Aayirathil Oruvan – Sin Not to Watch it

(For SI blog readers Shadowfax_Arbit, Gandhiji, Racer, Pauldeleo et al)

Hey, which bi*ch was it that slammed Aayirathil Oruvan as a bad movie?

Shut up you bi*ch, otherwise weโ€™ll blow your f*cking brains off!

Yeah, right. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Indiana Jones, Redux

Folks, notwithstanding the bibulous babble of the ignorati or the drivel pouring forth from the schmucks, Aayirathil Oruvan is easily one of the most attractive Tamil movies to emerge from the Augean stables of Kollywood in the last couple of years.

Eschewing the familiar claptrap of asinine romances or sophomoric ‘action’ movies (usually featuring buffoons like Surya, Vijay, Vikram or Ajith), Aayirathil Oruvan trots down a different path.

The lavish harvest of a powerful imagination, Aayirathil Oruvan dares to venture into a terrain, a virgin adventure trail, where few Indian movies, be it Kollywood or its older sibling Bollywood, have explored with any credibility before.

Visually pleasing, featuring solid acting and fast-paced for the most part, Aayirathil Oruvan is a rara avis in Tamil films.

Folks, it’s Indiana Jones redux.

Albeit, a scaled down, Tamil version of a lush jungle where you come face to face with weird-looking cannibals, venomous snakes slithering around you and on you too, deceptive quicksand, hostile primitives and other dangerous elements lurking about on the road to discovering the relics of a lost empire’s refugees.

Drawing its inspiration from the ancient rivalry between the Chola and Pandya kings of Tamil lore but rooted firmly in the present times, the film gallops along at a pretty pace in the lush jungles of Vietnam. Really? ๐Ÿ˜‰

The only uneasy feeling we have is how could a jackass who wrote that garbage Yaaradi Nee Mohini also deliver Aayirathil Oruvan. Enlighten us, will ya.

Hollywood Standards? Certainly Not

Would we hail Aayirathil Oruvan as an outstanding movie by global standards?

Of course not.

Because by the gee whiz standards of Hollywood films, Aayirathil Oruvan falls short with its sudden songs (why), less stunning graphics and a story that tends to drag a bit in the second half.

Some folks have also made an issue of the Sangam Tamil in the second half but we didn’t think it was such a big deal because you can guess what’s happening from the flow of the movie.

But all its limitations aside,ย  Aayirathil Oruvan is most certainly a movie worth watching for daring to move out of the straitjacket of run of the mill (crappy) Tamil films, indistinguishable except for the degree of torture they inflict on viewers.

Real Talent Here

Karthi, who plays the leader of a gang of coolies assisting the archeologists, is without doubt an actor extraordinaire, way ahead of the Ulaga Madayans, Duper Stars, Ilaya Thalapathis and Ultimate Thalas.

It’s hard to believe Karthi comes from the same genetic pool as his older sibling Surya or his old man Sivakumar, tweedledum and tweedledee in the acting department.

Ably supported by Andrea Jeremiah and Reema Sen (both play archeologists here) and Parthiban (the Chola king), Karthi in Aayirathil Oruvan is a delight to behold on the screen.

Whether he’s dancing on the boat to an old MGR song playing in the background or in the forest as he offers his body heat to keep the shivering, feverish Andrea warm or later in the caves of the Cholas, Karthi brings an elan to actingย  so seldom seen in Indian films.

In the Indian movie world that’s chocablock with asses masquerading as actors, Karthi is that rare thoroughbred. The real deal, guys.

Thankfully, the girls Reema Sen and Andrea Jeremiah are not consigned to the eye-candy roles that Tamil film starlets are usually offered but have meaty roles here.

And to a large extent, the two girls do their jobs with gusto.

Buzz Exists

That Aayirathil Oruvan still enjoys some buzz was evident in the 20-odd people watching the 7:05PM show on Friday at MovieShitty theater on Oak Tree Road in Edison (NJ), six days after the movie’s release!

True, Aayirathil Oruvan is no Avatar or a Raiders of the Lost Ark but most definitely a film worth watching.

SearchIndia.com strongly recommends all you thieving SOBs see Aayirathil Oruvan in a theatre.

To not watch Aayirathil Oruvan would be a sin.

Related Stories:
Aayirathil Oruvan Box Office – Reema Sen Bigger than Vijay?

66 Responses to "Aayirathil Oruvan – Sin Not to Watch it"

  1. Jump a Lahiri   January 23, 2010 at 10:22 am

    I had a good feeling about this movie.. too bad that you didn’t review it on time.. it is gone from the theaters here.(don’t know if it was even released here).

    BTW, I have seen Karthi play violin on stage in our college – played it quite well.. Arya (Naan Kadavul) is also from our college – but he joined after I left.. all lead actors acting in human-flesh-eating Tamil movies seem to be from our esteemed institution.. I liked Arya’s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arinthum_Ariyamalum . Haven’t watched Naan Kadavul yet.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: Too bad that you didn’t review it on time..

    We didn’t watch/review it earlier for two reasons:

    1. The idiots canceled the shows initially.

    2. BTW, Tamil film producers are blithering idiots who are clueless when it comes to promoting films. The schmucks should learn to work with bloggers in marketing their movies.

    Is Atlanta too far from your place? Must be still playing there.

    • Jump a Lahiri   January 23, 2010 at 11:19 am

      7 hours away.. ๐Ÿ™

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      Yeah, too long a drive.

      Watching the videos in your previous comment…They’ve just planted the landmines….Will respond to it later.

  2. Aswin_Kini   January 23, 2010 at 10:25 am

    What!

    I can’t believe it.

    I was expecting a middle finger to AO, but good to see you appreciating this film.

    I haven’t seen this film, but from the reactions of my colleagues who have seen it, I hear that while 50% think it is a ‘unique’, the other 50% think it is crap, confusing, and a bad attempt to ape hollywood.

    Anyways, cheers to Selva, whether this movie is a hit or not, I am planning to watch it.

    Three cheers to you!

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: What! I can’t believe it. I was expecting a middle finger to AO, but good to see you appreciating this film.

    Dasavatharam, Sivaji, Aadhavan, Kanthaswamy et al are nothing compared to this (hopefully) original film.

    Editing could have been tighter in second half.

  3. racer44   January 23, 2010 at 11:00 am

    SI, you have made my day.

    Thank you, I love you (no I don’t actually, but you have vindicated my confidence in the film, so this is about as close to liking you as I will ever come).

    Seriously though, praise from you (for a tamil film) is, to me, the ultimate stamp of approval since you are so niggardly with it and this is the first tamil film ( I think) that you have gone beyond describing as merely “decent”.

    “Vasishtar vaayala brahmarishi pattam petraar” Heard of this saying? Selva is truly blessed.

    By the way, I recommend you watch pudhupettai. Selva direction. Simply mind-boggling movie. If you liked AO, you’ll love pudhupettai. A cult film, which, as is usual in tamil cinema, sunk without a trace at the box-office.

    And you’ll not be pleased to know that AO is turning out to be a colossal disaster at the cinemas as well, with the brainless tamil audience finding the film “boring” and “incomprehensible”.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    1. You Write: SI, you have made my day. Thank you, I love you

    Please send a money order for $10 (ticket price) ASAP.

