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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Vel - old ale in new case
The usual twins separated at birth story comes back to life again. And since it has been a trend in the last decade or so to make every story in the commercial sense, this takes that route too. Moreover, a theme like this which has been exploited by most film directors in India would never even get a satisfactory comment from the masses if there wasn't any spice.
Vel is director Hari's yet another mass movie after Saami, Arul etc. In this movie, he has chosen to Surya to play the dual role.
Sharanya (remember the movie Nayagan) plays Surya's mom in this movie. She is the unfortunate mom who loses one of her twin sons. Right from the beginning of the movie till the end, all Sharanya does is whining and crying about the lost son. Nowadays, she has got such a hopeless voice. Her role is a total waste of time.
Its funny to see how one of the twins is kidnapped by a thief, just for the sake of jewelery. All the thief could have done is taken off the gold jewels because the child was already sleeping. He didn't have to take it all the way to some place, remove the jewels and leave the child there.
Anyway, we need some basis to begin the story. Two people grow up in different settings - obviously one in the city and other in the village.
Surya as Vel in the village is the angry young man. The introductory scene where he delivers the punch dialogs is extremely funny. Punch dialogs have become so typical with actors. Every hero has to have a punch dialog in the beginning of the movie and that has to reach the masses. But what are punch dialogs - rhyming expressions that make no sense.
Surya in the city as Vasu is the intelligent and smart young man. Unfortunately, he is stuck with Sharanya as the mom and I really can't imagine how he withstood her torturous and dragging dialogs. For god's sake, they are showing a mom, 25 yrs after losing her child and she is still crying. She cries even when she sees a orphan on the road. My god! why didn't they have a better role for her.
Asin is simple and neat. She has put on very little fat but since its showing at the right places, she looks very beautiful. For once the director decided not to use extra make-up on Asin. So, when you see her on screen, you get the feeling that you are probably seeing a just-another-girl character. Very plain but attractive.
So, we know that the story is all about how the twins are going to meet and what's going to happen after that. Thankfully, the director did not have another female lead in the movie. Then we'll need more songs and romanctic pursuits.
Vadivel is best in his comedy. He is part of the village crowd and we know for a fact that Vadivel does better village comedy than city stuff. His accent is best suited for a village setting. The sequence where a number of incidents happen only because of a crow's dropping calls for riotous laughter.
Songs are okay. These are not numbers that get you tapping your foot. They just blend with the storyline. Asin wears a reading glass in one of the songs and she looks really cute. That's something worth mentioning I guess. "Ottraikkannaala" and "Kovakkara Kiliye" - maybe you'll want to hear to these songs again.
Overall rating - not bad. could have been better. sentiment killer.
Vel is director Hari's yet another mass movie after Saami, Arul etc. In this movie, he has chosen to Surya to play the dual role.
Sharanya (remember the movie Nayagan) plays Surya's mom in this movie. She is the unfortunate mom who loses one of her twin sons. Right from the beginning of the movie till the end, all Sharanya does is whining and crying about the lost son. Nowadays, she has got such a hopeless voice. Her role is a total waste of time.
Its funny to see how one of the twins is kidnapped by a thief, just for the sake of jewelery. All the thief could have done is taken off the gold jewels because the child was already sleeping. He didn't have to take it all the way to some place, remove the jewels and leave the child there.
Anyway, we need some basis to begin the story. Two people grow up in different settings - obviously one in the city and other in the village.
Surya as Vel in the village is the angry young man. The introductory scene where he delivers the punch dialogs is extremely funny. Punch dialogs have become so typical with actors. Every hero has to have a punch dialog in the beginning of the movie and that has to reach the masses. But what are punch dialogs - rhyming expressions that make no sense.
Surya in the city as Vasu is the intelligent and smart young man. Unfortunately, he is stuck with Sharanya as the mom and I really can't imagine how he withstood her torturous and dragging dialogs. For god's sake, they are showing a mom, 25 yrs after losing her child and she is still crying. She cries even when she sees a orphan on the road. My god! why didn't they have a better role for her.
Asin is simple and neat. She has put on very little fat but since its showing at the right places, she looks very beautiful. For once the director decided not to use extra make-up on Asin. So, when you see her on screen, you get the feeling that you are probably seeing a just-another-girl character. Very plain but attractive.
So, we know that the story is all about how the twins are going to meet and what's going to happen after that. Thankfully, the director did not have another female lead in the movie. Then we'll need more songs and romanctic pursuits.
Vadivel is best in his comedy. He is part of the village crowd and we know for a fact that Vadivel does better village comedy than city stuff. His accent is best suited for a village setting. The sequence where a number of incidents happen only because of a crow's dropping calls for riotous laughter.
Songs are okay. These are not numbers that get you tapping your foot. They just blend with the storyline. Asin wears a reading glass in one of the songs and she looks really cute. That's something worth mentioning I guess. "Ottraikkannaala" and "Kovakkara Kiliye" - maybe you'll want to hear to these songs again.
Overall rating - not bad. could have been better. sentiment killer.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Azhagiya Tamil Magan (ATM) - Not that beautiful
A walk into that local theater in the evening with an expectation that is sky high. Well, the actor Vijay himself warned his fans much earlier that this film lacks any logic that someone would expect. So, lets get that dirty thing out of our mind. And just try and enjoy the film, perhaps rip it here and there too.
As the movie began, the music for the titles did not make any impact. To some extent I had known the storyline, but it still did not help in just one way.
Imagining Vijay as a college going student is very difficult. After seeing him play much mature roles in Pokkiri, Gilli, Sivakasi etc. its back to college years. But thankfully, the number of scenes with the college as the background were minimal, so one tends to forget that the actor was actually a college student.
Malayalam movie veterans would remember "Iyer the Great" - a classic film by Mammooty. Now tweak it here and there - bring in a lissome beauty, feelings of love and hatred, friends, a dual role to complicate the subject, family and friends for sentimental value - to make it a perfect commercial movie. Thats ATM for you.
Actor Vijay is a athlete in this movie. At 33 plus, its difficult to imagine him as an athlete, but we have to appreciate the effort that has gone in. He has lost weight. His frame is a bit smaller, at least it feels so. And again, athletics is not the main theme of this story. So, not a bad idea. Its definitely better than Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol playing basketball in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. That was such a disgrace to basketball.
Before we move on, I'd like to make one comment about the opening song - Ellaappughazhum. Okay, nowadays all hero introduction songs are highly people oriented - about camaraderie, friendship, fraternity, brotherhood etc. Leaving that aside, the one thing that you will notice in this song is the dance. Vijay has done a few sequences that none of the other Kollywood heroes have done, in the last few years, which is good, because in most other instances, we see Rajinikanth and Vijayakanth walking from this end of the screen to the other and all they do is raise their hands up in the air and bring it down quickly, synchronizing a head shake or two in the middle.
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Shriya is simply perfect. She glows like a fresh lotus in a clean pond. Her smile is serious competition to Rani Mukherjee. And you could pay a trillion dollars to watch Shriya in a half sari. Shriya totally complements Vijay on the screen. Nothing unlike Sivaji, where her role was a time wasting tactic. Although her screen presence does not justify her role as a female lead, she plays her part quite well. In the song sequences, she looks like an Arabian beauty. After Jennifer Lopez's, the next best in the world is Shriya's. You know what I am talking about - do you?
