Swarnakamalam (1988)

I had to watch this one in honour of Victory V's 60th birthday (not that the man seems to be ageing at all). This was one of the best movies about dance that I've ever seen- especially in the context of Bhanupriya's character. What can I say, I love me a gal who asserts herself and tries to find her own space in the world. 

Venkatesh's character meanwhile, was a pretty accurate description of every man ever, aka someone who just needs a girl to save from herself. I kinda hated him here, but of course, my thirsty ass cancelled me for cancelling him, and I ended up taking 500 screenshots of Venky looking like the most beautiful man in existence. I found the caste politics of the movie lowkey problematic too- the more they tried to be subtle about the Brahmin way of (cultural) life, the less subtle they became. Nevertheless, the fact that it was Ilaiyaraaja who composed the music works as a beautiful counter-balance to that aspect. Speaking of which, the music is honestly enough for me to recommend the movie. The songs are also very picturesquely shot- quite a pleasing experience overall. And the ending- well, I have my problems with it, as I always do with "she got off the plane" type of stuff, because I just can't see anyone throwing away their career and long-held life goals in this manner. This is why I believe in honest communication. Please do not wait till the very last moment to tell someone how you feel about them. Cinema is a LIE, your career does matter a LOT. And while we're at it, please also stop letting men run your lives for you. 

In conclusion, despite all my problems with it, I still did enjoy this movie, mostly because of Venky being a snack and Ilaiyaraaja's songs and Bhanupriya's dancing and Bhanupriya's character. Glad I did this for naanagaru's birthday. 

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