I saw the entire trilogy a few weeks ago. I don't understand the language (what language was it? sorry for my ignorance), but no big deal... I'm a little surprised no one has commented on this movie. Maybe it's one of those experiences, that affects you so profoundly you don't even have to discuss it.

Anywyas, each one made me bawl (not even the boy's reunion with his parents in Empire of the Sun compares)
and no one had the patience to watch it with me, so it was even sadder. i won't give away what events made me sad, as to not spoil it for those of you who haven't watched it. I came away deeply impressed with Ray's story-telling skills, and touched as well. I loved the classical music in the background as well. (Aside:The actress in the last film, I think she was in 60's, 70's hindi movies as well.)

It was in Bong. I mean Bengali.

I think you mean Sharmila Tagore. She was in loads of films and then married the Nawab of Pataudi. She converted hours before her wedding and went of to have two sprogs - including Mr Saif Ali Khan.

And the classical music in the background was performed by a little-known young sitar player called Ravi Shankar.

Ah Bengal.

What I find amazing about "Pather Panchali" is how accessible it is: I've known people from the US, Egypt and France apart from several desis who were just bowled over by it.

Bong Breaker: I think Tagore's "conversion" was more pro forma than anything else; she has retained her name in the years since, and nothing more has been heard about it. I think that conversion is akin to Dharmendra's and Hema Malini's "conversions" (the two became Muslim in order for Dharmendra to become a bigamist).

Anna: "i think that “pather panchali” was the greatest film to come out of india, ever."

Certainly the greatest I've ever seen, but the big "hole" in my Indian cinema experience is that I've never seen a single film by the great Adoor Gopalakrishnan, none of whose films are available on DVD (but that might change soon, as "Shadow Killer" (Nizhalkuttu) is being released by an "arthouse" imprint here in October)). What is taking so long is a mystery; I have a weakness for the Malayalam cinema of the 1980s, and there's a Yonkers-based company that's released a bunch of DVDs with subtitles for the likes of me...
I seem to recall you mentioning in some post that your parents were from Kerala; do you speak/understand Malayalam? Have you seen any of Gopalakrishnan's films?

Aside: on the subject of great Malayalam cinema, I highly recommend Vanaprastham by Shaji Karun, shown at Cannes '99 and featuring Mohanlal in a mind-blowing turn as a Kathakali dancer...

Clarification: I meant that none of Gopalakrishnan's films are available on DVD with English subtitles...

I didn't know Dharmendra and Hema converted! I just thought he had two wives under the Hindu law of 'we'll look the other way cos you're famous'. Well you learn something everyday.

I can't say I know a great deal about Sharmila Tagore's conversion or life (in fact I got the number of kids wrong above). The concept of conversion for marriage has always made me uncomfortable, but we'll not stray onto that topic for now!

Sharmila Tagore was gorgeous. Does anyone else agree that the 60s and early 70s were a golden time for beautiful Indian girls? I love those old 'dos and outrageous eye makeup. Nowadays actresses and models are hot, but where's the glamour? Aishwariya? Puhlease.

Actually, if Dharmendra had NOT been famous and had been living in some out-of-the-way village he probably would have gotten away with having two wives (according to the Indian census, a higher % of India's Hindus have more than one wife than India's Muslims do). I suspect it is precisely BECAUSE of his fame that he needed to dot his "i"s so to speak...

Sharmila Tagore was and is gorgeous...I saw her in "Virrudh" recently and at any age she exudes dignity and charm...

As for Aishwarya: Bong Breaker, have you SEEN her in "Kajra Re" (Bunty aur Babli) or Chokher Bali??????????????

Haven't seen Bunty aur Babli, but I have seen Chokher Bali and Raincoat. I'm not a fan of hers. But I'm not a hater. I wish her well.

Just took a look at your blog...cussing Trekkies in the first post I see! Consider this conversation OVER!

Cussing????

I was recognizing kindred spirits!

Ah, sorry got the wrong end of the stick. An Indian friend who is comic mad recently confessed to me after years of laughing nervously at my TREK jokes, that he is NOT a trekkie. I was shocked and stunned. Perhaps that was lingering in my mind!