    Just kidding. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    2. You write: And you’ll not be pleased to know that AO is turning out to be a colossal disaster

    We don’t give a flying f*ck whether the movie turns out to be a Himalayan disaster or an all-time blockbuster.

    If the film fails, the idiots deserve it for not marketing it well (a sine qua non these days), canceling the shows et al.

    Well, if the movie fares well at the box office it might inspire others to stray from the beaten track.

    3. We’ll watch Pudhupettai if Netflix has it.

    • racer44   January 23, 2010 at 10:00 pm

      “If the film fails, the idiots deserve it for not marketing it well (a sine qua non these days), canceling the shows et al.”

      No, you don’t get it. I’m talking about tamilnadu, where most of the spent money is recouped (or lost). Here the film was marketed beautifully, with a great trailer being aired, lots of promo shows that pongal weekend etc. Hell, even the audio was sold out a couple of weeks after the launch. And as expected, the film took a bumper opening due to the hype and curiosity.

      But soon after, audiences started to dwindle, despite over 15 minutes of the 2nd half being trimmed on the 2nd day itself. Now the near-universal conclusion of the wise people of tamilnadu is that AO just didn’t have the right stuff to make it work. To add insult to injury, these dimfu**s have now removed AO in most of the theatres and replaced it with, lo and behold, Vettaikaran!!!

      It is as if there is something in the tamil man’s psyche which is deeply uncomfortable with films like AO. But, as Selva said in a press conference, the same fools would watch the same story if a hollywood director had made it without understanding a word of the dialogues. Slave mentality still thrives in India. Macaulay would have been proud.

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      1. You write: I’m talking about tamilnadu, where most of the spent money is recouped (or lost)…..Now the near-universal conclusion of the wise people of tamilnadu is that AO just didn’t have the right stuff to make it work. To add insult to injury, these dimfu**s have now removed AO in most of the theatres and replaced it with, lo and behold, Vettaikaran!

      We’re not surprised because we’ve always believed that the brains of your dimfu**s in Tamil Nadu have long congealed because of imbibing the waters of that noxious Cooum in Chennai and its equivalent elsewhere.

      Seriously, people get the movies they deserve.

      Billa, Aadhavan, Kanthaswamy, Villu, Kuruvi, Dasavatharam, Kuselan et al are unendurable trash. And people claim that some of these movies fared well at the box office. Go figure.

      Sad but such is life.

      2. You write: But, as Selva said in a press conference, the same fools would watch the same story if a hollywood director had made it without understanding a word of the dialogues

      The above sentence suggests Hollywood movies resonate with the hoi polloi in the rural areas/smaller towns of Tamil Nadu in the English language (that is without dubbing in Tamil). We remain skeptical of that claim.

      3. You write: Slave mentality still thrives in India. Macaulay would have been proud.

      Offtopic: As someone who loves Macaulay’s trenchant style of writing, we take umbrage at the faintest reference to our favorite essayist in the negative.

      Macaulay’s essays on Clive, Hastings, Burleigh, Frederick, Pitt, Samuel Johnson et al make for delightful reading. If you lived close by, we’d have lent you our copy of Macaulay’s essays.

      BTW, great men (and likely women too) in history have been inspired by Macaulay’s writings.

      If memory serves us right, Winston Churchill used his Army posting at the cantonment in Bangalore fruitfully by reading Macaulay, Gibbon et al (books that his American mother Jennie used to send him by the bagful). That’s when the young officer was not whiling away his time playing polo.

      So the next time someone praises the felicity of Churchill’s prose, Indians can take credit for that too. ๐Ÿ˜‰ After all, it was on Indian soil that the seeds were first planted.

      • racer44   January 24, 2010 at 1:58 am

        nah. i was referring to him, that max mueller guy and others in the context of them brain-washing our people into believing that english culture was vastly superior to that of our own sanatana dharma (hindu for the lay-man) culture by mass-burning of sanskrit texts and insidiously planting the idea that the british (and in general, christians) were some kind of saviours with better morals, ethics etc while all the time looting our country and deepening inter-caste and inter-religious tensions. But…forget it, you probably subscribe to those ideas as well, so you’ll probably disagree with me.

        Btw, you might be interested to know that selva has announced that he’s going to do come up with a sequel to AO, with the story of what happens to the young chola prince. Not sure whether he will do it, though, now that the producers have burned their fingers.

        SearchIndia.com Responds:

        1. You write: you might be interested to know that selva has announced that he’s going to do come up with a sequel to AO,

        Doubt it’ll see the light of the day if this one bombs at the box office.

        2. You write: ….brain-washing our people into believing that english culture was vastly superior to that of our own sanatana dharma (hindu for the lay-man) culture by mass-burning of sanskrit texts and insidiously planting the idea that the british (and in general, christians)

        As we’ve said ad nauseum, ad infinitum on these pages, all religion is for the dolts who need a crutch to lead their everyday lives and an excuse to attack other humans.

        Whether it’s the cow-ca-cola drinking Hindus, the Christian followers of the ‘Virgin’ Mary’s son or the whacko Muslims who believe the stupid tale of the virgins waiting in heaven for their Jihadi acts, religion has wrought nothing but misery.

        3. You write: the british (and in general, christians)….deepening inter-caste and inter-religious tensions

        Why blame the British when your own folk were eager to jump in bed with them to keep their local rivals at bay.

  4. Twig   January 23, 2010 at 12:10 pm

    It’s nice that you’ve found Karti. He was brilliant in Paruthiveeran too.

    A Chennai guy, who must have studied in high class english schools to deliver a performance like in Paruthiveeran was really awesome.

    So, I’m going for this movie.

    I don’t understand why are Tamil directors so fascinated about cannibals these days. ๐Ÿ™

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: So, I’m going for this movie.

    We hope you enjoy it.

    Not sure if Karthi is a natural, gifted actor who just has the acting thing in him or he works incredibly hard.

    We have yet to see Paruthiveeran.

  5. trishna147   January 23, 2010 at 12:15 pm

    Watched Aayirathil Oruvan last weekend, but i waited for your review on it before posting my thoughts on the movie.

    It’s such a shame that many reviewers said that the movie was not up to our expectations – i personally loved the first half (the 2nd half dragged a tiny bit), but i overall really liked the movie for its originality and the acting by the lead characters. im still surprised that Behindwoods rated this movie 0.5stars (lower than ultimate kuppa Vettaikaran, Kanthaswamy, Aegan, etc), maybe they had some of the camel meat as well and became crazy.lol.

    though i had to mention, the Sangam Tamil for Reema Sen didn’t go well, the lip-sync was pretty bad, you’ve got to admit that, but having said that, Reema Sen can act, such a relief, since nowadays, none of the leading actresses can act (except Sneha,Genelia and Tamanna – have you seen the movie ‘Kalloori’ with Tamanna?)

