Michael Jackson Karmic effect on Kodambakkam

June 25^th was the death anniversary of Michael Jackson (MJ) and I am not here to tell you about his moves etc but the telling effect he had on Kodambakkam. For one ,the only University in the World to have a statue of MJ in its campus is Vels University in Chennai. MJ’s comeback concert in India was the one way ticket to doom for a movie moghul GV (brother of director Mani Rathnam). Above all, MJ gave Indian Cinema. the great acrobatic performer – actor- director Prabhu Deva. The last achievement stands partially corrected as the credit should go to K T kunjumon KTK), the white colour obsessed film producer who wore white shirt- pants- shoes, matching watch strap and dial .

In all probability, MJ statue in Vels might be covered in crow shit or moved over to a place that does not distract the students and obstruct the expansion plan of Vels. According to KTK, Shankar told him a story of a poor boy with great dancing skills and a Governor’s daughter falling in love. Sundaram Master said that his son Prabhu Deva could be given a shot. Prabhu Deva had turned independent choreographer with Kamal- Pratap Pothen film `Vetri Vizha and was very busy.Distributors told KTK that a choreographer being hero was not their cup of tea. So then why not add Madhuri Dixit ?. Madhuri is busy. Someone said Nagma. Fine. So Rahman does music. KTK says gets best special effects, even if it from abroad. Movie runs for 100 days. Now KTK is happy that his political God – AMMA is happy. The Governor character was modeled on Channa Reddy , with whom Amma was having a war going on. KTK gave a huge amount to Girish Karnad, the art house actor to accept a commercial film as he felt that Karnad looked like Channa Reddy.

Bharat Shah, the big Bollywood guy, buys Kadhalan and dubs it in Hindi. So Shah asks KTK, whose cut-out should we keep outside the theater? KTK says – mine. KTK says a beggar at a traffic signal in Mumbai recognized him and danced waving show tickets. After the premiere show, G P Sippy and Ramesh Sippy hugged KTK and said that this is bigger than Sholay.  Prabhu Deva becomes a national sensation. Now logically, KTK and Prabhu Deva should be the top of the charts. KTK kept his winning streak with Kadhal Desam and gave Abbas, a lover boy who swept the audience. After that he ventured into making films based on his own subjects and sticking to new director’s who failed him. Prabhu Deva to a certain extent kept his dancing boy image intact with Minsarra Kanavu that had Aravind Swamy- Kajol with Rajiv Menon direction and Rahman music.

His acting career plunged and with a Telugu film that he directed, he took a new avatar. Now coming back to MJ. GV having produced Rajinikanth film Dhalapathy directed by his brother had made his GV Films , a listed company in the stock market. He then took the rights to conduct a concert of MJ in Mumbai.  A Mumbai company had the contract for the show. Now, GV gives me a scoop. Prabhu Deva will dance on the MJ stage.  All tickets sold out. It was something like Rambo Stallone to fight Salman Khan Kind of hype. Something happened. MJ did come to Mumbai but he did not perform. Prabhu Deva found that MJ does not allow any outsider to share a stage with him. Finally, Prabhu Deva, I think through Anupam Kher got to take a few photos with MJ at the hotel. GV Films shares crashed and in 1993, he had to file a lawsuit of Rs 3 crores against MJ and the Mumbai Company.

Years later, Prabhu Deva and his brother Raju, A R Rahman and actress Shobana took part in a concert called Friends of Micheal Jackson in Munich. Here too Prabhu Deva item was to be followed by MJ and latter was to join him on stage. It did not happen.  Prabhu Deva is a PR agent’s nightmare. Put him in front of a TV interviewer who knows only Hindi and English and he will sweat. He still is not comfortable with the languages. Despite this he has directed actors like Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Akshay Kumar . His stock reply as to why he chose to do a film of a particular director or producer is that – He is a nice guy. 

Once he was asked to give a vote of thanks in English at the Chennai Tennis League. His producer -friend Dr Ishari Ganesh of Vels University requested him to do it. He got the audience sympathy by saying that it was his maiden speech in English and got an ovation when he finished by saying `I finally did it’. As the saying goes – Everybody has his Achilles heel. Here it is his neck. He takes care to not strain that part of the body.

