Aamir Khan-Kareena Kapoor in Mani Ratnam film

Mani Ratnam, in the recent years, seems to have lost his midas touch. The maverick filmmaker’s last two movies – Raavanan (Ravan in Hindi) and Kadal starring newcomers Gautham Karthik and Thulasi Nari – have bombed at the Box Office. With critics and audience wondering about his below-par films, the director is reportedly getting ready for a biggie.
The buzz says that Mani Ratnam has taken up his long-pending project for which he has opted for big names of Bollywood. Well, the actors are none other than Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor. The director is ready to leave the failures behind and planning a movie based on the India-Pakistan partition. It is said to be a bilingual movie and the filmmaker has started working seriously on the project.
If reports are to be believed, he has also roped in Rensil D’Silva, who had written script for Aamir Khan’s earlier Hindi movie Rang De Basanthi. However, it is not sure whether the talks for the project with Aamir Khan and Kareena have started or not.

Kadal Movie Review

Cast: Gautham Karthik, Thulasi Nair, Arjun, Arvind Swamy, Lakshmi Manchu

Direction: Mani Ratnam

Production: Mani Ratnam, Manohar Prasad

Music: A. R. Rahman

Produced by Gemini Film Circuit and Madras Talkies, written by Jeyamohan and Mani Ratnam, directed by Mani Ratnam and starring Arjun, Arvind Swamy, Gautham Karthik, Thulasi Nair,Lakshmi Manchu and Ponvannan, Kadal is a story about sin and redemption, about faith and humanity and revolves around the life of Christian Fishermen, set against the backdrop of a sea side town near Tuticorin. Though the basic plot is about good and evil, Mani Ratnam clearly is not interested in narrating this in a simple manner. He tries to dig into many layers and sub texts, and though he partially succeeds in his endeavor, he is completely let down by the screenplay in the second half and the one dimensional characters.

Sam Fernandez (Arvind Swamy) and Bergmans (Arjun) are part of a Christian Seminary, undergoing training for priesthood. Sam is sincere and dedicated while Bergman believes in having a bit of fun. An incident that occurs in the early part of the film makes Sam and Bergmans to choose different paths of life. Meanwhile, in a sea side town, a young boy Thomas (Gautham Karthik) loses his mother and grows up as an orphan in a harsh, uncaring and violent environment. Sam comes to this town as the priest and takes special interest in this boy. Years later, Thomas and Bergmans’ daughter Bea (Beatrice played by Thulasi Nair) meet and destiny entangles all the four that changes their lives forever. The opening sequences are extremely promising and very engaging. They set the tone of the film and clearly lay out what to expect from the film. The titles against the backdrop of black and white images with a grey background tell us something about the characters. The ocean which looks beautiful and peaceful from outside, yet could be dangerous in unleashing destruction and violence (hence the name Kadal), provides a fitting backdrop to the story. Mani tries to capture biblical themes as a part of his characters/screenplay and questions his audience. When a crime is committed, who should be held responsible? Should it be only the person who committed the illegal act and that person’s accomplices? If punishment is involved, should it be restricted to the perpetrator? Or is it appropriate to apply a principle of collective responsibility and punish a group of people who have some connection to the perpetrator?

And in the first half, all these work together beautifully. Spoilers Ahead in this paragraph. Be it the scene where Sam asks Thomas to record his voice and Thomas records the choice of swear words eventually breaking down asking for his mother, or the scene when Thomas after meeting Bea for the first time requests Sam to have him baptized (indicating that he is born again), or the scene when the wounded Arjun smokes a cigarette and his hand stroking Lakshmi Manchu’s head (which makes sense later), Jeyamohan and Mani create a riveting first half. The conceit in the interval point is predictable but yet engaging.

And then the slide begins. What a letdown. There are absolutely no peaks in the second half and the characters become caricatures. Even some relatively good scenes like Bea and Thomas helping in the delivery of a baby or the scene where Sam is working on the sculpture of Jesus (Mani hinting that becoming Jesus is a work in progress) does not have the necessary impact as one loses interest and stops caring for the characters. In the climax fight that takes place in a boat in the middle of a storm, I felt it would be better if the boat capsizes and all of them drown.

Arvind Swamy is adequate as Sam. Arjun is brilliant in the portions when he is subdued, but whenever he has to play it over the top, he hams it. But both these guys raise much above the one-dimensional roles that is written for them. New comer Gautham Karthik impresses but Thulasi is just about passable. Like any other Mani Ratnam film, the technical departments excel in their work. Photography by Rajiv Menon is absolutely top notch. In Conversations with Mani Ratnam, the director had mentioned that the cinematography in Bombay (by Rajiv Menon again) was perhaps the best amongst his films. But Menon’s work here, in my opinion is even better. Sreekar Prasad’s editing and Shashidhar Adappa’s art direction is fantastic. Music by A.R.Rahman is adequate. Jeyamohan’s dialogues are brilliant in some places but the local dialect makes it a bot difficult to follow. But I must say this helps in creating the accurate environment for the film.

Despite the failure of Raavan, Mani must be commended that he has chosen not to take the easy route. Kadal is unconventional and while the filmmaker’s intention to take the road less travelled is commendable, the product is not. Go with absolutely low expectations and the chances are you will still be disappointed.

