one time wanderer

Oh, how I wish I had watched this one in the theatre! The goosebumps, the tears, everything would have been magnified— perfect experience.  However, what is up with Pa Ranjith always killing off my favourite characters?? Not fair, sir. Not fair at all. Aside from this though, Kaala is yet another testament to the director's genius, and proof of how he is one of the most important filmmakers of our times. As one of my best friends pointed out, most anti-caste films have revolved around individual journeys and struggles— but Ranjith takes that to another level by showing Dalit political leadership, and how it works.  Instead of the usual "trauma porn", we get Dalits positioned as mainstream heroes and heroines of their stories, unafraid to fight for what is rightfully theirs, proud of their identity in a world that thinks up new ways of suppressing their voices. It is a powerful moment in cinema, one that we should all be thankful to Ranjith for. The film has its flaws— pri

The very first thing that hit me with full force was the realisation that Santosh Narayanan's background score is simply out of this world. I can think of no better way to hook someone onto this film. The second thing that hit me was how cleverly Pa. Ranjith uses Rajinikanth's superstardom and bends it to serve his own purposes, without diminishing either his film or the superstar himself. It's a delicate balance, but Ranjith pulls it off like nobody's business.  I'm not a huge enjoyer of gangster films, but this one is just so well done that I found myself completely invested from the first scene itself. And the way Ranjith brings in his caste politics— once again displaying how skilled he is at delicate acts because it's neither too pushy nor too subtle, just the right balance the issue needs— is amazing. It really forces one to think, about the people who build nations, the notion of a 'diaspora' and its associations, about clothes, about families, ab

It will probably take me a rewatch to fully understand Aparan 's screenplay (full credits to P. Padmarajan, who I am convinced was a genius), but man, what a wild ride this was. Especially the ending!! Jayaram scared the living hell out of me in just 2 minutes, which is as perfect a start to the new year as any.  The background score was a whole other trip— it really got under my skin and despite the shoddy subtitling, managed to creep me out.  Also, Shobana and Jayaram's chemistry is superior and this movie just proves it, since their romance isn't even the main point of the movie. The way they look at each other, the way their scenes together lighten up the rest of the movie without detracting from its main focus, the way their romance makes sense even in the middle of everything else that is going on; all of it is precious, and makes me even more glad to have watched the movie.  Finally, I have to say that it's high time someone restores Aparan and subtitles it prop