On An Impulse

Naheeeeeee ...

2009-12-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

It was the 3 idiots. This blog is not a review of the movie or anything near it. It’s more of a chain reaction. A scene that reminded me of several other scenes. Aamir and Madhavan visit Sharman Joshi’s house to get an earful from his mom. The milieu is like this. An ailing father in a god-forsaken bamboo cot, perilously coughing with bottles of Benadryl stocked up next to him. He is not wearing a shirt so that visitors to his house (rare, though) can have a look at the outline of his lungs and count his ribs. Surprisingly, no Horlicks bottle beside him. Oh, he is poor, and can’t afford it, you see. Dare not ask what he is suffereing from. It could be anything from a fatal cough, minor lung cancer, or stick-it-to-d-man-neosis, the seriousness of which will be decided based on the director’s mood. There could be a ‘medical miracle’ that would heal him from advanced lung cancer, or could be a bullet piercing through the throat removing the cancer or just a couple of heart wrenching songs by the heroine with the family cow ringing the temple’s bell vigorously with tearful eyes, or just about anything ingenious as these.

Moving a little aside, we see the subservient wife of the ailing old man, clad in a torn saree, graying hairline with thick dark circles around her eyes drawn with the same kajal used to mark her dark bindi. At any time of the day, she can be seen coughing and struggling to kindle the cooking fire. Much like Ekta Kapoor’s serial killers, be it midnight or broad daylight, the women of the house are shown with their makeup intact. Not a hair out of place. The only difference when it comes to our dear old lady is her makeup (or the lack of it, in this case). If there are no more rotis to be made, or fire to be rekindled, she warbles on songs in high pitch near the dying man even after the doctor warning her not to subject the poor man to any kind of shock. Some people never learn, I tell you.

Anyway, the life of this ailing man depends on how he is related to our hero. If it’s the hero’s dad, he would deliver a page long monologue and dies before uttering the last and the most important word the hero wanted to hear. ‘You take care of your mom, sister, brother, your cousin, uncles and auntys, dog, cat, cattle, (y dont u just say ‘everyone’ instead). Ennoda kadaisi asai enna theriyuma… nee, nee, nee, …. Damaal. The head drops sideways and the hero shouts in his highest decibel possible. ‘Appppaaaaa’ followed by ‘Ennangaaaaaa..’. A violin in single string plays Murari.

Some intellectual directors show indicative sequences like a branch falling from a tree, waves stopping mid-air, a flickering candle, or worst of all, a volcanic explosion.

The milieu is different if the ailing old man belongs to the nouveau-riche. He would be dressed in a dhinchak dressing gown (~ a red satin oversized sleepwear) with a battalion of nurses fussing around his bed. If you take a closer look, one of these pretty girls would perpetually be checking the thermometer and adjusting the glucose bottle. The old man is propped up with a dozen pillows for support. And the family lawyer would be ready with a stack of neatly folded papers in hand. Major Sunderarajan would most probably be the eldest son. As is the custom, the soda-putti doctor after making appropriate faces over the xRay sheet, mumbles a few dialogues to the nurses and leaves the room. The son follows him carrying the doctor’s kit. ‘I am sorry Mr. Major. He is suffering from terminal cancer. His only cure is to bring back his youngest son who ran away 15 years ago.’ ‘ What are you saying, doctor.. enna solreenga neenga ?’. The camera shifts to rotating psychedelic circles resembling mosquito coils and we know it’s the flashback.

Certain actors were exceptions. I was watching Gauravam, when the celebrated artist on screen says ‘Kiliku Rakka Molachiduthu. Koonda vittu parandhu poiduthu. (Parrot got its feathers. It flew off the cage.)’ and then shouts ‘Kannnnnaaaaaaaaaaa’ in a tone that’s only reserved for the above cited ominous instances. I thought the older Sivaji was about to die. Then for a good 10 minutes, he warbles on ‘ Neeyum Naanuma’ in a pitch that taught me to expect the unexpected from the veteran actor. Like the way he enacted during the saxophone interlude in ‘Unnai Ondru Ketpen’. Guy made me think he is about to froth with the effervescence dripping in his mouth and pass away right on. Miscalculations like these would make for an entire blog post.