Update : Thalapathy Vijay's mother joins him against Dad's political plunge

Thalapathy Vijay's mother Shoba said that her husband tricked her into signing the form to register a political party. She also confirmed the news that her husband and her son were not on talking terms for quite some time as her son had asked SAC to stop taking his name for political gains. As it is certain that Rajinikanth might not play an important role in the coming State polls, the entry of Vijay ,next biggest draw in terms of popularity from film industry should be the next logical choice to fill in this vaccum. SAC had always been open in admitting that only Rajinikanth can be another MGR who can bank on his filmi charisma feels that this is the right time to strike when the Dravidian majors are down and Superstar has withdrawn from the fray. A close look will show that the submitting of the application was done along with the release of the party flag and it's logo .It was a well thought out move is evident.

The start of the political entry of Vijay started from his last birthday when the  same organisation that today said has applied for a political party registration with Election Commission put up posters with names of All India office bearers. This was seen as an internal move in which the fan body had structured into an organization with  office bearers to run it on a pan Indian level. Needless to say Dad SAC  figured in these posters.

Last month, news broke out that SAC was joining BJP.. He told a TV channel that there was no need for him to join any party as he had already nurtured Vijay Makkal Mandram and it was enough for him to enter politics. All the while there was a stoic silence from Vijay. Now as fans celebrated Movie Sarkar 2 years of release ,  tweet from All India Vijay Makkal Mandram said  registration applied with EC for political party. Next it attaches  copy of the application. Dad says yes have turned it a political outfit, my son is free to join or stay away. Vijay in an unsigned statement says I am not behind it and asks fans to stay away and warns of action if his photo or name is misused. The story that Dad and son are not on the same page is yet another eyewash. It is well known that Vijay is Mama's boy and SAC is tied to the apron strings of his wife. Shoba Chandrasekar is the treasurer of the newly formed party !!!  Now she has backtracked saying that she was told that it was to form an association.

The post published on 19/6/20 in this blog - As birthday of `Thalapathy’ Vijay draws near, posters have appeared in Madurai with the names of the officer bearers of the service organization run by the actor. This too for many look like the first step towards the entry to politics. In my viewpoint, he had long time back got his fans and the public to see him as a politician in the waiting. The fact that his speeches are found to be important for the political pundits to go through with a microscope and write a dissection report in the record books is proof of it.   I was coming back from a studio round and had my colleague V Shekar as pillion. Shekar, a freelancer, was on a Mission X’Mas. He wanted to collect many X’ Mas gifts to make his family of wife, three daughters and two sons happy. He directed me to take him  to a street in Saligramam. We stopped in front of a house that had only a porch light outside. It hardly looked like a place of a person who would contribute to Shekar’s kitty. He went in and came out after some time. I dropped him at his home and left. I asked him whose house it was. He said – S A Chandrasekar, director of many successful Tamil films that were remade in Hindi. He then said that it was at a wrong time that he landed. SAC had lost his daughter to an illness and there was no X’mas   He also cleared my puzzled look by saying that that SAC was a Christian.

After that I had met SAC at many sets and we hit off very well. I had often gone to collect the stills and take his interview at his Saligramam house. He had directed blockbuster hits with Jackie Shroff ( Azad Desh ki Ghulam), Jeetendra ( Balidaan) and Mithun Chakraborty ( Jeevan ki Shatranj). His film `Sattam oru irrutuaria’ was `Andha Kanoon’ in Hindi with Rajnikanth , directed by T Rama Rao. SAC said that he had pinned great hope to make a big splash in B’Town in Rajesh Khanna’s own production and with Dimple and Jeetendra in the cast. The film did not get released.

One of my visits to SAC house saw, Vijay sitting there. Vijay was send to USA to learn a course in film studies. SAC said that he and Shoba got restless on hearing about racial protests and told him to come back, even though there was no trouble in the place where he lived.  A report a few months back said that Vijay was worried about his son studying in Canada as there is a national lockdown . 

I remember an incident in Suprageeth Preview theater . We, the seniors were coming down the steps after the show and walking out. SAC came running and called us back. He was in frenzy. He shouted at Vijay and the PRO and told them that it was their duty to meet the outgoing pressmen after the show. With SAC’s efficient handling of the media, Vijay never faced a hostile press. Only at one instance, I remember Vijay blowing his cool at a press conference with him talking in a threatening tone with fingers pointed at the journalist who posed a question on a rumour that was being widely circulated. SAC intervened and cooled tempers. I saw journalists being given bundles of notebooks with Vijay’s cover photo. His fan clubs used to distribute them to school students.

