Siruthai - Time pass!

Now, whats there to review about a film that is marketed as a mass commercial entertainer [read: negligible logic, if any]? Siruthai promises to be a commercial spinner, and is indeed that. The movie is a remake of the Tollywood's Vikramarkudu that had Ravi Teja enacting the role. Karthi justifies the dual roles of DCP Ratnavel Pandian and Rocket Raja, and makes of his body language to convey the difference. Mind you, this is his first dual-role. Cinematography is excellent. Songs are rather the norm than anything else.

Siruthai opens with a  Ratnavel Pandian (Karthi) being spotted by a hooligan who rushes to convey the message to Bava in Devipattinam in Andhra. The entire gang in Devipattinam rushes to Ratnavel Pandian's grave to find that his coffin is filled with stones. The scene then introduces Rocket Raja (Karthi again) who makes a living by means of thievery. The film jets along until a little claim suddenly claims Rocket Raja as her father. What happens further forms, without doubt, the rest of the movie.

Santhanam has excelled in his role of Poochi, and gives the film a much needed comic steroid. Hard to imagine anyone apart lending justice to the role. Karthi has done fine, although I would like to see him in characters that are a bit more versatile. He is talented, mind you. That's straight 5 hits for Karthi in a row. The movie is extremely boisterous. A host of the supporting characters up their decibels for conversations and I fail to see the logic behind that. The movie seems a drag towards the end when all logic goes loose. Tamannah is fine and her scope for performance is limited to her waistline techniques (Body language again, if you can call that!).

If you didn't know what to do, just get some popcorn, and head towards the theatre to watch Siruthai. Good timepass guaranteed!

Paranormal Activity 2: The review

I indeed wish for the good old slasher-horror flick of the 80's - blood dripping, decapitated faces or bodies, half skullish faces - that had loads of adrenalin. Paranormal Activity, for those who have not seen is on the lines of the Blair Witch Project. For those who have seen PA 1, this is indeed worth a watch. 

You don't have the unnecessary gore and blood in the film, nevertheless the gripping tension that is evident by means of silence throughout the film holds it together. Paranormal Activity 2 is positioned as a prequel to PA 1. The film traces the presence of unusual happenings in Christine's house (Katie's sister) three months prior to Micah (Katie's boyfriend). The subject of Katie and Micah constitute PA 1. 

The pre-sequel has remained loyal to the PA 1 style of narrative. Christine's family moves into a new house with her daughter (Ali), her new baby (Hunter), and her Husband. A seemingly, or schemingly, maneuvered burglary attempt that messes the house leads Dan to station several security cameras in the house. The presence of a malevolent entity in the house is beginning to be felt soon after and the cameras record several instances. The film deals with the trauma and fears that Christine's family face.  

The genre is gaining popularity and a Paranormal Activity 3 has been commissioned. The disturbing style of film-making where the viewer also is able to relate to the happenings (especially so in North America) has helped its ascent. PA 2 has its good share of scares, but I would recommend watching it in a theatre with pin-drop silence. 

Not exactly the kind of scares that the Omen gave you back in those days, but there aren't any good horror films seeing the light of the day. No complaints!

Hilarious article penned by Aditya Sinha, Editor in Chief, Indian Express [2 years ago]

Actually, the fairytale of Kanimozhi, d/o Mr Kalaignar, is a bit different from that of Snow White, a beautiful princess who was abandoned by her stepmother in a forest where she met seven lovable midgets, and where she went into coma after biting a toxic apple. For one thing, in Snow White's tale, there is no global economic crisis, and general elections are not around the corner. Another difference is that while Snow White's step-mother always had the King's ear and thus the upper hand, Kanimozhi's step-mother has long lost control of Mr Kalaignar. And while Snow White's seven friends were biological dwarfs, Kanimozhi's are sized by their moral stature.


Take communications minister A Raja, who is akin to Dopey among Snow White's dwarfs. He and Kanimozhi took over from Dayanidhi Maran when Mr Kalaignar banished the latter from his kingdom in April 2007. Dayanidhi and brother Kalanidhi had become too ambitious, holding popularity contests in their newspaper; so it was burnt down. Prior to his downfall, Dayanidhi served dual roles in distant Delhi: as minister in a financially-busy ministry, he was also Mr Kalaignar's pointsman in the Capital. After Dayanidhi's departure, Raja assumed the first role, Kanimozhi the second.


Raja was focused on his task from the start; this July, the Express reported his underselling of 2G spectrum (a designated part of the airwaves for use by mobile phone operators) which caused a loss of Rs 22,466 crore. Turns out we were wrong by around Rs 37,500 crore. Now the Left and the BJP want Raja's head; the central vigilance commission is deep into its investigation; and the Delhi High Court has admitted a public interest litigation against the allotment.


The scam, briefly: Raja did not auction the spectrum, but sold it on a first-come-firstserve basis. And not at 2007 prices; he charged the 2001 price of Rs 1,650 crore. That would have been okay, except he did not give any genuine operator time to react; in effect, the sale announcement came at the start of a weekend, and it closed after the weekend was over. Foreign players did not get time to mobilize their Rs 1,650 crore – which again would be okay, if it weren't for the fact that two operators who did get the Spectrum, Unitech and Swan (realty players who do not even own a simple telecom asset like a network tower), effectively and profitably resold their spectrum to foreign players.


