Indian Regional Cinema

[Pratters]

Does any one watch it? Do tell us about the recent good Indian regional films you have watched and a bit about your background on watching these films here.

 

[vardu]

Does any one watch it? Do tell us about the recent good Indian regional films you have watched and a bit about your background on watching these films here.

You surely can't be asking if folks watch Indian Movies made in India :lol:.

Can you clarify - are you asking about Foreign movies with Indian locale(Octopussy)/ movies with Indian storylines (Gandhi)/movies seemingly about and made in India but shot elsewhere (Indian Jones and Temple of Doom)?

 

[Pratters]

It's a thread for people to talk about regional cinema and regional films.

Cheers.

 

[audiowhat]

Great thread!

I am familiar with movies in Kannada, and to a lesser extent - those in Hindi, tamil, etc.

In Kannada, a few movies that are worth pursing (made over the last few years) are: Manasaare (dir: Yograj Bhat), Super (dir: Upendra), Mungaaru Maley (dir: Yograj Bhat).

Others, please add your language movies here.

 

[ukjeyaraj]

For me all are Indian movies in different Indian languages. There is nothing like regional language or regional movies.

Anyway to answer your question. I see a lot of Indian movies. Some movies I can recollect immediately and not in any order are

1) Pasanga (Tamil)
2) Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaya (Tamil) / Ye Maya Chessave (Telugu)
3) Happy days (Telugu)
4) Maghadheera (Telugu)
5) Super (Kannada)
6) Vedam (Telugu)
7) Abhiyum Naanum (Tamil)
8) Mozhi (Tamil)
9) Enthiran/Robot (Tamil/Hindi/Telugu)
10) Peepli Live (Hindi)
11) Wednesday (Hindi)
12) Mungaary Maley (Kannada)
13) Bommarillu (Telugu)
14) 3 Idiots (Hindi)
15) Lage Raho Munnabhai (Hindi)
16) Ishqia (Hindi)

 

[santhukp]

Being a malayaleee ,watches lots of malayalam Movie but sadly these days not so many good movies are coming out but "Prajiyettan and the Saint" is the Best in recent Malayalam Cinema.A must watch movie.... ****

 

[iaudio]

Great thread!

I am familiar with movies in Kannada, and to a lesser extent - those in Hindi, tamil, etc.

In Kannada, a few movies that are worth pursing (made over the last few years) are: Manasaare (dir: Yograj Bhat), Super (dir: Upendra), Mungaaru Maley (dir: Yograj Bhat).

Others, please add your language movies here.

santhukp, Yep, Pranchiyettan and the Saint was a good movie after a long while.
Pranchiyettan and the Saint (2010) - IMDb

Another good movie from last year in Malayalam was 'Paleri Manikyam- Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Katha'
Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha (2009) - IMDb
Both the above movies have Renjith as director and Mammooty playing the protagonist. The two have done their jobs well, needless to say!

Pratters, Malayalam cinema of yesteryear appealed to me because of the fact that the movies were very 'real'. They had a very earthy feel to them, like the scenes shown were that from any ordinary man's life.
Recently, however, the film industry has been churning out mindless superhero movies/ crass comedies, insipid puppy love/romance movies etc. The two mentioned above were a welcome break.

Another movie I liked recently was 'Bhramaram', more so because of Mohan Lal's awesome performance in it.

 

[sivasarjun]

Yes.iaudio has said it well.Malayalam cinema has lost all glory and is senselessly revolving around superstars.
Apparently tamil new cinema seems to be embracing new themes and treatment.Brave enough to come out of the starsystem and the cliched storylines.
It was a reveleation to me when I saw two outstanding films PARUTHIVEERAN and SUBRAHMANIAPURAM.Very very authentic if you know what I mean .
generally we malayalis used to despise tamilcinema as unreal while our cinema was more earthly.But now the tables have definitely turned.
I would be very happy if somebody knowledgeable recommends a few good Tamil ones.Sorry no superstar dominated ones.Those i can safely pass.

 

[iaudio]

This is a scene from another Malayalam movie that I love, Kireedam

YouTube - Kireedam Climax | ??????

 

[Hiten]

I liked these three Marathi Films
1) Vastupurush
2) shwaas
3) Devrai
Regds

Here is COPYPASTED brief story line of the films as respective writers perceives these films...
Vastupurush is the story of a doctor, Dr. Bhaskar Narayan Deshpande born in a traditional Brahmin family, receives Magsassey Award for his achievements in the field of preventive medicine in the slums of Mumbai. After living in Mumbai for forty years, he decides to return his native village and build a hospital at the place of the ruins of his home, just to appease his familys guardian spirit. Her mother makes Bhaskar understand that his feudal Brahmin family has done a lot of injustice to the so-called lower castes and the Vastupurush has received curses for generations.
Shwaas : story is about how an old man tried to show his grandson the preciousness and beauty of life in a no win situation such as cancer. It is about keeping a positive attitude towards life.
Devrai is the story of Shesh Shahi (Atul Kulkarni) , a brilliant but eccentric man . While living with his family in a village in the Konkan region of the state of Maharashtra in India , Shesh becomes increasingly obsessed with a small patch of forest near his home which he calls as "Devrai" (meaning 'sacred grove' in Marathi) and starts to feel that the perfect harmony between the biological factors in Devrai offer a solution to the chaos which he perceives in the outside world . He is later diagnosed with schizophrenia and his younger sister tries to cure him by seeking professional help .