There is this one movie, a classic of all times, which took a deviation from cliché. The forlorn hero is bed ridden, again with a terminal illness. The wife cheers him up, plays Sitar, croons lovely songs in the hospital room, audible to every other person in the neighborhood. The doctor is the wifey’s high school sweetheart. The climax is heart wrenching. The doctor forgoes his food and sleep, forgets the hour of day, does a lot of research work to find a cure for the disease, sacrifices his life while saving the patient. Another song and more violin follows. Whattey twisht!

The new movies are not to be left out either. I still remember Monsieur dragging me out of the theatre when we were watching Ghajini, the Hindi one. I could not suppress my laughter when one of the gangsters died murmuring ‘Woh woh .. ‘. Gritting teeth, flaring eyes, the villain’s face was a treat to watch. After sufficient assurances from yours truly that there would be no laughing over intense tragic scenes, we continued watching the rest of the movie.

Thereafter, I don’t laugh. I blog. Muhaha!

Train of events

2009-09-08T22:55:00.000-07:00

TNagar Shopping
Saravan Bhavan/A2B
Pattu saree
Kalyana Galatta
authentic food
chidambaram
2 weeks sans fb, orkut, yada yada
unforgettable Singapore transit
.. back to beautiful adelaide.
Spring is here.. Yay!!

Movies Movies

2009-09-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

All set to watch Quick Gun Murugun. Mind it!! :)

Kandhasamy song picturisation is so disappointing. Susi Ganesan trying to do a Shankar in every frame. Not a single positive review as yet for the movie.

Where was Kanchivaram all this while? Looks like a season of National Awards for Tamil Cinema. One more movie added to my list.

Free advice

2009-09-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

Never argue with idiots! They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Newtonin Moondram Vidhi

2009-06-26T01:39:00.000-07:00

Newtonin Moondram Vidhi(Action = Reaction). The physics-defying ‘five fingers, five bullets’ concept has set out a novel shooting technique and SJ Surya has given the league of Khans, Kanths and Hasans, a scene to cut, copy and customized-paste in their forthcoming movies.

SJ Surya, an active member of IEEE, is lying on the floor, badly injured. The villain is laughing, giving a usual lecture, before his fatal end. Surya is left with nothing but a bullet. Our hero gives a shocked look at the age-old bullet ridden mirror in his house, then smiles sardonically at the villain and pulls the trigger. The camera now freezes on the villain and a flashback scene is shown where SJ Surya is seen experimenting with a candle, a bullet and an Applied Physics Book (McGill Publications). Rest is anyone's guess.

My two cents here for his sequel to this movie (or is it a Corollary?): The above storyline remains the same. Just change a few frames in the climax. Suggested movie names and their taglines.

Pythagoras Theorem (a² + b² = c²): Bullet and Surya are at right angles. When the bullet hits the villain, we realize that all this while the villain has been standing in the hypotenuse.

Murphy’s Vidhi (everything that can go wrong will go wrong): Bullet zigzags its way around the house and finally somehow hits the villain.

Einstein’s theory of Relativity(theriyum, aana theriyadhu): well explained in SJ Surya’s tryst with Urvasi in the movie ‘Ah Aah’.

Fourier Transform: SJ Surya starts reciting the Fourier Equation. Villain takes the gun and kills himself.

A day well begun ..

2009-06-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

Beautiful day out there!

Poetic weather
Rain washed street
Dripping hibiscus
Fresh air
Clear Sky

I choose to remain blissfully ignorant of an other world outside this.

Unnai Ninaithu ....

2009-06-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

Happened to watch the climax of ‘Unnai Ninaithu’ (Do not judge me. its a long weekend and new movies are all boring). Anyway, for those blessed souls who are blissfully unaware of this movie, here’s a heads up. Surya is a typical Hindu matrimonial ‘Chamathu guy with Good habits’. All desi women, except Sneha and Laila, are his sisters. And yeah, he is broke.

