[cymnPrayerm]

thanks compli. I didnt realise the original was in Tamil(thought you'll be translating from malayalam). Now that I read both, have to agree with Murali Srinivas. Great translation - looking for the next part.

[Nikkytas]

Paandippada :- thanks for Asianet channel purely fun-filled entertainer

[DavidShreder]

There is another notable effort that has taken place. Ranjith, the script writer -director who also turned producer had hit upon a novel idea. He called 10 of his director friends and asked them to make 10 short films each with a maximum duration of 10 to 15 minutes. All are different stories with different artists. The common thread for all the 10 stories is Travel [payanam or yaathraa].

All the short films will come under one single film. Titled "Kerala Cafe", it has established directors like Shaji Kailas, Lal Jose, Anvar Rashid, Shyamaprasad and younger ones like Revathi, Anjali Menon, Unnikrishnan etc.

Again starting from Mammootty, Suresh Gobi and Prithiviraj, the artists have coordinated with the project and majority of them have not taken any renumeration for acting.

The film was first screened at Abudhabi in the Middle East film festival and is hitting the theaters on 29th of October.

Seems very interesting.

Regards

[masterso]

Bhramaram got released here is it worth a watch ? anyone please confirm

[Gerribase]

here you go

[meteeratymn]

Sarna,
nanRi hai!

AksharangaL. Jeyamohan contrasted Lohi's women with M.T's M.T.Vasudevan's women in Lohi's obit. Easy to notice it when you observe Seema's character in this film. A lot of similarities to her ALkUttathil thaniyE character.

[gardeniyas]

Deepak,

Nice to see you mention about Aksharangal and Alkootathil thaniye. If only you had mentioned that Jayamohan is the character name of Mams in Aksharangal [the teacher role - always felt Mam - IVSasi -MT combo was superb], less initiated would have understood it well.

Another happy news is Mammookka's latest movie "Loud Speaker" directed by Jayaraj and released today seems to be very good. The reviews have been good so far. Here is one

Loud Speaker -Review

By Cine Critic | 20th september, 2009| 3:40:15

Mammootty has proved time and again that he is at his best in family-oriented films. Thaniyavarthanm, Valsalyam, Kazhcha, Amaram,are some of the films which have evoked wholehearted response from the cine-goers. It is a big relief to note that after a brief flirtation with flippancy in Bhootham and Love in singapore, the Malayalam megastar is back on familiar ground in Loud Speaker. The result of the Mammootty-Jayaraj team-up is a delectable mind-blowing family entertainer.

This is the second time Mammootty and Jayaraj have come together, the first time being in Johny Walker. Family-centric plots are Jayaraj’s forte too. Two of his films that spring to mind are Thalolam and Deshadanam, both of which secured critical as well as popular acclaim.

Story starts when Mike Philippose coming from a village to the city to donate his kidney for his financial needs. Menon, (Sasikumar) he lost both kidneys and living on dialysis who requires an emergency kidney replication. Philippose comes and started staying with Menon in flat. Philippose is a loud speaker by nature and becoming a nuisance for both Menon and other people who lives in other flats. But slowly but gradually Philippose becoming a part of their whole life and how this relationship grows and leads into a stunning climax.

Strong point of Loud Speaker is competent performances from, Mammootty and Sasi kumar . And when it is propped up by a powerful script (Jayaraj) and crisp dialogues, the outcome is a fare that appeals to all, cutting across gender and age barriers.Then there is Salim Kumar & Suraj whose mahout provides the comic element, and Gracy Singh who plays an home Nurse, nothing much to do for her but done her part well. Kochin haneef, Jagathi and KPAC Lalitha acquit themselves well in supportive roles.

Bijipal’s music meshes well with the mood of the movie. One song remix of , “Alliyambal” sung by Vijay Yesudas has caught on popular imagination.

All in all, Loud Speaker is a simple story told in a simple way. Jayaraj takes a mighty swipe at modernity that kills relationships and blights fraternal bonds. No matter the hurdles, love ,Friend ship and kin triumph in the end. That is the enduring message of Loud Speaker. And Jayaraj has conveyed it convincingly.

