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Hey Ram - Breaking new ground

Topic started by cram (@ 206.103.12.102) on Fri Feb 18 04:07:04 EST 2000.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

just back from watching Hey Ram. straightaway i can say it's a must-see. the first half is simply awesome, but the second doesn't quite live up to the initial impact. highlights are of course, IR's scintillating BGM (now we know what he was talking about when he said this would be a first in Indian cinema). and it's not just violins, he's used quite a bit of percussion, synthesiser, mesmerising flute...simply magnificent.
screenplay, dialogues, song picturisation, kamal's acting (especially in certain scenes like when Rani Mukherjee is raped and murdered), cinematography, sets, editing are all top notch. rest of the cast has also done a great job, with atul kulkarni coming out with flying colours.
kudos to Kamal for such a daring attempt. wish we had more like him.

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Responses:

• From: Krishnan (@ tower.ti.com) on: Fri Feb 18 04:58:52 EST 2000
  
  Great! Can you put it in detail.
  
  
• From: cram (@ 206.103.12.102) on: Fri Feb 18 05:11:41 EST 2000
  
  sure, krishnan
  hold on for a while
  
  
• From: kk (@ bbndrel5.net.external.hp.com) on: Fri Feb 18 05:18:59 EST 2000
  
  please! dont put down spoilers cram carefull.
  
  
• From: Krishnan (@ tower.ti.com) on: Fri Feb 18 05:51:03 EST 2000
  
  Yes! its correct. We should encourage people like
  Kamal/IR who can make awesome in all endeavours. So please don't try to elaborate the flaws even if there are some (atleast for few days).
  
  
• From: sam (@ ip89.toronto13.dialup.canada.psi.net) on: Fri Feb 18 07:05:05 EST 2000
  
  Here is the first review of Hey Ram by Mid Day of Bombay:
  
  Kamal Haasan excels himself as a harried archaelogist in this meticulously researched film about Partition and its effects on individuals
  
  
  Kamal Haasan as Saket Ram in Hey Ram
  By Deepa Gahlot
  
  
  A meticulously researched and detailed film like Hey Ram is a rarity in Indian cinema. Kamal Haasan has obviously spared no effort or expense in constructing this period film set during the madness of Partition. When an archaeologist Saket Ram (Kamal Haasan) sees his wife (Rani Mukherjee) raped and killed in a savage frenzy of communal riots, he becomes obsessed with revenge. He gets fixated on the idea that Gandhi was responsible for Partition and participates in a plot to assassinate him.
  
  But before he can carry out the plan, he runs into his old Muslim friend Amjad (Shah Rukh Khan) and is forced to realise the futility of hatred. Kamal Haasan has practically the whole film to himself and a range of emotions to portray, but the work of some of the supporting actors is impressive too, notably Shah Rukh Khan sportingly doing a small part, Vasundhara Das as Ram’s bewildered bride, Atul Kulkarni as a Hindu extremist and of course Naseeruddin Shah’s affectionate portrayal of Gandhi. The film could have been more tightly structured and the characterisations not so pat, but it is definitely a film to see carefully and think about.
  
  Rating: Go see it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Sam (@ ip89.toronto13.dialup.canada.psi.net) on: Fri Feb 18 07:11:20 EST 2000
  
  Here comes the second review. I discarded the story of the film.
  
  Overall it is a highly watchable film, which has some ace performances by Kamal Haasan and Shah Rukh Khan, the latter stands out in the film inspite of having a miniscule role.
  
  Of the female cast, Rani looks very pretty as the Bengali wife and even recites some Bengali poetry. The other female also has a very lucid charm bearing innocence. In short the girls have looked very sensuous in their censor-sensitive scenes.
  
  Technically the film is brilliant and has some very well morphed scenes. The scene were Saket and his second wife are in conjugal bliss and the wife metamorphoses into a gun, rightfully depicting fixation for his cause, deserves special mention. Not much can be said though about the songs of the film, except for Chahe pandit ho,….. Janmo ki Jwala and the title soundtrack.
  
  Finally, members of the Sangh Parivar are going to have a field day seeing this film, as the first half has a lot of indirect references to their ideology.
  
  A last word of advice, just go and watch this film as soon as you can, because banning and creating a furore over such rabble-rousing movies is very much in nowadays.
  
  ratings ****/*****
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Neels (@ 202.54.125.154) on: Fri Feb 18 08:34:56 EST 2000
  
  Sam,
  In the Mid-Day review by Deepa Gahlot, you forgot to add the Title:
  
  "Three hurrahs for Hey Ram!"
  
  I think that says it all.
  I can't wait to see the film.
  
  Neels
  
  
• From: Krishnan (@ tower.ti.com) on: Fri Feb 18 08:54:12 EST 2000
  
  Same review in the following site
  
  http://www.mid-day.com/www/2000/2/18/bollywood/news/162612/
  
  
• From: cram (@ 206.103.12.102) on: Fri Feb 18 10:27:38 EST 2000
  
  check out what chennai-ites have to say: www.chennaionline.com/entertainment/listreviews.asp?moviename=Hey+Ram
  
  
• From: cram (@ 206.103.12.102) on: Fri Feb 18 10:28:21 EST 2000
  
  sorry here's the link:
  
  http://www.chennaionline.com/entertainment/listreviews.asp?moviename=Hey+Ram
  
  
• From: bb (@ desert-34.slip.uiuc.edu) on: Fri Feb 18 11:16:00 EST 2000
  
  ingE 27th thaan paakka mudiyum:(
  
  
• From: Karthik (@ netcache31.mot.com) on: Fri Feb 18 11:52:39 EST 2000
  
  Yet another review
  
  http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2000/feb/18ram.htm
  
  
• From: Karthik (@ netcache31.mot.com) on: Fri Feb 18 11:56:21 EST 2000
  
  Oops, that a'int really a review. Had a hard time understanding what the heck it was all about.
  