Tell me one thing, how come the Phantom enjoys such popularity in India? And for so many years; my mum showed me a comic she bought as a kiddie! Actually...perhaps it's worth a few bob...

Sharmila Tagore was gorgeous. Does anyone else agree that the 60s and early 70s were a golden time for beautiful Indian girls?

I love the picture you linked to. Quite hip. There definitely were some beauties. My parents never watched 80's movies,so I was exposed to all the 60s 70s stuff. It's interesting that she's bikini-clad in that photo. Actresses do the bikini shot these days too, and it still creates a hoopla for some reason... after all this time? But, I like how that photo isn't really about sex... more about how she decided to wear a bikini with really cool hair and cleopatra eyeliner. BongBreaker, I'm surprised by your newfound appreciation for some class - ha ha. VeenaTeenaNina or whatever her name is, will be impressed too: I'll be sure to let her know of the new BongBreaker.

She must have been very young in the last apu movie, but she seemed so mature. She def was the boss of Apu!

"how come the Phantom enjoys such popularity in India?"

I'm stumped to be honest; perhaps for the same reason that Kipling is popular in many circles in India? Though the Phantom has a kind of irresistible hokeyness to it...

Yeah, apparently there was a big brouhaha when Nargis wore a swimsuit in Awaara (1951)...

Blimey Ang, you've been keeping tabs on me.

There's no new Bong Breaker, I'm like all guys. I am in love with classy, beautiful women. But every now and again even a gourmet chef likes to have a cheap, dirty burger ;)

"Tell me one thing, how come the Phantom enjoys such popularity in India? "

That is true that Phantom is very popular in India, so is Mandrake, and so is Archie. These are not popular, especially in USA. Could be the way, they were marketted.

Archie in USA is for middle high but not in India.

Bong Breaker, I am going to propose to Aishwarya Rai one of these days (so be respectful to her), and am seiously thinking of going back to oil industry so that I can afford her.

seiously thinking of going back to oil industry so that I can afford her.

Afford her?!!

Please!

But Betty and Veronica are still on the market....

so that I can afford her.

She's for sale? wow!!!

Sumita

These girls are for sale.

Mandrake was such a lame character. But I do remember the whole Defenders of the Earth theme tune and I always liked his bit, so he must've had some effect on me. Maybe he hypnotised me.

Sumita, they're all for sale. At the end of the day they're just performing monkeys who answer only the money, as testified by their repeated presence at the wedding of the Mittals, Shahs, Advanis and any other rich-surnamed people. Not as guests, but as people miming and dancing on stage. It makes me feel good. That for all their jet-setting, hot girls and guys, fan worship and above-the-law lifestyles, I could buy them all.

After re-re-mortgaging my house nine times.

"Sumita, they're all for sale. At the end of the day they're just performing monkeys who answer only the money, as testified by their repeated presence at the wedding of the Mittals, Shahs, Advanis and any other rich-surnamed people."

Bong Breaker, it varies from performer to performer. For instance, Shah Rukh Khan was in the forefront of showing up at people's weddings and dancing for money, but Aamir Khan has not been known to do that, and neither have many others.

Well the subject of this discussion does it. Ash has danced at a handful of friend's friend's friend's weddings. Most of the bigguns do, Preity, Rani, SRK, Hrithik, Salman (when he was in favour) etc etc.

But Aamir Khan has always been a bit different from the crowd, which is why I've said on here before that he's the only character I like in Bollywood. Although to be fair, none of the others have abandoned their families and had love children with English girls.

(not sure if she's English, but I saw a pic of the kiddie. Very cute little toddler)

OK, point conceded as to the ones you name.

But how is that any worse/better than people taking money to endorse products? Would you say that Hollywood stars are for sale (because they endorse products on Japanese TV)? Or that athletes are too?

[If the answer to the above Q is "yes," then I guess you're consistent...]

Umair and Bong,

I am the guy who wants to propose to Aishwaryia. Why are you two guys getting all excited? Is there something I do not know between you guys and lovely Aish? Methinks.

