purushotham kodaganti

"Bhoo kailas" features NTR as Ravana.Lava kusa: production started simultaneously but could be released ONLY in 1963.NTR's acting is excellent in both.It is a remarkable feat for a star to do Ravana's role soon after the legendary film "Maya bazaar" ('57).His verstality has not been property highlighted. In both there are scenes which can make even a non_believer and a non_Telugu go into a state of trance.A sublime experience.

K.Bala Chander modelled himself on Director Sridhar in some crucial ways: both came from theatre.Neither worked as an asst to any director. Sridhar had the knack of bringing out the best in Nagesh,the comedian. But KB had the guts to cast him as a hero in 5 films (1964-68).Nagesh was lean,short and his face was pock_marked.His films with KB reflected ALL the insecurities of a typical middle-class Tamilian with ruthless self_analysis and mininimum melodrama.He could have become a second Sivaji.But market forces threatened the duo of KB_Nagesh.They were separated.Tamils were unwilling to bear too much reality.An ugly short fellow was not allowed to keep on succeding. Only MGR could succeed on screen. Nagesh had to remain a comedian except for the occasional film of Sivaji who allowed him to blaze: see "Savale samaali"," Thillana Mohanambal" and "Gowravam". KB had to rely on kinky sex/libido to keep him afloat in the commercial world. Something similar happened to the great Raj Kapoor: once Nargis stopped acting with him,his stories were dominated by mammaries.Strong story became increasingly invisible. KB_Nagesh duo could have delivered SOME STUFF similar to Ray_Sowmitra Chatterjee duo.KB took vengeance on Tamils. Server is a classic and looks as if KB built on Nagesh's diary.

"Oohalu " is one of my eternal favorites.The music and photography are superb.The chemistry between Naga Sourya and Rashee khanna is very good.She looks so cute and ethereal.No double meaning or skin show.The sad part is that in the 2nd half the phenomenal Rao Ramesh is invisible. For a débutante, Avasarala pulled off sheer magic because he got ample support from the lead pair. So graceful so subtle so full of understatement.We are glad that legends like Bapu,Vishwanath and Jandhyala had found true heirs in the likes of Sekhar Kammula,Trivikram and Avasarala.This movie doesn't bore you even after repeated viewing.

Director Bharati Raja did 4ilms with Kamal:1)16 vayathiniley (2)Sigappu (3)Til tik (4)Our khaidiyin diary.In all these the recurrent motif : rape and murder of 1 heroine (1 and4).In the other 2 more than 2 females are murdered. If I remember correctly, the movie was a flop for 2 main reasons:in most of the scenes of the hotel Kamal is shown only in shorts.(2)Murder of lead female stars rather than vamps was odd and indigestible to the vast majority of audience. One expected a perfect homage to Hitchcock. But this one was deeply flawed. The diamonds could have been easily retrieved through minor surgery. But the film's major asset is music: the 3 melodies are timeless and matchless.Bharathi raja's unconscious needs to be explored.His 2 chief gurus are: Sridhar and Kannada legend ,Puttanna Kanagal.Neither's films display Bharathi's obsessive links of eroticism and murder.

Vamsi had amazing chemistry with Actor Rajendra prasad and Music director Ilaiya Raja.He always brought out the best from the 2.All songs were hits.In Vamsi's films photography is always excellent. This movie established Thanikella as a star director and Rajendra as a star specializing in comedy .I remember that after Muthyala mugguu (1974) and Dana veera sooraa karna( 77),this movie had the distinction of mega sale of dialog track as exclusive cassette.In Vamsi's films most of the male actors have to wear shorts/half pants.The hero and villain are fully dressed. In this movie,some anachronisms are unexplained: no phones/PCOs/no 2 wheelers or mopeds.Bicycles and Jutka and small boats are shown repeatedly. Otherwise it is a cult film in many ways.The highly idiosyncratic Vamsi could not deliver hits after he stopped casting Rajendra.

