Archive for June, 2008

Dasavatharam-A Review

{ June 19, 2008 @ 4:57 pm } · { QTB, on and off, review }
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Its a bit late but nevertheless its here.This monday last, I saw Dasavatharam in Kaveri theatre in Bangalore. I dont generally watch movies in non- multiplexes for obvious reasons. But this one had to be an exception for two reasons:

1. the cost of a multiplex ticket

2. the lack of availability of tickets

This one is afterall one of the most hyped movies to be released in a while . so did i like it?Yes.did it live up to the hype? yes. did it live up to your expectation? yes and no.Here’s why.

Kamal is brilliant. His dedication,persevarance,dilligence and acting skills are worth admiring.As an actor he is a spectacular success. No one in Indian cinema could have carried off ten diffrenet roles as charismatically as kamal has.Rangaraja Nambi, the first character is perhaps the best from Kamal in a while. He breathes soul and life into that character. Its well shot,enacted superbly and quite evidently meticulously researched.This is probably the most memorable role from Kamal since Kameshwaran of MMKR.He is also brilliant as the telugu RAW official, though after a while the effect wears out.Govindaraja Naicker has shades of Madan in it, maybe because the characters themselves are similar.As Christian Fletcher the villain, he makes you wonder why he doesnot do negative roles often.He is again above the cut. The only blemish being Khalifulla Khan, though the make up is praise worthy, Kamal falls flat. As Avatar Singh he is predictable and as Krishnaveni he again shows his class.

The movie is a thorough entertainer, its technically of a different contour than recent Indian movies.In fact   most times it reminds you of Hollywood movies. Action sequences are well shot, songs are decent, background score keeps the adrenaline pumping and the graphics is superlative.Asin as Andal is highly irritating in fact if at all there is a villain in the movie, it is this role of hers.This movie must be watched because its not often that you get to see such superbly shot movies, this one is on a different level and yes, Kamal Hasan is the USP .Is it better than Shivaji definitely yes. The only major blemish being this movie doesnt have the kind of story that Kamal’s movies generally have. This one is meant to be an entertainer and its one of the best in recent times.This is one also comes with a heavy dosage of atheism as expected. Watch it in the big screen you wont be disapponted.And yes, a multiplex is better.

Nadal mauls Federer

{ June 9, 2008 @ 5:12 am } · { Sampras, sports, tennis }
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Exactly a year back I mentioned that its pretty inconceivable how Roger can come up short against Nadal everytime on clay. There is only one thing i can say about that now, I eat my words.That was a faux pas, something I  realised even before yesterday’s final. Rafael Nadal has been so dominant  to almost to the highest superlative possible this clay court season that its time that we started thinking about the other  GOAT, the one on clay and thats probably a touch easier to answer than the case with federer.

The drubbing that Djokovic took was probably the first indication of the rout that took place in yesterday’s final.I have always believed that Djokovic is closer to dethroning Nadal than Federer has ever been.Yet it was almost ridiculous at times to see Roger fold up. When he played the second set well i wondered for a second what would happen if miraculously Roger goes on to win the title? He would be annointed the best of all time, after that mauling in the first set? That would have been a big shame. Thankfully, that never came even somewhere near close. 

For the first time in three years there was a discernible change going into Sunday’s final. All along people have debated why federer loses to nadal on clay, yesterday it was more like what should he do to win. Nadal was the hot favourite win, and win he did in a ruthless fashion.Its uncharacteristic to see the player most people believe to be the GOAT take a beating like that. Roger is farther from that pantheon now more than ever. Nadal is probably the best world number two in history, who could probably never go on to become number one.

I dont see Nadal upset in clay for a while

Roger Federer will lose at wimbledon before Nadal does on clay.I have an uncanny feeling that this year wimbledon will see a new champion. It would take a monumental effort to quell Federer though, but much less than what it might take to beat Nadal on clay. If Nadal or Djokovic are serious about winning at Wimbledon , this year is the best to herald the change of guard. Roger has looked more vulnerable than he ever has. Mind you, he might still go on to lift the title there, afterall how many times we have seen Sampras do that inspite of an off colour season before and after the grass court championships.

I dont believe that Roger Federer is the GOAT.

For me that belongs to Pete Sampras. Federer is undoubtably more talented with a better all round game than Sampras. But Sampras was more lethal, more effective and perhaps in a match up in their primes Sampras would have won 6 to 7 times out of ten on any surface except clay. The reason for that being is that it was almost impossible to beat him on his serve. No one could, I dont think Roger can. You cant stop a guy from firing down aces down the middle of the court. And opponents prayed that Pete never missed his first serve because his second was better than the first.

