Dear All
I had the opportunity to see Kamal's latest film (UNNAIPPOL ORUVAN) which is based on a Hindi Film which I enjoyed immensely not so long ago.
Kamal had portrayed Nasrudheen Shah's role AND has chosen Mohan Lal to play Anupam Kher's Role. Would like to pen down my views quite systematically as under ....
(1) Well, First things first, the subtleness of the original film is completely lost in this Tamil Film to put it bluntly...!! I can quote at least 100 examples to prove my point....starting from some visual shots, dialogues, portrayal, music .... and creativity too....This film is about too much of expression and explanation ...
Right from the basic things like the vegetable bag which is too visible with tomatos over flowing, Kamal's Water Bottle (which was missing in earlier film), Kamal smelling the sandwich before eating - I can keep quoting lot of other points in this connnection....but let me leave it there. The dialoges were too explicit and some things were too clearly stated by the expressive voice of Kamal (is humour really needed in the climax ?? Huh ???) unlike the majestic voice of Nasrudheen Shah.... Mohan Lal, I am sure would not have accepted to act this film if he saw the dynamism and equal weightage given to Anuphem Kher in the story line.
(2) The tempo of the film is strikingly so mild and too many scenes were too passive and inert ..!! I found the original film a perfect synch of the performance of actors, music, camera and editing.... Here, honestly there was no tempo thru out the film. Really unsure how this team managed it so consistently !!!
(3) Two things which I enjoyed in this film are (1) MK's voice instead of some one playing as CM, showing CM's house itself (Really surprised to see the gesture of our CM to have accepted to the portrayal in this film....I am sure Kamal approached him for approval.....).
(2) Sruthi had tried some good music in few parts of the film....However I feel that she got too excited when she made music for climax scene....!!
(4) In one sense, I do not consider this film as a re-make of the original film but can be told at best as Kamal's portrayal of a story line which resembles the original one. (He might not have paid any money to the original team for rights....It could be too difficult for them to justify that Kamal stole the story...).
The absolute silence maintained on the religious grounds in the original film (should have been quite conscious decision, I am sure) has been totally taken away in this film. This film is clearly about the anger of a common muslim man of this country !!
(5) The motive of the whole murder as explained in the original film was so simple and ordinary (an acquaintance / travel mate dying in a bomb blast) has been picturised here to be a gory abortion of a young girl...... (I like the emotion of kamal as he explains us how the abortion was carried out....Gave me a feeling that he is quite knowledgeable about the tragic incident !! Hmmm)
(6) Well, coming back to the first point once again, I really feel like doing a big experiment of just dubbing the original film and showing in Tamil to see if people understand cannot understand it......!!
But to be honest, the way people applauded in the jokes cracked by Kamal in Climax and few of the over- exagerrated scenes (right from the police complaint scene in the first few minutes....MY GOD !!), I strongly have a feeling that the DUBBED Film can become a flop....with alien faces acting. This is a paradox !! How can kamal act exactly like Nasrudhin Shaah and tell that it is a remake film ?? Some questions can never be answered....
Well, before I close this musings, I just want to add on this small incident. I spoke to a office colleague who too accidentally had come to the film with her friends. As I start typing this musings at a browsing center, I called her number to tell her a bye...as I did not spot her in the crowd at theatre exit. As I asked her on how much she enjoyed the film, her voice beamed with happiness and excitement which is because she had seen one of a master pieces of Kamal.
Having said all above, I really do not want to criticise this film for friends like her...!! After all, things get good label and bad label only by comparison. The awe and inspiration that Kamal generates on the people who saw his film first is AS TRUE AS my original excitement when I saw Nasrudhin Shah...!! And, I got enough maturity (immaturity ??) to imagine that I would have enjoyed this film definitely if I had seen it First (I have enjoyed Vasul Raja MBBS, Chalangai Oli and few other remade films already !!).
Let me pray my favourite God ...LORD SHIVA sitting silently as DHAKSHINAMOORTY.....to give me the semblance of sanity to keep quiet and enjoy others happiness !!
With me rocking at the highest voltage these days ..... I am sure I will reach this stage quite soon.....!! After all, with all my expressions - as such - I am more of kamal than of Nasrudheen right now....THOUGH I clearly see the power and purity of Nasrudhin's school of acting .... !!!
Krishnaarpanam !!
Suchoo Again...
