This posting has been overdue by a long time, almost an year to be pricise!! Neverthless better late than never!
This one also not necesserly in order of preference.
1) ANBE SIVAM
Director: Sundar.C
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Madhavan etc
Argubily one of the best movies to be released in the 21st century. Only a master like Kamal cud hv managed to make a movie like this. And it was pleasently surprising to see Madhavan given equal footage in the movie and more surprising to see him managing to hold his foothold even in the presence of the genuis. Kamal has often been accused of ghost directing his movies and this is one movie where it was visibly evident. the possiblilty of a mediocre director like Sundar.C directing this movie is as strong as uganda winning world cup cricket.
2) HEY RAM
Director: Kamal Hassan
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Shahrukh Khan etc
Yet another master piece from the supremo. A imaginary story of a man who was all set to assasinate gandhiji until destiny had it say. A controversial movie for its anti-gandhian stand though i felt that it really glorified gandhiji and his beliefs. Unfortunate that people couldnt see it in that perspective. A truely international class movie which was ahead of its time.
3) IRUVAR
Director: Mani Ratnam
Cast: Mohanlal,Prakash Raj,Aishwarya Rai etc
Another movie ahead of its time made by Mani Ratnam. The movie was based on the real life story of MGR and now CM Karunanidhi. This movie started Mohanlal in the role of MGR and Prakash Raj as Karunanidhi. Aishwarya Rai marked her debut with this one. It was really gutsy of Mani Ratnam to make such a senstive topic into a movie tat too at a time when DMK was the ruling party in TN. Both the leading men were excellent in their roles and it was rather surprising to me that only Prakash Raj managed to get the national award for best supporting actor. It also had heavenly music by ARR. "Narumugaye" is my alltime favorate song. Even today i listen to it atleast once a day.
4) MAHANADHI
Director: Santhana Bharathi
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Sukanya etc
The story of a father of 2 teenagers who was betrayed and lost everything in his life including his kids. Another senstive and powerful performance by Kamal was the highlight of the film. The scene were he confronts his daughter in sonakachi still hurts me. Not many movies have managed to emotionally haunt me, but this one tops the list. If i am to list the nightmerish experiences i dont want to have in my life, this would be one. All blame on Kamal for making me feel its soo real.
5) SERVER SUNDARAM
Director: R.Krishnan & S. Panju
Cast: Nagesh,K.R.Vijaya,Muthuraman etc
The story of a hotel waiter boy becoming a movie superstar. I suppose this was the first movie in which Nagesh acted as the hero. What makes this movie interesting is that the message of this one, even decades after its making, is still revelent. Dont you think u lose your simple life, your close ones once you go after the comforts of life? These are the kind of movies which i would call evergreen, were the revelence to the topic doesnt fade away even years after its making.
There are many more movies I would have liked to add , like Kannathil Muthamittal, Roja, Nayagan etc. If the readers have noticed a bias or excessive laudation from my part for Kamal and Mani Ratnam,then, I would like to add that its intentional. because I consider these two greats to be in a league of their own much above anyone else in tamil filmdom. On any given day, I would prefer watching the crapiest of Kamal or Mani Ratnam movie over any others best.Also,its quite sad that most of these movie bombed big time at the box office.Maybe, we audience havnet grown to that level of maturity to apretiate good movies.
AVS
This one also not necesserly in order of preference.
1) ANBE SIVAM
Director: Sundar.C
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Madhavan etc
Argubily one of the best movies to be released in the 21st century. Only a master like Kamal cud hv managed to make a movie like this. And it was pleasently surprising to see Madhavan given equal footage in the movie and more surprising to see him managing to hold his foothold even in the presence of the genuis. Kamal has often been accused of ghost directing his movies and this is one movie where it was visibly evident. the possiblilty of a mediocre director like Sundar.C directing this movie is as strong as uganda winning world cup cricket.
2) HEY RAM
Director: Kamal Hassan
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Shahrukh Khan etc
Yet another master piece from the supremo. A imaginary story of a man who was all set to assasinate gandhiji until destiny had it say. A controversial movie for its anti-gandhian stand though i felt that it really glorified gandhiji and his beliefs. Unfortunate that people couldnt see it in that perspective. A truely international class movie which was ahead of its time.
3) IRUVAR
Director: Mani Ratnam
Cast: Mohanlal,Prakash Raj,Aishwarya Rai etc
Another movie ahead of its time made by Mani Ratnam. The movie was based on the real life story of MGR and now CM Karunanidhi. This movie started Mohanlal in the role of MGR and Prakash Raj as Karunanidhi. Aishwarya Rai marked her debut with this one. It was really gutsy of Mani Ratnam to make such a senstive topic into a movie tat too at a time when DMK was the ruling party in TN. Both the leading men were excellent in their roles and it was rather surprising to me that only Prakash Raj managed to get the national award for best supporting actor. It also had heavenly music by ARR. "Narumugaye" is my alltime favorate song. Even today i listen to it atleast once a day.
