MOURNING RAGHUVARAN

Actor Raghuvaran's death last week brought back memories of a conversation at Chennai's Besant Nagar Beach. A friend was reminiscing about a booze party with his college gang at night a few years ago. A lone stranger passing by starts chatting with them and says in a reflective mood, "don't indulge yourself too much or you will end up in the same mess like me."

That stranger was Raghuvaran, who, when the fancy took him, effortlessly breathed life into ill-etched roles. The tall figure was mostly confined to villain roles, but stood out especially in Ram Gopal Varma's Shiva as the counterpoint to Nagarjuna. Come the 1990s, overcoming Raghuvaran's compelling presence in Baasha propelled Rajinikanth to superstardom. And then there was the corrupt Chief Minister in Mudhalvan.

It was not just snarls though. Raghuvaran did get the occasional chance for tears, memorably as the hapless father in Anjali. Also sticking to my mind is the oh-so-brief but suave turn as Tabu's understanding boss in Kandukondein Kandukondein.

Pity he didn't do too many Malayalam films. But a couple of them stand out. Sangeeth Sivan's watchable action thriller Vyooham (1990) featured Raghuvaran in the lead as a conscientious customs official. And in 1992, he looked and acted the part of Father Alphonse, a character who drowns himself in drink after the French left Mahe, in Lenin Rajendran's Daivathinte Vikruthikal based on M Mukundan's book. A performance which got him his share of awards.

DUS TO DUST

Ten different stories, using six different directors. Dus Kahaaniyan chose to take the road less travelled by, prompting me to catch the series of short films on day two of release.

We were welcomed by a near-empty hall. And a group of kids who were eagerly awaiting the Sanjay Dutt episode left after a while, unable to take the long wait.

In the end, they didn't miss too much. While we ended up watching utter no-brainers like High on the Highway (Jimmy Shergill's junkie act), Sex on the Beach (a lot of flesh and a horrible horror flick) and Zahir (The almost-invisible Manoj Bajpai trying to radiate intensity). Strangers in the Night and Lovedale had interesting twists in the end, but both stories as well as the execution fell flat.

The finale, with Sanjay Dutt and Suniel Shetty as underworld dons, reeked of Sanjay Gupta. All style and no substance, the only thing which stood out was the quick intercuts between Dutt and Shetty and the two kids with a supari to kill Dutt's character. Deja vu was written all over Dutt's don, which has seen Kaante, Vaastav, Khalnayak and countless other flicks. A shootout or two does not make a Quentin Tarantino.

Dus Kahaniyaan wasn't all downhill though.

'Gubbare' may have been a predictable story, but Nana Patekar got it right as the loving husband.

Shabana Azmi gave a riveting performance as the prejudiced Tamil Brahmin in Rice Plate. And so did Naseeruddin Shah who conveyed so much without actually saying much. The plot though, is suspiciously similar to the 1989 short film The Lunch Date

And the pick of the lot - Meghna Gulzar's directorial short Pooranmashi, showcasing Amrita Singh as a Punjabi mother, whose extra-marital fling ends in tragedy. Gulzar's daughter had rich material to work on, a short story by renowned Punjabi author Kartar Singh Duggal.

But all in all, just style quotient does not an experiment make. One prefers a smooth line to curves with too many deep troughs and too few crests to savour. A common theme would also have helped matters, giving the series a sense of purpose.

For redemption I will need to watch Paris J'et aime , Life in a Metro or Adoor Gopalakrishnan's latest Naalu Pennungal.

DANCING TO THE WRONG LINES

Walk in to office eyeing a peaceful night shift, what do you get? A few Dalit organisations have figured out that Madhuri Dixit was dancing to the wrong tune or rather wrong lines in the title song of Aaja Nachle.

On release day they suddenly seem to have realised that the line 'Mochi chala banne sonar" (cobbler tries to turn goldsmith) is offensive and derogatory. Udit Raj and his Indian Justice Party says the filmmakers are trying to say that a cobbler is the lowest in the society. He may have a point, though the lyricist as well as the Censor Board missed the potential for 'social implications.'

