Be! And it is!

I have been listening to some of the songs on loop! Like any ARR album, this grows on you, slow yet mighty strong! Yet another album where not one song is bad! Wonder how these are never recognised at a global level, while a certain pseudo bollywood english movie did wonders for him! On a thursday night, when the plan was to have dinner at home with friends over and retire peacefully to a much needed sleep, someone came up with the idea of Rockstar. Like any last minute plan it happened! I for once was not cribbing since the album had me completely hooked!

At times when you listen to a song (happens to me more often for an ARR song) you imagine how it could be pictured! Most of what you may think is not what you will find in the movie. To me, the picturisation does not do enough justice to the song. I had a feeling of watching Rhythm or Munbe Vaa from JOK! However, thankfully "Kun Fayakun" was exactly as i imagined and wanted it to be! There is something about ARR and his sufiana songs in the recent past. This one is right on top of that list. What an outstanding rendition of those holy words.

For someone who followed the life of rock bands in 1980s and 1990s, the movie is nothing new and leaves no impact! But considering it is an Indian look at a rockstar the attempt seemed genuine. Ranbir has grown and matured as an actor and it shows in his performance. The transformation from a shy insecure adult to the brash and famous rockstar was outstanding. And in a long while it felt like the hero was singing, required more so in a singer based movie. And one could feel the pain in Ranbir's songs, stance and brashness. Never understood the media hype around the affair of the lead pair. If it is true, I so understand why! How can you do romantic scenes with someone as pleasant looking as Nargis and not feel a tinge of being attracted. Though a lot may be desired in terms of acting, she looks pleasing.

I judge a good/ bad movie by the impact it leaves on me. Unfortunately, this movie left no impact at. To sum it up in one sentence - the movie appeared to be a case of the director knowing it is a time tested predictable story line and wanting to say it in a different way with good music. Unfortunately, the story rendition is so convoluted and long, the impact of it being different is so completely lost. There is a small flashback for 20 mins (including Kun Fayakun) which had an impact which soon got lost. It maybe a case of expecting a lot!

Bottomline - Go watch the movie to pay tribute to India's true rockstar - ARR! You wont repent it since the movie is all about the music and the re-recording, BG and songs live up to expectation (exceeding in certain cases). For once i liked Ranbir as an actor! Just blank/ tune off during the cliched romance sequences. The comedy would have been another point to note if you do not have an idiot sitting behind you, laughing so loud and long, that the theatre roof felt threatened with regard to its own stability! Imtiaz either enjoyed the romance (i only mean on-screen) between the lead pair or was so impressed with ARR that he decided to make this movie. Cant see any other plausible reason. It's All About ARR and Ranbir and so it should be!

The seventh sense!

The movie starts in the past with the story of Damo. Surya as Damo showed peace, anguish, sadness and anger at the same time. Remarkable first 20 minutes or so. Great visual impact with the colours of the blue waters and the green forest stunning and mesmerising.

Travel sequence of 5 minutes showing a slow transformation of a king to a monk was rendered impeccably. However, the impact was lost in the background music. The impact of why someone won over a small tribe or village could have been better portrayed. Why does someone who makes such a bold movie with a not so run of the mill story having scientific explanations far beyond layman understanding still feels compulsive to add unwarranted song sequences? A bold movie could be bold throughout. I completely fail to understand how a hero dances in middle or the road and suddenly self work minded people start to dance. Un andhi - song was good though did not fit in IMO.

The camera work and cinematography is awesome. Can't see how someone can show nature that is already beautiful, even better. A great tamil launch for Shruti though, well deserved for someone who is so talented and she has done a decent job. Much better than her rather forgettable performance in Luck.

Concept of love is such a misconception in tamil movies. Genetic engineer vs circus performer? No offence to any profession bur seriously in the material world that we live in? Again, underestimating the collective intelligence of an audience? Movies don't have to be about an ideal world, does it? So hard to believe this happening in real life. But the problem with healthcare and nonchalance of some doctors are well portrayed.

