one time wanderer

I am usually not a fan of these typical Indian melodramas (the title literally translates to 'Life is an Illusion'), but how do I say no to Sridevi and Kamal Haasan? Let's face it, I am pretty much incapable of disliking a movie with the two of them. And yes, this also extends to my other favourite on-screen couples. I know this is probably against the rules of being a "cinephile" or something, but whatever. It's 2020 and I'll cling on to whatever little piece of happiness I can find. Also, I don't know about you, but I find a lot of satisfaction in tropes well done, especially if the movie contains all the tropes belonging to that specific genre. I hope I make sense, because I honestly don't think I have the braincells to properly articulate what I'm trying to say otherwise. But basically, this movie has all the tropes belonging to a romance drama- rich boy is madly in love, girl doesn't like him initially, he finds a willing ally in one o...

I am honestly still so disturbed by this movie, and I've had a good 24 hours to recover. What was, dare I say it, the point? I had zero interest in following the plot, because it genuinely seemed like there was none. Plus, there was weird shit happening with the dubbing (the audio and video were out of sync in many places), which was extremely off-putting. Tabu didn't even dub for this movie herself, which is very rare for her Hindi movies, which makes me think that something shady was going on behind the scenes. Also, Sunny Deol is a terrible actor. Just thinking about him in this movie makes me want to punch his stupid face, ugh. And since I started this "review" by saying that I am still disturbed, let me state explicitly what disturbed me the most- the very last shot of Sunny Deol as the movie ended, and the caption that accompanied it saying "Remember its a KC Bokadia's presentation". Oh I will remember . No doubt about that. Plus that idiotic ...

I don't care if this sounds exaggerated or whatever, but Natural Star Nani (the fact that almost every actor has a special prefix has got to be one of my favourite things about TFI) is one of the best things to happen to Indian cinema in recent times. Not only is that man insanely funny (the BEACH SCENE) but he also has an amazing range when it comes to other emotions. Plus, he is insanely funny. I'm sorry, but we just don't have enough "heroes" who are good at comedy, especially the "natural" kind. (Ayeeee @ myself.) Now, for the other actor I am absolutely in love with after this movie: Aadhi Pinisetty, who will be referred to as Annayya henceforth, in honour of his unforgettable role in Rangasthalam  (2018). Not that Arun (his role here) isn't unforgettable as well- I think half my feels about this movie are all because of how GOOD he was. The scene where Pallavi's (Nivetha Thomas) bag is snatched, and the one where Uma (Natural Star Nani) con...

Spoilers ahead: Just a bunch of really good actors elevating a decent script- that's the best summary I can come up with for this movie. Vineeth was truly scary as the obsessed stalker, and at the same time, equally pitiful. I blame patriarchy. Shobana was a lot of fun as Merlin, the popstar, and watching her stage performances reminded me again that movies where Shobs dances are superior to all other movies. It's a scientific fact, you can look it up. Lakshmi is as golden as always- I don't think I'll ever forget the scene where she goes insane and kills her husband and then wants to kill her son too. Spine-chilling. And the thing is, Mukesh's character actually tells this whole thing beforehand, so it's not a surprise or anything and yet, Lakshmi leaves you shook. Legends only. My biggest complaint with the movie is that the ending is too simplistic and feels rushed. I wish they had paid more attention to accurately and sensitively depicting such severe mental...

I was told before watching this that it's a "poor" rip-off of the legendary Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990). And honestly, I could see that from the beginning itself- I mean, the title is a dead give-away before anything else. Still, I persevered. The things we do for our faves, I tell you. The movie wasn't that bad- it was just too long and I guess the "special effects" haven't aged all that well. Plus, Shilpa Shetty can't really act. She was super cringey as the tabula rasa mermaid and I was super annoyed by it. Venky and Brahmanandam kind of made up for it though, but barely. Also, there were some major body-shaming dialogues which made me uncomfortable as hell. However, the highlight of the movie has to be the song about fruits. Yep, KRR went there . If I took a shot everytime they said the word "pandu" in the song, I would have been drunk very soon, which would have helped me get through the rest of the movie with less agitati...

