ஜெய் பீம் - அதிகார அடக்குமுறைக்கு எதிரான அற வழி போராட்டம்

ஜெய் பீம் திரைப்படத்தில் 

வரும் அடையாளங்கள் இவை மட்டும் தான்.

பதவி தரும் அதிகாரத்தின் அடையாளமாய் SI குருமூர்த்தியும், மற்ற காவலர்களும், அரசு தரப்பு வக்கீல்களும்.  அந்த அதிகாரம் எந்த எல்லை வரைச் சென்று அடித்தட்டு மக்களிடம் தன் அடக்குமுறையை செலுத்தும் என்பதைக் காட்டுகிறது இப்படம்.

சாதியப் படிநிலை தரும் உயர் சாதி எனும் பிம்பத்தின் அடையாளமாய் ஊர் தலைவர். அந்த மனநிலை தரும் வன்மத்தின் வெளிப்பாட்டை ஒரு சில காட்சிகளில் பிரதிபலிக்கிறது இப்படம்.

சமூகத்தில் அங்கீகாரமற்று, உரிமையற்று, அடிப்படைத் தேவைகள் கூட இல்லாத விளிம்புநிலை மக்களின் அடையாளமாய் இராசாக்கண்ணு, செங்கேனி மற்றும் உறவினர்கள். அதிகாரமும், அரசியலும், சாதிய ஏற்றத்தாழ்வும் செலுத்தும் அடக்குமுறையை எதிர்த்து அவர்கள் சட்டத்தின் வழி நீதி தேடும் போராட்டமே இப்படத்தின் மையக்கரு.

இவைத் தவிர வேறு எந்த ஒரு அடையாளமும் இல்லை. 

இந்தத் திரைப்படம் சொல்ல வந்த கருத்தை நீர்த்துப் போகச் செய்யவே இந்த சர்ச்சைகள். இத்திரைப்படம் குறித்து நடக்கும் விவாதங்களும், உரையாடல்களும் அதையே செய்கின்றன.

Symphony - I just learnt this word, He taught me what it is... In 7 Minutes!

Why is he even aging? Can't he be immortal? Well... He is gonna be. A musical concert. With a stage-wide orchestra, he stands in the middle facing a question. The 8 minute long retort that was calmly delivered by the man made me rephrase my line "With a stage-wide orchestra, He stands in the middle facing the question". "What is a symphony?" asked the compere. An answer came. We might need a never ending list of superlatives before we even start "adjectiving" it. The scene that unfolds makes you punch your fists in the air (not once) and at the same time makes you wonder if He should be celebrated more. 

You feel a silence that engulfs the initial frames of the video and you can see Him waving His hands as if He is painting in the air. Yes, He was.  With one strong wave of His hand, *Bang* He breathes life into the dormant orchestra. You see cellos and violins being played. The crowd erupts. He just silences the crowd with His finger on His lips. The passion evident. A soul stirring two and half minutes into the video, when the music reaches its peak, He stops it abrupt. "Idhayammmmm Poguthaeeee..." - No music, no back up vocals, absolute silence - yet there is melancholia and there is a pain conveyed (that is the situation for the song in the film). A 1979 song starts and the crowd goes frenetic. We have a standing ovation at the end. Then, we have how this music evolved from Schubert's musical notes to Idhayam Poguthae. We have a short session with the same song played for a different music. This version, during its run, makes a comfortable shift into the folk genre - the fist pump again. After a brief second version comes the answer to "What is symphony?" in His own style. 

The words from The Gnani to the novice. He reiterates AR Rahman's quote on Him - "When many musicians were running behind awards, He was living for music". 

ISAIGNANI ILAIYARAJA!


Please do watch the video embedded below

Thanks - Isaignani Ilaiyaraja, Prakash Raj, Jaya Television, YouTube Channels

Bhoologam - A Bold Attempt!

Basking in the success of his blockbuster Thani Oruvan, Jayam Ravi is back with Bhoologam, his fourth release this year. With a bold take on commercialization, the trailer of the movie looked impressive. N.Kalyana Krishnan, former assistant of S.P.Jhananathan turns director with this flick. After a long wait for the release, Bhoologam finally hits the theatres today. 

Bhoologam has an ensemble cast with Jayam Ravi, Prakash Raj, Trisha, Ponvannan, Chaams and Nathan Jones. Prakash Raj is at his menacing best and he brings out the money-minded nature of the media with ease. Ponvannan as the boxing coach makes an impact with his silent yet powerful role. Nathan Jones as "Killer George" fits easily into the role of an international boxer. Jayam Ravi's efforts to bring a close-to-reality boxer look and his performance are commendable. His dialogue delivery comes with the necessary punch and his dancing Bhoologam style is catchy!

A peek into the story was what the trailer of Bhoologam gave to the audience. There is much more to it. The story opens with the history of boxing in North Madras and the plot is well established by the time the title track ends. Jayam Ravi as Bhoologam witnesses his dad killed out inside a boxing ring against another boxer hailing from the same area. At that time, the boxing championships were more local and took place in an open ground with people of North Madras gathering around the ring to watch their local superheroes fight it out. After twenty years, the legal heirs of the boxing legends of North Madras - Bhoologam and Arumugam decide to take on each other, the former for revenge and the latter to defend the title! Unravelling this usual revenge story, the director adds few more interesting elements in screenplay - the media coverage from an upcoming television station, the entry of an international boxer and the sponsors who run behind the boxers and the media to take their share of profit. However, this interesting line up is lost somewhere in translation.

A dragging first half, a below average background score, songs, cheesy scenes and the pre-interval twist prove a dampener. The screenplay begins to pick up pace only few minutes before the intermission. The second half is flawless and conveys the intended message brilliantly.  Bhoologam concentrates on the effect of commercialization of sports and also takes on various sensitive social issues during its run. The portrayal of television media's monetary lens, the commercial and advertisement oriented sport outings is perfect.

SP. Jhananathan's thought provoking dialogues and Jayam Ravi's bold and flawless dialogue delivery makes the movie a safe one-time watch. Jayam Ravi's choice of scripts are amazing of late. SP. Jhananathan's dialogues during the pre-climax and climax sequences are samples of how bold the movie is. "Vyaabaaram sarva desam... Kadal thaandi chaeri-kulla vanthu kaasu paakum... ellai thaandi meen pidika ponaa thuppaaki sudum", "Walmart ae India la vetthala pocket poada vanthutaan", "India aezha naadu thaan, aana.. market perisu" are masterly penned dialogues. Dialogues receive the whole-hearted support of the audience and whistles and screams acknowledge it.

Except for some hiccups in translation of the ideas on-screen, Bhoologam conveys a strong message, a much needed one - portraying the sad state of today's society.

Bottomline - A film to be supported, rather than reviewed. I support Bhoologam!