No doubt Surya is my ultimate Kollywood crush. I'm such a fangirl now because I'm making it a mission to see all his films. Don't be surprise that I enjoy films with him and his real-life wife, Jyothika. I adore them so much. They bring the best out of each other.
Could someone help me out and tell me what Uyirile Kalanthathu means? Thanks in advance.
Thanks to anonymous! Uyirile Kalanthathu means "mixed life"
Raghu used to be the only son. He was his parents' world.
That was until his brother, Surya was born. Since Surya was the youngest, the parents turn their focus more towards him, making Raghu very jealous.
Raghu (Raghuvaran - RIP! Thanks Kiran for the info) grows up being jealous of his younger brother. He feels that his parents love Surya more than him and hate Surya for that. After many years, he starts to hate Surya so much that he tries to hurt Surya physically and emotionally.
Surya is the apple of his parents' eyes. But his older brother is very jealous of him. Surya is too kind-hearted to even think anything negative of his brother. He and Priya are deeply in love with each other.
What's funny is that I know that if I was to see Surya in this look now, I may not have been head-over-heels for him because I like his look now. But still find him adorable in his earlier films.
I *heart* Surya ;P
This man is soooo talented, good-looking, a great family man and husband. What more can you ask for?
Priya (Jyothika) is the sister of a big-time rowdy and is in love with Surya.
Jyothika is so cute. Her playful moments with Surya on-screen reminds me when my hubby teases me. So real. So much chemistry. No wonder these two married in real life and are doing well.
Shivah, Priya's brother. Even though he's a rowdy, he loves his sister so much, showing off the softer side of him.
Raghu & Surya's father. Did you know he is Surya's father in real life? Mutham Sivakumar.
Raghu & Surya's mother (Radhika)
Even though I read the soundtrack did very well, I felt a few songs could have been removed. It wouldn't have effected the storyline at all.
Song #1 - "Sanjaandu Sanjaandu"
Family of four together
Song #2 - "Martina"
Surya teasing Priya
Song #3 - "Deva Deva"
Surya & Priya in love
Song #4 - "Hussaine Hussaine"
Priya misses Surya
Song #5 - "Uyire Uyire"
Priya love Surya so much
Song #6 - "Kulukki Vacha"
Rowdies having fun
I spy a Preity Zinta life-size cardboard thingie - I am sure it's from Kya Kehna.
Overall, the movie has a lot of great moments.
Is it a good movie? Yes. Would I watch it again. Probably, but only for the Surya & Jyothika scenes.
Definitely, it's not one that I can watch over and over, claiming it's one of the best. The film is definitely worth it for the performances. I felt it was a little too long.
Yes, it could be a hit or miss. If you watch the film for either Surya & Jyothika, then you won't be disappointed :)
I am still on a mission to see all of Surya & Jyothika films
16 comments:
So, is it too long because of too many songs, or because of dumb subplots? I just need to know what to fast-forward. ;-) I love the way Jyothika looks, I want to watch her perform.
Love surya- with or without moustache. Has this movie released a while ago, because apparently Raghuvaran is no longer with us :(
Kiran.
ajnabi - more like too many songs, the ending dragged a bit too though. Jyothika is good!
Kiran - it released in 2000. Thanks so much for the info, going to edit. RIP :(
HELLO I AM NW ND LUV UR SITE COS IM A BIG SURYA FAN MY SELF AND IM TAMIL
THIS MOVIE CAME OUT IN 2000 UYIRILE KALANDATHU MEANS WITH LIFE (MIXED IN LIFE) U KNOW WAT I MEAN, UYIRILE MEAN LIFE AND KALANDHATHU MEAN MIXED
I just saw something about Surya's new movie and I think they said he was working with a Bollywood actres... I'll have go see if I can find that news again!
anonymous - Welcome to my blog. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks sooooooooo much for the title translation. Surya rocks!!
