Thoovaana Thumbigal(1987 Malayalam movie) A case study for aspiring screenplay writers

Director P.Padmarajan is one of my Favourite Indian directors. He comes up with this beautiful film called Thoovaana thumbikal (Butterflies in spraying rain) (Thooralil Pattaampoochikal).

What is it about?

Its a story of Jayakrishnan(Mohanlal) who is struck between two love interests. I feel guilty to just describe in one line because you dont find any loop holes in this engaging screenplay. So below has the further glimpse.

Padmarajan being a genius in screenplay writing proves again with his full command in establishing the characters to audience gradually & in story telling. 
Jayakrishnan who leads his life in a village with his household business. Every penny matters for him in business. Mostly an extrovert, hangs around with his close friend Rishi. As an elderly person he keeps telling things to Rishi at times as a guide.
Slowly we get a glimpse of other face of Jayakrishnan in town who is completely jovial, spends money lavishly, has a big circle of influential friends & also takes his friend to his new world & entertains him.
Now he happnes to see Radha(Parvathy) which happens to be a bitter first meeting .But this doesnot stop Jayakrishnan  to express his love interest to Radha & radha rejects him. 

Now Jayakrishnan feels bad & then spends time with a girl called Clara(Sumalatha) spending days of bliss in a venture of helping his friend Thangal. Then Clara disappears all of a sudden & at this point Radha develops a soft corner after learning about Jayakrishnan through her brother & friends. Jayakrishnan has to face this delicate situation between two lady loves as he being the main reason to express the interest which then becomes mutual. This way we are taken to further points in the movie.


Mohanlal & Asokan
I felt as if most of the scenes would be within these 2 as their partership works with magic. Its the time when Padmarajan gives time to audience to understand the characters which are being established. Probably If the entire movie is made just with these 2 characters as lead who knows the movie might still look good!! Very nice performances. Chammal scene in hotel room was finely done by asokan supported by Mohanlal.

Mohanlal & Sumalatha


My Favourite plot as all the sequences were taken aesthetically & at the same time realistically, as even a slight shift to overdoing or overexposing might placed this to different level with misleading intentions. Padmarajan describes the surrendering to each other mutually in a very matured style. At that time only bliss is filled in the screen and I dont get to notice any other production values and just keeping my eyes on their expressions and interactions of Mohanlal and Sumalatha. Connections between the rains & their encounters each other, Post intercourse conversation between them proves the poetic blend with realism. You get to see just 3 encounters between them and thas it. Too short!! But Had this plot been placed in more frames, then we wont have this to look forward to. Sumalatha is a spectacular choice. She is sexy just by her facial look without any delicate skin show, no one knows whats going through in her mind, yet matured, bold & has an attitude of free flowing & at the same time feels that Jayakrishnan deserves a better ladylove on the real grounds. Sumalatha just gels with the script and Mohanlal.

Mohanlal & Parvathy
Mohanlal makes his partnership with Parvathy as it all started with Radha. Typical Malayalee, although with her volupulous body looks cute and has given a nice screen presence.Padmarajan shows a his contrast in characterisation between radha(coming from a working class & economically self sufficient family, has her own childish ness, has her limits & has a high self esteem) and Clara (poor family background, but quite bold, decides and dares to do what she desires, has a compassionate heart). Below is one example to see the contrast

Scene when Radha says "pogatte...aval iniyum varuilla" Chettandhanne nokkikko expressing her possessiveness & a little bit of childishness to stop Jayakrishnan from Clara
Scene when Clara says "Ee Praavasham nammal adhiga neram samsaarichadhu Radhaye kurichaanu"
shows the maturity & genuine affection towards jayakrishnan as a well wisher.


Mohanlal has attempted Trisur accent & carefully uses occassionally in his high points & cozy scenes & not through out the movie which is realistic & worked well. All the performances worked for me...... He is just natural as usual.

Songs, Music,Direction of Photography


National award winner Johnson gives a good score. Especially the BGM related to Jayakrishnan-Clara meeting scenes. I simply love those. Those moments are memorable and the tune echos that same. Onnaam raagam paadi is my favourite with nice montage scenes. Megham poothu song is also good & grows in u once u see the video. Just 2 songs placed which seems very sensible & good songs composed by Perumbavoor G. Raveendranath. I liked the DOP & especially the angles. Performances hidden my eyes from noting the technicalities. So Let me write more when I watch this movie once again!!