Storyline as stated before is about a person who has ESP. You'd kinda feel stupid when you already know the climax of the movie before the intermission. I definitely got that feeling and I was totally annoyed, bored and sick. But then, why are some directors successful to a large extent. They simply know their audience well. The same principle applies here. Although I guessed what was going to happen in the end, the end was still worth it.
Dual roles - good cop and bad cop. What I didn't like about the bad cop was he turning a new leaf after hearing to a small sentimental speech about sex, love and relationships from Shriya. That portion sucked big time. I think that was the only option available for a screenplay that had already dragged people out of their chairs. Literally - a running out of time situation.
Songs - AR Rahman proves himself time and time again. This time a lot of techno and folk music. ARR hates to do a remix, but fine. The director probably asked for it. "Ponmagal Vandaal" did the needful. This season is a remix season. Every movie has one remix song and ARR gave his contribution. "Madhuraikku Pogatha" and "Valayapatti Tamizhe" are very Indian, rather I should say South Indian. Local music instruments dominated. "Nee Marilyn Monroe" was totally on the other side of the spectrum. Completely disco types and very fast. Definitely foot tapping. Finally, "Kelamal Kaiyilae" - a good melody. This song reminds you of the 70s and 80s. ARR has ensured that the female voice brings out that emotion but maintained the music with the current trend.
Comedy doesn't make you roll on the floor because I could sense that everyone from Vijay till the light boy has tried something in the movie - I mean, to make people laugh and it worked only for some.
Bottom line: Watch this movie only if you are a Vijay fan. A generalist will not find any sense in this movie. A music lover will like the songs and the choreography.
As the movie began, the music for the titles did not make any impact. To some extent I had known the storyline, but it still did not help in just one way.
Imagining Vijay as a college going student is very difficult. After seeing him play much mature roles in Pokkiri, Gilli, Sivakasi etc. its back to college years. But thankfully, the number of scenes with the college as the background were minimal, so one tends to forget that the actor was actually a college student.
Malayalam movie veterans would remember "Iyer the Great" - a classic film by Mammooty. Now tweak it here and there - bring in a lissome beauty, feelings of love and hatred, friends, a dual role to complicate the subject, family and friends for sentimental value - to make it a perfect commercial movie. Thats ATM for you.
Actor Vijay is a athlete in this movie. At 33 plus, its difficult to imagine him as an athlete, but we have to appreciate the effort that has gone in. He has lost weight. His frame is a bit smaller, at least it feels so. And again, athletics is not the main theme of this story. So, not a bad idea. Its definitely better than Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol playing basketball in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. That was such a disgrace to basketball.
Before we move on, I'd like to make one comment about the opening song - Ellaappughazhum. Okay, nowadays all hero introduction songs are highly people oriented - about camaraderie, friendship, fraternity, brotherhood etc. Leaving that aside, the one thing that you will notice in this song is the dance. Vijay has done a few sequences that none of the other Kollywood heroes have done, in the last few years, which is good, because in most other instances, we see Rajinikanth and Vijayakanth walking from this end of the screen to the other and all they do is raise their hands up in the air and bring it down quickly, synchronizing a head shake or two in the middle.
.jpg)
Shriya is simply perfect. She glows like a fresh lotus in a clean pond. Her smile is serious competition to Rani Mukherjee. And you could pay a trillion dollars to watch Shriya in a half sari. Shriya totally complements Vijay on the screen. Nothing unlike Sivaji, where her role was a time wasting tactic. Although her screen presence does not justify her role as a female lead, she plays her part quite well. In the song sequences, she looks like an Arabian beauty. After Jennifer Lopez's, the next best in the world is Shriya's. You know what I am talking about - do you?
Storyline as stated before is about a person who has ESP. You'd kinda feel stupid when you already know the climax of the movie before the intermission. I definitely got that feeling and I was totally annoyed, bored and sick. But then, why are some directors successful to a large extent. They simply know their audience well. The same principle applies here. Although I guessed what was going to happen in the end, the end was still worth it.
Dual roles - good cop and bad cop. What I didn't like about the bad cop was he turning a new leaf after hearing to a small sentimental speech about sex, love and relationships from Shriya. That portion sucked big time. I think that was the only option available for a screenplay that had already dragged people out of their chairs. Literally - a running out of time situation.
Songs - AR Rahman proves himself time and time again. This time a lot of techno and folk music. ARR hates to do a remix, but fine. The director probably asked for it. "Ponmagal Vandaal" did the needful. This season is a remix season. Every movie has one remix song and ARR gave his contribution. "Madhuraikku Pogatha" and "Valayapatti Tamizhe" are very Indian, rather I should say South Indian. Local music instruments dominated. "Nee Marilyn Monroe" was totally on the other side of the spectrum. Completely disco types and very fast. Definitely foot tapping. Finally, "Kelamal Kaiyilae" - a good melody. This song reminds you of the 70s and 80s. ARR has ensured that the female voice brings out that emotion but maintained the music with the current trend.
Comedy doesn't make you roll on the floor because I could sense that everyone from Vijay till the light boy has tried something in the movie - I mean, to make people laugh and it worked only for some.
Bottom line: Watch this movie only if you are a Vijay fan. A generalist will not find any sense in this movie. A music lover will like the songs and the choreography.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Fiction: Summer holidays - I
Green, green and green everywhere. That small village in Kerala. Two more months for the monsoon. The cool weather was just setting in. Few more minutes to sunrise and in that dim light, you could see the tiny roads with farmlands on either side. The village was ready to begin a new day. Men, women and children were walking to the bathing ghat near the river. The women and children had a separate bathing ghat. "Don't go too far into the water Murali. The crocodile will catch you!" - said Gita Atthai*. It was her technique to keep the children from going deep into the water. But Murali was determined to take a good swim. It was his summer holidays, away from home and he knew that he will not get the freedom to do anything anywhere other than at their Atthai's home. Murali and Rajesh (his brother) were totally excited. Atthai's home and village was like a camp site for all their escapades.
Ramesh was busy. He had a new toy for himself. It was a large coconut leaf. He was using it like a vehicle. Sitting on the thicker end, he would give a signal to Pappu, who was his friend at the village, to drag him over a short distance. It was total enjoyment for him. The city paved no opportunity for such small pleasures.
Playing time near the river was over. The children started walking back to their house crossing the fields. Shankunni, a farmer in his forties, was busy working at the field. The field was full of tapioca. He saw the children walking across the field. He waved to them, quickly pulled out some fresh tapioca and took it to them. Everybody at the village respected Murali's grandfather. He was called Saami (colloquial for Brahman). Most of the land that the farmers plowed belonged to Saami's family. The children of the house were a delight to the villagers.
The siren from the nearby factory had just sounded. That was a signal to most people. The three sirens for the various shifts in one day signified morning, noon and evening for villagers.
*atthai - dad's sister
Ramesh was busy. He had a new toy for himself. It was a large coconut leaf. He was using it like a vehicle. Sitting on the thicker end, he would give a signal to Pappu, who was his friend at the village, to drag him over a short distance. It was total enjoyment for him. The city paved no opportunity for such small pleasures.
Playing time near the river was over. The children started walking back to their house crossing the fields. Shankunni, a farmer in his forties, was busy working at the field. The field was full of tapioca. He saw the children walking across the field. He waved to them, quickly pulled out some fresh tapioca and took it to them. Everybody at the village respected Murali's grandfather. He was called Saami (colloquial for Brahman). Most of the land that the farmers plowed belonged to Saami's family. The children of the house were a delight to the villagers.
