Looks like Kamal Hassan turned 51 today...
One of my fav actors...and here is a list of movies of his that I'll always cherish....
The problem is I cannot classify them as No.1 or No.2...
Each one is a gem in their own way...
I will still number them though, for clarity sake...not as a Ranking Index :-)
(1) Michael mathana kamarajan...
The movie where he plays as quadruplets - brothers separated at birth, if anything, should be called as the best Tamil comedy I've ever seen..apart from Golmaal's tamil remake...
This is the only movie I can see time and again and still never get tired of it..
There are quite a few comedies of his that are as good...but I am still biased to this movie..till date..
(2) Virumaandi..
This movie is about a community in TN who are by nature a very violent community.
The main reason why I like this movie, besides the fact that he ghost directed it...was the narration..
Itz basically the same story that is repeated twice- one through the accusers' eyes and the next by the defendant telling the viewer where the accuser lied and twisted facts..
Amazingly done and not for one moment is there any jarring note..
(3) Anbe Sivam..
Normally in all his movies, when Kamal has another famous actor, he normally steals the limelight.But this is one movie, where the Costar being Madhavan., both of them have an equal opportunity to perform and maddy duly obliges with a terrific performance of his own..:-)
The film is about how Maddys' outlook on the 'lower strata of society' ppl he despises, changes as kamal and Maddy get to be together during a train journey from Orissa to madras.
Amazingly done...esp for the physical trouble that kamal brings on himself..
Imagine this...His character is a guy that has shortsight and is suppsoed to wear -10 glass all along in the movie. What does Kamal do...esp if he has a near perfect sight..
he wears a contact lens tht a + 10. and then wears his -10 glasses above it.
Hmm.......
(4) Sathi Leelavathi
Made as Biwi No.1 in english ( if TOI is to be believed, that is) is another where his co artist and another leading star at that time, gets as much exposure as Kamal.
Kamal is more of a guest artist but still appears in all scenes..:-), and his female lead in the movie is a full time comedian in southern cinemas..
Wow...any other hero would have said No straightaway..
I was apprehensive too, when I heard abt it. But when I saw the movie, that was when I realised the thinking behind it.
The movie is another rip roaring laughter..about a two timing friend who cheats on his wife because she becomes fat after marriage., and the story is about how he makes him see the truth. Hilariously done, without making anyone a villain...and that is something..
(5) Nayakan
Made as Dayavan in Hindi..more famous for the Madhuri -Vkhanna lip kiss..:-)
ya rite, I have seen the dwnloaded clip hazaar times;-)
Anyways, the credit for the movie shd go as much to the director Maniratnam as it went to Kamal. In many ways, redefined Indian cinema and tamil cinema in particular...even though some may call it a shameless copy of Godfather.
(6) Thevar Magan...Virasaat in hindi
Again which was much talked abt for Tabu's clevage show..
I guess Anil kapoor did a disservice to Kamal hassan by copying his movies in Hindi. He never did any justice. Though I would emphatically say Anil is a very good actor...inspite of his 'karadi Kutti' appearance :-D
translation: Karadi Kutti = For his 'hairy' appearance.
Coming back to the movie, A movie similar to Virumaandi for the violence ..but Kamal puts up a tremendous performance as the foreign returned son unable to understand the violence hatred between his and his dads bros' family.
(7) Hey ram...
Wasnt a hit, but I kinda liked the movie.. made more famous for Sharukhs statement...that I learnt more from this movie in Kamal than what I ahve so far in my career...
and ofcourse his biting Rani Mukherjee's arse...gosh my heart broke into thousand pieces when I saw that scene... Wish King Vikram's Bethal was sitting on Kamal hassan
at that time...:-D
(8) Moonram pirai..forgot the Hindi name..guess sadma
Amazing movie..where he tries to bring a mentally unstable sridevi to normalcy fully knowing that she may not remember him once she gets normal..
The climax at the Railway station is amazing...and I shamelessly cried when I saw that the first time.Not sure what will happen now, guess I wont risk it though... :-)
To be fair though, I was a kid then..:-)
(9) Avvai shamughi or chachi 420..
Even though this movie was from Hollywood as most movies of his are, for the shear ability to do such a varied role and the way he changed the movie to suit local tastes....makes it eminently wachable..
I wouldnt be far off the mark if I say, He did better than Robin williams in the original..:-)
(10) mahanadi
Boy, if there was one movie that I felt totally involved with, this is the one..
Never have I felt so much into the movie...than this one...
Amazing performance.. as a helpless dad..who starts with rescuing his daughter from a brothel house
in Calcutta to seeing them through till the end...
