#Kabali : To be or Not to be.....

The Anxiety of a Rajini Fan

July 22, is around the corner, as a die hard Rajini fan, I just want to see the film release quickly and get a roaring reception and be done with the my anxiety.

Why would I be anxious? Of course expectations are sky High!!!! and you do want to see Rajini with all his swagger and style. I remember, my father say, Rajini has to just come onto the screen and his electrifying presence would send us into a tizzy. Have we had enough? We surely want some more.

I could be a student of World Cinema. Meryl Streep and Daniel Day Lewis could be my favourite actors, but it is for Rajini that Goosebumps are reserved..

Why then the ambiguous To be or Not to be...

Strangely enough PA Ranjith, Santhosh Narayanan and Rajini share the same screen birthday's on Aug 15. While the first two bounced on to the stage on Aug 15, 2012 with Attakathi, Rajini's ‘Apoorva Ragangal’ was released on Aug 15, 1975.

Ranjith, had audacity to conjured up the magical ‘Attakathi”(Cardboard Knife), the life a vagabond and looser, with a story that was almost non-existent. He had shot the movie in the lazy villages in the suburbs of Western Chennai, peppered with characters whom you would find in your day to day life. The movie was fragrant with, daily bus rides on foot boards, sweet nothings, great conversations at tea stalls, the romance of the’Thavani’(Half Saree), things that we all take for granted but may be the most liberating aspects of living.

Along with Ranjit, when Santhosh Narayanan, combined the Funeral Dance with the Spanish Strains, we knew a pied piper had arrived in town.

Santhosh Narayanan carried the good work in ‘Madras’. Not only were his songs chartbuster’s, but he arguably, scored the best background score, in Indian Cinema. I rate this as magical as God Father if not better.

While the songs for kabali have been good, will Santhosh's background score be magical. It will be a great differentiator.

Madras, incidentally became  a cult classic. Ranjith’s characters continued to be next door. Conversations on compound walls, Romance near  public water wells, Dusty neighbour hood, real people, raw energy , seething anger and surcharged with emotion.

Rajini films after the 1980, Billa has been in a different world

Hence the question is To be or Not to be…

Will it be the charisma of Rajini or will it be the flair of Ranjith?

Will Ranjith be able to create the magic of Kali’(Mullum Malarum) or will he be content with a formulaic rehash of “Annamalai” or “Basha” or Will Ranjith go one step higher and help Rajini reinvent himself?

I guess I can wait for 48 hours.