SAC told us to be more interactive with Vijay but I guess we saw him as SAC’s son and he as Dad’s friends.  Photo of Vijay and Vikranth's brother with Thalaivar.

Later on he had P T Selvakumar as his manager; PTS to me appeared to be a person in awe of Vijay and with a motive to produce a film with him. Not the kind of a person for an actor fast growing to be a Superstar. A decade later, PTS did produce a film with Vijay and landed in trouble with IT.

Vijay shone in the lover boy roles and easily shifted to action –romance- comic hero mould of Rajini. All those who say that Vijay should attempt films that are not on the beaten track, should remember that a film of his with Shalini as heroine and directed by Fazil had no buyers. Kadhalukku Mariyadhe had an offbeat climax. Instead of the lovers eloping, they decide that they will marry only if the elders agree. Distributors said that the youth who like to see rebellious lovers on screen will hoot out the film. Fazil’s first choice was Abbas, then a hot favorite of youth. As dates were not easily available, Vijay was cast. Shalini had already acted in the Malayalam original. Oscar Films Ravichandran, who familiar with Malayalam films as a distributor put a slightly more margin to the whole cost and bought the film. The Producer was relieved that he had managed to get rid of a film termed a sure dud and in the bargain, he made modest money. Oscar Ravichandran, after this film release became the most sought after distributor in K’Town - A man with the Midas touch.

Not nepotism but politicians made Rajnikanth- Kamal to cringe

If nepotism rules Bollywood according to many, it is political dadagiri that rules Kollywood. If the Khans or Kapoors had said something similar to what Rajinikanth or Kamalhassan said, it would have been a breaking news in CNN, WION . Rajinikanth after the clash with PMK political party over depiction of smoking scenes in BABA - If I go to Mumbai, I am called a Madrasi. In Karnataka, I am a Tamizhan and here in Tamil Nadu, where I earned my bread and butter, I am a Kaannadiga. Where should I go?. Am not an Indian? Next shift to Kamal after the opposition by Muslim bodies (read as instigated by AIADMK) over Viswaroopam release.- If my nationality is questioned , then I think it is better to leave India and go to another country.

Shift to a function held by entire Kollywood to felicitate Karunanidhi on becoming the CM (It was not the first time he was becoming CM). Ajith goes on stage and says - Please do not compel anyone to attend such functions. Rajini stands up and claps. Cut to Udhaynidhi Stalin (actor - producer) who moves court to get a directive to ask the State committee to declare that the film he produced is serving the purpose of spreading the Tamil language. This enables the producer to get a tax exemption, a rule passed by his grandfather Karunanidhi and turned into a weapon by Jayalalithaa to deny tax sops to those having DMK links.  A Vijay starrer `Mersal’ which had dialogues against GST in the trailor , led to BJP warning distributors and theatres that if it was screened with the objectionable portions, they would face the music. DMK MLA J Anabazhagan ( who passed away recently due to Covid 19) said that he is willing to distribute it all over the State , without any changes. When Jayalalithaa was alive, Rajini in `Annamalai’ and later in `Padayappa’ had taken onscreen potshots at her. In the first instance, she was in power and brought in  a rule that Madras should not have film posters. In the second instance, she was not in power.

Vijay who did suffer from Jayalalithaa’s autocratic ways. It was mainly to help Jaya TV ,then owned by Sasikala . Earlier he had to do a volte-face as his father agreed to help AIADMK election campaign but did not do so and unluckily for him, Jayalalithaa came to power. Since then, he had been facing problems. After Jayalalithaa’s death, came Sarkar ( 2017). It stirred a hornets’ nest as it talked about Jayalalithaa’s freebie politics and to top it the antagonist in the film was Komalavalli(  a name given to Jayalalithaa by her grandmother) Predictably, it created a turbulent period in film trade as AIADMK was in power.