    Karthi – he was the main reason why i watched the movie. He was so funny in the first half, his comedy timing can put Vijay to shame. Its hard to believe that he is only 2 films old, but he can act better than all these other monkeys put together. im looking forward to his next movie Paiyya, with Tamanna, directed by the director of Run (Lingusamy).however, this guy also directed pathetic movies like BHEEMA and Deepavali (Jeyam Ravi, Bhavana) ๐Ÿ™

    You say that Sivakumar and Surya cant act. Have you not seen Sindhu Bhairavi and Marupakkam? Have you not seen Nandha, Pithamagan, Perazhagan? Oh yh, Kaakha Kaakha and Ghajini? dude, wake up, we’ve seen worse actors in Indian film industry.

    anyways moving on, Selva films are generally good, i really liked his kadhal konden and pudhupettai (Selva is probably the only actor that can make Dhanush act)..you must watch them.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    1. You write: You say that Sivakumar….cant act.

    Watch this YouTube video from Vellikizhamai Viratham and then dare tell us that Sivakumar is not a tail-less baboon that escaped from the Vandalur Zoo. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    2. We haven’t watched Vettaikaran but Aayirathil Oruvan is light years ahead of Kanthaswamy, Aegan, Aadhavan, Villu et al.

    3. The lip-synchronization issue, even if it existed, is a minor flaw that does not detract from the merits of Aayirathil Oruvan given all the other pluses in the film.

    4. No, we haven’t seen Kalloori. Let’s see if we can get the DVD from Netflix.

    5. You write: Karthi – he was the main reason why i watched the movie. He was so funny in the first half, his comedy timing can put Vijay to shame. Its hard to believe that he is only 2 films old,

    Very true, Karthi puts all his peers to shame. Not just in the comedy parts but in the overall acting domain itself.

    If Karthi has any sense, he’ll set his sights beyond Kollywood.

    6. You write: im still surprised that Behindwoods rated this movie 0.5stars (lower than ultimate kuppa Vettaikaran, Kanthaswamy, Aegan, etc), maybe they had some of the camel meat as well and became crazy.

    Funny.

    • trishna147   January 26, 2010 at 8:38 am

      HAHAHAHA, damn that video was just too funny…didnt know whether i was laughing at the dancing or the actual song.

      anyways, i checked on Netflix, and it has the film Perazhagan (but they’ve got it under the name peraLagan). and they have the telugu dubbed version of Pithamagan (Sivaputrudu) instead of the original one. No point watching it if its not in tamil. Aayutha Ezhuthu is on netflix too. And Ameer’s films are good, but Netflix only has his ‘Raam’ (Jeeva acted really well in that movie – you’ve got to watch this too). Unfortunately it doesnt have ‘Mounam Pesiyathe’ and ‘Paruthiveeran’ ๐Ÿ™ . personally i like the simplicity of these movies. They are nice movies to watch; having said that, only Mounam Pesiyathe was suitable to watch with your family.

      Have you seen Parthiban kanavu (Sneha, Srikanth)? im not insisting you to watch this one, because i dont know whether you like these kinds of movies. But Sneha acted well.

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      1. You write: HAHAHAHA, damn that video was just too funny…didnt know whether i was laughing at the dancing or the actual song.

      Comedy runs in Sivakumar’s family. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Look at the examples – Sivakumar, Surya and that thing ๐Ÿ™ Jyothika.

      2. Netflix says we returned the movie Parthiban Kanavu in September 2007. But we just can’t remember the story (not that Tamil movies bother with trivialities like a story). Will rent it again.

      3. Peralagan has that horrid ‘actress’ Jyothika. As we’ve said on several occasions, we’ll be eternally grateful to Surya for getting that woman off the screen. ๐Ÿ™

    • chennaiarun2007   March 17, 2010 at 4:55 am

      off topic:

      Watched a hollywood-chinese film (I do not what to say) “BulletProof Monk” on TV recently.Happy to know that I did not watch it at the theatre.The story was a perfect piece of shit.Has nothing in it.The film has no logic in it.And why did the director try to make a film in the same style as “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” and “Kung Fu Panda”?

      I want to know your opinion on it.I do not know whether it was good enough or whether I expected too much out of this film?

      I want you see the film”Laws of Attraction” and tell me how find Pierce Brosnan’s acting?I watched the film recently and found it to very good compared to our Tamil love stories where there is a illogical duet songs and fight scenes!!

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      We’ll watch Laws of Attraction this week.

      Mucho like both Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore.

      Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is a fine film and deserved the Oscar but we haven’t seen BulletProof Monk. Maybe, we’ll see that one as well but Laws of Attraction for sure.

  6. guruji   January 23, 2010 at 3:25 pm

    On a side note, one of your hot favorites, Priyanka Chopra has won the National Award for Best Actress. Cheers on that ๐Ÿ˜‰

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    We regret to inform you that SI is in mourning upon the receipt of some disturbing depressing ‘award’ news from India this morning and hence cannot respond to your comment. ๐Ÿ™

  7. guruprasad.s   January 23, 2010 at 3:43 pm

    About 2.5 years back, I watched Paruthiveeran, and was blown away by the performances of Karthi and Priyamani, the lead artistes. While the lady went on to win National Award for her performance and then gradually settled down to the thrust-and-grind routine of southern movies, the guy Karthi has been rather selective in choosing his scripts. You must watch Paruthiveeran, which I felt was also a well directed movie.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    1. You write: About 2.5 years back, I watched Paruthiveeran, and was blown away by the performances of …. Priyamani, the lead artistes

    After recently watching the Telugu film Pravarakyudu, we felt the girl should have been named Pee-a-Many considering she copiously peed all over this movie. ๐Ÿ™

    We’ll watch Paruthiveeran one of these days. Heard so much about it.

    2. Offtopic: We’ll never forgive you for Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.

    Total garbage. Review coming soon.

  8. guruprasad.s   January 23, 2010 at 7:05 pm

    Boss, cant believe that you didnt like JJWS !!
    Was it too mushy for your taste or something like that ?
    Nevertheless, we are all entitled to our opinions.

    But do watch Golmaal (1979), the whole world loves it, not just me ๐Ÿ˜‰

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: Was it too mushy for your taste …..?

    No, just too ‘garbagey’ for our taste.

    Some ‘Model School” and some ‘Students’ we have. Ha ha ha.

    Aamir Khan used to act in idiotic films (figuratively) then…he does ‘idiotic’ films (figuratively and literally) now.

  9. kd36939   January 23, 2010 at 7:43 pm

    iam not a great fan of karthi or reema or andrea… but i kinda liked selva ragavan during the AO audio launch function. his speech was sensible n surprisingly humble. songs were also pretty decent…

    i wanna watch this movie but in arkansas even some hollywood movies release a week late. tamil movie is impossible n the nearest big city is 5 hrs away ๐Ÿ™ watching online is my only option ๐Ÿ™

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    1. You write: i wanna watch this movie but in arkansas even some hollywood movies release a week late.

    Ever since we learned that White trash like Bill Clinton hailed from Arkansas (he had dumb interns suck his d*ck in the White House while he was on the phone with Senators/Congressmen or used interns’ p*ssies to add flavor to his cigars), we’ve stayed away from that place.

    Drove thru Litle Rock once …the place looked like it was visited by Armageddon, Twice. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    2. Aayirathil Oruvan is not meant for the small screen of a laptop (in our not-so-humble-opinion, no movie is) but demands a big screen.