Raja not only undersold, but blocked genuine foreign players, who came in anyway, after enriching someone other than the Government of India. Was it just the Delhi responsibilities that Kanimozhi shared with Raja? Or should she share culpability as well? Then there is T R Baalu, who's like the dwarf Sleepy, considering his accomplishments in nearly five years as surface transport minister in the UPA government. The highways programmes of the NDA government have all but come to a halt. And now that the world is in an economic slowdown, it ought to be a time when India pumped money into this sector of infrastructure – but private companies are getting cold feet because bank credit has dried up. Some economists think India can be among the first to recover from the global recession; that might have been true had Baalu done his job and kept performance high. Instead, Sleepy has been fruitlessly pursuing the Sethusamundram Canal project, and he has tried to divert cheap gas to companies owned by his sons.


Back home in Tamil Nadu, there is the electricity minister Arcot Veeraswamy, possibly the dwarf Happy. He has reigned over a deteriorating power situation which makes a mockery of the UPA's hopes that India will help pull the globe out of recession.


Ask any industrialist in the state that has been among the most industrialized in the country. Factory owners in Sriperumbudur lament the open extortion by "rowdies"; they lament the money they spend on private generators due to power rationing; they lament the drying up of the US market. One reason it is so bad is Veeraswamy's great interest in monitoring the rise of actorturned politician Vijaykanth, a man with no ideas, no neck, but lots of supporters, as a recent rally in Chennai demonstrated.


Kanimozhi's two step-brothers, Stalin and Azhagiri, can be likened to Snow White's Sneezy and Grumpy. These guys are certainly not the Brothers Karamazov. If they were, nobody would spend their time wondering what lies in store for the DMK after Mr Kalaignar departs from the scene.


By protocol, Stalin as a senior minister in the state government would appear to be the natural heir. But Azhagiri, the elder brother who is more straightforward than subtle, has been ruling the roost in the southern part of the state, and has of late turned his gaze to the Capital.


Kanimozhi seems to have taken a liking for Grumpy. And in doing so, her well-wishers may have displayed a bit of ruthlessness as well. For, back in June there were a bunch of mysterious rumours about Stalin, saying that he had returned from a London trip with some dreaded disease which would cut his life short and which had forced Mr Kalaignar to reconsider his succession. It was a false rumour. Stalin found that he had sarcoidosis, a node in the lung that is easily curable. At worst, he is simply, well, Sneezy.


The rumours, however, are an example of how absurd the fallout of sibling rivalry can get.
The last two in Kanimozhi's troupe would be her rivals for Mr Kalaignar's mantle: PMK founder S Ramdoss and film icon Rajnikanth.


Ramdoss, whose son is the health minister in Delhi (so we can call him Doc), thinks he is the natural successor. He overplayed his hand recently, however, and finds falling between both the DMK's and Ms J Jayalalithaa's stools. But he is a potent force, demonstrated by the fact that Baalu visited him at his house in Tindivanam two weeks back – some say to request Ramdoss not to raise the 2G spectrum controversy in the state. Perhaps his silence will be his price for his return to the DMK-led front.


Rajnikanth is a force greater than a tsunami, and was almost lured into politics by the late G K Moopanar. The talk is that he will start his own party – but only after Mr Kalaignar goes. Naturally, of Snow White's dwarfs, he should be Bashful.


None of this can be good for Kanimozhi, who, if you've noticed, has been unable to live up to her responsibility as Mr Kalaignar's pointsman in Delhi, as evidenced by her lack of handling of the Sri Lankan Tamils' issue and the 2G spectrum controversy.


It's probably because she spends all her time in Chennai, rushing from one local function to the next, keeping her visibility high, and feeding her obscenely growing ambition. Unlike Snow White, however, she has enviable maternal support, and it looks as if more than her, it will be the residents of Tamil Nadu who will be biting the poisoned apple and slipping into coma, with no prince charming to rescue us in sight 

hypotheti’K'al ‘K’ondition

There seemed an air of inevitability around the DMK a few months back. Call it bad PR of whatever, it seems to have lost its sheen. Jayalalitha [J] and Vijaykanth [V] who were largely in the background for a good period suddenly seem to have grasped a new lease of life. Hard to see how the DMK is planning to get back its vote bank. Somehow, Tamilnadu seems to enjoy a dichotomous cushion. Bored with the DMK, elect the AIADMK. Bored again? Re-elect the DMK. However, if I apply this principle in the current scenario and postulate that the DMK are to be ousted in the next elections, and if ‘J’ or ‘J-V’ come back to power, and if ‘K’ of the DMK does stop breathing, it might be hard on the TN voters. What would they do if they are bored?

P.S. : Rajnikanth’s phone number, please?

The stuff of champions, really?

It seemed less feeble than a whimper. Folks at Stamford Bridge weren't accustomed to this. The last time they had witnessed such a clinical and comprehensive battering of their team was a tad back in 2002. All that Chelsea could muster to Sunderland's 9 shots on target was a paltry 3 shots. Few might notice that Chelsea's titles have always ridden on a fantastic opening time - Chelsea collected 15 from 5 games in the early days of the league. However, what I would draw attention to in this is the despicable lack of a comeback spirit that they seem to inevitably carry.

A look at some interesting stats.

Last season, Chelsea lost 1 game at home, and 5 games away. Chelsea's results read: Tottenham 2 - 1, Man city 4-2, Everton 2-1, Mancity 2-1, Villa 2-1, Wigan 3-1

And their Champions league debacle to Inter Milan is well known. I ain't taking up stats during the Jose Mourinho time. Chelsea, in Ancelotti's season have never been the kings of comeback. Barring Ancelotti's Champions League triumphs, his Milan has won the Scudetto only once. I am somehow tempted to ask if this mix is indeed a recipe for disaster. In spite of Chelsea scoring so many goals last season, they managed to beat Man United to the title only by a point. This isn't the stuff or spirit of Champions that they claim to possess.

