Dumm Dumm Dumm (2000). I dip my toes into Tamil cinema.

[dangermousie]

I am dipping my toes into Tamil cinema. And what a delightful dip it is! The movie in question is Dumm Dumm Dumm, a film that's making me want to check out other Tamil films.(I've seen and enjoyed KK and Bombay, but neither, while excellent, made me want to check out more. Must be the mustaches).

The plot of DDD is simple: Two youngsters are engaged to each other by their parents, village neighbors. But neither Adiyan (Madhavan) nor Ganga (Jyothika) are interested in getting married. They cannot tell this to their fathers openly (not only would that really be going against tradition, but also neither of them has the courage), but they get together and decide to scheme their way out. Of course, these schemes bring them closer and closer together, and they end up falling in love for real.



Tamil cinema (the movie industry of Tamil Nadu in India) is known to be a lot less Westernized, a lot less glitzy, a lot less glam and more down to earth than Bollywood. And much as I adore Bollywood's spun dreams, I find that Tamil movies (if DDD is any indication) have a charm of their own. In practice, the above difference means that the actors are darker-skinned and plumper, that the women wear traditional clothes, and the settings are a lot more rural. Oh, and the men love their mustaches. The village where the story takes place, while I am sure much more clean and cinematic than a normal one, looks more real than Bollywood's villages, and the movie shows normal rhythms of life: the lanes are dusty, you see one of the fathers operate a mill (the process for sifting grain is actually kind of interesting), and Ganga dances in the mud of the fields. The actors look different too. They are attractive, but 'realer.' Jyothika is cute, but she is cute in the way of a girl you pass on the street and fleetingly notice. Madhavan is attractive (and has no mustache!), but he is attractive in the way of that boy in class that you notice at the start of the semester and add to the list of people you might not mind going out with if he asks. They are largely attractive because of charm and not looks. It's a rather nice difference.

And the acting is really good. Madhavan is one of Mani Ratnam's regulars (Mani Ratnam is one of my favorite movie directors. He makes both Tamil and Hindi movies), and there is a reason for that: he stole the show in every movie I've seen him in. And Jyothika (it's the second movie I've seen her in) is equally delightful.

And the music numbers are really cool.

Comments

[rossywar.livejournal.com]

The only Tamil film I've seen is Iruvar (which I found out recently was Aishwarya Rai's first film! But I can't remember her being in it) and I would love to see more Tamil films. They're not as easy to get hold of here in the UK, like Hindi films are unfortunately. They sound like as much fun of Bollywood! Plus my friend who went to India stayed in the Tamil Nadu for most of the time she was there and saw lots of Tamil films and fell in love with Tamil actors - moustaches and all! Vijay, I think. Or was it Vikram? Um yeah. I'd like to see some Tamil films. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am definitely looking forward to more. But yes, they are harder to find than BW in US as well.

That's a beautiful icon!

[rossywar.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :) It's by the lovely m_jade8

[eccequambonum.livejournal.com]

pssst: http://store.nehaflix.com/tamilpunjabi.html

of course you probably already new about that crack supplier. . . .

and have i mentioned lately you are very dangerous to my netflix queue?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes, nehaflix is excellent.

Oh and I know I should be sorry about the netflix thing, but I am not :)

[rajni.livejournal.com]

I am also interested in Tamil cinema, I should probably catch one... I heard Kandukondain Kandukondain was really good.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

KK was good, but I didn't like it too much because it's a version of Sense and Sensibility and I preferred Ang Lee's version. Also, no eye candy :(

[fivil.livejournal.com]

Mmm, Tamil cinema. There are things that kind of turn me off it - first of all, it's just insane that they have these 60 yr old chaps like Superstar Rajnikanth doing wild martial arts dishoom dishoom moves and romancing heroines Jyothika's age - or younger! The dishoom I have no problem with, it's about as unreal and crazy and entertaining as in any HK-Hollywood style picture you'd see. The best Tamil masalas (like Dhool, which I just bought on DVD, starring Vikram & Jyothika) are balanced and I love how they deal with real issues like corruption etc. Sure the heros are still typical movie heros, but anyway, it's cool.

DDD is very romantic and not a lot of Tamil films typically are that focused on the romance/comedy side of things, but otherwise it's rather Tamil from what like 5-6 Tamil fim watching experience tells me. I love Madhavan and Jyothika has such an expressive face, she's like the Kajol of Tamil cinema in my eyes. The earthy beauty and acting talent just reminds me of Kajol a lot.

Anyway, I ramble. Definitely see the rec threads in Beyond Bombay on BW? for more film recommendations. I think any film by Mani Ratnam in Tamil is a good way to go (Alai Payuthe - the original of Saathiya - was gorgeous and I've yet to see Kannathil Muttamithal but I hear it's great, both star Madhavan 'Maddy', too, so yeah). On the other hand, Ratnam doesn't make typical masala entertainers..

Oh, one more thing - did you like the comedian dude in DDD? Vivek, who played Jimmy, friend of Madhavan who fell for Jyothika at some point? I was wondering, because I personally love Vivek. He's one of the few Indian comedian actors whose style of comedy really makes me roll off my seat laughing.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I keep wanting to check Ratnam's Tamil movies which I haven't seen except for Bombay, but never got around to it. I probably would start with him. Tamil movies are a bit harder to find then Hindi ones and I am a bit lazy ;)

I love Jyothika (saw her in a Bollywood movie and loved her on sight).

I am actually balnking out on the comedian which could be a good (he didn't irritate me) and a bad (didn't loooove him) thing.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

Well, I always did think DDD was the weakest Vivek performance I had seen - I didn't like the character he played because it obviously rivaled with the romance in the film, his character's crush on Jyothika. He's great because unlike many Indian comedy actors (*cough* Johny Lever *cough*), he can actually act and not just be "the funny guy". I guess one show of how good he is is that I normally really don't fangirl chubby guys with moustaches but Vivek is just love.

I need to see Jo's Hindi film! It's with Akshay Khanna, too, who is a fave so yeah. :D!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (the Hindi flick) has gorgeous music and a very low-key, naturalistic relationship between the OTP. Evil brothers are over the top though...