{mosimage}When malayalam movie directors make their films in Tamil, they have one musical force to rely on according to their melody music tastes - none other than "Maestro" Illayaraja. Still we are being haunted and entertained by Fazil - Illayaraja combination that brought us many eternal scores like "Poove Poochooda Vaa" , "Kadahalukku Mariyadhai" and latest by "Oru Naal Oru Kanavu" irrespective of their box-office status. When Priyadarshan debuted in Tamil movies with "Gopura Vaasalile..", Illayaraja greeted him with some evergreen melodies. Now it is Malayalam script writer Lohitadas's turn to present with some Tamil melodies. Coming to Tamil "Kasthurimaan", most of the song situations are faithful to its original situations, one new song has been added. This is Meera Jasmine second chance of lip syncing to Illayaraja's songs.

{mosimage}Parineeta is a timeless tale written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, better known as the author of Devdas. This novel has been remade as movie already two times with legendary Meena Kumari and Moushmi Chatterjee reprising the lead roles in those versions. Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Pradeep Sarkar had adapted this novel for the third time, shifting the mileu to early sixties against the original in the beginning of last century. Parineeta happens to be one of the under-rated novels of Sarat Chandra and when it comes to the capable hands like of Pradeep Sarkar, it ends up becoming a classic. Debutante Vidya Balan who happens to be the Pradeep Sarkar's beloved protegee takes up the center stage in the latest version.

Before I get into this article let me confess that I was one of the active anti-Illayaraja Rahman fan, when the whizkid made waves with Roja & Gentleman. I used to call ARR as "Isaipuyal" AR Rahman, little did I realise that storm will subside after a point leaving everything in shambles, while the breeze even though slow will be soothing ever. The transition is like new neighbour's beautiful wife getting more attention, after sometime when you look at your wife you realise her worth and love her still more. Today I proudly say that Illayaraja is my demi-God in music and I had got a chance to live through his creations. Infact I love and value his songs even more than when he was at his prime. This article is purely my viewpoint on how I became his ardent fan and on what I am hearing now.

{mosimage}Logically speaking, this movie should be one of the earliest movie reviews I should have written, because it is a movie that was instrumental in turning me towards malayalam movies for a wholesome sensible entertainment. Niram has a sweet memory associated with it. It is the first movie I went with Preetha in Coimbatore. It is the movie that made me literally fall in love with Kunchacko Boban and Vidyasagar, skyrocketing them to my all-time favourites. It is the movie that introduced me a master movie maker - Kamal. Above all it is the first VCD of my personal VCD collection. A sad thing associated with this was a good bye movie of my favourite actress - Shalini.

{mosimage}It is a beautiful Hinduatani raaga, that is claimed to bring down rains when sung with faith and belief. Tansein is the name that comes to our mind along with this raaga. When there is so much of compassion and sweetness in this raaga, how much of sensitivity must be there in a movie associated with this name? Coming to movie, this is a non commercial venture aimed at making good cinema by Asianet TV & Mathrubhoomi, the leading publishing house of Kerala. With no commercial pressures but added responsibility of making a good movie with the parameters given, Kamal does it effortlessly at the time making it a tight rope walk over thousand nails. A small mistake would have made this cult movie a crass third rate semi porno stuff. "Meghamalhar" is a beautiful love story of two married individuals told with a lyrical quality.

{mosimage}Can cinematographers make good directors? After working with the top directors so closely and learning the craft, I think they get the itch to direct a movie someday. Going by the track record of cinematographers turned directors who had succesfully ventured into other domains, the answer seems to be YES. PC Sriram made slick action thriller "Kuruthipunal" and sensitive "Vaanam vasappadum". KV Anand continued with a gripping thriller "Kanaa Kandein" while Jeeva made an abstract "12B' and followed it up with "Ullam Ketkume..". Just now I watched "Ullam Ketkume..." and was cleanly bowled over by its narrative structure, not only stylish visuals but equally emotional vein too.

{mosimage}Mazha - A disturbing musical journey of an young girl into the womanhood was scripted and directed by noted film maker Lenin Rajendran had Samyukta varma in the lead role. It was a mile stone in Samyukta's acting career also. It is a part of my VCD library and I had a chance to see it again after a long time after coming to UAE. I felt it deserves a wide audience and thus writing to you all, recommending to see it. I had seen it once again in Surya TV when I was in India and I hope you all will catch up when it comes in Surya TV again.

{mosimage}I was in my 7th Std., when "Geetanjali" or Idhayathai Thirudathey (in Tamil) was released. The phrase "Odi polaamaa...?" was a craze then all over Tamil Nadu, so did "Laichi pothama...?" in Andhra after release of this movie. I watched it on video (Pirated VHS tapes were in vogue then) and didn't find anything interesting except watching that 3 minute long kiss scene secretly. I asked what a rubbish movie, except hero & heroine are shouting at each other. But as the years passed by the sensitiveness & discerning quality imbibed by aging, when happened to see "Geetanjali" on a Valentine's Day, telecast in ETV, found it eternally romantic. Nagarjuna became my romantic icon forever.

When K.V Anand, who used to mesmerise me with his magical camera works, announced that he'll be wielding the megaphone of Kana Kandein, the reason was just enough to set the adrenalin rush. When I came to know that it is the debut movie of my heart throb Prithviraj in tamil movies, I was counting the days for its release. Do I need to say that presence of my other favourites Gopika & music by Vidaysagar just added the excitement? Somewhere I read in an interview of K.V Anand that he was making a "commercial" movie with three fights and five songs including a carbaret number. Admitted he made the movie within the commercial parameters but how much he dared to be different makes us to applaud Anand for his directorial debut vehicle.

When a widower is being wooed by three woman, isn't he the real "handsome" guy? It just sums one of my favourite movie "Azhagan", starring some of my all time favourites - Mamooty, Madhubala & directed by evergreen K. Balachander. It is a simple yet sensitive movie that covers almost all emotions beautifully, laced with lighter vein scenes. This is one movie I still go on my knees to watch it, the reasons are more than one for being so.

Had you ever felt that you are watching a timeless creation, which makes you look at with awe, when you see the movie that you had run down initially? I felt it when I was seeing Maniratnam's "Dil Se…." this Thursday night on a cable network here. I still remember the way I saw it on the release date filled with loads of excitement and expectations, when I was doing my Engineering in Salem. I was really disappointed and I 'advised' lots of my friends not to go for it. A couple of years later, I watched it from halfway in Zee Cinema, but found it still better this time.

Once while I was talking to my friend about the love stories, I said we Indians are more voyeuristic than any other race in the world. That’s why we have so much of love stories churned out in every form of literature either it be books or sculptures or even movies. He said voyeuristic is something else. Yeah I admit, voyeuristic means " getting pleasure by watching two individuals indulging in pleasure activities like sex", but it is not widely different from our romantic offerings. I think most of those who enjoy love stories somewhere put themselves in the lead characters and derive happiness. I don’t deny that sometimes while seeing some romantic scenes I connect myself to the protagonists, and I am putting the favourite romantic scenes that touched me all these days.