Every time I rewatch this movie, I always hum along subconsciously.Īlso read: A Harris Jayaraj Fan Analyses His Harris Jayaraj Fandom That light musical cue, with a brilliant use of piano, is a prime example of why this film’s soundtrack is one of the best to have ever been produced in Tamil cinema. There’s a musical cue right after the song Nenjukul Peidhidum ends, when Suriya is on his knees as Sameera Reddy‘s character walks away. You understand why people refer to Jayaraj as a “melody mannan” in the music field. There’s real love being brought forward in this score. It’s extremely hard to top a magnificent soundtrack like this. Harris Jayaraj seemed to be in a zone when working with Menon, and I kind of understand why the two stopped working together after this film. It’s one of the greatest performances I have ever seen in world cinema, and I feel it is under-appreciated. He feels like a different person at the different stages. No matter what happened in the young man’s life, his father was always there to help guide him. It felt honest and caring in the portrayal of this parental dynamic. It was something that felt foreign in Tamil cinema, where the plot device of father-son conflict is very common. There’s multiple scenes in which the father constantly encourages and brings up the son’s confidence. Suriya and Gautham Menon seemed to have figured out the perfect formula and recipe in channelling a real life story to Tamil cinema. From the childlike wonder of looking up to to a father figure, to the youthful brashness and confidence that comes with love, to the mellowing down and searching for one’s purpose of life. Never before had I witnessed a film from Kollywood that treated life like poetry, emphasising on the highs and lows of a person’s life. The reason why Vaaranam Aayiram ranks as my favourite one, or one that I reminisce about a lot, is its exploration of life. I’m a film fanatic, the type that will watch a film or two a day, depending on how much time I have.
In my opinion, it’s really hard to distinguish a favourite film. So entering the theatre with a bunch of my friends, I had no idea I was about to watch a life-altering film. I knew I was in for something different in comparison to Suriya and Gautham Menon’s previous venture ( Kaakha Kaakha).
I was hyped after seeing the beautifully crafted trailer. I remember listening to the amazing soundtrack from Harris Jayaraj almost every single day. It was back in 2008, and living in Toronto, Canada, watching a Tamil film in theatres was always a special occasion. I was lucky enough to watch this film on the first day of its release.
But when it comes to my favourite film, I had to think of a movie that moved me in a way that a lot of movies are not able to. They’re the trio that I consider as the best of the best, and the ones who seem to always elevate even the most formulaic of stories. Esha Deol, Meera Jasmine and Trisha also feature in this political drama where love songs effortlessly sit alongside action scenes.To me, the best Tamil movies of all time include Mani Ratnam, A.R. This film brought three Tamil heartthrobs - Suriya, Madhavan, and Siddharth - together on screen. What makes this movie immensely likeable is fact that Suriya’s character doesn’t try too hard to be loved by everybody - it’s something you see in Soorarai Pottru, as well. The comedy bits sprinkled through the movie are funny even today. Mounam Pesiyadhe tapped into a new side of Suriya. This isn’t the Breaking Bad of Indian cinema, but comes close. Inspired by numerous Hollywood films about drugs, this Suriya and Tamannaah-starrer is a hot-paced thriller where something or the other keeps happening on screen. Suriya’s performance as a man seeking vengeance is commendable.
Ghajini is probably the reason why Murugadoss is called the Nolan of Tamil cinema - the core plot point is lifted from Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000), where the hero suffers from anterograde amnesia.