VIJAY TO ACT WITH KARTHIK....

Vijay's father, SA Chandhrasegaran, plans to remake his yesteryear hit Naan Sigappu Manithan with his sonin the lead role, originally played by Rajnikanth. Unconfirmed reports suggest Chandhrasegaran has roped in Karthik for the role first performed by K Bhagyaraj.

May 27, 2010

Second

BACK WITH A BANG: Karthik.

As Karthik returns to showville after a self-imposed hiatus, he talks about rediscovering the joy of acting

As I try to piece together the various links in my memory files about Karthik, I'm spoilt for choice. In a career spanning two decades and more, the actor has proved his redoubtable talent in a variety of genres.

The once bankable star who had faded into oblivion is back in tinselville with not just one, but three films. Smoothly slipping into the comfort zone of a character artiste, the 49-year-old actor says he's returned to where he belongs. A spontaneous performer, he's like a genie in the bottle. All you have to do is unscrew the stopper, and he performs — as he's done in his recent release Maanja Velu.

“I haven't felt this good in a long time,” the actor opens up. “It's great to be back after so many years. The welcoming vibe around me is encouraging. I don't know why I left the scene for this long…” There's a tinge of sadness in his voice. But just the way he flitted effortlessly from emotionally overpowering roles to scintillating comedies, Karthik's mood swings and he gushes, “Director Mani Ratnam was the reason behind a major milestone in my career (think the effervescent Manohar delivering the unforgettable Mr. Chandramouli… dialogue in Mouna Ragam). I was taken aback when he called me for a role in Raavanan. He's matured with every film and my admiration for him remains unabated. Though it was not a very big role in terms of footage, I was a bit nervous. So I reported on the sets three days early to get a feel of it. I realised I had missed so much during my self-imposed hiatus. After a warm-up scene, I felt completely back in form. I rediscovered the joy of acting and began to enjoy the chaotic world of films once again.”

It was during the shooting of Raavanan that Karthik was called to play a substantial role in Maanja Velu. “I play a cop. I could instantaneously relate to the character. I realise I can't be the hero any more. So it's time to experiment and do the kind of roles that were once outside my radar. I can probably take character roles to another level.”

As news of Karthik's re-entry spread in Kollywood, messages poured from several directors, including P. Vasu, who has signed up the actor for his upcoming Puli Vesham. “Nine years ago, I was going through a chaotic phase marked by several wrong decisions. I felt I needed a break. But I never thought it would take this long. I realise how much film making has changed. The dance steps have become more rigorous, the music sounds different and the packaging is so slick. Film promos and publicity events now make news and technically, we've made massive strides.”

The actor who made his debut as the cupid-struck teenager in Bharathiraaja's Alaigal Oivadhillai in the early 1980s was swept by a wave of career-defining roles since. “On the third day after I was spotted, I found myself facing the camera. I knew nothing about acting. It's been a roller-coaster ride for me. Before I even realised that acting was my calling, I found myself neck-deep in films. As far as acting is concerned, I do a little homework in my head. That's it.”

Radha (Alaigal Oivadhillai), Revathy (Kizhaku Vaasal, Mouna Ragam) or Rambha (Ullathai Alli Thaa), Karthik's history of successful on-screen chemistry with his co-stars cannot be erased from the cine-goers' minds. “Romance? Yes, why not. Some mature on-screen romance is okay as long as it appears natural. Even in my prime, I wasn't quite comfortable running around trees.” The heart-warming Varusham 16 with Kushboo, the touching Gokulathil Seethai and the stylishly-made Agni Nakshatram were some films in which Karthik fulfilled the desire in him to excel. “I just went with the directors. I was lucky to work with the best film makers of the 1980s and 1990s. I learnt a lot.” Though he played many sentiment-suffused roles, Karthik came up trumps in comedy as well. “I love comedy. I believe the basic premise of making films is to entertain.”

Like every successful actor, Karthik too dreams of direction. “I've been working on my own scripts and learning the art of screenplay writing. I'm creating some characters for myself — the types I've never been offered or never will be. It's time to explore new realms of creativity.”

KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK JR.

My son is keen on entering films. He is a natural when it comes to facing the camera. But I don't want him to miss out on academics or his normal life as a student. I know what films can do to you. So let him wait and make an entry when he is mature enough to handle the showbiz whirligig. I'll welcome him with open arms when it happens.

CLEAN YOUR KIDNEYS

Years pass by and our kidneys are filtering the blood by removing salt, poison and any unwanted elements entering our body. With time, the salt accumulates and this needs to undergo cleaning treatments and how are we going to overcome this? It is very easy, first take a bunch of parsley (MALLI, DHANIYA Leaves)and wash it clean Then cut it in small pieces and put it in a pot and pour clean water and boil it for ten minutes and let it cool down and then filter it and pour in a clean bottle and keep it inside refrigerator to cool. Drink one glass daily and you will notice all salt and other accumulated poison coming out of your kidney by urination also you will be able to notice the difference which you never felt before. Parsley is known as best cleaning treatment for kidneys and it is natural!

‘Maanja Velu’ Wins The Race

After receiving an overwhelming response, the ‘Maanja Velu’ team will tour all the important towns and cities in Tamil Nadu to thank the audience.

The acknowledgement tour will start from Madurai this 29th and continue till all the major areas are covered. The team comprising of hero Arun Vijay, director Venkatesh and a few members of the cast and crew will thank the audience at the theatres in various parts of Tamil Nadu where ‘Maanja Velu’ is running.

It is also learnt that Karthik who is making a come back through this movie, will also be part of the team to certain places to thank the audience.

In the long list of releases, ‘Maanja Velu’ seems to be at the top of the charts with families enjoying the comedy and the action in the movie. Besides Mani Sharma's music, Arun Vijay’s explosive action and Karthik’s classy performance are highlights of the movie.

Raavanan crew share their experiences

What can one expect from a movie that is a concoction of gripping storyline, racy direction, tight editing and immaculate performances of top-slot actors? Mani Ratnam's Raavanan would precisely answer the question, when it hits the screen next month.

At a glitzy promotional event organised at Mutha Venkata Subbarao Hall at Lady Andal Higher Secondary School here on Friday, people behind the making of the film spoke on their experiences.

Singer Karthik kick-started the event with his mellifluous ‘Usire Pogudhe.' Actor Karthik, for whom this is the third project with Mani Ratnam, brought the event alive with his impromptu wit. “Both Agni Nakshatram and Mouna Raagam gave me such a push in the industry. This film will be even better,” he said.

Actors Prithviraj and Priyamani joined him to speak about the director's distinctive style of filmmaking and their co-actors' performances. “Mani Ratnam led us by example. When we were grappling with freezing cold and struggling to trek through rocky surfaces, he was at his professional best, unaffected by all this,” said actor Prabhu. Trailers of songs ‘Veera,' ‘Kodu Potta,' ‘Kalvare,' and ‘Usire Pogudhe' were sandwiched between the live performances by A.R. Rahman and Karthik. With a mud-smeared face and sporting a sinister look to depict his character, actor Vikram gave a dance performance on stage.

The stage, with the deft work of art director Rajeevan, revealed the essence of the film — a forest set-up with a dominating grey tone. Mani Ratnam got on to the stage to congratulate the team.

KARTHIK - FIRST LOOK OF RAAVANAN

Karthik's skit for 'Raavanan'

Even as the final countdown for 'Raavanan' promo meet has started, there are a lot of buzzes surrounding the much-awaited event, which is scheduled in Chennai on May 14. We already heard that lead stars of the Mani Ratnam's film Vikram and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan would perform on stage for a song set to tune by music maestro A R Rahman, besides some colourful programmes from other stars. And now, sources have it that yesteryear hero Karthik, who is making a comeback with this movie, will stage a skit on the occasion. "The skit is based on a script related to the film and will be so hilarious," say sources close to Madras Talkies. The promo meet will be attended by Mani Ratnam and Rahman, apart from other prominent faces of Tamil film industry. Produced jointly by Reliance Big Pictures and Madras Talkies, 'Raavanan' will be released in June

Chronicling cultures

The Hindu Dinakaran Jai, Documentary film Maker. Photo:S. James

Not a professionally trained person and unperturbed by the struggles and travails in his life, documentary maker Dinakaran Jai has learnt and refined his skills on his own

PRODUCER'S TAKE

This dusky young man's sunny smile is quite infectious. Even after two hours of gruelling photo shoot in open fields with the sun beating down, he retains his cheerfulness.