The siren from the nearby factory had just sounded. That was a signal to most people. The three sirens for the various shifts in one day signified morning, noon and evening for villagers.
*atthai - dad's sister
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Om Shanti Om - Bollywood Potpourri
Om Shanti Om - the diwali blockbuster directed by Farah Khan was a post diwali trial for me. I usually don't watch hindi movies. I kind of stick to tamil movies - fact is that there are so many getting released that you literally don't get the time. But, for no reason, this is my second hindi movie in a week and my god, I don' wanna be doing anything like this again.
For some reasons, OSO is a good movie. We'll see all that good parts in bits and pieces as we try and strip this movie. The adaptation of the 70s was excellent. Movie begins with Chintu Uncle and his famous OSO song which sets the right mood and tempo for the movie. Excellent work by the editing team. We definitely know that the video being shown is an old piece, but the seamless plugging in of that with the film is quite commendable. And this is not just here, it continues for a few more songs in the first half.
SRK is a junior artist who aims to be a superstar. He is truly, madly, and deeply in love with Shantipriya (Deepika Padukone). Wow, this woman is definitely someone to watch out for. This is her first film and her screen presence makes you flabbergasted. The first half is just the 70s. Most things about the first half of the movie reminds you of what your mom and dad would have witnessed in the theater or within their friends circle - bell bottoms, step cut and wave cut hair-style, checked trousers in bright colors, wide belts with large metal buckles, cute gowns and frocks with polka dots, tight fitting salwars with filigree at the sleeves and neck lines, color matching earrings and bindis. In between all this, I noticed the Ovaltine Ad too. Remember this drink?
SRK takes a dig at everything - the whole industry, the way it works, the filmfare awards, the fits that people throw and some at himself too. At one point he says "overacting to mere khandaan me hi hai" (overacting runs in the blood). And then comes other stuff like "Phir bhi dil hai NRI". The name sentiment is perhaps the best. We know for a fact that a number of heroes - both yesterday and today have changed their original names to what we know them today as. Om Prakash Makhija (SRK) is another one who wants to do that but is not successful.
Kiron Kher is the mother and she is definitely overacting. The SRK Syndrome? She is a painful mother who is so annoyingly loving and caring. Maybe SRK needs such people in his team.
Deepika Padukone (DP) is going to be serious competition for Priyanka Chopra. At 5ft 9in, she is stunning and her smile is so fresh like a breeze after a monsoon. It gives you an eternal feeling. OSO is more an SRK movie - its completely about the hero, but still Deepika plays a very important role and the plot of the movie is around her. DP has totally worked on her style. She has perfected the seventies art of walking and smiling. The turning of head and waving of hands is just flawless. In effect, she is trying to bring back to us the Asha Parekh, Tanuja, Sharmila Tagore, Zeenat etc. And she does a good job in that role. There is one scene where they play badminton. The men in white and women in colorful salwars. A typical 70s setup - more love and less lust.
First half of the movie goes on at an interesting pace and suddenly we realize that an intermission is perhaps best and then the whole drama begins. Within 15 to 20 minutes, we are done and its time for a break. I have no plans of writing the story here.
The Alchemist Philosophy holds good - "when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true."
Songs are amazing, but the story line does not have any depth. Its totally on the surface and everyone is skating on it till the end. Parts of the movie remind you of Kamal Hassan's superhit film Enakkul Oruvan. Then some parts are like the English movie Grease - don't ask me why. Its just a thought that I got. Then the next is The Phantom of the Opera. The bungalow scene, the lights, the staircase and the chandelier aren't anything phenomenal. All of that looks like an adaptation of the Opera movie. At some places, even the musical notes are comparable.
Well OSO serves one purpose. If a tourist asked what he could take from India as a Bollywood Souvenir, then they can probably buy a copy of this movie. Every top star in Bollywood has made a guest appearance in this movie. So he or she can go back to their country and show a glimpse of Bollywood.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Jab We Met - Balle Balle Love
Yeah, so the main theme here is the boy-meets-girl story. But Imtiaz Ali, the director has taken it to an extra level. Its not the typical boy-meets-girl and then emotional love, separation, songs etc.
I havent watched Socha Na Tha, which is also another Imtiaz Ali movie. From what I know, that is also a boy-meets-girl movie. I hate such themes. I always think - why cant bollywood directors and screenplay writers learn from malayalam movies or even tamil movies - offlate a few of them have been really good. Most Hindi movies are just extravagant and bombastic - nothing else.
Okay, when JWM started, I didnt know what was happening or rathe, what was going to happen. Well, we know that Shahid (Aditya) has to meet Kareena (Geet) somewhere and something has to happen. But that took some time. When Geet started her dialogue, which only stopped almost close to the intermission, I was totally annoyed and irritated. Aditya tries everything he can to shut her up and leave him alone - nothing works. She is almost stuck to him like a leech but later we see that she brings about a positive change in him.
At one point, Aditya explains to Geet about his past. That's one emotional drama. You are almost deciding that this movie is also taking the same dramatic turn, but thank god, that doesnt happen. Both characters have a very good sense of humor and that lives throughout the film.
In the second half, roles change. Geet gets dumped by her boyfriend and ends up lonely. Aditya takes her shoes and becomes the enthusiastic, can we say, boyfriend.
Other things that I almost liked - the friendship between Aditya and Geet. They almost understand each other so well and are affectionate. They accept each other's life even when there are failures. There is no sad music in the background when one leaves the other, no coming back and hugging each other. The next thing is the songs. You must hear to the one below. This is perhaps my favorite.
Few things do stand out in this movie - we still have the Punjabi family that is hopping, dancing and partying a lot. Then they worry a lot. We do have loud uncles, but thank god, we dont have a crying mom. But they are not painful to the eye. Also, elders in the movie are not troubling the flow of the movie by being extra emotional. Their roles are justified. But we know that most family settings in Punjab, atleast from the Hindi movies, are highly ornate. And to support that argument, we have colorful lehengas and huge bungalows. The best part is the usage of the washing machine to prepare lassi. Thank god, I dont remember seeing butter chicken.
On the other hand, there is a lot of insight that this movie provides - especially in the character of Kareena Kapoor (in the initial half). She comes across as someone who is not shying away from the difficulties that a person would face. She is cheerful, bold enough to be blunt and open about what she wants. She is a breeze of confidence and that encourages Shahid to change himself and his lifestyle. Problems do not mean that its the end of the world. The key is to remain determined and confidently happy to face these blocks and strive to be successful. If you keep brooding over your past, its not going to make anything about your future better.
I havent watched Socha Na Tha, which is also another Imtiaz Ali movie. From what I know, that is also a boy-meets-girl movie. I hate such themes. I always think - why cant bollywood directors and screenplay writers learn from malayalam movies or even tamil movies - offlate a few of them have been really good. Most Hindi movies are just extravagant and bombastic - nothing else.
Okay, when JWM started, I didnt know what was happening or rathe, what was going to happen. Well, we know that Shahid (Aditya) has to meet Kareena (Geet) somewhere and something has to happen. But that took some time. When Geet started her dialogue, which only stopped almost close to the intermission, I was totally annoyed and irritated. Aditya tries everything he can to shut her up and leave him alone - nothing works. She is almost stuck to him like a leech but later we see that she brings about a positive change in him.
At one point, Aditya explains to Geet about his past. That's one emotional drama. You are almost deciding that this movie is also taking the same dramatic turn, but thank god, that doesnt happen. Both characters have a very good sense of humor and that lives throughout the film.
