ideallaedi: Was tagged by bornforcinema (thanks for the tag!)...

ideallaedi:

Was tagged by bornforcinema (thanks for the tag!) to list nine favourite Tamil movies. Nine is way too small a number for a general favorites list. Instead I decided to do a themed one. 

What is the theme, you ask ? Well, here it is. Cinema whose protagonist is a female. Cinema which show cases “her-story”. And this isn’t my top favourites list. Instead it is my “First five favourites I could think of” list.

And having spent quite some time thinking about these films, finding screenshots and all that, .. well, this post is also going to double up as Part 7 of the Welcome to Kollywood series. Hope you like it !

1. Aval appadithan 

A favourite for too many reasons. But mainly because the female character hits home. Hard. A cynic, a romantic, an idealist, a nihilist, all rolled into one. Sripriya. An amazing role, an amazing actress. Watch out for some hard hitting uncensored dialogues, some remarkable direction by Rudraiyah and some ethereal music by Raja. Also features Kamal and Rajini, the latter in a memorable avatar (Who doesn’t remember Rajini piously wearing his viboothi and sipping liquor while talking about ….  ) By the way, I have written about it before too.

2. Magalir Mattum

Literally means Women Only. Who said female oriented movies have to be grim with unhappy endings. Instead here we have a screwball comedy with not one but three very different working women. And a hook nosed oily villainous boss whom they call “Mookan” (”The one with the nose”). Also features a surprisingly active dead-body. Lots of fun, lots of frolic. By the master of comedies. Singeetham Sreenivasa Rao

All I say is, when you’ve got Oorvasi, Revathy and Rohini (and Nasser) mouthing dialogues by Crazy Mohan, you’ve got a winner.

3. Indira 

Imagine a Mani Ratnam movie. Only imagine its protagonist .. as its heroine. A stunning debut by Anu Hassan as the titular character, a strong willed Indira, daughter of a beloved village chieftain who finds herself forces to carry on the mantle of leadership from him. The two faces of village life. Greenery, simple living, innocence. Caste wars, prejudice, ignorance. Yet Hope survives. 

Watch out for a delightful Arvind Swamy in a supporting role and some divine music by Rahman. Even if you don’t watch the movie, watch the music videos. A brilliant directorial debut by Suhasini Maniratnam. 

4. Pavithra

The mother is an important figure in Tamil Cinema. But always from a son’s point of view. There are multitudes of films showcasing the gratitude a son feels towards the “person who carried him in her womb for ten months” (That is the traditional dialogue every hero mouths) and his subsequent servitude to her in her old age. 

Instead, Pavithra explores motherhood .. from the point of view of a mother. It follows the lives of a loving middle aged childless couple, played by Radhika and Nasser, who are pitch perfect.

Pavithra, who works as a nurse during the day takes charge of a dying lad in her hospital. Watch this beautiful film for portraying  a very sensible and charming MIDDLE AGED COUPLE (you don’t often get to see that in mainstream Tamil cinema), a sensitive but not too syrupy melodrama, for a quite young and dashing Ajith and again, some breathtaking music by Rahman.

5. Agni saatchi

It follows the life of a high strung woman, a budding poetess, an extremely sensitive soul, a rather too imaginative mind. A child in a maiden’s garb. We see her fall in love, get married to a supportive husband (Sivakumar) and yet struggle with the ways of the world. It is hard to describe what this movie is about, but it is a masterpiece. Watch this for Saritha. Watch this for MSV’s music and Kannadasan’s stirring lyrics captured in frame by Balachander.

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