What I love about Natalia Meta’s Death In Buenos Aires is how clever the writing and filmmaking is, even if the mystery itself is pretty straightforward.
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Serial chiller: Mr Family Man — Praveen Kumar’s comedy show is uncompelling, except for a short burst of multilingual wordplay
Praveen Kumar, whose Tamil stand-up comedy show titled Mr Family Man dropped on Amazon Prime last Friday, begins with his central argument: That a family man is an unsung superhero. He promises to demonstrate, through personal experience, why a he thinks so. Except, he doesn’t.
Continue readingKilling time: In 2011’s Baishe Srabon, literal proof that a satisfying detective story is always about the poetry of pursuit
Of all its pleasures, the one thing that makes the film linger in my mind is its almost naive-idealist approach to police procedure.
Continue readingSerial Chiller: Kannamoochi Review — An indifferent web series where the horror isn’t scary and the thriller has no mystery
In five episodes of about 25 minutes each, Kannamoochi is harried. The game of hide-and-seek as a thematic undercurrent is flimsy. Overall, it ends up being an indifferent effort devoted neither to the craft or the cause.
Continue readingSerial chiller: Topless Review — This absurdist action-drama is certainly not for everyone.
At a run-time of over 140 minutes, Topless is not an easy watch if you’re not a fan of the absurdist action genre.
Continue readingSerial Chiller: Queen review — Slow and brooding, Ramya Krishnan stars in a craftily made, J Jayalalithaa-inspired hagiography
With over ten hours of content, Queen is certainly not for binge-watching. In that, it’s slow and brooding, making you invest more of yourself in it. It invites you to sit down and feel for the Shakti. “Oh, poor girl,” the show wants us to think, and condemn the injustices of her past.
Continue readingSerial Chiller: Karoline Kamakshi review — Meena, and Tamil audiences, deserve better than this hotchpotch of ineptitude
A reckless French intelligence agent in Pondicherry. A lazy disrespected CBI agent in Chennai. A missing treasure named Virgin Mary. Gruesome smugglers. International incidents. A looming war. What could possibly go wrong in this time-tested premise? Everything apparently.
Continue readingSerial Chiller: Police Diary 2.0 — Without skill or sense, the show is a mishmash of unnecessary sex, institutional violence and machoism
As institutional violence and police brutality rise at alarming rates in this country, I place Police Diary 2.0 within the context of Tamilnadu’s law enforcement history. And lament how creative folks repeatedly align themselves with the casteist, patriarchal, oppressing establishment.
Continue readingDubbing, subtitles and clever casting: Is the web really creating pan-India content?
Serial Chiller: Zee5’s Fingertip is a highly relatable, acutely watchable series about modern Tamil lives
Ms. En Scene: Call Me A Hypocrite, But Jyotika Should Do ‘Mass’ And Ajith Should Stop
Serial Chiller: Marmadesam—Tamil’s truly captivating nostalgia TV is coming episode-by-episode to YouTube
Ms. En Scene: When Seven Tamil Cinema Women Turn Superheroes
Serial chiller: Tamizha Tamizha—A comfortably centrist talk show where the personal doesn’t get political enough
Ms. En Scene: ‘Ayogya’ – ‘Anniyan’ For The Era Of #NotAllMen
Serial Chiller: Thiravam is an earnest but mediocre and unsatisfying attempt at multi-genre fiction
Serial Chiller: Web series Auto Shankar, although engaging in parts, ultimately disappoints
Ms. En Scene: The Occupational Hazards Of A ‘Film Writer’
Serial Chiller: I watched mega-serials every day for two months; why I plan to continue
This is the edition edition of my monthly column on Tamil television for Firstpost. First published here. What if the Bahubali franchise was made for, […]
Continue readingMs En Scene: Dei Telugu Cinema, Where Were You Hiding Your Gentle Lovers All This While, Ra?
Ms En Scene: The Road To Tamil Cinema Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions
So, Aaruthra is also full of good intentions. Pa Vijay intends to make an awareness campaign for child sexual abuse — “Like how Strawberry (his previous film) imparted a […]
Continue readingMs En Scene: Baalu Of ‘Kaatrin Mozhi’ Is The Ally Tamil Cinema Heroes Need
Within the first five minutes of watching Kaatrin Mozhi (2018), I fell in love. As a Jyotika fan — even during her Kushi (2000) days — I went to […]
Continue readingMs En Scene: Tips To Unleash Your Inner Hero With Some Help From Tamil Cinema
For some strange reason, I found myself empathising with him. No, in fact, I found myself relating to him. Yes, you read that right. The […]
Continue readingMs En Scene: Confessions Of A Kuppai Padam Addict
Nearly two years ago, one December evening, my friend Vinay and I went to watch Katthi Sandai(2016). For the uninitiated (good on you, mate!), Katthi Sandai is an […]
Continue readingMs En Scene: A warm welcome To Kokila & Mahathi, Tamil Screen’s Postmodern Anti-Heroes
A manipulative, self-aware and sharp female anti-hero is new for Tamil cinema. Historically, they tend to be arrogant vamps — Neelambari of Padayappa (1999), tamed heroines — […]
Continue readingMs En Scene: In Praise Of Saranya Ponvannan, The Mother That I Never Had
My love for Saranya Ponvannan began in a very Tamil Padam sort of way. I truly took notice of her only when she waved her velakkamaaru (broom […]
Continue readingMs En Scene: An Imaginary Conversation With Baradwaj Rangan’s Imaginary Conversation
Editor’s note: You may want to read this for context Southern Lights: Baradwaj Rangan, Let’s Talk About Bias! – Film Companion. This was Baradwaj Rangan’s response to the flak […]
Continue readingMs En Scene: The Art Of Finding Your Showtime Soulmate
Mid-way through Abiyum Anuvum (2018), Anu assuredly proclaims that no woman would think of motherhood as a burden. Spontaneously, my colleague — a good decade younger than […]
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