The sequence on hypnotism and the ensuing fight scene though matrix like, are really good. My knowledge on hypnotism is good as my Russian, but my wife says to do it to multiple people at one time is very difficult! Certain disjointed points - can't see how the first series of police murders did not cause enough panic for city to be on alert. Songs are an obvious disruption. Can't see how shruti who is a genetic engineering student goes to see a contagious disease ward without any protection. How someone with no background of Chennai can find the leads everywhere (The Chinese killer!). Cannot believe how the solution took a bunch of high fly engineers so long. And for a long time certain mass murders remain unsolved, Chennai police are good! Again, I'm no expert on DNA, but certain aspects of the whole transition are not well explained! Maybe more effort could have been used in explaining the science. An educated movie goer will be left with more bewildering questions than answers! You will know what i mean when you walk out of the movie!

For once I agree with the moral of a movie. Teach practices as science and not religion. That will help people follow them and understand them.

Blackjack!!

After a long sabbatical... Hello!

It was dark, with decent music in the background. I was holding hands with my wife, seated next to me. I had my favourite popcorn in hand and a bottle of cooold (hmph!!!!) water. However, the only thought in my mind was how could I have maintained the same environment, company, entertainment and yet have had a better time. Staring at the ceiling sitting on the couch at home would be a start. But no, I was stuck at the movies watching what the Tamil industry collection projected to be a costly yet profitable game.

I kept thinking was it an expectation mismatch? or a patchy effort? or just my movie experience has been upgraded by picking the ones i want to watch at the movies? (and waiting for DVDs of the rest) was venkat prabhu the main source of my expectation? or the trailer and the associated music? or Ajith's 50th? I do not really have an answer. My good friend who is a movie buzz and a rather voracious reader of reviews of all kind told me that the movie moves in the mould of Coen brothers's! That did not help but build more anticipation as i kept thinking what next by dismissing the most obvious.

Ajith's 50th. Quite a commendable journey from how he started to where he has reached. Good style and action (and even dialogue delivery has seen quite a marked improvement). Should have stayed off the barley drink for a while coz the paunch shows. As in most tamil movies, you wonder why there are songs at the most unwanted of times.. The answer is quite elementary.. Yuvan has done a remarkable job and the director must have thought leaving the songs out would be a crime.. and maybe thats what the masses expect!

The first half builds expectation but feels patchy.. thinking of Coens, you would assume the links are in the second half.. Well there aren't any! Its just what it is, take it and go! The twist in the movie comes much later and if you are a good follower you can sense and reason it out! I was disappointed as i kept thinking what it would be (subconsciously hoping it was not one of the more obvious ones!) As a tamil movie fan you expect it to be the hero's movie, right?

Trisha and Andrea are pleasing to the eye in their passable blink and you miss roles. The rest of VP's crew are bound to deliver some action and laughter, which they do! But then, no surprises there! End of day, it is an Ajith movie for Ajith fans! As straight from the hips as possible. If you are not a fan, its just another Tamil movie like every/ most other you get to watch.Walk in with no background and wants, you might come out feeling better than i did. Then again, expecting a mountain out of a mole was my mistake and not the movie's! There apparently is an old Chilean saying - What happens in the mine, stays in the mine. So am not going to tell you more.. Watch at your own peril. Be livid or confused at the end of it. Do not blame me coz i did warn you!

Zero to Hero to Zero!

He captivates the minds of a few million people. Not just the "branded mindless south indians" but people world over!! He is a PHENOM. His name is known better than most from my part of the world. He probably has more names than God Almighty himself. Well he is human and has certain negatives. Who doesn't? (Am not talking abt myself here! :) Well then again, every body likes to think that! and opinion is like an a$$H0!!) I'm so infuriated, i'm writing this albeit i'm not even a fan..

I've not seen so many jokes on any single person as Rajnikanth.. He is an actor who acts for money. Like how each one of us do what pays for our meals and luxury. Not one of our job is for our satisfaction alone.. you gotta worry abt your next meal or a meal after 50 years or whatever!! And more importantly each work is focused at someone else. so, yes we are bothered abt what an "audience" would appreciate!

