But there didn't seem to be that many film dances available of him, and I figured there must be hidden treasures lying in the archives of Malayalam cinema featuring such a great dancer. Online resources and interviews weren't any help and only alluded to many unnamed films that contained his dances. Even his official website is sparse and defunct. So, I went on one of my obsessive research journeys through Vineeth's filmography and tracked down all of the DVDs and online clips available. Imdb.com's filmography isn't complete, but malayalasangeetham.info helped fill in the rest (and is a fantastic resource for older Malayalam films that I learned of at the Old Malayalam Cinema blog). Film Classical Dances of Vineeth
Sunday, November 28, 2010
But there didn't seem to be that many film dances available of him, and I figured there must be hidden treasures lying in the archives of Malayalam cinema featuring such a great dancer. Online resources and interviews weren't any help and only alluded to many unnamed films that contained his dances. Even his official website is sparse and defunct. So, I went on one of my obsessive research journeys through Vineeth's filmography and tracked down all of the DVDs and online clips available. Imdb.com's filmography isn't complete, but malayalasangeetham.info helped fill in the rest (and is a fantastic resource for older Malayalam films that I learned of at the Old Malayalam Cinema blog). Baby Kamala Dancing in Ram Rajya and Kismet (1943)
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
I couldn't believe my eyes tonight when I came across Baby Kamala (later known as Kumari Kamala, Kamala Lakshman, and then Kamala) dancing in the 1943 Hindi films Ram Rajya and Kismet! I had read about her dancing as a child in these films (and others) but assumed they weren't available. Much to my surprise, I discovered that Induna carried them! I'm so excited I had to post these right away! I wonder what other gems of her childhood dances are out there on VCD.
Film Thoughts: Vanaprastham (1999, Malayalam - Mohanlal, Suhasini)
Saturday, November 6, 2010
After I finished watching Vanaprastham recently, I felt like I had not just watched a movie but rather had an experience. A viewing experience which completely transported me to lush 1950s Kerala for over two hours. When I rewatched the film a few days later to gather some more screencaps, I felt like I was revisiting long lost friends whose lives I cared deeply about, and I wished to know more about them beyond the constraints of the film. I didn't feel like I was watching Mohanlal act in this film--I was watching his character, Kunhikuttan. That said, writing a review of such an excellent film has been extremely difficult as I feel I have only scratched the surface of what this film has to offer.
