Rewind - Best of Kollywood 2013

The year 2013 comes to a close. This year has given us a very mixed bag with big star masala entertainers raking in the moolah as usual. But we have also received some very prescient dramas, smiley face comedies, black comedies and the usual Tamil award circuit fare. Some major disappointments came in the form of big starrers turning damp squibs. In all this hullabaloo, it was however easy picking choices for the best in Kollywood this year. I hope it isn't as easy the next year.

Best Film – Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer

For being a movie that drives its message forward without getting overly preachy. How many films do we get to see these days which portray the decay in urban life like movies in the recent past have done for rural life? It was a film about a very relevant coming of age problem that has plagued India since its integration with western culture. Yet, without resorting to excessive melodrama, we were given a film that extracted superlative performances from its novices and veterans. The tight length curtailment (95 Minutes) also works in its favour. The conclusion of this little gem is thought provoking as much as it is devastating. For being a film in line with urban middle class life and the dark truths of the current youth, this flick is the best of the year.

Best Director – Suseenthiran (Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer and Pandianaadu)

Suseenthiran has been the most satisfying director in the current year. He has given us two very diverse films. While one was a thoughtful drama on coming of age, the other was a commercial film with his trademark realism. He has proved that Rajapattai was a mere mistake and returned to his former cracking form. There were very apparent shades of his Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu and Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai style in Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer and a very apparent display of his Naan Mahaan Alla style in Pandianaadu. While both remain rooted to the soil firmly, Suseenthiran gave us screenplays with zilch flaws and manages to extract the maximum from his artistes, both new and old. For this reason, he is the best director this year.

Best Actor – Vijay Sethupathi (Soodhu Kavvum and Idharrkudhaane Aasaipattai Balakumara)

This man continues to tickle our ribs. He took up the role of a middle aged man with the classic stoned look with issues like a nagging imaginary girlfriend and a string of unsuccessful kidnaps. While the film(Soodhu Kavvum) in itself was the most different and unarguably the most entertaining of the year, Sethupathy's performance was the locus of the film. His suave style of bungling up gave us the best laughs after his turn in NKPK. When it comes to IAB, he went full on slapstick. As Sumaru Moonji Kumar, he was the only bright spot in an otherwise very ordinary film. Note his monologue with Pasupathy and his showdowns with Nandita. All are the indications of a true blue comedian lead. For his twin comic performances, Vijay Sethupathi is the best actor of 2013.

Best Actress – Parvathy Menon (Maryan)

After winning accolades for her performance in Poo, a woman centered film, she returned to Tamil films with a blink and miss role in Chennaiyil Oru Naal and then gave the best performance of the year in Maryan. As Malar, a young lady head over heels in love with the local macho fisherman, she was svelte in a very rustic look. In addition to looking her part very well, she also performed likewise. The scenes in which she pursues her crush, has fights with him and finally pines for him, there is a near Sridevi like restraint in her performance. For her sometimes sassy and sometimes grave performance, Parvathy Menon is the best actress of 2013.

Best Supporting Actor – Rahul Bose (Vishwaroopam)

This guy has to be the most menacing villain of the year. He was made to dub for himself in a language that is alien to him. Instead of producing the

 “Pattani Setu” effect, we got a natural performance. As an Afghani terrorist, Rahul Bose sends a few chills down your spine with his calculated cruelty masked beneath a mask of gentle manners. The effect of the glass eye and the long beard is also unquestionable. He looks and acts every bit like the terrorist that Kamal Haasan wanted him to be. For getting into the skin of his character and seamlessly merging his own persona with the character and also dubbing for himself so effectively, Rahul Bose is the best supporting actor of the year.

Best Supporting Actress – Thulasi (Aadhalal Kaadhal Seiveer)

Thulasi has been around for 30+ years now. She is among those artistes who gives credible character performances and otherwise thrives in small “mother” roles. This time around, she got to do a meatier  mother role and ended up giving the best performance of the film. Note the scene where she discovers her daughter’s shenanigans. She brought out a distraught mother with laser precision. For a “fit in like a glove” performance, Thulasi is the best supporting actress of the year.

Best Music Direction – A.R.Rahman (Maryan and Kadal)

This one has to be the most obvious choice. Rahman Saab is said to reserve

his very best for Mani Ratnam. The first big soundtrack of the year, Kadal, proved this statement yet again. In an essentially damp squib, Rahman Saab gave some very earthly tunes. His music is the life blood of the film. But he came up with an even better soundtrack in Maryan. Both these soundtracks seem to be two parts of the same album (maybe in keeping with the fact that both movies happen in and around the sea). Both these soundtracks were not packed with instant manufactured listen and forget tunes, but were salt of the earth stuff which could only grow on the listener. For coming up with his usual stuff(the very best) time and again, A R Rahman is the best music composer of the year.

