Bala – A master in discovering stories filled with melancholy and loss. He gave us Vikram , Suriya and brought the best out of plausible actors. Remember Sangeetha’s star turn in Pithamagan. As much I loved him in his earlier days. I hate him now. And whenever his movies play on TV they make me cringe. I will tell you why.
For a long time, the masses have been quite dismissive of the power of the visual medium to tell compelling stories. Stories which could make your jaw drop, stories which could make you think and stories which could take you on a trip to fantasy land. Very few film makers have mastered the art of finding the right balance and give the audience a wholesome experience. Bala was one such filmmaker who could do all the three within his template. I adored him for what he was but I shun him for what he is
It is very sad to see a film maker succumb to narcissistic temptations. Narcissism is fine. Kamal does it, Vikram does it but a creator owes his audience some breathing space. You don’t shove a masturbatory product which hardly sells or makes the crowd root for you. The audience deserve some empathy too.
Take Naan Kadavul for example. We do know what lies beyond the simple act of begging on the road but is it necessary to explicitly show everything that happens behind the scenes. I almost felt like Vomiting in front of the screen. That was strike one.
And then came Avan Ivan. What the fuck was that? It seemed like a half-baked attempt at redemption. The worst part was cheating Vishal that he could actually be a fine actor. That scene where he brings out the Navarasas in his face was unintentionally hilarious Strike Two
The third strike was inevitable especially when the film turns out to be an ode to gloom and doom. You don’t walk into the cinema hall for a doomsday prophecy.Red Tea became Paradesi and my eyes turned red with anger.
I am done Bala. I am done with you. Even the small flame of hope that was lit up within got extinguished by itself. I am sorry I no longer fit into your world and I bet most of us don’t.
Farwell my favorite creator. It’s time to let go. I fucking hate you.
Pratip
Ada you forgot his latest endeavour with Sasi Kumar “Thaarai Thappatai”..
I was in the same path as you and I loved Paradesi but this movie was at its worst… Explicitly shoving drama and sadness is What I hated in that movie..