Mr. Miyagi

Kush,
Since Ash has not accepted your proposal, she's unattached at the moment (that punk Vivek Oberoi doesn't count), and I can't bear the thought that your bhabi-to-be is being referred to in such terms...

Umair: Yes!

Although...I find endorsing toothpaste or whisky (a la Lost in Translation) far less cheesey than dancing at someone's wedding! However Kylie performed at someone's wedding recently...but then again she is a singer by trade. The day that Angelina Jolie or Johnny Depp prance around at someone's wedding is the day I'll equate the two industries.

And more importantly, I'll make SURE I'm at any wedding where Angelina performs! Ash can go jump (or you can have her to yourself Kush), Angelina is twice the woman she'll ever be! ;)

Bong Breaker: fair enough, though "singer by trade" doesn't cut it given that the whole tradition in Bollywood movies is for actors to lip-synch in songs. The actors also perform in numerous stage shows where the same thing happens, and what they are doing at these weddings, although cheesy, is very much in keeping with much of the rest of their job.

One should also bear in mind that Bollywood actresses are woefully underpaid compared to their male counterparts; even the top actresses do not command salaries anything like even mid-rung male actors do. Such performances are an easy way to make money, and they involve "more of the same" from the performer's point of view (as they do this kind of thing for a living anyway)...

As for Angelina Jolie, I've got nothing against her either...

I wish I had something against her.

Sorry, you know me by now. Can't go for long without taking the tone down.

"I wish I had something against her"

You know, I didn't get this, until I read your second line...you possess quite a talent, I must concede...

Uhh boy. Since the topic at hand has been bastardized to the point of no return, here's my boyfriend - and he can't be bought. Haters need not respond.

Guess what? Pather Panchali is now 51 years old.

Ang: in an attempt to make amends, and to get back to my first comment:

http://firstrunfeatures.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/comingsoon.html

Ang: in an attempt to make amends, and to get back to my first comment:

http://firstrunfeatures.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/comingsoon.html

(second movie in the list)

Over the years, I have seen many Satyajit Ray movies, they are very powerful.

Ang, his movies were in Bengali (Bong Breaker answered the question) except "Shantranj ki Khilari (The Chess Players)" which was trilingual: English, Hindi, and chaste Urdu.

He was India's Akiro Kurosawa. I have known many non-Desi Satyajit Ray's film fans.

I hope to see a few more. The Goddess sounds cool. And no, Angelina Jolie is not in it.

But, I've only seen the apu series at the neighbourhood indie movie store.... time for an amazon search!

U.M.: Shadowkill sounds interesting. I suppose there are no song/dance numbers, huh?

Ang: from what I've jeard of Adoor, I don't think there are song/dance numbers.

Devi/The Goddess is amazing. Also check out Charulata and Jalsaghar (The Music Room), both are fine films too.

Ah well if the topic is swinging back to my hero, then allow me to offer this superb link. I've written reams about Ray over the years and was often frustrated by the dearth of information online. This site is a really good starting point for anyone interested in the great man.

Indeed he was India's Kurosawa Kush - in fact they were good friends. And at the risk of repeating myself (as I've put this quote up before) Kurosawa famously said of Ray:

"Not to have seen the cinema of Ray is like existing in this world without having seen the sun and the moon"

Plus I think there's a new book out in India collecting some of Ray's writings on cinema.

Thanks for the quote BongBreaker...that's wonderful

"Indeed he was India's Kurosawa Kush - in fact they were good friends. And at the risk of repeating myself (as I've put this quote up before) Kurosawa famously said of Ray:"

Many years ago, I saw an interview by Satyajit Ray on TV. The man's command in knowledge and style was astonishing. I never seen a South Asian speaking with such an authority and flair. You could sense that he thought of Kurosawa as his close friend. He sounded little bit like an "Oxbridge guy"

My father tells me same about Subramanium Chandrashekar. He heard him in Roorkee for the honorary degree.....He tell me that he (Chandra) was one of the few people who speak of cosmology, physics, indian and western philosophy, and shakespeare with same authority.

