Tamil cinema (also known as the Kollywood, the Tamil film industry, the Cinema of Tamil Nadu or the Chennai film industry) is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of feature films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam area, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered. With reference to this, the industry is also colloquially referred to as Kollywood, a portmanteau of Kodambakkam and Hollywood. Tamil cinema is known for being India's second largest film industry in terms of films produced, revenue and worldwide distribution,^[1] with audiences mainly including people from the four southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, placing the industry among the largest in the world.^[2][3]

Silent films were produced in Chennai since 1917 and the era of talkies dawned in 1931 with the film Kalidas.^[4] By the end of the 1930s, the legislature of the State of Madras passed the Entertainment Tax Act of 1939. Tamil cinema later had a profound effect on other filmmaking industries of India, establishing Chennai as a secondary hub for Telugu cinema, Malayalam cinema, Kannada cinema, and Hindi cinema.^[5][6] In its modern era, Tamil films from Chennai have been distributed to various overseas theatres in Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Malaysia, Japan, Oceania, the Middle East, Western Europe, and Northern America.^[7] The industry also inspired filmmaking in Tamil diaspora populations in other regions, such as in Europe and Canada.^[8]

Film studios in Chennai are bound by legislation, such as the Cinematography Film Rules of 1948,^[9] the Cinematography Act of 1952,^[10] and the Copyright Act of 1957.^[11]

Etymology[link]

Tamil cinema is often referred to as Kollywood, a portmanteau of the words Kodambakkam, an area of Chennai, where Tamil language feature films are produced, and Hollywood.^[12] The term Kollywood dates back to the 1940-80s when the term began to be widely used for describing Tamil cinema, the age when the term Bollywood was also starting to be used widely.^{[citation needed]}

History[link]

Early exhibitors[link]

In 1897, a European exhibitor first screened a selection of silent short films at the Victoria Public Hall in Madras. The films all featured non-fictional subjects; they were mostly photographed records of day-to-day events. In Madras (present-day Chennai), the Electric Theatre was established for the screening of silent films. It was a favourite haunt of the British community in Madras. The theatre was shut down after a few years. This building is now part of a post office complex on Anna Salai (Mount Road). The Lyric Theatre was also built in the Mount Road area. This venue boasted a variety of events, including plays in English, Western classical music concerts, and ballroom dances. Silent films were also screened as an additional attraction.^[13] Swamikannu Vincent, an employee of the South Indian Railways in Trichy, purchased a film projector and silent films from the Frenchman Du Pont and set up a business as film exhibitor.^[14] He erected tents for screening films. His tent cinema became popular and he travelled all over the state with his mobile unit.^[15] In later years, he produced talkies and also built a cinema in Coimbatore.^[16]

To celebrate the event of King George V's visit in 1909, a grand exhibition was organised in Madras. Its major attraction was the screening of short films accompanied by sound. A British company imported a Crone megaphone, made up of a film projector to which a gramophone with a disc containing prerecorded sound was linked, and both were run in unison, producing picture and sound simultaneously. However, there was no synched dialogue. Raghupathy Venkiah Naidu, a successful photographer, took over the equipment after the exhibition and set up a tent cinema near the Madras High Court.^[13] R. Venkiah, flush with funds, built in 1912 a permanent cinema in the Mount Road area named Gaiety Theatre. It was the first in Madras to screen films on a full-time basis. The theatre later closed for commercial developments.^[17]

Samikannu Vincent, who had built the first cinema of South India in Coimbatore, introduced the concept of "Tent Cinema" in which a tent was erected on a stretch of open land close to a town or village to screen the films. The first of its kind was established in Madras, called "Edison's Grand Cinemamegaphone". This was due to the fact that electric carbons were used for motion picture projectors.^[18]

Influences[link]

Tamil cinema has been impacted by many factors, due to which it has become the second largest film industry of India. The main impacts of the early cinema were the cultural influences of the country. The Tamil language was the medium in which many plays and stories were written since the ages as early as the Cholas. They were highly stylized and nature of the spectacle was one which could attract the people. Along with this, music and dance were one of the main entertainment sources.^[19]

The Bharata Natyam, a classical dance was the oldest performed dance form of India and so impacted the cultural heritage to a very great extent. Usually the kings sitting in the court were seen admiring dancers, and enjoying the music and dance along with the courtiers. These kind of themes were commonly found in the movies. The theory of rasa dating back to ancient Sanskrit drama is believed to be one of the most fundamental features that differentiate Indian cinema.^{[citation needed]}

