Jiiva turns 40 today
Amar Choudary, the youngest son of producer RB Choudary (Super Good Films), is better known by his screen, Jiiva. Born on 04 January 1984, Jiiva turns 40 today. After beginning his acting career as a child star, he made is adlt debut playing the lead role in his father’s 50th production, Aaasai Aasaiyaai. This film […]
Prabhu…Adapting to a new cine world
G. Prabhu, the son of the legendary Sivaji Ganesan, remains an under-utilised actor in Tamil cinema. Many know that he made his debut as a villain in Sivaji Ganesan’s 1981 film, Sangili, but few know that he was involved in film-making for much longer. His uncle, VC Guhanathan, convinced Sivaji Ganesan to allow Prabhu to […]
Vijayakanth: Tamil Nadu’s own Captain
On the first death anniversary of Vijayakanth – known to his fans and followers as “Captain”, Sigaram looks at his rise in Tamil cinema and Tamil politics against all odds. Vijayakanth’s real name is Vijayaraj Alagarswami. He was born in Madurai on 25 August 1952. From a young age, he showed a deep interest in […]
Remembering MGR
MG Ramachandran – widely known simply as MGR – was one of the most charismatic lead stars of Tamil Cinema. Together with Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan, MG Ramachandran dominated Tamil cinema in its formative years. Bornin Kandy, Sri Lanka, on 17 January 1817, he was introduced to films through American film-maker Ellis R Dungan’s […]
Tamil Cinema and the elusive 1000-crore benchmark – Conclusion
Part 3 This is the conclusion to the article which is an opinion piece on why Tamil cinema has not managed a 1000-crore release to date. The effect of negative reviews A really good film ought to be impervious to negative reviews – it ought to have the resilience to withstand even the harshest criticism […]
History of Tamil Cinema – Part 5: Avvai Shanmugam
Sometimes, in the course of history, the names more documented and better connected earn a permanent place in books, while others – even those who have made significant contributions – are easily forgotten. One person in Tamil cinema history who is undervalued is T.K. Shanmugam. His direct contribution to films has not been properly recorded […]
Tamil Cinema and the elusive 1000-crore benchmark – Episode 2
Episode 1 looked at the current state of the Tamil Industry and provided a background to the question many have recently asked – Why has Tamil cinema failed to record a 1000-crore film? Episode 2 Presentation of Content: Political and Social Ideology Entertainment media could also be used a catalyst for social and political reform, […]
Tamil Cinema and the elusive 1000-crore benchmark – Episode 1
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion became the first Indian film to cross the 1000-crore (Rs 10 Billion) mark in worldwide takings. There are now only 8 Indian films to cross that milestone: 4 Telugu Films (Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, RRR, Kalki and Pushpa 2), 3 Hindi films (Dangal, Jawan and Pathaan) and one Kannada film (KGF: […]
Rajinikanth: The untold story
Rajinikanth is one of the most iconic actors in Tamil film history with a cult-like following that venerates him almost as a God. He turns 74 on Thursday, 12 December but he enjoys adulation from little children to seniors and his fame has spread far beyond the Indian borders. Despite numerous health challenges, he continues […]
History of Tamil Cinema – Part 4
On 5 February 1937 there released a film titled Balayogini released simultaneously in Tamil and Telugu. It is said to be the first children’s film of South India and one of the first strongly socialist films. Director K Subramanyam – C.V. Krishnaswamy Iyer who was greatly influenced by the reformist and revolutionary ideas of his […]