Not to have seen the cinema of Ray is like existing in this world without having seen the sun and the moon

Sigh...I'm not a very dramatic person, but I have to agree; I truly felt like a different person after watching the 3 films.

Durga and Apu reminded me of me and my sister when we were young, proving just how universal this film was. Their wide-eyed fascination with the train was so heart-warming... one of my fave scenes.

I wonder why more people in bollywood didn't model their plots after him. Didn't he prove to be viable and successful?

My understanding (though I am no expert on the Bengal box office) is that many of Ray's films were modestly successful (and some, like the Gopi-Bagha films, quite successful), but the Bengali film audience is famous for patronizing the sort of fare that elsewhere in the world gets relegated to the realm of niche art-house flick. That being said even Ray faced great financial difficulties, but it is difficult to imagine him being able to make his sort of cinema in Bombay or Madras (maybe Kerala in the 1980s). Since Ray's films never made as much money as the big Hindi and Tamil bonanzas, there really was no incentive (other than an artistic one) for anyone to emulate him...

"I wonder why more people in bollywood didn't model their plots after him. Didn't he prove to be viable and successful?"

It is like why all fimmakers in Japan are not Akiro Kurosawa or in US, like Francis Ford Coppola or Clint Eastwood or in UK, like David Lean.

First, you should have the talent, artistry, and guts like them which is a very, very rare commodity.

Satyajit Ray films were never big money makers (as Umair points). In fact, some of them (Bollywood types) did not like him because he was not glamorous. He had some real financial problems with "Shatranj ki Khilari".

If Ray had not had so much family money, it is likely his film career would not have been what it was. He came from a well-off background and as such did not work simply for revenue. However to say that his films were only modest in success is not true. What he did suffer from was a backlash from some other filmmakers, as Kush hints at. They were upset at his portrayal of India as a land of poverty and suffering at a time when national pride was taking a battering, post-independence and during subsequent wars with our friendly neighbour, especially as his films travelled abroad.

Ray was a stubborn man and thank God for that. 'Art house' cinema did not win widespread popularity outside Bengal, but the Indian intelligensia consumed Bengali film ravenously during the 60s. However he became a popular figure amongst French and Japanese film buffs.

Now that I've got me blog up and running, I promise I'll write something soon about why Indian cinema has not capitalised on the success of Ray, Ghatak, Sen, Roy and co. but Japanese cinema has gone from strength to strength.

I disagree that it's simply because Ray was more talented. There have been many gifted directors, such as the ones mentioned above. But their style fell out of style. The 70s through to the 90s killed the intelligent Indian film. Now there are gradually more thought-provoking Indian movies, but to be honest they are the ones which are inspired by the West.

I don't mean the ones that rip off plots wholesale. I mean the ones that take the professionalism of the West. It's odd we think like that - as if having scripts and schedules is a new thing to Indian cinema, as they have been absent for two decades. But go back to the 50s and 60s and India truly was on a par with the rest of the world in terms of creativity, if not technical expertise.

"I disagree that it's simply because Ray was more talented. There have been many gifted directors, such as the ones mentioned above. But their style fell out of style."

Sure, I agree with you. In fact, you should also include Guru Dutt, and some others too. But I do not think they experimented as boldly as him.

Once Nargis Dutt made a big rickus in Rajya Sabha about how Satyajit Ray exported "poverty".

I am a big fan of Japanese movies too.

Earlier this year, TIME announced their 100 Greatest Films of All Time. 5 Indian films made the cut.

Three were by Satyajit Ray - his Apu trilogy. It should be remembered that Pother Panchali was Ray's debut feature, making it all the more impressive. Watch it again and think about the angles he chooses and the natural lighting he uses, both were remarkably bold in 1954.

The other two movies were Pyaasa by Guru Dutt (a masterpiece) and Nayakan by Mani Ratnam, which I must confess I haven't seen.

Read more about it here (warning: spoilers).

Power of Indian Movies.......

I have a friend who is Iranian American. The first time I met, he asked me if I was related to Raveena Tandon. I told him that she was my fiancee.

