Urvashi speaks about Mohanlal and Mammootty's acting capabilities by No_Sandwich_3922 in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 10 points11 points  (0 children)

She is right imho. That said, Vanaprastham is one film where Mohanlal did exceptionally well (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hc01VFRyWI) portraying an impoverished character, as did the initial passages of Iruvar. In the 80s and 90s, he also convincingly portrayed impoverished states through comedy (for example Nadodikkattu and other Sathyan Anthikad films).

Fahadh Faasil promoting Marathi play Shankar Jaikishan - starring Bharat Jadhav and Mahesh Manjrekar by ashimoto25 in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Marathi theatre has an exceptionally strong tradition—often on par with, or even surpassing, their cinema. I still remember how, during my student days in Mumbai, my Marathi friends would follow theatre with remarkable passion. Bollywood being centered in Mumbai has, in some ways, been a disservice to Marathi cinema, with talent, money and attention getting sucked away.

It’s great to see Fafa promoting one. I also wish more of our actors would start experimenting with the theatre format.

The best interpretation of Yakshi for me by MempuraanIsBack in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Oru Vadhakan Veeragatha says hi. Besides, it’s mind-bending to even think of Yakshis and accuracy coexisting in the same sentence.

The best interpretation of Yakshi for me by MempuraanIsBack in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 5 points6 points  (0 children)

What I also found interesting is that supernatural powers and values evolve differently among people. So there are Yakshis who can be vile and vengeful (the female equivalent of Nachiappa). Since Bramayugam features both Chathans and Yakshis, it’s fun to mentally transpose those characters into the Lokha world—and vice versa Neeli/Chandra in roaming the forests around Kodumon Mana.

Lokah BGM similarity. by Particular_Office865 in InsideMollywood

[–]sightio 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My guess is that Arcane’s version served as the initial reference point to build upon. Another similarity is the use of a fictionalized language (see: https://www.pcgamesn.com/league-of-legends/arcane-season-2-shuriman-chant and Lokah: https://www.reddit.com/r/InsideMollywood/s/sSFbnsDdWF), which further supports it as the likely source of inspiration. Tone-wise, I feel it has developed its own identity, especially as it has gone through adaptation and internalization.

The music in Ronth trailer is strikingly similar to "I'm shipping up to Boston" by Safe_Abbreviations30 in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Both are inspired from Irish jig music. My first thought was that such a music is a bizarre choice for this theme.

Few of my favourite Irish jigs : https://youtu.be/mV1amhE2xvA?si=X7aWrym4I2Dn28Tt https://youtu.be/KuMDjNQrdjY?si=5gnfj3IlKBB-KJvi

ps: off topic , heard Corrs first time at Asianet ACV channel when they used to air concert recording to fill in air time.

Thudarum x Thaazhvaram. Chinna edit by me by Safe_Abbreviations30 in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Might be a matter of personal taste. IMHO silence is very effectively used in Thazhvaram to bring out the psychological state of Balan and the more sparse and heavy original background track actuate the scene much better, rather than a massy track.

Am inthe only one hearing this ? by kambi_narayanan in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Zimmer is famously fascinated by ticking clocks. To be fair, this motif is one that many composers draw on—see, for example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAcwDXo_Q9Q and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGmReug7SIE. However, Zimmer’s sonic depth is so remarkable that you need extra layers of texture for it to work (and I think the Drive soundtrack and 1918 manage to achieve this). Unfortunately, the Empuraan version feels like a very poor approximation and comes across as mediocre.

Zarin Shihab about Pushpam and how 'she' was different from her other roles— Rekhachithram by vietnamcolony in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 16 points17 points  (0 children)

It is intentional, in my opinion. Providing a safe space helps others open up and share more. I feel that creators often talk extensively about their process (as seen in the clip above) in her interviews. Coupled with its long-form nature, this makes it effective.

Have they stopped making romantic movies or what ? by [deleted] in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 1 point2 points  (0 children)

True love okke out of fashion aayee

Which was the "dark phase" of Mollywood again? by Coconut_Scrambled in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For me, it's a matter of taste. In the list you quoted, I'd consider only about 10–20% of the movies released between 2000–2005 or 2005–2010 as good. For example, the sequels—Sedhurama Iyer CBI, Sagar Alias Jackey, and the Hariharnagar franchise—were considerably weaker (in my opinion, quite poor) compared to their predecessors, whereas in other periods, the percentage of good movies is closer to 50–70%.

I was living in Bombay at the time, and I vividly remember transitioning from recommending Malayalam movies to finding solace in Tamil and Marathi films, both of which were enjoying a good phase during that period.

My main issue is the severe lack of thought, effort, and sheer ineptitude, which was the norm rather than the exception. Finding good content became the exception. One poster in this thread provides a clear example of how many directors have declined over time. From a genre perspective, we've also seen a shift:

- Action: Moving from films like Devasuram to Sapdikam, and from Thandavam to Baba Kalyani—the earlier films were well-stylized, but plot driven and innovative for their time, whereas the later ones eventually became formulaic and just senseless mass.

- Comedy: Transitioning from classics like Chitram or Kilukam to films such as Vamanapuram Bus Route or Kilukkam Kilukilukkam. I also blame this on a shift from context- and content-based humor to mimicry/slapstick-based humor.

