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DOUBLE STANDARD?

Topic started by Sathish (@ 64.222.80.91) on Sun Nov 18 12:18:33 EST 2001.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Dear Friends,

I happened to step on the review on "Abhay" in www.rediff.com and hope most of the viewers might have been able to read it. I couldnt digest the review , but a review on "Tera mera saath rahen" the next day in the same webpage has aggravated my opinions about these reviews. I just wanted to know if you people have a similar kind of opinion. Why are the south indian talents being disregarded? Why is this double standard?

My friend wrote back to rediff.com and I am also including the contents of his letter. I am just curious to know people here have similar views.


Dear Sir,

It is with great regret that i am writing my opinion on this review. I had rediff's views as one of the most respectable so far, but this article definitely made me have second thoughts, to put it vry very mildly. If the writer does not have a clue abt the hard work which went into Abhay, he can probably refrain from talking about a genius like Kamal Hasan. It is different issue if the movie is not interesting or if "you dont like it", but when you talk in an oepn forum, its better you know what you are talking about. It is sad to note that movie like Hey Ram, Abhay and Asoka dont get their due, while senseless and the so called make-me-feel-nice movies like HAHK, DDLJ and all those bunch of movies with meaningless storylines and stupid acronyms catch the eyes of not only the viewers but the so-called movie intelliengetsia of the country. I can understand the author not accepting the efforts of someone from the South, but there sseem to be so much of hypocrisy in the reviews- again to be extremely mild- a movie like Asoka which was probably one of India's technically best movies gets a review from Rediff that its a "typical hindi movie" ( to quote you exactly) and Tera Mera Saath Rahen gets the movie of the year. Kamal's effort in Hey Ram/Aalavandhaan, Santosh Svian's genius in Asoka and Maniratnam's techincal mind in a Dil Se are "good", but Ajay Devgan's performance in TMSR ( i am just trying to be a part of the latest fad!!) is "nothing-shotrof superb"!!! So, what are you guys trying to say, that a normal hindi movie is upto the quality of a "Saving Private Ryan" or a "Schindler's List" when it comes to the script, a "Beethoven's 5th Symphony" when it comes to music and a "Jurassic Park, "Termintaor 2", when it comes to technical brilliance" , or is that there is "more " to it that meets the eye in Hindi Cinema that i cant see???

They ways of the Indian Film committee in deciding the National Awards is nothing short of a spoof of the Oscars. When A.R.Rahman comes up with a list like - Kaadhalar Dhinam, Alai Payudhey, Mudhalvan, Kanduknden Kandukonden in Tamil and then to please the National (Bollywoo, i thought this might be a better title for the awards) awards committee he comes up with a Taal and Thankshk- the whole world expets him to wrap up the awards- and lo and Behold the "critics" have the ears of a Mozart where they can feel Ismail Darbar's "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" to be a class apart from all the movies quoted above. I want to make sure this mail doesnt fall into deaf ears... I hope i am representing a huge representation of people here in the US who really appreciate Indian Cinema, that these so called critiques. If you can respond to this one, then i would be more than happy to find out the "magic" of Bollywood ,correct my eyees ane ears but never become a part of this cabal of senseless movie-watchers.

With deepest regrets,

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Responses:

• From: TNS (@ 203.199.248.87) on: Sun Nov 18 12:37:34 EST 2001
  
  Hi Satheesh
  See both films Tera mera saath rahen and Nandha
  First is handicapped brother's affection towards his elder brother Yesterday I saw this film and still recovering from its impact Really a touchong film
  Nandha stupid and silly mother sentiment picture worse than any 1960's movie..
  Asoka did get good coverage from Hindi press
  And mind you Hey ram and Abhay are not even KAALTHOOSU of Lagaan.Kamalhaasan kku Vaaijaalam Jaasthi irukku aanal Saraku illai
  Aameer, Sharuk ellam Konjam pesi Idhayathaiye touch panni padam thayarikiranga..
  Unadhu above letter Mayee-u madhiri irukku
  
