The day ‘Ambur’ took us for a ride..

2nd August 2010

Disclaimer:
All characters in this script are inquisitive, alive and notorious. Any
resemblances to real life characters are to be taken in the healthiest of
stride with a sense of realism.

Principal star cast:

Guruprakash Sampathkumar
Santosh Kumar M
Ather Basha

A conspicuously tiny ride to one of the most imperious leather-beds amidst the
surrogate areas of Chennai was nothing short of a delightful endeavor.

Phase I:
If something irks me to the core, that has to be a date with Mr. Sun very early
in the morning. And today was one such day when my luxuries were at stake;
probably the very sane impression of the aftermath got me going and we (Me
& Guru) boarded the train with an excitement of an eight year old. A
cherubic encounter with the ‘Ticketing Inspector’ notwithstanding, ours was a
journey of candid conversational snapshots (we were occasionally considered to
be lost as both us were deprived of some valuable sleep). As the destination
drew nearer, the hunger reached the pinnacle.

Phase II:
After a ride that lasted close to three hours, Ather was sweet enough to pick 2
hungry bellies and lead us to a place of sanity. After a filling breakfast, we
proceeded towards the first place of interest by the means of mere etiquette:
The host’s residence. After an intended pause, we gathered ourselves to embark
on a journey that could invoke ecstasy. The transport was arranged keeping our
schedule and the associated zing attached to it. The gradual process
reverberated in to an ode of exhibiting our delirious purchasing power as we
pounced on those veritable outlets to grab our paid souvenirs. The more we saw,
the more we kindled; this activity became painstakingly impressive until the
face of few merchandise cultivated our frivolous thoughts in to refined
grassroots. Our rapport with the stores were a situation of envy; Guru was in
to his own as monologues became dialogues and I became so self indulgent which
instigated me to remind myself that at the end of the day, we were just
customers who had that uncanny knack of overruling their opponents (Read:
Shopkeepers). And you can quite imagine the show when protagonists on
either side become family. They sold products and we bought elation home.

Phase III:
Stating that the lunch was incredible could be considered as an understatement
of minuscule capacity; we were placed at the unattainable heights of suave
hospitality. Their graceful gestures blew us apart; and we were derailed from
our usual spate of consuming talks. ‘Thank you Ather & Family!’

Summarizing this experience could be a cheeky task; I had a whale of a time,
thanks to Guru and his plan of making this outing happen in such a fashion; I
truly believe that a journey is special, not due to the destined location but
for the brilliant company that you are able to garner for yourself. Today was
one such occasion when the camaraderie was just perfect. We were subjected to
some of the finest consumer products in the recent past and treasuring those
memories would be in a fraternity of its own.

 

Lamhaa: A film by Rahul Dholakia – A sordid tale of battered souls

‘Kashmir’ isn’t about political turmoils anymore; it is a quicksand – the more your try to resolve and recuperate, the deeper you get sucked in to the bludgeon of fear, conspiracy and nepotism. ‘Welcome to the most dangerous place in India’ is a blatant statement with immense grit and dissipates humanity from religion. ‘Lamhaa’ is a film imbued in the gruesome stories woven around all those who are conspicuously attached to the bizarre series of events.

Rahul Dholakia has captured the streets of Kashmir in a nonchalant bliss; the camera moving around relentlessly to snap the oblivious is all so evident. There are numerous characters indulging in unscrupulous events and not to mention those who have been shamelessly raving about the freedom of Kashmir with the utmost of bravery and content. All the characters look sane; the intent is to make the viewers think otherwise. And I believe that to some extent, all this showcasing business is a ploy to diminish transparency and create an aura of peace and justice. The film is a documentation of the tyranny that has been vehemently imposed on the people of Kashmir since 1989. The two nations involved are credulous enough to admit that this is not a war to be fought; it’s a calamity that ceases to relinquish itself from the bane of ruthless administrators and politicians who claim Kashmir to be a ‘Company’, immersed in vested interests and insurmountable greed.