Director Foley has a panache for understatement which can easily be interpreted as cynicism and ruthlessness. I saw ONLY 2 of his movies so far: "After dark" "At close range". Both are unremittinly bleak.Both feature at least 1 gun induced death. Both are slow: dramatic twists don't come fast and thick.I do like them.

Shiva Nirvana the director must have seen K.Viswanath's classic,"Sagara Sangamam" (1983) atleast 10 times.The nucleus of Majili is similar except for 2major differences: Kamal remains a bachelor till his death in climax.Instead of Bharata Natyam here the hero's passion is cricket. The dialogues are pithy.The humor element is patchy. The songs are superb.Naga Chaitanya and Samantha are splendid in their facial expressions. Naag has improved his diction enormously. Vizag's beauty was captured as beautifully as in "Maro Charitra" of 1978. The subtle changes in moods of an alcoholic who makes a slow but steady recovery were captured very well.The seamy side to a sports person's career has never been explored in mainstream movies.A bold experiment that was commercially viable. Kudos to Shiva and the lead pair who supported him.

The legendary pair of K.Viswanth and Kamal Haasan did 3 films together: "sagara sangamam" (1983),Swathi(86) and "Subha sankalpam" (89).Singer Sp B was solely responsible for convincing K.Viswanath to give Ilaya Raja a chance to create immortal melodies."Sahara" has some parallels with the iconic "Shankarabharanam": hero is middle aged in both: a widower in the former and a bachelor in the latter. Manju bhargavi's male version is Kamal in Sagara..The film owes a lot to the musicals of Hindi films of the great V.Shantharam's " Jhanak jhanak".As the precocious director, Trivikram highlighted, the film is a celebration of failure: hero is an alcoholic;fails to attain his lover; reviled by artistes because of his ruthless reviews in weeklies.Suffers from TB and liver cirrhosis.s.Yet the film was a commercial hit. No playing to the galleries.Hero's love is sublimated as furious dedication to art.The songs were all by Veturi. Something happened between Ilaya Raja and Veturi.So,for the next one "Swathi" ALL the songs were by CN Reddy. Raj kapoor was stunned and promised to produce it in Hindi.Kamal hassan had high hopes of re_entry in Hindi.But distributors backed Anil.kappor and Vijayashanthi as the pair. "Eeshwar" was horrible to those who saw the original. But to Anil it was milestone albeit a dubious one.Ilaya raja and Sp B got well deserved National awards. An iconic film Kamal was ONLY 29 when he did this kind of dream role.

Perhaps this is the only film in the series where equal exposure of thighs of Bond and the heroine (Claudine Auger:21 years old in 1965) takes place. The last half-hour climax is quite a drag. But it is prophetic or inspirational from at least 3angles:1)The forerunner of the GPS system is found here for the first time (directing device) in films.(2)Spielberg could have got some clues for directing "Jaws": Thunderball was made 10 years earlier.(3)Cameron must have got some fodder for " Titanic" from this film's climax.Claudine reminds one of Both Derek.

Manirathnam,the legendary director's magnificent obsession is about pre_marital and extra marital sex and its impact on the family and society.3 notable exceptions :1)Roja(2)Bombay (3)Alai paayudhe. In Kannathil Muthamittal, the photography and music are fabulous. The fleeting glimpses of Sleeping Buddha of Anuradhapura were mesmerizing. The most obscene thing was the scene where the child Amudha grills her biological mother to show him her biological father.Shyama(Nandita Das ) is flabbergasted. She has multiple partners.So she could not pinpoint who actually impregnated her.It is all done with a finesse that people barely notice the underlying implications: is Shyama a slave to ideology or her boyfriends? Mani is ruthless: a promiscuous lady can't be allowed a normal family life: she must be shot dead ( Hero's wife in Nayagan) or like Shyama must be banished to war zone. Bad ladies must suffer because it is patriarchy.