  
• From: Sathish (@ 64.222.80.91) on: Sun Nov 18 13:11:53 EST 2001
  
  Hi TNS,
  
  Thank you for the superb spirit you are showing for tamil films. I was actually into the thought that we are being suppressed by others. But if people like you are going to say like this then there is no way that standards of the films are going to improve. From the response, I gather that you havent watched a single tamil movie before and you started watching movies only after LAGAAN. I still agree that Lagaan is a fantastic movie. But if you are not going to appreciate Kamal hassan for his efforts in his movies, then there is no way that you can give credit to aamir or sharuk. Its a joke to compare aamir with kamal, and even aamir knows it. I have a great respect for aamir khan and he is the only actor in hindi cinema to do justification for his films, but comparing him with kamal hassan is too much.
  
  I have heard this argument abt "LAGAAN" from so many people. IS this the only example you have at all. I have hundreds of movies to quote. Lagaan is an exception . I agree. But do you have any other movies to quote.
  
  I just want the reviews to be non-biased and why is the HINDI craze? why are you appreciating hindi movies without standard while you will not appreciate tamil movies with a better standard?
  
  
  "Hey Ram is kaal thoosu of lagaan". Mind your words pls. If you do not understand the class of a movie better do not comment on that. Hey Ram took indian movies to a higher standard. I agree that the multi lingual mixture made the film less enjoyable. But cant you support a film maker who wants to impprove the level of the audience
  ?
  
  i want to end this with a super stars statement
  indha nelamai thodarnthaa thamizh naattai aandavaanalayum kaapaatha mudiyaathu.
  
  regards
  
  
  
• From: kk (@ 198.4.92.5) on: Sun Nov 18 17:27:35 EST 2001
  
  
  But why do we care what Rediff or any north Indian folk thinks about tamil films?.
  
  Let them rot in the same mohabatien kind of movies. who cares!.
  
  
• From: sabesan (@ 172.128.105.93) on: Sun Nov 18 18:13:16 EST 2001
  
  iam not sure in other cases but in case of Alavandaan - its not only North Indian magazines, every review gave it a bad one..... so don't blame it on the Northie guys.... i talked to many of my friends who had seen the movie - and their opinion - "welllll hmmm.... lets say we can watch the movie just for the effort..... not more than that....."..... going by the reviews and what my friends said, i assume that it had a lousy script and screenplay...... if that is the case, then i would call it a JUNK movie..... again i don't want to compare with Laagaan or Hey Ram or whatever movie.... if a movie is JUNK, lets call it one..... just because Kamaal took too much effort does'nt mean that we have to praise the movie..... well, again all IMHO :-)
  
  
• From: NaNbaN (@ 24.254.168.10) on: Sun Nov 18 19:42:17 EST 2001
  
  You discussion topic,area,arguments seems to be in out of place.
  
  
  
• From: :-) (@ 128.107.253.41) on: Mon Nov 19 03:45:36 EST 2001
  
  Satish,
  Let me tell u what this guy, TNS' fav movies wud be...
  
  1. narasimma
  2. dharma
  3. 12ka4
  4. Indian (remake of our great puratchi kalaignar's vallarasu)
  
  
• From: suresh (@ 202.88.155.34) on: Mon Nov 19 07:29:24 EST 2001
  
  Sathish
  
  Did you see "TMSR" and "Abhay" to get all worked up, or did you just pre-judge that a Hindi movie can't be all that good pitted against your idol Kamal's undeniable virtuosity? Unnecessarily, you're sowing the seeds for yet another north-south fight here. Abhay, Hey Raam, and Asoka are bad films, period. They might have been technically excellent in parts, but the fact is that their screenplay, their characterisations were all poor.
  
  Kamal's narcissism is hitting an all-time high, it's only a strong director who can stand upto him these days and restrain him from over-dramatising. His utterances during the Abhay build-up were sheer nonsense. If his boast that "S-E-L's music ushers in a new era of music after IR and ARR" was not a joke, his birthday announcement (later retracted) of a possible entry into politics was a crude PR attempt that fell flat. Similarly, for all of Santosh Sivan's calibre, treating the mythical character of 'Asoka' that a generation of Indian schoolgoers remember with awe with such nonchalance, and having the brand ambassador for dandruff shampoos and instant noodles portray him...
  
