Monday 28 July 2008

Those Days........


The title is the English translation for "Aa Dinagalu". Thanks to the "Aa Dinagalu" team for providing such a great movie to Kannada audience after a very long time. Sorry, I apologize for hijacking your title to my post.
I do not know how to start this post. I am overwhelmed with this movie!
Wonderful, superb, beautiful and nothing else I can say about this movie "Aa Dinagalu."

Being a kannadiga, it is sad or not sad that I rarely watch Kannada movies. Till date, I have not watched Mungaaru Male as well. Please do not scold me for this. I have a reason for this. Every time I see TV channels and Kannada movie trailers, it makes me sad. We will generally see a nonrhythmic music running in background with actors dancing in one of foreign locations. It does not excite me to go and see in theaters. I do not blame film makers or the audience for this. I expect different things from a movie. Every time I feel where Kannada movies heading, industry gives me a shock. Be it in the form of "Aapthamitra" or in the form of "Jogi" or in the form "Cyanide" or "Duniya". All these movie strike my chord perfectly. Apthamitra, I felt a wholesome movie for Kannada audience. Jogi is for everybody who likes depiction of emotion in a motion picture. Duniya is the harsh reality of an uneducated innocent man and a girl. These movies are completely fictitious. However, Cyanide is the real story which takes us back to early 90s and makes us to feel the reality. These are so simply made which strike kannada audience perfectly.

Recently, I think, "Aa Dinagalu" excites me and confirms that Kannada Film Industry continued to give me shock.

Well, I really do not know how to describe about this movie. When, I first read the review of this movie in Rediff, I felt it is the most hyped movie. I also felt that reviewer has written the review over the cloud of fear of real gangsters. So, I did not see the movie in the theater. Now I feel, I missed a movie which has to be watched on a big screen. I am very thankful to Zee Kannada which has taken the Television rights to telecast this movie.

Better late than never. I watched this movie in TV on last Sunday. Hmmmmm. No words to explain my feelings. I am still in the hangover of this movie. This resulted with this blog.

Coming to the movie. I really do not know how was Bangalore in 1980s. I heard and read about Bangalore was under the clouds of gangsters. Though movie does not show the actual reality of rowdism of Bangalore, but picturises certain aspects of it. It does not glorify the goondagiri, yet does not reject it completely. It made be more nostalgic and increased my interest in gangster movies.

In short, it is a love-story with gangsters involved in it. I do not want to reveal the story here as I want people who have not watched yet, should see the movie. However, I will do or give my analysis of this movie.

I think the director Chaitanya is just superb. He had chosen the actors perfectly according to their capability. Also, he has given them matching roles accordingly to their capability.

First, the newcomers. Chethan, according to film journalists, he is a chocolate hero. However he enacted his role of a lover turned gangster beautifully. Not to forget his voice. It may not be of Amithab Bachann or Om Puri. However,it is resonating and very different. Archana Shastry aka Mallika in the movie, is outstanding. Nice expression and looks very fresh in every screen that she is into.

Girish Karnad is as usual great and no comments on him. Achyut aka Oil Kumar aka Ranganna in Preeti Illada Mele is wonderful. He played his character very well.

Now let me write something about imported actors from Hindi Cinema. Ashish Vidyarthi aka M P Jayaraj in the movie is good. However, I felt, this role should have been given to either Rangayana Raghu or Avinash. Having said this, Ashish Vidyarthi did very well. I felt this as his dialogues are dubbed by another artist and I feel dubbing kills the feeling.

Not to forget, Mr Atul Kulkarni as Shridhar acted very naturally. He shows that the character Shridhar is an educated man and accidentally got into the field of gangsters to take the revenge. I do not want to comment on him as he is a proven actor. I felt he did his voice over to the role. He is very natural and does use the screen place very well and tells everything with his face.

I feel that for a movie, we should have five important and necessary things . All these should be perfect and all should hit the right chord. The screenplay, dialogues and the music are the skeletons of any movie. Finally actors along with their acting capability with the help of the director stuff this skeleton to create a wonderful looking piece. I feel "Aa Dinagalu" can be considered as an example for my analysis.

So far I had seen very few movies which have all the things perfect. I feel The Godfather, Nayagan, Therava Magan, Muttina Haara, Naagarahaavu and Lagaan (adding it after one of the readers pointed out!) are very close which will prove my statement. Now, I will add "Aa Dinagalu" to this list of my favorites.

An Dinagalu has got great narration of the script. The director brings freshness in the movie. All the scenes are expressed with ease. The scenes have great combinations of photography, music, expression. Be it an entry scene of Kotwal Ramachandra in which director expresses cruelty and cunningness of this man; Or may be the scene where Kotwal and his team scare Mallika for the first time. Director does not require to do anything here. So is the producer. Producer does not need to go out for a foreign tour to bring the freshness in the scene. It is screen play, dialogues and of course music from Ilayaraja make every scene perfect and fresh. As far acting is concerned, it is great! It looks so simple to act. However, all the characters share the screen place very well. Nobody is trying to outsmart anybody. However everybody's presence in the screen space can be felt.

My favourite part of review is reviewing music. I am not at all great to review music of Ilayaraja or anybody for that matter as I've not learned music in any form. He is genius and legend. Before doing review, I am wondering how come this group has got him. Lucky fellows who have got to work with him. Now the review: Melodious, striking and charming music by the legend. Be it in the form of Sihi Gaali ( thanks for great lyrics from Kalyan K) or the title song. The blend of simulated piano or the saxophone or the background bass guitar makes scene so rich. He brings so much melody to the song. Hats off to him for a such a great background. We have to listen the terrifying background score when Kotwal tries to kill Chethan. It is superb that high scale orchestra of violins with guitar strings strike directly to our ears and hearts and of course to our minds. I am saying again music of Ilayaraja is wonderful to hear. Thanks to Aa Dinagalu group for providing such a lovely melodious music.

Good things should come to an end. So is my post. I feel ending should have been made better. Four people killing a gangster should have been depicted better. Also, director should have given more importance to details of killings. He should have given more authentic reason for killing and also should have given another scene about their feeling after killing. This is because of the fact that the ending never directly tells what the characters feel after killing though we all know they repented for the killing. I felt camera work should have been better during the end though cinematography is awesome through out the movie. He should have taken more close-up view of the killing scene.

I would rate this movie as one of the best movies in Kannada movie history. I am very nostalgic with gangster movies and this movie increased the same. I would rate this with very high esteem and will place in the lines of Nayagan and Thevara Magan. Thanks again for good movie!

3 comments:

Harish Kashyap said...

Well written dude!!!! You are on your way to becoming a writer........Good blog.

Vadi said...

Hi Rutvik,

I just happened to go through your Blog,this is first blog whcih I ever read!....I really liked and its very thought provking....

Keep your good work ahead....

I wish you all the very best...

Hope to get one more blog on current Olympic....

Unknown said...

'Those days' aka 'Aa Dinagalu' is really a good one. Well written.
This is the first blog of yours I have read and on the way reading all your blogs.

and just to mention, recently released movie LUCIA is equally good as Aa dinagalu. Hope you would have watched movie Lucia.

All the best. Keep blogging.