Apparently, Rekha was supposed to do the Deepa role, but walked out without giving a reason. A shame honestly, because then we could have gotten three Indian cinema legends on screen together- Sridevi, Kamal Haasan, and Rekha.  Meendum Kokila is sexist, casteist, and kind of drags in the second half. That being said, I love this movie a lot, and it's probably all because of how amazing and hilarious Sridevi and Kamal Haasan are. Plus, I found the ending very warm and interesting. It makes me want to hug Sridevi. I don't care if it's a weird reaction, that's my Amma, you hater, and I am perfectly valid. I also appreciate that they fleshed out Deepa's character and made her stand up for herself (AS SHE SHOULD, YOU DO YOU QUEEN), and didn't resort to the typical "evil woman who wants to wreck a marriage" trope. For that alone, it stands out in the endless parade of "husband cheats on wife, she tries to get him back" movies that Indian cinema has...

First of all, what was that galeez dubbing for Tabu? I swear, I was annoyed from the second she started speaking. No disrespect to the dubbing artist, but it was a very jarring choice for both Queen T and her character Frenny, and definitely added to my ambivalent response to the story. From the very beginning,  David comes off as rather an ambitious film, and I'm not sure if it entirely succeeds in its objective. The thing is, the two stories are basically incomparable- one deals with religious fundamentalism and the lived experiences of minorities, and the other with a thoroughly unpleasant man going through some sort of romantic crisis. The former is excellently done- nothing but praise for the way that story is written and executed, and for the performances of Jiiva, Nassar and Rohini Hattangadi. Nassar's shaving scene will probably haunt me till the day I die, and for that alone I will recommend the movie. No, I'm serious. It is so not disappointing. However, what is p...

Let us start this "review" of a cultural reset by invoking the queen of feminism, communication, and galaxy brain-ness, Madhumati (Bhumika Chawla).  Kushi could not have been half as iconic without her, and to quote every rich person on Instagram when they post something rich- "GRATITUDE".  This movie is honestly one memorable scene after another. The drinking scene (Ali singing Ae Ajnabi is such a 2020 mood I can't), the scene where Madhu insists that Siddhu (Powerstar Pawan Kalyan) join her and her father for coffee (changed my life), the INFAMOUS "Jaya Aunty maloom tereko? Lalu uncle maloom tereko?" line (HOW I AM STILL LAUGHING), the wedding (won't say whose, coz no spoilers), the breathing scene (if you know, you know), the train scene (you can have a good movie without a train/airport scene, but you can't have a great movie without one) and of course, that epic interval cut scene have all become embedded in my consciousness and there is n...

I watched Kalyana Kacheri expecting a unique role for Shobana because of the synopsis (or whatever it's called) and things didn't go exactly as I was anticipating. Firstly, there was too less of her, and secondly, apart from the very first scene where the police apprehend her and Mukesh in a shady hotel, there really wasn't a lot for her to do. That first scene was hilarious, but again, too less. It's like showing a hungry person a buffet and then reminding her that she's supposed to be on a diet. Sigh. It's hard not to take personal offence at all these film-makers who didn't appreciate Shobana's talents enough. She does dance a bit in one song though, and that was another highlight. Mukesh and Jagathy Sreekumar were genuinely funny in some scenes, and I was moderately invested in the twists and turns, but I found the climax and "explanations" a bit too rushed and unsatisfactory. I'm still not entirely sure what happened, and why it happe...

