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Indian (1996)
A must see film for all audiences, Indian and foreign
Indian was clearly director Shankar's magnum opum and India's entry for the Oscar. This utterly brilliant and gripping film explores the horror of bureaucracy, corruption and bribery in modern India and its effect on society. Even locals themselves will be shocked as reality reflects on their TV screens in this movie. Whats shocking is the quality of the flashback footage in sepia of the colonial times where Indian rebels fought against the British. Such superb quality, story and acting is truly not seen anywhere else in any Indian-made film. However, as an entry for the Oscars, it would need some polishing up. I highly regret not seeing this film in the theatre when it originally released. If seeing this film a decade after it released, on poor quality print, left such a positive impression, I wonder what the impression would have been back then?
Alai Payuthey (2000)
10 stars for the Songs, -2 for the movie
While this movie is incredibly stupid, boring and uses the same old formula again and again, the songs by AR Rehman are absolutely mind blowing. The acting is OK but the story and flow is not what you expect from Mani ratnam. So why does this movie deserve 8 stars? Its because without the movie and plot itself, the songs may have never seen the light of day or given AR Rehman the appropriate ideas. The situation (not plot) is very similar to Thiruda Thiruda where the movie itself is garbage but the songs were ground breaking and downright unbelievable. Along with Thiruda Thiruda, this film has to have the best songs ever produced from India and some of the best in the world. In emotional terms, very few around the entire world even come close.