Thursday, 1 May 2014

GOOD CINEMA ... Anamika the name is success



Any appreciation and criticism of art work has hidden in it, the biases, prejudices and variety of hang-ups.. This is my experience in general and all the time the effort is to overcome these qualities and indulge in the experience of any art form. This is what the matured mind is expected of , or at least that is what i want to believe.  When it came to Anamika, several of such things were operating ... remake? Story based?  Onetime watch?  Vidya balan? Telugu space? Etc etc .. So inherently the expectation was set in my mind like most people. At best it can be a multiplex movie, is what people talked about..  So is multiplex supposed to be good? Intellectual? not mass? 


So where is the concept of good cinema in all that? Where is the mention on engagement as a cinema?  In one sentence, one should give totally to the belief and conviction of shekar kammula . He has proved how a well made movie can be decent, bereft of violence, engaging, entertaining without going for a formula of a commercial movie. There is no criticism of popular or commercial movies here.. One need not put down something to highlight something else.  Hence let me talk only about this movie, elucidating the genuine experience i had despite the bias mind and preset notions. 


First day movie is hurriedly reviewed and talked about. We heard phrases like “ mixed talk “ divided talk ,  Mass will not like, not a B and C center movie etc.. I thought let me give it a try and watch this movie. I took Babji my colleague and friend whose taste and likes i value.. We watched and started comparing, talking and trying to find faults. All this ended after the first initial few minutes and i got engrossed into the movie like any good movie would make me do. 


The narration was simple, uncomplicated and the flow was easy and optimum. Nowhere was it overdone or stretched.  At Places, there would be a temptation to go slightly overboard but shekar resisted all temptations. He did not do anything to play up to the gallery. He just believed and made a good film which can be watched with the entire family without feeling embarrassed for a minute. 


The movie is subtle, absorbing, entertaining and will leave you with a feeling of having spent good time watching a good movie.  The casting is almost perfect and few good surprises in Vaibhav,  Khan the inspector , and hotel owner etc. But Its Nayantara all the way. She has simply excelled in her acting. People who are interested in comparisons, she has done a more marvellous job than Vidya balan.  For vidya the role is not difficult as she essayed several such roles.  But for nayan and especially in a context like this, it is most difficult and she just portrayed a splendid performance.  Nayantara has silenced critics about comparing her to vidya.  Her expressions, vulnerability in scenes, boldness at places, looks; grace in presence is all there to be appreciated.  

 One should not miss appreciating Sunitha for her fabulous dubbing.  These 2( nayan and sunitha)  are a deadly combination and we have seen that in Simha, Ramarajyam and now in Anamika. The maturity, the emotion, the grace, the diction, pronunciation,  and the sweetness in language is the hall mark of her voice and she has enhanced the overall calibre of the character of anamika..  Sunitha has reflected once again the mastery of her calibre in voice culture.

One of the big plus of the movie is the fantabulous back ground score of Keeravani garu.  This is what has enhanced most scenes and all emotions. The score seems, it’s there and not there. It is enough at places and more intense at several other places.  Eega, Rajanna and now Anamika has taken BG to a new high,  where i feel keerawani has given a refreshing back ground score which is so rich and absorbing. The song Kshana kshanam wonderfully rendered by sunitha lingers on and is utilised beautifully in the movie. 


When technology gives access to the entire life and realities across nations and fields, we talk about inspiration, adaptation, lift, copy, plagiarism etc and some we accept and some we reject. But here is the one which is honest and is a remake and done beautifully.  I appreciate shekar’s belief, guts and conviction and journey must have been difficult owing to comparisons and intensions. His intent of giving a good movie to telugu audience has fructified .


But the fact that he churned out a good product is a testimony of his knowledge of film making and storytelling. It does not matter if you know the story, if you already seen the “original” .. If you care for a good movie , just go and watch and you will love nayantara, music, narration and decency of the movie .. my vote is clean majority and never believed in grades of the website kinds .


The ending says, Animaka is nameless and faceless.  I say its name is success and is face saving movie for all the crew and technicians. Hats off

Thursday, 27 February 2014

MUST MUST LISTEN ....SOOHA SAAHA







What is wrong if i repeat the cliche that Class is Permanent?  How can anyone get tired talking, praising and still not finding words to explain the feeling of listening to A.R.Rahman one more master piece? Sooha saaha his latest from Highway movie makes me wonder as to how could he compose this song which takes ordinary blokes like me to listen 10 times and watch movie to have the basic appreciation. Now it got on me and nothing makes me more happy and nothing else can take me high than this song.

The initial humming by alia bhatt seems like a deracination of the deep intrinsic sound from somewhere hidden in the nature. You tend to get stuck with it as it seems part of the self. The blend of 2 singers, Zeba and alia is something that is like yin yang and 2 best things to happen to the world.  The People who are unable to appreciate this, what seems like an exaggeration do not know the song and sorry for saying this in such measure.

I do not claim to understand the lyrics completely as of now but i have gotten into the skin of the feeling behind the lyrics for sure , with the advantage of having seen the movie. I do not care on how technically it was recorded and plug ins used etc . All i know without bias is that no one except A.R.Rahman could have created this fantabulous music. I won’t forget to acknowledge the brilliance of Irshad kamil. Actually this is most envious combination of Imtiaz ali, A.R Rahman and Irshad ..Magic of rockstar is extended in this .

Imtiaz ali understanding of the cinema and willingness to honestly present the movie is beyond Indian cinema standards for sure. I am glad i got something to keep close to my heart after a long time , since rockstar and aashiqui 2 ...

The movie takes a high and high peaks at this song and making of song , emotional depiction and unveiling of hooda’s characterisation and the bonding of the alia and hooda is the highlight in the movie. Those 15 minutes has finest nuances of highest order in sketch of 2 characters and do not miss just for that .