Filmi Girl - I did read about Surya making his Bollywood debut. I believe it's a RGV film.
Hi Nicki,
Surya and Jo made 6 movies together in this order:
1.Puvallam Kettupar (Ask the Flowers)
2. Uyirile Kalanthahu
3. Kakhaa Kakhaa
4. Peralaghan (Very handsome man)
5. Mayavi (this is the name of a person in the movie)
6. Silendru Oru Kadhal (A cool love)
Surya also made a cameo appearance in June R (it was towards the end of the movie). June R was more a women's film which starred Jo, Sarita and Kushboo. The producers could not get a well known Tamil film hero to star in the cameo and that's when Surya stepped in. And that was also when the gossip mill hit overtime that there was something going in with Surya and Jo.
Of the movies listed, KK is a classic. It was also the movie that first started the tongues wagging that there was something going on between those two. Surya and Jo never commented on these rumours. They never denied it neither did they acknowledge it. They said they were friends (it turns out his family and hers were not in favour of the relationship. The two quietly worked in the background to get both families to agree to their romance before Surya's dad announced the wedding plans...it was in true Tamil film style -- as they say the path to true love is never smooth...but these two in the end emerged victorious giving hope to other lovers who found themselves in familiar situation -- that is possible to wait and get parental approval for the marriage. In case you're a non-Indian and a non-Asian who is reading this and wondering what is all this fuss about getting parental consent for wedding; in Asian culture, it is imperative that couples get the parents' blessing for the wedding. Because in Asia, a wedding is not just two individuals coming together but two families as well. Gosh! I certainly digress)
Peralaghan is also good..both Jo and Surya give great performances. I also like Mayavi -- it had its moments and I also loved SOKadhal..one of the reasons why I love this movie is because of the songs and the fact that this is probably the last time we shall see both of them on screen as Jo retired after her marriage.
Just for your infor -- Jo and Surya were reunited for the screen again but this time for a commercial: Aircell. You can watch it on you tube. Great commercial only because of the great chemistry between these two. And Jo looks so good on screen. The short less than 1 min commercial shows what Tamil film has lost when Jo said goodbye to films.
By the way, have you seen Surya's Ayan. That is a good example of how a good masala movie should be. I am not too hopeful for his coming film called Adhavan because he is paired with the jinx queen Nayanthara. Plus its by a bad director. Surya who is normally quite good in choosing his scripts might have made a mistake in this film and his next called Singam (Lion). In that film he looks terrible! Yes he does!
Sharmilla - I really really really appreciate your descriptive, in-depth, comment to me. I really appreciate it.
You took the time to even translate the movie titles, which you didn't have to do. Wow! I am speechless.
I have seen 4 out of the 6 films of Surya-Jyothika. It'll be 5 soon. I have Puvallam Kettupar but I haven't watched it yet. Just recently saw Peralaghan and plan to review it too, enjoyed it!
I reviewed Kakkha Kakkha here & Sillunu Oru Kaadhal here
Got to get my hand on June R. Thanks soooo much!!!
You are right about KK, I enjoyed it a lot. Really like Gautham's films.
I did see the commercial with Jo and Surya. I didn't know it was her farewell to films. Why? Why must the female quit after marriage?
My friend and I keep talking about how much hotter Surya is looking after marriage!
I haven't seen Ayan, I really want to. Can't waita for the dvd.
Wow, Nayantara is the jinx queen? really? I will watch it just for Surya. Saw some songs and liked it.
Read about Surya in Bollywood soon??
I really enjoy your comment! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Dear Nicki,
It's great that you actually take time to read and comment on the reader's comments.
Regarding your question as to why females must quit after marriage, allow me to give my five cents worth on this. I am not a sociologist or anthropologist but my analysis of the situation is based on observation.
The phenomenon of actresses especially top actresses quitting cinema after marriage is one that generally happens in South Indian, particularly in Tamil cinema. I am not sure how it is in Telugu, Malayalam or Kannadam movies as I am not well versed in those culture at all but I am able to comment on Tamil films.