Now that Rajini and Kamal have entered politics and Stalin seems to be having a cordial relationship with both, the era of political muscle play in filmdom would hopefully end. When Karunanidhi was CM, Jayalalithaa alleged that Stalin’s son, Alagiri’s son and Sun TV were controlling the filmdom and arm twisting was rampant. Satellite rights were bought but no cash was given by Sun TV and after Jayalalithaa came back to power, a few cases and money reached those who were to get it. Now Sun TV is producing blockbusters and buying them too. Jaya TV and Luxe Cinemas of Sasikala have no backing of the ruling EPS- OPS group. BJP seems to harbor a grudge against Vijay and the IT raids were a part of it. The politicalisation of film trade bodies needs to be eradicated to bring in a transparent business scenario is what many films corporate who did business in Kollywood feel. Most of them have left in disgust.

As a journalist covering four South film industries, I can say that Kannada and Telugu filmdom does have a nepotism culture. To a little extent, it does exist in Malayalam. We all know about Prithiviraj who faced hardships in the initial days. Now, he has directed a film with Mohanlal as hero and latter’s man Friday as producer.  A few days back, a director spoke about Prithiviraj’s father Late Sukumaran  unofficially getting blacklisted from the industry. Sukumaran , whenever in Chennai, made it  a point to sit over a drink with me and hear about Kodambakkam news. His visits became rare and I heard that he was not called by producers. In one of his visits, I think to sell his flat in Gemini Parsn (don’t remember), I met him. I asked what the problem was. Laughingly he said – “I was on a flight to home. I did not get up and wish Joy. From that day onwards, my phone stopped ringing. Many think that I am an extravagant arrogant xxx. I have invested all my money safely enough for my family to live comfortably. Just because I am not doing films, do not stop meeting me. You ( my tribe) people have this habit of chasing only those in limelight. I don’t blame you. Your owner wants to sell his paper,”

As he rightly predicted , though I visited Trivandrum ( my home town) many times after that, it slipped my mind to pick up the phone and meet him for a drink.

Mammooty – Madrasile Mon in Poojapura Central Jail

Khushbu 's audio leak tape : A look at `leakages'

Khushbu 's telephonic conversation within a TV producer's group found it's way to the social media. Here she is asking the producer's to be alert as the media is looking for news and might click pixs at the shooting spot. TV producer's started their shoot  after agreeing  to guidelines laid by State Government. The tome in which she spoke sounded like - keep those nosy xxxx out of the picture. Anyway, she apologized saying that it was a talk among peers and not for a broadcast and went back to 34 years of her public life and respect shown to media. This leaking of media ( she says selected leakage and it makes it even thrilling as to what other juicy details were omitted). This leakages are often done with the connivance of the subjects in the content and sometimes to settle scores.
Anyway, if wash room talk in preview theaters among film journalists are recorded and  leaked, many would not be able to face those whom they call Thalaivaa, Madam, Boss and so on.
 In the days when there was no mobile phones, it was landlines or over hearing and phone cross talk that did the damage. After mobile phones came, the route was put it on conferencing and talk  as recording had not come' 

This behind the back talk has played havoc in Kollywood. It is said in hushed tones that Sivaji Ganesan swore not to ever set his foot on the soil of Nadigar Sangham after he heard a close buddy and `glass' mate - actor  of him  saying something nasty behind his back at a session in the Sangham. The buddy thought that Sivaji had left the room. The buddy and regular sidekick of Sivaji faded into oblivion. It is not film folk who alone did the mischief. A journalist is credited to having created a misunderstanding within  Sivaji family and another who was gifted a costly bike called Sivaji a stingy xxx for not buying him a new Tyre, a year later.

A very big movie empire with sons and grandsons living under one roof  saw the family  split after a lady member of the household picked up an extension phone and heard some unsavory comments coming from her hubby's  brother. The houses that had no compound walls started to be build. It further split leading to division of property and many embarrassing moments like a crew working in the studio given a bill for panning a shot of a structure owned by another brother in the same studio.

Sometime back  a video clip from a phone of a celeb ( who was stone drunk ) found it's way to another  celeb.who put it out on social media and created a storm.As it involved quite a lot of big names, the person who `leaked' the content was said to be a mental patient( maybe the illness was all about hacking phones and putting it on the net). Morphed pictures and videos do get circulated. When we get scenes of doctors and nurses in PPE gear, we also get on net the videos and snaps of actresses spending Lockdown by taking photos of themselves clad in dresses that look like handkerchief made  into bra and panties. 