Laila ditches him for a rich guy who is a fake, as events transpire. Laila comes back to Surya for help and Surya with no VMSS (Vekkam, manam, yada, yada) helps her become a daactor. This is when the celebrated scene takes place which is the sole reason for this exclusive blog post. Dr.Laila (prompted by her dad, Thalaivasal Vijay) proposes to Surya. No prizes for guessing the wonderful milieu. (For dummies, it’s the same stale railway station.) When we hear the guard whistle, we know it’s the climax. Long Live Tamil Cinema.

Surya then delivers this academy award winning, Vikraman signature-style dialogue, or an essay, to be exact. He gives Laila a thumbs-down and Laila boards the train frustrated. The director cleverly hides the reason behind her frustration. We still do not know if it’s the lengthy dialogue that caused her to break down or if it’s Surya’s denial. Sneha, hidden behind a lamppost (?!), overhears all this conversation and ends up marrying Surya. Gutsy eh! The movie culminates here with a ‘Film by Vikraman’ and the audience lives happily ever after.

Here’s the original dialogue:

Surya: some weird sentence connecting the words. ‘highway car, dupatta, overtake, warn people in the car, If I would help a stranger, y wouldn’t I help u? love, saaary laila, sneha waiting, guard whistle, please ponga. Marry someone else… blah blah…’

My variations: (blame the long weekend again)

Visu: Idha paaru da kanna, Nee munnadi Car ottitu poga, unnoda dupatta kaathula paraka, adha naa gavanikka, naa unna chase pannitu poga, nee car a nirutha, parakara dupattava nee madaki pudika, traffic constable namba rendu perukkum fine poda, nee thanks solla vaayeduka, ipdi kakka kakka kanagavel kakka nu sollite polam.. Godavari, Road ku nadula oru vella kotta Kizhi di. Meeesterr Vedhachalam, sorry pazhaka dosham, Miss Laila, Indha vella kotta thandi neengalum varakoodadhu. Nanum vara maaten. Idha paaru da kanna ….

Chandrasekaran (returns from the factory in his khaki shirt): Appa, Vendam pa, yerkanave road la neraya vella kodu iruku.

Superstar: Anger is the reason for all miseries, One should know how to control it, otherwise life will become miserable. Laasht but not the leasht, adhigama MBBS padicha ponnum onnume padikadhe payanum nalla vazhndhadha sarithirame illa. Uakum enakum Gatham gatham.. ellam mudinji pochi.. 10 enrathukulla neeya pona train la polam. Illena bus dhaan. Baba counting starts. Huha hahaha. Idhu Eppadi Irukku.

TR : ennama Laila,
Nee MBBS passa faila ?

Nee maatiko stethoscope,
Unakum enakum no scope.

nee Kuthitu pona nenjula,
Inime sneha dhaan en anjala.
.. Laila faints.

Gapten: (Clears throat) .. tamil naatula motham 345 medical college iruku. Adhula, erakuraya, 3892 per padikaranga. Adhula lady daactars mattum motham 2425 per irukaanga. baakistan theeviravadhinga panra prachanaila, …. Hello laila, padhi dialogue sollitrukum bodhu neenga kelambi pona enna artham, nillunga please.. meedhi dialogue kelunga .. hello….eets okay. We will meet. Will meet. Meet.

Shanmugasundaram : akka akkkaaa .. un ponnukaga naa anju varusham kathirundhen ka .. anju varusham kathirundhen.. Epdilam adichaa theriuma? kaalale enna etti etti udhachaa, unakaga poruthukiten ka. Un thambi ketavan illa ka ketavan illa. Adhukaga un ponna ippo kalyanam pannika mudiyadhu …amma di laila, vandi kelambudhu. Nee poitu vaa ma. (To the driver) thambi, paathu medhuva ottitu ponga thambi!

Enna Punniyam Seidheno ..

2009-05-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

Adelaide winter is not disappointing. It is in every way as expected. Freezing cold and tough.

A mug of hot choco, a rug to wrap around, the perpetual whirr of the heater, the gloves, scarf and sweater: this great grand ensemble has been my fashion statement for some time now. I am still getting used to the winter spell and I am taking my own sweet time. Winter starts officially in June. Sigh. What do you call this then?