Feel Good, Memorable movie with bold & clear cut script with well expressed scenes & characterisation. Padmarajan's script and direction dominates everything else. No wonder this is a classic and can be placed  for case study for screenplay writing workshops in film insitutes!!! This would enlighten the aspiring movie makers to come up with more well written scripts amidst the recent one liner scripts for Commercial movies!!

Mayakkam Enna(2011 Tamil movie)

Prelude:
Art in any form across the world is considered as a gift from God, Some has that by birth, some acquires by training & some work hard & practice continously to get into this as an amateur. Be it singing, dancing,photography,cooking,direction,acting, Sports or any art. Some does that for hobby, some does that by profession.
Choosing any Profession for living provided if we get a good pay is practical, Most of us do it & those are safe players, but some follows their heart & make their passion as their career path. It is easy to say & inspire people..Thanks to 3 idiots.  Not everyone does that. For Getting your first chance/break, recogonition, you got to go through all sort of shits & hell unless you are at the right place at right time or big wigs.
I remember Struggling dancer to get his first break in Saagara Sangamam Starring Kamal Hassan & directed by K.Vishwanath, Struggling music director looking for this first break in Mugavari starring Ajith director by Durai, Struggling director, Aspiring Actor looking for his first chance played by Mammootty in Best Actor(Malayalam movie) Aspiring director in azhagiya theeye directed by Radha mohan & produced by Prakash raj, & lists goes on. Mayakkam Enna is a movie which follows this legacy.

Selvaraghavan after making Ayirathil oruvan comes back with a pseudo romantic drama(We cant just lock this movie into romance genre as movie shows other facets) in which he is already a Subject matter expert.


Quotes that I remember:.

“What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out” - Alfred Hitchcock
"I think probably for getting into movies we need a some percentage of insanity flowing around" - Comedy actor Vivek.


Reflection starts


Long back in 2009 I remember an initial poster design having Dhanush & andrea. But then later movie went on floors & now is available to us.
When you see the poster full of colours with Dhanush & Richa, already you can get a fundamental conception that it is about love, photography etc etc. That is how a poster design needs to be. Previously I remember a underrated movie Varnajaalam which had a similar poster design which depicts the magic of colours being a tag line for that. Good job!

Movie starts with Karthik's monologue & he starts narrating & then comes the flashback giving a brief intro of his family, friends & then comes his lady love through his friend Sundar. He looks for a break to be a wild life photographer & continously tries to get a chance. Things goes wrong when some one whom he is his inspiration betrays him which is more or less a foregery. Karthik Swaminathan(Dhanush's character name) then faces an accident, then the intolerable after effects in which he loses interests & almost steps into self destruction mode due to the shock, frustration & nervousness(thats what I could understand as after effect of accident). Its time when Yamini(Richa's character name) his wife supports him to get through until he succeeds in photography!

Realism & Extremism with flavours appealing to audience. This is the strength of selvaraghavan! Right from the start selvaraghavan the director flashes his mark in his dialogues & his "known for" credits in framing the characterisation of a guy who is not so special, not that handsome, sensitive in heart, aspiring to achieve, knows nothing except one area photography, raw, rugged & helpless, dont wanna be a gentleman.Girl who is beautiful, subtle, poised, explodes at right time, having a reasonable quotient of self esteem, bold, horny when needed, observing the hidden talent of the guy, loves the rugged ness,genuineness & no non sense attitude amidst other wanna be gentleman, above all sensous, practical & a strong willed , iron lady to support a guy understanding his sensitivity & passion.(remember Sonia Agarwaal in 7G rainbow colony aka 7G Brindavan Colony?)


Dhanush & Richa ruling the screen
Dhanush now a national award winner scores through out the movie. His careless attitude act during his first encounter with Yamini(scolds thiruttu Mudhevi and Munda kalappe). You get to see few glimpses of terrific & infact threatening looks of Dhanush in Pudhupeettai when he stares at Yamini when yamini trying to stop him from drinking in hotel room during a friend's wedding.You also remember that climax encounter with old man in aadukalam when he asks madhesh "sir naan ungalukku ennadhaan sir dhrogam pannen" But its fine Dhanush is natural, raw which is what probably the character demands. Although not great, but a reasonable & fine performance. 


Richa the bengali beauty who gives you a strange look which can both seduce & make you feel uncomfortable out of guiltiness as if we did some mistake.... with her chubby cheeks & protruded mouth as if she is eating something & powerful eyes. No wonder selvaraghavan admitted that he was simply impressed by her performance in LEADER. Deepa Venkat flowed in her with her dubbing & made the character look what it has to be. Deepa Venkat & Richa great duo. Selva knows what he wants. Great choice.

