This is a follow up to my earlier post on “Sathyam Cinemas – Online Reservation” http://chennai.metblogs.com/archives/2006/09/sathyam_cinemas_online_reserva.phtml

Recently I logged into www.thecinema.in for buying tickets for MOZHI at Screen Santham. Tickets were not available for Saturday and Sunday. Decided to buy tickets for Monday (19032007) which was a holiday for “Ugadi”
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Yes, I know I had a previous post that started with “Kollywood’s love affair with the city continues” but this one is about a serious lapse that no self-respecting Tamil belonging to this city can tolerate. Here is a simple test. Go to http://www.imdb.com and type in either Chennai or Madras. This and this are what you get. No movie that is simply titled either “Chennai” or “Madras”. Nothing. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Not even a documentary. While there are films like Bombay (made by a famous Thamizh director), New Delhi (in Malayalam) and even an English film titled Calcutta. Not to forget Hollywood’s example – “Philadelphia”, a city I lived in for two years. So what has Kollywood, the dream factory South of the Vindhyas and which releases on an average three to four movies per week, done to fill this void? Or am I sowing the seed of an idea for one of you to make a movie with this city name (alone) for a movie title? If you are, be advised that you need to put “Thennavan – a die-hard Chennai-loving Indian Blogger” in the credits. Illennaa vakkeel notice veettukku varum asking you to “show cause as to why you cannot be sued in a court of law“, jaagradhai ;-).

Abhirami, the versatile blogger from Chennai, has shot a small 3 minute documentary about a Mridangam repair shop in Mylapore, Chennai. This is what the Channel 4 Editor has to say about the documentary.

Another in FourDocs’ expanding inventory of ‘process documentaries’. This time it’s drum repair in Chennai, India, beautifully explained in pictures with just a touch of economically used voice-over and sync to tell us what we need to know about the family business that does the repairs. Processes always require discipline from the filmmaker because the key stages can only be explained in the so-called ‘close-up cutaways’, and this film is a near perfect example.

Watch the documentary here

Kollywood’s love-affair with the city continues. The previous expression was thru songs (Madras nalla Madras continuing into Madrasai suththi paarka poren and further into Chennai senthamizh marandhen unnaale) and landmarks (Chennaicentral ;-), LIC building and beach) and the current obsession is with localities (Pudupettai and this movie title). The only thing left with this infatuation is in the area of the Madras Ba(a)shai, which can be easily used for the titles, except that such movies may not get tax sops from the current government, since they will not meet the “Thamizh” test (examples would include “Puchchu”, “Kasmaalam” and “Jagaa” :-)).

Mandaiveli (R.A.Puram and “Vishalatchi Thoattam”) here you go :-)

For gallery, audio and video, go to Chennai600028.

I’d mentioned Catchflix a week ago (all the while convinced that Vatsan would say that buying is a cheaper option). Then, a couple of days back, I read the snippet on the Indian Express about G V Films’ online library where one can eventually choose from and buy over 6000 films. The website Tamil Pictures, at present, offers about 250 films, available for download at Rs.45. So, who’s tried it already?

A couple of days ago, my sister-in-law, on a visit home from Bangalore, was mentioning to me a list of all the movies that she had seen recently. Since I am given to sudden spates of movie watching followed by several months of lethargy to go to a movie rental and borrow, I was profuse in my appreciation of her enthusiasm. She started laughing as I piled on the adjectives and added, “Hey, it is all catchflixed. You think I’ll go to a rental weekly and actually borrow all that?”
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The much awaied INOX Multiplex is to open today (January 19, 2007) at Chennai City Centre.
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Sunday, November 26 saw the end of a graceful, classy actress at her daughter’s home in Alwarpet.

G Varalakshmi characterized the haughty, cold-mannered, yet classy woman with a core of strength more clearly than any one else, I think. I fell in love with her in Kulebhagavvali – so much that when she loses (albeit in a show of talent) to the all-powerful and multi-talented MGR, I was almost sorry for it.

On the other hand, her performance in Sampoorna Ramayanam is what I rate as my personal best. She threw herself into the role so well that for years afterwards, I couldn’t see her as anything but Kaikeyi – the mean, manipulative queen … who managed to provoke a twinge of sympathy in her audience.

Goodbye, haughty princess. We’ll miss you.

in Chennai, I hate Sathyam Cinemas, I think its over priced and abuses its monopoly power. In search of other theatres to watch movies, about 6 yrs ago, when I got mobility, I landed up on Sangam Cinemas. Ive seen it change from a run down shack, 6 yrs ago to a decent theatre comparable to the standards of Devi and Abirami, at least the interiors.
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