But where was Udit Raj and his group all these months? The song's been playing repeatedly for quite some time. But then when it comes to protests, timing is everything. Without a cinema hall screening the film, where's the space to protest?

In no time, Mayawati's stepped into the act and banned the film in UP. And wants a ban all over the country.

As for makers Yash Raj, they are quick to switch to damage-control mode by snipping off the offensive part. And life goes on.....the Indian Justice Party's got its protest visuals screened across the country and more attention and curiosity surrounds Aaja Nachle.

But lyrics, dialogues and film titles do have the potential to offend, especially in communities sharply divided on caste lines. Read Dalit outfit Puthiya Thamizhagam leader Dr S Krishnaswamy's reasons for opposing the Kamal Haasan film titled Sandiyar (Rowdy). The film was ultimately released as Virumandi.

SRK AND MEGALOMANIA

He's here, there and everywhere. The box office is chanting Om Shanti Om and every sporting triumph is accompanied by the Chak De India chorus.

Shah Rukh Khan is all over the place like never before. A hockey triumph at the Asia Cup and news channels make a beeline for SRK's comments. The Twenty20 World Cup fnal, SRK is there to celebrate victory along with the cricket team.

It's not enough being a mascot for sporting triumphs, come Om Shanti Om and the 40-something icon's six-pack abs are out to mesmerise. Sureshot material for magazine cover stories on men and the body. And then the publicity blitz for Om Shanti Om - be it soundbytes, interviews, cricket matches and Dard-e-Disco contests.

The film itself did not have much of a storyline to boast of, but successfully evoked nostalgia and retro with mostly enjoyable digs at the past. And ended up being a celebration of SRK megalomania. What else, with over 30 leading stars from the past and present jiving to the beat of Om Shanti Om.

Manoj Kumar's rant at being 'insulted' in the film only served to pump up the publicity. Add a dash of controversy over SRK's thumbs-up for smoking leaving Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss displeased. And the number one headline over BCCI comments that SRK was attending cricket matches to garner attention to his films.

Early this year one thought Amitabh-Abhishek-Aishwarya would be numero uno in Bollywood. But all the Big B's managed are disasters like Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag. Worse still, the Samajwadi Party's electoral rout in Uttar Pradesh, with people showing scant regard for his 'UP mein hai dam, kyunki jurm yahan hai kam' ad blitz. And the flak he got for the Barabanki land deal in UP. Busy doing the rounds of temples, a better 2008 is all they can hope for.

Meanwhile, leading British-Asian paper Eastern Eye's list labels SRK the Sexiest Asian man in the world in 2007.

PROSPERING ON NOSTALGIA

He's at a loss when it comes to geeks and gizmos. But when it comes to the crunch, it's John McClane's old-fashioned virtues of wisecracks and punches, along with shooting skills and furious fists which win the day. The latest film in the Die Hard series Live Free or Die Hard has McClane of the old world carving a space for himself in the new.

Bruce Willis' cult character gets a lot of help from a cyber geek, but manages to preserve the charm of the old-world action hero out to save America with his guns and fists. It's a pleasure watching him relish the 1960s vintage Creedence Clearwater Revival music on screen, in front of a young geek fed on hip-hop.

But this could well be among the last such films, as the all-action heroes of the 1980s and 1990s disappear into the sunset. They may not have won top prizes for acting, but the likes of Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger entertained audiences across the world with bone-crunching action.

Arnie, the Governor of California, has moved on but the others are still around, trying to extend their sunset period. But with nothing new to offer, the surefire formula to hold on is nostalgia.

Thus Bruce Willis taps into memories with the fourth Die Hard instalment. Schwarzenegger signs off with Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines before taking over as Governor. And Sly Stallone reprises Rocky Balboa for the sixth time, the very character who jumpstarted his career from obscurity more than three decades ago. Following the success of Rocky Balboa (2006), the 61-year old Stallone is now aiming to make box office capital of his 198os relic Rambo for a fourth time. The 2008 release comes a staggering two decades after the third version.

