Watched: Kaakha Kaakha
Am not a stranger to watching Tamil movies. Ages ago, I had sat through some very terrible movies - which I neither could understand a word of nor recognize the faces on screen. In fact, I couldn’t even pronounce the name of the movie! (Kandu-something!). But over the years I have watched their re-made counterparts in Hindi and Telugu and had wanted to watch their original version just to get a comparative perspective. I even started listening to Tamil songs (only those which were already popular in their dubbed versions) - mostly by Ilaiyaraja and A R Rahman. And a few months ago, I did watch in its entirety, my first Tamil movie - Autograph.
And today, I have doubled the count by watching the acclaimed Kaakha Kaakha. Starring Suriya, Jothika and Jeevan, its the original of the Venkatesh, Asin starrer Telugu flick Gharshana. I had liked the grittiness and raw action of Gharshana and had always wanted to watch its original. Thanks to Mr. SD, I could realize that wish now. First impressions were that of how Gharshana is a frame-by-frame remake of Kaakha Kaakha! But of course it would be, coming from the same director. I could understand little of the dialogues but the English subtitles did help a lot. And so did the fact that I almost know the entire dialogues of Gharshana by rote! As the movie concluded, I was surprised. For the ending was quite different from what was in the Telugu version. The heroine is shown as good as dead in the Tamil version but is shown alive and well in its remake. I guess that goes to show how influencing the audience-receptive-factor is. Telugu people would like a happy ending more than a sad one! IMO, Venkatesh did a better job in the Telugu version and Jothika was better in the Tamil version. Wish they’d have done this together. Also, the bad guy was moreso badder in the Telugu version. Truly menacing he was. Songs are the same in both, at least the tunes are…but I’d prefer the Tamil ones any day over the Telugu ones.
Uyirin Uyirae Uyirin Uyirae,
Nadiyin madiyil kaathu kidaikindrein
neera alaigal neera vaari mughathil iraithum
mulhukum verkindrein!!!!
(My dear llfe, My dear life,
I’m awaiting by the riverside,
Even though the cool waves are splashing upon my face,
I am perspiring profusely!!!!!)
Other Tamil movies I’d love to see are: Kaadhalan, Kaadhal Kottai, Thirupachi, Pokkiri, Agni Nakchatram, Minnale, Aayutha Ezhuthu, Kushi to just name a few.
4 comments April 11, 2008