In the second half, roles change. Geet gets dumped by her boyfriend and ends up lonely. Aditya takes her shoes and becomes the enthusiastic, can we say, boyfriend.
Other things that I almost liked - the friendship between Aditya and Geet. They almost understand each other so well and are affectionate. They accept each other's life even when there are failures. There is no sad music in the background when one leaves the other, no coming back and hugging each other. The next thing is the songs. You must hear to the one below. This is perhaps my favorite.
Few things do stand out in this movie - we still have the Punjabi family that is hopping, dancing and partying a lot. Then they worry a lot. We do have loud uncles, but thank god, we dont have a crying mom. But they are not painful to the eye. Also, elders in the movie are not troubling the flow of the movie by being extra emotional. Their roles are justified. But we know that most family settings in Punjab, atleast from the Hindi movies, are highly ornate. And to support that argument, we have colorful lehengas and huge bungalows. The best part is the usage of the washing machine to prepare lassi. Thank god, I dont remember seeing butter chicken.
On the other hand, there is a lot of insight that this movie provides - especially in the character of Kareena Kapoor (in the initial half). She comes across as someone who is not shying away from the difficulties that a person would face. She is cheerful, bold enough to be blunt and open about what she wants. She is a breeze of confidence and that encourages Shahid to change himself and his lifestyle. Problems do not mean that its the end of the world. The key is to remain determined and confidently happy to face these blocks and strive to be successful. If you keep brooding over your past, its not going to make anything about your future better.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Marudhamalai and Malaikottai
Saw two action packed movies over the weekend. absolutely no logic and totally hero centric movies. By the way, when have tamil movies focused on giving more screen presence to the women folk? Maybe, one in fifty movies?
Marudhamalai - action king Arjun comes back with yet another police story, but this time there is a change. and you'll realise that when you watch the film. every hero who plays a police is usually an assistant commissioner or an IPS or an Inspector. In this case, our hero is a simple constable. He joins at the lowest ranks and hence, there is a lot of scope to move away from the larger than life image, at least for the initial parts. after that it gets to the usual - crouching tiger type stunts. the story starts off with a very light mood - enough room for comedy. Vadivel is at his best again as Encounter Ekambaram. He is actually a senior in the police station, in comparison with the hero. At a number of instances, we can see him use his superiority as a tool to initiate a comedy track. Nila who supposedly plays the female lead gets side-lined big time. For once, this story does not involve the bad guy abducting the girl to take revenge. Love and enemity are two different tracks in this movie. A good decision by the director to keep them apart. In tamil cinema lingo, there is a new term called "build-up". This movie has got enough of that right from the beginning. Songs are below average - i dont think anyone would want to hear to them more than once. Laal plays the bad guy. The scope for performance in his role is very less. Most of the time we see him behind the bars. The one part that I liked other than the comedy is when the hero takes action against false claims made by a politician. This is very much in reference to what happens today. A number of people (mostly politicians) make public statements without any evidence or reason. The media takes notice, but after a few days, it just dies out. No one is bothered.
Malaikottai - action youth Vishal comes back. Offlate, all of his movies have been anything related to just ruthless fighthing - Sandakozhi, Thimiru, Tamaraparani, and Sivapathigaram. Female lead is Priya Mani. Priya is very pretty when she wears short tops and mini skirts. If you'd noticed her in Kangalaal Kaithu Sei (the Bharathiraja movie), then you'd go agape. In this movie, she is usually wearing a salwar that doesnt suit her appearance well. Rather the character is like that - a pious engineering student in Trichy. You can't expect her to be in tank tops! Anyway, she is totally side-lined. No scope at all. Few lines here and there, just to justify the need for a female lead. Vishal plays the jobless youth. The only impression I get, from seeing him in this movie is that he can just jump around and get a few kicks. More fight sequence means less scope for displaying acting talent. Standard expressions - you can make out that the Vishal in Sandakozhi is the same as Vishal in Malaikottai. The getting into character aspect is very less. Ashish Vidhyarthi and Urvashi have been roped in for the comedy but it doesnt stick well. There is nothing special that I can remember about this movie. I still wonder how cinema halls are managing the cost by running this stupid movie. Oh yes - The remix version of the "Ae Aatthaa" song. That was just awesome. Maybe that's the reason!
Marudhamalai - action king Arjun comes back with yet another police story, but this time there is a change. and you'll realise that when you watch the film. every hero who plays a police is usually an assistant commissioner or an IPS or an Inspector. In this case, our hero is a simple constable. He joins at the lowest ranks and hence, there is a lot of scope to move away from the larger than life image, at least for the initial parts. after that it gets to the usual - crouching tiger type stunts. the story starts off with a very light mood - enough room for comedy. Vadivel is at his best again as Encounter Ekambaram. He is actually a senior in the police station, in comparison with the hero. At a number of instances, we can see him use his superiority as a tool to initiate a comedy track. Nila who supposedly plays the female lead gets side-lined big time. For once, this story does not involve the bad guy abducting the girl to take revenge. Love and enemity are two different tracks in this movie. A good decision by the director to keep them apart. In tamil cinema lingo, there is a new term called "build-up". This movie has got enough of that right from the beginning. Songs are below average - i dont think anyone would want to hear to them more than once. Laal plays the bad guy. The scope for performance in his role is very less. Most of the time we see him behind the bars. The one part that I liked other than the comedy is when the hero takes action against false claims made by a politician. This is very much in reference to what happens today. A number of people (mostly politicians) make public statements without any evidence or reason. The media takes notice, but after a few days, it just dies out. No one is bothered.
Malaikottai - action youth Vishal comes back. Offlate, all of his movies have been anything related to just ruthless fighthing - Sandakozhi, Thimiru, Tamaraparani, and Sivapathigaram. Female lead is Priya Mani. Priya is very pretty when she wears short tops and mini skirts. If you'd noticed her in Kangalaal Kaithu Sei (the Bharathiraja movie), then you'd go agape. In this movie, she is usually wearing a salwar that doesnt suit her appearance well. Rather the character is like that - a pious engineering student in Trichy. You can't expect her to be in tank tops! Anyway, she is totally side-lined. No scope at all. Few lines here and there, just to justify the need for a female lead. Vishal plays the jobless youth. The only impression I get, from seeing him in this movie is that he can just jump around and get a few kicks. More fight sequence means less scope for displaying acting talent. Standard expressions - you can make out that the Vishal in Sandakozhi is the same as Vishal in Malaikottai. The getting into character aspect is very less. Ashish Vidhyarthi and Urvashi have been roped in for the comedy but it doesnt stick well. There is nothing special that I can remember about this movie. I still wonder how cinema halls are managing the cost by running this stupid movie. Oh yes - The remix version of the "Ae Aatthaa" song. That was just awesome. Maybe that's the reason!
Surutapalli
So, during our trip to Kalahasti last weekend, we decided to go to this place called Surutapalli. This small temple town or lets call it village, is on the way from Chennai to Tirupati. On the route to Tirupati from Red Hills in Chennai, you will reach a point called Periyapalayam. Take a diversion from there and you will head towards a place called Uthukottai. A few kilometers on the highway that leads you away from Uthukottai is this place.
The specialty of this place is that its the only Siva temple where the Lord is in a Sayana position (sleeping). In every other temple, you will find Lord Siva in the form of a Linga, but in this temple, you will find Siva sleeping on Parvati's lap.