4) MAHANADHI
Director: Santhana Bharathi
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Sukanya etc
The story of a father of 2 teenagers who was betrayed and lost everything in his life including his kids. Another senstive and powerful performance by Kamal was the highlight of the film. The scene were he confronts his daughter in sonakachi still hurts me. Not many movies have managed to emotionally haunt me, but this one tops the list. If i am to list the nightmerish experiences i dont want to have in my life, this would be one. All blame on Kamal for making me feel its soo real.
5) SERVER SUNDARAM
Director: R.Krishnan & S. Panju
Cast: Nagesh,K.R.Vijaya,Muthuraman etc
The story of a hotel waiter boy becoming a movie superstar. I suppose this was the first movie in which Nagesh acted as the hero. What makes this movie interesting is that the message of this one, even decades after its making, is still revelent. Dont you think u lose your simple life, your close ones once you go after the comforts of life? These are the kind of movies which i would call evergreen, were the revelence to the topic doesnt fade away even years after its making.
There are many more movies I would have liked to add , like Kannathil Muthamittal, Roja, Nayagan etc. If the readers have noticed a bias or excessive laudation from my part for Kamal and Mani Ratnam,then, I would like to add that its intentional. because I consider these two greats to be in a league of their own much above anyone else in tamil filmdom. On any given day, I would prefer watching the crapiest of Kamal or Mani Ratnam movie over any others best.Also,its quite sad that most of these movie bombed big time at the box office.Maybe, we audience havnet grown to that level of maturity to apretiate good movies.
AVS
Hey Aravind,
ReplyDeleteNice selection... But well, Mahanadhi was just tooo violent for me... I worship Manirathnam and ofcourse have the greatest respect for Kamal's talent though I am an out n out Rajni fan! :) But well, there are some other phenomenal Tam movies -- Kuruthi Punal, Mouna Raagam (there's no romance close to the cameo that Karthik does in that), like u said Nayagan... And yeah Anbe Sivam bombed bigtime at the box office though it is one of the best movies ever.. Well, I could go on... but all i can say is that u incited a feeling in me to put down my fav list of movies.. hehe... Viraivil paapom!
agree wtih u on anbe sivam..i still dont understand how it went on to fail at the box office..perhaps ppl are willing to pay to watch mallika sherarwat but unwilling to watch good movie...the list was pretty good..me dint find mahanadi as a whole lot attention grabbing...but other than that, liked the rest of it. Esp. Iruvar.
ReplyDeleteGood work.
Srini
thanx jaya and srini for such a quick resonse.
ReplyDelete@ jaya: yeah definitely kuruti punal and also others lke MMKR.but am not sure if i liked them for the movie they were ot coz kamal starred in them and abt mounaragam, well i hv nvr been a gr8 fan of romatic films.
looking forward for ur list.
@ srini: i definitely feel tat anbe sivam or iruvar will be rated as classics in future. i wont say mahanadi or server sundaram were great films in the same league as the other 3. these 2 movies werent as complex as anbe sivam or heyram. but they made me think with my heart rather than head.tats y they r in the list
Yes aravind...anbe sivam is easily the best movie that left an indelible impression on my heart...it was too good to be true...have seen it so many times.....i havent seen a few others on ur list...but i am glad u liked anbe sivam....though it was stupid that it was a flop...goes to show how the world is blind
ReplyDeletethanx for the feedback dilip.
ReplyDeleteyeah, i felt bad,infact, cudnt believe that the movie flopped.and more surprising is all the people whom i asked liked it very much.wonder hw i still managed to flop!!
if u hvnt seen , i wud recommend iruvar and heyram.2 completely diff. movies but at par with anbe sivam!i am sure u wud like them too!
the clock on ur blog...reminded me of a frnd's post..u shdu read it ..herei s the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://mirthmemoriesandmore.blogspot.com/2006/06/why-people-have-clockswatches-on-their.html
haha, tats a nice on srini!
ReplyDeletebut it my case, its more like imitating other bloggers. as u knw i dont disturb anyone at meal :)
Right choice man!Although I do not consider them in my top 5;surely 3 of them are in my top 10.As for Server Sundaram;its message is always true and a subtle one at that.I've also written reviews for 2 of them.
ReplyDelete@ganesh: hey thanx for the feedback....tere r many more movies like nayagan and all, but these r the one which i hv enjoyed the most for various reasons.btw, wre can i find ur reviews, wud love to read them
ReplyDeleteiruvar has to be the best of the last decade or two..
ReplyDeletebut dont forget a movie called chandralekha, which at its time made the world cinema look back at its grandeur.it was equal to 10 times the budget of enthiran at that point of time.10 lakhs is a lot of money 70 years ago..