  10. rakeshbaba   January 23, 2010 at 8:50 pm

    you liked karthik in this movie but his brother surya is also a good actor but nowadays his movies are not good like previous movies like nandha,pithamagan.

    You praised surya more than aamir khan in ghajini even you didn’t liked the movie,but nowadays surya is also making movies only to develop his hero image,please try to get the review of pithamagan in which both vikram and surya were great

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Unfortunately, Netflix doesn’t carry Pithamagan.

    Compared to Karthi, Surya is a Podi Payan (kid) in the acting department.

  11. Jump a Lahiri   January 23, 2010 at 10:27 pm

    pauldeleo’s name is conspicuously missing from the “For” list.. Do you think/know that he is Selvaraghavan’s PR guy? he seemed the most vocal of AO supporters.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Hard to say. Could just be a besotted fan.

    After all, Tamil Nadu has more than its fair share of ‘committed’ fans. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    If people can give their lives, tongues and fingers for jokers like MGR, Rajinikanth, Jayalalitha…..

    • pauldeleo   January 26, 2010 at 5:25 am

      @ Jump a Lahiri: ho ho ho…hold on..i am not lost..but was away on vacations… you know what? i watched it for the third time when i was on vacation… i am not a PRO or that jobless Indian who does hero worship…..scroll down and check my reply (if SI approves it)

      @SI: i take the word ‘committed’ but not in the way you said it. i am committed to originality creativity and anything that brings a change.. (sounds like a punch dialogue- huh?)

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      Fair enough.

      BTW, what is ‘original creativity? ๐Ÿ˜‰

  12. shadowfax_arbit   January 23, 2010 at 11:07 pm

    Glad you liked the movie ๐Ÿ™‚

    Agree, Karthi is very talented… I particularly liked the fight scene, body heat night and Un Mela Aasathan song was a delight to watch on screen…. Andrea was cute and Reema was hot. What a perfect cast!

    You’ve yet again proved you are a completely non-biased reviewer… Way to go!!

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Un Mela Aasadhan is a fine song. We might buy the track if Apple iTunes has it.

    • shadowfax_arbit   January 23, 2010 at 11:08 pm

      Fight scene I meant the one among the trio – “blow your fuc*ing brains off” one ๐Ÿ˜‰

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      Thanks for clarifying.

      We were wondering which one until we saw this comment.

    • Jump a Lahiri   January 24, 2010 at 12:09 am

      hmm.. body heat night??

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      First it was Andrea …then Reema Sen, attaching themselves to Karthi. And simultaneously.

      The voyeur in us liked the way Reema wrapped her lissome legs around Karthi’s crotch.

      Who says being a movie star doesn’t come with its ‘unique’ advantages. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      • elnino.aurora   January 24, 2010 at 6:19 pm

        @SI – Un mela aasadhaan in A.O. is a lift of Yuvan’s Adada Va Asathalam sung by Isaignani Ilayaraja in the movie Sarvam.

        BTW, check out the songs of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya by A.R.Rahman.

        Recommended tracks – Hosanna, Omana Penne, Aaoromale. The rest I am yet to hear properly, but Hosanna might just turn out to be the NY Nagaram types. Amazing composition.

        SearchIndia.com Responds:

        The tune sounds somewhat similar but the picturization of Adada Va Asathalam is no patch, just no patch on Un Mela Aasadhaan.

        Some of the extras in Adada Va Asathalam look tabulicious! ๐Ÿ˜‰

        Just listened to Hosanna, Omana Penne and Aaoromale on YouTube. Sound like a cut about the usual…will listen to them a few more times.

        BTW, Omana Penne sounds like Komana Penne… ๐Ÿ˜‰

        • Jump a Lahiri   January 24, 2010 at 8:41 pm

          the background..

          The film was launched in 2007 with Selvaraghavan’s regular music director, Yuvan Shankar Raja, following five successive successful albums together. However, Yuvan Shankar Raja was ousted form the project in March 2008 due to differences of opinion. Subsequently, young music director G. V. Prakash Kumar was signed on for his biggest project to date and work for the soundtrack began again from scratch.[38] Controversially, a song composed for the project by Yuvan Shankar Raja was re-used in Vishnuvardhan’s Sarvam, whilst a song with a similar tune released later in the album of Aayirathil Oruvan.

          SearchIndia.com Responds:

          So it gets murky.

          elnino.aurora’s point on plagiarization may not hold water if the above excerpt is accurate.

          In any case, the Sarvam picturization of the song was a piece of shit compared to Aayirathil Oruvan.

  13. racer44   January 25, 2010 at 8:30 am

    Hey SI,two films: Goa(the venkat prabhu gang’s next movie) and tamil padam (no, we are not referring to any tamil padam but the “tamilpadam” as in name-of-the-movie) are releasing on jan 29 here. The latter has generated a lot of curiosity as it is being touted as the first full-length spoof in tamil cinema history. Trailers showed scenes poking fun at several popular tamil movies of the past.

    Is either of these two releasing out there? And don’t dismiss Venkat Prabhu as a mere “thieving swine”. His first offering, Chennai-28 was original and good, while “Saroja”, stolen or not, was still quite fast-paced by Indian standards. So when can we expect your unique reviews on these two eagerly awaited films?

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    1. You write above: don’t dismiss Venkat Prabhu as a mere “thieving swine”…..while “Saroja”, stolen or not

    Stolen or not?

    Did no one enlighten you that Ignorance is Not Bliss.

    Here read this post: Saroja โ€“ Outright Theft of Judgment Night and do not ever equivocate on whether Saroja is stolen. Venkat Prabhu is a shameless Thirutu Nai (thieving swine).

    Any other place, he’d have been prosecuted for theft but in Incredible India the rascal is hailed by folks like you as a maker of ‘fast-paced by Indian standards’ films. ๐Ÿ™

    2. You write: Is either of these two releasing out there?

    No word yet on whether Tamil Padam and Goa are releasing here.

    Unlike the Bollywood film-makers (who run a well-oiled machine), Tamil film producers/distributors still don’t run a smooth operation when it comes to releasing films in the U.S. Prints don’t arrive, shows are abruptly canceled, the movies are released usually in Anil Ambani’s crappy theatres (Bollywood films release in mainstream theatres like Regal, AMC et al)….

    We’d love to See Tamil Padam..heard about the spoof.

  14. racer44   January 25, 2010 at 9:49 am

    For good measure, let me also give a link to one trailer each of goa and tamilpadam.
    GOA trailer
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj3Up4YcOuM

    TAMILPADAM trailer:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCiuMFXS0og
    Tamilpadam’s is too good. In fact, you too would be keen to watch the movie if you had watched the lead actor shiva’s first film, Chennai-28. The guy’s comic timing is unbelievable.
    Hope you review both of them.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Watched both video trailers (above links).

    Will definitely watch and review Tamil Padam if it releases here. But we remain skeptical that it’ll make it to our shores.

  15. Twig   January 25, 2010 at 12:25 pm

    offtopic: Just wanted to share news.

