Vedham Puthithu

Movie Review of Vedham Puthithu :

Actors/Actresses : Satyaraj, Saritha, Amala, Raja, Nizhalgal Ravi, Charuhaasan, Janakaraj

Direction : Bharathiraaja

This is a movie that comes close to being called a classic. From the voiceover of Bharathiraaja at the start of the movie about the reasoning behind the movie to the final exclamation of Satyaraj's character 'Balungra manithan Vaidegi enra ponnaiyum shankaran enra payyanaiyum valarkka virumbaran.....(Paraphrased - A humanbeing called Balu wants to bring up a daughter named vaidehi and a son named shankaran), this movie is hard hitting in its portrayal of casteism in indian culture.

Synoposis : Satyaraj plays atheist Balu Thevar, the headman of a village that is the microcosm of india with its superstitions, religions, castes. He is illiterate but comes up with pithy one liners on the pernicious effect of god/religion/caste on fellow villagers. His son, played by raja, comes back to the village after finishing his college education and follows the tamil movie hero script of going after the village priest's daughter played by amala who responds in kind. The village priest seeing the turn of events, decides to marry his daughter off as second wife to a brahmin guy than see her the sole wife of the village headman's son. Amala' s character escapes when going for the marriage and fakes her own death hoping to stop the marriage. The marriage party returns thinking she is dead. The village priest vents his frustration on the headman's son as the cause of his daughter's death and during the altercation, both slip over a precipice and die. The son of the village priest now becomes an orphan and is ostracised by the brahmin community of the village. The headman takes pity on the son and takes him in. The village priest's daughter comes back and is accused by the village of being a bad omen. She takes refuge in the headman's house and is reunited with her brother. The villagers in their fury kill the headman. The movie ends with a message of hope about removing casteism in the next generation.

Thoughts :

Satyaraj was excellent in the role showing the pride of an atheist who is up against the entire god-fearing village. He looks suitably chastened when the priest's son asks him the question about his name.(Balu-ngrathu unga paeru, thevar-ngrathu neenga padichu vaangiya pattamaa ? - Balu is your name, is thevar an educational degree ?). The line is placed very well in the flow of the movie and shows that someone claiming to be an atheist might not be a whole lot more rational than a theist. Of course, he has the choicest lines in the movie whether it is needling every religious person with the needlessness of god or explaining to his son, why he doesnt prefer him to chant mantras or his arguments with the priest. He has given a restrained performance and combined with those famous nakkal dialogues, makes him the character in the movie to watch.

Saritha has a smaller role than some of her famous roles and she breezes through it. She plays an ideal foil to Satyaraj as his very religious wife who goes behind his back to ensure the well being of her son through offerings to gods.

Amala and Raja satisfy the romance portion of the movie. I think this was the first movie where raja plays the loser role to perfection(thinking about it, his entire career is one long list of loser roles. Either his love interest dies or leaves him or he dies before their love gets anywhere). Amala performs her role well considering that she mainly is known for eye candy roles. Her tamil diction is kind of grating but nowhere close to what one hears nowadays.

Janakaraj is the villain in the movie. Bharatiraaja could have done a much better job of developing this character considering his importance to the screenplay. Hence, he comes across as a cardboard character when compared with Satyaraj's character.

Charuhaasan continues his role as always, the brahmin priest who holds onto his rules and rituals inspite of a changing world and losing his life in the middle of the movie.

The movie is consistent in its attack on casteism,god, religion. What is normal for a tamil movie(an invocation to God at the start of the movie) is glaring in this movie. The village headmand character is harsh on god, organized religion and caste. Some of the lines are extremely powerful. Paraphrased examples,

'Thappu pannittu saami kitta mannippu ketkareenga. Oru manithan kitta innoru manithan mannippu ketka saami ethukku ?' (you(people who worship god) ask for forgiveness for your sins to fellow man to a god. I would ask for forgiveness from another man. Where is god needed in this ?)

