The heaven that waited

Saarang-The word still resonates in my ear. For the first time in my life, i had a true hangover. In the past week, i hardly could concentrate on anything useful(except writing about it of course :D). Saarang 2010 has been quite an event in my life. And i am happy that i went through it.

So what made this special??

Isha Sharvani:
Day zero. I entered the OAT just as the legendary BMK finished off his last song. I didnt regret missing the legendary carnatic. All it mattered was Isha. I had seen some of her pics on the web before. But when i first saw her on the skin tight costume far far away in the OAT gallery, I started to feel uncomfortable. I mean when parts of your body stop responding to your instructions, that is, that is, not comfortable :P. She was hot. Is hot. I hope will be hot forever. What a woman!!!!!!!!!! She is, quite literally, very close to the definition of beauty. And when the guy dancing with her held her in rather obnoxious postures, i wanted to kill that guy and wanted to be there in his position. Again, what a woman!!!
 
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cheers,

Aayirathil Oruvan-Who???

I saw this movie on the first day of its release in the evening. While entering the theatre itself, I heard bad reviews about the movie. But I was in a firm appreciative mood and I wanted to somehow appreciate the movie, however it turned out to be. I wanted to believe that the movie was a different attempt and I wanted to blame the fellows who had seen the movie before me for not accepting different cinema.

When I came out of the hall, I was as pissed as the guy who had come out 3 hrs earlier. I really wanted to hang the director to death for wasting so much talent, resources, time and money on a non-existent movie. Cha. What a waste of my own time!!!!!!!!

Here are some reasons why I didnt like the movie:
1.In many of the interviews that I saw before I went for the movie, I heard everybody, including the director say, that the movie was a "original" movie. And that it was a "fantasy-adventure"(what)??. I was sure about one thing-it wasnt original. You have a mixture of movies that includes Da vinci code, Pirates trilogy, Mckenna's gold in the first half(did i miss anything??) and a mixture of some Zombie movies, Gladiator, 300 and crazy black magic in the second.


2.As far as the genre of the movie goes(fantasy-adventure), i guess its one which shouldnt be attempted in tamizh. (Just like the Superhero genre-remember Kandhasamy??).

3.Logical Inconsistencies:
a.Who is Reema Sen in the movie??(apart from a Pandian royal)
b.Where is this Ming Hua island exactly???-in the narrative its said to be close to vietnam, but when the army guys mark the island, they mark it close to Myanmar!!!
c.What is the relevance of the Drama under the tree in the initial minutes of the film to the narrative??
d.Why should a Pandian royal use Telugu song for enacting a dance sequence?
e.Tell me an island where there is a "distinct" line drawn between a desert and a rainforest.
f.Can anyone jump off a quicksand?? I mean do you get so much of a normal reaction to do that??
g.How are zombie-like people, yearning for raw meat, civilized??
h.Why did Partiban believe Reema Sen indefinitely??
i.Why black magic at all?
j.How are steel plates designed centuries ago be designed in such a way that they withstand rounds of AK-47. That would make AK-47 a completely useless weapon right?
k.Shooting down a single tribe in India is illegal. Shooting an Indian tribe outside India by an Indian National is as illegal as doing it here. Then how come such a large contingent of the military be moved to this island, outside India(atleast that was clear regarding the geography of the island)without the consent of the govt and directly shoot down thousands of tribal beings??? Is it allowed in the Indian constitution??? Law Folks??
l.Why did the military people rape all the chola women?? (I mean they werent looking hot anyway)..there was no motivation for the cruelty meted towards the end. The Indian Army was shown in a very bad light in this scenario.
m.How did the chola prince manage to escape so easily? I mean he slipped off right under the nose of the army jawans.
n.Was the tamizh used by the chozhas, chozha tamizh?? I have strong doubts regarding this..
o.Million dollar question- Who is this Aayirathil Oruvan??


4.The computer graphics sucked big time. And I didnt expect people to copy CG effects from Hollywood movies either. The "snake" vision(through the eyes of a snake in the snake attack region)was a direct lift from the Predator series. Come on guys, be more creative...