The serve  and charge game was so effective that it lead Pete to dominate arguably the most competitive era in men’s tennis.

For roger federer Roland Garros is the holy grail.maybe a federer win there would be like how Ivanesevic won at wimbledon. Unexpected, past his prime.And of course provided miraculously Nadal folds up.(Figure out how thats possible.)

Watch out, by the year end we may have a new world number one and two.

 

You Call It What You Want,We Call It Blogging-Part Two

{ June 7, 2008 @ 7:09 am } · { on and off }
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Warning:dont read unless you are,

extremely bored

you know who

know, you know who

Recently I read an article about OCD or obssessive compulsive disorders which was about a person being so worried  with his looks to  an extent that  cost him his job, health, social circle and pretty much his life. It was an interesting read like most articles of this kind are and pretty incredulous and funny at times. I read another recent one about armpit odour being a turn on , now thats pretty unimaginable and repugnant .Probably you need some extra ordinary olfactory adaptation or something. Coming back to the point,this one on OCD however made more sense , enough to cause a bit of trepidation. It spoke of people being unaware that they are mentally Ill.For example, your friend who always puzzled you with his or her neat rooms and cleanly ironed shirts could be seriously suffering from a cleanliness driven obssession. Thankfully it didnt speak about OCD s for the other way round, the ones who make it a habit not to clean, which would include me. Maybe that doesnt qualify enough to be categorised. Must remind the authors next time around.

anyways, the point i was trying to make is how do you know someone is ill and someone is not. What about an athelete like say Dinara Safina who said she would rather die than lose or something like that, is she suffering from one too? When you write articles on OCD you need to be clear what you mean, this one i read was not and that set me thinking. Was i suffering from one too?i can think of a hundred reasons why and a hundred and one for why not.

But what about the others around me? how do i know if the person who keeps picking up  fights with me is schizophrenic or not? worse what if i am? (i was very bored and pretty jobless that sunday, with three fingers bleeding from a bad attempt at polishing, so you see i could think all this up :) )You sometimes get to meet those types who tells you ‘ everyone stares at me’ . others who go on that they are the best, even deluding themselves with hand aches and nerve pulls and searching for brains that dont exist.Yet there are others who live in a world of their own.. like federer for example, he believes that he will beat nadal today, or some who insist they have blue blood coursing through them( I mean, why bother? afterall if your blood is a good red and you dont see it often you are doing very fine).Yet there are people who flare up at the slightest joke that you begin to ponder if a deficiency of humour quotient translates into something more serious.

That brings  me to that all important vital question, do all of us have some amount of a mad streak in us? Is there some degree of an OCD in us?Even if you are not a ‘ everyone stares at me-born stupid but thinking to be brilliant- hand aching- blue blood-no humour-blah blahing ‘ case , you can well be one.

the answer is hear hear.. a yes.Psychologists agree that most of us have some degree of schizophrenic tendencies or compulsive disorders in us. Its just that some people are more affected by it. Whoever said that its a big mad barking world was right wasnt he? But then he was slightly mad too :)

P.S: this post has no intended connection to part one. Did not know whatelse to name this.

Yea and this author is slightly mad, dont worry psychologists have met, researched and concurred you are one too.

 

The director I love-Mani Ratnam

{ June 5, 2008 @ 5:29 am } · { QTB, movies }
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Today morning when I switched on the T.V for news and was generally channel swapping i came across the song ‘mottamadi mottamadi’ from anjali, a tamil movie.it was like being caught in a time warp reminding me of the days when i sang val jhodi val jhodi instead of well, luv jhodi.The movie according to me is the best from mani ratnam, unsurpassed by the brilliance of Roja or the slick flick ayutha ezhuthu or the poignant kannathil mutthamittal. More than a decade and half before Aamir could utter every child is special, MR gave us a masterpiece on child psychology and the world of special children. It beautifully explores the relationship between a child suffreing from mental retardation (role essayed brilliantly by then baby, sharmilee) and her mother, siblings and the society at large.It does not have a fairytale ending but speaks more of a stark biting  reality in the rosy world of children that includes imaginary ET inspired trips to the moon and back.

There is only one person who occasionally surpasses MR in the art of story telling and thats Kamal Hassan. Watch Nayagan when the two came together for the first and what possibly is the last time. Brilliantly narrated story of the rise and fall of a don- vellupillai .The movie is partly inspired by Godfather and the real story of the don of dharavi-varadharaja mudaliar, the man who ruled Mumbai’s murky underworld before Dawood stepped in. Company doesnt even come a close second.ManiRatnam succeeds because his films are so very rooted in local issues that it always seems uncannily that he tells you exactly what you want to listen and think is true.He perhaps  has understood his audience better than anyother filmmaker has in recent history. Here’s a pick of some of  Mani’s best.