Old heroes may not be a patch now on their former glory. But with nostalgia abounding, they simply refuse to fade away.

JOHNNY G AND THE 1970s

As the credits roll, Eastman Colour is plastered all over the screen. You are reminded of an era where running trains formed the perfect backdrop for murder, an era when Vijay Anand sizzled with his intricate whodunit plots, double crosses and elegant song picturisations (Teesri Manzil, Jewel Thief and Johnny Mera Naam).

Johnny Gaddar deals with a bunch of crooks planning a huge joint venture and the lure of the lucre, inspiring the double cross. One murder leads to another, as the players are bumped off one by one through a combination of design and accident. It is not a whodunit for the viewer though, as the identity of the gaddar is clear at the outset. But at the same time, the viewer is encouraged to think, as the gang tries to unravel the mystery behind the killing of the imposingly strong Shiva during a train journey.

Director Sriram Raghavan uses film channels on TV to further his plot....as they relentlessly show 1970s flicks like Johnny Mera Naam and one less-known Amitabh Bachchan film of the early 1970s before he became a superstar (This film used to be the one answer to an Amitabh trivia quiz question before the days of Aankhen and Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag)

Wonderful first half though gang leader Seshadri (Dharmendra) didn't sound too comfortable mouthing English punchline after punchline. But Garam Dharm at 70-plus effortlessly oozes charm. As he says, "it's not the age, it's the mileage."

The second half though was a bit of a stretch and could have been tighter. And a self-indulgent director/writer leaves some loose ends.

Great performances from the gang members, Vikram (debutant Neil Mukesh) , Prakash (Vinay Pathak) and especially Zakir Hussain (Shardul).

Fittingly, the film is dedicated to Vijay Anand and James Hadley Chase, a regular companion of many a long-distance train journey (including Johnny Gaddar).

Rediff has Sriram Raghavan's own list of inspirational films. A Who's who of capers.

MORE THAN AN ARABIAN TALE

Tightfisted ideological purity confronted with the reality of slogging it out for a living outside home soil. In a nutshell, that's the tale of Malayalam film Arabikatha (An Arabian Tale)

'Cuba' Mukundan's travails seemed to have struck a chord in a Sunday morning show at Delhi's Sangam, as I watched the film in a full house, along with hordes of expatriate Malayalis.

Sreenivasan's Cuba Mukundan is the dyed-in-the-wool communist who would break Coca Cola bottles from George Bush's America, organise agitations against computerisation because it means less people will get jobs and destroy structures built on what was once farmland, in the name of a return to peasant farming (A pet theme of Kerala Planning Board vice-chairman Prabhat Patnaik).

At the same time Mukundan idolises Cuba and China. Wonder how he would have responded to 'Made in China' toys with way too much lead for comfort.

Mukundan in his zeal even ensures that his father 'Society' Gopalan (Nedumudi Venu) is suspended from the party, after allegations of embezzling funds. Gopalan dies, after which Mukundan takes it upon himself the responsibility of returning the money.

Off he goes to the Gulf in search of some quick money, armed with a notebook too, to study how labourers are being exploited over there!

The penny drops before too long. Confronted with the reality of serving Coca Cola in a restaurant and made fun of because he has no clue about computers, Cuba Mukundan realises the futility of rhetoric. It takes a while, but in the end he figures out that his father had been framed by another power-hungry comrade.


And then there is the China connection, which was the one reason the film was a headline on a few national news channels much before its release (Chinese heroine for the first time in an Indian film). Mukundan falls for a Chinese girl and the wide-eyed communist asks all sorts of questions to her about his land of milk and honey, China. It's chastening for him to realise that she is a victim of the Communist regime.

Arabikatha's wonderful first half laced with biting satire makes the film a must-watch. The second half though did not live up to the first, with a few contrived situations (like Indrajith's character one fine day taking off to the interiors and who does he bump into on the way - the long-lost Mukundan).

Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan did see the film. But his saga of flip-flops and holier-than-thou statements continue, be it Munnar or Ponmudi. Like Cuba Mukundan, the lack of experience in a responsible position (other than in the party) is glaringly evident. After all, VS has never even led a Panchayat, forget about being a minister. All sound and fury without a remedy to offer.

What Kerala needs is more pragmatism and less rhetoric. Not an administration which trumpets a state ban on the evil multinational monopoly Coca Cola as one of its biggest achievements. And greedily accept funds from the diaspora to sustain its economic model (Kerala model of development).

EKLAVYA AND THE OSCARS

It's the world's biggest and most vibrant set of film industries. The sheer numbers make it hard to believe that Eklavya is the most accomplished film around in India for a shot at the Oscars.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's film does start promisingly, but in the end leaves you dissatisfied, trying to imagine what it could have been. Incompletely-etched characters and a profusion of style over substance. Hardly Oscar contender material, forget about the prize itself.

The selection procedure is organised by the Film Federation of India, an anonymous organisation otherwise. And their jury this time comprises of Sudhir Mishra (director), Jalees Sherwani (writer), Nadeen Khan (cameraman), Anil Sharma (director), Bijoy Kalyani (producer), Ravi Kottakara (producer), Ravi Sharma (music director), Shahid Amir (costume designer), Ranjit Bahadur (film editor), Jagdish Sharma (producer, director) and Vinod Pande (film-maker).

The need to attach designations give the story away. For many of them that's the only way you get a fix on who they are in the first place. There is a Sudhir Mishra and and Anil Sharma but where's a familiar name from the many regional film industries?

Take a look at the films in contention. Guru, Chak De India, Gandhi My Father and Dharm. It's just a handful of films and all from Bollywood. Difficult to believe that not even a single regional film made the cut. An Arabikatha or an Ore Kadal in Malayalam or a Mozhi in Tamil weren't good enough to even make it to the list of contenders?

Even if it's just a Bollywood race, Guru or Gandhi My Father deserved a look, definitely not Eklavya.

And we haven't even discussed Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner and auteur Adoor Gopalakrishnan's latest offering Naalu Pennungal (Four Women), which was screened at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month.

Mainstream Bollywood has dominated the race for the Oscar nomination, especially after Lagaan made it to the final shortlist in 2001. The very next year we showcased the garish Devdas and now the toothless Eklavya. Forget regional cinema, even the best of Bollywood gets sidelined. It's small consolation that in the pre-Lagaan days, an atrocious potboiler like Jeans (1998) was sent as the official entry.

An Oscar nonination is something Vidhu Vinod Chopra is familiar with. His 1978 short film 'An Encounter with Faces' was nominated for the Documentary Short Subject category. And in 1989, Parinda was the official Indian entry. But those efforts had spunk. Will he ever direct a Khamosh again instead of the likes of 1942-A Love Story and Eklavya?

DEFINING TAMIL FILMS

Here's my verdict in response to Zakster's bid to zero in on the 10 most defining Tamil movies ever made.


Chandralekha (1948) - Did roaring business across the country, both in Tamil and Hindi. Gemini boss SS Vasan spared no expenses for this costly spectacle. Remembered for the elaborate drum dance

Velaikkari (1949)- based on CN Annadurai's play, scripted by Anna. The film's release coincided with the founding of the DMK, and dramatised the fledgling party's anti-caste, anti-Brahmin ideology

Parashakti (1952) - Sivaji Ganesan's stirring debut. Karunanidhi pens long-winded Dravidian ideology dialogues, in line with DMK policy

Nadodi Mannan (1958) - Produced and directed by MGR. Period adventure fantasy with DMK symbols thrown in.
Commercial success was followed by a public reception for MGR by the DMK, taking him in procession in a chariot drawn by four horses, thronged by people. The chariot had the background of a rising sun on a lotus.
There was no turning back for the future Chief Minister

Apoorva Ragangal (1975) - Radical theme with an older man falling for a much younger woman and a younger man having a relationship with a much older woman. K Balachander gave Kamal Haasan his big break as a lead actor and Rajinikanth his first-ever film role

