Thalapathi - An amazing movie!

Me a big fan of Mani Rathnam. I watched the Rajini-starred "Thalapathi" yesterday, again, & went **fida** for this movie. This is the blog-article I penned down yday immediately after I watched the movie @ 2:30am!!!

Just finished watchin this movie, again. An amazing movie. Wut a direction! Wut a story! Wut an acting! Marvellous. This movie, directed by Mani Rathnam has an impressive star cast. The story was more a modern adaptation (and ofcourse dilution) of story of Karna of Mahabaratha Fame.

With Rajini Kanth taking up the role of Karna, Arvind Swamy as Arjun, Sri Vidya as Kunti (mother of Karna) and Mamooty as (the good version of) Duriyodhana. The indicators of the Karna-adaption are:
1. Sri Vidya giving birth to a child when un-married and very young.
2. This child being found floating & drifting in a drainage.
3. The child when grown-up (Rajini) be-friending Mamooty and Rajini is ready to even lose his life for his friend's sake.
4. Rajini is addressed as a guy who always gives & never says NO.
5. Rajini's Mom (Sri Vidya) requesting him not to kill her other son & his half-brother Arvind Swamy.
6. Last but not least, even the names are suggestive: Rajini Kanth is Surya (obviously Karna wud have been too explicit & more over, Karna is son of Lord Sun) and Arvind Swamy, the half-brother of Rajini Kanth, is Arjun.

Apart from a sexy adaptation, Mani Rathnam has thrown weight into every character. There is no character in the movie that does not make sense or contribute towards story. Apart from the three major characters - Rajini Kanth(RK), Mamooty and Arvind Swamy(AS), every role provides enough dough for the script to survive. Starting from RK & AS's father (Shankar) to RK's love but AS's wife (Shobana) and from the police office (Kittu) to RK's wife's kid. Boy, no one appears on the screen without a role to play. Very very refreshing to watch given the current trend where the directors revolve an entire movie around a single damn hero!

Music. Need I say anything? Illayaraja as created some time-less classics. Think of the Eternals like "Yamunai Aatrile" & "Sundari Kannal" to rockers like "Kaatukuyilu manasukkule" & "Raakamma Kaiyathattu." Zimbly gr8.

Camera! Wow! Santhosh Sivan. He as played with the camera and lights. Actually, I love his usage of natural source of light & contrast available in the nature. The clarity in the shots are also gr8.

On a whole it was a package deal for any **true** movie lovers. It is a gr8 gr8 movie and any day my bet is on this trio - Mani Rathnam, Illayaraja and Santhosh Sivan.