    Finally, Ilaiyaraja has got some some award from GOI. It’s very late and an award is too little for this musical genius. ah!

    what f? Ilaiyaraja is above all these awards. Oh! come on, comedian vivek , akshay kumar and sailf ali khan got those padma sri awards before Ilaiyaraaja. Universe can’t get worse than that.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: Ilaiyaraja is above all these awards.

    True.

    Sad that Ilayaraja is completely overshadowed by his younger peers these days.

    The man has produced a lot of good work and provided joy to millions over several decades.

  16. SRINIVAS   January 25, 2010 at 1:18 pm

    your fav actor ” ASAL ” Ajith has a movie releasing on 12th Feb …..trailers are already out ..as usual he looks good

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: as usual he looks good

    Did you by chance mistake Brad Pitt’s pictures for Ajith? ๐Ÿ˜‰

    • trishna147   January 26, 2010 at 8:22 am

      Asal trailer just reminds me of Billa…i think it might be something like Billa part 2, except with worse music, but better heroines. Sameera and Bhavana are far better than Nayanthara and Periya Yaanai Namitha…

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      It’s hard to believe that a guy (Ajith) who can’t even walk without looking silly (Billa) is a big star. Only in Tamil Nadu, folks. ๐Ÿ™

  17. pauldeleo   January 26, 2010 at 5:07 am

    at last..you liked a tamil movie. i am happy that i had been one of the catalysts in driving you to the theatres… i have even written an article to behindwoods.com :
    http://www.behindwoods.com/features/visitors-1/aayirathil-oruvan-avatar-22-01-10.html

    i feel sorry for all who wrote bad about this movie.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Read your piece in BW.

    When the DVD of Aayirathil Oruvan comes out, we’ll most certainly buy it.

  18. studio4movies   January 26, 2010 at 10:13 am

    [deleted]

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    The movie hall you recommended is the shittiest theatre in the universe. Disgustingly bad. Worse than MovieShitty in NJ.

    Wonder why Tamil movie distributors can’t screen their films in better theatres in Multiplex Cinemas, Regal or AMC.

    Plus, it’s releasing on Friday night….not Thursday night (as you said).

    In any case, who gives a f*ck for Thirutu Nais (thieving swines)?

  19. 1012900   January 26, 2010 at 10:42 pm

    SI, Im delighted.

    I was sure you’d like this movie. I watched it yesterday night.

    Karthi Sivakumar was BRILLIANT. His facial expressions were a sight to behold. I loved his dialog delivery.

    The graphics was not realistic enough in some places. But the scene in which they had to run along the shadow of Nataraja to avoid falling into the quicksand(or wteva it was) was BRILLIANTLY EXECUTED.

    The only problem I had was that I found it real hard to understand the story completely. This film has to be watched intently from the beginning or else you’d be left wondering what the hell is happening on the screen ๐Ÿ™ , though i was able to make out what was happening.

    Also the second half dragged a bit.

    Coming to the action, the war scenes were wonderful. The formations, the pause, everything was done with precision.

    Loved the three songs , Adho andha paravai(remix of that old MGR song), Oh eesa and Un mela aasa dhaan but i felt they were suddenly introduced in the movie.

    I’m gonna watch it again ๐Ÿ™‚ .

    Looks like this is indeed Selva’s magnum opus afterall.

    BTW, didn’t i tell u that Selva’s movies always create a huge expectation among the audience because of the unusual storyline and bold scenes?

    IMO, this was THE BEST of all his movies.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: I’m gonna watch it again ๐Ÿ™‚

    We wouldn’t mind watching it again too but then we have other fish to fry. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  20. 1012900   January 26, 2010 at 10:54 pm

    Watch Paruthiveeran.

    Karthi has delivered a wonderful performance.

    It’s really hard to believe that AO s just his second film. He’s got real talent ๐Ÿ™‚

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write above: It’s really hard to believe that AO s just his second film. He’s got real talent

    True.

    As we said the other day, Karthi should set his sights higher than Kollywood and leave the Tamil film business to clowns like Surya, Ajith, Vijay, Simbhu, Vombhu, Kombhu et al.

    • trishna147   January 27, 2010 at 6:50 am

      Well, Karthi doesn’t seem to be thinking like you, it seems:
      http://tamil.galatta.com/entertainment/livewire/id/I_am_no_competition_for_Suriya_Karthi_34413.html
      and
      http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/jan-10-03/suriya-karthi-aayirathil-oruvan-21-01-10.html

      btw, have you seen Asal trailer? what do you think of it?
      i saw the ‘Tamil Padam’ trailer the other day, it seems like a really funny film, there was a part where the HERO walks down with a tattoo on his back which looks like the ‘tattoo’ nayanthara had on her back in Billa (you know, that swimming pool scene). too funny.

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      1. Excerpt from your first link:

      [Surya] keeps raising the standards of acting with each of his movies.

      Ha ha ha. Whatever hash Karthi is smoking, we’d like to inhale some of the same. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      2. Yes, watched the Asal trailer.

      Nothing extraordinary. Let’s wait for the movie.

      God, how we wish Shalini would teach Ajith the rudiments of acting. ๐Ÿ™

  21. trishna147   January 27, 2010 at 6:42 am

    i read this a few days ago:
    http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/jan-10-03/selvaraghavan-aayirathil-oruvan-19-01-10.html

    i think its just stupid that people are discouraging these directors like Selva, while they are encouraging idiots like Perarasu (Thirupathy, Pazhani – both are equiavalent to trash btw), Dharani (kuruvi), BabuSivan (Vettaikaran), Raju Sundaram (Aegan) [[R. Sundaram should just stick to what he does best, ie: choreography, which he does extremely well]], Saran (Gemini, Modhi Vilayadu), etc.

    now, we cant afford to lose a director like Selvaraghavan to these monkeys.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Read the piece in your link.

    If Selvaraghavan has anything to apologize for, it should be for writing that garbage Yaaradi Nee Mohini.

    Some of the movies in your list (Kuruvi and Aegan) are beyond trash.

  22. racer44   January 27, 2010 at 7:31 am

    “Karthi should set his sights higher than Kollywood and leave the Tamil film business to clowns like Surya, Ajith, Vijay, Simbhu, Vombhu, Kombhu et al.”

    You missed sombu. And that’s probably his most famous name too. You could also try other variations like surya-urea, vijay-pichai, ajith-ada chee and simbhu-pumpu.

    Writing(or rather, typing) reviews(especially for the “garbage-kuppa-trash” that these “clowns” dish out regularly) must be a grind. Hope this will serve to break the monotony.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: You could also try other variations like surya-urea, vijay-pichai, ajith-ada chee and simbhu-pumpu.

    Funny. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Ajith is probably the worst. The fella can’t even walk straight without making an ass of himself. How difficult can that be. ๐Ÿ™

  23. SRINIVAS   January 27, 2010 at 1:35 pm

    Goa and Tamilpadam are releasing tomm ….next week its Asal and then Theeratha Vilayatu Pillai releases on 12th Feb …extended pongal this time around ….i am quite positive about the first two ……the next two should be a decent fare

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Just checked…unfortunately, Tamil Padam doesn’t seem to be releasing here. ๐Ÿ™

  24. fugitive143   January 27, 2010 at 11:09 pm

    hi…is this movie being showed in movie city edison ? last I checked it wasnt released anywhere nearby…lemme know…and do you know where I can check movie city showtimes for weekend?
    sad that tamil movies are not available in regal (us 1) where I frequent for hindi movies.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    1. Yes, still playing at MovieShitty.