He all the time talks about Shantaram and Raj Kapoor movies whenever we met (or email).

My father has a uncanny, striking resemblance to Guru Dutt. About a dozen times, street vendor kids come to him, call him "Guru Dutt", and run away.

People look at me and say I remind them of someone. They umm and aahh, so I make some suggestions

"Hrithik?"
"John Abraham?"
"Dino?"

Then they click their fingers and say "Got it! Johnny Lever!"

(not really.)

Isn't it sad I had to add that not really? The ego is just too delicate.

BB said

The other two movies were Pyaasa by Guru Dutt (a masterpiece) and Nayakan by Mani Ratnam, which I must confess I haven't seen.

I confess I have only seen Satyajit Ray's shatranj ke khilari - and at an age when I was too young to appreciate cinema as art -...

but your other mentions caught my eye. Guru Datt's Pyaasa is one movie which was not only critically acclaimed, but was a box office success as well. The poetry - I believe by Saahir Ludhianvi - blows the mind everytime i hear it. Actually, had to bring that up cos one of my granduncles (we're from Ludhiana on my mums side) claimed to be chaddi-buddies with the writer - true or not, it's my connexion with b'wood :-).
Then Mani Ratnam ... I am a HUGE fan of Tamil movies. They were light years ahead of hindi cinema when it came to quality acting and slick movie making... Mani Ratnam is of course famous for Nayakan... but other movies worth noting are Agni Nakshatram, Anjali, this is before bollywood 'discovered' him. Mind you, my knowledge of tamil is very very basic (numbers, greetings etc.) and I still found these movies richer than most bollywood. One reason was the music - which to me had so much melody that the words didnt matter ... see if you can get sindhu bhairavi, gunaa on dvd . you dont need to know the language.

On the subject of south Indian cinema, a topic where my knowledge could be far better (although I've been watching a fair bit of Sri Lankan cinema recently - doing rather well at international award ceremonies, including Cannes), I rummaged around that TIME Top 100 thing and they had also quizzed their film critics to name their top soundtracks. Now that's something where I'm sure no one will agree (no John Williams?! No Nino Rota?) but one of the chaps, Richard Corliss named Roja as one of his picks - of all time.

Anyone care to give me a top five Tamil films to watch?

The poetry in some of the songs in old hindi movies, no matter how bad the movie itself, made at least the soundtracks worth buying.

I wouldn't even pick Roja as Ratnam's best.

My own knowledge of South Indian cinema is limited to contemporary Tamil movies, and some Malayalam films from the 1980s. Personally I think "Iruvar" is Ratnam's best, and despite a flawed script dazzling cinematically, the most impressive "commercial" Indian movie I've seen in 10-15 years. Speaking of Sri Lanka, Ratnam's "Kannathil Muthamittal" is quite good (half of it was shot in SL I believe). Still in the commercial vein, Tamil director Bala seems to specialize in evoking dystopic mileus populated by "fringe" characters-- except, in a subversion of the star system, these characters are represented by mainstream major stars. Check out "Pithamagan" (featuring Vikram in a role that fetched him a National Award last year) and "Sethu" (the Hindi "Tere Naam" was an unfortunate remake). Bala is no Ray, but he is perhaps the edgiest commercial director in either Madras or Bombay (amazingly, his films have made very good money too).

Malayalam: as I noted in one of my earlier comments, RUN to get Vanaprastham.

[All the films mentioned above are offered with Eng subtitles]

Ang: By way of further response I guess I should asl say that one reason Ray found few emulators in Bollywood was that, particularly after the mid- to late-60s or so, Bollywood became keyed to a more mythic worldview, with a correspondingly larger canvas (I would say this continued in various ways until the late 1980s or so); by contrast the world of Bengali cinema is more intimate, more "local" in a sense. To use a crude (but not inapt) analogy, Bollywood (i.e. films like "Sholay" (1975), "Ghulami" (1985)) were to Bengali cinema as epic was to ballad, or the rhythms of folk song. Simultaneously, and interestingly, Bengali film culture was far less insular, and far more open to cinematic influences from a variety of international sources (for the Hindi film industry, Hollywood was the only international influence that was typically relevant).