Raavan - Teaser

Game on. The teaser of Mani's 'Raavan' is released. And I managed to get a first look of it on TV (thanks to CNN-IBN). The teaser is interesting and the music is a perfect sync. Mani scores a sixer on the teaser.

The conflict of Kashmir

The image of Kashmir is one of blood, sweat, and bombs. And the other is that of a paradise, replete with lovely rivers, resplendent in the sunlight. Memories of this region are stretched. For people who share a diverse geographical contour, that is India, there is an unusual resonance of thought and action when Kashmir is invoked. Strangely, that resonance is absent in other issues mooted within federal territories. Kashmir has seeped into the DNA of India, and is inseparable, at any cost. Talks of acceding Kashmir hit a iron wall, at the outset. Surprisingly, public opinions and views on the Kashmir issue seem to be nonchalantly naive, and thus an understanding of the Kashmir conflict is wanting. This article seeks to elucidate the reader on Kashmir that was - to the Kashmir that is.

Anyone who wishes to mouth on Kashmir has to fundamentally understand this.Kashmir is not synonymous with J&K. Jammu & Kashmir is divide into 3 areas: Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh or Leh. This is the underscore on which the contemporary situation rests.

The Kashmir of British India

Kashmir in the 14th and 15th centuries - well before the British set foot there - was reveling in the cultural integration of Hinduism and Islam. The concomitant culture that arose was that of the mystic Sufism, which then traveled out of India thereafter. Hinduism and Islam continued their journey, and the Kashmiris had a keen understanding of both the religions, and did not bear communal affectations. Kashmir then passed under the Sikh rule for a brief period, until they were defeated by the British in the Anglo - Sikh war of 1845. The British comprehended the implausibility of the long supply line that had to be maintained for Kashmir and sold the territory of Kashmir to Gulab Singh, a Hindu Dogra ruler for a measly amount of 75 lakhs. (Kashmir did not include the northern areas at that time. However, soon after, this was also captured). The area of Kashmir now spanned Muzaffarabad in the west (present NWFP), Pamir Knot in the north, and Aksai Chin in the east. Maharaja Ranjit Singh came to power in 1925 after the death of his grandfather.

The pre – partition era

Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a Dogra ruler, in the extended line of the Dogra kings who had ruled Kashmir. It can also be seen that in the other parts of India there was an increasing apprehension for British rule. Leaders such as Gandhi, Nehru, Patel had emerged from the masses and seemed fit to lead India to Independence. India, in spite of its unison against the British hold, had an underlying inferno: the communal divide of Hindus and Muslims. The communal schism was in the seminal stage, and some leaders, albeit for political reasons, saw a vested silver lining. The politics of vote had begun to take shape, much, much before the borders of India were drawn.

Jinnah was a Muslim, and was a member of the Indian National Congress, which also had Nehru and Gandhi in its ranks. Jinnah sought to attract the Muslim population whilst the rest of India chugged in the Hindu tracks. He was able to win the masses and press for the British to leave Indian soil. However, his other plans would soon come to the fore.

Up on the northern frontiers of British India, Kashmir had a predominantly Muslim population, and was under rule by a Hindu ruler. This Hindu ruler, in contrast to his ancestral lineage, sought discriminatory measures against the Muslims. This fomented resentment and anger among the Muslims. This was eventually addressed by a young leader, Sheikh Abdullah, a Muslim of Kashmiri Pundit descent, who galvanized the masses to form the National Muslim Conference. This conference served as a platform to address the issues of the Muslims, and also arose as a pain in the neck for the Hindu ruler, Maharaja Gulab Singh. Abdullah’s siding with Nehru also created an air of suspicion for the Hindu ruler, who saw political ambitions in his Muslim counterpart.

The pre – independence and the Mountbatten plan

We now fast-forward to the pre – independence setup. The whole of erstwhile India was posed with the Mountbatten plan, which aimed at dividing the nation into 2 on the basis of communal lines (two – nation theory, Jinnah). The princely states-565 in number-that littered the landscape of erstwhile India would be free to decide which side to toe. This thus set in motion of chain of events that decided the composition of the two soon-to-be nations, India and Pakistan. Some states were wooed by India and some by Pakistan, and 3 states sought more time, owing to their distribution of population: Hindu majority under Muslim rule, or Muslim majority under Hindu rule. The 3 states that fell under such parameters included Junagadh in present day Gujarat, Hyderabad, and Jammu & Kashmir.

Hyderabad and Junagadh were taken by police force. It also seemed pertinent that Hyderabad should remain within the lines of India. The one state that was still in decision making limbo was Kashmir. As discussed there existed hostilities, albeit mentally, between the Maharaja of Kashmir and Sheikh Abdullah. The Maharaja had Sheikh Abdullah arrested in pre – independence times. The Maharaja, although undecided about Kashmir, sought more time, and entered into a standstill agreement with Pakistan, whilst requesting them to maintain communication and other supplies. The Union of India and Pakistan were entering into Treaty of Accession with states that fell into their territory. In other words, the Treaty was a legal contract that accorded powers to the governments of the countries on the acceded state. This was to play a major role in the Kashmir Conflict.

Pakistan’s insecurity

Pakistan, along with East Pakistan (ridiculous), obtained independence on the 14^th of August 1947. India followed suit the following day, the 15^th of August 1947. The only disputed matter that remained was Kashmir. Since the Maharaja was skeptical about the Indian National Congress, he remained still. The people of Kashmir were also divided in their opinion, but a majority of them abhorred any schisms on communal lines.

