Thilakan and “The Gangs of New Kerala”
What goes on in the Malayalam movie industry these days make the movie lovers quite sad. The current state of the Malayalam movies is quite pathetic. We have only a couple of hits each year and rest of them bombs in the box office. The state of the cinema theaters is also pathetic that one wouldn’t take the pain of going to a theater to watch a movie and would rather watch it at his own home. With the arrival of big LCD screens, Dolby home theater sound systems and DVD/Blue-Ray discs, watching a movie at home is much much more comfortable than watching it in a theater. As a result, many theaters are closing down rapidly.
But who cares? There is absolutely no effective discussions going on about a rescue plan. The people in the industry are busy making crappy movies and the competition is so high in this field that we get crappy, crappier and crappiest movies – one after one. Then there are these organizations (AMMA, MACTA, FEFKA and all those funny names) which functions like gangs and we see their gang wars quite often. And it is cinema that dies in this war.
The whole incident of Thilakan being an outcast from Malayalam cinema has proved that there is no hope for any improvement in the near future. Thilakan had accused AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) of not allowing him to work in the movies and he pointed fingers at the superstars (Mammootty and Mohan Lal) in particular. What followed was a series of cheap stunts.
Director B Unnikrishnan, general secretary of Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), said that the actor in Thilakan has died. But Thilakan has some great performing moments of Malayalam cinema (or rather Indian or world cinema) to his credit and we all know what kind of movies B Unnikrishnan has directed. Unnikrishnan also said that he would resign from his general secretary position if Thilakan could prove that FEFKA banned Thilakan from acting in films. Incidentally, the same FEFKA has threatened to pull out all technicians from the movie “Dam 999″ if Thilakan was cast and the producers threw Thilakan out of the project. And as far as we know B Unnikrishnan still holds on to his position.
The above incident proves that there is some truth in what Thilakan says. He also lashed out at the Super Star fans and I whole heartedly agree with him on the fan-hood. The fan associations work like thugs, threatening people if they boo in cinema halls (and they themselves send booing teams when their enemy star’s cinema is released) and they also threaten people who leave after intervals when they are fed up of watching crap movies, and now the fans of Mohan Lal and Mammootty have united against Thilakan. Kerala now see that the rivals joining hands to fight a lone, old man.
Thilakan undeniably is a great actor. The truth is that if there is Thilakan acting in a super-star movie, he outshines the super stars with his acting prowess; however small his role is in the movie. So there are good reasons to believe what Thilakan says about the popularity-hungry, fan-fed Superstars working on denying him chances. Take a couple of superstar movies for example. “Kireedam“, an award winning movie where Mohan Lal and Thilakan played father and son, had both Mohan Lal and Thilakan in an equal performance and for the movie lovers, it was a treat (remember the scene where Thilakan says “kathi thaazheyideraa…“?). Or take Mohan Lal’s commercial hit “Sphadikam“. Thilakan’s Chacko maash was the most powerful character in that movie than Mohan Lal’s Aadu Thoma. Or take Mammootty’s “Kauravar“. It was an outright Thilakan movie, though Mammootty was in the lead role. Or take movies like “Perumthachan“, “Moonnaam Pakkam” etc. I can draw a lot more examples.
But he had very little support from industry, probably because nobody wants to question the “kings” and destroy their own career. Sukumar Azheekode came in support of Thilakan but he only added more garbage to the already stinking mess. Thilakan had claimed that he is a staunch Communist, but the party kept mum on the whole matter. It is understandable particularly when Mammootty is the chairman of party-owned Kairali TV. So the party did not back the ‘lesser Communist’ when they have ‘elite Communists’ in their fold. But renowned director Shaji N Karun came in support of Thilakan. He said, “The organizations have nothing to lose if they ban Thilakan. But the it is the cinema viewers who are going to lose.” He is so right. It is not AMMA, FEFKA or any other organization who is going to lose, but us, the Malayalam movie viewers. And the members of these organizations are busy looting our money and give us crappy movies.