The director has shot the film with minimum paramedics and that gives a classy look to the entire set up. James Fowld’s cinematography is commendable; Kashmir still looks like a patch upgraded from an earlier version of heaven. For a film which is more of a biopic cum documentary, the editing is exemplary. The music is restrained; background score is effective in patches.

The performances make this film special. The principal characters get in to the skin and the outcome is quite credible. Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu and Anupam Kher deliver with panache; Bipasha’s matured histrionics says a lot about the hard work she has invested in ‘Lamhaa’. Kunal Kapoor lacked the usual zest of a militant turned politician; his voice was a let down and has to work very hard if he has to bag such author backed roles in future. The supporting cast is a huge list; mostly on the impressive side.

The best aspect of ‘Lamhaa’ is that at no given point of time, does it aim at fulfilling the mundane criterion of complete resolution. The last 50 years could not see the face of emancipation; the vicious circle would continue to torment us for eternal years.

"Jannat-e-Kashmir, mujhe maaf kar de".

The soccer pinnacle at it’s invigorating best..

The triumph becomes an alluring aspect of the extraordinaire when the protagonists live up to the expectations of the underdogs.

The recently concluded ‘FIFA World Cup 2010’ had all those elements embedded in plenty. The Spanish juggernaut was irresistible as they impounded damage on the so called ‘indispensable’ to claim the title of world champions for the first time in history since the journey began way back in 1930.

The emotional content attached to a unanimous decision is imperative and the same was pretty much evident in this tourney of great battles; talent is not the only criteria that falls under the scanner of those lucrative eyes. The big stage is an epitome of perseverance, discipline and tenacity; the teams that showcase this quality consistently reach home with plenty to cheer.

A precarious introspection would tell you that legacy can never be taken for granted; a frivolous fanatic will always vouch for his team minus nuances and without analyzing the pros and cons of the odds he is facing. That, for me, is phenomenal patriotism at its stupid best. Take a look at this edition of the world cup that just ended in the African continent; you will comprehend my statements with elan.

South American powerhouses sank without a trace; all they possessed in this tournament was loads of talent, immense potential and staggering hype. But when it boiled down to performance during those impeccable 90 minutes of excruciating pressure, they faltered. I, like most of those lurking behind to cheer their teams of pure quality in terms of legacy and superstars, had to bite the dust for obvious reasons. And, I realize that my dream was bound to be short-lived amidst those dazzling performers with imperious intentions.

The world cup once again raised those inevitable eyebrows towards the famous notion that on the hindsight, the world cup is a mere replication of the far more impressive players who slog it out in their high profile clubs for a huge ransom. And these statistics loom large when the overly stated teams with towering expectations fail to live up to the expectations of the critiques.

All vigorous statements notwithstanding, the universal appeal of the world cup cannot be disputed. What you do in those 30 grueling days of glitz and ecstasy could prove magical or a disaster; can catapult you to the ultimate stardom or get you submerged within the realms of compounding darkness.

The yardstick is there for all of us, to experience, cherish and get enthralled.

Ravanan (Tamil Film) – A strong metaphor with finesse

I tend to exude towering expectations from Mani Ratnam, the maverick filmmaker and a phenomenal producer of acute congestive brains. ‘Ravanan’ lacks the usual punch of the master but still is a class act.

The staggering curiosity slowly waned away and honestly, it is probably the slowest starter of all MR films that I have seen so far. And this time, it’s not the script but the treatment of the entire subject that stood apart. Months before the date of release, the inevitable talks of the adaptation from our epic ‘Ramayana’ were selling like hot cakes and it indeed, is a hypothetical yet subjugate version of the mythological legend. I could sense pick ups from the life of the dangerous and inimitable Veerappan; a messiah out to save his portion of the zenith. I could visualize glimpses of Durga in RGV’s ‘Jungle’ (though technically both films are poles apart). The first half scrapes through like a wounded tortoise and gains momentum in the latter. Surprisingly and probably not to my utter bewilderment, most of the sequences between ‘Veera’ and ‘Ragini’ reminded me of Ghai’s commendable ‘Khalnayak’. The penultimate scene took the twist to a different spectrum and I liked the manner in which ‘Ragini’s’ character unfolded at the end.

