An Everlasting Memorable Song: 'Oruththi Oruvanai Ninaiththu Vittaal

One of poet Kannadasan's best songs is featured in the Indian Tamil movie Saradha (1962). The actors S.S. Rajendran (known as S.S.R) and Vijaya Kumari became husband and wife in real life. The entire song consists of a question-and-answer exchange between lovers.

In the beginning of the song, she asks, 'If a woman thinks about a man, what is the name of that relationship?' He replies, 'Love.' Then she asks, 'If that man marries that woman, then what is the name of that right?' He replies, 'Family.' Then she asks, 'If the man who thinks about her forgets her, then what is the end of that situation?' He replies, 'Sadness.' Then she asks, 'If they, who are split, become united again, then what is the state of that womanhood?' He replies, 'Silence.' The song continues like this, making it very interesting, joyful, and memorable.

Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea!

One of my favorite novels is Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. The protagonist, Santiago, is a memorable character. His yearning for a big catch and his imaginative conversations with the fish he captures demonstrate Hemingway's creativity. Like Robinson Crusoe and Moby Dick, The Old Man and the Sea is also a symbolic novel about human existence. In the end, when Santiago returns to shore with his prized catch, all that remains is the fish's skeleton. 

We, as humans, often pursue materialistic aspirations throughout our lives, but in the end, like Santiago, we may find that all we have left is just a skeleton.

Charlton Heston: The Moses on the Silver Screen!

Charlton Heston's portrayal as Moses in 'The Ten Commandments' is the best role of his movie career. The first time I came to know about him was through my dad, who admired Charlton Heston, Garry Cooper, and Antony Quinn. In my childhood, I watched a few films with my dad, including 'The Ten Commandments' and  'Ben-Hur.'  He always talked about Cecil B. DeMille, who directed 'The Ten Commandments.' I still remember my dad telling me that Quinn was Cecil B. DeMille's son-in-law.

Christopher Lee as Dracula captivated our imagination!

Another English actor who, like 'James Bond' Sean Connery, captivated our imagination in our childhood, especially in our teen years, was Christopher Lee (Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee). I haven't seen many of his films, except a few. In his later years, he was featured in many commercially successful films like the James Bond film 'The Man with the Golden Gun,' Star Wars films, the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and many more. At that time, I left my country of birth, Sri Lanka, due to political unrest.

As a teenager, I  watched many films, including Hollywood movies, while living in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. After I went to continue my degree studies at the University of Moratuwa in the Colombo metropolitan area, my interest in watching any films waned. After I left Sri Lanka and settled in Canada, I rarely watched films in the movie theatres.

Red Sun and Charles Bronson: Un-erasable Moments of Teen Years!

Charles Bronson was one of my favorite actors during my teen years. His brawny features were among his strengths. His distinctive voice and the way he squinted his eyes while talking were other aspects that I enjoyed. I was introduced to him through Terence Young's 'Red Sun.' I liked the movie very much for its well-woven plot.

The story revolves around two bandit leaders and their gang members who plan to rob a Washington-bound train carrying money. Simultaneously, a Japanese ambassador is traveling on the same train with his samurai bodyguards. During the robbery, one of the ambassador's bodyguards is killed. Alain Delon, one of the bandit leaders, double-crosses by throwing dynamite into the compartment where the other bandit leader, Charles Bronson, is located.

The renowned singer and music composer, Pavatharani, has passed away!

The renowned singer and music composer, Pavatharani, has passed away in Sri Lanka, marking a significant loss to the Indian music industry. She was honored as the best female singer by the Government of India for the song 'Mayil pola ponnu onnu,' featured in the Tamil movie 'Barathi'—a biographical film on 'Makakavi' Barathaiyaar, a Tamil poet from India."

My heartfelt condolences go out to her family, relatives, and fans. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjDek8QpnWc

On the memory of Kirk Douglas...

When Kirk Douglas passed away, he was 103 years old. He led a complete, satisfactory life. Despite being nominated thrice for the Oscar award, he never received it for his acting prowess.The denied Oscar award was given to his son, Michael Douglas, for his role in Oliver Stone's 'Wall Street'. Late in his life, he was awarded a lifetime achievement Oscar.