5.I was exhausted by the end of the movie(a fellow movie watcher started shouting-"Padatha mudingada, veetukku poganum"). And even the f*cking bitch dialogue(why was it there in the first place??) and Reema sen's nipples(gory costume design, bad cinematography of songs) failed to motivate my interest. Andreah was reasonably hot, but was reduced to a sad looking doll in the second half(btw, why was she not raped by the military guys?? I mean she was the hottest looking woman amongst the captives) and Karthi was more of a comedy piece in the end. Reema stole the show despite inconsistent lip sync in the Chola tamizh scenes.


Reason why some people might like it:
1.Supposed to be a "different" attempt in tamizh.
2.Appreciate the strains of the director in putting together a movie of this scale.
3.Wonderful concept and acting
4.Expand your creative canvas..
and many more,


Now you dont want me to blast the above reasons, i give respect to their thoughts(i mean diplomatically), and i expect the same for mine(i kinda demand it)...



PS:Please dont try the movie(I know some of you will try it when said so-be disappointed that you did). Its a movie unnecessary at this pt of time. It was not long ago when tamizhs in a different nation were slaughtered due to hatred. Enough blood on my hands already.

cheers,

3/10

At the beginning of December last year, i saw many of my friend's status messages go up as 3/8 of an engineer. But, to my misfortune (or whatever), i became only 3/10 of an engineer :(

Thanks to the dual degree program that I got, I have to content myself with one more year in the IIT system. Well, so far so good, but you never know when things will turn for the worse. Just hoping that Aal Iiz well!!!

So why this fraction? My friend, Jaichu, had asked me for a review of my third semester (quite sarcastically of course. In fact most people are strangely always sarcastic to me) at IITM. So here it comes.

August 1st week:
This was the best week of the entire semester. All I ever did was, wake up in the morning, go to class, come back, watch movies, bath(if possible), eat in between and sleep(you might say this happens to everyone, but the point is i thoroughly enjoyed myself with back to back movies). I was watching legendary stuff ranging from Fight club to Pulp Fiction to Lord of the Rings-3(the longest film I have seen till date). It was real fun to lie around lazily.


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cheers,

Happy New Year Folks!!

As the title suggests, i wish all my readers a very happy and prosperous 2010. May this year fulfill all your wishes and take you forward in life. May 2010 be a lot better than what 2009 ever was.

I wish you all the best, and most importantly, i encourage you to continue reading this blog...

cheers,

Annual Round Up-2009

Its been quite a year. A year of war (the sri lankan war), promise for peace (Obama), the Nobel gaffe, a breakdown of the Nuke deal, the great Indian elections, Slumdog winning endless awards, a revolt filled west China, a tennis legend coming back to where he belonged, a cricketing genius entering his third decade of active play(also getting the most test runs), a colossal failure of rich nations-content with rescuing banks-to spend on climate change, swine flu doing the rounds, the fall of the pop king, the golf emperor scathed by all corners, a f1 legend announcing his return to the track, a mom winning the US open, Tarentino making a great comeback, Bhagat taking a dig at the whole of south India, Getting an Indian state with CM post just by fasting, India becoming the No 1 test nation in 77 years of cricket, Vijay's flop shows again, Kamal's golden year, the first ever strike by IITs, me beginning to blog, etc...etc...etc...(hopefully i have not missed something really huge).


Its been a big year for me as well. 2008 was a rather tumultuous year for me what with me getting an unlikely seat at IIT-M, those nervous months during summer, the first end sems and so on. At this backdrop 2009 has been a more of a stable year on the academic front, with steady inputs from different corners and a marginal increase in self belief. But on a personal front, it has been a year of loss. But, anyday, 2009 has been a good year overall.

Some of my firsts in 2009:

*Beginning to blog
*Witnessing Saarang-golden edition
*Travelled to colleges as a publicity coordinator
*A coordinator in Shaastra and Saarang
*A core member in Amalgam
*The utmost measures taken to correct the one big mistake of my life
*Breaking of important friendships
*Doing web operations
*Discussions on God
*A deeper delving in Metallurgy
*Reviewing movies
*Watching an A list of movies
*Setting foot on a land outside India
*Being busy
*Becoming a nine pointer
*Managing weeks without a cell phone
*Enjoying thorough solitude
*Being unusually depressed
*Long hours on telephone
*Driving a car
*Greatest insult in my life

*Watching a Vijay movie first day
*And finally, being the numero uno after 6 long years


I hope i didnt miss anything in the above list.