In Hindi, married actresses like Aishwarya Rai and Kajol, who has a daughter, still have successful acting careers. Kajol stars in the very much anticipated SRK starer My Name Is Khan which is due to be released next year. Even Madhuri Dixit, the one time reigning queen of Bollywood and mom of two sons starred in a movie last year (the fact that the movie did not do well is another story).
The scenario is Tamil films is very different. Here, marriage is like a curse for an actress and overnight she goes from being a top heroine to playing a secondary character. Case in point is Simran who was THE sex symbol of Tamil films in the late 1990s till early 2000s and a very good actress too. After her marriage and the birth of her son, this actress who still looks good announced her return to the screen and said that the would only accept the leading role. When no such roles came by her way, she had to eat the humble pie and accept whatever character role that came along her way. She managed to shine in Vaaranam Ayiram as Surya senior girlfriend and wife and as Surya Jr's mother.
In Jo's case, she must have realised the futility of wanting to return to the screen again. Plus, Surya's very conservative family (for whom marrying an actress itself was quite sacrilegious) was very firm in the fact that one of the conditions of Jo's marriage was that she would quit movies. Of course, the fact that Surya and Jo announced that they wanted to start a family as soon as possible was another reason why Jo decided to bid adieu to films.
But it was not always so in Tamil films. Back in the 1960s and up to mid 1970s, a married actress could still carve a successful career as a leading lady. One of the legends of Tamil cinema, Savitri, gave some of her best roles after her marriage and children. So did KR Vijaya, Lashmi (after marriage and divorce -- something quite unheard of for actresses back then), Padmini etc.
Then there is the mindset of Indians especially of Tamilians. They feel that however hot or sexy an actress is, the moment she marries, she must taken on a more traditional role and look homely. In their mind set, being sexy, seductive and desirable are qualities not associated with wifehood and motherhood. There are no Tamil equivalent of a sexy Gauri Khan (Shah Rukh Khan's wife), who posed in a mini when she was in her late 30s or early 40s for Vogue India. There is certainly no Malaika Arora Khan (Salman Khan's sister in law I think...I could be wrong. If I am please set me right) who gyrated her way to many an Indian men's heart in Dil Se (Uyire in Tamil) for Chaiya Chaiya.
People in Mumbai are more westernised and more liberal in their outlook. Which is why Aishwarya Rai is still a much sought after actress and the audience are comfortable seeing her together with another actor besides her husband like Hritik Roshan. And they are also quiet happy to comment to that there is more chemistry on screen between Aishwarya and Hritik than with her and her husband!
Something like that is unthinkable in Tamil films. The Tamil culture is very much a man's world and they have stereotypical ideas of what the roles of a girlfriend, wife, mother and sister should be. Sexuality, motherhood and wifehood are mutually exclusive. I am sure Freud would have had a field day analysing Tamil men and their mothers.
Hope that explains a little about marriage and the death of the career for a Tamil actress.
Dear Nicki,
I would like to add on to that posting on life after marriage for actresses in Tamil cinema. All is not doom and gloom however. Some smart actresses have realised that there is life after marriage after all.
These actresses have not gone lightly into the dark -- they have moved onto the television and have become even bigger stars. The actress who led the way is Radhika, a very good actress from the 1980s. Her husband Sarath still romances girls young enough to be his daughter in his movies. After being relegated to playing mother roles (Radhika once played mother to Sarath in a movie -- since he played the father's role as well so she was his lover and his mother...Hmmm...Freud would have interesting things to say about that!!) she turned her attention to playing strong characters on TV serials. Her TV serial Chitti (step mother) became a phenomenon. It is said that the whole of TNadu would come to a standstill when this serial ran on TV. In the process she became a legend on TV and made tons of money. She has since built a TV empire out of serials in all the 4 languages in the South. Other married actress who have been shut out by the cinema industry have followed suit to TV. Among them Kushboo (leading lady from 1980s. Tamilians even built a temple in the honour of this Muslim actress! Such are top actors venerated in Tamil films). She says she is more busier now and earning more money than when she was a heroine in her hey days.