Along with the music and dance of ancient India, the novels and books written by many authors were used for making the movies and sometimes, the entire story was adopted from the book alone and made into films. The ancient Indian epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana which have exerted a profound influence on the thought and imagination of popular Indian cinema, particularly in its narratives. Examples of this influence include the techniques of a side story, back-story and story within a story. Indian popular films often have plots which branch off into sub-plots which were common in the early Tamil cinema.^[20]

There is a strong Indian tradition of narrating mythology, history, fairy tales and so on through song and dance. Whereas Hollywood filmmakers strove to conceal the constructed nature of their work so that the realistic narrative was wholly dominant, Indian filmmakers made no attempt to conceal the fact that what was shown on the screen was a creation, an illusion, a fiction. However, they demonstrated how this creation intersected with people's day to day lives in complex ways.^[21] By the end of the 1930s, the State of Madras legislature passed the Entertainment Tax Act 1939.

Studios[link]

AVM studios in Chennai, the oldest surviving studio in India.

The year 1916 marked the birth of Tamil cinema with the first Madras production and South Indian film release Keechaka Vaadham produced and directed by R. Nataraja, who established the India Film Company Limited.(English: The Destruction of Keechaka).^[22] During the 1920s, silent Tamil language film were shot at makeshift locations in and around Chennai, and for technical processing, they were sent to Pune or Calcutta. Later, some films featuring M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar were shot in those cities as well.In 1935, A Ramaiah from Thanjavur established the first studio, Star Combines, in Kodambakkam. In the 1930s AVM set up its makeshift studioIndependent Tamil film production in places outside of India, including Sri Lanka, Singapore, Canada, and Europe, took prominence over the late-20th century. The history of filmmaking of Tamil language films in Canada dates back to the early 1990s. It is primarily based in the metropolitan region of the Greater Toronto Area in Southern Ontario. Tamil films are also made in Sri Lanka where Tamil is one of the official languages since the ancient times. The film My Magic directed by Singaporean Eric Khoo became Singapore's first film to be nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Some of these films have involved one or more film personalities from the Chennai industry as well. in the town of Karaikudi, and during the same decade, full-fledged Movie studios were built in Salem (Modern Theatres Studio) and Coimbatore (Central Studios, Neptune, and Pakshiraja). By the mid 1940s, Chennai became the hub of studio activity with two more movie studios built in Chennai, Vijaya Vauhini Studios and Gemini Studios. Later, AVM Studios shifted its operations to Chennai. Thus, with the undivided Madras Presidency being the Capital to most of South India, Chennai became the center for Tamil- and Telugu-language films. Also, most of the pre-independence era drama and stage actors joined the film industry from the 1940s, and Chennai became the hub for South Indian–language film production and the cinema of Sri Lanka before independence.

Distribution[link]

The Chennai film industry produced the first nationally distributed film across India in 1948 with Chandralekha.^[23] They have one of the widest overseas distribution, with large audience turnout from the Tamil diaspora alongside Hindi films. They are distributed to various parts of Asia, Africa, Western Europe, North America and Oceania.^[24]

Keechaka Vadham (1918) was the first Silent film made in South India.^[25] Kalidas (1931) was the first Tamil talkie film made in 1931.^[26] Kalava was the first Full-length Talkie made entirely in Tamil.^[27] Nandanar (1935) was the first film for American film director Ellis R. Dungan^[28] Balayogini released in 1937 was considered to be first children's film of South India.^[29] Marmayogi that starred M. G. Ramachandran was the first Tamil film to receive an "Adult" certificate from the film censor board.^[30] It is estimated by the Manorama Yearbook 2000 (a popular almanac) that over 5,000 Tamil films were produced in the 20th century. Tamil films have also been dubbed into other languages, thus reaching a much wider audience. There has been a growing presence of English in dialogue and songs in Chennai films.

Tamil films have enjoyed consistent popularity among populations in South East Asia. Since Chandralekha, Muthu was the second Tamil film to be dubbed into Japanese (as Mutu: Odoru Maharaja^[31]) and grossed a record $1.6 million in 1998.^[32] In 2010, Enthiran grossed a record $4 million in North America.

