Fresh starts
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Short takes Ganesh’s bid for an image makeover fell through, while Rajnikanth moves on to Robot
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Photo: AFP
Sci fi Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is all set to star opposite Rajnikanth in Robot
‘Golden Star’ Ganesh’s bid for an image makeover from motor mouth to muscle man has failed. It was a half-hearted attempt with the makers not wanting to mess around with his image. The film written by Janardhan Maharishi is as brainless as his previous yarn, “Bindaas” and is a mishmash of several Telugu pot-boilers. We have a hapless commissioner of police who is unable to protect his daughter, the heroine, from goons. He thinks the only person who can keep her safely is a vagabond, who is of course our hero. Now heroine hates him but agrees to stay with him and his cronies without a whimper. Hero sets about playing mind games with the goons with plans so puerile it wouldn’t convince a child. Anyway fans decided that “Bombat” was Thumba Sumaru and the film sank. Ramya, who looks svelte, will be unaffected and will hold on to her prima donna position but Ganesh needs to do some serious thinking. He endeared himself to audiences but is finding it difficult to keep his place in their hearts without repeating himself.
*** The debacle of “Kuselan” should make every actor realize that even the biggest of stars cannot save a bad film. The failure has sent the Tamil film industry into a tailspin. To compound things, “Satyam”, starring Vishal, a mega budget action extravaganza sank without a trace.
It was not surprising because both films were terribly made and deserved their fate at the box-office. Only two films have turned out to be super-hits so far this year. “Dashavatharam” is one but the surprise is “Subramanyapuram” a low-budget venture sans stars. This reiterates the fact that the story should be the sole star of a film.
Contrary to rumours Rajnikanth is not doing a quickie to compensate the affected exhibitors. He has offered to give them a percentage of their losses which as of now has not been appreciated by the affected. Rajni meanwhile is winging off to South America for a month long schedule of the magnum opus “Robot”. His fans will be waiting with bated breath because the director is Shanker and the heroine is Aishwarya Rai. Rahman scores the music and cinematography is by Ratnavelu.
*** Ramya has worked in a short film penned by cinematographer, director Rajiv Menon and had promised a tryst when he visited next knowing we share a common passion for Carnatic music. The rain gods decided to play spoilsport. There was chaos and for the first time I was caught on JC Road for what seemed like eternity. Ramya wanting to know what was causing the delay passed on the phone to Rajeev. We got talking and when he mentioned the legendary MD Ramanathan I told him I loved his rendition of a Thyagaraja krithi in the raga Sahana. To my utter disbelief I was treated to Rajiv’s rendition of the song in MDRs unique unhurried style. Rajeev’s sonorous singing de-stressed me immediately and made me oblivious of the incessant honking around me. Good singers are seldom blessed with striking looks but Rajeev is a rare exception.
sshivu@yahoo.com
S. SHIVA KUMAR
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