I settle on the sofa comfortably in this costume (looking like Takur Singh). I run a sanity check wondering if everything is within reach.
Laptop, TV Remote, Sea of Poppies? Yes. No, check again.
CoffeeMug, chips, water? Yes. No, Sumthing is amiss.

Ah, shuddup and just watch the TV. 10 Minutes of Heroes. Then comes Tada Tada Tannn.. Chikku Bukku chikku bukku raile from the other room. The good old mobe. Haa Haa, told ya.

:Hello, ees thees Sweeathe Venka..
:Ya, tell me.
:We have a new personal loan scheme for our……

Duh.

Risk Appetite

2009-05-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

AUD opened 80 cents above USD today. Yay!!

Surge in risk appetite is the alleged reason. Risk Appetite, a wonderful concept, is deceptively simple to comprehend. If you are running an organization, you should know how much risk you can devour if you want to retrieve a decent return.

A bit of Gyaan: (Last benchers can doze off happily. Sweet dreams!)

Say, you are running a bank. You should have defined risk categories and set target levels around these categories, one for the loans department, one for new business ventures, etc. To put in layman terms, an organization needs to have a minimal risk appetite. Remember the no-pain, no-gain concept.

On a usual Sunday afternoon, You are at Marathalli. You enter into Innovative Multiplex and the only matinee show screened is errr, wait…. Mariyadhai. Disappointed, you come out only to meet your college prof who calls you for lunch at Bhagini. It is one of those critical situations in life where you are desperate to make a decision. You end up taking the obvious choice. By evening, you are surprised to find that your risk appetite has paid off. After all, Mariyadhai is better than Sarvam.

Yaar Nee?

2009-05-28T00:52:00.000-07:00

Well, the intended recipient of this letter has chosen to be very discreet when it comes to revealing his /her identity in orkut but not so when it comes to sending incessant friend requests.So,here goes...

To whomsoever it may concern:

I am not complaining. But I am not accepting your friend request either. I have a hearty laugh every week at the expense of your messages in my inbox. Much as I appreciate your friendship expedition, I will, as well have you know that occasionally, Monsieur checks my inbox too. Besides holding her handbag and mobile phones when the wife is out shopping, the holy matrimony demands the better half lends a hand time and again to keep her alive on facebook and orkut.

However, if you are still persistent, change the title of your msgs to ‘Latest Designs from Pothys Samuthrika Collection’ or ‘Application form from Jaya TV Jackpot’. That way, you steer clear of a condescending laughter from one of us, while persuading the other to read the message till the last dot.

Gracias!

Capsicum, Cooking, Calculations

2009-05-21T07:04:00.001-07:00

The arrangement in the veggie section in Woolworths reminds me of the traffic lights. A green followed by a yellow, then a red one. Stacked one below the other. Colourful and exotic vegetable, Capsicum. Piquant bittersweet taste when cooked fresh.

Capsicum has never interested me before. Cooking itself, for that matter. Kitchen was my untrodden territory. Cooking is an art, says Amma. For me, it was just modern art. I could stare at the final picture with awe and recognise any genuine masterpiece by the look of it. Talent and expertise that went in the making were promptly acknowledged and appreciated. That’s all I could do. I wouldn’t touch the canvas. Atleast not until, ….

Well…The above dots got filled and to my surprise I was there in the kitchen and before I knew it, I was painting vazhakai morkootu and mulagootal with ease. Finely cut vegetables, the right pinch of salt, patience and some imagination is all it takes to paint a decent picture. I hate to admit it, but yes… I’m luving it. So, why all the ado before? mmHm.

Enough retrospect. What next… aahh, Tax calculations. Similar reluctance. Dragging my feet, here I come! I am gonna luv it, be it Stuffed capsicum or Superannuation.

Life is...

2009-05-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

The Week: 5 days of mayhem, crisis, confusion, frenzy, deadlines, demos, last minute sodhapals, 12 hour shifts, tracking, status reports,meetings...

