En thaai mozhi tamizh!!

As the days drag on it seems there is nothing much interesting than a quiet Friday spent dreaming about the impending weekend holidays. But what a Friday it was today. I was at college in my class of RF and MW Engg when they called us for a talk on Tamil in our auditorium. The speaker was Tamilarivu Manian(yeah even i hadn’t heard of his name before today!) They did give us some snacks to keep our stomachs full enough for the entire duration of the speech. But when it came down to the speech… Oh what a speech. I was simply astounded by the power of his words. I like so many other Tamilians don’t like my mother tongue of Tamil very much. That basically stems from the idea that there’s not much use in learning it.

Well that all changed with today. The sense of pride which he invoked in me was unbelievable. He rekindled my love for Tamil from the bare ashes that had been left of it in my heart. Quite honestly i have heard so many people notably my past Tamil teachers speak about the greatness of the language. But something that was missing was the basic acceptance that Tamil is not in the legion of languages like English which can change and adapt according to the new discoveries made everyday. Tamil in its present form simply cannot compete with English in the scientific front where its inadequacies are often exposed. But Mr.Manian not only accepted that fact but also urged us to prevent it from dying from a sheer sense of pride. Hats off to you sir! I’m just disappointed i couldn’t record his speech so that i can share it with all my fellow tamilians over the Net. Vaazhga Tamizh!

P.S. Mr.Manian is lawyer and a poet. he has written so many books and is currently member of the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission

Billa… Billa… Billa…

Before i start it off i gotta say im neither an Ajith fan nor a Vijay fan! Infact the only actor who comes close to making me a fan is Will Smith so i guess you can get a fair idea of who’s writing this blog. I could say in one word that the movie is crap but it isn’t. It was let’s say “an ok one.” It was certainly better than the recent films Ajith has dished out(Jana, Attagasam, Paramasivam and the lot) But the one thing which struck me once i saw the film was that just like Vijay in ATM he has missed out a great opportunity. An opportunity to make a real mark. Unfortunately the new Billa is no more or less than the original. Infact its exactly the same dish served in a different plate.

Ajith looks good in the movie. He really looks damn stylish and makes good use of his looks too. Some of his scenes as Billa were awesome just for the visual impact and style it had on the viewers. But it’s maybe the fault of the director that these are not properly integrated into a flowing storyline. The introduction of the “innocent Ajith” (Velu) is predictable as it is taken from the old Billa. But it’s a fact that Rajni’s acting was exemplary in differentiating the two roles he played in that film. But the second Ajith’s intro and the song lacks such vibrance and character. When i watched i felt it was Billa who was dancing. His movements were as usual slow and not in tune with the folk music. And he could have changed his voice a little to suit the role better.

The film takes a predictable course after that as the old Billa including some scenes where the director Vishnu Vardhan misses many opportunities to make his creative dent on the film. Nayantara is absolutely eye blowing and u can probably watch the entire film just for her! Awesome acting + glamour. She’s really on her way to the top. ( A vivid description of those scenes may be indecent for the blog but are certainly allowed in comments!) Namitha just floats around the film doing nothing much except highlight Nayan.

With almost all the characters taking on the exact roles(and even names) of those who acted in Rajni’s Billa there’s not much suspense in the film and it turns to be predictable ending. If there’s one thing that the film has done it is to showcase the earlier Billa in an improved version for the new generation. But certainly it could have been done with a bit of creativity and twist thrown into the script.

HIGH and LOWS

*** the best scene of the film is probably when Namitha dies. Ajith(Velu) after accidentally shooting her is nearly caught out by Bill’a gang-mates but brilliantly retrieves the situation by striking an awesome Billa pose. Classic.

*** After Nayantara vouches to bring Billa back from police custody all by herself she does absolutely nothing in the ensuing shoot-out in the road except making a sexy walk up a car. Tomb Raider style! Appealing but not effective

*** The scene where Billa meets DSP Prabhu in a bathroom. Ajith really shows signs of acting the Velu character to perfection but he could have done it in a few more scenes as well