Direction of Photography & Haunting Music
Through out the movie G.V.Prakashkumar & DOP Ramji supported Selvaraghavan. You just get stunned at BGM during the hugging scene in bus stop, photography scenes in forest at early morning, smart placing of silence when yamini screams at dhanush with subtext telling what happened to her due to the mis carriage, when photographing the old lady on streets & so on. Kudoos to G.V.P. Hope he continues the same spirit in upcoming movies too. Its easy to just replicate the tunes of the songs, & just fill the gaps. But G.V.P really seems to have worked hard to get the feel through his strings, flute, piano etc & well orcheshtrated through out the movie. 
A movie about photography & that too wild life photography needs a sensible DOP. and you get that in almost each frame.


realistic & creative dialogues. Kanna thurandhu paarudaa mundam, appadiye mudinjaa lifeayum restart pannudaa, etc. although some times u feel as if karthik is showing as if he is not bothered about his image being projected to some good looking girl which at times looks artifical for me. Its ok as it works most of the times.


Few of My Favourite scenes


My Favourite scenes from the movie
1) Initial encounter & maintaing the distance from Yamini(rejecting to pose with her in hotel is notable)
2) Sundar's father comes with Viskie to stop the fight between Karthik & sundar
3) Scene where Yamini returns back home after getting aborted due to mis carriage
4) Scene where karthik takes the photography of a old lady and confirms that thas what he wants
5) Scnee where Yamini gives the feedback about his photography after her discussion with her client
6) Yamini slapping Karthik 
7) Yamini giving super counter to the old man who stops by her home to complaint about Karthik

List goes on !!

When heard as audio I just got addicted to kaadhal en kaadhal & Voda and voda. But after seeing hte movie Pirai thedum and naa sonna mazha grew in me and now I'm listening to all songs continously. thas the magic of song direction and picturisation.


Some questions in my mind


I enjoyed the movie although there are logical questions that u r mind asks about the possibility of a foregery case as karthik has strong evidence of his photography right there in his memory stick in his camera. Yamini being a iron lady don't needs take that harassment from karthik. Also why is that mood of love failure created in that tribal song(not sure if that was a tribute to Aasaya kaathula from Johnny(1980 tamil movie)) when nothing happened instead Yamini confirming her status & outlook about sundar. why is that accident to create a pathos and sympathy just merely to move forward?
I remember Aamir boldy telling that he didnot like "Black" (2004 hindi movie) when everybody loved. He did gave his explanation saying message being passed is not good as beating & putting a child to go through tortures will automatically make her progressive in her behaviour and studies. Yes aamir is right as he surrenders to movies.
same way. Violence against woman on screen is shown in Mayakkam enna to create intensity and gravity. But extremism is what makes its own place in selva's movie. It is not a pleasure for anyone to watch and I guess selva wanted the same.  Both co-exists & probably a paradox.so we cant help. What worries us is why is Karthik sitting like a dumb watching her in blood spot. Who calls to the friends? Why is that karthik's friend whose husband's head was tested by karthik just laughing at the hospital as if nothing happened. What about Yamini's family? Is she an orphan? Also not sure if its a mistake done by theatre owners or the Production unit. I feel scene transition was not smooth some times.  
Its like a code review, more the logic u apply with our beautiful mind, there might be many questions. But let me stop just by asking questions as I still consider Selva as a finest director. Let me wait & watch the director's cut as I dont expect a director like Selva to overlook all these basics.

If everybody wants a feel good movie, we cant help & better go and watch polished urban love story VTV & keep singing its praises.. at the same time if any self proclaimed critic says that he needs some new story as this is being showed in most of the movies. my answer on behalf of selva is that inspite of a cliched story characters are different  & those who talk about arhouse movies & progressive parallel movies. we cant make a movie fully realistic showing any thing that is mundane & monotonous(refer back to alfred hitchcock quotes at the beginning). So if we got realistic characters in movies some times we need some extremism & extra ordinary situation put to make the audience sit.

But its fine and ok as My heart hided all these as I was flabbergusted by the production values and the performances. Selva knows the pulse of audience.


Selva & Dhanush Bros did it again!! No wonder serious movie goers appreciate this finely made movie. It might not be a masterpiece. But yet a very good movie. Thanks to selva for his recovery from his Aayirathil Oruvan!!!


More to add in the coming days!!


- Ethirajulu Bros