    2. You write: do you know where I can check movie city showtimes for weekend?

    Try MovieTickets.com

    Friday (Jan 29) Showtimes:
    http://www.movietickets.com/house_detail.asp?house_id=10091&rdate=1%2F29%2F2010

    • fugitive143   January 27, 2010 at 11:50 pm

      Thanks! will check…just read the joke of the year on TOI that Saif Ali Khan received a Padma Sri award!!

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      Well, if Ash can get it why not Saif. After all, Saif is any day better than her.

      BTW, you asked us for some recommendations for Indian restaurants in Edison, North Brunswick areas a few days back. We’ll have a few restaurant reviews coming up tomorrow and the day after.

      • fugitive143   January 28, 2010 at 12:00 am

        That will be gr8..as of now Swagath’s the only good south indian restaurant after Tanjore closed down!

        SearchIndia.com Responds:

        The first new NJ restaurant review will come tomorrow and a few more in the coming days.

      • fugitive143   January 28, 2010 at 12:22 am

        Ur right about Ash…but still that doesnt make Saif worthy! Btw how come we didnt get to hear your pearls of wisdom on Phir mile Sur (the remake of the old mile sur mera tumhara)?? Enlighten us ๐Ÿ™‚

        SearchIndia.com Responds:

        1. Unlike Ash, Saif has done a good job at least in some movies like Parineeta

        2. On Phir Mile Sur, we felt nostalgic. But at the end of the day it’s just feel good nonsense.

  25. Vivek   January 27, 2010 at 11:30 pm

    THUMBS UP FOR YOUR REVIEW……… I EXPECTED IT……

    WHO SAID THE MOVIE IS NOT DOING WELL IN TAMILNADU?

    WHEN I WENT TO C IT FOR THE 4th TIME i.e on 25.01.10 ,THE THEATRE (IN SALEM) WAS 95% FULL…….. ONLY DISAPPOINTMENT WAS, THE SONG B/W PARTHIBAN AND REEMA WAS CHOPPED COMPLETELY………

    HOW DO YOU FIND THE PERFORMANCE OF PARTHIBAN? FOR ME IT WAS FANTASTIC….

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: HOW DO YOU FIND THE PERFORMANCE OF PARTHIBAN?

    This is a movie where all involved seemed to have put forth their best.

  26. vjcool   January 28, 2010 at 12:10 am

    Have you seen ‘Kudaikul Mazhai’? conceived, crafted, acted and produced by Parthiban. an overall good performance

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    No…just read about it on Wiki.

  27. vjcool   January 28, 2010 at 1:24 am

    http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2004/09/10/stories/2004091002210300.htm
    this gives a better picture.. and as it said the climax is the highlight of the movie and felt the movie was much better than many.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Read the review in your above link.

    Hard to get hold of the DVD here.

    • Jump a Lahiri   January 28, 2010 at 11:12 am

      me liked the spunky Madhumita in this movie.. unfortunately haven’t seen her after that.

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      Looks yummy. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  28. vjcool   January 28, 2010 at 2:21 am

    This movie I’ve not seen.. but it is said to be the most moving anime ever and as the movie one should watch atleast once , because its said that many may not have the courage for a second viewing.. I got the trailer and netflix link. I couldnt get it here but have requested moserbaer (think customer requests do matter).. Netflix says

    ‘ this film proves that not all anime tales are pixie-dust fantasies or brutal sci-fi standoffs. ‘

    with you liking ‘The Road’, ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ may strike a chord.

    BTW I find my last comment moderated at 1:24 am, do you get any sleep

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    1. We’ll watch Grave of the Fireflies next week. Like its theme.

    2. You write: BTW I find my last comment moderated at 1:24 am, do you get any sleep

    Depends on when we start on our Gilbey’s Gin. We started late last night. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  29. vjcool   January 28, 2010 at 2:22 am

    forgot the trailer link

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSPwdBIbx_U

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Have a strong feeling we’ll like Grave of the Fireflies.

  30. RAGA   January 28, 2010 at 6:59 am

    http://sify.com/movies/tamil/fullstory.php?id=14929169&cid=13525926

    aayirathil oruvan is a hit at the chennai box office.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Welcome news.

  31. TrulySiva   January 28, 2010 at 2:06 pm

    SI, How was parthiban’s acting – I like him for simple reason that he is so original.

    Hey do you folks know if movie is running on Oak Tree Road this weekend? Not able to reach Shankar – who is (I suppose) the distributor??

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    1. Parthiban was good in the movie. As we said earlier, Aayirathil Oruvan was truly a team effort.

    2. You write: Hey do you folks know if movie is running on Oak Tree Road this weekend?

    Check on MovieTickets.com – http://www.movietickets.com/house_detail.asp?house_id=10091&rdate=1%2F29%2F2010

    or visit http://us.bigcinemas.com/theater_index.asp?cid=1003

    • Jump a Lahiri   January 28, 2010 at 3:01 pm

      Still alive for the 3rd weekend.. isn’t that unusual for a (non-Rajini/Kamal Tamil movie? Looks like it is indeed a hit.

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      Aayirathil Oruvan does seem to have legs in the U.S, going by the shows and reader interest.

      Whether it’s a hit is hard to say.

      As someone (likely Racer) said the other day the fate of a Tamil movie is ultimately decided in Tamil Nadu. Other territories lend a helping hand.

  32. boopalanj   January 29, 2010 at 3:03 pm

    “Saroja” was fast-paced? I did not feel so. For me, it was predictable & boring. I was longing to come out of the show.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Gosh, we’ve almost forgotten Thirutu Nai’s Saroja. Except that it was stolen.

  33. fugitive143   January 29, 2010 at 6:41 pm

    looks like ‘tamil padam’ is not showing in any of the theaters in nj…

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Unfortunately not.

  34. 1012900   February 2, 2010 at 8:42 am

    Tamil padam s receiving positive reviews.

    People who watched it say that its a wonderful spoof movie.

    The first half is so damn hilarious it seems.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: People who watched it say that its a wonderful spoof movie.

    Let’s see what Acer44 has to say about the movie tomorrow.

  35. 1012900   February 2, 2010 at 8:49 am

    Saw AO for the second time on Saturday.

    I liked it even more.

    In fact, i felt it was the best tamil movie i’ve ever seen.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    We’ll buy the DVD when it comes out.

  36. fugitive143   February 4, 2010 at 11:08 pm

    I finally watched Aayirathil Oruvan yesterday.

    It was like watching a matka-phod competition. You think the teamwork is excellent and you are engrossed in their formation but then at some point you realize why they are still going on with the formation while they are way past the matka. After minutes of this weirdness you watch them fall to the ground without achieving their goal.