The weekend: dinner with friends, XMan, Raghu Romeo, Poi Solla Porom, Australia, ATA’s felicitation barbeque, Paths of Glory.

Life is not all that bad. Trust me.

Dr. House

2009-05-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

A one of its kind serial I got glued to right from the first episode. The protagonist is an eccentric medical genius who can perform an operation when he is cracking a crossword puzzle. Not everyone can smash it the way Hugh Laurie has. Portrayal of an outrageous intellectual who diagnoses his patients based on epiphany more than anything else is not an easy task. Not surprisingly, he has been rated the second sexiest television doctor. Only next to our very own George Clooney.

The point here is, unconventional as it is, the serial ended in the most unacceptable way with Doctor House landing in a psychiatric institute. All said and done, Mr.Cool is framed lunatic in the much hyped grand finale. The last episode reveals that he has been deluding himself and that his vulnerability, however short-lived, is a figment of his imagination. Kudos to whoever scripted this. But just one question.

What can possibly go wrong with a lived-happily-ever-after ending? With House’s boss-the single, dainty, eligible Cuddy standing next to him all the while.

Movies Movies ..

2009-05-09T04:59:00.000-07:00

Managed some good movies on the way.

1. The Reader: Awesome Movie. Not sure what to make of the story. But watch it for Kate. Fabulous performance. Her evolution from the Titanic Rose to a matured, unassuming, underplaying Hanna Schmitz is evident throughout.

2. Scent of a Woman: Al Pacino. Al Pacino. Al Pacino. Watch out for the background score when he drives the Ferrari.

3. Ayan: A well chosen comeback movie for Surya after the blockbuster Varanam Ayiram. But Why Tamanna? With her do-i-luk-pretty-when-i-cry attitude and robotic dance style, sigh.
Surya has been consistent throughout (as always). And Prabhu too. But its Jagan who walks away with the cake eventually. Talk about spontaneous humor.

4. A Good Woman: Tea time movie. Set in Victorian era, Ellen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson steal the show.

5. Castaway : Ok, stop it. I know everyone has seen it already.

Howdy!!

2009-05-09T04:03:00.000-07:00

How do you like a week cramped with Cest la Vie moments. Half baked blog posts, mails drafted to be sent later,TTD list getting bigger. Procrastination at its best. The weekend finally is here. I am not complaining. Its good to be busy. But (thers is always a but, isnt it.. )

Its good to be working throughout the day, breathing in instalments, trying to give your best, on time. I understand the associated chaos and frenzy. but should you interrupt me when I am having my lunch? For work? Especially for work? I simply dont comprehend the supposedly-assumed-FBI-tracking-Jason Bourne attitude at work. Some roles are best left to Matt.

Forever Young!

2009-04-10T06:33:00.000-07:00

The good thing is Mel Gibson. Young. Very Much.
The minus is … well, everything else.

If you are not looking for logic or reason, this one gives you good entertainment. For one thing, Mel is really fresh and young in the first half of the movie. Set in 1939,the classic milieu suits him like a T. A little action and some love. When you think u’ve finally got a good movie, comes the sci-fi twishht – his girlfriend goes into a coma and our hero volunteers to be frozen till she comes back. ‘Wake me when she comes back’ .. you know, the thing every last-bench classroom lad tells his friend, ‘wake me when the teacher is back’. Regrettably, the scientist friend passes away in the war and Mel is left unattended. After 50 years, a couple of inquisitive teens accidentally open the capsule and Mel comes out. Much like an Indian Thatha. Stop laughing, I am trying to be serious here. He unravels the mystery in a world 50 years older than him. Meets his love at the end. She was just in a coma, remember? Come on, if Mel can come out of a capsule alive, so can she.

True love waits forever ;) in the same old bungalow, near the same lighthouse, with a flower basket in hand. Perfect!

Nenjam Marapadhillai ..

2009-04-08T01:35:00.000-07:00

!! WARNING : Take DIVERSION. Senti blog ahead :) !!

- to be updated -

Aah ?!

2009-04-08T01:30:00.001-07:00

This is my first post since New Year?
well, for someone who had resolved to blog frequently, this is a surprise. Will try to keep up from now on atleast. Easter Holidays approaching. Fasten ur seatbelts folks! Its blog time again.

