Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 1:01 am
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Kandukondain Kandukondain
Starring : Mammootty, Tabu, Aishwarya Rai, Abbas, Dino Morea, Pooja Batra, Ajith Kumar
Director : Rajiv Menon
Music : A. R. Rahman
Running Time : 158 Minutes
Format : Region 0 (All Regions)
Video : 2.25:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Sound : 5.1 Surround
Subtitles : English (except songs)
Year : 2000 (Cinema), 2000 (DVD First Edition), 2001 (DVD Second Edition)
DVD : Single Side, Double Layer
Released by : Ayngaran International, UK
Ayngaran has released two DVD versions of 'Kandukondain Kandukondain' so far, with rumours of a third 'Special Edition' planned for 2003. The current edition is no different from the first - the only visible difference is the cover art, where the red background of the first release has been replaced by a silver background with embossed gold lettering. Certainly Ayngaran's best cover art for any of their DVDs, considering design has been their weak point throughout.
Video Quality : This release from Ayngaran immediately ranks as one of their very best - up there with 'Anandam', 'Minnale', and 'Kannathil Mutthamittal'. The reason for this is that the source film used is very clean - very few specks or discoloration exist throughout the feature, and at times the transfer is very evocative of the best of DEI's releases. However, a poor bit-rate (hovering in between 3.5 to 6.5) that is irritatingly unconstant, makes this movie look bad in places it should not. Despite a crisp print and excellent color saturation, there are two main problems with this transfer. First, the picture has been slightly cropped from the original theatrical print, and this becomes very evident during a few vital scenes, when only an arm or leg of a character remains on screen. Second, even though the print used is excellent, the low bit-rate leads to a problem of pixel dissolution when you attempt to zoom in. On this DVD, even zooming in on a scene once is enough to destroy the picture totally - while transfers of even old movies from DEI hold up better. This is a very colorful film, capturing the beauty of South India, and here is where most of the video problems can be forgiven. Colors are brilliant and have been equalized to their best. There is no bleeding or over-saturation, and at no point does the film look older than it actually is.
Audio Quality : Presented in 5.1, and advertised as the first Tamil DVD to have surround sound of this nature, 'Kandukondain Kandukondain' is one DVD that gets better upon repeated viewing, just because the sound quality is so excellent. Things really start getting impressive when a song kicks in as A. R. Rahman's music hits you from various channels. The layer separation and graphic equalization here is very good. Dialogue is crystal clear and the background music score is enjoyable without being intrusive.
Special Features : The only special feature here are two promotional trailers for new tamil films, not anything related to the main feature. The only other feature is the optional English Subtitle, which is possibly the worst aspect of this DVD. Sometimes the subtitle stays on the screen longer than it should; at other times it appears and disappears within a fraction of a second making it impossible to read anything. Ayngaran's drawback has always been its' substandard translation of Tamil movies, and things don't get any better here. They attempt a literal translation of the language, rather than a situational translation, and this renders the film incomprehensible to many non-Tamil viewers. Yet, the visuals are so appealing that it easy to get swept into the film, and its made in such a way that you'll be able to follow the storyline even though you can't keep up with the subtitles.
Highlights : Admittedly, Aishwarya Rai has never looked better on film. And director Rajiv Menon makes the best use of her through the entire feature. She literally hogs the limelight, appearing in no less than three solo songs, and one duet with male star Abbas. Naturally, these are the most stunning segments on the DVD. The classical Carnatic song 'Kannamoochi' ("Hide and Seek") is picturised so beautifully on the heroine, as is the Tamil folk number 'Konjum Mainakale', which lets the DVD excel with hues of green and brown of the fields. A song set in the highlands of Scotland captures the grey and blue of the area, and all these colors stand out on DVD.
Here then are the final pros and cons of this DVD :
Good :
1. Widescreen Presentation
2. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
3. Crisp and flawless source print
4. Excellent color saturation and brightness control
Bad :
1. Slightly cropped image on the sides of the feature.
2. Large, grammatically confusing subtitles, sometimes out of sequence.
3. No subtitles on songs.
4. Low bit rate on certain segments of DVD, picture cannot be enlarged satisfactorily.
Video : 7/10 : Could have been better with a higher bit rate. With the current bit-rate it experiences terrible problems when attempting to zoom in on a scene. Picture disintegration is evident during heavy motion - another victim of a low bit-rate.
Audio : 9/10 : Second only to the audio on Ayngaran's world standard DVD for 'Kannathil Mutthamittal', the 5.1 will take your breath away.
Final Thoughts : Certainly one of Ayngaran's better releases, but suffers from the same problems that plague most Tamil DVDs in the market today. 'Kandukondain' is considered one of the best Tamil films in recent years, and it is indeed a must-have film in your collection despite the shortcomings of the DVD.
Alternate Versions :
1. Bootleg VCD
2. Original Release from Ayngaran in 2000, with red cover
3. Dubbed Telugu version entitled 'Priyarulu Pilchindi' on bootleg DVD
Screenshots:
Edited By Kabir on 1040160723
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???
) when Ayngaran releases a progressive version of this film ! This surely looks like a cool film no doubt abt that !...