Posts Tagged ‘news’
- In: Chennai | Cricket and Sports | Entertainment | Indian Cities | Kamal Hassan | Kollywood | Languages and Politics | Movies | Music | Rajinikanth | Reviews | Tamil Movie | Writers | YouTube
- Leave a Comment
The year 2024 began for Tamizh industry with 2 big films release on Pongal. The first one was Dhanush’s Captain Miller and the other was Sivakarthikeyan’s Ayalaan. Both films even though collecting decently at the box office did not impress the critics that much. Following that Tamizh cinema did go through a drought in terms of content and success at the box office. All was not lost though as at the same time we did have movies like Lover and Garudan which were very good.
During that time the Tamizh YouTube content creators had a field day criticising the content and the industry. The one thing they realised as well was that criticising their industry actually got them new fans and subscribers. The constant videos putting down the industry and it’s content and appreciating other industries actually created a new fan base for these creators. The success of Malayalam cinema at the start of the year fueled this change among these creators. We all know how passionate Malayalam cinema fan base is and the Tamizh YouTube content creators took full advantage of that. The fact which was completely ignored during this time was that Tamizh cinema had a great 2023. Even at the end of the year a movie like Parking released to huge critical acclaim but these videos made everyone believe that the industry has been struggling for years.
The same people who posted a video a week to appreciate and promote other industries disappear completely when a good Tamizh cinema releases. This has been a trend and not something new to 2024. Even in the past few years when a good Tamizh content releases these so called experts disappear except for the movie review. There will be no follow up, no appreciation videos etc will be seen from these creators. The second half of the year has been brilliant so far from Tamizh cinema. Starting from the successful Maharaja films like Lubber Pandu, Kottukkali, Meiazhagan, Amaran, Thangalaan, Raayan, Vaazhai etc became critically acclaimed films.
Despite producing such widely accepted content in the second half the narrative of Tamizh cinema struggling is being propagated by these so called experts. Who are these YouTube experts? What is their credentials? Why do we give so much importance to their opinion? These are some questions the audience of these channels need to ask. Anyone who is reporting on something need to have some sort of journalistic ethics. Obviously none of these people have studied journalism have no clue what that means. The major cornerstone of journalism is integrity which many of these people lack. The other most important ethics of journalism is accountability, trust and truthfulness. When we look at these content being posted these days it is just done for the sake of increasing the subscribers count.
If any of these creators had integrity they would have at least posted some appreciation videos later in the year when Tamizh cinema produced some good content. The fact that there are more videos criticising and trolling Kanguva than appreciating a film like Meiazhagan shows the shallowness of these creators. The amount of appreciation videos we see of Meiazhagan, Vaazhai, Lubber Pandu etc from other language creators show how selfish and horrible Tamizh content creators are.
I am not saying don’t appreciate other language films, actually I am saying the opposite. Appreciate good content irrespective of the language and have some integrity when posting content. I agree it takes lots of effort to produce a video, edit it and publish the same and they obviously need subscribers to run a channel but what they are doing right now is unethical. Criticism is important for any industry and if you see content creators from other South Indian languages are harsh on poor content from their industry but none of them go to the extend Tamizh creators go. They don’t put down their industry to appreciate other regions to the level our creators do. Why is that I ask? Is it because we are so insecure that we are afraid of appreciating our industry? Is it because we think if Tamizh cinema is appreciated their subscribers will leave them? I am not completely sure but this needs to stop.
People who are jumping on such creators bandwagon are also to blame including other language fans who actually thing these people mean what they post. The fans and creators from other South Indian industries are way ahead of the so called experts from Tamizh. They not only appreciate other industry content but also post a balanced view of their own industry. When Malayalam cinema was doing so well earlier this year we did not see a Telugu YouTuber posting a video attacking their industry nor did we see Kannada content creators doing the same. So why are we doing this is a question we viewers need to ask as well. I don’t mind criticism as not everyone has to like a film. There are a lot of them who did not like Meiazhagan as well which fine as it is their prerogative but their needs to be some kind of fairness in the content they post on their channels. When you troll or post negative reviews of a film, appreciate good content as well. Don’t just post videos to appease fans from other industries for the sake of subscribers, it just looks bad.
