Hemantha Kalam - 103 "Pass Pass Just Time Pass"

Well, it is already a month since 2022 joined history. After the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic in the years of 2020-2021, the past year was milder, but in retrospect I wouldn’t call it spectacular in any manner. Just time passed and one more year elapsed. I became poorer by one more year of my life as would have been every other living person on the earth.

I had ups and downs (many more of the downs than the ups though) during the year but my guardian angel and pari took care of my job and income. In general, I had time on my hands which I used fruitfully on entertaining myself thanks to my daughters who have generously subscribed to several of the OTT channels.

So, in the process, I have watched many movies of all genres in several languages and conveniently forgot several but could remember some remarkable ones. So, in this blog, let me attempt rating some of those noteworthy films that I watched and remembered. During this year I watched all those movies without reading or being influenced by any of the reviews given by others.

My tastes are weird and so many may not accept my ratings but then that should be their problem and not mine. This is my blog and I have doggedly decided to rate the movies on my terms. So let me start from the top!

1) The numero uno is ‘Kanthara’ – the Kannada/Tulu Action Drama.

One of my close friends, who apparently went all the way to namma Bengaluru to watch the film with another close friend, mentioned that the film has been over hyped and though it is good to watch, it is just that – good to watch once, said my friend.

In my humble opinion, one needs to relate to the place to enjoy the movie thoroughly by understanding the customs, the feelings and the thoughts of the natives.

During 1990-1994, the South Canara district has been like my second native place while I was crisscrossing in every which way from Kundapur to Kukke Subrahmanya, from Agumbe to Ullal beach traversing their paddy and pineapple fields and areca-nut farms and forests with equal elan.

So I preferred to watch the movie in its original version in Kannada language so that the subtle humour and digs are not missed and savoured whole-heartedly, which inevitably would be lost, at least partly if not fully, in the sub titles.

Since I did not read any information about the film prior-hand, the turn of events, the suspense all could be enjoyed fully.

So I rate this picture as the best among those that I watched during the year.

2) At the second place is ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ – the Tamil classic.

This richly made film should have been number one for its grandeur, and well mounted production. The art direction has been great (I am not saying this because the art director is my brother in law, assisted by his daughter and my niece, whom I never met so far though) and the picture resolution has been memorable.

The only reason it got pipped at the post is because of the story which at my age became difficult to remember with so many connections and twists. Too many characters sort of crowded the story of the film. One needs his head firmly in place to follow it coherently. Though I grew up with my Tamil brethren, most of who have been brought up on the book ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, for some reason I never attempted to read and rued it while watching the film.

Also this film now is part-1 and part-2 is still in the making. So sooner or later it may become number one in my ratings too.

3) At the third place is ‘The Power of the Dog’ – English Western Drama

I have a severe weakness for western movies be they be from Hollywood or the Italian spaghetti versions. There have been times when both my father and I used to simply love watching western movies, together - even the crude Indian versions too.

This must be because of the so many western comics that we all read in the family during our childhood. I probably know more of places like Texas, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Dakota, Wichita and Mexico etc and the canyons and the Mesas. And mind you, I have been to USA only once and for just two days in the capital of Washington DC. I had the pleasure of teaching the history of 'Wells Fargo' to an Indian employee of the company!

So it was a casual watching of ‘The Power of the Dog’, which slowly enveloped me into its cold and warmth. The end was fantastic and un-thought about. I enjoyed the film alright. If it is not for the slow burning and a bit of more drama than action, this film could have rated better by me.

4) At the fourth place is ‘Aapla Manus’ – Marathi Crime Drama

I watched this movie sheerly because I was attracted by a guy riding a bullet motorcycle on the thumbnail.

I watched this film also in its native language Marathi and started picking up the vocabulary that I had lost many years ago. But then my Marathi was more of the Thanjavur Marathi and the film’s was the true Maharashtra Marathi. Still I could enjoy the original flavour with whatever little I could understand of the language.

The crime picture is pleasant, intense, without gore, without too many histrionics, calm dialogue delivery, diabolical possibilities and the end is fantastic, though too dramatic.

Being a budget film, they must have used the protagonist to play double roles which, in my opinion was unnecessary and reduced the seriousness and value of the film.

5) At the fifth place is ‘Uunchai’ – Hindi serious comedy drama

I watched this movie just because the OTT ZEE5 kept on prompting this film on the TV screen.

I didn’t regret watching it at all, even though it was quite long. Apart from Mr. Amitabh Bachchan and Mr. Anupam Kher with Ms. Neena Gupta, it also featured Mr. Danny Denzongpa whom I watched ages later and that all time beautiful lady Ms. Nafisa Ali. Mr. Boman Irani was so lively. Mr. Danny’s smile in the film is so infectious. Ms. Parineeti Chopra fit the bill very well. Surprise is Ms. Sarika.

The picture was mischievously pleasant - heavy here, light there, adventure here and bantering there. The scenes were beautiful and culturally rich. I couldn’t help relating myself to some characters in several scenes, especially in the adventurous parts. Everyone did their job well and one doesn’t feel the passing of time. Real time-pass film.