Who is the best comedian?

2008-12-15T23:52:00.000-08:00

Was watching Thillu Mullu recently!

Ayyampettai Arivudainambi Kalia Perumal Chandran. Double Bonus when Indran makes his entry. Its difficult to select a particular scene as the best one (cudnt help the cliche, but true.)

Though, in the first-among-equals list, comes:

Interview scene:

:Sattaila enna bommai?

-Poonai Sir.

:Adhula enna avlo perumai? Get Out!

:...... thuthukudila paanai eduthutu ponaare oru periya mahaan,avara pathi neenga kelvi patrukeengala?

-illaye pa

:appo avar dhaan enga appa!

- scenes with the podi payyan who tries to ape rajinikanth

- ippo meesai mukiyama illa paatu mukiyama?

- and ofcourse, Sowkar Janaki.

Credits to Visu for managing some of the best dialogues ever. Thankfully, there is no hint of the usual confusionism in his dialogues.

KB's direction, complemented by a wonderful trio (Superstar, Thengai seenivasan and Sowkar) with Visu's dialogues - unparalleled comedy as yet.

will definitely watch again. And again.

Facebook

2008-12-13T21:55:00.000-08:00

Joined facebook recently. Another timepass. Started scribbling on 'Walls'. Lets see how long it is before the excitement fizzes out.

As far I can see, (which is not a great distance), I dont find it friendly as orkut. Serves the same purpose though. Now, with more networking sites like these, all you have to do is, within the same network of friends, decide if you should Post a scrap or write on the Wall. :)

a recent update: Facebuk is cool. way better than orkut. but a lot more visibility whether u like it ot not. u cant do as much as a whisper to ur friend without the whole world being told abt it. its got these cool quizzes and Top 5 ratings.. so far so gud.

2008-12-13T21:51:00.000-08:00

An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.
If the doctor is smart, keep the apple away. :)

Moon and Stars Smiling!

2008-12-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

On Monday across Australia, Venus and Jupiter were in formation with the moon to appear as a smiley face in the night sky.

The three-day-old crescent moon and planets appeared above the western horizon.

The unusual astronomical event was close enough to see with the naked eye from about 9pm.

Venus and Jupiter have appeared near each other in the evening sky for the past week but last night was the best time to see the smiley face.

It will be another five years before the formation appears again.

Courtesy: Yahoo!

Golmaal - Hulchul : Review

2008-11-11T20:36:00.001-08:00

The movie title itself is a one word review. Major part of the story is bland and the characters are not consistent. Arshad Warsi and Paresh Rawal’s characters are so wasted - sacrilege. Ajay Devgan cannot do comedy for his life. Rimi sen is just happy that she got to act with big names in the industry and flirts with everyone in the movie. Visually impaired people have other sharp senses, right! All of a sudden, everyone becomes good, talks sense, makes reason and you realize it’s the climax.

The gang leader is always in the ship wearing the same dress with the same men around him in the same place. They had finished shooting his whole part in a day, with no change in attire or location. Just pasted them in different places in the movie. Intelligent editing, that is what it is.

All in all, a wasted star cast, absolutely no humor, definitely not worth watching.

Just change the name of the heroine and the same review applies to Hulchul. Climax scene: Akshaye Khanna clings to a garland and does an aerobic stunt and ties the knot with Kareena Kapoor. Grow up Guys. Please.

Brownie Points for songs in both the movies.

Two things finally: Mere presence of Paresh Rawal and Arshad Warsi will not make a good comedy movie. The script has to do its part.

Films like Sholay, Hera Pheri will work only once. Don’t attempt remaking them.

I'm friends with him.. believe it or not!

2008-11-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/nov/11-obama-tried-calling-me-up-says-manmohan.htm

warm letters exchanged ! ROFL

My Cricket

2008-11-03T21:33:00.000-08:00

Cricket to me is all about the eleventh hour nail biting finish, a do or die situation with tension building up and shouts and cheers (not to mention the crackers !) coming from every house in the street.