There is absolutely no trace of fatigue much like his never-say-die attitude towards his work. In less than five years he has churned out 40 documentaries. And he is just 29, all set to tie the nuptial knot on April 18.

An opportunity to watch a series of documentaries on Indian freedom fighters, titled ‘Kaalam', brought me closer to docu-maker Dinakaran Jai.

“I wanted to document the chronicles of those who laid their lives for the country's freedom for the benefit of the future generation. I am also focussing on recording the richness of our culture and tradition in my next endeavour,” the no-nonsense filmmaker kickstarts his conversation with me.

Self learnt

Not a professionally trained person and unperturbed by the struggles and travails in his life, Dinakaran has learnt and refined his skills on his own.

“Succeeding in this field without any proper professional training takes considerable amount of time. What matters the most is how interested you are in your chosen field. The thirst for knowledge propels your further and passion becomes the driving force behind any successful venture. Without going to any film institute, people like Satyajit Ray made an impact in the industry. Such people are self-learnt. I follow them. I am also fortunate in having a Godfather in businessman C. Deenathayalapandian. He unflinchingly supports all my endeavours and has enabled me to scale greater heights,” he shares.

Focus on arts

Born in a not-so-affluent family Dinakaran had his job cut out from the beginning. It was in his genes to focus on arts as his father Lakshmana Thevar, a member of Netaji Bose's Indian National Army, was also a renowned stage artist and an integral part of Sankaradas Swamigal theatre group.

It took Dinakaran some time to pursue his dormant trait. Aimless wandering after graduation in pursuit of a suitable career option enriched his understanding of life.

“I learnt a lot during this period. I even took to spirituality and became a disciple to a sage and roamed around in the Kodaikanal hills with him. Realisation came only when the sage pointed out that it was not my cup of tea and asked me to leave,” he recalls.

His wish

His long time wish to become a journalist came true when he soon after started writing short stories and articles for literary journals and magazines. This helped him whet his writing skills. A meeting with film director Mahendran for an interview drew him to films.

“It was a revelation of sorts. He changed my focus and ignited interest in filmmaking. During the same time I was reading literary works of La.Sa. Ramamirtham, Mouni, Jayakanthan and Jayamohan for an article titled ‘Desiyathin Tharkolai'. While collecting details, I stumbled upon a book, ‘Military Reminiscences' by British Military Commander James Wells. It dwelt on Indian Freedom Struggle. I happened to read impressive history about Maruthu brothers, Kings of Sivaganga, which raised several questions in me,” he recounts.

A chance meeting with Mr. Deenathayalapandian changed his course of life as it could not have come at a better time. Just when he was contemplating to film the history of Maruthu brothers, like-minded Mr. Deenathayalapandian lent his unconditional financial support for Jai's venture.

“I learnt acting theory from reading Constantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski's writings and developed an interest in world cinema. I am a keen follower of Akira Kurosawa's movies. I still follow the making style of Ritwik Ghatak and consider him as my ‘manaseega' guru,” he admits.

His documentaries

Dinakaran's first project was ‘Maruthiruvar' in 2005. The 42-minute documentary, produced by Jegamathi Kalaikoodam, took six months.

Two years of intense research culminated in ‘Rehai'. The 43-minute critically acclaimed documentary discussed the plight of those branded as criminal tribes by the British Government. It was screened in Moscow and Hyderabad international film festivals.

Buoyed up by the acknowledgement and also taking a lead from his maiden venture, Dinakaran Jai embarked on the mega project of ‘Kaalam', wherein he talks about personalities and public contributions to Indian Freedom Movement. It is a collection of documentaries under 38 titles.