I am not saying everyone is bad, there are a few good ones here and there but again when you have so many poor ones good one are hard to find. While social media has made it easier for a common man to dabble with journalism the ethics of such is role should still remain valid. While proper journalist and reviewers will refrain from trolling or posting polarising content just to increase subscribers these self proclaimed experts do it only for subscribers. I am a fan of Indian cinema and watch content from all languages if the content interests me. Never have I appreciated an industry just put down the other, even when talking with my friends. Good content comes from all industries and so do bad ones. At the end of the year every industry at the maximum will have only 10-15 films which remain in our minds. Even Malayalam industry known for its content cannot buck than trend. No one can say an industry produced 50 great films a year, that is not possible. The fact everyone knows and still we promote and support such creators who make us believe otherwise.
- In: Cricket and Sports | Entertainment | Kamal Hassan | Kollywood | Movies | Music | Rajinikanth | Tamil Movie
- Leave a Comment
Two years ago I wrote an article about how Tamizh cinema is failing the Pan-India test and how their lack of promotions causes lack of visibility of their content. The want to have a largely successful Pan-India film also has compromised quality of the well known Tamizh masala films. Tamizh cinema is not alien to Pan-Indian success. The current YouTube generation do not realise how big of a hit movies like Roja and Bombay were. These were the days before people only cared about content and did not care about how much money the movies made.
There were also Shankar’s movies like Indian (Hindustani), Enthiran and 2.0 which were pan-India success stories. So in a way Tamizh cinema was the pioneer in Pan-Indian films. Not only movies Tamizh cinema also produced first pan-Indian stars. So this is not something Tamizh cinema should be concerned about as they have nothing to prove. Tamizh cinema was never known for high budget extravaganzas like how Telugu cinema always did. Yeah Tamizh industry made mindless action films as well but again those were rarely successful. The only kind of films which actually were successful were movies with decent story line or movies with some message like the ones S Shankar made.
Now with the pressure of making films which breaks the 1000 cr barrier, Tamizh cinema has forgotten what made them tick over the years. Nothing against movies like Kanguva which is a great attempt but again the want to make a highly successful film the industry is trying to manufacture films which is never going to work. To be frank except for Telugu cinema none of the other industries are able to make movies which continuously match their own success. Kannada industry which put itself on the map with KGF 1 & 2 could not make another film with the same success. I wouldn’t include Kantara with KGF as they are not the same kind of films.
If what we have seen over the past 2 years is any indication Tamizh cinema is more comfortable in generating good content without having to try too hard to impress the wide audience. The movies which were made for local audience without the intention of going pan-India are the movies which actually went across borders and was liked by everyone. This exactly has been the template of Malayalam cinema as well. They have been concentrating on good content and while they might have not made a 1000 cr film, they don’t seem to care about the same.
What Tamizh cinema has shown over the past 2 years is the same. The industry is more comfortable creating good content and not very adept in creating this big scale put together films which other industries are more capable of. Even the big star masala films which have been successful over the past couple of years have been different content with good film making. The only star who has been successful despite questionable content has been Thalapathy Vijay but that cannot be taken as the norm. Even Vijay has collaborated with good directors and has produced movies like Thuppaki, Kaththi and Leo over the last decade. Vijay has a huge fan base which makes his films kind of “content proof” if you want to call it that.
This year we have had brilliant films come out of Tamizh cinema and has been loved by everyone irrespective of the language they speak but again none of these films were large scale films. I am not saying the industry should not try to make films for box office success but again when Manirathnam or Shankar made those films in the 90’s they did not think that they are making a pan-Indian film. They made the films for Tamizh audience but the content took the films across India. The want to manufacture a film to appeal to larger audience will never work. The reason Telugu cinema is successful is because, that has been their strength over the years.