    The efforts are great but the result isn’t. Credit goes for breaking the stereotype and trying something new and for the decent acting. But at the end of all this, the movie still didn’t work for me.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: Credit goes for breaking the stereotype and trying something new and for the decent acting.

    Very true, particularly your point on breaking the stereotype.

  37. rama   February 9, 2010 at 6:32 am

    Hi SI…I always like to read your reviews…I am presenting my views on AO and I would like to have your feedback on some of the aspects..

    First of all a big thundering round of applause to each and every member of the entire AO unit for producing a complete movie…Its not a kind of an Indian movie that you can see to come for some more time…

    This was really one off the kind movie and I really bow my head to Selva’s brave attempt and in no time I realized that his 3yrs of indulgence to make this movie is no child’s play…

    The entire plot has been crafted very well by Selva and I think Reema Sen and Parthiban had stolen the maximum part of the show.KArthi as you have mentioned in your review is far far better than all the Tharudalai’s, ilaiya dhandapathi and simbu-sombu’s….

    Well when you say that Graphics is not upto the mark..I beg to differ from your point of view…for the indian standards..its superb..but not as per hollywood mark…but we are actually not comparing it with any hollywood classics..

    The songs are good..esp Unmela aasaithan has created a maniac inside me…GV Prakash for his age has really come of age..

    The second half of the movie…which many people claim its dragging…but i really dont think it is because that is the part in which the actual story unfolds…I have watched it 4 times in the theatre..but only when i watched the dvd day before yesterday I was shocked to see many scenes in it which were not a part of the movie that I saw in the movie hall…

    Overall…I feel that it’s a stupendous effort by Selva to bring this film out in this manner….but I really really feel that this film is incomplete and it really deserves an AO part2..the story ends like Karthi carries the chola prince in his hand after getting all the powers of the sitthar(grey haird thaatha) and it says cholanan payanam thodaram…if you would have watched the movie carefully..the drawings in the cave shows that a messenger takes the chola village people along with the king to their chola land and the king gets crowned at his native…but this has not happened…
    I am really praying that Selva doesn’t get bogged down by the critics and stupid tamilnadu people’s comments (sorry..not the entire tamil people..just the group that likes the crap rotten-masala flicks of vijay,ajith,somby,danush etc) on this movie and to pls go ahead and make the second part in which karthi should finally make sure that the chola prince reaches their native land and gets crowned…Do you have any idea about selva telling that he will make the part2 of AO..
    I am waiting for your feedback on my comments!!…thanks

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    1. We didn’t realize the Ayarithil Oruvan DVD had come out already. Is that the genuine thing or a thiruttu (pirated) DVD?

    2. You write: Well when you say that Graphics is not upto the mark..I beg to differ from your point of view…for the indian standards..its superb..but not as per hollywood mark…but we are actually not comparing it with any hollywood classics..

    You seem to think that Tamil film-goers live Robinson Crusoe like on a deserted island.

    Remember, the same folks who see Ayarithil Oruvan also overdose on visually stunning Hollywood films like Avatar, Pan’s Labyrinth, Indiana Jones, Inglorious Basterds (this one is really not visually stunning but we like to mention it wherever we can) et al.

    For sure, Ayarithil Oruvan will never be compared to inferior Kollywood junk like Kanthaswamy or Vallavan but only to its Hollywood betters. That’s the way things work and the way they ought to work.

    3. You write: Do you have any idea about selva telling that he will make the part2 of AO.

    We have no idea whether Selva, Kelava or Thodava ๐Ÿ˜‰ intends a sequel.

    It’d be nice to see a sequel.

    The concept of a sequel, however, has yet to take roots in Indian filmdom. Maybe, it’s for the good.

    Imagine a sequel for Ajith’s Aegan, Surya’s Aadhavan, Vijay’s Kuruvi or Vikram’s Kanthaswamy. The very thought induces horripilation!

    • trishna147   March 16, 2010 at 5:12 pm

      Selva said in an interview that if he was to make a sequel to AO, he would cast Dhanush in it.
      http://sify.com/movies/Selvaraghavan-arrives-for-a-chat-imagegallery-kollywood-kczuw2gcfff.html
      Now dont be shocked, Dhanush is a very good actor when he is under the direction of his brother. See Kadhal Konden and Pudhupettai, and you’ll understand what i mean.

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      1. If at all an AO sequel were to happen, it’d be at least four or five years and by which time SI would have been six-feet under for several years.

      2. We’ve seen Dhanush in Yaradi Nee Mohini. Sick shit.

      As SI wrote in the review of this pathetic piece of shit:

      Dhanush doesnโ€™t do a good job either in Yaaradi Nee Shani although heโ€™s not as bad as Nayantara. Itโ€™s downright ridiculous to see this skinny, pencil-thin fellow bashing up a group of thugs, each of whom is at least twice his size.

      In two crucial scenes in Yaaradi Nee Shani – first, during the confrontation with Nayantara at an Australian beach and later, in the village on the eve of her marriage โ€“ Dhanush fails to deliver the acting goods. He looks tired and just goes through the motions of acting.

  38. 1012900   February 16, 2010 at 7:22 am

    I read in the papers that Selva nodded his head when asked if he was going to make a sequel.

    It seems he said Karthi would not appear in the sequel. Too bad. ๐Ÿ™

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write above: I read in the papers that Selva nodded his head when asked …

    Maybe he was feeling sleepy and heard it as ‘do you like Andrea.’ ๐Ÿ˜‰

    They say after MGR had a paralytic stroke and was watching TV one day, the reception quality was bad. So MGR mumbled his secretary, ‘TV antena mathu.’ And guess what, they changed the state Chief Secretary: T.V. Antony.

    In Incredible India, strange things happen. ‘)

  39. 1012900   February 19, 2010 at 9:51 am

    “they changed the state Chief Secretary: T.V. Antony.”

    Ha ha ha ha.

    That’s un believable. But such things do happen ๐Ÿ˜›

    ONLY in India i guess ๐Ÿ™

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    There are many such MGR jokes. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  40. 1012900   February 22, 2010 at 9:31 am

    SI,

    Can u watch Naanayam, and if possible, review it too?

    It was one among this year’s pongal releases.

    I guess it had a decent run. I saw the movie yesterday on youtube. It opens well and promises to be a fine thriller, but kinda loses steam after a while. There are some loopholes in the plot and many twists too, but only a few of them work well.

    That s the biggest flaw in the movie, if u ask me. Other things such as acting, screenplay were alright but could have been better. Cinematography was fantastic. That’s the best thing about the movie.

    If this movie had a much more capable director, it could well have been a wonderful film.

    BUT, its limitations notwithstanding, Naanayam was still a decent film, IMO.

    “Better than the usual garbage”, to borrow ur quote ๐Ÿ˜‰

    My fav song from the movie.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDAcgapHPws

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Unfortunately, Netflix still doesn’t stock Naanayam.

    Watched the song. Decent.

  41. 1012900   February 24, 2010 at 9:04 am

    Naanayam has Sibiraj in it as the antagonist. IMO, sibi, unlike his father Sathyaraj, is not a good actor. In all his movies, he tried to ape his father’s style of dialog delivery and body language. Naanayam is no exception, but suprisingly (for me), he does an acceptable job here, as the antagonist.