Thalapathi: based on the mahabharath, it explores friendship and the relative perception of right and wrong. Mamooty, Rajnikanth and Shobhana with a young Arvind Swamy. It was the precursor to his successive  takes on underworld and the murky politics that comes with it.its special because,perhaps it was the last time audiences saw rajni the actor on screen.This is the movie that gave us Rakkamma kayathattu..

Mouna Ragam:Brilliant music and a poignant tale of love. Watch this, you will know where bhansali went wrong with Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.incidentally, Cheeni Kum’s music is borrowed  from the Illayaraja’s score for this movie.

AgniNatchathiram: fight between the sons of two wives of vijayakumar for pride, standing and identity. A heady combinantion of karthik and prabhu. The movie marks a turning point in the Indian Music industry.It was the last time Illayaraja held sway. The movie marked the split of Maniratnam-Illyaraja combination, forcing MR to bring in a young Rehman for roja, the rest as we say is history.

Iruvar:if you want to know what defines tamil nadu politics, watch this. the tale of MGR,Jayalalitha and Karunanidhi, played perfectly by Mohan Lal, well you are not dreaming-Aishwarya Rai(her debut) and Prakash Raj.It also features Revathi.Gouthami, Tabu and Madhubala.Aishwarya’s best performance till date. The only blemish being the ending. watch it you will understand.

AyuthaEzhuthu: redefined  cinematic narration and technical brilliance.Madhavan,Surya,Siddharth,MiraJasmine,Trisha and Esha Deol. Inba and Michael Vasanth, simply unforgettable. Yuva, its hindi version is almost a shame compared to this.

Tiruda Tiruda: not directed but roduced by RGV and MR together.A great entertainer with seemingly no logic. Yet memeorable for all the right reasons. Hira Rajagopal turned in a gem of a performance.

Mani Ratnam is arguably the best director in India today. He is also the director of Roja,  Bombay, Alaipayuthey, DilSe , Guru and Kannathil Muthamittal.He is the one who gave south indian cinema , a recognition and a standing. Today much of the film industry in south owes it to him be it for Rahman or international acclaim .He is astutely a tamilian first and then a director, the reason why his movies work  and can never be copied satisfactorily.It also the reason why he fails to recreate the magic in Hindi, Guru’s success not withstanding. He prefers not to be called an art director and cannot be more correct.His stories are not offbeat, the way they are told are.There are actors who would do anything to act in his movies and not without reason. Its simple, theres only one director when it comes to me and thats Mani Ratnam.

 

The list- A year later

{ June 3, 2008 @ 11:00 am } · { Harry Potter, book review, hinduism, on and off }
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1.Freedom at midnight:the sheer depth of work gone into writing this book is amazing. the author is in love with mountbatten, but the other aspects of book more than make up for that folly.meticulously researched.

2.Great Indian Novel- Shashi Tharoor: read it in a hurry. not as great as expected. though a highly engrossing read.

3.Siddhartha-Hernan Hessie:alleviating.must read

4. Brave New world-Asimov: finally! in every sense of the word is an alpha class with soma in boot.

5.LesMiserables-Hugo:brilliantly portrayed

6.The Pakistani Bride- Bapsi Sidhwa: didnt like Ice Candy Man much, the same verdict.A waste of time.

7.The Argumentative Indian- Amartya Sen: a truly interesting read by a bengali first and an economist next.

8.The Hindu Way Of Life-Dr.Radhakrishnan: found it tedious in parts but nevertheless very well presented.

9.Freaknomics: must read.

10. Harry Potter and the deathly hallows: as magical as ever.

 

 

The Indian Premier League

{ June 2, 2008 @ 6:26 am } · { cricket, sports }
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Yesterday saw the end of season 1 of  the IPL , which occupied prime time news and captured much of the nation’s imagination for over 45 days.Here’s an account of the memorable journey.

The concept of a T-20 League

Lalit Modi did not have a brain wave he was true to the tradition of the loaded BCCI, in being a prudent opportunist. The BCCI had long resisted the advent of T-20. after all, a 40 over match generates much less revenue than a 100 over one.All that changed with India’s fairytale triumph at the T-20 worldcup and the ICL.

It was time to cash in and the surrogate brain child of Modi was born.ICC cried that it was not being listened to, ECB and CA made vague irrelevant noises about patriotism and dirty lure of money, but the irresistible attraction to the big stage and big bucks finally won.