  "TMSR" is a better movie than "Abhay", much like how the 'junta' would say that an "Anandham" is a better film than "Hey Raam". It was probably made at a fraction of the 20 crores that Thanu has bled. It didn't get the PR build-up that Abhay or Asoka manipulated so cleverly (or foolishly?), it's possibly simplistic, it might even look old-fashioned for those whose idea of 'international standards' would be whetted by references to necrophilia and LSD, but what the heck, it works!
  
  I suggest you read the foll. reviews of Abhay and TMSR. I found them balanced, having seen both movies. I would've written a more scathing review of Abhay than this (see the review in the current issue of OUtlook, it's closer to my thoughts)
  
  http://movies.thenewspapertoday.com/reviews/reviewtmsr.shtml
  http://movies.thenewspapertoday.com/abhay/review.shtml
  
  Before you accuse me of devious bias, let me tell you that I wasn't terribly impressed with Lagaan either. I thought it was more of a smart marketing package above anything else..
  
  
• From: Sathish (@ 129.42.208.140) on: Mon Nov 19 09:25:01 EST 2001
  
  suresh,
  
  thanks for your valuable comments. I do agree to the fact that I am a bit biased when it comes to reviews. Neither do I want to pick up a north south fight. It is out of sheer selfishness, to get to see good movies that I picked up this thread.
  And it is not the only case which made me write about the reviews. There had been umpteen circumstances where I have been involved with people who tried to force this sort of a comparison( either thru reviews or arguments) and this is just one of them. Maybe I picked up an argument at the wrong moment with wrong words. This is the first time , I am writing in a forum, and I might not have presented the case in a structured manner which gave a different face to the whole issue.
  Leave alone the films that I mentioned, do you still feel that it has been a fair comparison is done when it comes to indian films?
  
  I do agree that the directors should keep the producers in mind and give movies which appeal to the mass audience( anandham..a good example), but there are a lot of people to give that too. There should be some like this too right. You dont want a movie like that from every actor.
  
  What I wanted to emphasise is just this...an applause for effort and non-biased comments when it comes to an open forum. I do agree the flaws that are with hassan, his hype and PR attempts to promote the movie. But there are some things which are there to be appreciated too. If SELs music had created music, it will be proved. Whatever kamal might say, people know that it is not worth mentioning and people have nearly rejected it. I still agree if the reviews comment on the crazy screenplay and illogical situations involved in the movie. HIs performance was never appreciated ...and infact i do not know how to classify the last line of the review.
  ................................................
  For all the disappointment that Kamal has dished out, I would still say a big Yes.
  
  Why? For the sheer technical wizardry of the backroom boys, and for those with a dark sense of humour, to see a demigod fall.
  .................................................
  
  
  If this were a comment passed by word of mouth. Then I would definitely give importance to his likes and dislikes and just think that "its his opinion"
  but this is a common portal , and its just more than a single person's perception.
  Also the awards...maybe as a south indian movie fan I want movies from my language to bag some awards. But wanting sivaji Ganesan to get an award for acting,and Ilayaraaja for music isnt asking for too much I think.If you still think, justice has been done when films were being compared and tamil films have not been ignored during these circumstances, and they were not given credit because of their lack of quality when compared to the award winning actors and composers, then I surrender that I cannot continue this topic any more.
  
  And I do not know ..what more to say. I repeat again, that I do not want to pick up a fight here. I just wanted to know your opinions abt the reviews.
  
  From the replies , I get that TILL NOW, THERE HAS BEEN A VERY FAIR COMPARISON BETWEEN ALL THE INDIAN MOVIES AND JUSTICE HAS BEEN DONE.
  
  I thank all the friends who shared their valuable time and thoughts in this regard.
  
  with regards
  Sathish
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: dhakshan (@ 199.67.138.20) on: Mon Nov 19 09:54:31 EST 2001
  
  Satish, Wait until you read reviews in indiaworld.co.in, then you would realize that rediff reviews are not that bad. I just watched RHTDM. It was far better movie
  than mohabateen, but who cares.
  
  

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