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Tamil Cinema:
Film Appreciation with K S
Sivakumaran
Positive aspects in today’s films
During the last decade and at present there is tremendous improvement
in production of Indian Tamil films.
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M. Sasikumar |
The changes could be seen in the field of technology, new techniques
in film making, depiction of contemporary social issues. portrayal of
slices of life in Tamilnadu (in Chennai, Mathurai, Coiamputhoor and
other cities and villages in such areas), depiction of characters from
the underworld and the double faces of politicians, the use of
appreciable colour, cinematography with a purpose and relevance, trained
actors and actresses and directors entering the tinsel world, the
resultant influence of globalization, alluring locales, fascinating new
dances , contemporary fusion music, pretty faces –glamorous and
scintillating- from the north of India and from neighbouring Kerala and
Aandhra and Karnataka, variety of speeches representing different
regions in the state and the like are observable features in film
production in ‘Kollywood’ (Koadambaakam).
It’s difficult to analyze each of the above aspects in detail in a
column like this, but despite weaknesses, the contemporary Indian Tamil
films give the discerning critic some sense of appreciation.
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Sasi Kumar receiving an award |
We must remember the taste of the film audiences in Lanka and India
differs very much. The reason is that the literacy rate is very much
higher in Lanka than in most parts of northern and southern India.
But in west Bangla Bengal) and southern Kerala the film society
movements have educated the people in the art of appreciation of films.
Further, the literacy rate in these states is relatively higher than in
other states in India.
However in all states in India including Thamilnadu, the educated
middle and upper middle class people appreciate quality films, The
Central Government’s International Film Festival of India (presently at
the only venue is Goa – the state between Maharashtra and Karnataka -
and the regional international film festivals in Kolkatta,
Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Bengalooru and Hyderabad have certainly
improved the tastes of discerning filmgoers. The Film and Television
Institute of India (FTII) in Pune train a new generation of young
graduates and knowledgeable people to understand the medium of cinema.
These positive aspects have inevitably influenced the filmmakers in
southern India too.
While there are successful colossal box office filmmakers most of
them make stupid films in Thamilnadu, there are also among the film
makers socially conscious and studied artistic filmmakers that have
produced entertaining and realistic and thought provoking films.
I avoid mentioning such filmmakers because one needs an extended
article to explain the finer points in each of their films. My personal
liking is to appreciate films of Cheran, Bala, Sasi Kumar, Santhosh
Subramaniam, Gautam, Kamal Haasan, Santhosh Sivan and one or two others.
As things change very fast in this technological world the
appreciations of the arts too depend on changing fads and trends.
Art Cinema is no more in many countries. They don’t even say films.
It’s called ‘Movies’ now.
That’s why Hindi films of the commercial oriented Bollywood dishes
satisfy the average cinegoer to be entertained even though he may not
have digested the film as a wholesome dish.
Cinema is now only a product of the Dream Factory.
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