It is okay to be known as the industry which creates good content like Malayalam cinema rather than going for glory with half baked content in the name of pan-India. The success of movies of Meiazhagan, Vaazhai, Lubber Pandu, Maharaja, Amaran etc should tell the film makers as to what kind of films the audience is expecting. Tamizh cinema has always been experimental but again it has always been with a good story and film making. I hope we go back to the roots and make the kind of films we are known for and if that becomes pan-India success then that should be a bonus.
- In: Cricket | Cricket and Sports | General Lunch Time talk | India | New Zealand | Teams | Test | test cricket | Test match
- Leave a Comment
The Gabba Test of 2021 is part of the India cricket folklore and one name that springs to mind immediately after Rishabh Pant when we think of that game is Washington Sundar. Sundar who was picked for that tour out of obscurity only because he was an off-spinning all-rounder had no business playing that Test. Indian bowlers were already doing well and Ravichandran Ashwin was already out bowling Nathan Lyon in that series. But again fate would have a different plan for Sundar as Ashwin was ruled out of the final Test at the Gabba and the former got a surprise call to take his place.
Sundar who hadn’t played a single FC game since 2017 was an interesting selection. His selection was based on his ability to bat and bowl decent off-spin. Him being a like for like backup for Ashwin was the only reason for his selection. Everyone knew that Sundar was a great talent but there were question marks regarding his bowling prowess at least in the longer format. His FC record with the bat and ball wasn’t that impressive. In a way it was lucky for him that India bowled first in that Test which gave him a feel of Test cricket before he would bat couple of days later. Washington Sundar himself had a good bowling innings on his debut accounting for Steve Smith, Cameron Green and Nathan Lyon in his economical 31 overs spell. His spell was crucial as the Gabba wicket mostly known for helping pacers had nothing in it for him. His eventual spell of 3/89 was a crucial contribution in restricting Australian batting to just 369 in the first innings.
His major test though came a day later with the bat in hand. He walked into bat at the fall of the fifth wicket to join Rishabh Pant who once again was looking good at the middle. For a batter who hadn’t played too many FC games the striking feature of his debut was that how assured he looked against the experienced Aussie bowling line up. Soon after his arrival, Rishabh Pant departed leaving India still 183 runs behind. Sundar’s partnership with Shardul Thakur paved the way for a great comeback for the visitors and eventually winning the game on the 5th day.
Sundar in his innings of 62 showed great composure and technique in the middle. He wasn’t faced by the reputation of the Australian bowlers either. He did play an important cameo in the second innings as well aiding the chase. With great technique and temperament India seemed to have found a very good middle order bat. In the home series against England that followed Sundar continued to score runs and at the end of it was averaging 66.25 with the bat in Tests. His bowling was a work in progress but with the bat he had already showed that he belonged at that level. When everything was going right for him with his Test career an injury ruled him out of the England tour later that year and he was nowhere to be see in whites again after that.
The success in the Tests meant that Sundar started playing more FC cricket which in a way helped his comeback into the Indian team for the New Zealand series. Sundar has had an immediate impact on his return with a brilliant spell of spin bowling with figures of 7/59 on Day 1 which helped India restrict New Zealand to just 258 in their first innings. His bowling seems to have improved but again on an aiding Pune wicket everything needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. One thing that needs to be taken into account is that he surely has worked on his bowling as against England in 2021 on similar helpful wickets he was nowhere as good as yesterday. This bodes well for India as Sundar is an accomplished batter and if his bowling can continue to improve he can be the replacement India have been waiting for when the legendary Ravi Ashwin eventually calls it a day.
This has been a great comeback for the southpaw from Tamil Nadu but again he himself would know that he has a long way to go still. For India’s sake though we hope he continues to improve and perform as we all know how fantastic his temperament is. India would surely benefit having a player like him along with Rishabh Pant in the Test middle order. Congratulations once again to Washington Sundar on an incredible comeback and we hope this is just a start to an incredible Test career.
girisopinion
My Thoughts 