Many Tamil-language films have premiered or have been selected as special presentations at various film festivals across the globe, such as Mani Ratnam's Kannathil Muthamittal, Vasanthabalan's Veyyil and Ameer Sultan's Paruthiveeran. Kanchivaram (2009) was selected to be premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Tamil films have been a part of films submitted by India for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language on eight occasions, next only to Hindi.^[33] Mani Ratnam's Nayagan (1987) was included in Time magazine's "All-TIME" 100 best movies list.^[34]

Tamil films enjoy significant patronage in neighbouring Indian states like Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra, Gujarat and New Delhi. In Kerala and Karnataka the films are directly released in Tamil but in Andhra Pradesh they are generally dubbed into Telugu. Many successful Tamil films have been remade by other film industries. It is estimated by the Manorama Yearbook 2000 (a popular almanac) that over 5,000 Tamil films were produced in the 20th century. Tamil films have also been dubbed into other languages, thus reaching a much wider audience. There has been a growing presence of English in dialogue and songs in Chennai films. It is not uncommon to see movies that feature dialogue studded with English words and phrases, or even whole sentences. Some movies are also simultaneously made in two or three languages (either using subtitles or several soundtracks). Chennai's film composers have popularised their highly unique, syncretic style of film music across the world. Quite often, Tamil movies feature Madras Tamil, a colloquial version of Tamil spoken in Chennai.

Independent Tamil film production in places outside of India, including Sri Lanka, Singapore, Canada, and Europe, took prominence over the late-20th century. The history of filmmaking of Tamil language films in Canada dates back to the early 1990s. It is primarily based in the metropolitan region of the Greater Toronto Area in Southern Ontario. Tamil films are also made in Sri Lanka where Tamil is one of the official languages since the ancient times. The film My Magic directed by Singaporean Eric Khoo became Singapore's first film to be nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Some of these films have involved one or more film personalities from the Chennai industry as well.

Economics[link]

Average annual film output in Tamil film industry peaked in 1985.^{[citation needed]} The Tamil film market accounts for approximately 0.1% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the state of Tamil Nadu.^[35] For the purpose of entertainment taxes, returns have to be filed by the exhibitors weekly (usually each Tuesday).^[36] Costs of production have grown exponentially from just under 40 lakhs in 1980 to over 11 crores by 2005 for a typical star-studded big-budget film. Similarly, costs of processing per print have risen from just under 2,500 in 1980 to nearly 70,000 by 2005.^{[citation needed]}

The Government of Tamil Nadu made provisions for an entertainment tax exemption for Tamil films having titles in words from the Tamil language only.^[37] This is in accordance with Government Order 72 passed on July 22, 2006. The first film to be released after the new Order was Unakkum Enakkum. The original title had been Something Something Unakkum Ennakkum, a half-English and a half-Tamil title.^[37] In July 2011, strict norms on entertainment tax were passed which stated that films which were given a 'U' certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification alone were eligible for tax exemption and those with an 'A' certificate could not fit into this category.^[38]

There are 3 major roles in the Tamil film value chain viz producer, distributor and exhibitor.^[39] The distributor purchases theatrical distribution rights from the producer for exhibiting the film in a defined territory. The distributor performs enhanced functions such as:

1. part-financing of film (in case of minimum guarantee / advance based purchase of film rights)
2. localised marketing of film
3. selection of exhibition halls
4. managing the logistics of physical print distribution

There are three popular approaches to transfer of distribution rights via distribution contracts:

1. Minimum Guarantee + Royalty – Here, the producer sells the distribution rights for a defined territory for a minimum lump sum irrespective of the box office performance of the film. Any surplus is shared between the producer and distributor, in a pre-set ratio (typically 1:2) after deducting entertainment tax, show rentals, commission, print costs and publicity costs. Effectively, the distributor becomes a "financier" in the eyes of the market. This is the most common channel available to high budget producers.
2. Commission – Here, the distributor pays the producer the entire box office collection after deducting commission. So, the entire risk of box office performance of the film remains with the producer. This is the most common channel available to low budget producers.
3. Outright Sale – Here, the producer sells all distribution and theatrical rights for a defined territory exclusively to a distributor. Effectively, the distributor becomes a "producer" in the eyes of the market. So, the entire risk of box office performance of the film remains with the distributor.

There are four popular approaches to transfer of exhibition rights via exhibition contracts:

1. Theatre Hire – Here, the exhibitor pays the distributor the entire box office collection after deducting entertainment tax and show rentals. So, the entire risk of box office performance of the film remains with the distributor. This is the most common channel for low budget films, casting rank newcomers, with unproven track record.
2. Fixed Hire – Here, the exhibitor pays the distributor a maximum lump sum irrespective of the box office performance of the film. Rental is not chargeable per show. Any surplus after deducting entertainment tax is retained by the exhibitor. Effectively, the exhibitor becomes a "producer" in the eyes of the market. So, the entire risk of box office performance of the film remains with the exhibitor. This is the most common channel for high budget films, casting established front-runners, with proven track record.
3. Minimum Guarantee + Royalty – Here, the exhibitor pays the distributor a minimum lump sum irrespective of the box office performance of the film. Any surplus after deducting entertainment tax and show rental is shared in a pre-set ratio (typically 2:1) between the exhibitor and distributor. But risk of deficit remains with the exhibitor. This is the most common channel preferred by single screens.
4. Revenue Share – Here, the exhibitor shares with the distributor, in a pre-set ratio (typically 1:2), the entire box office collection of the film after deducting entertainment tax. Rental is not chargeable per show. So, the entire risk of box office performance of the film is shared between the exhibitor and distributor. This is the most common channel preferred by multiplex screens.

