Tamil Cinema and the density of air

More Tamil cinema bashing. Last time I checked, the dynamic viscosity of air, helped along by the density of said gas was a thousand times smaller than that of water. So, unless there is a hurricane of Katrinaic dimensions swinging merrilly along its path in Kodambakkam everytime there's a showdown between our ubiquitous hero (we won't name names here) and the dregs of the criminal class, the fluid mechanician in me is offended by the quadrople, and higher order areal summersaults of a twenty stone man (the ubiquitous goonda, still no names) that result from a kick or punch from our man, who, is by way of containing less than half the mass of above goonda.

Yes, you guessed it. The topic of this blog is special effects in Tamil cinema. With the easy flow of talent and cash into special effects and graphics these days, Tamil cinema has cashed in in a big way. Gone are the days when the cameraman had to select special angles, and apply trick shots to show the valiant Vijakanth take on five men armed with sticks, knives and other such pleasant knicknacks. These days, Vijaykanth can take on fifty men armed with machine guns, napalm and acid bombs without breaking a sweat thanks to the judicious use of special effects.


The concept of using graphics to further the image of the god-like hero is something that has stuck on like a parasitic virus in Tamil cinema today. And it is clearly reflective of the movie-goer's tastes when you see one man take on a veritable battalion of thugs and despatch them to various parts of the city with a flick of his wrists, or some agile footwork. An intelligent call taxi proprietor might use stunt scenes out of modern Tamil movies as a simile to his speedy serive, as a brilliant marketing stratagem. Tweed-like teenagers who look like a leaf blown away in a gusty wind, and overburdened obese elderly gentlemen who give the impression of being more in their element while enjoying a relaxing mid-day siesta after a couple of full meals get miraculosuly transformed into mayhem wreacking juggernauts on the silver screen.

A little larger than life extravaganza here and there is definitely called for to make a movie what it is - a wholesome entertainer. But when young Simbu blows one villain three blocks away with a mere look, or Ultimate Star Ajith sideswipes another evil-doer into the afterlife, you being to wonder if its just you, or if it is the heat of Chennai that's got into your head and is conjuring up such virulent imagery. I guess even at a record 40 Rupees to the Dollar, the Indian Rupee is much devalued indeed everytime one spends 150 rupees to go and willfully subject himself or herself to this excess on the screen.

Tamil cinema and the alpha male

Well, this is my second blog. The first one was about religion, and one would have thought that a blog on such a dynamite topic would have got lot of responses. If you think that a "thank you Vamsi" from your friend whose original blog was the one yours replied to is somewhat tepid, you're spot on. So why should I sit down, and start warming the keyboard two fingers at a time again? I thought long and hard on that one, and came up with: why not?

I wanted to write a movie review for Simbu's excellent movie Vallavan, which I was watching the other day, and it struck me that since there are obviously tons of Simbu fans out there (Simbu and his dad being the most ardent of the lot), it would be only fair to post my thoughts on the movie, and its reflection of the Tamil film industry in general, on a forum that would allow them to share their opinions on the subject as well. The upshot of that thought is Tamil Cinema, on myspace, which you've done very well for yourself to get to, if you're reading this.

Vallavan was a great movie in that it reterated the long-held beliefs of ages past on such frivolous issues as women's franchaise, male chauvinism and equal rights for the sexes (I'm being sarcastic - this for the trigger happy folks who started forming dark thoughs about this medieval goon who thinks patronizingly of the fairer sex). The movie extolls all the virtues and goodness of male superiority over the female, and is very pertinent in this day and age where women, especially in India, have asserted themselves as equal to the male. Wait, did I just say that? Oh, yes. I forgot that I'm still being extremely cynical about the movie.

Vallavan shows us how it is not only easy, but is also the "done thing," as Wodehosue would have put it, not only to not be "preux chevalier," (still stealing blatantly from PGW) but to also be debonair about it when generally treating women like the scum of the earth. The movie, or rather its director, hero, etc. etc. all in all, Simbu, tells us that the correct behaviour with the opposite sex is a touch of high-handedness. Whether it is indiscriminate carnal behaviour on screen followed by insensitive practical jokery, or the use of physical force, it is all correct. Because Simbu is the alpha male. Or, is it his esteemed opinion, that all males of Tamil Nadu are alphas? It would be such a waste of the remaining 23 alphabets if that were the case.


Unfortunately, this male chauvinistc syndrome is not unique to Simbu's movies, but is endemic to almost all movies that hit the "velli thirai," these days. Correction, not these days, but seemigly ever since the early 30s to this day, this attidue that women are lesser has been a common thread in a majority of the movies that have graced Tamil cinema halls. Indeed, our modern day superstars (the heroes, obviously, for as it is the case on screen, off it too, that title and many like that bandied about these days is reserved only for the male of the species) have often used this theme in their movies to gain mileage.

While India has come out of the dark ages, and has embraced equality, atleast in its urban centers, Tamil cinema still seems to be stuck in the quagmire of yore, with our current stock of producers, directors, and actors (and ofcourse, the compliant actresses) seeming to have a warped sense of this reality. The sense they have being that its perfectly normal for equality of the sexes to not be there. Why is this industry straggling behind in its moral outlook? Why is it not reflecting the social changes that are occuring? Or is it? Is it really, to paraphrase a professor of Chemistry I once studied under, a transparency of the public psyche of Tamil Nadu?

This blog may have contained factual inaccuracies, but my idea was that Vallavan was a forgettable movie that portrays the culture of Tamil Nadu in poor light. It is but one in a long, said list of such endeavors. Debate is welcome, but no personal attacks please!