We were a team of 11 proudly calling ourselves ‘The Teachers’ Colony 11’; Appa as captain, VKR, Ahmed, Vijay, Murali Anna, Balachander, Rajiv Gandhi (yes!), Nishanth were the key players. I was there in the team too, but for modesty reasons let us not delve anymore on my extraordinary performance in batting that gave others a complex, they had to make me an errand boy.

We had had great 10-10 matches and some Kodak moment catches. Ahmed fell flat on the gravel for a successful catch and had to be treated but not before he finished the rest of his overs. Talk about dedication ;)

We were a fully equipped team with a tennis ball, a coconut branch for a bat, and bamboo sticks for stumps until VKR won a complete Cricket Kit out of a Boost Refill Pack. We decided not to write to the Boost Company if they were wondering about the sudden increase in demand for their energy drink from a particular colony in a small town down South.

The match fever rose exponentially now that our prized possession included a pair of leg pads (u fell down more than u scored runs wearing them), Gloves (too big for any one in the team), a cork ball (don’t get me started on this one). Come what may, we never missed an opportunity to call ourselves the most sophisticated team in the neighbourhood. Apparently, we lost count of the broken windows, light bulbs and a few foreheads.

But, we must admit, no one till date complained.

Then, there were the board exams, college and hostel life, and the big rat race of life that kept these cricket moments alive only in memories. One’s holiday is another’s working day. A new team formed up in the street and VKR with a heavy heart gave away his kit to them. Appa is their umpire now; the advantage of residing in your native town.

No regrets. After years, I stood pitching the bat against the lush green ground, managed a meagre 5 runs and bagged a catch. The Indian community in Adelaide plays Cricket every Saturday evening. Monsieur is introducing his colleagues to the community next week and the team will just get bigger.

Ok, I’ve gotta practise. I don’t want to be an errand boy here too. Do I!

Life is

2008-11-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

Got myself registered with the library for wireless network.

Unconditional access to internet throughout the day!

Bring the laptop, start surfing.

Hmm .. Life is beautiful :)

End of an Era

2008-11-02T22:18:00.000-08:00

http://in.rediff.com/cricket/2008/nov/03prem.htm

:(

the only reason I have been watching test cricket for.

Saroja: Review

2008-10-31T21:26:00.000-07:00

A thriller again, in the history of Tamil cinema. A predictable storyline leading to a ‘lived happily ever after’ ending. Yet, Venkat Prabhu has succeeded in keeping the audience biting their finger nails or if they are hygiene freaks, he brought them to the seat edges for a considerable part of the movie. Premji Amaran scores brownie points for his timely untimely dialogues, especially when he mimics the super star and the super star aspirant Vijay. My wishful thinking is that he teams up with Sandhanam of lollu sabha fame and does a full fledged serious comedy.

Venkat Prabhu has carefully avoided the traditions of a typical Tamil cinema thriller.
-A drum beat follows every footstep of the bad guy
-A close-up shot of a hand touching the hero’s shoulder, he turns around shocked and bang comes ‘Intermission’
-Rotating colour lights on the villain’s face (this gives me the creeps)
-Good cop gives a sermon to the bad cops and they all magically turn good.
None of these theatrics and extra terrestrial gimmicks. The extraordinary thing about the movie is it is so ordinary.

What could have been better:

-The engagement song: looked more like one of Ekta Kapoor serials with everyone clad in a red sari with heavy makeup and jewellery.
-Saroja’s accent: the school girl hardly got a complete line to speak and could have well avoided her Junoon Tamil accent.
-Jayaram’s last minute change of character: a time tested formula.

Mothathil, Saroja – Oru Mulliladha Roja.
Adutha varam, meendum top 10 -il sandhipom, vanakkam.