Crew[link]

Actors[link]

M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar was considered to be first superstar of South Indian cinema.^[40] P. U. Chinnappa, another popular actor in Tamil cinema was slotted second only to Bhagavathar, died suddenly in 1952.^[41] M. G. Ramachandran became a prominent actor in the mid 1950s and continued to be a popular actor till the late 1970s before stepping into politics.^[42] On the other hand, Sivaji Ganesan, the media-built rival of Ramachandran, was considered to be one of the finest method actors in India of his time.^[43][44] Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth have been the biggest names in Tamil cinema for over twenty-five years despite the arrival of the next generation of stars, including Joseph Vijay,Ajith Kumar,and Suriya Sivakumar . K. B. Sundarambal, a popular carnatic singer made her film debut with Nandanar in 1935 was considered to be one of the finest actresses of her time. She was paid a renumeration of 1 lakh for acting in her debut film.^[45]

Musicians[link]

Music composers such as Ilaiyaraaja and A. R. Rahman received international recognition.^[46] These two composers also hold the record of having won the most number of awards for Best Music Director from the National Film Awards. A. R. Rahman has won two Academy Awards for his work in the British film, Slumdog Millionaire. His debut film Roja was the only Indian film to feature in Time magazine's "10 Best Soundtracks" of all time.^[47][48] In the 2003 BBC International poll, "Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu" from the film Thalapathi, scored by Ilaiyaraaja was voted by people from 155 countries as fourth in the world's top 10 most popular songs of all time.^[49]

Several international composers have used Chennai's studios to record music for projects, as have composers from other film industries. G. Ramanathan was a famous composer for Tamil Movies in the 1950s and was considered to be one of the most influential composers. He won the Best Music Compser award for Veerapandiya Kattabomman at the Afro-Asian Film Festival held at Cairo in 1960.^[50] K. V. Mahadevan, a prominent composer in the 1960s and 1970s was the first South Indian music composer to win a National Film Award. M. S. Viswanathan and T. K. Ramamoorthy duo was popular in the 1960s and 1970s, with interest in Tamil film songs being re-ignited with the audio revolution.^[51] Other prominent Tamil film score and soundtrack composers of the present include Yuvan Shankar Raja who is the first Indian to win the Cyprus International award for music, Harris Jayaraj, Vijay Antony, Deva, Karthik Raja, Vidyasagar, Bharathwaj, G. V. Prakash Kumar and Shankar Mahadevan who is a part of the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio, who are prominent composers in Bollywood.

Union associations[link]

The industry includes several groups who organize their own events based on different issues of major concern. Rather than forming separate and distinct groups, each association occasionally collaborate for certain events. These associations are based on profession in the industry, such as a directors' association or producers' association. The most notable association is the South Indian Film Artistes' Association which is a group of all prominent Tamil film actors. Formed in 1952 under the leadership of actor Sivaji Ganesan, the association governs film or media-related issues that may arise to its members. The association has also continued to conduct philanthropic activities, as well as public outcries for certain political and humanitarian issues. The current president of the association is the actor-turned-politician R. Sarath Kumar.^[52]

Other associations include the Association of Tamil Film Directors which is headed by director P. Bharathiraja and the Tamil Film Producers' Council, headed by film director Rama Narayanan, who often meet to make financial decisions in the economy. A more broader association that incorporates all kinds of film personalities includes the well-known Film Employees' Federation of South India (FEFSI). They often successfully pledge for the welfare of low-income film workers, such as lighting technicians and stunt coordinators.