Verdict: Excellent

Waiting for Chennai release.

Regards

[jinnamys]

[tscii]

If only you had mentioned that Jayamohan is the character name of Mams in Aksharangal [the teacher role - always felt Mam - IVSasi -MT combo was superb], less initiated would have understood it well.

He meant writer Jeyomahan, who wrote a series of posts about Lohitadas when he passed away. In those posts he contrasted the way MT Vasudevan Nair and Lohitadas portrayed their women.

ஜெயமோகன்[/url]]எம்.டி.வாசுதேவன் நாயரின் கதாநாயகிகளுக்கும் லோகியின் கதாநாயகிகளுக்கும் நிறைய வேறுபாடு உண்டு. எம்.டியின் பெண்கள் எல்லாரும் ரெண்டு வார்ப்பு. 1, திமிரான பெரிய இடத்துப்பெண்கள்.2. அடக்கமான அன்பான கிராமத்துப் பெண்கள் இன்னொரு வகை. இந்த இரண்டாம்வகைப்பெண்கள்தான் துக்கபுத்திரி என்று கேரள மனதிலே பதிந்திருக்கிறார்கள். அந்தமாதிரி கதாபாத்திரங்களைத்தான் பிறகும் நிறைய்பேர் உருவாக்கினார்கள் . ஆள்கூட்டத்தில் தனியே என்றபடத்திலே சீமா பண்ணிய கதாபாத்திரத்தை உதாரணமாகச் சொல்லலாம். அவள் பணம் இல்லாதவள். ஆகவே கைவிடப்படுகிறாள். ஆனால் அது அன்பையும் பாசத்தையும் காட்ட தடையாக இல்லை. ஏனென்றால் அது அவளுடைய இயல்பு. அதேமாதிரி கதாபாத்திரம் மீண்டும் மீண்டும் எம்டி கதைகளிலே வரும். சீமாவே நாலைந்து பண்ணியிருக்கிறார்.

ஆனால் லோகியின் பெண்கள் வேற் மாதிரி. அவர்களும் மிகவும் கஷ்டத்தில் இருப்பார்கள். ஆனால் அந்தக் கஷ்டத்தை துணிச்சலாக சமாளி¢ப்பார்கள். எதற்கும் பயப்பட மாட்டார்கள். ‘வீண்டும் சில வீட்டுகாரியங்கள்’ படத்தில் வரக்கூடிய சம்யுக்தாவர்மா கதாபாத்திரம் போல. துணிந்து நின்று உலகத்தை சமளிக்கிற அபலைகள் அவர்கள்.

[wepoiyub]

Thanks Prabhu for the clarification. The name Aksharangal mentioned by Deepak made me to write that. Now reading his sms type message again [obit etc], I get it.

Regards

PS: On second thoughts, the teacher jayamohan - is it Aksharangal or Anubandham?

[ImapFidaarram]

Murali Sir,
The Anubandham character is 'Muralidharan Master', I believe . In AksharangaL Mammootty plays a writer called Jayadevan.

P_R has rightly pointed out the article I was referring to. I was in a rather cryptic mood while typing the post. Possibly because I didn't expect many people to read it.

I am actually more happy for Jayaraj if Loud Speaker is good. For someone who made films like kaLIyAttom and DeshAdanam, 4 the people and its likes were a significant drop in quality.

It seems there have been a few good Malayalam movies of late (KANA kaNmaNi, oru black and white kudumbam, Loud speaker...). And Pazahassi Raja is expected in a couple of weeks.

[incizarry]

Thanks Deepak for the Jayadevan -Jayamohan clarification again.

Regarding Jayaraj, you are right. He had made films in two extremities. If you see his latest films like Rain ! Rain --, you would be shocked to the core and would wonder whether this was the same guy who did Deshadanam and Kaliyaattam. Now it seems he has redeemed himself with Loud Speaker. This is the first time he had written the screenplay by himself [Mams asked him to do it. Earlier Ranjit was supposed to write it] and it has come out well.