I watched this movie last night, and woke up today with the lines "Coca Cola, Pepsi, Mama-Alludu Sexy" playing in my head. I am not kidding, these lyrics constituted my very first thought of the day. What can I say, I just naturally gravitate towards the most profound words. Venky Mama continues the trend of Tollywood fanfics after Manam (2014), and I'm here for it, even though it's decidedly less wholesome or even engaging than its predecessor. If only they had focused more on a good script, instead of I don't even know what, we would have had another classic on our hands. Venkatesh was very obviously the best part about the movie, and almost made me cry on more than one occasion. I'm telling you, that man can do anything. His range is extraordinary, and so is the fact that he does not seem to be ageing at all. Yes, I know the line is supposed to be "Mama-Alludu Sexy", but let's face it: it's the Mama who's truly sexy. Argue with the wal...

It will never cease to amaze me that Sridevi was not a formally trained dancer. Especially after seeing this movie, where I literally couldn't take my eyes off of her when she danced. I honestly can't find the words to describe how special her performances were- all I can say is that they are a good enough reason to watch the movie. Another highlight of the movie for me was the palpable chemistry between Sridevi and Mithun Chakraborty. Yes, I am lowkey obsessed with scandalous movie star couples, and no, I have no regrets. But seriously, those two together were beautiful to watch and if your heart isn't moved by their story, you don't have a heart. It's as simple as that. I do have quite a lot of problems with the caste dynamics (Brahmin benevolence and the glorification of Vedas being the most prominent), but I also applaud K. Viswanath for making that rare Hindi film that takes caste head-on. As we are all too aware, inter-caste love and relationships are still a ...

Tabu is so beautiful as Nina, I legit cannot think of anything else. I loved all her Delhi girl outfits, but what I loved most was how much I related to her, and just wanted to sit down with her over a cup of coffee, and have a nice chat about life and everything else when I was done with the movie. Queen things, I tell you. I had been reluctant to (re)watch Cheeni Kum till now, because I felt a little ehhh about the age gap. But the movie makes it seem so natural that you actually end up rooting for the couple! I liked how Amitabh slowly transforms, yet not fully. He's still annoying, but has other personality features apart from that. Paresh Rawal is A1 as Nina's Gandhian father (LOL to Politician Paresh tho) who bulldozes over an uncharacteristically tongue-tied Amitabh. My favourite (after Tabu, duh), though, has to be Zohra Sehgal as Amitabh's mom. What perfection, man. The mother-son dynamics are also very accurate and leave you giggling. However, I feel very ambiguou...

Sigh. The things we do for our faves. This movie was a waste of both Geetha and Shobana. That smouldering mountain of talent, all for nothing because obviously, it's Iyer who's great. Before you judge me for whining about something that the title explicitly states, let me inform you that for some reason I thought this was going to be comedy. I was not expecting "Iyer The Great" to be taken seriously at all, because, who would?? And yes, I know this doesn't exactly show me in a flattering light, but I don't care. Guess one must be prepared for such things to happen when one routinely jumps into movies without knowing the firs thing about them. The movie is so blatantly casteist and anti-minority, it's disgusting. At one point, Suryanarayana Iyer even makes an explicitly proud reference to himself as a "twice-born". And both the main groups of villains being either Muslim extremists, or cunning Christians? Lovely. It's only Iyer who is righteou...

Andhra (undivided), you know ily, but the fact that you let this movie flop is unacceptable. Thank god for Mallu Arjun stans for saving the day. More than anything, Happy is such a good story, full of hope and #feminism. I loved the two protagonists, Bunny (Stylish Star Allu Arjun) and Madhumati (Genelia D'Souza) and I just wanted them to be... happy. I also loved Manoj Bajpayee's character, uff. Indian cinema has under-utilised his comedy skills, and it's a complete disgrace. Someone give my man more funny roles!! His lowkey bromance with Bunny was definitely a highlight for me, and I would have loved it if they had elaborated more on this. Also, Manoj's vehicle's number plate said 666. Subtle. And before I forget, I very much appreciate the dubbing artist they got for him. My most recurring thought while watching the movie, though, was- Abolish Indian Upper-Caste Fathers. Genelia's politician fother was all too real, and unfortunately, quite triggering. I had...

