The C Premkumar directorial 96 released to much acclaim over the weekend. While there were some issues surrounding the release, the film hit theatres mid morning on Friday and gained positive response from the audience and critics. Apart from a review extolling the leads, we also wrote about our love for the supporting characters in 96. For, Murali (Bagavathy Perumal) and Subhashini (Devadarshini) effectively set the wheels of the film in motion. They made everything happen: the reunion, the romance, and also reminded the leads – when the need arose – of their separate realities.
Read: A Love Letter To The Third Wheels in ’96”
Also, yesteryear actor Janagaraj made a comeback with 96. When we caught with him up for an interview, he spoke about the kind of comedy he would like to indulge in, keeping with the times. During his hiatus, rumour-mongers had spread news of his death. He told us he didn’t mind the news so much as the ill intent behind it. “But, why do they want me dead is the question. Yes, I am old. Yes, I was away for a while. That doesn’t mean I’m gone, no?”
Read: I’m In A Reckless Mood; I Want To Showcase Something Different.
Following the release of Manmarziyaan a couple of weeks back, Taapsee Pannu has been making headlines for role as Rumi. Both Rumi and Taapsee won new fans that weekend. For, it was not often that you found someone consistently taking a stand or calling out injustice. When the director and actors of Manmarziyaan woke up to news that distributor Eros International had voluntarily edited out portions that some sections of the Sikh community had objected to after the film was cleared by the Censor Board, Pannu unleashed a tweet storm. Picking holes in every argument that sought to tell women how to think and behave, she held her own admirably, throwing in some humour too.
Read: I Was The First To Judge Rumi In ‘Manmarziyaan’
Last week was also the birth anniversary (October 1) of late actor ‘Sivaji’ Ganesan. What best way to celebrate the legend than revisiting one of his films? That the actor never met a complicated role he did not love is the reason films like Aandavan Kattalai, Bagapirivinai and Aalayamani exist. Based on G Balasubramanian’s story, Aalayamani is a treatise on man’s eternal war against his own feral nature. Jealousy, possessiveness and greed war for control in Thyagu’s (Sivaji Ganesan) mind. Common sense prevails much of the time, but what happens when the animal finally takes over?
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Read: Silverscreen Recommends – ‘Aalayamani,’ a 1962 Sivaji Ganesan Hit That Inspired Two Remakes
NOTA, actor Vijay Deverakonda’s debut in Tamil cinema also hit theatres over the weekend. Prior to the release, Deverakonda spoke to us about the film, his growing love for Tirukkural, and the kind of cinema he would like to be a part of. “I wasn’t too keen on doing a Tamil film. I decided I can wait until I learn the language, but when Gnanavel Raja made me listen to Anand Shankar’s script, I knew I had to do it.”
Read: NOTA Was A Way To Vent My Anger Against The Political System
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