When arguing with brahmins about including the orphaned son of the village priest in avani avittam, the brahmins point out how the vedas specify who are brahmins and who are not. The headman's rejoinder is absolutely delightful as he points out the hollowness of those arguments. Fascinating.

When he pacifies a meeting where each caste attacked the other in a shouting match, his question towards the brahmins is very much valid. If brahmins insist(as most of them do) on being the enlightened lot of castes in general, why is it that they are so narrow minded as to follow caste system in the first place ?

The almost fanatical insistence of the village headman on approaching every issue from a humanistic point of view versus a religious point of view shows up in his dialogues.

The staple of bharatiraaja's movies are there, the treatment of romance. Whether it is amala licking off the pongal off her fingers or the whole sequence involving the handkerchief, the director shows something sensitive in his treatment of the romance.



I thought this would be a movie I wouldnt like given it has been almost 20 years since the movie came out.

Ponniyin Selvan on screen

*******************Ponniyin Selvan Spoiler Warning*********************

I am traversing the well worn path of every reader of PS after they have read it. After all, the movie craze among tamilians might be one reason why the second question after reading PS is'What will be the cast of characters if PS was made into a tamil movie using the current crop of actors/actresses ?' (The first is the obvious 'Who killed Aadiththa Karikaalan ?')

Given the scope of the novel, I think it will be tough to take PS as a single movie. Instead, they should focus on 3 - 5 part movie like LOTR. Then again, most of PS is spent on descriptions and historical references and that way, it might end up being shorter than that with all the non-events packaged into bonus section of the DVD.

If there was to be a movie made of PS, my ideal would be new faces in all aspects of movie. That would provide the most vibrant on screen version of PS. Someone can conduct PS idol like American Idol asking people to audition for these once-in-a-lifetime roles. Also, famous directos/music directors/lyricists/actors/actresses would have their popularity baggage. (If PS was made into a movie, it has to stand for its story and not because Kamal croons like a dying peacock in the role of Sundara Chozhan on hearing news of Aadiththa Karikaalan's death)

Now, onto the casting :

Director - Cheran or Thankar Bachchan or Bharathiraaja
Music Director - ARR or YSR or Harris Jeyaraj
Camera - P.C.Sriram or Thiru(I think he was the cameraman for Hey Ram) or Ravi K Chandran
Art Direction - Thotta Tharani or Sabu Cyril(those are the only two names I know)

Main roles :

Vanthiyathevan - Surya or Saif (They wont measure up anyway to the character in the book)
Arulmozhi varman - Prashanth (Goody two shoes character - doesnt require much acting)
Aadiththa Karikaalan - Vikram or Aamir (Probably the most complex character in the book)
Madhuraanthakan - Suresh Gopi or Jayaram
Saenthan Amuthan - Vineet(Fits the role to a 'T')
Paarthibaendran - Paarthiban(Namesake) or Manoj K Jayan
Kandhamaran - Arunpandiyan(Cant visualize anyone else for this character)
Peria Pazhuvaettaraiyar - Saayaaji Shinde or Mammootty (Both look regal and look the
part)
Chinna Pazhuvaettaraiyar - Nasser or Ranjith(Both can act well and have the build for the
role)
Sundara Chozhan - Kamal(He can sit through the entire movie with very little to do)
Aazhwaarkadiyaan - Mohanlal(Role requires all round talent)

Poonguzhali - Nandita Das - She is interchangeable as Kundhavai - Cant think of any other
actresses for this role
Kundhavai - Tabu - She is interchangeable as Poonguzhali - Cant think of any other actresses
for this role
Nandhini - Simran or Bipasha(Havent seen bipasha's movies so cannot decide about her acting
but as seductress she fits the bill perfectly) - Requires loads of
talent
Sembian Maadevi - Ramya Krishnan
Vaanathi - Aishwarya Rai(Requires very less acting other than fluttering her eyelashes, looking
dreamy and staring at the ground)
Manimeghalai - Shalini(if ajith can consent) or Kajol(if ajay devgan can consent) - Requires some
acting

Ponniyin Selvan

*************************Ponniyin Selvan Spoiler Warning************************

Just completed reading Ponniyin selvan. I now realize why readers are so addicted to this book. I was so into the book all I did for past 2 weeks was come home from work and read that pillow size novel. The time I spent away from working out might have been compensated by the strain on my arms holding up that book.