Best Male Playback – Gaana Bala (Ora Kannala – Udhayam NH4 and Kasu Panam – Soodhu Kavvum)

This was the most difficult category to decide. With Yuvan Shankar Raja singing for A R Rahman in his typical high pitch in “Kadal Raasa Naan” and doing a brilliant job of it in close competition, I chose Gaana Bala. Gaana Bala sang this “Techno Gaana” song(Ora Kannala) in his typical “local” style. Be it the quirky lyrics (Written by Bala himself), the catchy tune (by G V Prakash Kumar) or Gaana Bala’s own voice, everything just worked for this song. Coming to “Kasu Panam”, here we see the “Rapper” Bala singing away the importance of money over all and making one sway to the beat. For his modern kuthu and gaana style, Gaana Bala is the best male playback of the year.

Best Female Playback – Shaktishree Gopalan (Nenjukulle – Kadal and Enga Pone Rasa – Maryan)

This category belongs to Shaktishree this year for her fantastic turn under Rahman Saab. Nenjukulle sent waves across the Tamil audience, some of

who initially flocked the theatres to watch Kadal (to be majestically disappointed) just because of this song. Her somewhat heavy voice suits the flute and guitar background very well. Coming to Enga Pona Raasa, there was only the guitar and Shaktishree in the song. Her soulful rendition was so effective in rendering the anxiety of a woman waiting for her lover. The best part is in fact where the guitar tune comes full on and Shaktishree just pitches in in the same pace. For creating magic by doing a duet with her voice and the guitar, Shaktishree Gopalan is the best female playback of the year.

Best Lyrics – Kamal Hassan (Anu Vidhaitha Bhoomiyile and Unnai Kaanadhu Naan – Vishwaroopam)

Kamal Hassan deserves this spot for this year. Here we have two gems of the poetic side of the Artiste par excellence. One being a song that conveys the effect of violence to humanity in surprisingly simple lyrics. His brilliance is apparent when the lines “Por sellum veeram oru thai magan dhaan, Nammil yaar iranthalum oru thaai azhuval” come in. Then we have his Kathak track Unnai Kaanadhu naan which has some very clever words that convey the yearnings of a Gopika for Krishna. Just because he deserves it, Kamal Hassan is the best lyricist of the year.

Best Background Score – Ilaiyaraja (Onaayum Aatukuttiyum)

Maestro Ilaiyaraja was roped in by Mysskin to give the score for his much appreciated song less thriller drama, Onaayum Aatukuttiyum. Mysskin released the score of his film online for free download dedicated to all music lovers. And how right is his bequeathment. The atmospheric thrills of the film are elevated to hair raising effect by the maestro’s use of the violin and the cello as the main instruments. Be it the emotional core of the film or the effect of the night thrills, the taut orchestration by the maestro gives too many goose pimples to take. For a scintillating score, Ilaiyaraja’s BGM is the best of the year.

Best Screenplay and Dialogue – Nalan Kumarasamy (Soodhu Kavvum)

Possibly the most entertaining film of the year, Soodhu Kavvum is one amongst a piteous few in the genre of black comedy in Kollywood.  Nalan Kumarasamy, in his debut displayed what a person can do with a bit of gallows humour and a fantastic thriller plot. This film in its own way ,is racy, thought provoking and absolutely hilarious. The brilliance of Nalan is the way he introduces 3 separate lines of the plot which intertwine at one point as if by nature. His tongue in cheek humour on politics, betrayal, revenge and the decay of modern society just leaves one in splits. The plot integrates so many farcical incidents and makes the viewer believe in farce as if it were part of real life. For coming up with an absolute cracker of a plot, Nalan Kumarasamy is the best screenwriter of the year.

Best Editing – Kishore Te. (Udhayam NH4)

A simple story like Udhayam NH4 requires some tight editing to be gripping. And so was the film. Kishore’s clever interspersing of a non linear screenplay produced one of the most gripping films of the year. He is the best editor of 2013.

Best Cinematography – Sanu Verghese (Vishwaroopam)

Have a look at the way the Afghan Terrain has been captured by the cinematographer and all doubts about who is the best cinematographer of the year are dispelled. Also, special mention for the “transformation” scene of the lead character which is shot both in slow and fast motion to harrowing effect.

Special Mention – Kalyana Samayal Saadham

For clever integration of innuendo, romance and comedy. This movie proved that arranged TamBrahm marraiges can be great fun too. For being unabashed in its modern sensibility and sweetness but also entertaining in loads, KSS is the most wholesome package of the year.