Film schools[link]

The Madras Film Institute was the first film school in south India. This institute along with the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata is among the oldest film schools of India.^[53] An Indo-Russian film institute is about to be set up soon.^[54]

See also[link]

• Cinema of the world
• Cinema of India
• Filmfare Awards South
• Cinema Express Awards
• Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
• Vijay Awards
• International Tamil Film Awards

Further reading[link]

• Arnold, Alison (2000). "Pop Music and Audio-Cassette Technology: Southern Area – Film music". The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-8240-4946-1. http://books.google.com/?id=ZOlNv8MAXIEC&pg=RA2-PA554&dq=A.+R.+Rehman+tamil. 
• Bhaskaran, Theodore, Sundararaj (1996). Eye of The Serpent: An Introduction to Tamil Cinema. Chennai / University of Michigan: East West Books. 
• Gokulsing, K.; Moti Gokulsing, Wimal (2004). Indian Popular Cinema: A Narrative of Cultural Change. Trentham Books. p. 132. ISBN 1-85856-329-1. http://books.google.com/?id=_plssuFIar8C&pg=PA132. 
• Shohini Chaudhuri (2005). Contemporary World Cinema: Europe, the Middle East, East Asia and South Asia. Edinburgh University Press. p. 149. ISBN 0-7486-1799-X. http://books.google.com/?id=qOXoeyesZOIC&pg=PA149. 
• Chinniah, Sathiavathi (2001). Tamil Movies Abroad: Singapore South Indian Youths and their Response to Tamil Cinema. 8. Kolam. 
• Guy, Randor (1997). Starlight, Starbright : The Early Tamil Cinema. Chennai. OCLC 52794531. 
• Hughes, Stephen P. (February 24–25, 2005). "Tamil Cinema as Sonic Regime: Cinema Sound, Film Songs and the Making of a Mass Culture of Music". New Perspectives on the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century. Keynote address: South Asia Conference at the University of Chicago. Chicago, Illinois. 
• Kasbekar, Asha (2006). Pop Culture India!: Media, Arts and Lifestyle. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-85109-636-7. http://books.google.com/?id=Sv7Uk0UcdM8C&pg=PA215&dq=A.+R.+Rehman+tamil. 
• Ravindran, Gopalan (March 17–18, 2006). "Negotiating identities in the Diasporic Space: Transnational Tamil Cinema and Malaysian Indians". Cultural Space and Public Sphere in Asia, 2006. Seoul, Korea: Korea Broadcasting Institute, Seoul. 
• Nakassis, Constantine V.; Dean, Melanie A. (2007). "Desire, Youth, and Realism in Tamil Cinema". Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 17: 77–104. DOI:10.1525/jlin.2007.17.1.77. 
• Velayutham, Selvaraj (2008). Tamil Cinema: The Cultural Politics of India's Other Film Industry. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-39680-6. http://books.google.com/?id=65Aqrna4o5oC&dq=Tamil+cinema. 

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tamil cinema

v t e Cinema of India Industries Assamese Bengali Bhojpuri Hindi Kannada Konkani Malayalam Marathi Oriya Punjabi Rajasthani Tamil Telugu Tulu Indian films Assamese Bengali Bhojpuri English Gujarati Hindi Kannada Konkani Malayalam Marathi Oriya Punjabi Sindhi Tamil Telugu Tulu Urdu Other topics Actors Art Directors Awards Directors Choreographers Cinematographers Composers Costume designers Editors Festivals Lyricists Playback singers Producers Screenwriters Studios

At First Sight is a 1999 American film starring Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino, based on the essay To See and Not to See in neurologist Oliver Sacks' book An Anthropologist on Mars and inspired by the true life story of Shirl Jennings.

Plot[link]

Amy Benic (Mira Sorvino) takes a break from working as an architect at a spa in Pinecrest, a small town outside New York City. Virgil Adamson (Val Kilmer) is a masseur at the spa and gives Amy a massage. Amy breaks down and cries, later falling asleep as Virgil leaves the room. When she wakes up, she runs after him to compliment the massage, only to realize that Virgil is blind. Virgil asks her out, and the two eventually fall in love and begin a relationship.

Virgil lives alone, though his over-protective sister, Jennie (Kelly McGillis), who lives next door, takes care of him. During an intimate session with Amy, Virgil reveals that he went blind when he was three and that the last thing he saw was something fluffy. Amy describes the horizon to Virgil as something that you "can see but can never reach."

While researching Virgil's condition, Amy learns of Doctor Charles Aaron, a specialist in eye treatment who suggests to Virgil that, with surgery, he could restore his sight. Virgil refuses. To understand Virgil's reaction, Amy seeks out Jennie, who reveals that their father left the family years ago after putting Virgil through several kinds of treatment in an unsuccessful attempt to restore his sight.

After waking up with Amy one morning, Virgil decides he will give the operation a try. It is a success, but after Virgil regains sight for the first time, he becomes confused and disoriented, unable to perceive light and distance. Dr. Aaron suggests that he should visit Phil Webster (Nathan Lane), a visual physiotherapist. Webster in turn suggests that Virgil needs to learn everything from scratch himself, through experience.