He is not the best looking guy yes! He does not have macho limbs and and wings that Arnold produced in commando! He is an ordinary humanbeing with a super human status! If it is Rajni for the tamils, its SRK for the rest of india and both have equally questionable acting skills.. Come on accept it.. Apart from CDI, i have not seem SRK do anything different. He is successful coz he knows what audiences expect from him and delivers to the point. Karan Johar films will be banned if audiences become sensible. There will always be someone who wants that kinda (&^%. After all we Indians are a billion and growing, thats counting only the one who live in India(???!! I dont want to venture coz am sure the census board does not know, coz they dont know if they need to ask abt caste or nationality!!)

Anyways, i've read everything possible that can be attributed to the man than normal homosapiens can never do.. Pope fainting to sun not rising to others. I'm as guilty coz i sent a forward today morning. Albeit it has made him famous, certain websites (which are not as famous as him) list him in their top 25 most searched!! Awesome for someone with such humble beginnings! But there is a certain breaking point and i got to mine today!! Haven't we had enough already! Come on, there are better things to read - like the rest of this blog!! :P :P

P.S - Each one of those forwards were progressively more hilarious!! Awesome.. But still.

P.S.S - I'm a fan of Kamalhassan!!

One more please - Sridhar - Has nothing to do with your forward. Dont mind!

Sleep with one eye open! Gripping your pillow tight!

The reason I quote Metallica is because of one reason. I saw one of the best made movies ever (Inception) and one of the most boring and horrible movies I have ever seen (We are Family) both in the same weekend. While one was scary in what someone can do with your mind when you sleep, the other one is watchable only when you are dozing off. I don’t even need to explain what is what.

I only wish I had seen Inception before WAF (seriously wanting to draw your attention to how close it is to WTF). I could have sat through WAF thinking about inception. Its like drinking warm malt thinking about a cold pint of Westvletere, or making love to someone thinking of Scarlett J or Salma H or whoever else that catches your fantasy

It is sad and shameful to talk about these 2 movies in the same sentence. So here it goes (in chronological order of when I saw them)

We are Family – Intuition is a funny thing, human mind an entirely different story. It is funny why the mind ignores intuition and makes you do crazy things. I knew even before I entered the theatre that this movie was going to be a disaster waiting to happen. Yet there I was the good samaritan who wanted to “spend time with friends”. I’ve never admired the interiors of a movie hall before, but the only realization that this movie gave me was that. What all does it take to make a movie (read theatre) work. The beautiful curtains that I hoped would come down soon to end the torture. PoWs are often said to be subjected to some of the worst punishments in life. Following is a step-by-step training in torture management that the military should implement:

a) Find a dark room (sound proof for the sake of humanity) with some electric sockets
b) Buy the most expensive LED TV and some blue ray disk player
c) Hire movies like Tom Dick and Harry, Pyare Mohan, Kya Kool Hai Hum etc.
d) Watch them repeatedly for 15 days with breaks only for nature calls
e) If this does not help, hire all KJ movies and repeat the above procedure for 15 days
f) If this also does not work watch WAF once. (If it’s a lady or a sentimental guy who cries a river – lock them without tissue rolls)
g) The only thing that will push you over the brink more than the above would be the news of him winning a Bharat Ratna

Albeit no credit taken away from the actors – there were some good performances, but poor them what can they do (And even KJ coz he isn't the director, though investing money in such a venture is still a questionable act). Its like making Michael Schumacher drive a tuned Maruti Alto and expecting him to win a Europe crosstour.

WAF happened on Thursday and Friday went in getting over the grief. Then came Saturday and finally after much anticipation, I went and saw Inception!! (I know I need to be crucified for not watching it this long)

If I need to describe it in one word I would say Brilliance!! I have never had to watch anything with more concentration and had a bad back at the end of the movie coz I spent the last 45 minutes sitting on the edge. Not that I’m a novice movie watcher and didn’t know what will happen next. Its since I’m a reasonable interpreter of events and I wanted to compare what happens with I thought would happen. Some of it did, some didn’t but whatever was on screen takes your breath away.

Ever since Memento I had huge respect for Nolan. And he has certain set schematics for how his movie moves. He follows a certain pattern which is very evident in his movies. My respect for Leonardo is growing after each of his performance ever since Catch Me if You Can. But Inception is beyond the actors and beyond the direction, it is all about conceptualisation. Credit to whoever thought of a concept like this and decided that something like this could be converted to a movie.