But I am not sure of other films you had mentioned. While Kaana Kanmani seems to be a horror movie [Prethabaadha pidikkuna oru kochukutti] and is average, I heard. After Veruthe Oru Bharya, Jayaram is struggling to sustain that success though Baagya Devatha helped a bit [thanks to Sathyan Anthicaud].

Black and White kudumbam seems to be a disaster. That's what I was told.

Regarding PAzhassi Raaja, the film is scheduled to hit the theatres on Oct 2nd, though the Tamil version may release on Deepavali day. Yesterday the audio release function took place in Ernakulam and here is the link.

http://www.keralapals.com/2009/09/th...lusive-report/

Regards

[rushiddink]

Thiraikkadha. Prithviraj - Priyamani. Supposed to be based on Kamal-Srividya affair. Too dramatic for my taste. Disappointing. And for those hype and hoopla that Priyamani would get national award for this film, blasphemy. Oru wig vechchukitta, award kuduththiduNama!

[Gazeboss]

Thiraikkadha. Prithviraj - Priyamani. Supposed to be based on Kamal-Srividya affair. Too dramatic for my taste. Disappointing. And for those hype and hoopla that Priyamani would get national award for this film, blasphemy. Oru wig vechchukitta, award kuduththiduNama!

It is being dubbed in Tamil to cash in on 'Prithvi-Priyamani' affair.

[Gymnarnemia]

pranayavarnangal...

TV-la sariyA pakkala.. so oru DVD kidaichadhu..

nice movie.. :P

[SAUNDERSAN]

Saravana,

You can watch Bhramaram solely for Mohanlal. He had given out a splendid performance. [Ofcourse, that's what I heard. I have not seen myself].

Regards

PS: You tell me one info! The film Josh - starring Nagarajuna's son [Naga Chaithanya] and Radha's daughter [Krithika], how was it? Is it a hit?

[clorkergo]

Two great posts on writing, the differences between Thamizh and Malayalam cinema (or at least what Malayalam cinema used to be) and the literary nature of a screenplay in Jeyamohan's posthumously published interview of A.K.Lohithadas. I am translating it to English because I believe a wider audience needs to read it.

[uaodnabnjz]

Thanks Deepak. It was a good read. Lohi is one of my favourite screenplay writers and this was a good introspection.

Regards

PS: Pleasantly surprised to see my letter still there in his blog. Earlier the entire thing [Sivaji -MGR kindal] had been removed.

[Roorseprate]

Two great posts on writing, the differences between Thamizh and Malayalam cinema (or at least what Malayalam cinema used to be) and the literary nature of a screenplay in Jeyamohan's posthumously published interview of A.K.Lohithadas.

Oh yeah. I was just mentioning it in the other thread.

As he mentions in his second post, it was apparently published in 2003 itself in a journal edited by documentary filmmaker Leena Manimekalai. He republishing it in his blog.

[OWV9LSxH]

Murali Sir,

You are welcome.

P_R,
I think in the post-Padmarajan/Bharathan era, Lohithadas written films were the last bastion before Malayalam cinema fell into complete disarray. It seemed that he was losing his touch slightly since SoothradhAran (Jeyamohan indicated possible reasons in his obit).
As artists Lohi and Bharathan are incredibly close to my heart. Which is ironic because we could not be from more dissimilar backgrounds. I am if anything, quintessential middle class, while they were salt of the earth people. And yet I understand nearly every sentiment of theirs. I was so into every word of that interview I translated most of part 1 and posted it on the google groups created for those who attended the workshop. I felt it is sort of essential reading. But as aapiser Panneerrrrselvam might say "Response-E sariyilla" !
Anyway these are movies I would recommend in Lohi's filmography:
1.ThaniyAvarthanam
2.Kireedom
3.Jathakam (unmentioned usually but I think it is a lovely small film)
4.Mudra
5.His Highness Abdulla (there is a lot of comedy here and I am not sure if subtitles can do it justice - I have the VCD).
6.Bharatham
7.Amaram
8.Venkalam
9.BhoothakkaNNAdi (directed by him)
10.Kanmadam (directed by him)
That is 10 films. How many filmmakers can you say that about in India?

[Bromikka]

compli, link to your translation please