Pakistan was growing impatient, and in a bid to wrest Kashmir away, set up some tribal troops (Kabayalees) who were to take over the capital of Kashmir, Srinagar, and then declare Kashmir independent, thus securing Kashmir to Pakistan once and for all. The story of the pillage caused by the invading tribes is one of destruction, and gore, and pitiful. The tribes were also backed by members of the Pakistani army, who were disguised as tribes themselves. This is a popular and regular tactic that Pakistan uses even today.

The Maharaja of Kashmir was bemused as equally anxious about Pakistan’s invasion. His royal guards a certainly unfit outfit against an invading army of this size. He subsequently requested for Indian troops to counter teh invaders. The Indian government sensed a rare window of opportunity, pressed for Sheikh Abdullah’s release from gaol and the Maharaja's signature to the Treaty of Accession. With few alternatives, the Maharaja then signed the Treaty of Accession that conferred the entirety of the territory of erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir to the Union of India. Note: The erstwhile J & K refers to the Kashmir, Jammu, and Ladakh as discussed earlier.

Once the Treaty was put to paper, the Indian army carried an aerial survey. Troops were then airlifted and dropped into Kashmir to fight the invaders, who were stationed 30 miles off Srinagar. Meanwhile, Sheikh Abdullah focused the Muslim support against Pakistan. In the hostilities that followed, the Indian army, in spite of its lack of experience successfully held off the invaders.

Myopic visions

The birth of the UN in 1945 witnessed Nehru kow – towing to the same. In a liberalist stance, he requested the UN to intervene and settle the war on Kashmir, much against the wishes of Sardar Vallabhai Patel. Nehru went to the UN when India was in a position of strength, and more time could have warded off Pakistan from Kashmir territory. In a spate of myopic vision, the UN mandated a ceasefire when Pakistan held close to 35% of Kashmir territory, and it was dubiously accepted by Nehru. This was a nail on the coffin for the Indian forces who had successfully defended the integrity of the new nation of India. Thus Pakistan now came to hold the Northern areas that had Gilgit, Hunza, etc. and the western parts of Muzaffarabad, Uri, Punch.

The Kashmir conflict still persists today as much as it existed then. Kashmir serves as a strategic location, and the control of the remaining 35% of the Kashmir (Azad Kashmir) helps Pakistan maintain a regular momentum of infiltration activities and covert strikes. Nehru’s stance reflected a shocking acquiescence of Indian integrity. This is the Kashmir conflict. India and Pakistan have traded 3 wars over Kashmir.

Khan, Kajol, and Karan

Disappointing fare. My Name is Khan is a letdown of sorts. If you were expecting the travails of an autist, stay away. If you were expecting a pensive case of blurring of Muslim Identity in the US, I reckon you could watch New York from the Yash Raj stable.

Not that My Name is Khan is slipshod. It is faintly scripted. The film holds immense promise in the opening minutes, but then waywardly yawns to the typical Karan Johar style: love, cush, and Kajol (come on, its a KJ film!). In a title that veritably elevates the film to higher levels, little justice is done.

Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) portrays the role of a autistic man, afflicted with Asperger's syndrome. He flies to the US to stay along with his brother (Jimmy Shergill) and his wife (Wow, isn't she beautiful!) played by Sonya Jehan. He is commisioned to market his brother's company's beauty products and thereby he meets Mandira, a divorced Hindu girl (Kajol), who has a son from her previous marriage, Samir. Sparks fly, Rizwan makes Mandira fall in love with him (Sweet Autist!) and all's well. Period.

The second half screeches open with the traumatic instance of 9/11. The identity of the Muslim is thrown into question, as Americans commence to view all Muslims as potential terrorists. At one such instance, Kajol's life changes forever, and Khan (being the uber non-socialite that he is) finds it hard to comprehend the fuss all around. He is then seethingly reprimanded by Mandira: to go find the US President and let him know that Muslims are not terrorists. Then in a Forrest Gumpic style, Rizwan begins his journey to meet the President and his journey is chronicled.

Karan Johar has definitely moved up the ladder as a filmmaker. Metaphorical scenes are many in the screenplay. Examples include scenes that show the Muslim-identity question, and they have been done quite brilliantly. But, the film slags in its pace, and loses the plot by the end. Did Kjo want it to be hard-hitting? Or did he want an entertainment fare at the end of it all? Films like these leave a global stamp(owing to the overtime marketing), and I reckon the film maker to handle it more seriously, keeping in mind the potential the film had. Kjo, if you want a romantic film, go make a romantic film, and stick to your strengths. They are misplaced in this movie.

Shah Rukh is apt in his portrayal. He doesn't let his scene go off the hooks, and keeps a taut grip on the story. Kajol is pretty, gorgeouos, ravishing, matured, boisterous. Cinematography is par exellence (Ravi K Chandran). Other characters do justice to their rule. Music gels well to the story. So that's five thumbs up! Where the film fails is at the story and scripting.

Nevertheless, watch it once. It's already made a lot of money. Burn your pockets.

AC MILAN vs MANCHESTER UNITED

David Beckham is hard to miss. With the Champions League match between AC Milan and Manchester United today, it becomes a little more than impossible to obfuscate Beckham. That said, debates range from the speculative to the statistical about Beckham's qualities as a footballer. After proving his mettle at Manchester United, and Real Madrid, it was a setback to move out to the USA. Loaning him to AC Milan proved to be a masterstroke by Capello, and the player warmed to this initiative. He has exhibited fine skill throughout his career, sans the dribbling of Ronaldo, and the pace of Giggs. Yet, Beckham stuck to his natural strengths and reading of the game. And boy has he grown! In contemporary football, he is one of the those few who epitomize dedication, work, practice, and overall intelligence. A lot view Beckham as a mere model, but it would deem wise to accord him a better place: one of a responsible footballer and an appropriate role model.