The direction and editing is phenomenal and the cinematography is good though there is not much scope in terms of producing something out of the world there. The only problem is, how many people would ever understand it the first time. It is probably not as complicated as I thought it would, but is still complicated enough. And you can’t miss one frame or one word of what is being said. Not that they are all important, but you never when the important stuff comes.

For those who have not seen the movie, please go watch it. Even if you don’t understand it all, you might still appreciate the idea. If you do understand it, am not sure how comfortable your dreams will be. Or it will leave you wondering how you can ever control it so that it doesn’t destroy you. One thing you won’t ever do going forward is sleep in public places. What does make the movie more understandable is that you can relate to the basis of some of the concepts. For ex – time moves faster in a dream or you never remember the beginning of a dream etc. It is a movie you watch atleast twice. The first time you are too caught in the events you may fail to notice certain subtle directorial touches. Watch it twice and you will spot the finesse.

For all my tamil knowing friends – In between i also watched Naan Magaan Alla. It was a different attempt at an all too familiar story, but worth watching once for sure.

All in all, the weekend started badly with the worst ever Thursday evening, but ended really well. Can’t wait for the blue ray release of Inception. And can’t wait for KJ’s next release (only to see if the concept called learning curve works for all!!)

Beera may be good if you are down a few pitchers of beer!!

I shudder to write this coz am calling a Mani Ratnam movie "Ordinary". Was it a better watch that "Short Kut" or "Kya Kool Hai Hum" or the numerous Johar movies or anything that has Neha Dhupia in the lead? Probably yes! Atleast most part of it! But when you walk in to a much marketed, talked about and waited Manu Ratnam movie you probably expect more. Maybe thats what kills it. But as a buff and reasonable critic do i want to find solace in comparing a madras talkies release to a no-name, no-fame release from some dumb movie house, something that should not be even allowed to be screened because no self respecting human would want to see it and agree in public that it was watchable.. No not really!!

Being a fan of MR from long and having the distinct advantage of watching and understanding his tamil and hindi movies, i would say this is a let down for something that is claimed to be created over a long period. The one thing i felt through out the movie is that something was lacking.. The strong under current to a story that is so typical to a MR movie was not felt.. Either it wasn't there or i was not good enough to feel it..

Cinematography was awesome, camera work brilliant. No one works the contrasts in a scene better than MR. Long duration shots without cuts, shots that zone in on the characters blurring background etc were a visual treat. Ash does justice to her role though i felt she was few octaves too shrill and few decibels too loud in parts. Abhi was good, underplaying at time with a decent portrayal of beera contrasting shades of good and evil. a decent portrayal.. though his chak chak chak kept ringing in my head and i dont know why but i kept comparing it to laka laka laka a'la chandramukhi style and that meant i was laughing out loud at inappropriate times much to the amusement of my friends who anyways think my Hindi is weak!

I thought the background was brilliant,very little songs used in the movie helped. ARR sneezes and its still music to me... So not too surprising.. Recently, you would start liking ARR songs after you watch the movie and relate to it, like RDB or Delhi 6. NO such correlation with Raavan..

At a certain point i wondered if it was going to be a typical story of good hunting bad coupled with stockholm syndrome!! thankfully not!! But for one song where Ash did try real hard, there was no chemistry with Vikram. Would be interesting to see the tamil version and if there is chemistry there, then full marks to both Ash and Vikram. I'm not sure if Vikram dubbed in hindi for his role. if yes (and i thought it was his voice) its a very commendable job.

Bottomline - If you are someone not to miss a MR movie, go watch it. If you appreciate good cinematography and the technical aspects of a movie go watch it. If ur expecting MR or ARR magic, stay home and watch Alaipayuthae or Kannathil Muthammittal (and for my non-tamil friends Guru or Yuva)If you are as jobless as i was and have nothing better to do, its worth a watch. It did gross huge on opening in teh US, a country that does not watch football. If my understanding of growing football TRP in India is true, then movie owners may struggle to keep shows full.. Good luck ang Godspeed.. Now that i might go to chennai, you may find me watching the tamil version at noon coz i wont give up football to watch the same movie in another language..

Each religion has its own rules and people who abuse!!