Kalki has done a tremendous job maintaining the interest of the reader. The only blemish I can find is the almost cloying treatment he gives towards organized religion pounding the reader into submission on the goodness of god and the righteousness of saivite/vaishnavite philosophy.

As he says in epilogue of the book, there is so much potential for many more ponniyin selvan type novels if only people of tamilnadu paid attention to their history. The attention to detail he has paid in describing pazhaiyaarai, thanjavur, anuradhapura(srilanka) is breathtaking. Of course, given the focus of the novel on chola history, pandiyas become the villains. They are painted with a not-so-positive nature throughout. Reading the novel makes me realize what a sorry excuse CBSE history books are on local history. Other than a passing reference to Thanjavur peria kovil/raja raja chola, not much is present on providing the incredible details on the intricacies and traps of chera-chola-pandiya-pallava politics.

The sheer variety in treatment of love is enough to hold anyone's attention. My favourite is vanthiyathevan kunthavai relationship. The pressures of a relationship between an accidental spy and a smart princess who fall for each other is so beautifully brought out by kalki. He has delineated the difference between the attraction/admiration vanthiyathevan feels for nandhini versus kunthavai. Their conversations reminded me of the conversation between eowyn and faramir in lord of the rings with its mixture of poetry and romance.

Obsessive relationships abound in this story. Whether it is peria pazhuvattaraiyar/karikalan/kanthamaran/paarthibaendran-nandhini, manimeghalai-vanthiyathevan, poonguzhali/vanathi-arulmozhi, the one sided nature of those relationships(except for the late almost abrupt change in vanathi-arulmozhi relationship) assures their demise.

The notable female characters poonguzhali, kunthavai and nandhini, all are much more complex than in sivakamiyin sabatham where sivakami pretty one dimensional character pining away for narasimhavarman. Poonguzhali wants to be a queen and gets her wish in the end even though not in the way she wanted it. Kunthavai and Nandhini are two sides of the same coin as it turns out later in the story. Because the story turns out to be of cholas, kunthavai comes out looking good whereas Nandhini turns out to be the poisonous one.

The story can be read through the lens of most of the major characters. Maybe , in the future, there will be discourses on vanthiyathevan's ponniyin selvan versus poonguzhali's ponniyin selvan versus kunthavai's ponniyin selvan.

I was impressed with the historical references kalki pointed out about kunthavai-vanthiyathevan. Maybe thanjavaur peria kovil will have those inscriptions till I get time to read it. The order of succession of cholas is another. The detailed descriptions of how chola kings died is incredible.

The tamil words used in some of the inscriptions that kalki referred to were difficult to understand. Maybe I have been using chennai tamil a lot that senthamizh is no longer understandable.

Unforgettable sections :

The killing of karikalan
Every discussion between vanthiyathevan and kundhavai
Every discussion between vanthiyathevan and nandhini
Everytime kalki digresses on tamil history
Poonguzhali's character development as a girl unafraid of anyone or anything(till at the end , kalki marries her off to saenthan amuthan)

Forgettable sections :

The forced relationship between vanathi and arulmozhi(Historically, they might have been a couple but their treatment in the story didnt rise upto vanthiyathevan/kundhavai)
The forced turnaround of poonguzhali marrying saenthan amuthan after expressing her desire for arulmozhi

Losing a piece of myself

This past month, I went on vacation to India. I came away with mostly positive emotions. I am writing this when I am still reeling from homesickness. Everything there looks green inspite of the heat and humidity . Change seems to be everywhere and most of it is for the good. The dynamism is something different and it is not only restricted to the metros.

I lost quite a lot of my weight during this trip inspite of my mom's best efforts to feed me stuff I havent eaten in ages. I went in the month of may to chennai. Even if it is not the hottest place, it is hot enough to wish for year round rains. As the song from Gentleman goes 'April Mayilae pasumaiyae illae.......' . That song was sung in an entirely different context but one can appreciate it keeping the weather in mind.

