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Tamil film industry is more of HYPE than substance

Topic started by Khandekar (@ 203.197.129.33) on Mon Jun 21 17:10:09 EDT 1999.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Tamil film industry is more of hype than substance.Sivaji is touted as a great actor when he is more of overacting than of any real acting.
Rajinikanth is regarded as a superstar.What he does is a few gimmicks!and Illayaraja is considered a genius!when he is nowhere compared to SD and RD Burman.Tamil film industry has to get away with hype and look for some substance.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: kiru (@ surf0004.sybase.com) on: Fri Jun 25 14:07:46 EDT 1999
  
  You are funny pg !!
  Amit, I said 'more commercial than creative'.
  I cant be more explicit !!
  
  
• From: TF_FAN (@ nat01smurugap.sgum.mci.com) on: Fri Jun 25 14:56:52 EDT 1999
  
  TF industry is more of hype than substance? Oru aLavukku unmai (eg. MR, ARR; not Sivaji, IR, etc.). HF industry, as of now, is only hype; no substance. While others have written everything to convince Khandekar (I hope he's convinced) that IR is miles ahead than any other Indian MD, I've to say that calling Shivaji as an overrated actor is not correct. (sorry for discussing this here) Of course, he overacts some times. But, if you take a lot of films (in the 60s, 70s), you can understand why this man is called the "nadippu palgalaikkazhagam". Happened to see "Vidi VeLLi" and "Nenjirukkum Varai" few days back. Both the films were directed by Sridhar. Shivaji shows why he is called a genius. Brilliant acting (no over-acting stuff and all). I doubt if any other actor in India could ever give such a performance.
  
  
• From: Khandekar (@ 203.197.130.76) on: Sat Jun 26 15:31:53 EDT 1999
  
  Many people here have replied to my accusation of hype in Tamil film industry by citing hype and junk in Hindi film industry.When I accused Tamil film industry it doesn't mean that I deny the existence and hype in other film industries.Hype and junk are typical of many FIs.(Malayalam and Bengali film industries are somewhat mature).Present day Hindi industry doesn't have any substance in it.Modern day hindi music composers are a disgrace to music(and they have the audacity to call themselves music composers!).And I do not understand how Govinda's films are so popular.His acting is disgraceful and his dress sense!unparelleled(Ramarajan might be a close competitor!).But what I want to maintain is heroworship is maximum here.Almost to ludicrous extremes.Some two years back the well known Tamil magazine"Kalki" carried out an article critizising the acting of Prabhu in a film.The very next week the mag received a highly threatening letter from members of a Prabhu fan club stating not to repeat such criticisms in future,and the letter was signed with the blood of all those fans!Just imagine what would have been the plight of the mag had it carried a similar article about Rajinikanth.Criticism is a right of everyone .But I am sure that if anyone criticizes Rajinikanth in public here,he would be killed literally.
  And I have heard about a temple built in honour of Kushboo!I am quite sure that heroworship to this extent is not to be found anywhere.I don't think its clever to justify hype and heroworship in one industry by citing instances from other industries.Such things wherever it may be found is condemnable.
  
  
• From: KSS (@ spider-tq084.proxy.aol.com) on: Sat Jun 26 21:18:38 EDT 1999
  
  Some Stuff about IR everyone knows
  
  1. 700+ movies
  2. First Indian to compose a symphony
  3. Two great widely acclaimed Albums (HTNI and Nothing but wind)
  4. Person who has composed and also written songs in Tamil AND Sanskrit
  5. Someone who has successfully composed in an extremely wide variety of genres.
  6. First person to compose a song in Aarohanam (ascent) alone.
  7. Someone who can instantly compose for a Re-Recording after seeing the film just once.
  7. Person highly appreciated by Indian and Western Musicians.
  8. Millions of fans in India and abroad.
  9. Someone whom we haven't seen the end of as yet.
  
