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No damn not in that manner (sorry bad joke)… they are making history by coming together to work in a film for the first time… The movie will also star Rishi Kapoor… Being directed by Gemini Films Circuit, the movie is titled Thalaivan Irukkiraan (tamil readers please translate)… The movie will be shot in US and Switzerland.

A shocking news to read this morning - Director Shridhar - most successful classy director in thamizh cinema whose movies did well uniformly well in all languages passed away at the age of 80 yesterday.

He was the first director to introduce feminism in thamizh cinema.

He was the first director to bring modernist visions of movie making as far as thamizh cinema is concerned, choosing silent pauses and making his characters speak softly and make everlasting impression.

He was the first director to make a movie on love failure of a guy in a decent un-misogynist way.

He was the first director to shoot a full length comedy movie in colour and that too in a riotous manner (Kadhalikka Neramillai, Pyar Kiye jaa)

His movies and its songs still remain the structural backbone on which quality movies and songs are compared against. His screenplays for Nenjil or aalayam …

1987. After reading the article of a new Kamal Hasan movie that was making waves in the media, I had locked myself in the room and went through all the movie’s images that were printed in the article. There was an old Kamal Hasan in a never before seen getup and makeup that really made him look, “realistically” old. The young Kamal Hasan about to fold his handkerchief as he walked on the streets of Bombay. Another one where an old Kamal Hasan was involved in an intense scene with a younger actress. I was enchanted. Enthralled. I did not know yet what the story was. Just that it was a movie based on Vardarajan Mudaliar, a Mumbai based mafia cum smuggler, who I don’t remember if he was still alive at the time.

I slowly started imagining what the story might be and started acting Kamal’s part out in …

Kamal Sir,

This from a humble fan, who happens to be in the same fraternity as you, though much lower, pretty much to the point of non-existence on the rungs of the acting ladder. I sincerely hope this text finds you in the best of health and spirits. That’ll make one of us. Sir, I’m a huge, unabashed fan of yours, and with the best of intentions I write this.

You see, I just came back from watching Dasavatharam. And I have a few questions/comments/concerns, none of which I expect an answer to, but such was the film that if I didn’t get these off my chest, I fear insomnia for the next month or two, and as much as I can handle it for a few days here and there, I don’t think I can do without sleep for too too long.

Sir, I’ve been very conscious of …

Taste of good cinema is a cultivated one. One sees good cinema and when a bad cinema is shown the choice is easily made.

I have seen bad cinema and my exposure to some gems have cultivated my taste for good cinema.

I am not talking about No Country for Old men or some other foreign language movies.

I am talking about Padhinaaru vayadhinile - the movie where characters came alive with blood, flesh and sweat of a Thamizh Nadu Village.

I saw Sigappu Rojakkal and was amazed at how a psycopathic misogynist can be sketched without using the black and white strokes.

I saw Raja Paarvai and was amazed at the success of a blind man’s love - and that of cinema too.

I saw Moondraam Pirai and was thrilled at how tender moments of life can be shown without burning them in the glare of arclight.

I saw Saagara sangamam and found how “True art …