2009, despite its share of upsets has cheered me on to look further.These losses will teach me time and again that i need to improve further, that i need to motivate myself, that i need to hope more. And like most of you, i am waving a happy good bye to 2009 for all the good memories it has given me. They will egg me on forever in life.

Looking forward, i do see tougher times ahead with more responsibilities being forced on my tender shoulders, with a dark force looming large. I hope 2010 ends up being atleast as good as 2009 and hopefully a better year for you-my readers.

A very good bye, 2009.

cheers, 

A legend on his own terms

There are actors.
There are performers.
There are legends.
And then there is Kamal.

From the days of being a six year old in "Kalathur Kannamma" to being the aam aadhmi in "Unnai pol oruvan" its been a journey extraordinaire. Kamal has travelled a full circle "thrice" i guess.

50 years is pretty much a long time in any field, let alone the movie industry. To survive for that long a period of time and to evolve continuously over the period of time, requires a genius of some measure.

For a guy who dropped out of school to learn Bharatanatyam, to have a knowledge of great depth in the latest technologies used in film industry takes some measure. To have the same depth of knowledge ranging from poetry to philosophy to screen-writing requires a special person.

Tamizh cinema is gifted to have an "all-rounder" like him. He has done everything from being an actor, to a director, to a screen-writer, a producer and a dialogue-writer. Even singing has not been left out. He is not a loner in cinema to do this multi-tasking though. People of false demeanour like T.Rajendar have done that too. But T.R is like "Coovum" when compared to the Ganges called Kamal.

In this special year, i would like to look back and recollect a few of my favorite movies that had him in its mix. A top 5 listing to be short.

5.Punnagai Mannan(1984)
With his mentor KB at the helm of affairs, Kamal delivered solid performances ranging from a depressed lover to a comedian. His dance was used well in this movie. I particularly like this movie for the way it dealt with subtle things, such as an estranged romance and a new found love (true KB style). A great tragedy told in the most comic way possible.


4.Kurudhi punal(1995)
Kamal was portrayed as a street smart cop for the first time, a far cry from the all-bash-no-brainer cop versions portrayed by Vijaykant of yore. With fantastic punch lines about fear and bravery, a dangerous villain in the name of Nasser and strong undercurrents of emotions running through, this film was one thrill ride. A milestone undoubted in the great man's career.


3.Virumaandi(2004)
This film was all Kamal from the start to the finish. Starting from the gory looking scenes of a jail to the neck biting kamal in the climax, this movie redefined the way screen writing was done in tamizh cinema. A two-tier screenplay was a successful experiment, i would say, as the film maintained heavy duty momentum till the end. A class act in tamizh cinema screen writing.


2.Nayagan(1987)
Its the only tamizh film in Time magazine's list of "ALL TIME 100 BEST MOVIES". Its also the only "remake" to feature in the list along with its original-The Godfather I and II. Needless to say about the film's magnitude and reach and appreciation world over. Though Kamal borrowed some acting methodologies from Marlon Brando (scratching the head) and Al pacino (dialogue delivery and hugging manners etc), he pumped in a lot of his own skills, as such, to win a National Award for acting. A masterclass, anyday.


1.Anbe Sivam(2003)
Its the only film I have seen till now that defines God to perfection. The most perfect movie ever made by Kamal. Despite its bombing at the box office, the screenplay, some of the conversations, the communist sub-text and the art work that went into creating the accident scenes left a huge mark amidst people. Once again, Kamal's greatest work till date.


Comedy: I would give a seperate nominee here because Kamal has done so many comedies as such (ranging from Micheal Madana Kama Rajan to Vasool Raja MBBS). Each comedy usurping the other in terms of dialogue delivery, the timing and the hilarious situations the protagonist had to handle. But if i should nominate one movie, it would go to Pancha Tantram for the remarkably hilarious dialogues, and racy screenplay (mind you, this over takes Avvai Shanmugi).


The above list has overridden many of Kamal's remarkable performances such as Moondram Pirai, Ninaithale Inikkum, Manamadha Leelai, Sigappu Rojakkal, 16 vayadhinile, Salangai Oli, Moondru Mudichu and so on... But this list is just my most favorite, the most i have enjoyed as a fan, the most complete of 'em all.


I fervently wish that Kamal lives on and on and on and gives legendary stuff from time and again.