There were some Bollywood directors who specialized in "little" films (they flourished in the 1970s). The best of these is Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who did his best work with Amitabh Bachchan (possibly the only actor I am aware of who could negotiate both the epic and the intimate so successfully): films like "Milli," "Jurmana" are quite wonderful. [Bachchan in fact played a Bengali villager in "Saudagar," which I saw years ago; don't remember how good the film was, but it's the sort of film, keyed to the rhythms of a particular place at a particular time, that is rather rare these days.]

Aside: The "Bollywood " I'm referring to is pretty much dead now, gone the way of the dodo and been replaced by: (i) neo-Hollywood films; (ii) candy-floss love stories. And while many non-Indians and even ABCDs seem to view the latter as representative of "traditional" Bollywood, that's really far from the case.

BB,
Any recommendations for Sri Lankan movies to watch? Or for where to find them outside Sri Lanka? (There's a website that appears to ship Sinhala movies to the US, but I wouldn't know which ones to order.)

I have "The Forsaken Land" in my Netflix queue, but I don't think it's been released yet.

dhaavak: nowadays all major Tamil movies are released on DVD with English subtitles...I don't know a word of Tamil myself...for some reason only 20-25% of Malayalam films are released with English subtitles, and similarly very few Bengali films are...

On a different note, I think Ray was unfairly lumped together with India's so-called "art" filmmakers. Many of the latter confused realism/angst with art, resulting in the production of numerous joyless films that were about as much fun as watching an appendectomy. Not so Ray, whose films are not just thought-provoking but eminently, almost compulsively, watchable, well-placed but not ponderous, and serious but which don't bear down oppressively on the mind. Personally I'm a huge fan of both Ray and traditional Bollywood, but I think the modes are so different it's hard to imagine the latter becoming like the former (H. Mukherjee was probably the closest thing to a sensibility informed by both).

What I mean when I say "traditional" Bollywood is dead:

http://qalandari.blogspot.com/2005/08/two-strangers-and-oracle.html

I seem to recall you mentioning in some post that your parents were from Kerala; do you speak/understand Malayalam? Have you seen any of Gopalakrishnan's films?

Good memory! My parents are Malayalee and yes, I do speak and understand Malayalam. It was my first language, as well as the one I preferred until my fascist nursery school teachers forced me to speak english (which I also knew) to them. ;)

I'm not sure if I've seen any of his films...I might have. I fell in love with Ray's works when I was a bit older, and was way more into film (I ended up minoring in it via English). I'm totally interested in seeing some of Gopalakrishnan's stuff now though, b/c of this thread. :)

Anna: I guess we all will have to wait only till the end of October, when Gopalakrishnan's most recent is released...minor in film, eh? Pretty cool (but then much seems cool when your sepia-ing on a Saturday night from the office -- sob!--)...

But the real point of this comment was: PLEASE everyone on this blog we have to buy the Gopalakrishnan DVD when it comes out, that's the ONLY way to convince 'em to release more of his work!!!! (Something tells me I shouldn't hold my breath)...

While Pather Panchali is certainly a cinematic gem, I think it's quite obnoxious to call it the greatest film that India has produced. I do not mean to be a regionalist but great films have been made in pretty much every corner of that country. I have a weakness for Malayalam movies myself as well, I think they are more humane and profound than any I've seen of either Bengali, Tamil or Hindi cinema. I would even go so far as to argue that Pather Panchali enjoys the status it does perhaps due to a happy series of coincidences that placed Satyajit Ray at the right place in the right time and thus, he was able to lead the charge of Indian cinema onto the global stage. There were many great movies being made in India at the same time and even before it. However, the urbane and English-speaking Ray probably cut a better marketable figure than say Panju who released his searing Parasakthi in Tamil or young Ramadas who released Newspaper Boy at around the same time. Anyways, as to the question of the top 5 Tamil movies that someone posed, that is a very difficult list to draw up. A movie by K Balachandar, Bharatiraja and Mani Ratnam is, more often than not, a safe bet to see the best that Kollywood has had to offer since the 1970s.

Though a word of warning on Bhartiraja: one should catch his earlier films, as his recent ones have been quite foregettable (though more often than not featuring outstanding AR Rahman soundtracks). An exception was "Kaadal Pookkal." Bhartiraj the actor was very good in Ratnam's Aayudha Ezhuttu (the Tamil version of Ratnam's Hindi "Yuva," but with a mostly different cast; I would recommend both; Ratnam himself has said he planned the two as complementary rather than as just different language versions of each other)

While Pather Panchali is certainly a cinematic gem, I think it's quite obnoxious to call it the greatest film that India has produced.

Why, thank you. My mother finds me quite obnoxious, too.

THIS Malayalee and her uber-Mallu father both thought "Pather Panchali" was genius. To each their own, people. You say "coincidence", I say "unforgettable brilliance". Tomahto and Potahto to you, too.

Anyone care to give me a top five Tamil films to watch?

I am not good at rating the Tamil Movies. I Could give you some of the movies worth your time.

1. Autograph --> Story about a guy, inviting all his childhood, college girlfriends to the wedding.

2. Kuruthipunal --> Sleek Thriller starring Kamal Hassan

3. Bala's Sethu and Pithamagan as mentioned by Umair Muhajir

4. Kannathil Muthamittal (Peck on the Cheek) --> Story of a daughter of SriLankan Tamil Suicide Bomber. ( movie by Mani Ratnam).

5. Any movie acted by Shivaji Ganesan. I could guarantee that you will be mesmerized by the Sheer energy he bring on the screen. Most of his movies are Black/white or Eastman Color.
Notable ones: Parasakthi, Andha Nall, Manohara.

There are lot many out there. These movies are a good beginning

Hey, I forgot about Autograph, thanks Check this Out: I second that, a sentimental but quite moving film, highly recommended...

I also liked Alai Payuthey by Mani Ratnam and Kandukondain Kandukondain, a Tamil Sense and Sensibility.

There are many all time best directors in Tamil like BharathiRaja, Balachandar as mentioned by Mephistopheles1981 and Umair earlier in the post.If you want some real Indian village stories, you could bet on BharathiRaja, He wouldnt let you down. Balachander movies revolve around more complex relationships.

Manish,

Kandukondain Kandukondain --> Thats a movie by Rajiv Menon, who was Maniratnam's Cameraman, before making his directorial Debut

I had seen an Ayngaran DVD of Kandukondain Kandukondain, but recently Kino films have released an American version which has higher-quality subtitles (plus the songs are translated too, which wasn't the case with the Ayngaran version) and a better transfer I think...

Aiyo Anna moley kshamikanam pache I am, by no means, questioning the degree of your mallu-ness. I made an observation of Indian cinema as a non-Indian and at times envious outsider so ethnicity has little to do with it. Manasilaiyo :)? I just think it's time we put old Ray's ghost to rest and begin to entertain the possibility that great cinema was produced by Indians around (and even before) Ray's time. It's time we find and enthrone new cultural mascots than continue to regurgitate cultural archetypes thrown down to us by the British, American and French. As far as the current Tamil movie cesspool is concerned, the best years of Balachander, Bharathiraja and even Mani Ratnam have long passed. Among the current crop of Tamil directors, Sethu Bala and Cheran stand out.

and Anna, just for you...

a list of top 5 tamil movies...uhhh, where to start?

by no means exhaustive, and in no particular order:
- Nayakan: the only movie with Mani Ratnam and Kamal Hassan collaborating; before KH became all shady and started hooking up with random Tamil actresses.
- Padiyappa: with Rajinkanth, because you can't make any type of foray into Tamil cinema without encountering the sheer power of the Superhero. (other favorites include Annamalai, Baadsha, and I know I'm forgetting others)
- Sindhu Bhairavi: it's a classic.
- Salangai Oli (sp?): don't forget the kleenex. 'nuf said.
- Thevar Maghan: combines the strength and drama of Sivaji Ganesan and KH.
- Michael Madhan Kamarajan: i'm not sure if the humor translates well into the subtitles, but some of the dialogue from this movie ought to be enshrined in some hall of fame for cheesy, but hilarious, filmi dialogue.