No. This movie should never have been made.  I knew this movie was going to be trash, but what I didn't know was that it's extremely traumatising. Thank god for the existence of the fast-forward option. And also for my almost impressive ability to zone out completely from any given situation. TCU, stop playing me like this. We deserve to see Tabu in a better horror movie. Just remembered she's doing  Bhool Bhulaiya 2 next though omfg. Please don't let it be a Nagavalli remake. Please.

Not gonna lie, I probably would have hated this movie a lot more had it been any pairing other than my OTP Jyo-Suriya. This worked best as a fanfic vehicle for them, and honestly, gave me a LOT of feels, which is precisely what I wanted and needed. Their chemistry is insane and their acting is powerful enough to make you forget the script- it is an overall very fulfilling experience for any Jyo-Suriya stans out there.  Otherwise, there really isn't much to say. The script is quite blah to say the least- like I said, it's that Jyo-Suriya fire on-screen that saves it. Due credit must also be given to the rest of the cast, who elevate the entire experience. I had to fast forward through a lot of the action sequences though, except the very last one because your gal needed some catharsis. Plus Suriya Anna really is action king, so it was a delight to watch. Also, let me just address how adeptly those two carried off double roles- if I didn't know already, I would have believed ...

This is one 90s comedy that's ageing brilliantly, that's for sure. Kamal Uncle is fabulous as 4 wildly different characters- the identical quadruplets who tragically get separated at birth- however, I do wish more screen time was given to Raju, who was by far my favourite of the 4. Or even to Kameswaran, and his interactions with Thiripurasundari (Urvashi) and her grandmother (S.N. Lakshmi). Nassar too, was under-utilised as the "villain". Sad. But the thing about this movie is that each character is memorable in their own way, and the casting is superb. I am still laughing thinking about Manorama's antics during the 'Siva Rathri' song. Just that commitment to deliver a brilliant comedy is so rewarding to witness- apparently, the scene where Shalini (Kushboo) points a gun at all of them, and they all start moving away in a similar fashion was improvised! And of course, the iconic climax scene in that house tilting dangerously on a cliff. Delicious.  Ilaiya...

People might find faults in Kaaviya Thalaivan for any number of reasons, but what most don't consider is that it is truly representative of how insane everyone in a theatre troupe is. No, I am not kidding or exaggerating. I got so many flashbacks of being part of a theatre society during college and school, because it was just so on point. From Nassar as the uptight and self-righteous leader to Siddharth who visualises his entire life as a service to the art, it's all there.  The scene (and heart) stealer, though, has got to be Prithviraj as the main antagonist, Gomathi (apart from the British colonisers and boot-licking policemen, of course). Even though his character wasn't as fleshed out as I would have liked it to be, he still adds so much depth and complexity to it, it's astonishing. Gomathi is undoubtedly on the list of sexiest villains of all time, and proves my theory that a memorable movie needs an unforgettable villain.  However, the biggest villain in the mov...

All I can say is that I'm very glad that Madhuri got her very own tribute, even if I don't fully understand what it was. I know it had something (?) to do with women empowerment, but I was so zoned out throughout the majority of the movie (mostly when Mads wasn't there) that I really can't say anything for sure. The only thing I do know is that Mads looked ravishing, her dances were A1, and Bhupen Hazarika killed it with the music. Seriously, this album is way too underrated, considering just how much it slaps.  A must-watch for Madhuri stans, and for those who are just waking up to the fact that she's an icon (me). Also, Shah Rukh isn't that bad either. 

My major response to this movie can be summed up thus- "Trivikram interact with more women challenge". I still do not understand why Trisha's character was written the way it was. It would have been better to just not have the romantic track at all. Or to have a gay one. Yes, I stand by my belief that if Trivi was to write a fun gay rom-com, something in the style of his vintage stuff (K. Vijaya Bhaskar, pls return to meddle), it would change the course of Indian cinema forever. I can already visualise it- Mahesh Babu and Venky as the lead couple (this would also provide closure for us SVSC fans) and Sunil as the BFF who ultimately unites them. Allu Arjun must have a guest appearance too. And please, NO WOMEN. Apart from all this, I actually really liked Athadu . The twists and turns were all galaxy brain (which is what I came for), and more importantly, Trivi was playing with a full deck of the best villains (Sayaji Shinde, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Sonu Sood, Rahul Dev and Ta...