His parents were Jewish Russian immigrants. During the Second World War, he served in the American Navy. After that, he became a stage actor and then entered into the movie world.

Lee van Cleef: The Best of The Bad!

 

The actor Lee Van Cleef was first known to me from one of his Italian Western films, 'Sabata.' However, before that, he achieved stardom through Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy films, including the famous one, 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,' with Clint Eastwood. I watched that film during one of its re-runs in Jaffna. For me, 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly' was his best film. All the actors in the film brilliantly performed. It's an iconic film featuring Clint Eastwood (The Good), Lee Van Cleef (The Bad), and Eli Wallach (The Ugly). The director Sergio Leone did a fantastic job, including the music composed by Ennio Morricone and the cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli. 'The Good' still has survived. It's amazing to see that he's still acting in his late nineties.

When the Italian director Sergio Leone made Western films, they were initially ridiculed as Spaghetti Westerns, but they turned out to be good Western films. Now, 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' is considered one of the best Western films.

Ursula Andress in Undress! A movie ad I never forget!

I never forget the movie 'Dr. No.' It was the first Bond film featuring Sean Connery and Ursula Andress, who was the first Bond girl and a famous sex symbol at that time. However, it wasn't the first Bond film I watched. The first one was 'You Only Live Twice,' which I watched with my dad at Sri Murugan Theatre in Vavuniya, a small town located between Jaffna and Colombo, Sri Lanka.

I was in my childhood, and there was a scene in the movie where Bond was ripping her clothes on her back. Her bare back was exposed on the full screen. I felt shy watching that scene with my dad, so I wanted him to believe I wasn't watching it. Quickly, my childhood mind found a way. I wanted my dad to think I was sleeping when that scene was shown on the screen. I asked my dad, 'Dad, sorry, I fell asleep. What just happened in the movie?' hoping he would believe I hadn't seen the scene. I forgot his response, but after that, I always thought about how naive or stupid I was.

Yul Brynner as an Android in 'Westworld!

I watched many English Hollywood movies during my teen years while I was in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.One of the films I watched, which is still fresh in my mind, is Michael Crichton's 'Westworld,' an American science fiction-thriller. Michael Crichton wrote the story and directed the film as well. The story is about an amusement park where anyone can play with  androids from different periods, such as the Roman period and medieval period. You can select a period and play with  androids belonging to that period. This is the way I still remember the movie.

It is time to listen to an everlasting Tamil film song: 'Netru Varai Nee Yaro"

Poet Kannadaasan

The late Kannathasan, a Tamil writer, poet, and film lyricist, adeptly utilized his knowledge of ancient Tamil literature in crafting lyrics. Many of his popular songs were composed in this manner, including one of my personal favorites from the movie 'Vazkaip Padagu' (Life Boat or Life as a Boat), produced by the famous Gemini studio. Listening to this song allows one to feel his profound understanding of ancient Tamil literature.

Oviyar Maniyam and His Famous Film Cutouts in Jaffna, Sri Lanka

In our childhood and teenage years, one of our entertainments was watching film cutouts erected in front of the Jaffna movie theatres. Many artists drew cutouts for the then-superstars MGR and Sivaji Ganeshan. MGR (Maruthuur Gopalamenon Ramachandran) was known for his stunts, songs, and the social justice themes in movies and songs, while Sivaji Ganeshan was known for his acting, portraying various characters.

Lasting Memories of the Manohara Movie Theatre (Jaffna, Sri Lanka)

This is the current situation of the Manohara Theater located in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. During my childhood, I watched many English Hollywood movies in the theatre. Many of my dad's favorite Hollywood actors' movies were screened here. Some of them I still remember are: Anthony Quinn's 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame', Christopher Lee's 'Taste the Blood of Dracula', Kirk Douglas' 'There Was a Crooked Man', John Wayne's 'Hatari', John Phillip Law's 'Danger Diabolik',  Spencer Bonaventure Tracy's 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World', "Michael Caine's 'The Italian Job', Jean-Paul Belmondo's 'The Brain', and many more movies, mostly English, included some Tamil movies such as the late charismatic MGR's 'Ithayk Kani', 'Ithaya Veenai', and 'Ulagam Sutrum Valipan'.