Mani has a penchant for working with some of the finest talents our country possesses. And ‘Raavanan’ is no exception. Santosh Sivan’s photography (strongly aided by V Manikandan) is nothing short of a spectacle. Every frame describes patches of divinity and looks like SS is taking a stroll in the streets of paradise. Screenplay has been MR’s everlasting strength and he doesn’t disappoint. Samir Chanda’s art direction is commendable. Dialogues were ordinary and quite inane at times; being Mani Ratnam’s wife alone doesn’t provide Suhasini with the commanding credentials that a MR film actually demands. Editing could have been a touch better; probably it was an intentional periodical lapse by MR to depict a story woven from shreds of half baked characters. Music by ARR is haunting; the background score is tantalizing. The songs are chart busters; none grace the screen completely.

Let’s talk about performances. MR is known to derive the best from his casting crew. But this aspect was bit of a let down for me. Vikram as ‘Veera’ was impressive but not ruthless (as it was supposedly marketed); he is still showcased as human who falls for a beautiful married woman. Prithviraj was decent; his role of a police officer wandering with vengeance in mind was visible. Prabhu has a cameo as ‘Veera’s’ brother and excels convincingly; Karthik sizzles in his ‘Hanuman’ act and Priyamani is acceptable as ‘Veera’s’ sister. ‘Veera’s’ gang could have been punctuated with few accomplished actors; may be it was intended to be that way. Aishwarya Rai Bachhan as ‘Ragini’ was average. She cannot act and even Mani’s exemplary skills were not enough to make her histrionics look exquisite. She screeches through the chapters and ends with a whimper. She looks ravishing alright; I think Santosh Sivan can even make Lalita Pawar look like the most gorgeous woman on this planet earth, so let’s not dwell deep in to it.

I would have to watch the Hindi version to have my viewpoints substantiated.

‘Ravanan’ doesn’t rank amongst Mani’s superlative works till date. Neither does it qualify itself to be a masterpiece. But it is a visual incarnation of enormous magnitude and yet another courageous attempt to defy the nuances of a myth.

Raajneeti – A political saga sucked in to the realm of show business

Have you ever witnessed drama at the pinnacle of silver screen? If your answer is ‘No’, then ‘Raajneeti’ will fulfill your desire with aplomb.

The crux of the story evolves from ‘The Mahabharata’. And why not? ‘The Mahabharata’ is unarguably one of the greatest political potboilers that has ever surfaced in the face of planet earth and is widely acknowledged as the epic of all times. I saw major glimpses of ‘The Godfather’, especially in the second half where we have a la ‘Al Pacino’ in ‘Ranbir Kapoor’ (A comparison here would be debatable but it’s worth it). So, we are talking about a lethal combination with ingredients such as love, hate, lust, deceit, greed, envy, power and above all, money. Now you know, why ‘Raajneeti’ is so special to the viewers of tinsel town.

The biggest strength of ‘Raajneeti’ is it’s plot and treatment of the script. Even though few of those sequences were inevitably seen by all of us in plethora of classics churned in the elite history of cinema, the way ‘Prakash Jha’ has handled the entire base of the story with elan deserves special mention. And to top it all, he has a cast at his disposal which can give the best in the industry, a run for their money. When ‘Naseer’, ‘Nana‘, ‘Manoj Bajpai’ and ‘Ajay Devgan’ come together, the outcome can only be stupendous. ‘Naseer’ has a special appearance and lives up to it. ‘Nana’ is at his usual effortless self and is outstanding. ‘Ajay’s’ role is different and portrays a brooding character with utmost conviction. ‘Manoj Bajpai’ is terrific as the evil and self proclaimed heir of the dynasty. He comes very close of bettering his exploits as ‘Bhiku’ in ‘Satya’. For me, two actors impressed immensely (as others were expected to be sure shot winners), ‘Arjun Rampal’ as ‘Prithvi’ and ‘Ranbir Kapoor’ as the vivacious yet suave distant son. Both have probably given their best performances till date in their respective careers and this will certainly help them to attain greater heights. ‘Katrina’s’ efforts were explicitly visible and she doesn’t disappoint. I still felt that post-interval could have been 15-20 minutes less than what it was, but then ‘Jha’ was able to sustain and held it all together in what could be termed as one of the finest directorial efforts in the recent past.