Virgil and Amy begin living in New York City, with Virgil finding his feet with his new-found sight. The pair begin drifting apart, as Virgil finds it hard to decipher the look on Amy's face at times. Amy finds herself constantly having to explain basic things to Virgil. While at a party, Virgil sees Amy kiss her ex-husband for his birthday. While trying to leave the party, Virgil walks into a glass pane due to his poor perception.

Virgil's father sees him on television and arranges a reunion; Virgil goes to his father's workplace, but decides at the last minute that he cannot face him yet.

On one of the regular consultation visits with Webster, he brings Virgil to a strip club. They engage in a deep conversation, where Webster notes that instead of just "seeing," Virgil should instead "look;" there are a lot of things that sight alone cannot solve. Virgil confesses that he and Amy are drifting apart, but insists that Amy is the most important thing in his life.

Upon returning from a work trip to Atlanta, where she and her ex-husband shared a sensual moment, Amy decides to save the relationship. She finds Virgil in a park looking for "the horizon" in the city.

Virgil's sight begins deteriorating. He begins experiencing vision blackouts. After consulting with Dr. Aaron, Virgil realizes that he is losing his sight. He decides to look for his father. Virgil reveals to him that he is going blind again, and asks him why he left. His father tells him that he felt he was a failure when he did not find a way to help his son regain sight. Virgil states that he should not have left because his mother and sister suffered greatly after his father walked away.

Virgil looks for Amy, who tells him about her plans to travel with him to places like Egypt and Europe. Withholding the fact that he is again going blind, Virgil tells her there is one thing he really wants to see, and brings her to a New York Rangers game.

At the game, Virgil realizes that the "fluffy cloud" he last remembers seeing was cotton candy. As he buys some, he suffers a lengthened vision blackout and admits to Amy that he is going blind, which Amy refuses to accept. Back home, Virgil and Amy argue. He asks if she wants to spend her life with him if he is going to be blind forever. Amy hesitates, and Virgil decides to return home.

Virgil is welcomed by Jennie and eases back into his old way of life. While losing his sight, Virgil spends his remaining time with sight to look at as many things as possible, going through magazines and pictorial books in the library. He stays up to watch the sunset, seeing the horizon for the first and last time.

After he has been blind again for some time, Virgil is at a park with a guide dog. He takes a seat, finishes a sandwich, and tosses the wrapping into a bin. Amy has found him and says, "You missed." Virgil takes a moment then realizes it is Amy. She sits down and they reconnect; then she reveals that she finished a significant sculpture that he broke during their argument. Amy apologizes to Virgil for trying to change him and for moving too fast, which led to their problems together. Virgil puts his hands on Amy's face and touches her tenderly. She asks if he wants to take a walk and "see what they see." They leave the park together.

Cast[link]

• Mira Sorvino as Amy Benic
• Val Kilmer as Virgil Adamson
• Kelly McGillis as Jennie Adamson
• Steven Weber as Duncan Allanbrook
• Bruce Davison as Dr. Charles Aaron
• Nathan Lane as Phil Webster
• Drena De Niro as Caroline

Reception[link]

The film currently holds a "rotten" rating on the movie review site Rottentomatoes. However, 47% of people (non-critics) give it a positive review. The film and its plot are mentioned in the Friends episode, "The One with Rachel's Big Kiss," the character of Chandler Bing describes it as "a tutti-frutti love story where he [Val Kilmer] played a blind guy."

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: At First Sight

• At First Sight at the Internet Movie Database
• At First Sight at Rotten Tomatoes

Ajith Kumar
Born	(1971-05-01) 1 May 1971 (age 41)[1] Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Residence	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation	Film actor, promotional model, auto racing driver
Years active	1992–present
Spouse	Shalini Kumar (2000–present)
Children	Anoushka

Ajith Kumar (born 1 May 1971) is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai (1995).^[2] A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with Kadhal Kottai (1996), Aval Varuvala (1998), Kadhal Mannan (1998) and Unnai Thedi (1999) being the most notable. He later forayed into method acting, as seen in Vaali (1999), Mugavaree (2000), Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) and Citizen (2001)^[3] before establishing himself as an action hero with popular films including Amarkalam (1999), Dheena (2001), Villain (2002), Attagasam (2004), Varalaru (2006), Kireedam (2007), Billa (2007) and Mankatha (2011).