I’m surprised how the mother ship abandoned its kid just when the kid got into trouble. Isn’t it true mothers protect kids even if the kids try to distance themselves. Authority and autonomy is something every entity and more so the management years for! And it is like “free stuff or concessions to the public”. Once given it can never be taken back without someone’s dirty linen being dragged to attention.

Me and millions or arguably billions, considering the population explosion, who consider cricket as a religion and follow it everyday, IPL has been a real great entertainer. Some independent company apparently values it over $4 billion. BCCI’s annual revenue is deemed to be around $2 billion. From Modi’s interview in March (prior to the grand success of IPL 3) I learn that the BCCI earns $7 million a day while IPL earns about $1.3 million a day (both annualized I guess). Any business that gives the mother ship around 20% revenues is significant enough to warrant a close daily look

To his credit, it has been Modi’s charisma that made IPL as popular with the media, cinema and party circles. However, Cricket takes care of the public attention anyways!! Am not a supporter of any one person in authority. All I want is a fair deal!! If someone did something murky and against the law, they need to face the music.

So much has been talked about financial irregularities in IPL.. Too much attention for anything that generates TRP is news enough for channels to repeat it over and over!! Was this money the tax payers money? How is the common man affected by this?? How the f&*^ do I care if Modi bought a jet from a kick-back when none of it involves my money. And tax irregularities and unaccounted money does result in tax revenue loss for the country which is a public problem. A sizeable chunk of my country’s Parliament Members – THE PEOPLE WHO RULE THE COUNTRY and decide the laws and policies for one of the fastest growing nation in the world have corruption cases against them!!!! And this is tax money that belong to common man, be it Ambani or Amitabh or an under-paid government employee..

Problems: BCCI is too big and important to be un-regulated. Too many politicians involved in the administration resulting in a greater political interference. BCCI officials or relatives or people who are close enough to get information that is not public hold stake in IPL teams. Government taking over this is definitely not an answer.

I don’t know what the solution is, but nothing at the cost of the game.. I would love IPL 4 and more!!

OH GOD!! I bow to theeee!!!

I had written this long back (5 years i think!!) and posted it elsewhere!! Not today he just proved why he is truly and undoubtedly - THE GOD!!! As if his conquests earlier was not enough, he just nailed it on each cricket lovers mind!!

There is one less thing for critics to say he has not done!!! Unfortunately, the man is so great that most things he has done, no one has come close to doing!!

Sachin Tendulkar - Arguably India's best sportsman alive. Dedication, perfection, aspiration, thirst for more, greed for being better.... I can say on and on!! I love to watch him play and can do that twenty four seven.. A famous man said "I'm happy to breathe the same air he does" well yes, you should be! We all should be. But there are things to be learnt from this timid man, who by far is India's biggest personality!! Enough has been said about him - discussed, debated and praised.. My little dedication to him.. I wrote this a few years back, but now is as good a time as year..

A coin decides what happens first,
Ten players adhere to the captain’s behest.
My eyes are set to watch one bat,
To me he is god, the best at that.
He’s given every bowler some horrific nightmares
And set audience ablaze from those skyward flares
Debut at the tender age of sixteen,
Gifted with talent, umpteen.
He’s one that makes a wingless mass fly,
The willow his shoutbox, one he speaks by.
Saves the country’s face time and again,
When in, he’s sure to reign.
He’s garnered records aplenty,
Runs more than thousands, twenty.
Centuries more than any counterpart,
Sure says the way he tore them all apart.
To him it all fades away before pride,
He gets in guiding the team to victory’s side.
He’s one of the greatest to step on the grass
Class, apart. Technique u can’t surpass.
I know words can’t measure his greatness,
This is just a tribute from me, nonetheless.

Player of the Decade

I read this (or got this forwarded to me) and it got me thinking! Ofcourse, am not a paid writer for cricinfo, so i dont have to be politically correct!!http://www.cricinfo.com/decadereview2009/content/story/440770.html

If you’re from the subcontinent and you don’t know a thing or two about cricket, even the autorickshaw guys will mock!! They may not know the technicalities, but they are updated all the same! Our gang was a little on the extreme, favourite passtime (after playing the game ofcourse and sitting down drippy and tired!!) was a modified word building game.. building cricketer names! So ofcourse its no surprise one of the first blogs of the decade should be this!!