AC Milan, apart from Beckham, have also Seedorf, Pirlo, and a few others who are indisputably, masters of the Champion League games. They might not run all over the pitch, but their ability to read and construe the game in seconds might be all that matters. Manchester United, on the other hand are buoyed by a run in form for Wayne Rooney, who has been the lynch-pin of the team this season. Alex's team building abilities are paying rich dividends, and Manchester United are threatening in the second half of the season. Victory at the San Siro might be the due for the Red Devils; the gaffer is certain to be relishing this mouth watering tie.

"Baasha Paadhi, Sivaji Paadhi kalandhu seidha kalavai naan" screams Vettaikaran. Some novelty in the story or screenplay could have indeed earmarked a new beginning for Vijay, but alas, the movie makes Perarasu look like James Cameron.

It was a first day outing for me with my friends, and we were forced to straddle in queues to finally land tickets for the same. After all the hoopla, we settled in less-than-cozy seats. That was ok, in tune with our deplorable propensities for mass-oriented movies. Bats flying in the theatre, people screaming, papers thrown set the tone. We were all revved up. Over to the movie, friends. The beginning frames a certain police officer who an ambitious young fellow wants to emulate. And surprise of surprise, the young lad is none other than Vijay himself! Now, what was I expecting in a Vijay movie? (rhetorical) Whistles flew. We went berserk. People screamed. Nevertheless, Vijay's entry was usurped from Pokkiri sans the flying vegetables. And after that, It is Vijay all the way. The film holds a fair amount of promise in the first half, but shockingly, fails to build up on the same momentum in the second and proves irritable.

Vijay (hold your breath!) is a 12th standard yet-to-pass student awaiting his results for the fourth time. And although unsurprising for the audience, he clears his papers this time. In view of his ambitions of becoming a police officer in the lines of a certain Devaraj(Srihari), he goes to Chennai. He meets his lady love Anushka on the way, and loses his kidney...sorry, heart to her. Sukumari and Vijay form a potent combination and bring relief with few comic exchanges. Vijay (Police Ravi) befriends Uma (Sanchita Padukone), a zombie who rents her father's auto for him to earn while he learns. Soon after, The zombie Uma is abused by Chella (Ravishankar), a local goon (Truly beats me as to why the zombie was abused!) Vijay goes to teach him a lesson, and the stunts are commendable. Vijay later realises that the goon is a son of a greater goon, Vedanayagam (Salim Ghouse) who makes a return to Tamil films. What happens after is left to anyone's guess, and does not require intellect. The second half sparks to life, although fizzes out as soon as it sparks (like the "kuruvi vedi", pun intended).

The Vijay-Anushka combo looks good on screen, and the songs are refreshing to an otherwise sombre venture. A little spice in the storyline could have worked wonders for the Ilayathalapathi ,who surprisingly, chooses to toe the same line, yet again, and again, and again.

Guffaws:

Vijay's character of a 12th standard student. Reminds me of a certain Satyaraj comedy, from 0:41 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdo3HrmNoEg

Points to look for:

Exchanges between Vijay and Sukumari

Indubitable color xerox of Baasha, Sivaji, Pokkiri, etc. in the movie. More marks for guessing more films.

Character Suicide of Salim Ghouse. Why was he in the movie in the first place? He made Vijay look like an acting genius.

When Vijay sings 'Thaai pechai miradhe' in the opening song, skimpily clad women dancers (thaaikulam) are around him. How hypocritical!

Throw the zombie outta the movie!

I really am lost with words to review this movie. Watch it for the songs and the first half. Period.

P.S: At you own risk

Rendezvous with my blog

Hello There! Been a shocker to see my blog in existence. It always tempts you to write, doesn't it? A ravenous affair, I should mutter. Well, I am close to packing my bags in one of the IT majors that has been housing me for the past, well, a magnanimous 2 years. Tut, tut, nothing to do with my performance (love that Disney like imagination of yours!). My propensity lies elsewhere, and the brace reinforced the veracity of the same. Barring the fact that there is nothing much to hunt in a services major, I have been successful in adding a certain biological/chemical/metabolic value to my being: my weight. As I walk out in a few days, there is a certain pride and a definite sense of achievement that I can truly carry forward.

I: Why?

Me: Of course yes!

Myself: No way!

And so, repeated iterations of the above sample conversation have fostered direction in my case, as I map Genesis II - Re-beginning. The dialogue was tortuous, albeit establishing a vantage point. All angels & demons, gods & spirits, the dead and the living dead have walked out from my life, sore with my constant coquetry with atheism. Do I stand on the verge of life?

Dark nights
A rainy day it was,
Wading thro’ flooded streets,
The good roads non existent,
A dark night it was going to be.

Walking with my classmates,
Amusing an unusual phenomenon,
The heavy rains, I meant.
I nudged alongside my mates,
Holding on to deserted crates,
God bless them,
For I had seen road at ten.

My happiness exits as soon as it enters,
The trains cancelled; an expected matter,
I stranded amidst muddy pools and waters.

Off I went, with little money to be spent,
To catch the bus in the rush,
Hush! Hush! Hush!
I am wading thro’ the waters again.

The lightning strikes,
As I cross some parked bikes,
Scan at people walking and trotting,
Across the other end of the rotting road.

It was there I saw,
Beneath the beautiful sky,
Above the sacred earth,
A flash in my mind,
A beautiful girl,
Set my heart on fire,
The wind, a smooth zephyr,
Drowned me in the elemental ether.