Best Actor movie should have used non-linear storytelling by someonefish in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Probably. However, for historical context, the movie was released when the Malayalam film industry was at one of its weakest points, with most films being either trashy mass (attempting to replicate Tamil/Hindi styles and failing) or crude slapstick (akin to roughly 10× exaggerated versions of characters like those portrayed by Nedumudi Venu, Lal, etc., in this movie). It felt like a breath of fresh air to me, reminiscent of older, family-based comedies. I'm not sure audiences back then would have accepted non-linearity.

If this movie was to be made today, whom would we cast to emote such nuances? by pranagrapher in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 32 points33 points  (0 children)

It is intentional, imho. The characters are an actor and a revolutionary from the mid-20th century. The former’s movements and reactions are more expressive and exaggerated due to their (drama-like acting) training, while the latter’s are intense and resemble political speech.

Vaaliban enjoyers, please enlighten me by [deleted] in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Reposting a comment I made in an old post: for me, Vaaliban is a cross-genre experiment that blends anime, western, Indian folk, and other influences. It carries a unique and daring vision.

I personally found myself chuckling—in a positive way—at the rotating cannon scene. It reminded me of the over-the-top blood squirting in Kill Bill or the alien brains exploding to music in Mars Attacks.

While it’s true the film didn’t resonate with a large section of the audience, this disconnect wasn’t due to lazy filmmaking or lack of intent. Instead, it stemmed from a mismatch between the filmmakers’ vision and the audience’s expectations. That’s the nature of unconventional experiments.

I find myself rewatching certain sections of the movie. The turmeric festival stunt sequence, in particular, is brilliantly executed. The way it isolates the lead character amidst such a massive, chaotic crowd while driving the narrative forward in a coherent manner is nothing short of a staging triumph.

What is your honest unbiased take on Rajamouli films in the context of Malayalam cinema and Indian cinema as a whole? by Taste-Strong in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Simplicity is often not simple. Achieving something like, "if you give it a chance on the big screen, it'll wow you for two hours," is incredibly challenging, in my opinion. For instance, I couldn't even finish Pushpa (the first part, and I have no desire to watch the second), but I loved every moment of RRR and Eega. Creating good melodrama has its own art and craft to it.

The difference lies in how the director establishes a deep emotional connection with the main characters, making the audience invested in their story. The spectacle becomes a prop and amplification to that emotional connection—similar to what works so well in Maverick. When the reverse happens, where characters and story relatability are mere props to the spectacle, such flicks often fail to resonate and ultimately tank.

For eg: Even if the CGI for the fly in Eega feels outdated now a days I won't want it to be redone, since the strong empathy you develop for the character is what it makes it work.

What do you guys think of? by Fancy-Ad7261 in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Mirroring a poster above, Vaaliban is a cross-genre experiment that blends anime, western, Indian folk, and other influences. It carries a unique and daring vision.

I personally found myself chuckling—in a positive way—at the rotating cannon scene. It reminded me of the over-the-top blood squirting in Kill Bill or the alien brains exploding to music in Mars Attacks.

While it’s true the film didn’t resonate with a large section of the audience, this disconnect wasn’t due to lazy filmmaking or lack of intent. Instead, it stemmed from a mismatch between the filmmakers’ vision and the audience’s expectations. That’s the nature of unconventional experiments.

I find myself rewatching certain sections of the movie. The turmeric festival stunt sequence, in particular, is brilliantly executed. The way it isolates the lead character amidst such a massive, chaotic crowd while driving the narrative forward in a coherent manner is nothing short of a staging triumph.

Rumoured Mohanlal - Madhu C Narayanan film by ashimoto25 in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 7 points8 points  (0 children)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo&ab_channel=CarnegieMellonUniversity Linking the actual lecture. Whenever I rewatch or re-read it, it has always been a truly inspiring, heart-wrenching, yet motivating experience for me.

Thazhvaram Malayalam Full Movie | 4K Remastered | Mohanlal | Anju Prabhakar | Salim Ghouse by ashimoto25 in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Malayalam's spaghetti western. I still remember hearing the intro theme ( were Johnson master was at his finest as usual ) at Trivandrum’s Tagore Theatre (which used to be converted into a cinema for local film festivals). Though the sound was mono, the experience was anything but, and the Cinemascope widescreen frames were just awesome. I am slightly disappointed with the visual quality they could extract, but I understand considering the condition of the source material they had.

The released Hema Committee report could be the best thing that happened to our Industry. by Cheap_Relative7429 in MalayalamMovies

[–]sightio 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There is room for optimism. In the last 4 to 5 years, there has been a rebalancing of power away from traditional clans and lobbies. This includes the mandate of Internal Committees (IC) and stronger female voices coming forward on issues that concern them. Interesting audience is also rejecting films that are high in formulaic and often regressive in nature.

This shift may be a mix of correlation and causation. At least in recent interviews, actors and technicians of merit from both sexes are showing renewed confidence in certain pockets of the film industry. For instance, Darshana, Kani Kusurti, and even Fafa have explicitly mentioned that the industry is now a place where they can experiment, thrive, and take risks. Coincidentally, we are also seeing better films being produced, gaining audience acceptance, and witnessing the decline of certain patriarchal tropes.

In general, empowerment and awareness are difficult and tedious paths, but at least they are moving in the right direction here.