It did not feature in the top ones only because the others were a shade different or better.

6) At the sixth place is ‘Roudram, Ranam, Rudhiram (RRR)’ – Telugu concoction of a fantasy, fiction and action

(The Sanskritised Telugu words of Roudram, Ranam, Rudhiram mean Ferocity/Fierce, War and Blood)

I generally don’t like to watch movies which are too publicised or hyped. But one evening, I gave casual company to my wife in watching this elongated film. I watched it more with a curiousness of a Professor and a Sophomore of Management, both at the same time, more than an average audience.

The picture is based on a wild story created by the film’s director Mr. Rajamouli’s father Mr. Vijayendra Prasad and supported by the music by his uncle Mr. Marakatamani Keeravani (for the Bollywood he is known as M.M. Kreem).

For the admirers of the Telugu real life heroes Alluri Seetarama Raju and Komuram Bhim, the story of the film could even be blasphemous, but I was amused by the chutzpah displayed in mounting the story as one of the large budgeted films.

In fact RRR seems to be representing Rajamouli (Mr.), Ram Charan (Mr.) and Rama Rao (Mr.). Junior NTR is named after his grandfather Late Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao garu.

It appears that right from the word go, the entire film was planned for marketing. It seems to have been produced and packaged to suit that marketing. This is the reason that I watched the film more as a management student than as an average viewer.

The success of the film is evident. The nation went gaga over the film. It resulted in the writer becoming a nominated MP of Rajya Sabha and the music director getting a Padmashri. The director was already awarded a Padmashri in 2016. 

The budgets set aside for the purpose apparently got the results – the song ‘Naatu Naatu’ got a Golden Globes award for the ‘Best Original Song’ category. ‘Naatu Naatu’ was sung apparently by Mr. Kala Bhairava who is the son of Mr. Keeravani. RRR won the Critics Choice Award too. And now intense lobbying seems to have ended up in ‘Naatu Naatu’ getting nominated for Oscars too. The film should become a case study in Marketing Management Classes. Whoever said that family enterprises cannot succeed? Here is a visible example.

My Tamil brethren are quite intelligent and have been indulging in experiments since long in the film industry of Kollywood. But how did they not think of making all these efforts for their ‘Naakku Mookka’ song beats me. After all, that song also has been a native and original song. It was tuned nearly similarly too, if I dare say.

Well, all said and done, I am shamelessly happy that someone from my native state could dream, plan, mount and scale a movie so meticulously to attain ‘all results’ planned for. How parochial of me!?

7) At the seventh place is ‘Kaapa’ – Malayalam Crime Drama and Action

I was a bit let down by this film whose story had a great potential to show women empowerment, even in crime. Instead, the story and the director allowed Mr. Prithviraj Sukumaran's character to overshadow all other characters and actors.

Usually I love Malayalam films for their nativity depiction. Yes, this film too had the nativity but somehow the film became a run-of-the-mill stuff. Only the final twist saved the film is what I think and made eligible for at least some rating from me.

In addition to the above films that I have rated, there are a couple of Telugu films worth mentioning though I am not rating them as both are remakes.

The first one is ‘Andaroo Baagundaali, Andulo Nenundaali’ (All should be well and I should be among them) appears to be a remake of the Malayalam film ‘Vikruthi’(2019). It is a serious comedy and has been pleasantly made. The protagonist is Mr. V.K. Naresh, the yesteryear’s hero and the antagonist is present day’s comedian Mr. Ali. There are no fights, but humour and agony. Even those have been picturised elegantly.

The second one is ‘Dongalunnaru Jagratta’ (Beware of thieves) which is a remake of the Argentine-Spanish Crime thriller ‘4 x 4’ (2019). The picture is a total action drama with hardly any fights.

Both appear to be low budget films but brilliantly made. I did not regret watching either of them at all.

So folks that’s about it. Do watch the films, if you are interested, and let me know your thoughts.

Until then and until the next, 

Krutagjnatalu (Telugu), Nanri (Tamil), Dhanyavaadagalu (Kannada), Nanni (Malayalam), Dhanyavaad (Hindi), Dhanyosmi (Sanskrit), Thanks (English), Dhonyavaad (Bangla), Dhanyabad (Oriya and Nepalese), Gracias (Spanish), Grazie (Italian), Danke Schon (Deutsche), Merci (French), Obrigado (Portuguese), Shukraan (Arabic and Sudanese), Shukriya (Urdu), Sthoothiy (Sinhalese) Aw-koon (Khmer), Kawp Jai Lhai Lhai (Laotian), Kob Kun Krab (Thai), Asante (Kiswahili), Maraming Salamat sa Lahat (Pinoy-Tagalog-Filipino), Tack (Swedish), Fa'afetai (Samoan), Terima Kasih (Bahasa Indonesian) and Tenkyu (Tok Pisin of Papua New Guinea), Malo (Tongan), Vinaka Vaka Levu (Fijian)

 

Hemantha Kumar Pamarthy

Chennai, India