The beautiful girl,
Was one I had seen,
But not been, and a chill passed up my spleen.

Ripples in my heart,
Feeling blood flow thro’ the body,
I fell from grace,
I felt human again.
Some guts I garnered,
And bits of speech I bantered,
But her beauty amidst the dark night,
Reminded me of the Arabian nights,
And Chinese kites.

She was a fairy tale,
Looking gorgeous and hale,
A surreal energy accompanying me,
But words deserting me,
Felt numb down the knee.

The mystery of the life,
The mystery of the universe,
The mystery of the creator,
The mystery of love,
The mystery of death,
Time stood still.
The heaven’s opened up,
I fell in love.

And then, there was light!

The new year's passed by. I was sleepy when the first rays of 2008 greeted me. I, for a moment could see the entire of 2007 pass in a flicker. Issues, that rocked me and were rocking were aplenty. I guess I had let the entire year pass by, and had not any specifics tattooed to my inner self. Well, specifics not on terms of mere credentials, but they add that minimal meaning to the purpose of our existence. Joining Infosys being the high point of the year, and that point being partly aided by the fact that my joining date coincided with the unearthing of the new 7 wonders of the world; led to quite a frenzy of number logic from my mom. It was a day that wouldn't step out of my memories; no, not for the numbers; those moments would forever be pressed on to my finer being. All's good. Period.

I get up from the bed and happily nudge myself into the living room. I am wished by my mom and the aunt who's come over from Bombay. Birthday wishes, they were and strikingly, it has been almost a month since the new year passed. I am in into my year 22 of existence. The training's done at Infy and I am into a project over which my dad happens to be very happy about. But, I think. And I am still thinking. Something doesn't seemingly set in. What was that? Life sucks? No. The new bike? No. Like for the job? No. Love for the job? No. Passion? Bingo! The passion's conspicuous by its absence. It is the defining factor and I can feel that void. Men have made and moved armies, built societies, spoken about singularities and sex, not by mere adrenalin, but passion in their being and doing. It drove them to do things that seemed outright crazy and preposterous for their fellow beings. Life has offered me glimpses of it, but they have remained mere sneak peeks. It is in us to shed mortal coils and step into the fab world of impossibilities. I guess, it was there, that humans figured that the impossible was very possible. Contentment at a mere peep would amount to murder. A plunge. Perhaps. Living there. An unwavering yes. But where? And how?

My journey begins.

My name is Billa

Suave, Sleek, Smart, Stylish and quite Disappointing. That's the Billa 2007. The film takes Tamil Cinema to new heights and is a technical feast. The cuts, the angles, the camera work and Ajit himself, are, to put it, simply a treat for the eyes. Ajit shimmers in his role as Billa. Retaining his touch to the script, Ajit very intentionally and rightly, has not tried to recreate Rajni. That's the high point of the movie. Many a remake is lost due to this faux pas recreation of the yesteryear artist. Billa 2007 has befittingly abstained from that.

Amidst rumors of the movie taking a cue from Farhan's Don, surprisingly, the movie is most loyal to Rajni's Billa. The director has rightly done so, as spin offs from Farhan's movie would have created unhealthy talk. The characters appear fresh in each frame and the color composition of the movie is brilliant. The cinematographer's choice of filters and sublime look is commendable. Nirav Shah has indeed done a good job of it. The film tries to be stylish and surpasses the style expectations. Editing is astute. Till that point, the movie is fine. The Catch-22? The script.

Billa 2007 sticks to the original like a leech and, the drought of twists or turns in this movie creates an aura of drag throughout. The movie seems as if the director was in a quagmire all along. The script pulsates between Ajit and the story, leaving the audience in a dilemma. The first half of the film is dominated by Billa(Ajit), where he's being continuously shown in various frames, disembarking from premium cars and helis, and the never-taken-off-eyes Ray Ban glasses. Dialogues are neither prominent nor many, and do not make much noise. It is the style quotient that is vivid in this part of the movie. The story creeps, and the screenplay inches along. It is clearly not one of Vishnuvardhan's best. Billa is an international smuggler who is desperately being hunted by the police force headed by DSP(Prabhu). After several unsuccessful attempts to nab Billa, the team hatch out a plan and finally corner him. Billa escapes once again, only to be shot at. Unable to sustain his injuries, he dies. This is where the film picks some pace. The DSP(Prabhu) etches a plan to find out the other smugglers and finds out an identical personae for replacing Billa. Velu(Ajit) is convinced to act as Billa. Gokulnath(Rehman) also appears as an Interpol Officer, and his presence puzzles Prabhu, who does not let know anyone about the plan. Santhanam, appearing as Velu's friend does a good job, given the role constraints. The first half ends with Velu announcing himself as Billa to his gang.

The second half makes a quite interesting segment, as there are pretty interesting dialogues. The masterful actor that he is, Ajit effectively potrays the variance between the real Billa and Velu as Billa. Good work, indeed! On the director's front, I do expect a minimal twist and suspense in the storyline when you are Vishnuvardhan. It is there that the film falls and the audience is let down. After some cliched twists in the movie, the DSP is shot dead and the whole Billa gang is caught. Velu is posed with no alternative but to confess that he was acting as Billa and it was a part of the DSP's plan. With the DSP dead, how Ajit manages to convince the police that he is Velu forms the rest of the movie.

Namitha and Nayanthara fail to make an impression and should have put in more effort to add to the oomph factor, atleast. The person in the role of Ranjit looks stale in expressions, but is an able character in the movie.The songs lack finesse and though shot well, fail to linger in the minds of people after the movie is done with. Rehman and Prabhu are fine with their part. Rehman, although has played his part with a subdued effect which makes him look more good than Major Sundarajan in the original Billa. Characterizations are apt.

