If you are not familiar with it already, let me give you a brief introduction to the genre of ‘M Muthaiya’s rural masala entertainers’. In his latest film Kathar Basha Endra Muthuramalingam, Muthaiya tries to have a tighter hold over the narrative and yet, the film doesn’t move an inch away from this template with even his trademark tropes often …
Filmmaker Muthaiya is aware of the shadow that looms large over him — a stamp that he makes ‘caste films’. “Just because someone who goes to a Udipi vegetarian hotel doesn’t go to a Karaikudi restaurant, it doesn’t mean the latter will shut down, right?” It’s been ten years since Muthaiya made his debut in cinema, and each of the …
The ghost of Thevar Magan and Virumaandi, arguably two of the greatest films in Tamil cinema, continues to haunt even after decades. In fact, right after Karthi’s introduction, Prakash Raj’s Muniyandi is walking home along with a group of his associates. He is endearing throughout the long-drawn first half and his “likeability” is what makes you invested in Viruman, even …
In his fifteen years as an actor, Karthi never worked with a director twice. “There is always a distance between a father and son in most cases,” says Karthi, adding that he was sold when Muthaiya put a spin on that. That has stayed with me, which reflects in these films,” he says, adding, “In addition to that, I’m a …