Well if it was the 1990’s the choice would have been extremely difficult – with Sachin and Lara the gods with the bat, Mcgrath, Warne, Donald in their prime, Akram, Ambrose, and a few others either in their last few years before hanging up their shoes or settling in to the demands of international cricket! Special mention to Sachin and Lara towards the end of the decade where they won games single handedly with a relatively uninterested team or the sheer lack of quality bowling attack (not to mention match-fixing!!) Sachin though is my god, Lara, Warne et al are very difficult to overlook by all means!!

This decade – the 2000s is a relatively easier choice, not to undermine the achievements of many!! The forward mentions a few names. Through this blog, names are mentioned in no particular order. Starting at home – Virendra Sehwag had an amazing decade, with sheer domination terrorising every bowler who rolled his arms over.. He clearly redefined what one’s attitude can do to his game and the team as a whole! He brought a weird sense of stability.. Rahul Dravid “The Wall”… His achievements always overshadowed by the more worshipped players in the team.. Anil Kumble – his sheer dedication and consistency and the never let go attitude.. Laxman – for his rare strokes of genius.. Ganguly – attitude, aggression and the hunger to win.. And the God himself – Sachin Tendulkar – enough said!!

The once brothers in arms – Pakistan. Muhammad Yousuf, a.k.a Yousuf Youhana, consistency, work horse like, though not known for his attitude.. Inzy – its amazing the time he has to play a delivery, again consistency and managing such a unit is never easy… Don’t think anyone else warrants a mention here.. Moving south – War torn hidden pearl - Lanka.. Sanath – redefined hitting hard or hitting out, for some reason was also successful in tests.. Sangakkara – to me the best SL ever produced, and arguably the second best keeper bat.. Murali – for the sheer record if not anything else.. Vaas – probably the Walsh of this generation..

Further south – Down Under – No list is complete of 3 players from here is not mentioned.. Ponting – what a decade he has had, no one can question the dominance in terms of record or presence at the crease.. Somehow I don’t like him!! I cannot put my hands on why! I don’t think I can ever!! He is questionably a great great batsman.. but I never can judge why I don’t like him… Moving on to a step ahead, Gillie and Hayden have been the most entertaining cricketers ever in 2000s save only for Sehwag (occasional brilliance of Gibbs and Gayle eliminated) The most daunting one day opening ever, Hayden went on to prove a point in tests with Langer most part of the decade in tests also.. Gilly proved what an asset he is at no 7??!!! Wow what depth they had.. and enjoyed.. one mention to his sportsmanship (albeit, I have a grudge on the Sachin incident leafed upon (mentioned but albeit very tangently!!) in his book!) No one in the English camp did steal my fancy.. (Pietersen was the only one who was close, but next decade if he plays enough maybe!!)

And then moving west (no new Zealander ever caught my fancy, forgive me!) to SA – Polock bowled his heart out.. Gibbs (who I put my bottom dollar would be the man to reach 200 in ODI!! Not to mention Gayle and his floyambant attitude!) whose sheer dominance is unparalled but for Hayden and Sehwag!! (too damn difficult to choose there!) ABD and Duminy only flowering and may warrant a place in 2010s.. But to me, the un-paralled would be Jacques Kallis.. who bowled his heart out and batted ever truly. Only to be masked by a team who made it a habit to be unsuccessful in almost all big events when the world was watching (and hoping probably!!) that they shine like the Sirius!! Never happened in the decade that went by.. He probably stole the show with batting and bowling.. ever so reliable, ever so consistent!! To the list mentioned above, this was not easy… but he did record his presence more than anyone else.. saddening-ly not on world cricket, for no mistake of his!!

A decade bygone – and my humble thanks to all those who entertained us, who may or may not have a mention here!! You conquered hearts, stole more!! Who play, I pray continue… Players to watch out for in the next decade – Tyagi, Virat Kohli, Gambhir, Yousuf Abdullah, Umar Akmal, Mohd Aamer (probably??!!), Duminy, AB De Villers, Al Cook, Haddin?? And many more to come… Fingers crossed, lets hope you entertain and rock!!