  
• From: Venky (@ 207.18.199.140) on: Fri Feb 18 12:06:41 EST 2000
  
  Saw Hey!Ram yesterday.
  
  By now everyone knows the story. The film opens with Saketh Ram's (Kamal) grandson and a doctor (Abbaas) treating Saketh Ram at his house. The year is 1997. The grandson starts narrating the story/fiction to the doctor told by Saketh about himself.
  
  Saketh Ram (Kamal) an archeologist from Thanjavur works with Amjath Khan (Shah rukh khan) in Mohenjodaro. He goes to Calcutta to visit his to-be-married wife Aparna (Rani Mukharjee). Year : 1946. Aparna gets raped and killed in the Hindu-Muslim riot. Saketh gets kinda mad and starts killing the muslims. Once he calms down he repents for his action. In this incident, he meets Abhyankar – a Hindu rebel, who belongs to the school which thinks that Gandhi is responsible for all the bad happenings. Abhyankar tries to pull Saketh to his side, but Saketh was indecisive. Saketh goes back to his home town and gets married to Mythili (Vasundara das). Haunted by the bad memories of Calcutta, Saketh often gets haunted by the Calcutta riot. He then visits Abhyankar & a Maharaja in Maharashtra and takes the charge of killing Mahatma Gandhi (Naseeruddeen shah)…
  
  What happens after that ? "veLLith thiraiyil kaaNga" ;-))
  
  This is Kamal's first complete film as a director, and he has just excelled in it. With this movie, he has proved that he is one of the best directors in India now. He has shown a new dimension of filming to Indian film industry. His acting is at pinnacle. The star cast is endless, Hema malini, Om puri, Nassar, Girish Karnad, Vaali, YG Mahendran, VS Raghavan, Delhi Ganesh, Sowkar Janaki, & Vaiyaapuri (!) – apart from the actors listed above. Everyone has acted very aptly to the role they have been given. The movie is sure to get lots of National & a handful of international awards.
  
  BGM of Ilayaraja has peaked in many scenes. Even the songs which I thought mediocre went really well with the situation. Especially the Vaishnava Janatho, AandaaL paasurangaL, sanyasa slogam etc… 'Nee paartha paarvaikku' is just outstanding. That tune comes all along the movie in BGM whenever Kamal remembers Calcutta and Rani. Just brilliant ! But the 'symphonic' background all along the movie wasn't very impressive (sorry for saying this), except of course a few places. Probably in DTS it may be very good. 'Ram Ram' song was wasted by being used for the title which they show at the end. I think they should have used for the title in the beginning of the movie. I won't be surprised if Ilayaraja gets a resurrection because of this film.
  
  Having said all the good things about the movie, let me list the BAD news about it 
  
  The movie is going to be a FLOP in Tamilnadu ! :-)) Because, 60% of the dialogues are in English. 20% in Hindi. 5% in Marathi & Bengali. Even the rest 15% of Tamil dialogues are hard to understand because of the non-Tamil actors' pronunciation. (Remember : This movie is filmed with an on-site sound recording. So, there is no dubbing voice and the actors' original voice is used in the movie). So, in Tamilnadu, I am not sure if people will understand the movie and the dialogues. Moreover, in some places of the first half the movie is little dragging, and you get a feeling of watching a documentary.
  
  Anyway, IMO the movie is a MUST-SEE, for the acting of Kamal, the direction of Kamal, for the music & BGM of Ilayaraja and just for the sake of the film being an historical milestone of Tamil and Indian Film Industry.
  
  - Venky Narayanan (a.k.a. Thaths)
  
  
• From: thaths (@ 207.18.199.140) on: Fri Feb 18 12:10:15 EST 2000
  
  ooops... forgot to add a few things.
  
  * Kamal dominates the movie pretty much.
  * Apart from Kamal, Shah rukh, Vasundara & Rani mukharjee have significant roles.
  * Shah rukh has done a great job. Vasundara is also very cute and casual in her acting
  
  
• From: Ramki (@ ptp127.telsoft.net) on: Fri Feb 18 12:40:41 EST 2000
  
  Am I in Forumhub or TFM-DF??
  
  If this thread was started to discuss the background music of hey ram then we already have a thread for background music in permanent thread section.
  
  Whats next-Review of 'Alai paiyudhe'The film(not the music?)
  
  
• From: neruppu (@ abdf51fe.ipt.aol.com) on: Fri Feb 18 12:53:05 EST 2000
  
  Ramki,
  enna neenga?! aedho konjam hotnews kidaikkuthennu paartha vida mAttingalae!!-))
  consider this a sepaerate thread for diggressions!-)))
  
  
• From: Ramki (@ ptp127.telsoft.net) on: Fri Feb 18 13:05:31 EST 2000
  
  Neruppu hot news ingae kudukkarthakku padhile
  ingae forumhub.com/tfilms kudukka solren.
  
  Let us restrict this forum for music discussions alone :)
  
  
  
• From: thaths (@ 207.18.199.140) on: Fri Feb 18 13:11:12 EST 2000
  
  sorry ramki.. ;-))
  
  bb: ramki solradhum correct-dhaan. please close this thread and link it to forumhub/tfilms ;-)
  
  

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