Nayakan (1987) - Mani Ratnam's Godfather saga with Kamal Haasan. Made it to Time magazine's list of top 100 films. Ratnam's imaginative song picturisation skills in evidence (honed to perfection in his later films) especially in the Holi song. Great music by Ilaiyaraaja

Roja (1992) - Breathtakingly simple and beautiful, Vairamuthu's lines Chinna Chinna Aasha struck a chord all over. The A R Rahman star was born, marking the end of Ilaiyaraaja's overwhelming dominance in film music. Ilaiyaraaja never composed for Mani Ratnam again. After the days of Chandralekha, the first Tamil film to grip the entire nation. A well-crafted drama coming in the wake of high-profile kidnappings in Kashmir.

Kaadhalan (1994) - Prabhudeva's dancing skills in Chikku Bukku Chikku Bukku (Gentleman) had already gripped the South. Here was the rubber man as a hero for the first time. With Rahman's music and Prabhdeva's twists and turns, Kaadhalan was a rage. Director Shankar's formula of extravagant song sequences and massive budgets took firm expression

Baasha (1995) - Loosely inspired by Amitabh Bachchan's Hum (also starring Rajini), Baasha's stupendous success ensured Rajinikanth became a demigod from just a superstar. Each Rajini release thereafter was a gala event in itself. He could afford to take his time, carefully choose his films and needed to have only an average of one release in two or even three years.

Kaaka Kaaka (2003) - Signature statement of the brave new world of Tamil cinema, as the post-Rajni and Kamal generation stood up to be counted. A brutal and gritty cop film which resisted a conventional end. Surya made his mark, amply backed by technical finesse and slick editing

This is my list of the 10 most influential Tamil fims, and they need not and will not match with the best 10 Tamil films ever made. Here I submit that I haven't seen enough Tamil cinema to come up with a rating of the very best.

SIVAJI - THEATRE OF THE ABSURD

Finally got around to watching Sivaji, that too in a half-empty hall. And I got exactly what I expected from a Rajini flick.

Only that this time we saw a tech-savvy superstar, thanks to his alliance with a director who makes it a point to pepper the screen with special effects and technical wizardry. Be it a voice-recognition password or MMS, Rajini bridged the digital divide in style. And the style mannan had a `cool' catchphrase to wash away the wrinkles of 57 years.

Style, yes in abundance. But what about substance? Director Shankar is known for his vigilante justice films where the medium(hero) is driven by the message - be it Kamal Haasan in Indian, Vikram in Anniyan or Arjun in Muthalvan, all battling corruption. But with the superstar it's all about the medium and his antics, the message is incidental.

Well, big deal. That's exactly why Rajinikanth is the superstar. One razor-sharp punchline, a witty repartee, a twirl of his fingers, a flip of the coin (he's become more genteel now with cigarettes uncool) - fans are ready to lap it up. Forget story, forget script, it's all about weaving together sequences pandering to the hero's demigod status. Also finding prominent space are sequences depicting Rajini as a do-gooder, donating generously to the poor.

And sycophancy is there all around. Song lyrics extolling the hero, the heroine/sidekick singing his praises, it's all there. Even the AR Rahman soundtrack is subservient to his movements and style. Which means, one identifies the soundtrack as that of a Rajini film first and then only the Rahman identity crops up.

Being a cult figure also means paying obeisance to past icons. At one point Sivaji refers to himself as Parashakti (Sivaji Ganesan's debut film scripted by Karunanidhi) and later he is back as MGR (M G Ravichandran) after a miraculous escape from death. MGR too made a comeback from death's door in 1984, and stunningly orchestrated an election victory in absentia, while recovering in a New York hospital.

So Rajini has to show that he is a worthy inheritor to the MGR/Sivaji mantle. And check out some of the song lyrics.
"Annan vanda Tamil Nadu America" - If Sivaji comes to Tamil Nadu, it will become America
"Kaveri Aaru marakalamah" - Can we forget the Kaveri River?