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March 11th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
If this was made into a movie, it would be a very silly one.
March 11th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
You have said it right Joseph! It’s time for the stars to come down!
March 11th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
I agree with the post in general. But i think you got one thing wrong – going to the movie theatres. People still prefer to go to a movie hall to watch a movie. Its an experience for everyone. but the sadass fans associations are ruining everything with displays of ‘fanboism’, kooval and other sad antics that make me want to get drunk and puke all over them. Its that ruining of the experience , plus the amount of crappiness ( i believe crappiness is understating it ) thats coming out now is the cause of the movie industries decline – not piracy , not because people prefer home theatre experience.
March 11th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
My 2 cents on the issue:
It’s indeed sad that Thilakan is out of the good book of the rest of the film fraternity. But what is he doing? He’s abusing everyone who spoke on the issue. Sathyan Anthikkad recently spoke sympathetically on the issue and the next day Thilakan started ridiculing him too.
I think currently Thilakan is more popular than Azhikkod in the speech business. Some fireworks are always guaranteed when he gets near a mic.
The way Thilakan marched to the set of the ‘Hollywood’ movie with a few rowdies didn’t look fair to me. People get removed from movies all the time, so this is nothing new. Moreover, I believe the movie guys also had paid him an advance.
I wonder why Thilakan is silent on the issue of actors appearing in commercials. Probably because he too appears in quite a few.
This is not to decry Thilakan or elevate crap directors like B Unnikrishnan. Whatever happens behind the curtains, the two superstars have been relatively dignified in their public comments.
March 11th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Both Thilakan and Sukumar Azhikkode are just seeking publicity. They may be great people in what they do but by speaking foolish things they are being items of cheap ridicule. Azhikkode sees sex in the way Mohanlal say “Kalakkittundu”. It was jut an ad film and we know the actors were just acting. But Azhikkode had his eye not on the necklace but on Hema Malini’s breasts! Imagine an 80 year old speaking so cheaply. When people grow aged they try to show that they are still important by trying to do mediocre things. Thilakan also says stupid things such as todays statement that he would have won an oscar and the whole industry is conspiring against him. Seems he is becoming paranoid with age.I also hate the bossism the three organisations and the wig headed 60 old mm’s are doing. And Thilakan is also right to some extend on their atrocities, but the way he has adopted is very stupid and cheap. No one will ever lament on a Thilakan stopping acting today. No one laments any of the so called star deaths except for a few days. Thilakan should remember that.
March 11th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
If you think Malayalam movies are crap…Tamil movies are Super Crap !
March 13th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
The whole movie industry is in a mess owing to trade union like behavior from a number of associations. I still don’t know who is standing for what here though I know that actors and producers have different associations (or multiple of them).
In my honest opinion, Azhikode shouldn’t have been involved in this mess. Thilakan is an exceptional artiste and among the top five of all times may be. The aging heroes badly wanted some push to get back their importance and they had to probably come up with this controversy. I hate Mammootty and Mohanlal for this though Thilakan himself could have been more diplomatic in his approach.
The funny thing is that some people who don’t know what acting is all about are on the board of those unions
Idavela babu, Kunjan etc.
August 26th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Dear sir,
I learned through media that a multitalented, multifaceted actor Mr.Tilahan was ousted from your association and thereby he loosed his chance to show his national talent to the people .The above your act gives me much pain and agony because such a talented artist’s grief and sorrow especially in the end time of his age and we like people can not have chance to enjoy his action. Please excuse him if he commits even a grave mistake too. We like people are soo fond of watching his extra brilliant act especially with Heroes of Mohanlal , Momutty. ,Jayaram etc.What a strange act he has? who will fill the gap with his absence ?.The direct action against him is not lawful , So please allow him to act in all cinemas as he acts as earlier .I hope you will do it and thereby we will get a chance to enjoy his luminous action.
Thank you.
S.LAWRENCE
NAGERCOIL
.