Thenali Readers Comments - Mail Your Comments to Kanman@hotmail.com

FROM :Gajaananan P, COLUMBUS TAMIL SANGAM

Prabhu:

As you know, we had a unexpected turnout for "Thenali" and unfortunately all the efforts to put a second show did not pan out well. The time slots that were available were around 10:00 PM on a week night, which is not inconvenient for everyone. If anyone wants to know about the tamil events in Central Ohio to subscribe to e-mail list by thamilsangam-subscribe@egroups.com and also they can get information from your web page (Thanks Prabhu, and it is our pleasure that you are in Columbus). They can follow the links to Columbus Tamil Sangam from there.

Okay, here is my take on film Tenali. As I heard before, I was prepared not to expect a story from the movie. As a Sri Lankan Tamil, I really enjoyed the film, as I understood what Kamal was talking about. I know when I speak my Sri Lanka Tamil, Indian Tamils do not understand immediately, therefore I could expect some confusion from there. Kamal did a great job in speaking in our accent and not only that picking up the slang of the Jaffna people too. Some of that stuff that he was saying were really a part of Sri Lankan Colloquialism, and it just flowed out of him. For example, I fully understood the concept of "Vel" very well, and made me squeal with laughter. I am ready to see this Movie again and again to enjoy this. This movie also brought memories for me, when back in Jaffna my older female relatives used to call their husband "Incharungo". I think everyone in this movie acted superbly to bring us a comic break.

All and All this is a very funny film, and I agree with you that the songs were not "AR Rehman" great. The "Ojaye Ojaye" song is a derivative of Sinhala pop music, and I could not digest this song, because the Sinhala song is a very fast number and makes you dance. The movie is of course the tamil version of "What about Bob" by Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss. This is also an hilarious movie to see.

Some of the Tamil Movie English Movie versions

Avvai Shanmugi (Kamal) Mrs Doubtfire.(Robin Williams)
Kandukonden Kandukonden (Aish, Ajith) Sense and Sensibility (kate Winslet, Emma thompson, Hugh Grant)
Parthen Rasithen (Prasanth, Simran) My best friends wedding (Julia Roberts)
Arunachalam (Rajni, Soundarya) Brewstor's Millions (Richard Pryor)
Thenali (Kamal, Jayram) What about Bob.(Richard Dreyfuss, Bill Murray)

There could be other movies, but I am not aware of this.

This for your FYI. Prabhu, we love your reviews, I rather sometimes read your reviews than see the movie. Keep it up.ThanksGajaananan P.

FROM : ANAND, BANGALORE, INDIA

Hi Prabu, I too watched the movie for the second time :-) on the say day when u guys watched! Fine regarding the movie Crazy's dialogs were really great and was very welldelivered by Kamal especially in a sinhalese tamil the words "Visuru", "Ingarungo" and "Kushini arai" stays in the viewers mind. There were couple of comic punch lines in thescreen play

1. Kamal asking the Raj TV reporter about the kind of tamil she speaks and saying that "Killing Tamil for the sake of style" was really great its a lesson to all tamil VJs theyhave to change and pronounce the language as it demands.

2. When Jayaram gets hit on his cock he shouts "Jelaja" it was a really great.

3. Jayaram's suspicion and his dream of kamal singing duet with two heroines was really great and he shouting "Kuthittan etc" followed by Devayani putting her hand on him andimagining the duet he says "thu thu..." was great.

4. When the people in the quary explain jayaram about the bomb though it was not a very great scene to enjoy the innocense jayaram shows in his face was really great.

5. Lolly Pop sorry Madan Pop was a height of irritation always vomiting as if with a 3 monthmasakkai, he and charlie were not at all required in the movie.

6. Kamal starting the dialog with Ellam siva mayam endu(purposely mis spelt) solvargal...was really great.

7. In the bending down scene when Jayaram samalifies kiss kisthi followed by the tv channels showing sivaji & mgr enacting what kamal was doing was a great timing sense.

8. Surprisingly there are no songs written by vairamuthu its a dissappointment for people who enjoy songs based on lyrics and every song was written by a different person added tothat music was bad.

9. Kamal has danced well in the song hojare if we carefully observe the steps of kamal and jyothika kamal's had a punch in his movements "though he is a qualifed dancer" at 47 he is dancing really well compared to any of the young heros and heroines jyothika should have putin much more effort in dance sequences.

10. Last but not the least Ramesh Kanna never says the name tenali right even once he saysthakkali, okkalai etc....was very good. Needless to say another excellent review by our "Lollu" Prabu....Good keep it up....regardsAnand

FROM : RAVI, DAYTON, OHIO, USA

Prabhu

Your Thenaali review was good. Especially I liked the point you made on Jayaram. He was the real highlight of the movie according to me. He stole the show. Although Kamal was his usual self - only one had to concentrate hard to understand his Sri Lankan dialect, I thought Jayaram was the real hero of the movie bringing out the real hidden talent in him. It was a really good to see him doing what he did in the movie.

