Thiruvilayadal

There are few movies that can be termed as an icon and a model to other movies. In fact there are really very very few. Thiruvilayadal makes it to the top of that list.

There are various reasons for making that statement. I am saying this because, the year 1965 was not an era when India could use the latest technology that was available with the rest of the world. The resources were limited and in spite of that, coming out with a movie like this makes it a world class.

The graphics are outstanding. I try to compare with the Ramayan that was shown in the 80s and Thiruvilyadal still beats it. The color is so rich and suits the mythological mood.

About the Music, I do not have words to express its beauty and melody. Every song is a gem. "Phazam nee appa" is a song that will stand as a testimony to the Carnatic music and devotional song for years and generations to come. The "Pattum Naane" song is another gem. To sum it up, all the songs put together makes an exquisite ornament for the movie.

Sivaji as Lord Shiva is a perfect suit. How did they do the casting? I get goosebumps thinking of all this. I read somewhere that after watching this movie, some people thought that Lord Shiva would look like Sivaji. I would definitely agree.

Nagesh makes that fine garnish to the movie by providing that perfect humor and not taking away the essence.

In all, this movie is a must watch and should be in your collection if you own movies. I have enjoyed this movie, its language and the songs and all this being a non-Tamil. I would recommend that everybody should watch this movie at least once to understand the craftsmanship our movie producers (actors, music directors, singers, technicians) had many decades ago.

Often I am asked the question: "do you like Bollywood movies?"

My answer to this question is usually, 'No, not really.' Why?

First of all the title 'Bollywood.' Wikipedia quote: "Bollywood s the informal term popularly used for the Mumbai-based Hindi-language film industry in India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema".

This Bombay/Hollywood mix title has been created and populated by the media, and to be honest even the most Indian film makers are not really happy with it.

The films currently created by this so called 'Bollywood' are mostly packed with flashy scenes, fancy cinematography and very little space for actual stories or moral value's. The common accessories of these movies are almost nude and hyperactive dancers trying to recreate the common western MTV hype of the month. This is understandable considering the amount of films that 'Bollywood' has to produce and still keep the public entertained.

But for me these current 'Bollywood' movies really do not represent the moral value and the culture rich India that I know of.

So which movie does? To really witness the true power of Indian movie magic we must travel back in time, as far as the 60's, to the south of India.

A time where words had meaning, flowers where ornaments, science and mythology lived in harmony, and where good moral values where always available.

The time of 'Thiruvilayadal'(1965) a epic mythological movie full of symbolism moral value, and the best opening scene and music spectacle of the worlds film history. Even the special FX are amazing for its time, remember Peter Jackson the maker of the Lord of The rings trilogy was still in his dippers at this time.

The main characters in this film represents the elements of our universe, and the thoughts behind them can be as advanced as your brain can handle. Beside the breathtaking settings and music compositions, this movie glides on moral values, and valuable lessons.

Vighnesh M. Peters

If you are a fan of mythological movies this is a must watch. Sivaji Ganesan plays Lord Shiva and plays it in a manner that people will remember it for years to come.

The story comprises of 4 parts and all 4 have different stories called as leelaigal. Each part teaches you something for life at the end. Songs are excellent though classical. Sivaji's acting in this movie is just too good.

The dharmi scene played by Nagesh is memorable and the dialogues in that part of the movie are a feast.

It is a nice Sunday afternoon movie.

Every movie lover must watch it. It's screenplay, performances, music, singers everything at its best. Very refined expressive performances.

I have seen many such mythological movies and I would consider this to be the best so far. The reasons why this is so much fun to watch are 1. The usage of very basic animations and using them very effectively to show some idea. 2. Really nice dialogs in a very good Tamil. And the characters have done a great job of executing their roles. 3. The songs are just out of this world. 4. Its really nice to see this movie after so many years. 5. Nagesh was at his best in this movie and so was Shivaji.

I would suggest this movie to anyone who likes watching mythological movies which have a lot of small stories that you have been told in your childhood.