 

[sivasarjun]

This is a scene from another Malayalam movie that I love, Kireedam

YouTube - Kireedam Climax | ??????

tThat was probably the last malayalam film I liked.Credit goes to lohithadas I think.

 

[iaudio]

sivasarjun, Yes it was the brilliant Lohitadas-Sibi Malayil team who crafted the movie, and realized well by Mohanlal and Thilakan in their respective roles.

In the said movie-"Kireedom"( which means crown in malayalam), the protagonist 'Sethu ' is someone who's awaiting S.I selection to the Kerala Police force, and his father(Thilakan) is a constable. The movie is about how Sethu in an attempt to save his father from a thug becomes branded as goon/criminal himself and his struggle to regain his life as he knew it.

 

[murali_n]

Hi all,

I recommend the following Tamil films :

1. Housefull
2. Nandalala
3. Azhagi
4. Sethu
5. Pithamagan

N.Murali

 

[longshanks]

Ratha kaneer is legendary.


YouTube - Ratha kaneer wonderful scene

 

[venkatcr]

I find the term 'regional' for Tamil films a little offensive. For one the movies are far better. Secondly there is a close interaction between Hindi and Tamil cinema in terms of actors, stories, technical editing, producers, directors.

I am sure someone will say it is regional as the language is restricted to a region. But that is a very narrow thinking. Let us not forget that Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam, Marathi and all others languages are all integral parts of India.

The correct term would possibly have been non-Hindi movies. In my mind it is a Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam or Telugu movie.

Cheers

 

[srikarkav]

Hi Pratters,

What do you mean by 'Does anyone watch it?'.I find it a little offensive.There are are hundreds of gems among non hindi movies.People thrive on cinema here in India.Do try to watch some non hindi movies.It will open a new world for you.

cheers,
sri

 

[Pratters]

Thanks a lot for the suggestions people. I will track them down. Really appreciate it. It would be great if you could let us know about more films as you become aware of them as they come out. This thread can be very useful in that sense.

Venkat - It is the popular term, just like bollywood. People find bollywood offensive too but I don't have real issues with either.

Sri - I used it to get people involved. Don't feel so offended. I do watch all kinds of films including all kinds of Indian films.

Any ways, coming back to the thread. I am really excited about the way Bengali cinema is shaping up. They keep producing good films. Moner Manush and Aar Ekti Premer Galpo have been playing in Calcutta for over 6 weeks now and doing pretty well. It is quite amazing in this day and age when films come and go every other week. Some good Bengali films from recent times -

Moner Manush stars Bengali superstar Prosenjit. It won the best film award at IFFI. On Prosenjit - it is really interesting how his career has gone. Achieved main stream success but over the past few years has concentrated on non mainstream films and has left a mark.

Aar Ekti Premer Galpo - Rituparno Ghosh acts and every one who has seen it feels he has directed it to a fair bit at least too.

Japanese Wife

Among others I am really keen on seeing telugu films Vedam, Prasantham and Marathi film Natarang. Any one seen any of them? How are they? There is also Harud which should be awesome.

YouTube - Aamir Bashir's Harud - Trailer

 

[vardu]

I find the term 'regional' for Tamil films a little offensive. For one the movies are far better. Secondly there is a close interaction between Hindi and Tamil cinema in terms of actors, stories, technical editing, producers, directors.

I am sure someone will say it is regional as the language is restricted to a region. But that is a very narrow thinking. Let us not forget that Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam, Marathi and all others languages are all integral parts of India.

The correct term would possibly have been non-Hindi movies. In my mind it is a Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam or Telugu movie.

Cheers

@venkatcr/sri -Agree with your thoughts about the "nomenclature". I am not offended as much as frustrated/saddened when folks use it out of ignorance rather than stop/think/analyse and use the right terms.

@pratters - no offense dude but sometimes a few key words tend to get a rise out of , otherwise easy going folks.

 

[venkatcr]

@venkatcr/sri -Agree with your thoughts about the "nomenclature". I am not offended as much as frustrated/saddened when folks use it out of ignorance rather than stop/think/analyse and use the right terms.

I am not sure this is done out of ignorance. Yesterday I was watching a popular Hindi TV show where they had got a pair of dancers from various parts of the country. A young pair had come from down south. Obviously this person had no idea of Hindi. Some idiot had taught a few incorrect Hindi words to the couple. The compere, Mithun Chakravorty, and few others were making this poor guy repeat the incorrect words and having big laugh.

I have seen Mehmood's ridiculing of Tamil and the Tamilian culture in various movies. I thought with passage of time and with closer interaction between people this will change, but no. Even today the cliches and the terrible humour ridiculing culture and language you do not understand continues in Hindi cinema. This has now moved on to TV shows.

No offense to anyone, but let us be civil and nice to each other at least in HFV. I do not understand many Indian languages. But when I travel to these parts I am very careful of how I speak and what I do.

Cheers

 

[santhukp]

For all Mallu Movie watchers

Watch the New Malayalam Movie "Trafic".Every one says it is the Best writen Malayalam Movie of the decade.Eager to watch this one....Is any one watched this Already ?....