Story goes like this - on the advise of lord vishnu, the devas and the asuras were churning the ocean of milk. the mandara mountain was used as the churn stick and the serpent vasuki was the rope. when the mountain sank, lord vishnu supported the mountain by taking the tortoise incarnation. this was the kurma avatara. the first item that emerged from the churning was a pot of poison. the devas and asuras rushed to lord siva and pleaded with him for protection. Lord Siva then swallowed the poison, but before it could go further, Parvati pressed his neck and the poison remained there permanently. That is why we know Lord Siva by another name -- Neelakantha (blue throated).
It is believed that Lord Siva, after consuming the poison, was very tired and drowsy. So, he lied down to rest on Parvati's lap at Surutapalli.
This place is famous for so many other deities. Here, the Dakshinamurthy is seen along with his consort Gowri, which is something you don't see in any other temple. There is also a Durga sculpture where the goddess is holding a parrot in her lower hand and the other lower hand is resting on her thigh. This is very rare for a Durga sculpture.
Another rare feature is at the entrance. The doorkeepers on either side of the temple are also with their consorts. In every other temple, you will find the doorkeepers alone.
The specialty of this place is that its the only Siva temple where the Lord is in a Sayana position (sleeping). In every other temple, you will find Lord Siva in the form of a Linga, but in this temple, you will find Siva sleeping on Parvati's lap.
Story goes like this - on the advise of lord vishnu, the devas and the asuras were churning the ocean of milk. the mandara mountain was used as the churn stick and the serpent vasuki was the rope. when the mountain sank, lord vishnu supported the mountain by taking the tortoise incarnation. this was the kurma avatara. the first item that emerged from the churning was a pot of poison. the devas and asuras rushed to lord siva and pleaded with him for protection. Lord Siva then swallowed the poison, but before it could go further, Parvati pressed his neck and the poison remained there permanently. That is why we know Lord Siva by another name -- Neelakantha (blue throated).
It is believed that Lord Siva, after consuming the poison, was very tired and drowsy. So, he lied down to rest on Parvati's lap at Surutapalli.
This place is famous for so many other deities. Here, the Dakshinamurthy is seen along with his consort Gowri, which is something you don't see in any other temple. There is also a Durga sculpture where the goddess is holding a parrot in her lower hand and the other lower hand is resting on her thigh. This is very rare for a Durga sculpture.
Another rare feature is at the entrance. The doorkeepers on either side of the temple are also with their consorts. In every other temple, you will find the doorkeepers alone.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Holiday round-up
Last few days have been really crazy. On Friday I left to Sree Kalahasti - one of the Pancha Bhoota Shrines of Lord Shiva. The deity here is represented as Vaayu Linga, which is Air. On the way, we visited another temple called Surutapalli, which has got a very special story. My next post would be on that, since I need to upload a photograph too. Saturday morning darshan at the temple was very good. At the same time it was surprising to see that a lot of people now have started visiting temples. 10 years back, the story was different. The people who were going to temples were traditionally going to temples - i mean every year or through generations. But now, there is a lot of belief in the boxes that are part of the horoscope and the planets that reside in the same. People are ready to spend any amount of money as grants to temples or do any kind of puja. Its a totally new phenomenon.
This got over on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning was fun game in the rain. Then the next trip started. To Bangalore. Another ISB wedding. I caught the afternoon bus in great hopes to reach the reception early. But you can never rely on these people. The road was amazing. But the average speed was just over 65kms per hour which sucked big time. Sunday evening was a great day to catch up a lot of friends. Around 20 of them had come down from various other cities. There was food and booze - since it was in the army officers mess. The next day was a traditional Iyengar wedding. I was done with everything by 11am. In between all this I had to attend a few phone calls from my client, answer a few questions and ensure that my project was running on schedule. (These people never leave me alone!)
Caught the afternoon bus back to Madras. On the way stopped at a small eating joint and bought some pirated dvds. I havent checked whether the dvds play but I got 4 latest movies. This place is a few kilometers before Krishnagiri on the highway, when you are coming from Bangalore and the guy has any latest movie you ask for - hindi, english and tamil. If you are a cop reading this blog, then this a tip for you. There is a huge business that is thriving and perhaps a huge network of people are happily earning. Whats the point in catching the ones in the city. India's strength lies definitely in its villages.
Rushed to Courtyard Marriott for a team dinner. The buffet sucked. They served continental food. Some of the items were okay. The starters were extremely bad. No variety at all. Even in the main course, it wasn't anything worth mentioning. For the price that we paid, I felt that Residency Towers was a much better deal. Coming to the desserts, there were six ice cream flavors and JUST ONE SCOOP. On asking, the guy told me that the kitchen has only one scoop. Wow, thats something for a five star hotel! Ambience was good. I liked the live music concept.
Had another day off yesterday - a trip to Coimbatore. It was My Best Friend's Wedding. Still was bombarded with phone calls from office. Now I am back here waiting for the Saturday Game.
This got over on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning was fun game in the rain. Then the next trip started. To Bangalore. Another ISB wedding. I caught the afternoon bus in great hopes to reach the reception early. But you can never rely on these people. The road was amazing. But the average speed was just over 65kms per hour which sucked big time. Sunday evening was a great day to catch up a lot of friends. Around 20 of them had come down from various other cities. There was food and booze - since it was in the army officers mess. The next day was a traditional Iyengar wedding. I was done with everything by 11am. In between all this I had to attend a few phone calls from my client, answer a few questions and ensure that my project was running on schedule. (These people never leave me alone!)
Caught the afternoon bus back to Madras. On the way stopped at a small eating joint and bought some pirated dvds. I havent checked whether the dvds play but I got 4 latest movies. This place is a few kilometers before Krishnagiri on the highway, when you are coming from Bangalore and the guy has any latest movie you ask for - hindi, english and tamil. If you are a cop reading this blog, then this a tip for you. There is a huge business that is thriving and perhaps a huge network of people are happily earning. Whats the point in catching the ones in the city. India's strength lies definitely in its villages.
Rushed to Courtyard Marriott for a team dinner. The buffet sucked. They served continental food. Some of the items were okay. The starters were extremely bad. No variety at all. Even in the main course, it wasn't anything worth mentioning. For the price that we paid, I felt that Residency Towers was a much better deal. Coming to the desserts, there were six ice cream flavors and JUST ONE SCOOP. On asking, the guy told me that the kitchen has only one scoop. Wow, thats something for a five star hotel! Ambience was good. I liked the live music concept.
Had another day off yesterday - a trip to Coimbatore. It was My Best Friend's Wedding. Still was bombarded with phone calls from office. Now I am back here waiting for the Saturday Game.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Fiction: Missy on the Bus
At quarter past seven, the neighborhood is bustling with activity. There is atleast one person in every house that is getting ready to leave - to the office, to the school, to the college. The road, even though its one of the inner roads in the area, is constantly used by School and college buses. People are never tired of honking. By the time its close to half past, you can definitely hear to a multitude of sounds - you cant even guess which vehicle crossed your gate. Its a busy day everyday and sand particles start picking up with the wind.
He walked across all the inner roads. It was brisk 5 minute walk. Soon he reached the main road. Quickly he walked over the small median to the other side. It was the usual point. The same people were there. Nothing was different. This was an everyday affair and had a strange monotony attached within. He thought about the long journey he had to take. Even though he didn't have to drive all the way, it was quite a tiring journey - the morning sun shone right through the window making the insides feel like an oven. During all this, the bus arrived. The loud but sweet FM music was playing. It was time to get to that second row seat, recline and sleep. A good 40 minute sleep in the morning would always keep him refreshed for the rest of the day.