‘Raajneeti’ deals with one of the most powerful and intriguing syndrome in the entire system of our country. But seldom has a film reached out to the contemporaries and the critics in such a flamboyant yet hard hitting fashion.

I detest politics but highly recommend ‘Raajneeti’!

Kites – Flies high with style and melodrama

A film by Anurag Basu always invokes curiosity clubbed with expectation. And, usually, he delivers top notch. ‘Kites’ doesn’t disappoint.

The film, primarily made to cater international audience, has strong overtones of a hollywood set up and the exquisite looks suggest the inevitable intentions of the producers.

I would not talk about the script here as there isn’t much to dwell and introspect. An ordinary effort in writing is hugely compensated by lavish locations and the subtle direction of Basu, especially in the second half. The film takes a riveting shape in the latter part and leads to a pulsating yet realistic end. It is not a quintessential love story with the mundane ‘lived happily ever after’ tag line. I liked the way it concluded, for such kind of enterprising and vivid love stories can only have an aftermath that lies in tatters.

The lead cast is the biggest strength of the film and the over reliance could be explicitly visible. The same cannot be said about the supporting characters though. They are pedestrian. Hrithik Roshan as the suave and ambitious young man is fantastic. ‘Fire’ does set the screen of fire and is a treat to watch. Barbara Modi with her effervescent smile looks gorgeous and charming. She’s got talent and has the potential to go a long way in the industry (might not necessarily be in the Indian scenario though). It is imperative that the biggest asset of ‘Kites’ is their sizzling chemistry on-screen. Kangana Ranaut has been thoroughly wasted and I am not sure why she has to accept a special appearance role at this juncture of her career. She is immensely talented and deserves a better deal. Nothing extraordinary about Rajesh Roshan’s music, but couple of numbers are foot tapping. Salim Sulaiman’s background score is predictably good and acquires an above average score.

For me, ‘Kites’ is watchable for two reasons: Hrithik’s on screen exploits and Anurag Basu’s slick direction. That would fetch enough to make it worth the money.

‘Women’ – The epitome of imperious sustenance

They are probably the most unique and special class of human species. And every time I come across their exploits, they impress me to the core.

Usually, in our spectrum of narrow minded inhabitants, we have always acknowledged and expected them to play second fiddle to man. And you can argue that in the wake of 21st century, their existence is more than vital to the prospects of our society and nation. But, we do find an exclusive section of male chauvinist lurking around in every corner of our world. That, for me, is the undeniable truth behind all the positive stories of female oppression and women liberation.

But despite all such formidable facts, they have an edge. Above all, they are the sole source of nourishment behind the inevitable existence of human clan. They play varied and demanding roles; Daughter, Wife, Mother, Mentor, Teacher, Guide, Inspiration. The first three are obviously the most established of all; the others are subjective and precariously intangible. Yet, their excellence in every sphere is staggering. The expectations are always mammoth and sometimes, unreasonable. Questions always lead to mundane answers that satisfy none; rebels are considered to be taboo and unconventional. Yes, we do have few who refute and react, but the percentage is bleak and impact is minimal. Evidently, I have good reasons to believe that the rebellions have happened for a noble cause and to attain higher vicinity in the larger section of this male dominated fraternity.