“It was truly a rewarding experience for me. I spent more than two and a half years exclusively on this project. Each title runs for about 30 minutes,” he says.

At present he is working on his next venture tentatively named “Othigai”.

“Our ancestors talk about 64 art forms. It is an exploration to ascertain the veracity behind this claim,” he informs.

His inquisitiveness has fetched him a berth in the short-term film appreciation course in Pune. He has delivered guest lectures on film language and script writing for the students of Journalism and Mass Communication of the Madurai Kamaraj University.

He is also working on a book titled “Kaatchi Mozhiyum Thiraikathai Ulaviyalum”.

“Lack of records on historical events has been the talking point for long. Our main objective is an attempt towards developing authentic documentary evidence,” he asserts.

Thevar's political vision

T. RAMAKRISHNAN

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The volumes cover a wide range of issues, as seen and discussed by THEVAR

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1949-PASUMPON THEVARIN SARVADESA ARASIYAL PARVAI:

1952-PASUMPON THEVARIN ARASIYAL MUZHAKKAM: Speeches and writings of U. Muthuramalinga Thevar: Compiled and edited by G. Bhoopathi Raja, Pasumpon Thevar Anmiga Manithaneya Nala Sangam, 14, Andavar Nagar II Street, Kodambakkam, Chennai-600024. Rs. 300 each.

One of the iconic leaders of Tamil Nadu, U. Muthuramalinga Thevar (1908-1963) hailed from the Ramanathapuram district. Drawn into the national movement, he became a devout follower of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. When Netaji visited the State immediately after the formation of the Forward Bloc in 1939, it was Thevar who played the key role in arranging a rousing reception in Madurai. He belonged to that school of Netaji followers which refused to believe that its leader died in an air crash in Taihoku in August 1945.

One of the founding members of the Forward Bloc, Muthuramalinga Thevar was a fierce critic of the Congress party and a political adversary of Kamaraj and also of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam founder, C.N. Annadurai, the two prominent leaders who shaped the destiny of the State for many years. Implicated in a murder case in 1957, he was, two years later, acquitted. But Thevar never gave up his antagonism vis-a-vis the Congress; nor did his attitude towards Kamaraj change.

The books under review cover a wide range of issues, as seen and discussed by Thevar. An interesting piece of information is that he ran a magazine, called ‘Netaji,' for some years, starting from January 1949. The editorials, written by him in the magazine and reproduced in the first book, reveal his deep understanding of the complexities and nuances of international politics. To cite a few instances: His concern for the plight of the people of Indian origin in Myanmar; his steadfast support to Mao and the Chinese revolution; his analysis of foreign policies of the United States and the United Kingdom; and his advice to the Indian government not to join the Western camp.

Critic of Congress

If there is a common theme running through the collection of Thevar's political speeches, it is the criticism of the Congress party's politics. His call for the unity of the Scheduled Castes and criticism of the public distribution system are as relevant now as they were during his time. That he was a strong supporter of the reorganisation of States on linguistic basis comes across from his article where he accuses the Congress of delaying the process.

One may or may not agree with the Forward Bloc leader's views on the different subjects covered in these two volumes. But any dispassionate student of contemporary history of Tamil Nadu will have a lot to gain by reading them. In compiling and editing the articles written and the speeches made over 50 years ago, Bhoopathi Raja has done his best to be faithful to the original.

FRUIT

EATING FRUIT... It's long but very informative � We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat. � What is the correct way of eating fruits? � IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! * FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. � If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities. � FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so. � In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.... � So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining - every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet etc - actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat! � Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will NOT happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach. � There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight. � When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins. � But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look! � KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fibre. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange. � APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke. � STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals. � ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer. � WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher.. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium. � GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes. � Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer! Can u believe this?? For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal. � A serious note about heart attacks HEART ATTACK PROCEDURE': (THIS IS NOT A JOKE!) Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting.. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack . Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.. Sixty percent of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive...