‘Unnai Pol Oruvan’ – A Classic that could not better it’s Original..

 
‘Unnai Pol Oruvan’ stands out for its excellent narrative mode and the powerhouse called Kamal Haasan. But let us not compare the two versions. As a matter of fact, they are quite different in their context and the treatment of their respective subjects. ‘A Wednesday’ dealt with the inevitable and the contagious phenomenon of Terrorism, with a Global Appeal. ‘Unnai Pol..’ was more in context of the terror spread in various parts of Chennai and Tamil Nadu. Quite understandable, for the script had to meet the needs of the local folks and match their flavor. That is where superlative actors like Mohanlal and Lakshmi are pulled in. The conversations between the two are sarcastic, but equally entertaining. I was quite disappointed with the support cast though. The police officers lacked the fervor and punch that was required for enacting such a powerful and crucial role. The involvement of the real CM’s voice could have been avoided, it sounded like a mimicry artiste was showcasing his expertise to gain footage. The background score was ordinary and the editing was convincing in most parts.
 
To conclude, ‘Unnai Pol..’ is all about guts, perseverance and above all, the true enigmatic portrayal of the ‘Common Man’.

An Everlasting Tribute to the Magical Voice of Rafi Saab

He died 4 months after I was born. But he left his legacy behind to cherish for the rest of my life.

That’s the kind of impact Mohammad Rafi had on his listeners. His mellifluous voice was God’s gift to mankind and an irreplaceable boon to the fraternity of playback singing. I am fortunate that I grew up listening to his songs, that are considered to be immortal.

Rafi Saab ruled the hearts of people of more than 4 decades and 50’s to 70’s were considered to be his golden era. Late 70’s and 80’s saw the emergence of another genius, in the form of the inimitable Kishore da, but that did not deter Rafi from becoming one of the finest playback singers in the history of Indian Cinema.

Be it fun or frolic, melody or classical, disco or pacy numbers, Rafi Saab was equally adept in handling all kinds of tracks with elan. To say that he influenced a plethora of actors and their status as superstars would be an understatement. He has inspired eras with his versatility and catapulted some ordinary actors in to super stardom by rendering his voice to their physical image. And that to me, is a testimony to Rafi Saab’s talent and a big ‘Salaam’ to his voice, which has produced some absolute gems with phenomenal ease and panache.

“गूंजती है तेरी आवाज़ अमीरों के महल में । झोप्रो की ग़रीबों में भी है तेरे साज़ , यु तो अपने
मौसिकी पर सब को फक्र होता है मगर ऐ मेरे साथी मौसिकी को भी आज तुझ पर नाज़ है “.

नौशाद साब, मैं आपकी तरह लिख नहीं सकता पर इतना ज़रूर कहूँगा की रफी साब एक बेहतेरीन गायक थे, जिनकी मिसाल आज भी दी जाती है और उनके गाने सदा अमर रहेंगे.

रफी साब, आपके नगमों को मेरा सलाम.

The Vengeance of Megatron, The Triumph of Optimus Prime and the Matrix of Leadership..!!

Transformers – Revenge of the Fallen is more than just a sequel. It’s an ultimate saga of the triumph of good over evil, Prime versus Megatron and the rejuvenation of the Decepticons, who come to the rescue of the ‘Planet Earth’.

I loved the first part, and I simply adored the second. Scintillating visuals, breathtaking cinematography and astounding special effects make this flick an unforgettable one. Some of the scenes are truly spectacular and are a must see for everyone, especially for the gizmo freaks and the techies. The characters mostly continue from the earlier version and that, for me, is undoubtedly one of the biggest plus points. The editing has been meticulous, to say the least (it is very difficult to sustain such subjects with the same kind of enthusiasm for well over 2 hours and 30 minutes). That is where Speilberg and Bay win this with hands down. The robotic characters do more talking this time and the dialogues are entertaining, at the same time taking us back to history and their evolution.

Yet another extravaganza from the stable of Speilberg and Michael Bay, and I would give them 10 on 10 for this superlative product.

MJ’s Physical & Mental Condition was horrendous before death

 

Jackson had just pills in his stomach, reveals autopsy-Hollywood – Entertainment – MSN India
The autopsy details of pop star Michael Jackson give a horrifying picture of the singer at the time of his death – he was a virtual skeleton as he was barely eating, there were only pills in his stomach. He was bald, bruised and also had broken ribs and needle wounds.