I went to places in and around chennai randomly given my procastination. I still managed to cover places I wanted to see with some exceptions.

My first trip was to St.Thomas Mount. I always wanted to visit it ever since I came to know it had some historical importance attached to it. Once you reach the entrance to the church, it is very easy to go up as the way up is paved and has places to rest. But once you go up,there is not much to look at. It was a disappointment that was somewhat mitigated on seeing a painting in fort st. george museum that shows a pristine mount with a clear view of the village that was chennai at that time. That doubting thomas was killed on top of the mount in 72 AD wasnt enough to hold my interest to me anyway.

The fort st. george museum is very well maintained even though they could use some guides. Most of the visitors had to browse through the museum and make of the artifacts what they could. Places like St.Thomas Mount seemed to be so different from what they are now. There were even items from french period of occupation of Fort St.George. The official letters written by Robert Clive were another treat. Looking at them, I couldnt help wonder how someone like him, down and out when he landed in india, could transform his life and go on to establish east india company as a force to be reckoned with. Like those international cricketers making their career against india with a bang even if they were nondescript players before in their respective countries. Or as they say in tamil 'Vandharai vaazhavaikum tamizhagam' (Providing livelihood for all comers).

The government museum in Egmore is another treasure trove of historical pieces. It has sculptures and scripts dating from asoka's period(B.C.) to around 11th century AD. They have different complexes for stone sculptures and metal sculptures. The metal sculptures are housed in that rarity of a government space, an airconditioned room. They have done a very good job of putting all the metal sculptures inside glass casings knowing very well the propensity of visitors to touch and spoil the sculptures. The stone sculptures get no such protection. It was a pathetic sight to see valuable sculptures lying around as painters whitewashed the walls of the museum and generously dripped the paint onto the sculptures. Then there were the confiscated pieces from thieves and smugglers. The museum administrators in their infinite wisdom have put them all in the open backyard behind the museum almost as if inviting a thief to have a go at them again. All said and done, it is still a worthwhile effort to have all these marvelous sculptures in a single place even though they can do a better job of maintaining them from the spoiling hands of visitors/maintenance crew.

Senji fort lies between chennai and tiruvannamalai. For a fort that is sorrounded by paddy fields and generous water sources, it is really hot. The fort complex is actually a ring of forts built on rock strewn hills sorrounding Chennai Tiruvannamalai bypass road. The main ones are Krishnagiri, Chitradurg and Rajagiri. The initial construction seems to have been done by Kone chieftains and after they relinquished their hold, it was developed further by Vijaynagara empire, Adil Shah and the british. Militarily, attacking the fort head on is suicidal given the approach steps are at an incline and turn at right angles every 10 steps or so. There are enough outer rings outside each fort to provide the defenders with a very clear view of whoever is attacking the fort. The forts dont have as much visitors now except for young lovers who seem to be intent on leaving their mark on history. Given the way the forts are constructed, I am sure the testament to their love scribbled on the walls of the fort will die much earlier than the fort itself. Krishnagiri and Chitradurg were smaller forts compared to Rajagiri. Rajagiri seems to have been the main fort. The inner fort is at least a mile inside the outer fort. On way to the inner fort, there are granaries, gunpowder dumps and different temples. If the granaries were a sign of the prosperity of the kingdom, they should have been mighty rich those days. Getting to the top of Rajagiri fort is a challenge in itself. It is very steep compared to the other two forts and walking up in 100 degree heat and humidity is tough even with bottles and bottles of water and soft drinks. Some of the surprises along the way were a tank in the middle of ascent to the top. Whoever designed the fort was really paranoid. From the top one has a clear view of everything down below. There are the watch towers which lead to lower rings around the fort through underground passages. There are mortars that look out from the top of the fort to the fields below just in case the farmers get any ideas of self sustenance.

As a sign of the changes in ownership, the structures on top of the fort vary from solid rock structures to cement and concrete structures. Krishnagiri fort has a temple and a mosque on top of it.

