SAMTHEBESTEST

Mrigayaa (1976) : Brief Review -

A Mrinal Sen classic to remember! Redefines the meaning of "The Hunt" in the most disturbing way. Mrigayaa is a known word for the hunt, and the film centres around a hunter. Mithun Chakraborty plays a tribal hunter named Ghinua, who is delighted to be rewarded by a British officer for his exceptional hunting skills. Being a tribal man who has always been suppressed by British officers, government officials, and higher-caste moneylenders, Ghinua is unable to understand the real meaning of the hunt and the reward. Mrinal Sen explains that meaning through Ghinua's lens, eventually opening our eyes with the question. When his wife is abducted, Ghinua kills the moneylender for trying to use her for sexual pleasure, and is unable to understand why he is held at the court as a criminal. In his mind, he has hunted the biggest animal he's ever seen, so why is he being punished? When a revolutionary was killed, the British officer offered a reward - then why is Ghinua punished for killing a bad man? He asks this question to the officer, to the court, and to the law system. Set in the 30s, the film's sinister tone makes his argument feel logical - otherwise, I would have asked for a prosecutor. Mithun Chakraborty has delivered many good performances in his career, but this one stands at the top - and it was his debut! A smashing debut, indeed. Mamata Shankar also shines in her debut, with a natural act that is truly commendable. Robert Wright, as the British officer, is convincing, and the rest of the supporting cast is impressively effective. Mohit and Arun's writing gives an artistically and socially devastating storyline, while Mrinal Sen's straightforward and unapologetic approach keeps the context and momentum intact. Definitely one of the most important films from the 70s' decade and easily the best performance and best film of Mithun Chakraborty's career. The meaning of hunt this film taught me will haunt me forever!

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Chidambaram (1985) : Brief Review -

Captures the picturesque beauty of Kerala for visual pleasure, while the story offers banal conflicts. I don't understand why many have praised this film like it's a masterpiece. For me, it was a very ordinary film. The storyline and screenplay hardly have anything I would call extraordinary. Let me explain briefly. Muniyaandi works at a cattle farm for Shankaran. Muni marries the beautiful Sivakaami, who is spellbound by the farms and flowers, but Muni tells her to stay within limits. After meeting Shankaran for a letter, she gives up her typical reservation. They begin an affair and are caught red-handed by Muniyaandi one night. As a result, Muni kills Sivakaami and then hangs himself to avoid humiliation in the village. This leaves Shankaran consumed by guilt, turning to alcohol and blaming himself for destroying the life of a couple-rightfully. In the final frame, he finds Siva Chidambaram Temple and attains salvation. That's all. Is there anything special about the story? No, I don't think so. However, the composed storytelling and framework do have artistic layers. It makes the film slow, but since it isn't long, that doesn't bother much. Still, the film feels dead and rough. It's colourful, and the contrasts are beautiful for an '80s film. The cinematography captures Kerala and the village beautifully. Sreenivasan is fantastic and tops the cast. Smita Patil looks stunning in every single frame, though the character isn't remarkable. Bharath Gopi delivers well, and Dr Mohandas is convincing. G. Aravindan's direction flows smoothly, but with nothing in the story, I blame the writing and screenplay. Overall, a one-time watch, and that too for a select few.

RATING - 5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Satte Pe Satta (1982) : Brief Review -

Extends the Seven Brides for Seven Brothers family by one more pair. Stanley Donen's enchanting musical romantic comedy is one of the most vibrant and evergreen stories from the new color era in Hollywood. A funny trivia is that Sachin Pilgaonkar wasn't even born when the Hollywood film was released, yet he played the youngest brother in the Hindi adaptation. Two decades later, he remade the film in Marathi and played the eldest brother (also directed the film). Satte Pe Satta is a fun watch and, unlike many other copy-paste Hollywood remakes in Bollywood, it does provide something new. It adds one more pair to the family of seven brothers and seven brides, and it's a deadly addition. The antagonism is also more driven towards our regular action dramas. An uncle trying to kill his niece so that he can inherit her father's wealth was a dated cliché even for the 80s. That's too corny, but definitely a new touch to the Hollywood musical. I loved the original story and adored its writing. A girl marries a man and then learns that he has six brothers. She teaches them manners, and the six brothers fall in love with six girls. They kidnap the girls and bring them home when their sister-in-law is expecting a baby. The chaos is slightly different here in Satte Pe Satta as we have two more characters joining the family. It's a fun-filled comedy with some double-meaning jokes going over the head. A marriage maker giving a "Nirodh" to the groom, a brother eating an egg and laying a hen, and such other jokes were far more complicated for contemporary audiences. Hema Malini was such a power performer right from the first scene. Amitabh Bachchan goes all out and intense in the second half. The six brothers have done well, and the six girls add glamour and spice to the masala comedy. The songs are also very good, and so is Sippy's direction. As a whole, a harmless and pretty engaging action rom-com.

RATING - 6/10*

By - #samthebestest.