment there. I thought I should write my inner thoughts about the photo. I had no other option than writing it here.

This is how I see the photograph. As a very small story...

Those eyes of children were waiting for their friends from the school. The friends come out and play in the trunks of such a big banyan tree. They play swinging, hanging and falling down from the tallest trunks. These kids who wait for their friends, play along with them. When the lunch break bell rings, those kids goes back to their classes. Those eyes would start waiting again.

One fine day, while they were waiting, the girl asked her elder brother, why should they wait for their friends and not to go inside the school. The boy who knows the situation says that they can only wait for their friends to come back, they cannot go to their friends.

There are millions of eyes waiting like this, not just to play with their friends. Also, to get back to classes with their friends.

On Pongal, Vijay TV was screening about Agaram. A small organisation started by actor Surya and his friends. They would personally help few students who could not continue their higher studies due to lack of money. Few stories of those students, made me shed some tears. But kids like in this photograph, got no help even to start their studies. Agaram helps them to continue their higher studies. But how would one go till higher studies?

This is what I thought when I saw this picture. That was totally instant. I had no other thoughts even after reading other comments which had other stronger inner thoughts.

Aayirathil Oruvan

Firstly, Before giving some credits to the director to have tried a different genre for Tamil Cinema, One must appreciate my guts to have gone to watch this movie with my family. When I say My family, that includes my wife and MY PARENTS.

Well, I have been hearing all negative reviews about the movie Aayirathil Oruvan. I have no idea why people expect something clean from Selva. Probably the promotions / teasers misled the audience to believe that the movie is a fiction, fantasy or all other genres that I hate to watch in a Hollywood movie. Probably people expected it to be like Harry Potter series or a time travelling story. Yes, Whatever the genre could be, but the movie is hand written by Selva. You just cannot get rid of his own glamorously-appealing-style. Be it a whatever-genre-movie it is.

Things one must appreciate:
1. To have thought about such a perplexed story & present it with this genre.
2. To have granted this story to our Tamil Audience.
3. Music, especially the BGM, by GVP.
4. Cinematography.
5. Parthiban's acting. I guess all these days he has been wasting his efficience.
6. For not casting his brother Dhanush. lol. Trust me, I am not kidding. Trust me again, I liked Pudhupettai. I still would rate Pudhupettai as #1 of all Selva's movies.
7. Few comedy scenes.

Things that were really bizarre:
1. Stunts were not at all professional. I dont know which decade Selva is in now. Cos, even for a 100% commercial movie, people hire professional stunt crew.
2. Could have avoided few Selva kinda scenes.
3. Could have explained the 7 dangers at least in the end.

Though the hostile comments from me are very less in numbers, few blunders were too obvious and easily noticeable. During the audio launch speech, he was irritatingly saying not to match tamizh movies with hollywoods'. Rather, he wants hollywood to match with thamizh. Dude, you must not make those blunders in stunt sequences, if you want to match with someone or someone else want to match with you. I would not say those blunders were unintentional, rather I call them careless errors.

People say he has given the pieces of many English movies. Come on, even few scenes were like Avtar. But the movie was done long before Avtar was released. Have some heart and try to appreciate movies of this genre.

People whom I know very well, would know that I would have not even cared to watch this movie if it was an English movie. Only reason I watched this movie was cos this was for Tamil Audience in tamil from Tamizh people.
Final word is, it is definitely not a bad movie. It comes under the category, can watch it once.