Test cricket vs T-20

I am an old fashioned cricket fan , who even after 45 days of mad cricket frenzy happens to believe that test cricket holds the key to cricketing greatness but T-20 is an electrifying and gripping form of game next only to test crickrt. i feel we must do off with 50 overs. it no longer makes much sense. What works for T-20 is that its a highly fast paced ardenaline packed 3 hours. Every ball brings with it a possibility and inspite of the huge cries of luck factor being touted, we have seen over the last month or so, cricketing teams master  strategies and implement them to perfection, bowlers coming back strongly, a pattern of consistency emerging and proving to all the sceptics what a great show of talent this can be.

Cricketertainment

The IPL is a heady cocktail of star power,big money and the big quotient of entertainment. it was packaged not as cricket but a form of the game that would entertain a family crowd from 8 to 11 everyday. Thus were skimpily clad cheerleaders imported and bollywood songs  blasted across grounds .

I hate this trivialisation of the game. All salivating people not withstanding lets do away with the cheerleaders and ridiculous jigs. Cricket is the greatest enetertainer, you dont need any ungainly embellishments. I find it degrading to the spirit of sport and all the great players who put up a wonderful show. The girls dont even know when to jump and shake, its more like a circus routine!

City loyalties

i often hear people sounding surprised at the intense fan following that some of the teams have generated, This surprises me afterall we are known for the regionalism that thrives along with the national unity. India is a country with so many distinct sects that its easy to relate to your team and back them.

I started watching the IPL for Chennai Supr Kings a team I like as much , if not  more than the indian team.

Franchisee owners’ great angst

Mallya has railed and ranted, players have hinted and whimpered about ’ pressure’.The media had many a field day with Rc,SRK,Preity and other tantrum rumours.The question this throws up is , will commercialisation of cricket harm sportsmanship and spirit? Afterall sportsmen are not investment bankers who do the same trusted routine helped with a degree to boost everysame day.Its infact the staright opposite of how a MNC works in some ways. While mangers tend to  minimise the unknown factors and the risks to be taken in the process of decision making, a sportsman is always acutely aware of such a possibility and banks on it even.

Form doesnot come at the press of a button, luck plays a huge part especially in T-20,a captain has to chaperone 11 people, each of whose contribution is equally significant. This infact means the number of things that can go wrong only increases. Weather, pitch, form of opposition players are all different on different days.Add to this the mess that umpires can create, it becomes a sticky problem at hand.

Thats why as we saw yesterday, fortune favours the brave more so in sport than in anyother walk of life.There is nothing very routine about such games, everyday is to be begun afresh, a concept that nevertheless seems to perplex filmstars and corporates alike.

Mallya has been despicable and childish even. No one likes to lose. He could have atleast maintained a dignified silence in front of the media. This reminds me of the infamousbootkick from a highly irate fergusson that hit beckham leaving a bloody cut , some years back. People like Dravid and Kumble deserve better but a part of the problem lies also with players who are willing to compromise for money.

VVS laxman relinquishing icon status is admirable, Dravid could take a leaf out of  there, when you desire more than you deserve you are answerable to people of much less capability.

Chennai Super Kings

This is the team i came to adore and love with a kind of passion that only Indians are capable of. For me, Dhoni is the best captain out there and chennai the best city, i could not have asked for more. Add muralitharan to it and my incentive to become a true CSK fan is complete. Chennai adored its team, we turned up in huge numbers whether we lost or won.Its a team that revolves around its captain much like its oppopnent in the final.

The following part is for all those people especially guys who have asked me if i do weep, get nervous  or wilt under pressure otherwise. Yesterday(Miss Sopay couldnt thwart me seeing the final as most of the pg wanted to do the same) when Ntini was smashed for a four off the last ball of the penultimate over , i knew then the match was over. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks. It susrprised most people around me, but didnt surprise me. I believe in giving went to emotions but try not to get caught.The last time they came down was when Argentina lost to a much loathed Germany in the quarterfinals of the football world cup, and before that when Sampras lost to Federer in Wimbledon. Strangely, i have never been able to fathom why, but tears for me roll down when i am extremely angry or frustarted .It leaves me a bit more calm and composed after that.

 

The final

It couldnt have been better but for the end result. The best team decidedly won and a ravaged Jaipur so deserves this small consolation.Congrats Warnie.

 * image from:http://bp2.blogger.com/_4lEybjSEwmY/SABfjDWcpWI/AAAAAAAABq4/l5jvV28YnUM/s320/superkings.