Topic started by Kavitha (@ tide85.microsoft.com) on Thu Jul 29 20:50:36 EDT 2004.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Is it the cine-goers who salute crappy movies and neglect thought-provoking, technically astounding movies?

OR

The exploitative “masala” Tamil film makers who dish out clichéd, crappy movies and assume the cine-goers are fools.

OR

The heroes who insist upon the directors to make crappy films just to involve in "image building" exercise among the cinema watching public and hence quench their own egoistic thirst.

In any case, eventually it's the Tamil cinema watchers who are taken for a ride without their knowledge. Please share your views on this topic here.



OR

The heores who make films just to qucnh

Responses:

• From: Joe (@ palo3.pacific.net.sg) on: Thu Jul 29 21:34:17 EDT 2004
  
  Tamil movie standard is always ahead of Hindi movies.
  
  While Tamil movie standard is rising,Malayalam movie standard is falling from it's original high level.
  
  
• From: anand (@ 210.18.90.1.sify.net) on: Fri Jul 30 00:14:49 EDT 2004
  
  Definitely the taste of the tamil cine goer has come down. This can be explained by hits like "thiruda thirudi", "New", "thulluvadho ilamai" & many others & the failure of "Anbe sivam", "Julie ganapathy" & many other sensible films.
  
  Tamil films may be better than hindi films & malayalam films may be coming down but that is not in any way concerned with the quality of tamil films going down. We should view tamil cinema in isolation.
  
  
• From: Joe (@ palo3.pacific.net.sg) on: Fri Jul 30 00:16:29 EDT 2004
  
  Anand,
  what about the success of 'AutoGraph'?
  
  
• From: Joe (@ palo3.pacific.net.sg) on: Fri Jul 30 00:26:40 EDT 2004
  
  //Definitely the taste of the tamil cine goer has come down. //
  I don't accept this.
  Defenitely the taste of average tamil cine goers increased.
  
  But most of the people who appreciate movies like 'Anbe sivam' ,'Azhagi' ..they stop going to movie halls often and they prefer watch movies at home by VCD.
  
  There are certain levels of audience.
  
  Some sectors of audience gradually avoiding going to movie halls..These people are mostly who blame tamil cinema for not giving good movies ,at the same time don't want to support a good movie by watching it at movie hall,but just watch it by VCD.
  
  Same time,ordinary movie goers still going movie halls ,so no surprise masala movies collect more than much critically acclaimed movies.
  
  But sometimes people do support good movies..
  
  Eg :Autograph
  
  
• From: anand (@ 210.18.90.1.sify.net) on: Fri Jul 30 02:55:08 EDT 2004
  
  Joe,
  I agree, but how many movies can U name like autograph? U say that the people who appreciate good movies see them only in VCD. If that is the case, then movies like autograph would not have run in theatres. It means that majority of the people still prefer watching in movie halls than in VCD. They should encourage more such sensible movies for tamil cinema to flourish.
  
  
  
  
• From: Kumar (@ 203.63.55.177) on: Fri Jul 30 03:02:17 EDT 2004
  
  Anand,
  you'd be surprised at the number of VCDs that people watch rather than watchingcit in the cinema. Just out of experience of being in Singapore, I know for a fact many Singaporeans watch VCDs rather than going to the movies. Here in Australia (at least in Brisbane) there are absolutley no cinemas playing Tamil movies; there is a Tamil population (probably less than 3000) and their only source is VCDs or DVDs.
  
  
• From: Kumar (@ 203.63.55.177) on: Fri Jul 30 03:06:50 EDT 2004
  
  As Joe said, people do support good movies, despite masala movies doing very well. But keep in mind though that even the masala movies have improved; the quality of commercial films in terms of cinematography has improved. They are more slicker, good editing, good action, and even some substance in the stories. There's still room for improvement.
  
  But you cannot discount movies like Autograph, Hey Ram, etc. They are well made movies and more people do notice movies like these.
  
  
• From: Thamizhan (@ 61.2.34.183) on: Fri Jul 30 08:38:50 EDT 2004
  
  'Autograph' is an exception,other than that definetely tamil cine goers largely don't support creative efforts.Films like 'Anbe sivam' ,KM are flops and that is enough to explain.
  BTW,in my opinion...the point that made 'Autograph',a winning film is that Cheran cleverly managed to make a movie with ingredients of romance,friendship,family sentiment (all very much coming under the norms of a successful commercial tamil movie)taken from the life of a common man,but he presented it in a simple and effective style without much content or philosopies thrown in.That made the crowd support the movie.Usually it's the sentimental touch or a sense of their-own-life-seen-on-screen effect that makes a movie a hit.Examples are movies like 'Azhagi'(with those cute village school scenes),'Autograph'.
  Or it must be a movie with abundant heroism,racy screenplay mixed with double entendres,dappaangoothu et al.(examples may exhaust this space..)
  
  
• From: Thamizhan (@ 61.2.34.183) on: Fri Jul 30 08:40:12 EDT 2004
  
  contd...
  
  Else movies which have content which are different for the heck of being different(with subtlety,plausibility,sensibility set aside) movies like 'Pithamagan' fall in this category.
  
  Other than that tamil cine goers are not much interested in artistically inclined creations,even movies like KM made in an acceptable commercial format failed to capture the audiences,jus because it showed them a story of adoption and ethinic crisis which are not the topics that a common man can relate to or enjoy....so there is no more scope for Dirs like Mahendran here after.Tamil film goers are not in anyway open to great creative efforts.'Autograph'..is a cleverly made film..cheran is clever,but nothing great anyway to rave it as a masterpiece..
  
  Main stream malayalam movies have always been light hearted comedies or some of that sorts....those artistic flicks by masters like Adoor are there.
  
  
• From: Joe (@ bbcache-10.singnet.com.sg) on: Fri Jul 30 12:19:37 EDT 2004
  
  If Anbe sivam came 15 years before,I think it could be a hit..You know..at the time audience who appreciate movies like Anbe sivam had no choice other than watch it in movie hall.But now 90 % of the same kind of audience are waiting for 'Anbe Sivam' VCD rather than go to movie hall.
  
  Defenitely there are promising young directors like Cheran,Bala who can change the face of tamil Cinema.
  
  At least educated people must appreciate real talents..see..kamal hassan made us proud by bringing Asian Best film award..who cares? Do we give due respect and appreciation to him? I think we tamilians have some complex ..we don't appreciate if one of us go high level..but appreciate some stranger achive anything.What is this hypocracy?
  
  
• From: suresh (@ 61.95.227.148) on: Sat Jul 31 02:57:17 EDT 2004
  
  :-)
  
  joe,
  
  // Do we give due respect and appreciation to him? //
  
  the film has collected well.
  had won some awards.
  kamal is acredited with new feathers.
  picacy is minimised.
  
  - i think he has given due respect and appreciation. is it not ?
  
  :-)
  
  

Want to post a response?