Ramya Krishnan, Simran and Devayani too have followed suit and gone into TV serials. I hear that producers have been trying to coax Jo to enter serials but so far she has said no.
So, for the moment, the best thing we fans of Jo can do is to watch her and Surya in the Aircell commercial and sigh at the sight of this very lovely couple creating magic on the small screen commercial.
And yes! Surya is certainly looking hotter after marriage...maybe it has something to do with domestic bliss??? :)
Keeping fingers crossed for his Hindi film debut. Although to be frank, I don't have much hope for him there. History has shown South Indian leading men do not fare well in Hindi film. Kamal Hassan and Rajni Kanth were reduced to starring in multi starrers in Hindi -- something they would never dream of doing in Tamil films. Some might point out to Madhavan's success. But Madhavan is not considered in the same league as Surya, Vijay or Ajith (you have got to watch Ajith in Billa. He was a much better Don than SRK and the movie was better than the Hindi version. Ajith understood the role while SRK's Don was a cross between a clown and psycho).
India is a country divided among many lines -- race, religion, caste and movies. The Hindi speaking part loves to make fun of South movies thinking they are a garish version of Hindi films. (See Quick Gun Murugan for an example this. Some of the comments on your blog from the North also shows this prejudice)They do not realise many of the South Movies are trend setters. Some of the best actors in India are from the South.
So, don't hold your hopes high for Surya in Hindi films especially the Ram Gopal Varma movie which looks like might run into trouble with some section of the population in Andra Pradesh.
Dear Nicki,
Haven't heard from you -- guess you must be busy. Since you like Surya, I wanted to bring your attention to this article taken from livemint (which has some connection with Wall Street Journal Indian edition). It is one of the best profiles ever written on Surya or any Tamil actor. Generally profiles on Tamils actors are rather shallow and are not critical -- whether in the English media, on the net or in the vernacular press. This gives an insight into his personality and gives you some background information on the Tamil film industry and why Tamil actors (and most Southern heroes) have to do the crappy masala movies.
Happy reading: Here is the link:
www.livemint.com/2009/10/02211011/Suriya-Bollywood8217s-hott.html
If you have any problem accessing the link, let me know and I will send the whole article.
Cheers and have a great time watching Southern movies!
Sharmila - Sorry for not getting back to you. I've been really busy lately.
I really really really appreciate all the information you are giving me.
I'm sooooo sad about Jo :( She is one of the best. It's ashame that her husband still acts and she can't. Not that I'm complaining about hottie Surya but still....
One reason why I loved Tamil and Telugu cinema are the female roles being more stronger than in Hindi films.
I want to see more of Simran cause I heard she was wonderful!
Read that in Surya's Hindi debut that he doesn't have the lead role. Oh gosh!
I'm not a big fan of Vijay. Ajith? I have to watch it. I wanted to see the Telugu version of Billa too.
Oh yes, I definitely know about Northern Indians not caring for South Indian films. It's really sad. I blogged about it before too.
I looooove the link that you sent. Freaking love Surya!
Thanks for sharing link sharmila...I am also a big fan of suriya..n seen almost each n every film.even though am marathi..n I can't understand tamil. I use to see his movies with English subtitles.. N with the help of blogers like Nicki.. Thanks Nicki for posting such a nice information about suriya and his films...
Thanks for sharing link sharmila...I am also a big fan of suriya..n seen almost each n every film.even though am marathi..n I can't understand tamil. I use to see his movies with English subtitles.. N with the help of blogers like Nicki.. Thanks Nicki for posting such a nice information about suriya and his films...
Great Information !
http://www.angelmstyle.com/
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