Kaveri's one emotive issue the superstar has to highlight. After all, he has to be more loyal than his loyalists considering his Bangalore roots.

There's toilet humour and it's loud. But the man still carries it off, as nobody else can. And he's always got great comic timing.

Sivaji also has its ode to Rajini's Japanese fans, with the bald MGR/Sivaji fight sequences at the end bearing the unmistakable stamp of manga comics.

So there you go, Sivaji's cool, finish, repeat for Rajini fans. Though I did not find a killer dialogue as in Baasha or a killer sequence as in Padayappa (Rajini hoisting himself to a higher pedestal than Ramya Krishnan)

In school, we used to poke fun at Rajinikanth with the tale about him using a blade to split a bullet into two when the gun was fired. Now it'll be sheer pleasure to watch him doing that on screen. It's all about making the absurd endearing.

By the way, it's ironic that for a film which takes up cudgels against black-marketeering, people end up paying more than 1000 to buy a ticket in black.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

(This piece is all thanks to a sleepless film buff flipping through the idiot box last Saturday night. Could resist everything except the temptation to watch Thazhvaaram a second time)

A wide sweep of rugged terrain, followed by an unshaven Mohanlal trudging determinedly up the hill. And a bird of prey looking down. Thazhvaaram (The Valley) begins on an ominous note. A Western transplanted to somewhere in the Western Ghats.

There is a brief flashback but without too many words it's clear that the hero is out for revenge. He finds a landowning settler from the plains Nanu (Shankaradi) and his daughter Kochooti(Sumalatha) and staying right next to them is his quarry Raju who's now become Raghavan (Salim Ghouse in his Malayalam debut). Raju though is not at home.

Balan (Mohanlal) goes down the hill in search and encounters his prey. He pins Raju down, and a kneeling Raju begs for forgiveness. But in the next instant, the deceitful Raju's pulled the rug from under Balan's feet. He is on top of Balan but voices nearby prevent him from delivering the final blow. Raju then pushes Balan down a treacherous slope.

Here's an all-too human hero who fails to learn from the mistakes of the past. A wounded Balan is discovered by Kochooti and is brought up to her house. As a limping Balan slowly recovers, the cat-and-mouse game begins between the two antagonists.

With an injured Balan on the defensive, Raju steps up his efforts to kill him. But luck and pluck continues to thwart him. In between, small flashback capsules bring back the past, where Raju murdered Balan's wife, when she saw him stealing money from their home. That too on their wedding night.

Cut to the present, Raju reveals his true lecherous colours to Kochooti. Eventually leading to Balan revealing the past to her. But an unaware Nanu continues to swear by Raju and Raju also succeeds in poisoning his mind against Balan.

A romantic attraction between Balan and Kochooti is subtly hinted at. But the only overt display fo affection between the two in the entire film (when Kochooti holds Balan's hand) is seen by Nanu, leading to an explosion.

Raju now has all the aces and matters are not helped by the fact that Balan is caught holding what is actually his money, which he found at Raju's hut.

But Raju knows things are getting too hot for him and when he sees jewels lying in Kochooti and Nanu's house, greed simply takes over and he runs with the booty. Only to confront a waiting Balan.

Unlike the usual Indian film though, hardly anything is said during the finale. It's matter-of-fact revenge, in a laconic Clint Eastwood-esque fashion. The vulture too is back, scenting prey.

And there's no embracing the heroine, with the hero silently making his journey back, away from the heroine and her father.

Thaazhvaaram talks to the viewer through visuals and actions. Dialogues are there only when it's absolutely necessary. But tension simmers throughout and at no point does one wish things could go faster. The background score also never intrudes. And yes, there are a couple of songs.

Also it's a brooding tale of isolation. Father and daughter isolated in a rugged, hilly terrain eagerly accepting the company of Raju. And Balan without his wife looking for deliverance from a sense of guilt, having been blind to his former friend Raju's vices. Just four characters fill up most of the frames crafted by director Bharatan and scriptwriter M T Vasudevan Nair. Two legends uniting to craft a visual masterpiece. Helped in no small measure by first-rate performances from the cast.

