Sivaji in BAAS

Yesterday I watched two movies, back to back. Swades and Sivaji-The Boss (tamil with english subtitles), it was interesting how the two movies are very similar yet they occupy totally different zones in our perception. Both the movies have their and their lead actors names begining with 'S' (in case you are wondering, Rajnikant's real name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad), both have the "superstars" of their respective regions as their lead actors, both have the plot as an NRI coming back to the country (with different reasons offcourse), both find their love interest in India, both movies have their music score by A.R.Rahman. Well the similarities end here. Sivaji was a movie which amused me but did not take me by cliche of Rajni outperforming the bullet, the same people (mainly MTV worshippers and pseudo intellectual art praisers) who criticise Rajni's physics defying acts are the ones who will sleep with anyone to get the premier show invite to "oscar" winner "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" as if it sticks to all physics principles. Rajni flying is a catastrophe and Chow Yun Phat flying is art.

I have been to Tamil Nad and I understand what place cinema and its grandeur has in a typical tamil life. Rajni's larger than life action is not what concerns us "northies" while watching the movies, its mainly their body language, tamil body language looks like overreaction to any untrained naarth indian eye, but that is the way they are, they are expressive. Just stand in a busy market at Pondy bazar and you shall know that the body language shown in the tamil movies is anything but exageration, its their way of expression much like Italians can't say a word without making gestures with their hands.

No wonder 5 out of 7 chief ministers of Tamil Nadu (yes, 7, before 1960's tamil nadu was Madras state or Madras presidency something like that) have cinema connections. A typical tamil actor career is doing support roles, moving to Villian, then to hero and then a hero who is potrayed as doing good to the society much like what rajni does in sivaji (in case you don't know "the boss" in "Sivaji the boss" stands for Bachelor Of Social Service). Finally stop before end is either joining a political party of opening a new one and the career ends in getting a ministerial berth.

I can write on and on about why we have a problem watching Rajni dance with women half his age or why we can't digest him chewing the buller half way in its flight, but the thing is you would hardly understand unless you go to Tamil Nadu and realise their way of living. Much like you would never know how heartache feels like, unless you have it.