I know there are others I'm missing (and this list is biased toward Kamal Hassan) but in addition to all the other ones mentioned above, these should keep you pretty well entranced.

"Nayakan: the only movie with Mani Ratnam and Kamal Hassan collaborating..."

What about Mouna Raagam?

As far as the current Tamil movie cesspool is concerned, the best years of Balachander, Bharathiraja and even Mani Ratnam have long passed.

hmm, i might agree with the first two, but Mani Ratnam...he's perhaps not as consistent as he was, but I couldn't take my eyes off "Yuva". He was pitch-perfect with the casting (not so with "Aayudha Ezhudu"-his Tamil version of the movie-but that's another conversation for another day), story, and cinematography. ARR's songs were inspired and suited the moods of the movie perfectly.

Vidster: funny, I had just the opposite reaction to Yuva: I thought Abhishek Bachchan was amazing, but I thought Surya was WAY better cast than Ajay Devgan in the same role. The third hero was very much the third in both cases, though Vivek Oberoi is less trivial than Siddharth (I believe that wa shis name). Esha Deol I found awful in both versions, and personally I don't think Kareena Kapoor holds a candle to Trisha Krishnan. Both Rani Mukherjee and Meera Jasmine were good, though my vote would probably eb for the former. Maddy is a personal favorite, so what can I say? The point being I don't think Ratnam was "off key" waith casting in the Tamil version, with the exception of Siddharth, but it's interesting to come across an opposite reaction...

i think "off-key" is exactly the right word to describe my impression of his casting for a.e. his choices weren't bad per se, but...something was off.

after rani's spirited, strong personality in yuva, i thought meera was strangly wooden and expessionless. there was chemistry, desperation, frustration, 'lowe' even, a fatalism to abhishek's and rani's relationship that i just didn't get with madhavan and meera.

siddarth looked like a 15-yr old next to kareena. it was hard to take him seriously. but you're right, surya's intensity probably carried the movie for me.

my impressions of both movies are probably based on the order in which i saw them: i saw yuva first, thereby raising my expectations for a.e. :)

btw, wasn't mohan in mouna ragam, and not kamal hassan?

You are right, apologies: it was Mohan...

siddarth looked like a 15-yr old next to kareena.

oops, sorry, i meant by trisha.

"...there was chemistry, desperation, frustration, 'lowe' even, a fatalism to abhishek's and rani's relationship..."

Very well put.

I think the difference between Devgan and Surya was too huge to be passed over; the latter can appear intense and quiet; the former confuses the silence and "deadpan" of the non-actor with acting (he isn't the only one). But I do agree that (much as I love Maddy), the Abhishek role, and the Abhishek-Rani combo, was the highpoint of both these films put together...

PS-- I thought both the bad guys did good jobs...

I just saw "Shadow Kill", my first ever Adoor Gopalakrishnan film. It was pretty darn good,I wasn't blown away (and as my brother said, I'd expected better shot framing) but it certainly whetted my appetitie for more of his work (I mean, I don't think this film-- his most recent-- was supposed to be as good as earlier films, and of course the man has made two dozen documentaries), and definitely well worth watching. It's on Netflix everybody!

It's also weirdly relevant to the post about the Singaporean hangman; the protagonist of Shadow Kill (Nizhalkuttu in the original, ANNA will have to tell us whether this is a good translation or not) is a hangman in the 1940s in the princely state of Travancore, racked by guilt but also simultaneously sacred to those around him (and ironically, though perhaps not so in a Hindu economy of symbols, a piece of hangman's rope burned and the resulting ash administered by him is believed by the village where much of the film is set to have great curative powers). The guilt comes from his realization that he has executed an (and possibly more, unknown to him) innocent man/men, and Gopalakrishnan is quite interested in the question of responsibility and guilt, just who bears it, etc. There's certainly a lot more there besides, but it's always a joy to come across a talent like this, that one has been utterly unfamiliar with previously...

i am fan.