The World Bids Goodbye to the King of Pop


MJ’s demise has robbed Pop music of it’s most revered superstar and one of the most iconic figures in the American Music Industry. His death might have come as a shock, but it was inevitable, thanks to the erratic lifestyle and eccentric behaviour in his personal life, which has been under tremendous scrutiny for the last 10 years or so. I have not heard much of his music (have never been a great follower of English music), but the euphoria that surrounded his life and death, provides ample evidence of his prodigious talent and charisma. One wishes that MJ would be remembered, only for his music, which has helped him to survive some of the darkest chapters in his lifetime and makes him one of the most spectacular entertainers of all times.

Michael Jackson is no more but his legacy will live on.

The musical genius who lived many lives-Hollywood – Entertainment – MSN India


The musical genius who lived many lives-Hollywood – Entertainment – MSN India
He was one of the strangest celebrities ever. But history will remember Michael Jackson as a black man who managed to break through every racial and artistic barrier to become a global pop icon, a true musical genius.

Michael Jackson was much more than the King of Pop-Hollywood – Entertainment – MSN India

 

Michael Jackson was much more than the King of Pop-Hollywood – Entertainment – MSN India
When Michael Jackson anointed himself "King of Pop" over two decades ago, there was considerable rumbling about his hubris: Yes, he may have become a world sensation with record-setting sales of "Thriller," and yes, he may have had a string of No. 1 hits with smashes like "Billie Jean" and "Beat It," but the KING OF ALL POP MUSIC?

CPL Finals, 19th June 2009

The much awaited face off between Ruby and Diamond took place today, on a pleasant morning of the 19th of June, 2009. In the end, the Diamond team emerged triumphant, by scoring a comprehensive victory (by 5 wickets) over the Ruby’s. The Ruby’s won the toss and batted first. They were off to a decent start, before the fall of wickets crumbled their pace. It was a disciplined bowling performance from the Diamond’s, who kept taking wickets at regular intervals to halt Ruby’s run scoring spree. Moreover, 3 run outs proved to be a bit too many for the Ruby’s and they paid the price for it. Ruby’s could not put up a substantial score on the board and 82 was never going to be a threat in these pitches. After initial hiccups, couple of good partnerships put paid to Ruby’s hopes and the Diamond’s romped home with 5 wickets and 3.3 overs to spare.

I would gladly admit that the team that played better cricket on the particular day won and all credit to the Diamond’s for a commendable performance.
Looking forward to the next tournament with utmost eagerness.
Till then, Take Care and Goodbye!

CPL Kick Off 30th May 2009

The CPL Cricket Tournament kicked off in style on 30th May 2009 in the outset of Taramani Railway Station, amidst lot of glitz and glamour. 3 teams compete in the round robin matches, before the 2 best teams clash in the finals to bag the coveted trophy. This tournament was initiated by a bunch of sports enthusiasts, who strictly feel that ‘All Work & No Play’ makes all of us very dull indeed..!! The Outcome – Players compete in the battlefield, for the sake of entertainment and to showcase their cricketing skills. Check out the snaps in the Gallery. Watch out for more in the coming weeks…!!!

Teams:
  • Ruby: Kaleel, Sivakumar, Shunmugavel, Venkatesh Prabhu, Sarath, Sunil Kumar V, Karthik, Rathnam, Mansoor, Raaj Sree Ram, Ramganesh, Santosh.
  • Diamond: Guru, Subramaniam, Prabu, KapilDev, Sanjev, Ramananda, Murali, KumaraSarma, Sriram, Thulasi, Dilip, Sivasankar, Radhakrishan.
  • Platinum: Mohamed, Abuthahir, Ajith, Arun, Dhanaram, Harish, Himath, Jaishankar, Kowshik, Krithik, Rex, Vidhyasagar.

The Scintillating World of Advertisements..!!!

Advertisements these days have adopted a very uncanny way of imparting a message to the public, be it social, political, diplomatic or religion. And of late, this has immensely impressed me, especially a few, which carry a strong yet intrinsic and valuable meaning.

I have always believed that Advertising is a dynamic profession and they are an indispensable part of our daily lives. Be it at work or at home, at parties or movies, advertising has been the name of the game. I admit that it does have it’s own set of drawbacks, but we have to keep in mind that anything which depicts itself in such an explicit fashion and thrives to survive in a very sensitive and fragile environment, is bound to have certain flaws. But it cannot be denied that over the years, advertisements have always had their own set of admirers and that in itself, for me, is a phenomenal achievement. And the trend still continues.