The respect indians in general have for monuments in their history was illustrated when I asked for a way to get to the top of another fort behind Chitradurg. He wanted to know if I wanted to go there and smoke whatever drugs I carried with me.

I wanted to visit mahabalipuram to see the new complex that was supposed to have been unearthed by the tsunami. For lack of time, I didnt get to see it. I saw only a portion of the sculptures and that itself was impressive. To have had the imagination to sculpt them out of rocks by the sea was itself commendable. Because it is a world heritage monument, mahabalipuram seems to be getting much better conservation treatment. They have guards posted at the entrance all the sculpture complexes so the visitors remain honest.

The one mistake in my visit was my visit to kutralam which is a system of waterfalls supposed to have medicinal value because the water in it gathers medicinal plants as it flows through the mountains nearby. It is a seasonal waterfall and when I visited it, the season hadnt yet set in. So, I had a good look at the sides of those hills which would be blanketed by water come june or july. All I got in return were blisters and swelling in my foot from indiscriminate walking. I should have realised the season was not in when the bus I was travelling approached the towns around the falls. If the season has started, the area has a cool breeze that makes it wrthwhile just to walk around. When I visited the place, it was hot and dusty not at all like when the falls are full of water.

That mistake in scheduling cost me the time to visit badami which houses the ruins of chalukya dynasty from 6 - 8 century AD. Maybe next time.....

Looking back

Where did this neglect of one's own ancestors come from ? Does focussing on knowing one's ancestors extend to justifying all their actions ? Are they best left as they are, consigned to dustbins of history which as we know is written always by victors ?

If someone asks me what I know about my ancestors, I would probably respond defensively knowing very well they have stuck an open wound. I can trace it to the procastination I have in spades.

When I refer to my ancestors, I am referring to the people who followed practices that led to what I am today. I am well aware that it covers a lot of people and practices and probably involves intermingling of cultures. Some of those cultures have done an exceedingly well in maintaining record of who came before them. As for me, the lack of awareness of my ancestors strikes home whenever I read about someone holding fort on theirs.

Whether my ancestors were bigoted or narrow minded , I do not know. Given my propensity to think positive of anything or anyone, I would like to think they did what they thought was right at the time. Judging them through the prism of my present day culture would definitely show them in poor light.

Does revisiting one's history through the lens of present day moraes fair to those who came before us ? Then again, would I be as objective as I consider myself to be when it concerns my own flesh and blood ? Knowing myself, the answer is No.

Nom De Guerre

*******************Sivakamiyin Sabatham Spoiler Warning*****************

Paranjothi - the name itself brings to mind prosperous kanchi of 7th - 8th century of tamil novels. A traveller in search of a teacher, he loses his way and ends up as the commander of armed forces for pallavas.

His chance encounter with Mahendravarman, king of pallava dynasty at that time puts him on the career track of a military commander with them instead of their rivals, chalukyas. His unwitting involvement in political intrigues makes him more mature in handling matters of state. His tendency to believe in the goodness of whoever helps him makes him a target for every side involved in the conflict over kanchi.

The tension in his friendship with the future king of pallavas, Narasimhavarman brings out the differences between the characters. Narasimhavarman is literally the kid with golden spoon in his mouth who spends his time going after sivakami. Paranjothi is not portrayed as a ladies' man. Instead, he is the rock on whom Mahendravarman depends to ensure Narasimhavarman will lean on in his future conflicts. He is satisfied with the girl his mother has arranged for him back in his village. With the marriage question resolved, he is free to prioritize better compared to Narasimhavarman.

At the end of it all, Paranjothi comes out better than Narasimhavarman in most aspects. He leads pallava armies to glorious victories and when he gets tired of it all, takes sanyas. Narasimhavarman marries the pandian princess as a political consolidation measure and does not marry sivakami in the end. As hard as the restraining influence of Paranjothi was, Narasimhavarman's inability to get rid of the influence of sivakami causes the destruction of a whole dynasty and its capital city.