Tamil Nadu has high no. of
literates – yet ‘dream factory’ has
dominated them in every sphere. A small
time hero having acted in couple of films starts nurturing hopes and vision of
becoming a political leader and in felicitations, his fans might shout ‘future
CM’. Actors by and large have enjoyed larger than life image and cult
status. While a popular actor can travel
by a train or walk on the streets in Kerala, such a thing cannot happen for a
small hero too – that is the fan following.
In my school days in late
1970s – there used to hot exchanges between benches - Sunil Gavaskar Vs Gundappa Vishwanath; Bjorn
Borg Vs John Mcenroe; Illayaraja Vs MS Viswanathan; Rajni Vs Kamal; Balachander
Vs Barathiraja. Those days films would
be released on Fridays – on Thursdays, one can see posters being pasted on
streets. Deepavali would be a bonanza
for movie goers – a dozen films or more were released including – Viswaroopam (Sivaji);
Varumaiyin niram sivappu (Kamal / Balachander); Polladhavan (Rajni); Nizhalgal
(Barathiraja). My knowledge of cinema
was slightly above zero and hence was a passive spectator in those arguments ! –
one enlightened soul told the group that on Deepavali eve – an hurried
Barathiraja telephoned Balachander stating that Deepavali both their films are
going to hit silver screen, with both nuclei being ‘unemployment’ one would
push the other out ! He went on to add
that a non-chalant Balachander responded stating that both their styles were
different and hence the stories too would be ! those days, I firmly believed that such a
conversation did take place !!
Now too – I can identify a
handful of actresses ! (Tamil and almost none in Hindi & English
Movies). Elizabeth Debicki is an
Australian actress. After making her feature film debut in Australian wedding
comedy A Few Best Men (2011), she appeared in The Great Gatsby (2013), for
which she won an AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and starred
in the Sydney Theatre Company's production of The Maids with Cate Blanchett and
Isabelle Huppert, for which she received a nomination for Best Female Actor in
a Supporting Role in a Play at the 14th Helpmann Awards.
Tenet is one
of the most spoken off films, partly because of its release getting delayed and
now opening during Covid 19 times. It reportedly
is a spy film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who produced it with
Emma Thomas. A co-production between the United Kingdom and United States, it
stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple
Kapadia, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh.
Nolan
took more than five years to write the screenplay after deliberating about
Tenet's central ideas for over a decade. Casting began in March 2019, and
principal photography took place in Denmark, Estonia, India, Italy, Norway, the
United Kingdom, and United States, starting in May 2019. Cinematographer Hoyte
van Hoytema shot on 70 mm and IMAX. Delayed three times due to the COVID-19
pandemic, Tenet is scheduled to be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the
United Kingdom and United States now.
John David Washington is
an American actor and former football running back. He played college football
at Morehouse College and signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free
agent in 2006. Professionally, Washington spent four years as the running back
for the United Football League's Sacramento Mountain Lions. Washington shifted
to an acting career like his father, Denzel Washington, and mother, Pauletta
Washington. He was part of the main cast of the HBO comedy series Ballers
(2015–2019).
Now read this news from
MailOnline - : We've sold four tickets today: Britain's
cinemas stand deserted as owners pin hopes on Christopher Nolan blockbuster
Tenet to revive industry - but Covid rules mean socially-distanced seating and
NO pick 'n' mix. Christopher Nolan's latest
film is due for a UK and Ireland release on August 26 after its premier was
delayed. The cinema industry is
struggling to return to pre-pandemic ticket sale numbers, experts have been
warning.
All eyes are on Britain's
deserted cinemas as they prepare for the first release of a Hollywood film
since March, with the industry expecting its worst year at box office in three
decades amid the coronavirus pandemic. Christopher Nolan's sci-fi film Tenet -
starring David John Washington and Robert Pattinson - will hit the big screen
on Wednesday, signalling the first test of whether film fanatics are ready to
return to cinemas. But cinemas across Britain
remain eerily empty as film fans shun theatres up and down the country,
plunging the industry further into crisis. Car parks are deserted and row upon row
of seats unfilled as cinemas refuse to serve pick'n'mix amid strict safety
measures.
The usually crowded Vue
cinema in Watford remained eerily quiet despite social distancing measures in
place. The report adds that just a handful of people were seen at the Odeon
Cinema in Leicester Square, London. The
rules suggest that auditoriums should be limited to 60% capacity and mass
cleaning between each screening is recommended. The document also advises that
cinemas avoid screening films that could see audience members engage in
'communal dancing' or 'raise their voices' !
The guidelines say this: 'This is because of the potential for increased
risk of transmission - particularly from aerosol transmission'.
Tenet is a spy
organization that is established to prevent an apocalyptic third World War from
breaking out. The highly-anticipated film was slated for release in mid July,
but its premier was postponed multiple times owing to coronavirus. Cinemas
have had to rely on fan favourites including the Harry Potter and Twilight
franchises to pull in customers. Earlier
this month Disney pulled the eagerly expected Mulan from upcoming schedules,
deciding instead to release it on streaming service Disney+.
Cinemas have been able to
open since lockdown restrictions were eased on July 4, however a large number
of venues did not immediately do so. The
prevalent rules of social distancing measures in UK mean customers will have to wear face masks
throughout the duration of the film and cinemas are only able to run at 60%
capacity.
If Tenet does well then
there are still plenty of box-office successes to be had this year. Many
studios now have a backlog of blockbusters slated for release, and other highly
anticipated movies this year include Marvel's Black Widow, the next installment
in the Kingsman franchise and the latest Bond film, Never Say Die. It is hoped that blockbusters would end months of darkness in cinemas. Audiences
will be high on the sheer energy of the no-expenses-spared action: A
bullet-pumping bunker bust, a crash staged using a real Boeing 747 (well,
that's one way of getting rid of those retired jumbo jets), and astonishing car
chases that enter another dimension. Even
the film's title is a palindrome.
With all the hype – one thing
is clear, whether it is risky or healthy – the Hollywood would expect the
cine-fans to turn out in large numbers and their risking their lives out, would
be a huge relief and much needed oxygen support for those involved in ‘dream
factory’. Be it Tamil, Telegu, Hindi,
English or any other language – those involved intend getting richer with the
average film-goer risking everything and spending for them. Whether Covid 19 has damaged that fabric
remains to be seen !
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
23.08.2020.
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