  HYPE ? Think again.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: hari (@ abd7db2a.ipt.aol.com) on: Sat Jun 26 23:11:58 EDT 1999
  
  khandekar,
  Ya, most of things, you said r right. But compared to HFM, TFM is far behind in hypes and all this. Go and check all the latest reviews, salman khan's acting is appreciated as great,or
  ajay devagan portrayed as a great actor. Fans are fans everywhere, why cant u go and say something bad about RDB in RMIM, or about KK there and let me know, what kind of treatment, you will get there. MY only problem is, comparing RDB ( K, I can tolerate SDB) with IR. WHy cant u substantiate your claims, instead of telling all this story, everyone here is aware of and ready to acknowledge.
  e.hari
  
  
• From: Scottraja (@ j38.dms35.jaring.my) on: Sat Jun 26 23:52:55 EDT 1999
  
  Hype? People like Maniratnam, shankar, and quite a number of other directors who constantly promise to do something different, but give nothing except lavishly prepared music videos in between some dialogues. Bharatiraja, Balu mahendra , balachander and of course IR are the saving grace(Thank God )
  
  
• From: Velaiyaththavan (@ 129.252.22.112) on: Sun Jun 27 01:59:21 EDT 1999
  
  Raj:
  
  yEdho ennai ninaichchukkitta maadhiri irukkEy ? :-)
  
  
• From: Raj (@ master.hyd.deshaw.com) on: Sun Jun 27 02:09:19 EDT 1999
  
  Velai: You bet ;-)). Half my time is spent in breaking my head about your identity:))
  Naan unnai ninaikkatha naal illaiye...
  Che, ennaiyum oru velaiyathavan aakittiyepa;-)))
  (Hope you dont mind the singular address)
  
  
  
• From: Velaiyaththavan (@ 129.252.22.112) on: Sun Jun 27 04:34:57 EDT 1999
  
  naNbane, enadhu uyir naNbanE.. nee viLippathai eppadi thavaraaga ninaikka mudiyum ?
  
  Do not look for me outside yourself (,please :-) ). I am there deep inside you (ref:ennaiyum oru velaiyathavan aakittiyepa) :-)
  
  matravargaL thavaraaga ninaikka vENdAm. Just thought the thread was going too hot !!
  
  vaazhga vElaiyinmai !
  
  :-)
  
  
• From: karthi (@ 1cust34.tnt1.rantoul.il.da.uu.net) on: Sun Jun 27 23:50:45 EDT 1999
  
  Khandekar,
  
  Thamizh Naatula vaLarndhu, Tamil Films and Music kettukittu ippadi oru "nyaayamilladha" thread aarambikka maha nenju dhariyam veNum! Eppadi sir, eppadi?
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.157) on: Mon Jun 28 00:41:01 EDT 1999
  
  Khandekar!
  Since this is a forum for music alone, can you please limit the discussions to that area? Your arguements are all about Prabhu, Rajini, Kushboo and people like them, which IMHO do not fit this forum. (forumhub.com is a more appropriate place)
  
  Come on, talk about IR, who is the LEAST hyped talent in India! Reply to all the above postings as to why he cannot be called a genius and what way his music & talents are inferior to that of the DBs? Just making a bla-bla statement (he is nowhere near SDB/RDB) and not substantiating it with any data is close to the definition of HYPE!!!
  
  
• From: M.Ariff (@ brk-22-33.tm.net.my) on: Sat Jul 3 23:28:24 EDT 1999
  
  i see a madness in TMF about a dying race horse -the once great IR. stop this ! stop leaving in the past. look forward to some young talents. i feel sorry for these tamils who like to spend their time in the grave yards when their own young one is making waves in the birriliant green fields of the whole of india and else where.
  
  
• From: Madhan (@ 202.41.117.62) on: Sun Jul 4 05:39:40 EDT 1999
  
  Khandekar,
  
  TF being a hype is true only to some extent - but compared to the kind of hype that surrounds dumbos in the HF industry, the hype in TF industry is nothing .I can give many examples:
  
  1. Amitabh Bachhan does not have even half the talent , versatility of Kamal Hassan - but look at the hype AB has received throughout.
  