I have been watching IPL whenever time permits, and the Vodafone clips are really refreshing. The animation is simple but provocative and conveys the message straight. Some time back, I came across some Airtel ads which were equally thought provoking. It seems that the cellular services are hell bent in reaching out to their customers by coming out with such entertaining and sensible stuff (I would be happier if they devoted some more time in making their respective networks more reliable). Some of the Insurance and Banking advertisements are really leaving their mark with some smart and juvenile comments, which reciprocates common man’s thoughts and sensibilities.

Gone are those days when advertisements used to be fillers to some of the most watched epics and mega serials in television history. Today, as we are gearing up for greater altitudes, I would not be completely surprised if this happens to be vice versa.

Waah! Kya Team Hai..!!

When the Indian Cricket Team sealed a 1-0 victory in the test series (before mauling them 3-1 in the ODI‘s and it could have been easily 2-0 in tests) in Wellington, we probably did not realize that an entire generation or to be even more precise, an era witnessed history being scripted in the land of the indomitable Kiwis.

The very fact that this has not been accomplished for the last 41 years, speaks volumes about the greatness of this achievement. And since I have been an avid admirer and critic of our Indian Team (ever since I played cricket for a very brief period in the CAB under 16 & 17 tournaments or when I have enjoyed the glorious sport as just a mere spectator), I think it would be apt on my part, to pay rich tributes to this Indian Team, which is blossoming under the mercurial leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

We all have seen our Indian Team, emerging from being the minnows to the underdogs till we came to the forefront as favorites. And many would agree with me that all said and done, we have never been a great force to reckon with, in spite of possessing prodigious talents such as Sachin, and rare gems like Dada, The Wall, VVS, Harbhajan and Sehwag, to name a few. Even when former greats like Gavaskar and Kapil were ruling the roost, we were always considered to be a bunch of exceptionally talented players, who were extremely inconsistent (despite ‘Tournament Winning’ performances in World Cup, 1983 and World Championships, 1985) and under performed when required, especially overseas where we had to bite the dust on numerous occasions. We have watched some magnificent exploits on field, from some of the finest players, the world of cricket has ever seen. But all these attributes notwithstanding, we were always considered as one of the best, but certainly nowhere near the Best.

All that is gradually changing now and especially after the victory in New Zealand, I can sense an aura of invincibility, engulfing our minds. I might be over ambitious, but I am certainly not lacking in confidence, when I say this. One of the major concerns that confronted Indian Cricket team in the last 15 years has undoubtedly been Captaincy and lack of quality openers, in both versions of the game. And this seems to be slowly turning out to be our biggest strengths. We have always had and will continue to have, great players, probably extraordinary players who can carry the Indian Torch for years to come, but our search for a great captain has always been explicit. We had skippers, but they all were reluctant and that compounded our problems. A reluctant leader can never motivate his team and is a threat to the team’s morale. But Dhoni seems to be the answer for all our questions, which have been lingering in our minds, for more than a few years now. And I am glad we found him. Gambhir is developing in to a very skilled craftsman and if he can be consistent, along with Sehwag, they would definitely leave a legacy behind, which could be talked about for years. A Champion side needs a formidable opening partnership. Be it the Windies in 70’s or the Australians from the late 80’s till now, both had fantastic opening bats. Their success has been critical to the team’s overall performance and statisticians would unanimously nod their heads for this piece. And the arrival of youngsters has helped the team to jell together and perform as one unit.

Dhoni‘s captaincy may not be very appealing, but it certainly has been effective and beginning to deliver results. We could easily question his abilities as a batsman (purely on his technique and shot making), but as long as the runs come and the outcome is favorable, his presence would be a great asset for the team. At least, this has been true so far. He still has a long way to go, but till date, his resume is probably the most impressive of all.

I am still a bit worried about couple of factors, especially in the Test arena. Another 2-3 years and the test side would lose some of its most reliable pillars for the last 20 years. Sachin, Dravid, and Laxman would be on their way out, and suddenly our test squad may look ordinary. We have to be consistent in all conditions, and at the same time build a dependable bench, who could come in for our stalwarts. And this for me is India’s biggest challenge in the progressing years.

This is the beginning of a new era in Indian cricket. And this team is already being hailed as THE Best Indian side to have set foot on a cricket field (Many might debate this but the situation demands logical reasoning). Let us hope that this ushers a new wave of energy and exuberance in our brand of cricket, which would eventually catapult us to the top of the world.

Fingers Crossed!!