And mind you, all the roles specified above come with a huge price tag: Sacrifice. Every role has it’s own set of challenges and ordeals; we admit that it is almost impossible to please everyone around. But she manages to do all that with phenomenal ease, and juggling her roles amidst multiple protagonists is not a mean task. She slips in to those characters as if she was born with impeccable skill sets (not that I think otherwise) and getting trained as if it was a cakewalk. Ominous!!

Readers, my intention here is not just to applaud that very sane attitude of a woman, but paying rich tributes to those extraordinary individuals who are an indispensable part of our own lives.

‘Women’: I salute you!

Dismal T20 campaign raises inevitable eyebrows..

I have always vouched my opinion on this aspect of the game in a very strong and sedate manner. Today, I reinstate my conviction.

Unanimously, I request our immensely talented and enthusiastic cricketers to stop indulging in the lousy business of T20 and focus on ‘Cricket’. Mind you, I am not trying to be a hypocrite as our ‘Indian Team’ falter in the early stages of the ongoing T20. At some point of time, I have always criticized the overwhelming emergence of T20 format, which threatens to rob the youngsters of the basics of this great game and paves the way for the extinction of authentic test cricket and probably, bring the shutters down for the 50 over game as well.

Yes, I am speculating. But speculations have often been remembered as dangerously intimidating and I would love to be proven wrong. But after watching the team in two explicitly miserable games, I am convinced that the boys need to come back and study basics. Indian batsman are world renowned for failing to read the shorter deliveries (barring my boss and our wall), but my concern here is that Dhoni’s men have forgotten to read the pitches here. Men in Blue: Please understand that you are currently wilting it out at the Caribbean shores, where the pitches are bouncier and they come in to you much faster than they do in the subcontinent. Especially in Barbados, where the pitch used to be a minefield those days (We had a forgettable test outing in 1997 here where our boys fell like nine pins, chasing 120 in the fourth innings. We got bundled for 88 and our batting line up was considered to be top notch). And, today, for the second consecutive time, our batsman struggled. Our IPL champs (Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan) were disgusting to watch and have a lot of work to do, more so. since the original and only ‘World Cup’ of cricket is knocking the doors.

I would like to convey the fact to my readers that I am equally fond of our young team and confess that some of them are ominously gifted, but I admit that I do miss the class and elegance of our veterans (Usually, 35+ cricketers are summoned that way in this great game of cricket). We talk about pitches that have bounce and nip back to the batsman, have abundant pace and are ferociously quick, and then we talk about those legendary surfaces in Barbados, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Wellington, Centurion, Wanderers… Sachin, Dravid, Laxman: I missed you today.

The sooner our cricket team and the players realize that there is more to this game than merely slaughtering the ball to all corners of the park, the better for us. I am afraid that if the current generation of cricketers happen to forget all about technique, footwork, agility and hand-eye coordination, then our future generation would be deprived of witnessing the sole definition of world class players and all time greats, who were also widely acknowledged as the greatest entertainers of their times. You can be technically sound and yet be the phenomenon around.

‘Indian Cricket’, please wake up.

We dig the grave and accuse others of getting buried..

Khuda Ke Liye, Sarfarosh, Firaaq, Bombay, Gadar, My Name Is Khan, Mission Kashmir, New York, Shaurya, Rang De Basanti, Delhi 6, Veerzara, Hey Ram, Kurbaan, A Wednesday, Dus Kahaniyan.


What do the above listed blockbusters have in common..?? What makes them much more staggering than mere dramatic sequences in the large repository of the tinsel town..?

