3 Idiots – VVC & Raju churn out another classic from their stable..

Once in 3-4 years, comes a movie which touches our heart, tinkers the strings of emotions within us and breezes through our minds as sheer poetry. ‘3 Idiots’ is one such flick. Vidhu and Raju come back together after the ‘Munnabhai’ series and their films have just one thing in common. They create magic on screen. And ‘3 idiots’ has that charm written all over it.

Raju comes with yet another heart warming script and the screenplay is just perfect. College euphoria, friendship, emotions, wacky humour, candy floss romance. They are all hallmark of a Rajkumar Hirani film and ‘3 Idiots’ is filled with these stuff in abundance. Above all, in a very uncanny fashion, it raises a strong yet meaningful question mark over the authenticity and essence of the ‘Education System’ in our country. Right from take one, the message is loud and clear, substantiated with significant instances and timely humour. Nice to hear nicknames like ‘Millimeter’ doing the rounds, especially after ‘Munnabhai’ happened to all of us.
The film has it’s own share of blemishes but treatment of the subject and the presentation rules the roost here. The entire ‘Aal Izz Well’ syndrome, riding a scooter and entering the hospital with a half dead patient and the landlord’s servant-genius-proxy-engineering-romancing the director’s daughter concept is all so bewildering, yet cutely acceptable.
It’s Aamir all the way, who comes up with yet another spell binding performance but the supporting cast has been equally brilliant. Sharmaan and Madhavan have given commendable performances as his buddies and Kareena is at her vivacious best. Boman excels as usual in his lisping role and the character named ‘Chatur’ (Unfortunately I missed to get the actor’s name) has been impressively irritating.
In all, a blockbuster from the word ‘Go’, 3 idiots has already become the biggest hit of the year and arguably, the best of 2009. Significantly, Raju is one of the few filmmakers in contemporary cinema, who has achieved commercial and critical success with amazing consistency. 
"Aal Izz Well" :)..

As 2010 arrives..

“The glorious past can never be a yardstick for the unpredictable and yet, juvenile future. Let us pray and wish for a year, filled with plethora of challenges to encounter, and plenty of opportunities to excel.”

I wish all my readers, a progressive and hugely successful new year!

A Visit To ‘God’s Own Country’..

I have always heard (obviously nice things..) a lot about the state of Kerala and its picturesque locations, and post my vacation there (which ended a bit too soon!!), I would agree with most of the claims made. The place is an absolute must for folks who admire diversity. We all had a whale of a time!!
I would obviously not go gaga over the place just because I ended up on a vacation there but would echo my experiences there and how I felt about the places visited during the week long period. Moreover, my articles are known for being genuine, open and explicit (If you all have failed to acknowledge the same..!!?).
The voyage started with darshan in the sublime land of Guruvayur. And I must confess here that my parents were extremely disappointed with what they encountered. After spending around 3 patient hours in the long but passive queue, we were deprived of a decent witness to the domineering presence of Lord Krishna in this part of the world. The deity was tiny in structure and the so called volunteers behaved ruthlessly to whisk us away from the darshan site within seconds. My mother, especially, was furious but of no avail. We did compensate that with visits to other temples but I realized that my parents had a regret which would linger in their minds for some time to come. Otherwise, the small town of Guruvayur is always abuzz with commuters and visitors hogging the streets 24/7.

Our next destination was Allepey (Aalapuzha in local language), the most popular hide out to watch the legendary back waters of Kerala, amidst luxurious and decorated house boats. Definitely, one of the most endearing experiences of my life till date. The sprawling back waters provides a soothing touch to your journey, as the house boat slowly but steadily takes you away from the shores of the land. The 20 hour ride was worth every second!
Our next stop was Kovalam, which is around 16 kilometers from the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram (formerly known as Trivandrum). We did have a night’s halt in the city, before proceeding to the final phase of our trip. A paradise in it’s own right, Kovalam is a gorgeous piece of land and water, lying around the shores of Indian Ocean. It looks like a ‘Brazilian Endeavor’, with foreigners scattered all over the place like beehives. I could hardly spot Indians or locals there, except the hotel and restaurant owners, who carry a sober smile on their faces to keep the tourists engaged. Moreover, we were their during X’Mas time and the stage could not have been set better for the tourists to have a blast. My encounter with the waves was nothing short of a battle but nevertheless, was a memorable one.
The most disheartening aspect of the entire trip was the weather. It was difficult to believe that the state of Kerala could be so humid during the month of december. I always thought that Chennai was one of those places that did not have an authentic winter, I now have another name added to that unceremonious list.
Vacations always get over in a hurry and this one was no different. But for people who are on the verge of planning their forthcoming ventures, I would strictly recommend that a visit to ‘God’s Own Country’ is a must.

