Revisiting Parasakthi, the film that changed everything

Soon as the song ends, a character graces the stage to express sadness over Tamils languishing in countries like Sri Lanka and Rangoon. This is when you get the first example of Karunanidhi’s imaginative writing: “Kadal neer yen uppaaga irukku endru karpanaiyil sonnaal, sondha naatile pizhaikaamal, ange vadiththa kanneeraal.”

Vishwaroopam II: A satisfying sequel that fills gaps and does a bit more

“In a film about terrorism and espionage agents, these visuals are par for the course. This is less about romanticising violence than about establishing authenticity. In a scene, a bunch of children are lined up for rescue, and without warning, a man, of their own kind, suddenly pumps bullets into them. It truly drums in the tragedy of how faith-based propaganda has dehumanised communities.”

Don-u don-u don-u

“You have to wonder when we went from being repulsed by these outlaws to rooting for them. When indeed did our filmmakers begin to conceive a don as a cool leader, his violent tendencies, like in Maari, supposedly an amusing extension of his proclivity for mischief.”

Junga: A stingy don goes to France to ruin the film

“Both are somewhere on an icy landscape in France, and the camera glides over them like a bird; you instantly realise with trepidation that a duet is about to be detonated. Sure enough, you get Koottippo Koodave, a song in which the hero stands and walks around, as Yazhini performs a mating ritual dance near him. I suppose it’s my fault that I thought this hero was above such filmmaking.”