Yes, they are all products of very established and talented filmmakers. But there is a single thread that stitches all these flicks together.
All of these portray the infamous friction that has been hovering around two of the most mercurial communities in our country. I would still term them as ‘Communities’, not religion. The plain simple reason being no religion in this world encourages violence and nepotism, but human beings do. Every single barrier discovered and created on the name of caste, creed and socio-economic definitions are credits to superlative human behavior and insane prejudices. And amidst this glorious battle of unscrupulous inhabitants of our great nation, the innocent and the helpless suffer countless atrocities. And to my dismay, this epidemic refuses to die. But my question is, for how long…??
Let’s go back and revisit history. Once upon a time, a great nation called ‘Hindustan’ got itself liberated from the cruel and self indulging clutches of the ‘Britishers’. We were ruined, looted and crucified. Our wealth was magnanimously showered upon by the self centered clan and the remains were mere aftermaths of the ruthless whites. We did not have an economy and hence our resources were visibly depleted. Poverty was our strength and education was an alien concept. Yet, we emerged. We rose like a phoenix and our accomplishments are here to be seen and applauded. You know why…??? We were able to do that because the country was together and oneness was our slogan. 
But then, apocalypse struck. Partition happened and what followed were some of the most forgettable chapters in Indian history. ‘India’ split in to ‘Hindustan’ and ‘Pakistan’. MK Gandhi could not convince Jinnah (I still believe that MKG had his own reasons and theory behind this decision)  and the people were unable to digest this calamity. Thousands lost their lives and families, the freedom came for a price which no one had ever imagined or asked for. The loss was unprecedented. People lost their identity and the roots were uprooted. Trust me, partition was not a cinematic narration, it was hardcore reality. And, till today, the few are citing these shocking events as evidences for today’s situation, which is engulfed by terrorism.
****Watch out for the sequel..****

Presentations could be juvenile yet vulnerable..

It is my firm conviction that presentations in any form, catering to a larger spectrum of the elite and educative crowd has it’s own charismatic influence in a very subtle yet appealing manner. Many might beg to differ, but my stand on this aspect of the competency remains unruffled.

Presentations need not be very formal unless you are trying to rejuvenate yourself in front of a crowd that understands and means only ‘business’. Similarly, a jovial crowd could go berserk if they are not kept entertained by the exploits of the host/moderator. That is where the ‘WIFM’ factor comes in to the picture. ‘WIFM’ indicates ‘What’s in for me’ aspect in this whole episode that can either take you for a ride or enthrall you. So, inevitably, you would be the cynosure of all eyes, as the host and as an aspiring listener who has loads of expectations to deal with.

The following are a MUST for any presentation (not necessarily in the prescribed order):

  • Never have apprehensions, they could prove to be hindrances.
  • As a presenter, you are the boss and take charge nonchalantly. Be confident.
  • Keep the ‘WIFM’ factor in mind and stick to basics.
  • Thumb rule – Look in to the eyes of the audience and convey the acceptability factor.
  • Decide the mode of your presentation: Your oratory skills or the content displayed. Crowd would never be interested in both.
  • Always have the time in check; it’s obvious to get carried away but you do not have the prerogative to snatch somebody else’s allotment.
  • Keep the introduction short and sweet; do not let them count the chickens before they hatch.
  • Start emphatically and end with a purpose.
  • Interact with the target audience and make them feel comfortable; your intention is to engage them fruitfully, not to guide them to monotony.
  • Sense of humor is always an added advantage; never try to overdo it.
  • Never dominate but be assertive and remind them that you call the shots here.
  • Passion facilitates but emotions could deplete your vigor. Energy supplied should be used to gain momentum and garner the right content.

This is a result of my exposure to attain expertise and I am hopeful that it would add the required sheen to the fraternity of speakers who intend to deliver with panache.

IPL Diary – What a final!!

As Harsha Bhogle aptly conveyed the message: ‘The magnificent campaign of Mumbai and Sachin Tendulkar in IPL 2010 has come to an end.’ 