A salute to the ever-6 year old-genius. May you live on!!!!


cheers,

A little master

It was a day in the November of 1989, Karachi when two young and talented players made cricketing debuts for their respective nations. One went on to be part of the famous pace attack that his national cricket team possessed and also captained his side later.

The other became a legend.

At 16, every cricketer who ever got to see him before had already noticed the genius within the kid. Yet it took time to blossom. And so it did in the many years to come, to be hailed the  "greatest batsman" to have ever played the game. Even the Don, had  that he saw what he was once, within this legend.

The kid was also known for his bravery in his very first international test series. He batted with a bleeding nose to help Navjot Sidhu and India draw the last test of the four test series in 1989, just enabling India a great achievement of not losing a test series in the neighbour's soil.


Yup, no price for guessing. Its Sachin Tendulkar that I am talking about. He has an experience in International cricket, which is older than my age. He began playing cricket at an age when i didnt know of a thing called a bat. Yet he has influenced so many generation of cricket viewers and players worldwide. His achievements can never be put to a scale. His talent unquestionable, and his charm-unmatchable.

So, I, as a simple fan of his, have attempted to list down my most favorite knocks of the legend in tests and ODIs respectively. 

ODIs:
5.186* vs NZ, Hyderabad, 1999
His highest score in a ODI. Slayed the new zealand attack on a belter.

4.98 vs Pakistan, Centurion, 2003
High voltage tension. Shoaib Akhtar's bouncer in excess of 150kmph. Sachin's wrists rotate so that the bat is above his shoulder. The ball makes contact. Upper cut. The ball goes to the third man fence for a six. This small hit summed up his stunning world cup efforts.

3.175 vs Australia, Hyderabad, 2009
Too long, yet too short. Tendulkar made chasing 351 on a belter against a less potent australian attack too simple until he fell 17 runs short allowing India to choke(again).

2.117* vs Australia, Sydney, 2008
Couldnt have timed his first ODI century in Australia better. Led from the front to guide India to its first final victory against Australia in Australia. A stunning knock, to which he followed up with a 91 to lead India to its first ODI series triumph against the Aussies Down under.

1.143 vs Australia, Sharjah, 1998
Part one of the desert storm knocks. India, hit by a sand storm while chasing down 284, was given a reduced target of 276 runs(with 237 reqd to qualify for the final)in 46 overs. Then came Sachin, as he dismantled the Aussie bowling attack to all parts of the ground. Yet he couldnt win the match for India. But he compensated for that by hitting an unbeaten 134 in the final 2 days later to give India a famous win at Sharjah. This knock of 143 however, tilted the debate of the greatest batsman ever, in his favor. It still remains the best one day knock I have seen of this great man.

Tests:
5.241* vs Australia, Sydney,2004
Scored a mammoth double century at his favorite Australian ground as India piled on a massive 705. Yet, the aussies hung on for a draw to deny India's first series victory down under.

4.119* vs England, Old trafford, 1990
His first test century ever. One among his only three fourth innings test centuries. Needing to bat out a day for a draw, he played an attacking innings bringing India, sniffing distance to the actual target. India, though had to settle for a draw, had threatened England.

3.114 vs Australia, Perth, 1994
With all the other Indian batsman crumbling to the sheer bounce at the Perth wicket, Sachin stood up tall, put up a marathon ninth wicket, and attacked the bowlers from the backfoot. Some of the pulls and cuts were sheer genius. The way he attacked the bowlers is something that is admired even today. Yet, one man cant give a team a victory.

2.136 vs Pakistan, Chennai, 1999
So close, yet so far. Sachin made an almost match-winning knock of 136 against arch-rivals Pakistan braving back pain. He fell 17 short of victory. But the Indian tail collapsed leaving India a gasping 12 runs short of victory. This is probably his almost-greatest knock ever.

1.103* vs England, Chennai, 2008
On a crumbling wicket, with a belligerent start given by Sehwag, Sachin made chasing down 387 look easy. It was the highest target ever chased in the sub continent. And this is knock is till date, his only fourth innings century which won the match for India. And, personally, i have placed this knock at the top, comparing the 136(mentioned above) only because India won this match at the end.

Despite all the glories, Sachin still has many regrets. He has often not been able to win a match despite all his efforts. He hasnt won the world cup for India yet. And the regret list goes on. Yet he is a legend, the greatest batsman ever, and a God to cricket maniacs.

Salute to the legend.May be play on and on and on....


cheers,