The most baffling `leakages' are of scenes of blockbusters under shooting. We are told that the entire crew and cast went into a tizzy after these shooting spot scenes were put on the net. The best part is that these scenes were shot in locales abroad or within four walls of a studio covered by security systems. So it has now become predictable as part of film promo. Poster release and motion poster release, First look and several looks, Final look, single audio track and more singles lyric track, minimum of two leaked scenes, audio release and then final look. A few tweet war between fans is pre-production promo. As soon as first reel is over, tweets about what a great film it is all about  and so on and by midnight the movie trackers have put the movie in the Rs 200 cr FDFS Worldwide club ( figures from Papa New Guinea are also included).

I am now interested in tracking this mysterious person behind the leak whom Khushbhu says will get similarly get stabbed in the back and despite all the efforts, she will continue to be in limelight. This mystery person who she says is in the shadows has to be found as it is important we give some non Covid  news to take their minds off the epidemic..

Kamal - Priyan- Balachandra Menon

Kamal Haasan was to work with Balachandra Menon and Priyadarshan and both the projects got dropped. While the film with Priyadarshan  got shelved, the film with Menon  took another shape. It got directed by K Ravikumar  , another director who like Menon  is known for his comic genre films. The Menon film theme was of a girl masquerading as a boy to fool those looking to kill her  and in  the new version , it was Kamal playing the woman trying to win back his estranged wife and daughter. It was Avvai Shanmughi.

The Tamil film was titled Kanden Seethaiyai and  launched with great fanfare with  Ruchitha Prasad as heroine and Mukesh in the cast. The film later underwent changes with Ramesh Aravind joining the cast. Menon had directed the film Ammayane Satyam with the same subject in Malayalam. With two weeks to go for pack up, the film got stuck. Producers cited that they were having financial problems. Menon claimed that Kamal wanted to play the boy disguised as girl role on prodding from his friends. Menon claimed that he had even offered to take over the production but Kamal did not relent.

The film later took shape with the same set of producers ( Wig Ravi-  Hari- Murali) as Avvai Shanmughi and Meena playing the estranged wife. The film had a close semblance to Mrs Doubtfire. Trade sources said that the Menon project was actually committed by Kamal as Sivaji wanted him to help his onetime wig maker Ravi. As Kamal found that he had little to do and there was no novelty since the subject was made in Malayalam, he wanted a total rework of the screenplay. Later it turned out that Wig Ravi was told not to pay any more money, except for production costs that included actors and technicians wages and in turn Kamal took all the distribution- remake rights of all non- Tamil Languages. The film was a whooping hit.

From here, Kamal moved to remaking it in Hindi as Chachi 420 with ad-film maker Shantanu Sheorey as director and Tabu playing Meena’s role. He had Jhamu Sughand as co-producer. Once again difference erupted with Kamal and the director. Finally it was left to Kamal to don the director’s hat and complete the film. It was the first directorial venture of the celebrated actor that otherwise should have been a big momentous event. Film did collect at the box office. I remember Shanthanu managing to put in his version of the differences in Screen through the then Editor Rauf Ahmed. I met Kamal as he felt that Screen was being partisan to Shantanu . He asked me – Have you come to see me as my friend or a Screen man? I replied – As your friend. A rebuttal was given and printed but with Rauf using his powers as Editor to omit out some portions.

Priyadarshan was to direct a film based on a story of Kamal Haasan. It was a surprise choice as the subject line was serious. It talked about union’s v/s corporate and intertwined in a love story. Priyan had created a name as a humour film director. To top it, R Madhavan was part of the cast. Maddy was the rage of the youth in the South. Priyadarshan backed out before the shoot began and did not give any reason. Kamal on his part told Subhash K Jha -"Priyan is no longer directing the project. He wanted to direct me in a much bigger project. So he is working on a script about class conflict. Anbesivam will now be directed by C Sunder”. Said Kamal, "Like Priyan, being directed by Sundar would be a new experience for me. I am looking forward to working with him and Madhavan. As for Priyan, neither of us is running away anywhere." So far  Priyan has not readied any class conflict subject and is awaiting the release of Arabikadullah Simham- Marikkar starring Mohanlal.

Menon has not got over the shelving of the project and even recently said that it was the pride and ego that made Kamal walk away from the project and that even today Kamal cannot face him.