Sairam, thank god I had forgotten the "twist", despite having seen Bhai's Wanted (2009) when it came out. Not only was I majorly zoned out (so much that I don't even remember for sure if I slept for sometime in the middle) but I have also actively tried to erase all memories of it. Which is why I was shocked enough to legit scream when the big twist came along.  From what I have heard about Pokiri , it sounds like some kind of cultural reset. And going by that, I must say that it totally lived up to that hype. Prince Mahesh seems to be at the peak of his career, and it's a performance that is memorable in more ways than one- he really shines through as the cool, stylish hero who outsmarts villains and beats them up. Of course, he needs a solid story and some killer dialogues as well, both of which are amply present here. I loved how understated his commitment dialogue was, especially in comparison to Bhai's exaggeration, the memory of which still gives me war ...

Spoilers ahead: First of all, how dare they cast Waheeda Rehman and then kill her off within 10 minutes of the movie?? Not that ma'am wasn't totally one of the best things about the movie, but my god, this was such an injustice. If they wanted a plot point that would have enabled ANR & Sid to come to India, it could easily have been accommodated within "old couple intensely misses motherland and wants to go back". Can you imagine, cutest elderly couple Waheeda & ANR being extra cute in a village setting??? CAN YOU IMAGINE THE IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE HAD???? So yes, I was pretty enraged from the 10-minute mark onwards, especially when there was yet another needlessly heterosexual sequence starring Sid (no hate for him, but his character was a grade A dickhead) and one of his childhood sweethearts. Secondly, this is one of my favourite Sunil performances, hands down. He was a comedy genius in every single scene, and more importantly, a welcome respite from the ra...

SPOILER ALERT. This is one of those movies that make you question everything- in the first half hour, it makes you question the person who recommended it to you; in the next, it makes you question your ability to "read" people; and finally, it makes you question your own sanity. And of course, everything that just happened on screen. Because it can't be real, right? No one can be that psychot- never mind, I just remembered Urmila's expression in the last shot. Yes, it will haunt me forever, and no, I don't really mind. The most exceptional part about the movie is how many questions it leaves unanswered, and how many details it fails to provide. It's these absences, these giant gaping holes in understanding that truly unnerve the viewer- was Urmila the serial killer who was being talked about on the TV earlier? Who was Mr. Malhotra? Why was Manoj Bajpayee such a massive creep in the beginning of the movie? Can we even take the first half of the movie as fact, a...

Hrishikesh Mukherjee just might be my favourite genre in Bollywood. His movies are so warm, so timeless- they can brighten up the darkest of days, and help one escape into a simpler time, where problems were solved with politeness, the music was fun and the lyrics were witty, and everyone had tremendous respect and affection for each other. My favourite part about Khubsoorat has to be how chaotic yet loveable Rekha is. Her constant mischief never feels over the top or disrespectful, which is the treatment most women of her kind get in Hindi cinema. I loved the way Rekha carries this role with ease, almost as if she was made to play Manju. Another woman I cannot get over in this movie is obviously the powerhouse Dina Pathak. Even I was scared of her at some point! The rest of the characters were also really well cast, the dynamics between them lending another layer of charm to the movie. Special mention to Ashok Kumar and Ranjit Chowdhury, who are both scene-stealers. The level of comed...

