One of my favorite past times this semester has been watching Tamil television with my ammaa. While I do not know nearly enough Tamil to understand key plot points or jokes in any of the movies we watch, my host mom is extremely patient and utilizes transitional scenes and commercial breaks to explain what’s going on. I find that action movies in particular are incredibly hard to follow, not only because I can only understand maybe one out of every fiftieth word (and that word is usually “go”, “I”, or “like”), but there is so much happening!
One minute the hero is running from a car explosion, and the next minute he’s leading a highly choreographed dance number on top of a snowy mountain with his intended love interest. Then, before I can even figure out where this snowy mountain top is in relation to the rest of the film’s landscape, there’s been a violent altercation with the main villain followed by victory on the part of the hero and a tender embrace with his lady love.
I am also learning about the hot gossip in the world of Tamil film stars. So far, I have learned that Vijay is regarded as a Tamil super star, but faces a pretty contentious rivalry with Ajith, who is an older but very distinguished film star. Talking to people about these film stars has yielded a variety of strong opinions. Personally, I am a big fan of Dhanush, who I was told is sort of the “bad boy” of Tamil films compared to actors like Vijay and Ajith.
I have seen several movies featuring Dhanush, and he is often playing the classic underdog or a treacherous, dynamic, and elusive protagonist. I also find his dancing to be fantastic, as he is very expressive and often a little playful. I have even taken to downloading some Tamil pop songs in an attempt to improve my Tamil and familiarize myself with the wonders of Tamil cinema.
There are several channels dedicated to Jayalitha, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu and former Tamil superstar. On these channels, which bear the two leaf symbol that represents the ADMK (her political party), Jayalitha can be found donning dazzling saris and participating in a playful, romantic duet with MGR, her predecessor in the party who was also regarded as a film super star.
Some of the films and songs are in black and white, while others are in vibrant color. Jayalitha, who is referred to by supporters as Ammaa, looks very different today than she did as a film star. She is not decorated with the same jewels and colorful saris that made her image in Tamil film iconic, and takes on a subtler, more conservative image in the public eye. I find these films very interesting to watch because they serve as a sort of memorial to her legacy as a film star, a legacy that is celebrated by the public and one that is allowed to exist alongside her image as a prominent political figure.