TRIPLE THREAT

In the movie business spotting the defining characteristic or performance of a star is purely a post-facto exercise. The most often-used term while describing stardom is a testament to how undefined this science is: rising stars are purported to have ‘it’ or a ‘certain je ne sais quoi’, which quite simply means their on screen aura is the result of something inexpressible. In the Thamizh industry, however, our largest stars seem to have a few common rites of passage – career defining turns as honest cops or multiple roles in the same film. Yesteryear stars M.G.Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan saw commercial success and gained critical acclaim through films like Nadodi Mannan, Ragasiya Police, Navaratri and Thangappathakkam. The two stars in today’s thamizh cinema constellation have a curious similarity in this regard. Watershed films in the careers of both Rajnikanth and Kamal Hassan combined both these of passage.

In the decade that would decide their futures, both Kamal Hassan and Rajinikanth played triple roles in career-defining films. The first of these to reach the audience was Moondru Mugam. Released in 1982, the film is one of many landmarks in the storied career of Rajinikanth. It garnered him a state award, reinforced his already burgeoning star power and underlined his stature as the style icon of the generation. The second film, Aboorva Sagodharargal, released in 1989 is not just a landmark film in the career of its star. It would go on to become one of the largest commercial successes in the history of Tamil cinema, immediately after its release. And it would become the epitome of a defining characteristic of the second pole star in our sky, a penchant for strenuous physical transformation.

Titles credit the stories of Moondru Mugam and Aboorva Sagodharargal to Selvakumar and Panchu Arunachalam respectively. A purely bird’s eye view of the plots may not indicate much of a difference. Both films are about a righteous cop who finds himself on the wrong side of a power equation. When he is brutally murdered by an arch nemesis, his family is separated with his twin sons growing up unaware of each other’s existence. Eventually when one of the sons realizes his origins he serves the villain and his henchmen their just desserts – a dish best served cold. But the similarities end there.

Moondru Mugam is unapologetic populist fare that cloaks a study on the duality of an individual. Late last year, hordes of Rajnikanth fans watched with a whistle on their lips as Chitti 2.0, red chip and all, cackled maniacally as he walked amidst a congregation of clones. “Who is the black sheep?” he asked with derision. The more seasoned filmgoers in the audience had witnessed something similar nearly seventeen years earlier in single screen theaters. It was the same uber-stylisation that had been the draw of the brash cop in Moondru Mugam, Alex Pandian. The downward tilt of the lip, the purposefully measured gait and the zipping sounds highlighting his hand movements were the very elements that made a superstar of an actor. Though it was Rajinikanth playing the sons John and Arun as well it was the father who walked away with the kudos. This was because Alex Pandian was essentially a bad boy gone good. He wore his propriety on his puffed out chest and taunted his adversaries with it. His confidence was a result of the moral high ground he occupied and bordered on hubris.

The dynamics of Aboorva Sagodharargal is entirely different, in that the film demonstrates a deftness of screenplay and a darker sense of humor while working entirely within an industry-approved commercial format. It is also a film where a son is far more fondly remembered than the father. In the audience conscious it is Appu, the devious dwarf of a son, who remains as the lasting memory of the film. This is a completely acceptable reaction. After all even the titles seem to recognize only the two brothers. However for the discerning few, Sethupathy, Alex Pandian’s counterpart in this film, is an exceptionally well-defined character despite his brief appearance. His vernacular and actions paint a vivid picture of a righteous cop from Tirunelveli who goes up against the local crime syndicate only to have the legal system fail him and then be brutally murdered. Appu carries the burden of Sethupathy in his stunted growth and it is he who rightfully avenges his father while his younger, more congenial brother Raja plays lover boy and sidekick. So when you recall in awe the technical artistry that went into bringing Appu to life, do spare a thought for his forgotten father as well.

Moondru Mugam and Aboorva Sagodharargal are not companion films by any measure. But they do bear a striking similarity as a result o being important milestones in the careers of Tamil cinema’s two most important stars. In addition to being commercial successes, the two films are also great examples of the alternate artistic paths the two decided to tread making them a miniature representation of their intertwined legacies.

P.S: An edited version appears in today's TOI here.