  2.The French govt. which had long back forgotten about its own Chevalier Award , kind of "reactivates" it and bestows it on Sivaji Ganesan.
  
  3.Ilayaraaja - to talk about him and his musical prowess, one needs to have some "Yogyadhai" , I dare say - when everybody were going gaga about the HFM of the mid 70s, this unknown man from a village virtually shut off HFM from the South - that itself is a great achievement - and thereafter, can you name any one area in music IR has not covered ?
  
  
  Chords.
  
  Chords progression.
  
  Innovations in chords.
  
  Innovations in Bass.
  
  Innovations in Pitch.
  
  Innovations in tonal variations.
  
  Innovations in usage of Carnatic, Hindustani, Folk, Western classical, Rock, even Jazz .
  
  Standardisation of Background Music elevating it to the status of another genre of his repertoire and innovations in the same.
  
  Doing all the above to suit the mood and making of the situation, scene in a movie and the movie as a whole.
  
  Doing all the above in such a fashion that one would not have heard anything like it anywhere else.
  
  Doing all the above in record time - do you know that there is an unpublished record in Prasad Studios where IR has finished the BGM for FIVE MOVIES in just around 8 days' time - do you know that one of these five movies is MR's "IDhayathai Thirudaadhey" the BGM of which is rated as one of the best ever in Indian Cinema - such things are never published anywhere and still IR carries on with his incredible stuff and you dare call him HYPED UP - watch your words, Mr.Khandekar -
  
  Taking music beyond just films and foraying into musical crossovers and thereby getting accolades from giants like Zubin Mehta, Joseph Egar, Pt.Hariprasad Chaurasia,Paul Mauriat Naushad etc..
  
  Creating an UNIQUE NICHE for himself not only in the Film world but in music world as such.
  
  Have you heard of Semmangudi Sreenivasa Iyer, the grand oldman of Carnatic Music - he has openly declared thus : "I know Mr.Ilayaraaja is a great film music composer. But today I have realised that he is much much more than that- the title ISAI GYANI is right and apt for him- may the Almighty bless him with a long life so that he may serve the music field for a long time" after listening to IR's classical compositions.
  
  Mr.Khandekar, surely you would not refute Semmangudi's comments, would you ?
  
  Come on, in the morning, our man composes a song with a Carnatic base, in the afternoon composes a song in Rock style, in the evening composes a song in Western Classical style and a song in folk style - believe me, all this in a day's or two days' time - he has done it on several occasions - I have heard such anecdotes from many musicians. And you equate a rare genius like IR to HYPE !!
  
  If at all there is hype, it is all in the HF industry, which couldn't accept a genius like Kamal Hassan and instead snubbed his career in HF industry during the mid 80s - again because Kamal Hassan was not made up for the hyped up HFI - and he is blessed for that --
  
  Last but not the least, let me add something else - HYPE or not, the Film Industry in the South has never ever got its fingers dirtied with the underworld like the HFI - "Seiyyum Thozhiley Dheivam" - "Work IS Worship" is the motto of the Film Industry down South - about the Work Culture in HFI , the less said the better - losses crossing Rs.200 crores every year mainly due to cancellation of schedules, throwing up of parties and exorbitant rates of actors who never deserved even 1/10 th of what they get including AMitabh Bacchan et al. But still the hype goes on in the HFI -
  
  How much hype is associated with directors like Mahendran, Balu Mahendra and their likes who have given gems in TFI - compare this with the hype the Film Industry people in the North get -
  
  Mr.Khandekar, go home, have a glass of milk if required use a POOP-CEE feeding bottle and go to sleep - if you get nightmares, save yourself
  
  
• From: Nithin (@ chf-il3-124.ix.netcom.com) on: Sun Jul 4 11:47:48 EDT 1999
  
  Genius, alas thy worth is also questioned. Well said, Madan.
  
  
  

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