I would say this 1989 flick is the best and the most subtle revenge flick made in India. And full points for the way Thazhvaaram evoked a Western flick. And the way it depicted violence. There are killings, but without a blood-and-gore show. And no rape/molestation in the flashback sequences, which is standard staple for revenge dramas.

Just for the record, second and third in my revenge drama list would be Kamal Haasan's Chanakyan (Malayalam) and Amitabh Bachchan's Aakhri Raasta. Both do have rape/molestation in the flashback sequences (expectedly)

CELEBRATING RD

News channels are scrambling to deify RD Burman on his 68th birth anniversary. Truly well deserved for a man whose work wasn't given its full due during his lifetime by a fickle Bollywood. As it is, the remix industry revolves around his beats, keeping RD alive for posterity.

But then SMS polls for RD's Top Ten can never come to grips with the entire sweep of his work. The foot-tapping and soulful numbers from known films get pride of place. Doubtless they are brilliant but then you'll find a hundred obscure RD soundtracks with brilliant scores, which remain unknown.

After a long time, decided to listen to a couple of RD CD's yesterday night. Here I must admit that though I had bought those CD's more than two years ago, I had never listened to them. In no time wafted in "Aisa Kyon Hota Hai" from a film called Ameer Aadmi Garib Aadmi, followed by Kishore Kumar singing "Ghungroo Ki Awaaz". RD never ceases to stun you with the range of his output.

Here's a list of ten obscure RD gems in no particular order

Ae zindagi kuch bhi sahi par ye mere kis kaam ki (Romance)- In His own voice. From a Kumar Gaurav starrer. It's nowhere near a cabaret number. Instead it's the maestro at his soulful best

O maajhi teri naiyya se (Aar Paar)- Again in His own voice. Yet another soulful solo number.

Kya Bhala Hai Kya Bura Hai (Libaas) - The only RD duet with Lata Mangeshkar. Sadly, the film was never even released. Remember seeing this song once in Superhit Muqabla on DD Metro. Libaas has a brilliant soundtrack with Khamosh Sa Afsaana Paani Se Likha Hota and Sili Hawa Choo Gayi

Aasman se ek sitara (Rahi Badal Gaye) - RD with Asha. Fast-paced, foot-tapping number

Tum Rootha to main ro doongi sanam (Jawaani) - Asha and Amit Kumar. Disco written all over it. Picturised on a forgotten chap called Karan Shah along with Neelam (her debut)

Ae Zindagi huyi kahan bhool, jiski hamein mili ye saza (Na Mumkin) - Kishore this time. All I know is Hrishikesh Mukherjee made this film. The other songs in this film too are pretty good.

Bindiya tarse kajra barse (Phir Wohi Raat) - Lata Mangeshkar. Mixes two tracks with finesse. This was RD's first stab at mixing twin tracks and not the popular Katra Katra in Ijaazat

Kabhi Palkon Pe Aansoo hai (Harjaee) - Kishore song etched with pathos. Harjaee had a great soundtrack with Tere Liye Palkon Pe by Lata also standing out.

Tumse Milke Zindagi Ko Yun Laga (Chor Police) - Lata. Amjad Khan's directorial venture

Hum Na Samjhe The (Gardish) - S P Balasubramanyam in the nineties.

Dev Anand's Anand Aur Anand, Sunny Deol starrers Samundar, Saveray Wale Gaadi, Sanjay Dutt's Jeeva (the sublime Asha-Amit Kumar song Roz Roz Aanhon Tale), Zameen Aasmaan....... the list goes on.

This is just a random list of 10 and am certain I have missed out songs I have liked at some point. But what's the common thread running through these films?

Most of them were made in the infamous 1980s (two in the early 1990s) and all were box-office duds. Net result - the songs were consigned to the dustbin of history, unhonoured and unsung. Flop after flop ensured that RD was struggling to get work by the end of the eighties, despite producing gem after gem.