He has won three Filmfare Best Actor Awards in Tamil, all for films which showcased him in multiple roles. Ajith performs predominantly in leading roles in major studio films, genres ranging from romantic comedies and drama to action thrillers. In addition to his acting, Ajith, in a sabbatical, participated in the 2004 British Formula Three season as a race driver for a minor outfit, and was ranked the third best motor car driver in India at his peak.^[4][5] Ajith remains a popular figure in the media of Tamil Nadu, making headlines for his relationships before his marriage to former actress Shalini,^[3] his long-running media-built rivalry with actor Vijay^[6][7] and his controversial statements in a few occasions.^[8]

Acting career[link]

Early career[link]

Ajith Kumar was born as the middle child in Secunderabad, a city north of Hyderabad to a Tamil Iyer from Kerala^{[9][dead link]} and a Sindhi mother, and was brought up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.^[10][10] He dropped out of Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School in 1986 before completing his higher secondary.^[11] He took up work as a two wheeler auto mechanic, and got himself a driver's licence to coincide with his interests, that of car / bike racing. At 18, Ajith had to take up a job to support his career in racing. Joining as an apprentice, he rose to be a merchandiser with a garment export company, doing small-time press ads and TV commercials occasionally. He had put a lot of money into racing and would borrow tyres from his friends who used to help when the chains wore out as there was no money in racing at that time. Following an accident, several business agencies pushed him into modelling for advertisements in print media. He had to make a choice between films and racing, and as the movies were happening and generating him some money, he began concentrating on it.^[11]

Aged 20, Ajith was selected by Telugu FILM productions, Lakshmi Productions, to star in their film; however shooting was stalled soon after filming began, following the death of the film's director.^[12] Ajith then started his film career at the age of 21 appearing in the low budget Telugu film, Prema Pustagam in 1992, which remains his last direct Telugu film to date. His first Tamil film Amaravathi, directed by then newcomer Selva, was a moderate success and his voice was rendered by fellow actor, Vikram.^[11] After the release, Ajith whilst training for an amateur motor race, suffered a fall, injuring his back and underwent three major surgeries resulting in a bed rest for one and a half years.^[12] Following the injury in 1993, Ajith played a supporting role in the Arvind Swamy starrer, Paasamalargal, before appearing in a supporting lead role in the family drama, Pavithra, which featured him as an ailing patient shown maternal affection from Raadhika.^[13]

Breakthrough (1995–2000)[link]

In 1995, after a supporting role in the Vijay starrer Rajavin Parvaiyile, Ajith appeared in his first major success, Aasai. The film directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam, featured him in the lead role opposite Suvalakshmi, whose brother-in-law infatuates about her. The film became a big success and established Ajith as an upcoming actor in the Tamil film industry.^[2][14] He later played the lead in Kalloori Vaasal co-starring Prashanth and Pooja Bhatt.^[11] Ajith's second blockbuster came in the form of National Award winning Kadhal Kottai, in which Ajith reunited with Agathiyan, the director of the earlier project Vaanmathi.^[15] The film which told the tale of two people falling in unconditional love without seeing each other until the climax. The film paired him opposite Devayani, with Heera Rajgopal, who Ajith fell in love during the making of the project, playing a supporting role.^[16]

After the success of his films in 1996, the following year saw a series of five failures,^[12] the most notable being Amitabh Bachchan's Tamil production Ullaasam with Maheswari, in which he was paid a salary of Rs. 2 million for the first time.^[11] Ajith returned with another successful project in Saran's Kadhal Mannan, with the "masala film" setting the foundations for an expanding fan base.^[11] He also rejected roles in Mani Ratnam's Nerukku Ner, which was later played by actors Vijay and Suriya.^[17] Following films Aval Varuvala and Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen also became successes, with the latter featuring Ajith in a praised guest role. After a couple of average grossers in Uyirodu Uyiraga and Ramesh Khanna's Thodarum, Sundar C's romantic drama Unnaithedi opposite Malavika became another comeback film and set the tone for a series of big successes. S. J. Suryaah's thriller, Vaali, which portrayed him in dual roles opposite Simran, became his biggest hit til date following its release.^[12] The film told the story of a deaf and mute brother setting his eyes on his younger brother's wife, with Ajith's portrayal of the two brothers winning him his first of many awards for Filmfare's Best Actor.^[18] Furthermore Ajith's portrayal of the brothers was also praised, with critics claiming that the film was an"instant classic" with Ajith showing that he is a "talented actor".^[19] The two following supporting roles in the drama films Anandha Poongatre and Nee Varuvai Ena also brought Ajith plaudits for his portrayals. His final film before the new millennium was another blockbuster, Amarkalam directed by Saran and featuring Shalini, whom he married shortly after the film. Amarkalam told the story of a negelected child who grew up and fails to show feelings of love or affection, becoming a gangster in the process, with Ajith's depiction of his rogue character appreciated by critics.^[20]

