Experiments down south

Fighting rampant piracy, external interferences and box-office vagaries, South Indian cinema continued to take giant strides in 2013, alternating between brilliance and bathos, with some outstanding films releasing along with totally pedestrian ones.

Kannada cinema had its share of flops, but films like Varadanayaka and Bachchan with Sudeep; Charminar starring Prem; Attahasa, a biopic based on the life of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, Myna directed by Nagasekhar with Chethan and Nitya Menon; Bulbul and Brindavana with Darshan, Duniya Suri-directed Kaddipudi starring Shivaraj Kumar and Raja Huli found favour with the audiences.

Among the outstanding films were Seshadri’s Bharat Stores, which dealt with the impact of Foreign Direct Investment in the retail sector on a small-time grocer. Kurmavatara by ace director Girish Kasaravalli, Topiwala featuring Upendra, and Duniya Vijay’s home production Jayammana Maga were among the notable films that hit the screen. The Pawan Kumar-directed Lucia, which earned the distinction of being the first crowd funded film, also created ripples for its novel theme. Yograj Bhat of Mungaru Male fame made his acting debut in Dyavare, and managed to turn in a convincing performance.

Malayalam cinema fared rather well in 2013 and the industry had the distinction of having as many as six films in the Indian Panorama Section of the IFFI. These included 101 Chodiyangal, Artist, Celluloid, Kanyaka Talkies, Kunhanande Kada, and Shutter. Kanyaka Talkies was selected as the opening film of the festival. Among the superstars, Mammootty had a good year with blockbusters like Kammath & Kammath and hits like the Lal Jose-directed Emmanuel. His films like Kadal Kadannoru Mathukutty (Ranjith), Kunhanande Kada (Salim Ahmed) and Daivathinte Swantham Cleetus also won critical acclaim. Meanwhile, Dileep, who co-starred with Mammooty in Kammath & Kammath, had solo hits in Sringaravelan, Nadodi Mannan and Sound Thoma. Kamal’s Celluloid starring Prithviraj, which brought to the silver screen the story of J C Daniel, the man regarded as the father of Malayalam cinema, and Nadan with Jayaram were films that impressed the audiences and critics alike. A novel attempt was 5 Sundarikal, where five directors — Amal Neerad, Aashiq Ali, Anwar Rasheed, Sameer Thahir and Shyju Khaled — came together to direct the five segments of a single film.

Meanwhile, Tamil films continued to be known for the quantity rather than for the quality, and the industry had to contend with controversies and poor audience support. Kamal Haasan’s lavishly mounted Vishwaroopam ran into rough weather with protests from minority groups, and the doyen’s efforts to break new ground by releasing his film on DTH also went awry. Another film that had a delayed release was Ilaya Thalapathi Vijay’s Thalaiva, which was based on real life incidents and had an overdose of violence. An unwelcome development in Tamil cinema this year was the deluge of films that were touted as comedies, but were in reality a bunch of gags strung together. Films like Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam, Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru, Kanna Laddu Thinna Aasaiya, Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga, Raja Rani and Thillu Mullu (a remake of a Rajni hit of yesteryear) belonged to this genre. While films like Surya’s Singham 2, Vishal’s Pandiya Naadu and Ajith’s Aarambam did brisk business, stalwarts like Mani Ratnam, Bharathiraaja and Bala found their efforts going abegging.

Mani Ratnam’s Kadal, Bharathiraaja’s Annakodi, and Bala’s Pardesi were all well-made films, but the changing taste of the audience was manifest in their rejection. Two noteworthy films that showcased the acting talents of its main protagonists and were based on themes that swerved from the beaten track were Ainthu Ainthu Ainthu, with Bharath in the lead, and Aaru Mezhuguvarthigal with Shyam playing the agony-stricken father of a child who had been trafficked.

TV anchors and small actors-turned-heroes came to the fore this year. Sivakarthikeyan played the lead in hits like Ethir Neechal, Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga and Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam and Vijay Sethupathi, who caught the eye in Pizza, entered the big league with Soodhu Kavvum, a crime thriller that also had a good commercial run.

The superstars of Telugu cinema continued to have a field day. The Mahesh Babu-Venkatesh starrer Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu, setting the ball rolling.

Fortune also favoured the likes of NTR Jr, whose ventures Badshah and Ramayya Vasthavayya were well received. Ravi Teja made a sterling comeback with Balupu and Mirchi, and Prabhas also made a mark with Bahubali, a period film shot on an extravagant scale by one of Telugu cinema’s most successful directors S S Rajamouli. Ram Charan Teja, Chiranjeevi’s son, also rode his luck with Nayak, while Pavan Kalyan stole the thunder with Attarintiki Daredi, which had Samantha Ruth Prabhu as the heroine. The film, directed by the prolific Trivikram Srinivas, had a phenomenal run at the box-office breaking several records. Iddarammayilatho, directed by Puri Jagannath with Allu Arjun, Nagarjuna’s Greeku Veeradu, Swamy Ra Ra, Prema Katha Chithram and Case No 666/2013, a horror thriller, also attracted audience attention.

Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde, Naga Chaitanya’s Thadaka and Vishnu Manchu’s Doosukeltha were among the films that stood out for their themes and the performances of the cast. Nagarjuna, who has essayed the lead in films made on the life of saints and savants, added one more feather to his cap with his role in Jagadguru Adi Sankara. Although not in the pink of health, Telugu cinema, which boasts of excellent directors and charismatic stars, continues to present an optimistic picture for the future.