The bus started in its own pace. It reached another destination. More people finding their way to the empty seats. Then his eyes spotted the last person entering the bus. Dark lavender colored top embroidered with white flower patterns, plaited hair, a small black bindi to rightly decorate the forehead and a bright morning look on her face. From her looks and the way she walked, he could guess that she was very simple and innocent. She never looked up - perhaps it was the South Indian style, the women when they are outside never lift their head up and walk. It was more a precautionary thing. She sat right in front of him. It was the usual seating order. As the vehicle moved to the next stop, she looked out. Her eyes displayed an expression of expectation and eagerness. The moment her friend entered the bus she changed into a quick smile. "How are you Akka*" - she said as she saw her friend taking the seat beside her.
A small conversation started between them. The loud music coupled with the hustle and bustle on the main road completely cut them out of the world. From looking at them, he could sense that they were enjoying every bit of what they were talking about. Girl talk! he thought. Why bother. He closed his eyes. He wanted to go into sleep mode.
The power nap didn't last for long. He woke up. This wasn't any sharp turn or a sudden breaking. He looked around. Some more people had taken seats. The bus was full now. He looked at her, not through the gap between the seats, but on the window pane. The dark glass had become like a canvas and was reflecting a nice portrait of her face. He could see her eyes - they discoursed a flurry of thoughts. She spoke nothing.
She took a pet bottle in her hand. Holding the bottle in one hand at the base, tapped the cap of the bottle with her palm. She looked at her friend and chuckled. He understood what she did. It was an imitation from the movies about how the men opened whiskey bottles in Tamil Nadu.
He smiled and went back to sleep mode.
"Characters on this post do resemble people in real life, but as readers you don't have to come to any conclusions. This is just another attempt to make the blog a nice place to visit."
*Akka - tamil word for elder sister
He walked across all the inner roads. It was brisk 5 minute walk. Soon he reached the main road. Quickly he walked over the small median to the other side. It was the usual point. The same people were there. Nothing was different. This was an everyday affair and had a strange monotony attached within. He thought about the long journey he had to take. Even though he didn't have to drive all the way, it was quite a tiring journey - the morning sun shone right through the window making the insides feel like an oven. During all this, the bus arrived. The loud but sweet FM music was playing. It was time to get to that second row seat, recline and sleep. A good 40 minute sleep in the morning would always keep him refreshed for the rest of the day.
The bus started in its own pace. It reached another destination. More people finding their way to the empty seats. Then his eyes spotted the last person entering the bus. Dark lavender colored top embroidered with white flower patterns, plaited hair, a small black bindi to rightly decorate the forehead and a bright morning look on her face. From her looks and the way she walked, he could guess that she was very simple and innocent. She never looked up - perhaps it was the South Indian style, the women when they are outside never lift their head up and walk. It was more a precautionary thing. She sat right in front of him. It was the usual seating order. As the vehicle moved to the next stop, she looked out. Her eyes displayed an expression of expectation and eagerness. The moment her friend entered the bus she changed into a quick smile. "How are you Akka*" - she said as she saw her friend taking the seat beside her.
A small conversation started between them. The loud music coupled with the hustle and bustle on the main road completely cut them out of the world. From looking at them, he could sense that they were enjoying every bit of what they were talking about. Girl talk! he thought. Why bother. He closed his eyes. He wanted to go into sleep mode.
The power nap didn't last for long. He woke up. This wasn't any sharp turn or a sudden breaking. He looked around. Some more people had taken seats. The bus was full now. He looked at her, not through the gap between the seats, but on the window pane. The dark glass had become like a canvas and was reflecting a nice portrait of her face. He could see her eyes - they discoursed a flurry of thoughts. She spoke nothing.
She took a pet bottle in her hand. Holding the bottle in one hand at the base, tapped the cap of the bottle with her palm. She looked at her friend and chuckled. He understood what she did. It was an imitation from the movies about how the men opened whiskey bottles in Tamil Nadu.
He smiled and went back to sleep mode.
"Characters on this post do resemble people in real life, but as readers you don't have to come to any conclusions. This is just another attempt to make the blog a nice place to visit."
*Akka - tamil word for elder sister
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Blog Action Day
October 15th is Blog Action Day. On this day, more than 15000 bloggers all around the world would write their views on the environment. This could be anything - from new technology to create a cleaner and healthy surrounding, to avoiding some things that you have been doing to make this world a better place.
In a developing country like ours, we cannot afford to let the environment go to the dogs. But what can you say or what can you do - the sheer number of people around you are perhaps the problem. America is clean and clear because there are less than 400 million people for a land mass that is almost the size of India or perhaps more too. And we are just proud of having more than a billion. On the other hand, China, having a population as much as ours, is getting ahead in no time.
Before you address the environment, its important that you address WHY THE ENVIRONMENT? To get an answer to that, we'll have to work on education. Everybody needs access to a school which would teach them about working towards protecting the society they are part of. That's when they will realise. there is no point in telling people not to use plastic bags when we are not investing in an alternative - right? Its the same thing here. If we need people to follow something, then we'll need to facilitate the same. They always say - put the people first.
You might just argue - what about the people who are already educated. They themselves are doing things that are causing environmental damage. This is just a vicious circle. First of all, we do not have strict laws that protect the environment. Even if you claim that there are a few laws, the other problem is that we do not have people to enforce these laws. The people to policeman ratio is pretty bad in our country. There are more people who say - WHY SHOULD I CARE. Someone will fix it. With such elements, its difficult. Sometimes I strongly feel that we need a one party rule in India - like its in China or how it was in Germany. In such situations, rules will be rules. They will not bend to become policies. The same educated lot, when they go the US or Singapore to work, ensure that they dont do anything of the sort they do in their home country. WHY - its only that FEAR FACTOR. A fear that they will get caught and that will be the end. Over here, the attitude is - who cares, nobody is there to question. So yes, we'll need to get a bit of that fear here too. Maybe we'll have to introduce incentives to enforcement agencies for helping to protect the environment - like collect the fine from the individual and provide a share of that to the enforcer and the rest to the government. This way, people wouldnt even dream of violating a rule.
In a huge country like ours, we need investment to protect the environment. for that we'll need money. and money comes only if the system has revenues. and we know that most of the money that is available, gets squandered.
so here comes the bottomline: if every government employee and member of state just takes home only his or her salary and nothing else, then the system will have enough funds.
every home should grow atleast one tree. we know that we cant depend on the council to plant tress on the road. so its better we do it on our own.
if you have open space at the back of your house, then create a dumping pit for the biodegradable waste. atleast the soil there becomes fertile enough to grow more trees.
oh my god.. what have i written?
In a developing country like ours, we cannot afford to let the environment go to the dogs. But what can you say or what can you do - the sheer number of people around you are perhaps the problem. America is clean and clear because there are less than 400 million people for a land mass that is almost the size of India or perhaps more too. And we are just proud of having more than a billion. On the other hand, China, having a population as much as ours, is getting ahead in no time.
Before you address the environment, its important that you address WHY THE ENVIRONMENT? To get an answer to that, we'll have to work on education. Everybody needs access to a school which would teach them about working towards protecting the society they are part of. That's when they will realise. there is no point in telling people not to use plastic bags when we are not investing in an alternative - right? Its the same thing here. If we need people to follow something, then we'll need to facilitate the same. They always say - put the people first.
