What could possibly define cinema? Is it just a reflection of reality or is it the art of capturing time in its true sense? If the latter is the case, then how difficult is it to recreate a specific time period in movies? Mehandi Circus, which released last month, almost got everything right, in portraying what many people describe as a golden phase in Tamil cinema. Its director Saravana Rajendran explains his fascination for the bygone era:

‘Mehandi Circus’ was a rare film that almost got everything right about 80s Tamil cinema   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Music to the ears

What’s the easiest way to transport you back to the late 70s and 80s era? No prizes for guessing: Ilaiyaraaja. Is there a filmmaker who hasn’t been influenced by Raaja’s music, asks Rajendran. The protagonist of Mehandi Circus runs a musical centre called Raajageetham Musical, which pays a glorious tribute to Ilaiyaraaja.

Rajendran, however, says that the intention was not to glorify the era, but to reflect an important phase of Tamil cinema’s music. “High school romance is something we hold close to our heart. There were days when I visited the tuition centre just to meet my crush. And how did I approach her? Through Raaja sir’s songs. If she doesn’t pay heed, I’d ask my friend to sing ‘Enna Paakama Poriye’ song,” he smiles, adding, “I remember watching Kadalora Kavithai and being obsessed with Rekha (not the actress). The songs had a big impact on me.” Of all his songs, Rajendran choses ‘O Paapa Lali’ from Geetanjali over popular ones. The song, in many ways, becomes a defining point in the romance between Jeeva (Madhampatty Rangaraj) and Mehandi (Shweta Tripathi). “The song has a calm tune to it. It’s a lullaby that also has an inherent sadness. I wanted to convey the emotional tension between the hero and heroine through ‘O Paapa Lali’,” says Rajendran. The beauty of Mehandi Circus lies in the way it employed pop culture elements. For instance, when was the last time you saw a Tamil film mentioning the names of singers Jensy and Vani Jayaram? “My hero runs a musical shop and he hasn’t updated himself post Roja (1992), musically. How do you convey that in a single shot? Which is why I conveniently used the names of Jensy, Chitra and P Susheela.”

A scene from ‘Mehandi Circus’   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Describing someone as a ‘millennial’ has become a fashionable statement these days. But those who grew up with a liberal dose of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan’s films will only know their immense contribution to Tamil cinema, asserts Rajendran. The references to the two superstars were aplenty in Mehandi Circus, which, he says, was a reflection of his childhood. He takes us back to the time when tea stalls were modelled after Rajini-Kamal, and conversations invariably revolved around them.

Like any 20-something teenager of the 80s, Rajendran was initially drawn to Rajini’s style and demeanour. At the same time, he was never smitten by the star power that Rajini commanded. “People assume that Rajini is synonymous with swagger. There’s much more to that façade. He is a natural actor. Nobody can match his performance in Aval Appadithan,” he says excitedly. For Rajendran, school days meant discussing their favourite star’s release, followed by an ensuing fight that was inevitable. “You know what was the biggest irony? They [Rajini and Kamal] were good friends,” he laughs, adding, “Since the film was set in 90s, I wanted to reflect my growing up years with their movies. You can say it was sort of a homage.” Rajendran, soon, switched to Kamal’s camp (no pun intended) after he “started understanding what cinema was”. Mehandi Circus, Rajendran says, was the outcome of what he learnt from Kamal Haasan while working with him as an assistant in Virumaandi. “His Nayakan, Moondram Pirai and Anbe Sivam were a great influence on me. Mahanadi enna thiruppi pota padam.”

A scene from ‘Mehandi Circus’   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Kizhakku Vaasal to Inaindha Kaigal

In trying to recreate the 80s portion, Tamil filmmakers tend to manipulate the audience by milking the Rajini-Kamal factor. So much so that we have been conditioned to pretend that the era was primarily about these two superstars only. Plus, we are talking about a time period when Ramarajan-starrer Karakattakaran was a bigger hit when compared to some of Rajini-Kamal’s films.

Mehandi Circus portrayed this by paying a hat-tip to actors like Vijayakanth, Bhagyaraj, Mohan, Murali and Ramarajan, who were at the top of their league back then. A striking image in Mehandi Circus was a poster featuring Prashanth from Vaigasi Poranthachu. Asked about the decision to include under-appreciated heroes of that time, Rajendran says, “Prashanth was literally the Arvind Swami of those days. Every big director, including Balu Mahendra, Mani Ratnam and Shankar has worked with him. There may have been some misses, but you cannot dismiss the fact that Prashanth was... Top Star back then. The same goes for T Rajendran and Murali, whose Idhayam was a sensation.”