I guess with this movie he'll be offered more tamil movies in the future. Only, I am afraid he might get stereotyped and ultimately, get repetitive and stale. Thats what happens to most Indian stars. They get repetetive and stale over a period of time.

Music, as you said, was really average. Very much unlike AR Rahman. Although, according to me, the slow song in the snow mountains backdrop was really pleasant and good. Also, most of the songs seemed out of place. They seemed to forcibly fit into the movie.

Kamal really didnt look 47. In other movies like Indian and Hey Ram he looked his age( Hey Ram actually portrayed him as a middle age guy). Coming to the heroines, the less said the better. Tamil audience seems to have a preference for chubby and plump figures. No wonder every heroine worth her salt tends to put on weight!!!

I initially was under the impression that the director, KS Ravikumar, wouldnt have had much say in a Kamal movie. But, he did control the movie well. Especially, I thought he handled Kamal really well. Gave Jayaram enough scope to perform and not just let Kamal walk away with the honours. Just like he did Rajinikanth in Padayappa - letting Ramya walk away with the honours. Congrats to him on this point.

I guess, on the whole, Kamals earlier movies like MMKRajan, Avvai Shanmughi, and , even Singaravelan were more enjoyable than this one. Not really a very good movie. At the same time, not bad at all.

Ravi. FROM : ARUN PRAKASH, PUNE, INDIA

Hi prabhu,

unn review vai padithavudan, I felt like seeing the movie immediately. But enna pannurathu...They dont screen tamil movies in Pune. Got to wait... I was wondering how come super fig. jyotica(except for her 2tier/3tier architecture-but that extra bit of flesh is what jollu tamilians expect u see...) had missed your eyes. so, atlast u have commented positively abt her. eppadi maamu ithanai naala misspanna?

Moreover I noticed one more thing...U have started jollufying at Kamal???-u were praising him not for his acting but for his looks....ummm.engoooru baashaila solrathu na, "aaenungo, payyan poekae seri illai... sattu puttunu oru kaliyaanatha mudichidunga."(Hope u got it.)enna prabu, intha movila jollu vida figure-ahilla? why kamal?bye,arun.

PS: I dont have the mailing list. That's why i am sending this comments to ur address directly.

FROM : CHANDRA SHEKAR, GERMANY

thenali padam review was also good.i

could not comment much on THENALI as i have not yet seen the film. but regarding jyothika,i would like to say a few words. AMMADI Jyothika onga kudumbathukku nanga rombha kadamai pattu irukom ma.Unga AKKA 'JIVVVVU' KATTAI Nagma engalukku panna JOLLU sevaiya nanga marakka mudiyuma.Unnoda rendavadhu AKKA Roshini oru rendu padathula nadichittu poitta.Unga ATHULA ungala ennatha pottu ma valakara.unga KUDUMBAM NEEDODIVAZHGA. NEEYUM NEEDODI VALARGA.

ana be careful.andha Sarath madhiri KARADI kitta matikadhe.unga AKKA oda nelamai ulagathula endha ponnukum vara koodadhu.Paavam Nagma.

FROM : SESHADHRI, SANFRANSISCO, CA, USA

Yellarukkum Tanks ba... prabhu, Chandra,geetha, Ramnathu...appala namba lollu kuppathula irukkara alla pasanga ponnungalum.. yennodasogu baa...Ippo matter...

K.S.Ravikumar ooda galij vara vara thangamudiyalai...
aandha paatu nabagam irukka....'meesai kaara nanbaa......'
sarath...kumar...vijaya kumar...thum...kaari thuppu...
vaya thorandha....'O' la arrambichu....'la' varai
yella ketta varthaiyum pesudhu.....
aana..paadam yedukkum bodhu mattu..'su' madhiri padamyedukkudhu....
Peter Paramasivam...pesu ba...
I think Tenali,Avvai shanmugi, Kuruthipunnal, Guna and all thise filims were Kamals ideas...as such..he does
all these kind of crap(read as ok..) movies only inother producers movies... when it comes to his sondha production he takes all Hyped movies....like Hey rAm, Maruthanayagam(aathan paa...Elisabeth Rani vandhu thoradhuchee illa....) But he is still an good Dialog Writer..he has got good screen play brains..but i donno why he goes behind all hollywood movies...

He can immitate them but should notrepeat them... As far as me...Tamil crowds require a little bit more maturity level to understand his movie....seri podhum..moodu... peter paramasivam...moodinathuku tanks....friends...appara...T-kadai la pappom....sogu...varta....

FROM : Geetha, New York, USA

btw way...thenali is a great movie..needless to sayabt kamal n his ceylon tamil n all...he is great thebest...like arun mentioned jayarams acting was exceptional... (have u ppl. seen their movie...chanakyan...it is too good...also i guess urmila is init paired w/ kamal the movie plot is good too)

Click here to Visit Our Sponsors