Even though I watched the OG Telugu version only, I feel like I would be shirking my duties as a responsible citizen of this country if I don't inform whoever is reading this that the Hindi dubbed version of this movie is called Meri Jung: One Man Army . Yes. Let that sink in. TFI's Hindi dubbed titles are a genre unto themselves. I think I would have loved this movie a lot more had the Jyo-Nag story line been less despicable. The manipulation, the gaslighting, all of it was just too much. Especially when you consider how wholesome the Sunil-Nag (b)romance was. Now, had we been living in a more open and welcoming society, that would have been the focus point of the movie and the world as we know it would have been different. And before someone accuses me of "turning everything gay" (I wish), let me just point to the scene where Nag literally takes his one prized possession, a chain with a coin as the locket, and puts it around Sunil's neck as a birthday present. H...

FINALLY. The curse of Mammootty-Shobana only doing questionable movies (I'm talking about Adayalam and Kaliyoonjal , of course) has been lifted. Yes, I am fully aware that these movies were made decades ago, but this is my journey, so please. Just let me be. The thing that tickled me the most about this movie were the sofas in Mammootty's living room, and how they lowkey resembled thrones. I am not even kidding. As if they wanted to very firmly establish that Mammootty was Shobana's superior in the socio-economic hierarchy. Clearly, the fact that he was her actual boss wasn't enough for that. Moving on- even though I had predicted the "twist" long ago, I was still a little surprised by how genuine it felt. I also really liked the soundtrack, especially the one where Shobana danced. Let's face it, a movie gets a thousand times better when Shobana dances. It's what us stans live for. Plus, she said #feminism in 1985 and it's a shame that we didn'...

Drush-yummm, and Venky most yum. I knew that he would be amazing at this role, after watching the Hindi version, but he honestly surpassed all my expectations. I must whine again that he and Tabu should have been in at least ONE version together. That film would have eclipsed everything else, and no, that's not just me being biased for my two faves. Purely on the basis of the script though, I prefer the Hindi version because it explored the class conflicts inherent in this story, which was surprisingly lacking from the Telugu version. However, on the basis of the lead actor, on whose shoulders the entire script rests, I have to side with Drushyam . Venky was both funny and terrifyingly serious as Rambabu, and his dynamics with the rest of the cast made the story so much more real for me. He helped elevate it from an abstract to something that could very possibly happen. He is truly one of the finest actors from his generation, and it's a shame that we don't talk about him e...

Everyone, including the source story ( Manichitrathazhu ), was wasted here. Even though this movie had started annoying me before the 10-minute mark, I had hoped that Jyothika would salvage it. And she does, in a way, and so do Nassar, Vadivelu and Prabhu, but only to an extent. I also had expectations from Vineeth and Sonu Sood, but my god I can't even blame any of these people. The script was so poorly written, and relied so much on tacky horror sequences that everything just felt like a let-down. Especially because I had just seen Manichitrathazhu a week back and had fallen in love with the way it's told all over again.  Actually I would like to amend my earlier statement that the script is poorly written- it's pretty brilliant in its own way, when the person watching it is a Rajinikanth fan. Since I am not one (I haven't seen too many of his movies, so I guess I'm neutral), all the scenes glorifying him (which was like 95% of the entire movie) just went over my ...

I only watched this movie for the iconic trio of Pushpavalli, Savitri and Madhubala, and to see if they ever appear in a frame together. (They don't.)  What happened behind the scenes is more interesting than what happens in the movie itself, for it was during the shooting of this movie that Madhubala's ventricular septal defect was detected. Plus the dynamics between Pushpavalli and Savitri. And also the dynamics between Madhubala and Savitri. And Madhubala and Pushpavalli. Ugh, what an iconic piece of cinema just for these reasons. The movie itself is... well, I kind of zoned out in the last hour because it didn't have too much of Madhubala, and Savitri and Pushpavalli had completely disappeared. So yeah, what I'm trying to say is that it's only these three women who make the movie semi-engaging.  In conclusion, I wish we had a movie with Meena Kumari and Savitri, who were actually good friends in real life, in addition to having very similar experiences with love...