You might just argue - what about the people who are already educated. They themselves are doing things that are causing environmental damage. This is just a vicious circle. First of all, we do not have strict laws that protect the environment. Even if you claim that there are a few laws, the other problem is that we do not have people to enforce these laws. The people to policeman ratio is pretty bad in our country. There are more people who say - WHY SHOULD I CARE. Someone will fix it. With such elements, its difficult. Sometimes I strongly feel that we need a one party rule in India - like its in China or how it was in Germany. In such situations, rules will be rules. They will not bend to become policies. The same educated lot, when they go the US or Singapore to work, ensure that they dont do anything of the sort they do in their home country. WHY - its only that FEAR FACTOR. A fear that they will get caught and that will be the end. Over here, the attitude is - who cares, nobody is there to question. So yes, we'll need to get a bit of that fear here too. Maybe we'll have to introduce incentives to enforcement agencies for helping to protect the environment - like collect the fine from the individual and provide a share of that to the enforcer and the rest to the government. This way, people wouldnt even dream of violating a rule.
In a huge country like ours, we need investment to protect the environment. for that we'll need money. and money comes only if the system has revenues. and we know that most of the money that is available, gets squandered.
so here comes the bottomline: if every government employee and member of state just takes home only his or her salary and nothing else, then the system will have enough funds.
every home should grow atleast one tree. we know that we cant depend on the council to plant tress on the road. so its better we do it on our own.
if you have open space at the back of your house, then create a dumping pit for the biodegradable waste. atleast the soil there becomes fertile enough to grow more trees.
oh my god.. what have i written?
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Monday, October 08, 2007
Shantaram - Book Review
This was long due.
I read Shantaram months back. And since, then I was waiting to write a small review and never found the opportunity. So here it is.
Shantaram is a colorful novel right from the beginning. Every emotion that you look for, from the human heart, is packaged in the 900 odd pages. An ex-junkie and robber enters India after escaping from an Australian prison. That first bit itself raises your expectations of the whole - I could call it thriller too! This guy is the author and his photo reminds me of Liam Neeson. Lin enters hot Bombay - the maximum city. And his experiences in Bombay are not comparable to a travelogue. Rather a handbook for fake passports, drugs, stolen medicine, weapons, money and what not. Amidst all that Lin makes a local best friend - Prabhakar who helps Lin start an enchanting life in Bombay between 1981 and 1987 starting with learning Marathi.
"And I did--I liked everything about her. I liked the Helvetian music of her Swiss-American English, and the way she pushed her hair back slowly with a thumb and forefinger when she was irritated by something. I liked the hard-edged cleverness of her conversation, and the easy, gentle way she touched people she liked when she walked past them or sat beside them. I liked the way she held my eyes until the precise moment when it stopped being comfortable, and then smiled, softening the assail, but never looked away."
He falls in love with Karla - beautiful and enigmatic. Its amazing to see how her character has been sketched. She shows strength, determination, and confidence under various circumstances. "Heroes comes in three types - dead, damaged and dubious" . This is one dialogue I remember from the book that Karla made. Karla is Lin's connection to Bollywood, prostitutes, smugglers, police officers, afghans and iranians.
Further, its just unbelievable to know what all happened with Lin during his life in Bombay. He sets up a clinic in the slum, hooks up with local mafia to fetch medicines, ends up doing money laundering and fake passports. Over the seuqnce of all these events, Lin ends up at the Arthur Road prison. I cannot say that he gets beaten up black and blue. When you read those chapters, you'll feel miserable. Is prison that worse? Nothing like what you see in the movies. Its painful and traumatic. You start thinking - will he die in prison? what will happen next? will someone save him? why is he getting tortured for such a long time? (this, mainly because the prison chapters run for quite long).
Khader, the savior, gets him out and brings him back to business. Then comes another episode - the trip to Afghanistan.
Discussions about life, metaphysics, morality, death - at some places in the book, you kind of get this feeling that its not at all done reading this once. You need to mull over it again and again. Thats when you see the light behind the curtain.
Some of the characters like Qasim Ali, Johnny Cigar, Didier, Lisa, Abdullah are very lively and whenever you read parts involving them, you get a feeling like watching a western movie.
The main theme, as I could understand, in this book, is Lin's pursuit to find out the finer details about green eyed beauty Karla and the muslim don Khader. When you read this book, you definitely get thinking - Wow, I really wonder if I can see a Bombay like this.
what you'd like in this book is perhaps the amount of authenticity that it contains. although some parts have been dramatized to make the flow interesting, it still is an account from Lin's life. there is realism and richness. you also come across a tough world.
and i hope, i have inspired some of you to pick up that book.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
The Hindi Class
Mahesh was more than elated. It was his first Hindi class in that term, right after quarterly exams. 11th standard was a joyous year and he was determined to take the best of every minute in being a teenager. He knew he had to attend the class in another section.
The school was quite small. The administration had opened the matriculation branch for the first time and they had been given just 3 classrooms to start with. Hindi class was a combined class. Combined - that term brought smiles into the eyes of the boys. That was the only time they could enter the girls class. Officially! Otherwise it was impossible. The girls class was sandwiched between the Principal's office and the teacher's room. Nobody could walk across, unnoticed between these two rooms. Attenders kept moving continuously between both rooms and occassionally into the girls classroom too, just to give a notice. The boys used to hate this. Sometimes, life could have been better as an attender. To get past them and take a quick look into the girls class was a big challenge. Mahesh, in fact, kept numerous bets with his friends. Pepsi at the roadside store in the evening was the most wanted.
Less than 10 minutes for the bell to ring. Science class was getting over. Mrs. Malathi was talking about Fraunhofer. But Mahesh's concentration and thoughts were completely off. He was glued to his watch. Every minute was important. Students had less than 5 minutes between each class. And especially for Hindi class, a lot had to be done. Pack just those two books and keep them ready. You dont want to carry your duckback school bag and pencil box. What will the girls think of me? One stylish writing instrument to grab their eyes. Rush to the rest room to wash your face. Tuck your shirt. Parallel trouser was the vogue then. He had stitched one very recently. One of the girls actually made a casual offhand comment. From then on, he made sure that he wore it to the Hindi Class without fail. Comb your hair properly. It was the only chance he had. He had to be impressive. The boys were not allowed to sit along side the girls on the same bench. They had to sit in different columns. But still, they were less than 2 feet away.
One glance from her and that tired look on your face? he couldnt let that happen. He quickly put some powder and tapped it into his face. Musk fragrance - he had read about it in the weekly teenage plus magazine. Musk was a fragrance that men preferred. Mahesh wanted to present that bold character in himself.
Science class got over. He was all set. Ahead of time. But still there was one thing he always wanted to do. Arrive late to the Hindi class. He thought he could make that classic late entry and do that ramp walk into his desk. But then he remembered Mrs. Vandana, his Hindi teacher, who always mandated talking in Hindi during the class and made comments in front of the girls.
"Aaj kaunsaa perfume lagaake aaye? Lip-stick lagaana bhool gaye kya?" (what perfume are you wearing today? have you forgotten the lip-stick"
"Jitna preparation tum log ladkiyon ko pataane ke liye karte ho, usse thoda kam bhi exam ke liye karte tho acchhaa rank milega." (the amount of preparation you guys do to impress the girls, if you did even half of that for your exams, you will get better grades)
It was such an embarassing moment and it wasnt just for Mahesh, but the whole boys contingent who did no want to be there in that situation to hear to all that. But still, Hindi Class was fun and memorable.