The Serenity of Hogenakkal Falls is Enchanting!!

This is my 3rd visit to Hogenakkal Falls and I must admit, that every time I make it to this place, it never ceases to take the charm away from it’s picturesque locales and the incredible scenic beauty of the waterfalls.

This time, I made it with my friends from the ‘City Of Joy’ and they labelled this trip to be one of their finest in near future. And, I am not surprised. My third visit was equally enthralling and ended up relishing the experience, more than they did. Right from the beginning, whether it was our stay in Hotel Tamil Nadu or our exploits in venturing in to the falls, the entire event was nothing short of an adventure. The journey in the ‘Parisal’ is always exciting, especially when the fear of tumbling down in to the 150 feet water body never disappears..!! We almost lost our way, while returning back in the evening and were closest to divinity at that point of time. But we managed to sneak through darkness to find our way back home. The fishes proved to be our saviour for the day and we all feasted on them like never before. Evidently, the taste got the better of us. We wrapped up the day by witnessing the falls on the other side of the state and it was, arguably, one of the most spectacular sights that nature could ever offer from its kitty. The water looked like as if it was pouring straight from heaven to have a conversation with all of us and we were almost lost in its ravishing beauty. My camera refused to listen to me and I ended up capturing every frame of this spectacle. But it was never going to be enough. As they say, “Nature has the capacity to be insatiable, in its own endearing fashion”. How true..!!
It was indeed a visit, which would not be forgotten in a hurry.

Diwali Dhamaka!!

I wish my readers, a safe and sparkling Diwali this year. Let positive energy engulf your life in vivacious spirits and believe that every day would be a dhamakedar one..!!

Jai Ho ARR..

Awesome. Reverberating. Raunchy. That precisely describes Rahman’s exploits in the ‘Jai Ho’ Concert held yesterday, at the Marg Swarnabhoomi, near Mahabalipuram in Chennai on 11th October, 2009.

As the ‘Mozart Of Madras’ churned out some of his sparkling chart busters, the crowd went berserk. It was typical ARR at his best and his commitment of giving a treat to his music lovers stands undisputed. There were some notable absentees like SPB, Shankar Mahadevan and Sukhwinder Singh to name a few, who are usually a part of his concerts by default. I missed them but Rahman almost compensated by bringing in host of new and talented artistes. Sivamani enthralled the 80,000 odd audience with his drumsticks and Chithra was seen in her usual elegance. I had the privilege of attending Rahman’s first concert in India, ‘The Unity of Light’ in Calcutta, way back in february, 2003. Since then, he probably has belted more numbers to his credit and recieved numerous laurels including the twin academy awards, but his obsession for music remains unscathed. I guess, that’s what makes him so special. He rounded off the evening with the unanimous ‘Jai Ho’ and his trademark ‘Vande Mataram’.

While on my way out after the concert ended, I heard few people murmuring about the fact that there were very few Tamil tracks and most of it were from his Bollywood blockbusters. Well, my sympathies to those in this part of the world, who have to battle the ghosts of the ‘language barriers’. After all, ‘Music knows no Language’ but seldom do people understand the gravity of the concept. This was pretty evident when the collaborative efforts of Marg & Shakthi Foundation are heading for more such events, which would invoke ‘Oneness’ amongst the human clan.

Way to Go ARR! ‘Jai Ho’ is just the beginning..

Why Blogging..??

I admit, this might come across as an absurd question, but at the end of the day, I strictly believe that a blog is never complete without actually having an article about blogging..!! (Rather why not blogging..)

So here I go..

Where do I begin? I mean why do people all over the planet decide to blog? Is it boredom? Or is it because they are too tired doing something that they have been doing for an infinite period of time and want to indulge in something that invokes curiosity and sheer madness at the same time? Does this concept of blogging have a direct and effectual relationship with human bonding? May be few of them blog because they absolutely detest mankind and want to be a part of a niche fraternity that only includes the ‘I’ phenomenon… (Obviously, the blog furnished is to be read by able and self indulgent human beings who have the ability to cuddle their thought process, if I can consider that to be a reasonable expectation to begin with).

Some might blog because they are exemplary in their own vicinity. Few blog because they consider themselves to be a force to reckon with in Plagiarism. Many blog as they consider themselves to be too inferior to come out in public and divulge their inner credentials. Some feel otherwise. Many write because they have nothing else to do, some pen down memories which would facilitate them during their ‘Alzheimer’ days. Majority always blog because they are never correct. Handful of them blog because they know too much. Some just blog, for reasons known to nobody.

Or, may be, I am insane to blog this for you all. But then, I am proud of myself for what I just did.

Blogging All The Way..!!!!

‘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.