It's smart. It's chic. It Hollywood influences are rightly seen. Ajit as Billa, is nothing short of handsome and gets into the skin of the characters seamlessly. No comparisons can be made with the original and that's the foremost flavour of Billa 2007. The story though, might have its annuling effects and is likely to not go down too well with the audiences.

Well, to make a remake is an effort. To make a success of it is another story altogether. To make a remake out of a successful remake, cannot guarantee success. Showbiz is never that simple. But, Billa just might prove to be a success story after all.

It's a mad, mad, mad world

The relief of having completed the training program could be seen on the face of the trainees. They had successfully passed the main exam. Fresh from college, a gruelling 4 month experience had made them see a lot of ups and downs. They had been amidst passes and failures alike. The batch party was about to start. The Batch owner, a towering figure, walked into the hall amidst a lot of boos. He managed to have a sheepish grin on his face and looked more like a doll. He was not exactly the popular of figures, his demeanor not being amicable; the students were not exactly happy with the way he handled them.

"When is this *^&%$#@ batch party commencing?" remarked my friend.

"I hope it is on soon", I replied, shifting myself to another chair, to enable me to get a better view of the proceedings. "Hey....There's your girl, man", I started to pull my friend towards seeing this lovely female dressed in orange.

"Good Evening, Everyone! . I would like to thank you all.....", the Batch Owner commence the prologues.

"Man, she looks great today", drooled my friend. I chanced this occasion to have a glimpse of the female in orange. "She does look beautiful dude".

"Of course she would, that's taste my friend", prided my friend.

"Hey, she is still not yours", I pointed out.

"Taste is taste, my dear. That's class", my friend replied, smiling.

"On this occasion of the first batch at........"

"Can't he just finish it off? I am already hungry", I chided.

"This is the last occasion where he can talk something and get away with it. Let him, for one last time, talk", my friend replied.

Not wanting to see him, I then turned my head to the female in orange. I couldn't remember her name, although I never made an attempt to find that out. 'Nature and its beautiful beings are to be admired', I thought.

"The following members will receive awards for their excellent performances in the training programs", the Batch Owner readied himself to call out the names.

"Here go the studious ones. I bet they wouldn't know how the outside world looks", my friend remarked with a tone of anger.

"Who cares, anyway? Hey, what about a party tonight? For completing the training successfully? What say, dude?", feeling good about the idea of a party. Party meant booze and hangovers, of which I loved the former. I was chugging him in.

"No man, not today. We have a session after this entire program, to inform us about our postings".

"We can go in the night, then", I quipped. I was getting annoyed with the fact that it had been ages since I had drunk and I wanted to feel the heat of it. I was not a drunkard, but I loved the idea of passing out. I also loved the idea of calling up my girlfriend when drunk, and talking things. My friends were unaware of the existence of my relationship. I had managed to hide it all the way through. My girlfriend, it was a comforting thought to think about her. Inspite of the umpteen fights we have, we still manage to fight more. It was pretty amusing and my thoughts wandered off to my girl. I loved her. It had been quite sometime since we had met. I was planning to go to my hometown once the postings were to be released. I then gleamed about the opportunity of getting to meet my girlfriend.

"Tea Time folks!". The whole audi reverberated with a sign of exasperation as the batch owner finally called for tea. I was in a world of my thoughts, which were harshly halted in its steps.

"There she goes, my pretty one!". My friend remarked on seeing the girl in orange. Girls are girls. And boys love seeing them. A missing gospel truth, I suppose. My eyes then shifted from the orange one to a blue one, which was quite plump to look at, but had this cute dimple. My girl too had a dimple, not a big one, small, but it was beautiful in its place.

Not again!

"Jose Mourinho, the 'Special One' is ousted from Chelsea", scream the papers! Believe me folks, I am still not able to digest the fact that an outstanding man of talent would be thrown out due to a petty verbal skirmish(so say the papers!). It's disheartening to note that 'The beautiful game' is fast becoming a superficial make up box. Directors buy players for their brand value, and worry little about the balance of the team. It is slowly becoming an open secret that few clubs really aim at providing the best football to the spectators. The football of today reflects a mafia feel to the public with the clubs being bought by the rich and the famous. It's business as usual for them, though. The pretext of providing great football is obliterated by mere branding share and percentage and green equity.

The world knows the talent of the man, Mourinho. He pulled Chelsea from the rugs and took them to towering heights. Though, the championship league cup eluded them, they emerged victorious in a lot of other instances. No wonder that Sir Alex Ferguson saw a boisterous equal emerging. Mourinho was more of a mentor, a teacher, and an inspiration in himself. This vessel of talent was beleaguered and lost due to mere differences. Is it not high time that people who know the game, spoke about it and controlled it? The world has many Mourinho's and an equal share of Abrahamovich's and the latter's proportion does dilute the game to a high extent. Do these people really know about the sport? Being rich means powerful. but, in no way does this guarantee possession of knowledge. This would be the prime element that a lot lack. There are indeed striking similarities between the business of the game and the business of an organization. But blindly applying business centric thoughts to a game might destroy the being of the game. And this is what is precisely happening, even closer home. BCCI and the IHF are 2 famous examples. Can you people propose an idea to remove this element of business in the sporting society? How efficiently or effectively can a structure be built to encourage all, and, to weed out discrimination and bias?

The return

Hi there ppl.....Of chains and fetters, of software and the homo sapien.....Yup...Its been a long hiatus from blogging for me...(Courtesy: My training program at the dream software company)...Internet restricted! Heart's been skippin bleats(blogs-heartbeat) for quite some time. Relief now!!!Sunday's a full 24-hour internet access day..Yippeee!!!