Without doubt, CSK were the superlative team of the day and fought back in to the tournament to take the title home. For me, the star for Chennai was Suresh Raina. He played a fantastic innings in front of a packed Navi Mumbai stadium to take the game away from Mumbai. His innings had the character and aggressiveness that was required to win a final and he came up trumps when required. I still maintain that the 2 dropped catches were way too expensive for MI and they paid the price for it. As Harsha concurrently commented: ‘There is no you in the game, it’s always me.‘ I couldn’t agree more. But I am not taking anything away from CSK and Raina, you were outstanding and deserved to take the IPL 2010 home. ‘Catches Win Matches’ is an old yet the most important chapter in Cricket’s manual and Mumbai missed to scan through those pages today.

I do feel that MI made some critical mistakes at crucial junctures to let the game away. The 2 dropped catches and the uninspiring performance at the field was a big let down. The fact that the last 5 overs yielded more than 70 runs narrates the entire story. I strongly feel that bringing in Bhajji during such encounters would be a futile effort and Pollard should have come in before Duminy. Pollard played a blinder but it was a bit too late for Mumbai to go past that total of Chennai. Coming in to the final as the most prolific team in the competition under the leadership of my ‘Guru’, Mumbai faltered in the final hurdle as few tactics went the other way.
Needless to say, I would not like to curb the feeling to express the obvious fact that I expected my ‘Boss’ to take Mumbai to glory but I have always maintained that it’s the team that wins at the end and individuals are merely enacting a performance for the bigger platform of the game. Even if it is the ‘Lord of Cricket – Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar’. He played a very responsible and sedate innings but as always, there was too much pressure on him and even though he held the innings together, probably today was not to be his. But for dominating this format of the game and catapulting Mumbai to the finals, I salute him. Yet again.
I have always been impressed with MSD’s captaincy and today he stamped his authority all over this thrilling game. His decisions were crisp and effective. But the most important move to have Hayden in the mid off which was so damn straight has instigated me to applaud the captain! Well done Dhoni and a huge pat on the back for CSK!!
In all, a final that we all have always dreamt of!!! A great game of cricket to round off the proceedings at the IPL 2010.

Facing Ali – The Retrospective of A Great Champion!

I cannot term ‘Facing Ali’ as a biopic. Neither can it be considered as a documentary. For me, it is a narration of one of the most prolific and iconic figures in sporting history, from his most revered contemporaries who have witnessed and known ‘Muhammed Ali’ as a fighter, a sportsman, an ambassador and above all, a fine human being. 

‘Facing Ali’ is not motivating, it is an enchanting saga of arguably the greatest heavyweight champion this world has ever known. And, it is not only about ‘Ali’ and his exploits in the ring, but outside the boxing fraternity, where he became a role model to an entire generation.

‘Cassius Clay’ transformed to ‘Muhammed Ali’, but it was just not about his inclination towards the holy ‘Nation of Islam’. It was much more than that. ‘Ali’ was all about character. ‘Ali’ defined self esteem, he idolized discipline and embodied the true spirit of the game called ‘Boxing’. And personally, I feel that he was, undoubtedly, the phenomenal force behind the popularity of the heavyweight championships. ‘Facing Ali’ has some legendary snapshots of his most mercurial fights with ‘Joe Frazier’, ‘Liston I-III’ and ‘George Foreman’. It also talks and visualizes the ‘Fight of The Century’ with ‘Joe Frazier’, which is incidentally one amongst the five losses that he suffered during his entire tenure in the golden ring. His unorthodox style, his boastful yet emphatic phrase of ‘I Am The Greatest’ and his impeccable attitude towards the game is truly legendary. 

The most striking aspect of ‘Facing Ali’ is when his opponents talk about their own encounters with ‘Ali’, and when I hear phrases like ‘A fight with Ali gave me honour, clothes and good food to my children’ and ‘He is a perfect example to the broken myth that a fighter cannot be a gentleman’ is staggering. When your opponents bestow that kind of a respect on you, then I guess, I have to admit that ‘Muhammed Ali’ was undoubtedly the greatest human being to have fought and conquered the world of heavyweight championships. 
Post ‘Facing Ali’, I have realized that there will always be only one ‘Muhammed Ali’ and history will hail him as one of the giants in the annals of the sporting extravaganza.