The greatest Tamil film of all time. Review on Iruvar Movie

IRUVAR

RATING:

Hollywood has Citizen Kane, Tamil cinema (Kollywood) has Iruvar. When Orson Welles decided to make a movie based on the life of the most powerful newspaper publisher in America, there were calls for his cinematic head. When Mani Ratnam decided to make a movie based on two of the most important and popular figures in the tamil cinema -and later tamil politics- the reaction was similar to the kind Orson received. Like Citizen Kane, Iruvar is overflowing with class, passion, and the single-mindedness of a director wanting to create a movie just to satisfy himself -To hell with the box office. Neither film had a happy time at the box office and most critics made no secret of their dislike towards Citizen Kane in 1939, and their tamil counter parts in 1995 didn't think much of Iruvar.

Flash forward 65 years to the present: Citizen Kane is considered the greatest film of all time. Will Iruvar get the title of the greatest tamil film of all time in the future? Time has the answer, but if in the next ten, twenty or thirty years, Iruvar is voted as the greatest tamil film of all time, then this article will form the basis for my ''I TOLD YOU SO!!!''.

Aghhh, the ravings of a crazed fan......don't you just love it? No? Never mind. But please read on. This movie deserves attention.

Iruvar is the satirical account of the parallel rise to fame and power of MGR –arguably the most popular actor in the history of tamil cinema (who, by the way, couldn’t act with detailed instructions)- and his one time best friend Karunanidi –former Chief Minister for Tamil Nadu. MGR, called ‘Anand’ in the film, is played by Mohan Lal, while Karunanidi is played by Prakash Raj. The film traces their success and rise to power in their individual pursuits: Anand from a struggling actor trying to make ends meet to the point where he gets his first big break, becomes the biggest star in Kollywood before entering into politics; and Karunanidi, a poet and communist party activist, who becomes increasingly popular amongst the masses before winning the election and the Chief Minister post.

I remember when I first saw the movie. I was 12 years old, and didn’t understand s. Tamil movies were supposed to be full of fight scenes, couples dancing to songs, and all the other stuff, which I detest about tamil films now. Iruvar had songs alright, but no fight scenes –where is the fun in that, I remember thinking. Approximately nine years later, a local TV channel decided to air Iruvar. I had nothing to do so I watched it. And I fell in love with it.

Taking a story of the lives of such influential and popular men is a risky business. If executed badly, it can resemble an injured stuntman after a horrible accident. Not to mention that the director’s life would be in danger too, especially in a country where anything less than adoration of popular film actors and politicians is considered heresy. If done well, the director might at least be spared a public beating.

Luckily for director Mani Ratnam, Iruvar was only given a cold sholder at the box office. The script in many ways is ‘Cinematic poetry’ –a term that I thought I invented before finding out that half the world already knew it. Every scene is done with the care and love a great poet would put into his creation. Nothing is forced; Scenes flows from one to the next with obvious effortlessness that comes only when artistic vision is the guide, not the grubby hands of commercial marketability. The cinematography is the work of a great painter, offering one great image after another. The music of A R Rahman is indescribable: It gets to your soul, stirs your heart, and remains in your head forever –If listening to Nina Rota’ Godfather theme gives you goosebumps then you know what I am talking about.

For a film that has so many strengths, nothing ranks higher than the ensemble acting. Mohan Lal, Naser, Revathi, Aishwarya Rai, Gowthami, Delhi Ganesh are aware of the quality of the script, responding with career best performances, but in my point of view its Prakash Raj who really deserves acting credits. He has the hypnotic quality of a snake charmer, grabbing the attention whenever he walks into a scene. He doesn’t deliver dialogues as much as recite it like the poet he is playing. If Iruvar ever becomes the greatest Kollywood film of all time, then Prakash Raj’s performance will go down as one of the best performances.

Gene Siskel, the late film critic, said that a great film has at least three great scenes. If that is the case, then I can count at least ten from Iruvar