His next, Mugavaree, won him commercial and critical praise.^[21] The film revolved around the life of a struggling music composer who faces sacrifices to proceed in his career. The film featured dual endings, one with Ajith succeeding in his career, the other with Ajith dejected. Ajith's performance was yet again praised with critics from Rediff, claiming that "Ajith is the real winner", drawing an allusion with the film's script, whilst adding that "it is amazing to see how Ajith has grown as an actor. He brilliantly portrays the vulnerable and sad Sridhar".^[22] He also appeared in A. R. Rahman's 2000 musical Kandukondain Kandukondain directed by Rajiv Menon. The blockbuster featured Ajith alongside prominent actors Mammooty and Abbas and actresses Aishwarya Rai, Tabu and Srividya.^[23] In a similar role to his previous film, Ajith played a struggling film director facing an oscillating relationship with Tabu, with the pair being unanimously praised for their roles.^[24][25] His first failure in eight films, came in the form of the military based Unnai Kodu Ennai Tharuven co-starring Simran.^[20]

Ups and downs (2001–05)[link]

In 2001, Ajith appeared in Dheena, A. R. Murugadoss's debut film co-starring Laila Mehdin and Suresh Gopi. The film, indirectly marked the beginning of a new image of Ajith, that of an action hero that would appeal to the masses.^[26] Furthermore from the successful film, Ajith's nickname in the film, Thala, Tamil for Leader, became a new identity for the actor amongst his fans.^[27] In the same year, he was offered a role in Nandha, which he rejected.^[28] His next was the much-hyped thriller, Citizen, portraying Ajith in ten different get-ups and it became an above average success at the box office, despite being labelled a disappointment from critics.^[29] A role in the family drama, Poovellam Un Vasam followed opposite Jyothika and was a success commercially and critically earning a Special Best Actor Award from the Tamil Nadu State.^[30] The year ended off with an appearance in Santosh Sivan's Hindi project, Asoka, in which Ajith appeared in a brief negative role alongside Shah Rukh Khan. 2002 saw Ajith appear in three films, the first two; Red and Raja being average grossers, the former further building up his image as an action hero.^[31] The third film, Villain, in which Ajith appeared in dual roles, one as a mentally ill handicap, became a blockbuster and in return earning Ajith his second Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award.^[32][33]

The following years, from 2003 til 2005, saw Ajith appear in a fewer amount of films due to his career in motor racing becoming more prominent.^[34] 2003 saw the release of his long-delayed Ennai Thalatta Varuvala and the police-drama Anjaneya, both failing commercially. In that period, four blockbuster films namely Saamy, Kaakha Kaakha and Ghajini were turned away by the actor due to various reasons.^[28][35]

His next Jana with Sneha also became a big failure, with the Saran film, Attagasam being his only hit in the period.^[36] The film, saw Ajith portray dual roles, with a song, Thala Deepavali penned to promote his action image. In 2005, the failure of the Linguswamy film Ji, despite garnering positive reviews and taking a strong opening, saw Ajith take a sabbatical from acting to re-work his image.^[37][38]

Success and stardom (2006–present)[link]

During 2006, Ajith returned from his hiatus by appearing in P. Vasu's Paramasivan for which he had lost twenty kilograms to portray the lead role.^[39] The film enjoyed a moderate success, scoring over Vijay's Aadhi, which also released in the same week, at the box-office.^[40] Critics from The Hindu stated Ajith looked "trim and taut" in the film with "only his eyes seeming to have lost some of its sparkle", following the major weight loss.^[41] Furthermore, for Paramasivan and his two other projects in 2006, Ajith sported long hair, which was being grown for Bala's project, Naan Kadavul, which Ajith eventually opted out of.^[42]

Similarly his next, AVM Productions's, Thirupathi directed by Perarasu performed above average business at the box-office, despite garnering poor reviews, with Rediff critics citing that the film is "anything but sensible" but that Ajith "salvages the situation with a spirited performance".^[43] Ajith summed up a successful comeback by the release of his long-delayed film, Varalaru which went on to become his biggest success til date. The K. S. Ravikumar film co-starring Asin, portrayed Ajith in three roles, including that of a classical dancer, with his portrayals being critically praised.^[44][45] Moreover, the film fetched Ajith his third Filmfare Best Actor Award, on its way to becoming a blockbuster.^[46] In 2007, media reports hinted that the actor would do a project with Shankar.^[47] Ajith's first release in 2007, Aalwar became a debacle at the box-office, with his previous film still continuing to run in theatres even after Aalwar had stopped its brief theatrical run.^[48] Kireedam, a remake of the 1989 National Award winning Malayalam film of the same name was released to positive reviews, with the film also becoming a moderate success.^[49] During the shoot of the film, Ajith developed a further spinal injury, a recurrence of his problem earlier in his career.^[50]