The school was quite small. The administration had opened the matriculation branch for the first time and they had been given just 3 classrooms to start with. Hindi class was a combined class. Combined - that term brought smiles into the eyes of the boys. That was the only time they could enter the girls class. Officially! Otherwise it was impossible. The girls class was sandwiched between the Principal's office and the teacher's room. Nobody could walk across, unnoticed between these two rooms. Attenders kept moving continuously between both rooms and occassionally into the girls classroom too, just to give a notice. The boys used to hate this. Sometimes, life could have been better as an attender. To get past them and take a quick look into the girls class was a big challenge. Mahesh, in fact, kept numerous bets with his friends. Pepsi at the roadside store in the evening was the most wanted.
Less than 10 minutes for the bell to ring. Science class was getting over. Mrs. Malathi was talking about Fraunhofer. But Mahesh's concentration and thoughts were completely off. He was glued to his watch. Every minute was important. Students had less than 5 minutes between each class. And especially for Hindi class, a lot had to be done. Pack just those two books and keep them ready. You dont want to carry your duckback school bag and pencil box. What will the girls think of me? One stylish writing instrument to grab their eyes. Rush to the rest room to wash your face. Tuck your shirt. Parallel trouser was the vogue then. He had stitched one very recently. One of the girls actually made a casual offhand comment. From then on, he made sure that he wore it to the Hindi Class without fail. Comb your hair properly. It was the only chance he had. He had to be impressive. The boys were not allowed to sit along side the girls on the same bench. They had to sit in different columns. But still, they were less than 2 feet away.
One glance from her and that tired look on your face? he couldnt let that happen. He quickly put some powder and tapped it into his face. Musk fragrance - he had read about it in the weekly teenage plus magazine. Musk was a fragrance that men preferred. Mahesh wanted to present that bold character in himself.
Science class got over. He was all set. Ahead of time. But still there was one thing he always wanted to do. Arrive late to the Hindi class. He thought he could make that classic late entry and do that ramp walk into his desk. But then he remembered Mrs. Vandana, his Hindi teacher, who always mandated talking in Hindi during the class and made comments in front of the girls.
"Aaj kaunsaa perfume lagaake aaye? Lip-stick lagaana bhool gaye kya?" (what perfume are you wearing today? have you forgotten the lip-stick"
"Jitna preparation tum log ladkiyon ko pataane ke liye karte ho, usse thoda kam bhi exam ke liye karte tho acchhaa rank milega." (the amount of preparation you guys do to impress the girls, if you did even half of that for your exams, you will get better grades)
It was such an embarassing moment and it wasnt just for Mahesh, but the whole boys contingent who did no want to be there in that situation to hear to all that. But still, Hindi Class was fun and memorable.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Remembering Cricket
Saw this one while browsing....
This conversation is taken from one of my favorite movies of 2007 - Chennai 600028.
for people who dont understand tamil, sorry, the fun is lost if i try to explain the joke. so forget this post.
This conversation is taken from one of my favorite movies of 2007 - Chennai 600028.
for people who dont understand tamil, sorry, the fun is lost if i try to explain the joke. so forget this post.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
The Red Revolution
Vodafone is finally here. The transition has begun and its very evident. I am just seeing that Vodafone is painting the whole city RED.
First it was Maxtouch. Then it became Orange in 1999 - the color was orange, changed to Hutch in 2002, but still retained its color. Later in 2005 it became pink and now its RED.
The Pug is still around and now its inside a red colored kennel. Imagine the kind of branding exercise that needs to happen for such a transformation. So many million subscribers and there shouldnt be any trouble. Hutch is India's second largest mobile phone operator and Vodafone is the world's largest mobile phone operator. The branding makeover is estimated to cost the company atleast INR 500 crores.
What I like about Vodafone is the simplicity and the message in their ads. I remember this one ad I have seen in the UK and it was just amazing.
Consumers want to get more out of the present moment, and Vodafone can enrich that experience with its products and services. A campaign thought that was encapsulated in the ‘make the most of Now’ endline. This TV execution launches the Now campaign using an analogy of someone who has to make the most out of the present moment - the Mayfly.
First it was Maxtouch. Then it became Orange in 1999 - the color was orange, changed to Hutch in 2002, but still retained its color. Later in 2005 it became pink and now its RED.
The Pug is still around and now its inside a red colored kennel. Imagine the kind of branding exercise that needs to happen for such a transformation. So many million subscribers and there shouldnt be any trouble. Hutch is India's second largest mobile phone operator and Vodafone is the world's largest mobile phone operator. The branding makeover is estimated to cost the company atleast INR 500 crores.
What I like about Vodafone is the simplicity and the message in their ads. I remember this one ad I have seen in the UK and it was just amazing.
Consumers want to get more out of the present moment, and Vodafone can enrich that experience with its products and services. A campaign thought that was encapsulated in the ‘make the most of Now’ endline. This TV execution launches the Now campaign using an analogy of someone who has to make the most out of the present moment - the Mayfly.
Cross Talk?
Hello Readers... I got this email in my inbox today from I dont know who. Just sharing it with all of you. Read it and forget it.
=============================================================
Dear Balaji,
Congratulations again!!!
You were telling me that you would decide about PWC or not before next week. I could see that you were bit skeptical in the morning whether it is best for you or not. I just feel like sharing few things, which I felt, after talking to you.
As a third person (especially I don't have much knowledge in your field), I see PWC as a big company where you can learn lot, as it is an epicenter of knowledge.
But, I don't know whether this is the dream job for you or not; whether it is a best package or not; whether you will hold more responsibilities or not; whether it is better working environment or not. I think you should know it better than anyone in this world from the available information because you are smart guy who knows about yourself.
Whatever be the case, I have confidence in you (from the way I see You) that you will grow for what you are. You have talent and you will definitely deserve for what you are either shortly or may be in few months or years; certainly you will grow to the best. My support is always there for you; and please feel free to discuss anything if I can be helpful to you.
May be a logical discussion (either to yourself or someone whom you adore or someone who is not biased) will increase clarity in the decision that you will make. I always try to write what I have in mind to make the picture clear rather than having many things in mind. Above are some suggestions which I follow; and may be you have better ways of decision making.
Best of luck for your new endeavor and we are always there to back up your proceedings.
Urs
Srini
P.S.See you soon during Diwali
=============================================================
Dear Balaji,
Congratulations again!!!
You were telling me that you would decide about PWC or not before next week. I could see that you were bit skeptical in the morning whether it is best for you or not. I just feel like sharing few things, which I felt, after talking to you.
As a third person (especially I don't have much knowledge in your field), I see PWC as a big company where you can learn lot, as it is an epicenter of knowledge.
But, I don't know whether this is the dream job for you or not; whether it is a best package or not; whether you will hold more responsibilities or not; whether it is better working environment or not. I think you should know it better than anyone in this world from the available information because you are smart guy who knows about yourself.
Whatever be the case, I have confidence in you (from the way I see You) that you will grow for what you are. You have talent and you will definitely deserve for what you are either shortly or may be in few months or years; certainly you will grow to the best. My support is always there for you; and please feel free to discuss anything if I can be helpful to you.
May be a logical discussion (either to yourself or someone whom you adore or someone who is not biased) will increase clarity in the decision that you will make. I always try to write what I have in mind to make the picture clear rather than having many things in mind. Above are some suggestions which I follow; and may be you have better ways of decision making.
Best of luck for your new endeavor and we are always there to back up your proceedings.
Urs
Srini
P.S.See you soon during Diwali
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