My son was in Mani sir safe hands – Karthik

Tamil actor Karthik says he knew his son Gautham Karthik, who is making his debut with Mani Ratnam’s forthcoming Tamil romantic-drama “Kadal”, was in safe hands and that was why he never visited him on the sets.

“The day my son (Gautham) was cast in Mani sir’s film, I knew he was in safe hands. I didn’t have to worry at all. In fact, being a father, I didn’t even visit my son on the sets because Mani sir whom I also consider a father-like figure was taking care of him,” Karthik said.

Gautham is cast opposite Thulasi Nair, another debutant and daughter of yesteryear Tamil actress Radha.

The film, which is written, produced and directed by Ratnam, also stars Arvind Swamy, Arjun, Lakshmi Manchu and Thambi Ramaiah in important roles.

“Mani sir casts someone only if he or she is suitable for a role. I suppose he found my son apt for the role in the film and I’m happy he got the opportunity,” said Karthik.

The story of the film, which has music by A.R Rahman, is centred around the lives of Christian fishermen and releases worldwide Feb 1.

Rahman is full of surprises – ManiRatnam

Southern filmmaker Mani Ratnam has had a two-decade association with music composer A.R. Rahman but says he still hasn’t figured out quite how the Mozart of Madras works.

Ratnam introduced Rahman in his 1992 Tamil romantic-drama “Roja” and has since used him as composer in all his films.

Rahman has also composed the music for the forthcoming romantic-drama “Kadal”, written, produced and directed by Ratnam. It releases Feb 1.

“In my 20 years of association with Rahman, I still haven’t figured out how he works because he is full of surprises. For ‘Kadal’, he composed a song a called ‘Moongil thottam’ when I was out of town. He made me listen to the song after I returned and I was stunned,” Ratnam said.

Sometimes he has played few compositions to me which he claims to have composed on flight. I wonder how did even manage to compose a tune on flight with no instruments,” added the filmmaker.

“Kadal” features debutants Gautham Karthik and Thulasi Nair. It tells the story about the lives of Christian fishermen.

The cast also includes Arvind Swamy, Arjun, Lakshmi Manchu and Thambi Ramaiah in important roles.

I was in awe of my mother chemistry with the hero – Thulasi Nair

The Kadal heroine is all smiles as she was presented before the media at the audio launch of Kadali in Hyderabad. The actress who has now signed Yaan with Jiiva, which marks the directorial debut of cameraman Ravi K Chandran, has recently opened up about how she handles her studies and what she plans to do in futute. The class 10 student also make it a point to attend her tuitions over skype once the shooting is over. She wants to become an entrepreneur like her dad.

Thulasi says that she grew up watching her mother’s movies, but stated rewatching it when she was committed for Kadal. She says that she has watched Alaigal Oyvathillai at least 10 times and was in awe of the chemistry her mother shared with the hero of the film Karthik.

In Kadal, Thulasi is paired opposite Gautham Karthik, son of the hero of Alaigal Oyvathillai.

I thought its for an assistant director – Gautham Karthik

Gautham Karthik, son of actor Karthik and hero of Mani Ratnam’s Kadal has revealed as to how he landed upon the role. Gautham who has been pursing his studies in Christ University, Bangalore was asked by his father to meet Mani Ratnam. Gautham says that he was aware that Mani Ratnam was looking for assistant directors and whenever he met the ace director he used to tell some portion of the story. However, one day Mani Ratnam asked him to do an audition and then only he realised that he has been considered for the lead role.

Due to Mani Ratnam’s strict instructions, he has to cut short on his public appearances and he even dismantled his band, where he was a lead guitarist and back up vocalist.

On the long schedules the team shot in sea, the youngster says that his father used to tell him that he was a water baby and that helped him.

Kadal trailer from Jan 1?

There is buzz making vibes in Kollywood tinsel town that the firstlook trailer of Mani Ratnam’s Kadal, the eagerly awaited movie is likely to be released on January 1, 2013.

Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies banner producing Kadal music album was released recently and the soundtracks composed by AR Rahman are highly entertaining the music lovers. After the successful release of Kadal audio album, filmmakers are now planning to unveil the teaser trailer on 1st January 2013, followed by film release on February 1.

Kadal marks the debut of star kids Gautham Karthik and Thulasi Nair and the upcoming stars are excited and fingers crossed about their cinema career in Tamil film industry. Meanwhile, Thulasi Nair is busy with her second movie Yaan being directed by Ravi K Chandran with Jeeva in the 

Kadal’ audio creates history!

Mani Ratnam’s AR Rahman composed music of Kadal has become a runaway chartbuster.

Seeing the phenomenal advancebooking for the album, Sony Music has advanced its audio launch by two days! It is for the first time in Indian market the audio release of a film album has been advanced.

Kadal audio was planned with ads saying it will hit the music storesand could be downloaded from December 17.

A Sony Music spokesperson said : “There was a terrific buzz and unbelievable advance booking orders for Kadal album, so we decided to advance its release by two days and get a huge opening during the weekend.”

Kadal music is phenomenal by any yardstick with ‘Elay Keechan..’ and ‘Nenjukkulle..’ rocking the charts. The critics have been raving about the music, easily ARR’s best in recent times