(11)subha sankalpam (in telugu)
forgot the tamil movie name...with Priya raman and amani
where kamal plays a accountant but who doesnt know to read or write...
shades of Dustin hofmann in Rainman, but without the mentally challenged part..
Nice performance...as the old mans servant for whom he will do anything...
(12)There a quite a few movies of his where he plays a baddie...How many top flight heroes would think of doing something like that...Abhay, Indran chandran are some of those...
Kamal..Herez wishing u a memorable half century in life...
and I hope u crack the Oscar puzzle one of these years...:-)
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16 comments:
hey gi
u have listed some of kamal's great movies but u forgot guna and sikappu roja..
just a remainder if u overlooked it..:D
cheers
jeenu
Guna...hmm...abirami abirami..
Dint like much of that movie...
except bringing to light some quirky fantasies of his...like guys wearing the thali and stuff..:-)
Sigappu roja...yes thts a nice one too...
wat was the movie where is a blind muscian with Madhavi...it had awesome songs in it..
Dont remember much of the movie though ..
were have u been hiding...
and I dont see Vi or FFBW either..wat happened to everyone?
Actually although Kamal feels he has matured as an actor only over the years, I feel he did a pretty good job when he was raw in the industry too. Movies like "Avargal", "Nizhal Nijamaagiradhu" and "Sigappu Rojakkal" were as good as any of his latter day movies and probably better because they did not have the "Ulaga Nayagan Padma Sri Dr." halo about them :-)
lolz.....Im sure itz not something he wants to put...
even if so, Im sure he earned it:-)
wat is a film star worth...if he/she doesnt promote themselves...
dont u think :-)
I liked 'kadhala kadhala' too among other movies on your list. Its one of those movies, where if you laugh too much/too loud for one joke you miss the next one. He plays a blind musician in Raja Paarvai. That has some very good songs.
sowmya,
yeh...I like that movie too..
One prabhu deva movie that was watchable..not just for the songs
:-)
It was more of a slap stick comedy, more of a u blink u miss the joke type of stuff..
hilarious..start to finish..
but as with Crazy mohan tradition..nothing sticks the moment u finish the movie..:-)
btw, did u watch majaa, pretty nice..again a very different kind of comedy, if u can accept a villain utter jokes that is..:-)
jinx, enna ithu super pathi ellam seriousa ezhudara. yennachu unakku :-)
Ithu serious stuff aaa:-)
ivvlo naal theriyama poche..
Gi, I am here!
ok me not a big fan of Kamal Hassan or of anyone else for that matter! But considering everyone i know seems to like him there must be something special about him!
vi
I love MMKR! Its my all time favorite comedy. I find new things to laugh about every time I watch it even though I have watched the movie a zillion times until now!
Kamal Hasan turned 51 ??
He looks at least 61.
I ain't a Kamal Hasan fan either (like Vi) but have enjoyed some of his films that he did in Hindi. I liked him in "Ek dooje ke liye" Have loved his dance movements .. n his deep voice! Thought - "Hey Ram" was an awesome flick though it was irritating to see him doing those hot scenes with Rani Mukherjee - who looked like her daughter. He should start acting his age now - its high time ..
FFB,
yes. He sure is old..But then who doesnt like to act a hero..Even Amitabh was sucked into doing that with Manisha and Raveena in the beginning of his comeback...before he was smart enough to realise the folly..
Lesser mortals will take time..:-)
and of course, for that they need to get as old as Amitabh first ;-)
Yeh Heyram...I knw wat u feel and even more..esp during those 'scenes' with Rani....sheesh..:-)
Ah Archana,
ya MMKR is pretty much a likeable movie for most..
Guess on orkut..therz a gp dedicated just for that...with the most recollected line being..
dei...anga paaruda..anga orru peri aal inge orru podi aal..pala size la adiyaal vechu irukaan da..
:-)
rofl...I just love that scene..
hey Gi
well iam here too
just things are too hectic at work and i have not done anything worth blogging..unless u wanna listen to my experiment protocols..:D
cheers
jeenu
Jeenu,
lolz u knw 'listening' is a 2 way stuff..:-)
think before u accept to it:P
yeh PKS is awesome....so was tenali..
the comedy factor is what makes the movies worth watching
Despite the fact that he finds it hard to match steps with Simran or look as bubly or youthful as Jo..
I even thought that guy who acted as the Doc (jayaram??) and that other comedian who keeps eating (a suitor for jo's hand) performed better in Tenali :-)
Sad Salangai Oli (sagara sangamam in telugu) didn't make your list. Kamal flips the invite and sees his profile there and Jayapradha comments "Ivarum periya dancer dhan". His silent sob then is more touching than Moondram pirai's yelling scene.
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