After watching Aapadbandhavudu , I was shocked to learn that it had "under-performed" at the box office. It has all the elements necessary to make a classic Chiranjeevi movie- the action sequences, the DANCE, the impossible but very necessary romance, the comedy, the rich and poignant human drama, and of course, a canvas for Megastar to showcase exactly why he is deserving of that title. What makes the underwhelming box-office response even more surprising is that in the very same year, Chiru delivered one of his career-defining hits, Gharana Mogudu .  Two of the biggest factors, however, that make this movie a "must-watch" for me are the caste dynamics and the treatment of mental health. Both these things are rarely done right in Hindi cinema, which is what I have predominantly consumed my entire life, so it's quite refreshing to find better examples in movies from the South. And when combined with a brilliant performer like Chiranjeevi, these heavy topics seem...

We need a "Tabu, oh Tabu" song like the "Rekha, O Rekha" song from Gunjan Saxena . She shines as Mahalakshmi, making this one of my all-time personal favourite movies of all time. I really can never get enough of it- I jam to the music all the time (every single song is a bop), and I find the comedy and romance tracks as comforting as an excellent cup of coffee served in your favourite mug. So yes, there might be a lot of faults in this movie (which I have focused on in my last "review") but I really don't care at this point. It's an iconic movie that means a lot to me (it was, after all, the very first Telugu movie I ever saw), and that's that. Plus, the whole "Pandu" scene? Sheer perfection. Nagarjuna peaked with that. And Lakshmi? A queen for the ages. Underestimate her at your own risk. Annapurna Studios and Krishna Vamsi, pls get your act together and give the people what they are craving: a sequel. Amen.

I grew up with this movie, and even back then I was aware of how weirdly patriarchal and regressive it was. From Salman calling both his wife and his mistress (Karisma Kapoor and Sushmita Sen, respectively) "mera baccha/mera beta" (the daddy issues, I tell you) to all the preachiness about what an "ideal" wife/woman should be like to the absolute absurdity of it all, this is probably the most representative of all David Dhawan movies, especially from that era. And as much as I hate to say it, it's also probably the most enjoyable of the lot. I finished this movie in one sitting and rarely felt bored or irritated. So yes, this is THE David Dhawan movie you should be watching, if you want to get an idea of what his brand of cinema was all about. I wish they had given Tabu more to do here. She was super hilarious, and it's a shame that we didn't get to see more of Lovely. I am also mad because I found out that this was a remake of a Tamil film called Sathi ...

The more I watch Manichitrathazhu , the more convinced I become that this is one of the best movies to ever come out of India. No remake/derivative will ever come close (that won't stop me from watching Chandramukhi soon, though). The last thirty minutes of this movie are flawless. No matter how many times I see Shobana's (National award winning) performance here, I will never not be completely in awe of what she does. From the infamous vidamaate scene to her climax dance (special mention here to Sridhar, who is BRILLIANT) to the very last scene, she just does not let you breathe or blink or even think about anything else. I also really appreciated the bromance between Suresh Gopi and Mohanlal, and the romance between Vinaya Prasad and Mohanlal- both very wholesome and cute. The comedy track is legendary and is ageing like fine wine (Canadian Kumar could never).  Fazil, you genius. You absolute genius. 

Say what you want about the technical aspects of the movie, I will never get over the fact that Sridevi pulled off a role like Mayil at the age of 14. The talent, I tell you. No one can convince me that she wasn't born to be a superstar.  The biggest lesson to be learnt here, of course, is that girls should never, under absolutely no circumstances, prioritise a boy over their studies. It only ever ends in heartbreak, as we all know too well. It's also interesting that the one man in the movie who is not shown as a complete asshole has some sort of intellectual disability. Is the movie trying to comment that disgusting behaviour in men is the norm, and only those men who are perceived as "abnormal" by the rest of society can have some decency and humanity in them? I don't think I have explained myself very well, but it's food for thought anyway.  Kamal Haasan is another reason to watch this movie. He is very good as Chappani, the "village idiot" who i...