A lot of things have been happening in the worlds, as they always do. Beckham's transfer, the unrest in Myanmar, Global warming, Artic exploration, Sunita Williams, and our local SethuSamudram caper. That's quite a gamut, a variety ridden one. Well, Old habits die hard. And I am planning to commence my series of serial thoughts on the most happening and unhappening, not-so-happening, and the whatever stuff in this world. And sorry Sandhya for disturbing you again!!!!!

Are we painting our nation RED?

The horror of the Samjhauta Express burning incident, for the next door simple citizen, simply reiterates the fact that the internal security conditions in our mainland are pathetic. A boarding point for people of 2 different countries ought to be security tight. Compromises made in these cases can lead to devastating ramifications, which clearly underlines the tragedy that occured.

The Old Delhi Station, very clearly was having the nodus of defective instruments and officials. The Catch-22 zone was being handled with an air of callousness. Yet again, our security have turned a blind eye to this incident. Though the suspension of a few officials might provide some consolation, it nevertheless, cannot obliterate the deaths of 68 innocent persons. 68 ordinary laymen are torched and murdered. What light does this incident shed on our nation? I thought the "Incredible India" campaign was meant to woo only tourists. The country is in pain and why are We, The People still ignoring this? Our non actions in this case are leading to a Gordian Knot. Ignorance is not bliss, it is wrecking our fraternity.

The terrorists torched the express for consolidating a statement: To oppose the visit of the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Mohammed Kasuri. The interrogations that followed the aftermath of the incident lend a humorous tone, than a serious one. The victims already bereaving and grieving, are questioned. And they are then airlifted to Pakistan. And questioned again. Even Roger Federer would be a bit merciful towards his opponents. The technology that has framed the bombing is flabbergasting. The ideas are well planned and are executed with meticulous perfection. Clandestine indeed, but it cannot escape the eyes of an alert citizen. Why blame the security when we ourselves are the ones to be blamed.

Isn't it high time that the public start taking part in fortifying the security measures in the State? On the barest of scales, the public has to be made more aware of the security checks that need to be imposed at places of importance. Two hands joined together are more stronger than one. Imagine a billion hands. It is time for the people to awaken. Or are any other "Alarming bells" required?

Guru: An Inner Retrospect

If Rang De Basanti was an external question and ended on a melancholic note, Guru seeks the inner path and strikes a nightingale's chord with us. The Mozart of films, Maniratnam, gets to work again.

Brilliance. Sheer brilliance on screen. Maniratnam raises the bar of Indian cinema. Everytime this man crafts a film, it comes out a more colourful,stronger and more fresh than the last augustine attempt. "Guru" traces the life of a man, Gurukant Desai, from the 20's to the 50's. The man has a vision and he translates his dreams into reality. Hold it. Not your run-of-the-mill feature. This is where Maniratnam gets into exploring and examining a transitory human side to an otherwise astute and brave businessman. It is about the relationships, the mistakes, the failures, the odds,the challenges, the triumphs.The very phases that we pass through and fall, and yet come out stronger.It is about the growth and triumph of the human spirit over human spirit.

Gurukant Desai(Abhishek Bachchan), an ambitious young man, gets to fly to Turkey for work. Apart from his work, Guru discovers an instinctive business inclination. This propels him to turn down a job offer and fly to India. He dreams of initiating a business venture. And there starts our journey.
A journey that we all travel with and identify with.So many instances in the film remind us of ourselves. Anything more is going to ruin your chances of being swept by the film. I deliberately choose to refrain my words.

Abhishek Bachchan carries the film well enough,though not much convincing. The first half of the film blitzkriegs at a fast pace. The second half might seem to be a bit sagging, but it is slowed down to metaphorize the sudden cut in pace. The varying paces themselves don an important role. Reminds me of Akira's films. The screen play is suave,retro and well paced. I personally hold that a more impressive narrative could have spiced up the film. Mithun Chakraborthy shot at an 60/70 year old is convincing.

Shyam (Madhavan) and Minu (Vidya Balan) are simply stunning on screen. The silent resoluteness of a young journalist to take down Guru is well essayed by Madhavan. The confrontations between Abhishek and Madhavan are excellent.Vidya Balan simply holds you in awe with her child like demeanour and glistens in every frame she wheels into. The other protagonist, Sujata(Aishwarya Rai) has crafted a typical strong Indian woman with her roots grounded. Not easy, I should remark. Because you get the feeling that your mother is on screen. That's because all the characters in this film are self identifiable. This is a story of anyone who dreams, who lives, who marries, who has friends, who does business, who fails,who wins;absolutely anyone. That's the magic of this film. The BGM of the film is classic and a wanted retro feel is added by A R Rehman. Art direction is also appreciable and Samir Chanda has worked meticulously on the sets. The cinematography is par excellence.The camera angles when Madhavan and Vidya Balan share the screen space are noteworthy. Slight camera shakes and movements are deliberate as we whizz past through Guru's life.

Anyone who sees this film might be inclined to term this a Biopic,as I do, but it is to be understood that this Biopic is very identifiable with us, a self retrospective.

Not that it is guaranteed to set the cash registers on fire, but the art of cinema is taken above mere commercial purposes.
On the whole, its business with brilliance.

Do watch it.

Purpose....what's that?

Last night, dad was reprimanding about me not being serious with my career. He then went on to talk about purpose of life and stuff.....Gosh! That puts me off.Why on earth do we need to talk about a purpose when we arent sure about the existence of purpose in itself...or am i getting it wrong???