My favorite “KB moments”
By
The Nagesh-Major Sundarrajan
interactions in “Ethir Neechal”—
their
mentor-protégé relationship is beautifully depicted in the movie. My
favorite scene of course is the sequence where Nagesh
is accused of cheating and Major reasons out his
innocence with just one line of dialogue.
The
conundrum in “Aboorva Raagangall” – hitherto, one of the most complex
riddles I’ve come across. I’m referring to the “en thandhaikku
yaar maamanaaro” line which
gets its true significance in the second half of the movie. I love the
moment when Major tells Kamal, “nee thaan paa indha
kaellvigalukku Nayagan,”
leading to the mesmerizing melody sung by Vani Jayaram.
‘Conscience’
in “Moondru Mudichu” – The crise
de conscience of the Rajni character is what lends a
touch of humanity to the villainous role. The mendicant who pops up at
crucial moments and the rationale for the mysterious character as explained in
the footnote of the movie [“Vidhaikkindra pozhudhile vilangaadha manasaakshi…villaivukku pin viraindhu varum manasaakshi“] are sparkling directorial touches.
“Nizhal Nijamaagiradhu”—Shoba’s volte face in the end.
Tamil Cinema is unfortunate to have not seen more of this fabulous character
artiste. The way she conveys her final decision in no uncertain terms is
a stroke of genius.
“Avargall”— a great and a mite underrated performance by Kamal Haasan. In his final
scene he elicits a gasp and says, “Kaadhal niraivu kudukkara sandoshatha vida Kaadhal ninaivu kudukkara sandhosham enakku podhum.” This line
provides a wonderful moment of closure for the character.
“Nool Veli” – Sujatha’s conversation with the censor board
officials. I love the dialogues in the scene where she calls them and
reneges on her initial assessment. It’s a small moment but adds an extra
dimension to the movie.
“Thillu Mullu”—can anyone who has seen this movie ever
forget the interview scene?! One of the timeless laugh-out-loud moments
of Tamil Cinema; the performances of “Thaengai”
Srinivasan and Rajnikanth lend tremendous comic
impetus to the scene. Visu’s talent as a
dialogue writer is on full display too.
“Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu”—the scene where Kamal, Shekhar and Dileep fake a
sumptuous meal in front of Sridevi. S.Ve. Shekar’s inimitable facial
reactions are very funny but the scene is poignant in its depiction of poverty.
“Agni Saakshi”—the “Avargall”
scene. Sivakumar takes his wife Saritha to watch “Avargall” but
the latter, bugged by the male chauvinism of the Rajni
character, barges into the actor’s home and taunts him. It is a very
sensitively handled sequence, Rajni’s reaction to the
whole drama being right on the money.
“Sindhu Bhairavi”—I could compile a whole list of
scenes from this movie, one of my all-time favorites. To pick one: the “Dharbar” scene which is an example of virtuoso scripting.
I name this over many other great sequences in this movie because it
elicits spontaneous applause even from those (like yours truly!) who have
little or no knowledge of classical music.
“Punnagai Mannan”—Here is what I wrote in my review, about
the song sequences: “But what stands tall among these peaks is the 'theme
music' that plays for about three minutes in the scene where Kamal and Revathi 'unite' in
love. This dance sequence is an absolutely mesmerizing, aesthetic piece. Kamal's graceful steps synchronize so well with the tune
and the rise to the crescendo when they eventually hold each other in their
arms are unforgettable.” Apart from this, the shot where Kamal is unable to come up with his “pon
sirippu” is one that remains etched in my memory.
“Unaal Mudiyum Thambi”—what an inspired piece of cinema
that is also inspirational! The Kamal-Gemini Ganesan scenes all brim with power thanks to the potency of
the lines given to them and there’s a superb scene where the fire in their
argument is doused by music—when Kamal’s mute brother
plays the Nadaswaram. There is exquisite
emotional insight in the split-second shot where Gemini Ganesan
hails Kamal’s musical talent in spite of the heated
argument.
“Oru Veedu Iru Vaasal”—I liked the second episode
(involving junior artistes) more than the first one which was reminiscent of Saratbabu’s acts in “Nizhal Nijamaagiradhu.”
Though “Moondru Mudichu”
briefly touched on the plight of junior artistes, this is the movie that plumbs
the emotional depths of those behind-the-scenes artistes, uncharitably referred
as “Kodambakkam extras.”
“Kalki”—the scene where Prakashraj assails Geetha
boasts of sustained intensity. Prakashraj,
always the scene stealer, crafts a character that is terrifyingly believable.
Geetha’s reactions too, beautifully convey the
anguish of the character. There is another scene which is unforgettable
just for a single, profound line of dialogue (uttered by Geetha): “Yaekkangalukkum Yaemaatrangalukkum
Ezhuthu Oru Vadivam.”
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