    BTW, did u get to watch Nadodigal, Pasanga, Subramaniapuram?

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: sibi, unlike his father Sathyaraj, is not a good actor.

    Many years back, we watched a Sathyaraj film.

    Each time he rapes a woman and flings her clothes up on the ceiling fan, he drawls: en characteraye purinjika mattein andringu. Funny.

  42. 1012900   February 24, 2010 at 10:11 am

    That dialogue became so famous that he used it in so many of his movies.

    BTW, did the movie that u mentioned now have Rajni in it?

    I vaguely remember a movie in which Rajni played a lawyer out to convict sathyaraj’s character in court.

    Sathyaraj played a rapist (i guess).

    One Sathyaraj movie i really enjoyed was “Chinna thambi periya thambi”. I’m not sure about the title, but it had Sathyaraj and Prabhu in the lead. The comic scenes were hilarious.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    You write: BTW, did the movie that u mentioned now have Rajni in it?

    Can’t remember because it’s been so long since we watched it.

    We kind of liked Sathyaraj those days. Haven’t seen Chinna thambi periya thambi.

    • Mud Haliar   February 24, 2010 at 11:44 am

      I think it was 24 mani neram.. the satyaraj movie.. while trying to track down, I ended up in the Ninaivellam Nithya song
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ePdvw99KXE
      quite possibly the worst actress I have ever seen.. Gemini Ganesan’s daughter..

      apparently she is a successful doctor now..
      http://www.rediff.com/movies/2005/mar/23jaya.htm
      she has a funny story to tell about her father.

      and a bonus funny song from 24 mani neram
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woTMG18bOvA

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      1. Yes, it was 24 mani neram. Thanks.

      2. The first song is lovely but we thought we could see tails in the ‘actors.’ ๐Ÿ˜‰

      3. Jiji a.k.a Jaya maami from second link looks hot now.

      If Jiji had stuck to films, we wouldn’t have needed Vadivelu. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      4. The last song is certainly funny.

  43. เฎฎเฏเฎฉเฎฟAndy   June 28, 2010 at 9:45 am

    watched it last weekend.. shouldn’t have had such high expectations.

    First off, I like Selvaraghavan’s eccentric vision (I was also impressed by Pudhupettai, just like racer – but felt letdown by the screenplay, there too), much more than the over-rated Manirathinam and Gautam Menon…

    but he seems to be concentrating on those eccentricities (blood squirting boob, reema’s peeing – wondering if those scenes remained in the theatrical version – the one in which 20 minutes were cut) rather than giving us a screenplay without 1 million loopholes.. unpredictable characters are good, but his characterizations seem downright inconsistent.. the special effects were pretty bad ๐Ÿ™ the first half seemed like a spoof(with bad special effects) of various adventure movies like Indiana Jones, MacKenna’s Gold etc.

    If Kamal had made the same movie — he is very capable of producing a similar movie — you would have derided him with passion. You’d probably argue that Kamal has been there in the movies for ages, while Selvaraghavan is only 6 movies and 34 years old. Hope Selvaraghavan would learn from his mistakes and become a better (and disciplined) movie maker.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    1. You write: First off, I like Selvaraghavanโ€™s eccentric vision…much more than the over-rated Manirathinam and Gautam Menon

    Ditto here.

    Manirathinam (Raavan) and Gautam Menon (Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya) are jokers compared to Selva.

    2. You write: watched it last weekend.. shouldn’t have had such high expectations

    First, AO is a spectacle that demands theatrical viewing (assuming here that you watched it on DVD).

    It’s like watching Avatar on a 12-inch TV and then whining about about the blue tinge.

    3. True, the special effects by Hollywood standards are inadequate and we made that clear in the review.

    4. Selvaraghavan deserves kudos for eschewing the familiar claptrap of a silly Kollywood romance, with boob-shows/thigh shows/ass shows of ugly starlets or the men prancing like monkeys and instead putting forth a grand drama set in the present but with strong links to the past and rooted in the history/culture of the Tamil speaking peoples.

    It’s nice to see someone stray from the safe path of the pukka highway for the rugged unpredictable terrain of the kutcha roads. The story, actors, settings, in all of these and more Selva has veered from the polluted mainstream of Tamil cinema in AO and that is refreshing.

    5. Selva also ought to get credit for eliciting some decent acting from the stars of AO.

    While many of us (yours truly included) constantly complain that Abhishek, Ajith, Trisha et al can’t act, we seldom lay the blame at the doorstep of the Director who should rightly get the censure if he can’t get his performers to emote on the screen.

    If Abhishek is awful in Raavan, we should fling the epithets at Mani Ratnam first but we seldom do.

    6. All that said, we concede there were issues with AO.

    But by Tamil movie standards (or the universal lack of it), AO is a grand spectacle worthy of watching on the big screen (alas, not possible now).

    Very skeptical that even Selva can repeat it, particularly if the movie has not recovered its investment for the producers/distributors/exhibitors.

    7. You write: If Kamal had made the same movie — he is very capable of producing a similar movie — you would have derided him with passion.

    Kamal Haasan still has trouble getting even the basics right. Look at the makeup for the George Bush character in Dasavatharam. Awful.

    • เฎฎเฏเฎฉเฎฟAndy   June 28, 2010 at 10:38 am

      Yeah, I agree that theatrical viewing would be better.

      The CGI camel in AO (and blood squirting boob) were as bad as Dasavathaaram’s George Bush.. wish these guys stop relying on these unnecessary gimmicks that expose the technical shortcomings and concentrate on making better movies.

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      Just can’t remember the blood-squirting boob.

      Offtopic: Watched our first ‘Twilight’ last night. Review in a few hours, after brunch.

      • เฎฎเฏเฎฉเฎฟAndy   June 28, 2010 at 11:45 am

        Twilight – I hope you will have an energetic brunch and rip it apart into smithereens!! like you have never done to even the worst tollywood (assuming you rank tolly lower than bolly and kolly) crap.

        Blood-squirting boob – you probably watched the censored version.
        Here you go – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxvUnTISIkw (Not sure how long it will stay on youtube)
        The boob looks (and is) real, but the blood sucks.

        I did not watch it on youtube.
        My version (Ayngaran DVD) was just over 3 hours long… Did you get to see Reema peeing? That’s the most realistic peeing scene ever made in Indian Cinema. ๐Ÿ™‚

        SearchIndia.com Responds:

        1. Apropos of the blood, we think they showed it here on the screen. Reema Sen’s peeing must have also made it to the screens here. Mercifully, can’t remember it.

        2. A big box-office success (New Moon) – $709.71 million ๐Ÿ™

        Source: Wiki

  44. dontilak   April 6, 2011 at 1:48 am

    wow…..i thought u were one of the toughest reviewers in the internet(inception=nonsense ???) and u actually gave a positive review for this movie?????

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    By Tamil movie standards, Aayirathil Oruvan is an epic masterpiece.

    We doubt Selva or Halva or Baklava or wateva his name is will ever equal this movie in future films.

    • dontilak   April 6, 2011 at 12:10 pm

      i dont know…i thought it was just a good attempt…but poorly executed….

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