To sum it up, "Full many a gem of purest ray serene, the dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear."

Returning to news channels, just can't relate to RD suddenly called Boss, just because of a film called Jhankaar Beats. Before the film I've never heard RD or Pancham labelled the Boss. Let's leave that title to Bruce Springsteen.

Watched Mani Ratnam's Guru and I must say it was an enjoyable experience. Guru is purportedly a work of fiction but the parallels with industry icon Dhirubhai Ambani are hard to miss. Starting with being a schoolteacher's son, migrating to Istanbul and working in a gas station to the fitting finale, where Guru addresses shareholders in a cricket stadium. Reminded me of Reliance being the sponsor of the 1987 World Cup, the first time the event was held outside England.

I also appreciated the fact that some of the songs were used to carry forward the narrative and were not just mere fillers. Though in a Mani Ratnam film, usually the songs in themselves are a treat to watch.

What was jarring though was Guru being made out to be a hero. A man of the people who cannot speak English, victimised by an English-speaking elite who wanted to let the old order remain. Helped with a generous dose of Mahatma Gandhi and hints of the prosecutors behaving like British colonists, public opinion had to swing in favour of the 'victim' hemmed in from all sides.

But then a dramatic speech spells success more easily than depicting an industrialist's carrot-and-stick approach to deal with trouble.

I walked home with the satisfaction of having seen a good biopic (or at least resembling) of a contemporary figure (by contemporary here I am alluding to post-independence icons). I racked my brain but could come up with hardly any name when it came to such biopics. Ancient, medieval, Independence movement figures have inspired biopics aplenty, be it in Hindi or regional languages like Tamil, Telugu or Malayalam. Underworld dons too have found their place in the sun including a female don, with Godmother loosely inspired by Santokhben Jadeja.

But offhand I cannot think of any other industrialist or somebody who made his/her name with some daredevil act, or real-life rages-to-riches stories, which inspired a commercial film. The only other name which came to my mind was Iruvar in 1997, again by Mani Ratnam, with Mohanlal's character resembling MGR and Prakash Raj Karunanidhi. And Iruvar turned out to be a box-office dud.

But now Guru's success seems to show, if packaged well and involves a colourful personality, biopics can reap a rich harvest, with the urban multiplex crowd and the overseas market lapping it up.

Had the masochistic pleasure of watching the ageing Vijaykanth mouthing politically charged punchlines in his latest potboiler Sudesi. Didn't get to see the entire film - just the relevant clips which were sent to us for a story. But one thing was clear even with my limited grasp of Tamil - the Captain is no Rajnikant.

The scenes were so ludicrous - making it one heck of a hilarious experience. The camera angles et al...just forget it. The crowning glory is of course the ear-blowing title music....with Sudesi Sudesi chanting in the background as our demigod takes his measured steps.

I confess I am not too familiar with Vijaykanth the actor but he simply cannot hold a candle to Rajni. Age isn't exactly on Rajni's side either, but last year in Chandramukhi he showed he was still right up there. And all those impossible gravity-defying antics of his may be silly at one level, but then comes with the stamp of class. I still can't stop raving about the Ramya Krishnan-Rajni chair hierarcchy sequence in Padayappa. Male chauvinism at one level but what a riot!

Wonder how Vijaykanth deals with comedy - as I haven't sat through a full Vijaykanth film yet. But from what I have surmised - a Rajnikant-Vijaykanth comparison is just a case of class mediocrity versus crass mediocrity. Simply cannot imagine the Captain conquering Tamil Nadu on his own steam. Comparisons to MGR and NTR...ridiculous.

A certain two-bit actor dubbed the Errol Flynn of B-movies did become the President of the USA. But I simply cannot imagine Ronald Reagan being replicated by this poor man's Rajnikant - his right man at the right time spiel in Sudesi notwithstanding. Let's leave the last word to Rajni -or rather his punchline more than a decade ago in Basha - nann oru tharava sonna, nooru tharava sonna mathiri (My saying once is like saying a 100 times) .