His films also brought the brilliance of TS Balaiah to the fore, along with the genius of Nagesh. The nonchalant use of terms like ‘girlfriend’ or the easy conversational Tamil makes Sridhar’s films easy to identify with, even today. The former is a forerunner to K Balachander’s Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu, and the latter is a testimony for how Sivaji Ganesan can transform himself into a modern character, despite all the heavy histrionics in his epic-based films. His best makeover was perhaps the modern, casual look he gave to Sivaji Ganesan in films like Nenjirukkum Varai and Ooty Varai Uravu. Can you imagine an era without the mobile phone?long-distancetance call, the feeble audio levels, and hence the loud “hellos and yes yes” all form part of the milieu in a Sridhar film. For instance, the use of ‘trunk calls’ to convey important information or the telegram to convey immediate news is a regular in Sridhar’s films. The timelessness of his content is proof of the good writing and direction. It is through such classics we see a life that was once lived, an era that went by.
And this is what a good film or for that matter, any work of art must do. With dollops of good humour and genuine barbs, his films are replete with situations which are reflective of the times they were set in. His hero is always a city-bred graduate, whose views on family, marriage and love were in line with the-then new-age philosophy of individual gratification being above society’s. Sridhar can rightly be called the first ‘urban’ filmmaker of Tamil cinema, whose films were set in and around cities, with characters drawn from the educated sections. Not to forget the sprinkling of English in the dialogues and the impeccable costumes and makeup which all looked oh-so real. Some of his tropes being, a middle-class graduate hero, a heroine as important as the hero, parents who are like friends to their children and have normal conversations with them, situations often with one insurmountable problem, and a story that places human emotions and value for relationships above all else.Īlso commonly spotted were supporting cast members like Muthuraman, TS Balaiah, Nagesh and Sachu who along with the lead pair, made the film so tightly woven around their performances too. Be it in musical comedies like Kadhalikka Neramillai or Ooty Varai Uravu or serious stories like Nenjil Or Aalayam or Sumaithaangi, the Sridhar tropes were always in sync with the amazing soundtrack of his films (by the M S Viswanathan & Kannadasan combo, no less).
The woman in the story is often educated and integral to what happens. All his films dealt with romance and courtship before marriage. Specifically, director CV Sridhar brought in a modern twist to Tamil cinema in the 60s. In the process, I discovered newer dimensions to older films, many of which, by no standards, ‘feel’ old. With no new films in the theatre, I thought it to be a great idea to catch up on some of my favourite classics.
0 kommentar(er)