Dear Jayaram Sir

2008-10-31T21:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Jayaram Sir,

This is not a hate mail or blackmail from Mamootty / Mohanlal fan club. Just an ordinary letter / madal / kadidham/ kadidhame from your yet another fan. First things first. You did a good perfo in Saroja. When I first saw you in the movie, I expected a roller coaster ride of laughter from you. In seconds, it was clear that you would be donning the serious cop role and no complaints; u did full justice to it. But, do you (you too, with all your experience) have to fall into the trap of commercial cinema giving the tale a final twist, that too a legendary ‘friend turning foe for money’? More to it, do you have to give the villainous laugh when you got hold of ‘Saroja’ in the end? Sorry Sir, we laughed when u laughed gritting your teeth and making a slack jawed dialogue. You could have well called it a day when Saroja came back to you finally.

Reliable sources tell me that you pulled out a similar stunt in Dhaam Dhoom as well. I haven’t seen the movie, but if u can take a suggestion, here it is:

‘Erumbuda, kadikudhu, Soriyakoodadha?’ …. Remember this? Arguably (because of Yugi Sethu) the best of 5 in Panchathanthiram, you did this role with such ease and finesse. And that’s what suits you well. There are other well crafted actors in your fraternity, like Nasser and Prakash Raj, who would be perfect for this Namak haraam role.

Expecting a more realistic performance in your next movie.
~SVS.

PS: You may wish to forward this letter to Mr.Venkat Prabhu for his benefit also.

Dears

2008-10-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Patrons!
Ha! All of 5 posts and my vanity is getting the better of me already… I stand corrected. So,

Dears!

For those of you who wish to exercise Freedom of expression in the Comments Section of my blog, I hereby grant you total liberty to go ahead. Feel free to discuss the Indo Pak relationship, or analyze the recent debacle of the Aussie Cricket Team or post Love to Hate mails to SRK and Ash.

However, it is my utmost duty to let you all know that the comments are scrutinized by the moderator of this blog before they get published. After all, she has no other choice left as The Monsieur has the password and her folks still think of her as a Chamathu Ponnu. You get the drift right? Super.

~SVS.

The Thing About the Future

2008-10-12T21:48:00.000-07:00

“Here is the thing about the future. Every time you look at it, it changes, and that changes everything else."

How is it for a thought? Nicholas Cage's well delivered dialogue in NEXT. He enacts a man who can look 2 minutes into the future. Sees his girl shot down and saves her on time. A sci fi movie diluted with commercial material. The scene where he replicates himself and goes in search of his girl is a good one. Otherwise, nothing mindblowing in a so called sci-fi action flick.

There is a demanding premise running through the entire movie. And that is 'If you can see the future, you can save it.' which incidentally is the movie's tagline.

Here's some thought: If you see the future, and you change it, then, What you saw as the future, will no longer be the future. Right?

The Idiot Box and the Not So Idiotic Shows

2008-10-11T01:42:00.001-07:00

Statutory Warning: Do not expect any mega-serials in this list.

Kalakapovadhu Yaaru: A sensible program on Vijay TV, which is religiously replicated in all the other channels. Yet, this is the best. Shivakarthikeyan and Gokulnath steal the show every time. S Ve Shekar did justice to his role as the judge. He is not to be seen these days. Uma Riaz proved herself through her extended cameo in Anbe Sivam. And continues to do the same here. Go easy on your makeup lady!

Champions of the World: An ‘eat cricket, sleep cricket, drink cricket’ quiz show hosted by the versatile Harsha Bogle. His charm, grace and the way he teases college kids with his out-of-the-world cricket questions are a must watch.

Here are a few sample questions he throws at the show. ‘How many people in Stand B gave a standing Ovation when Azharuddin hit his first century’ or ‘Connect the following fast bowlers: A, B, C, D’. Don’t you know. All these bowlers swing their arms 5 times before delivering the ball. Out of the world right? That’s what the show is all about.

BSNL Sports Quiz: Sumanth C Raman, who hosts this program since time immemorial, is South India’s Harsha Bogle. I haven’t seen anyone talk so fast and so clearly at the same time. Not one to mince words even once, he is a tad better than Harsha as his syllabus covers the entire sports encyclopaedia.

Bournvita Quiz Contest: Need I even say anything?

Crazy Mohan Shows: Anyday, Anytime.

Lollu Sabha: A movie spoof program. Trying hard not to lose its TRP as the main actors are offered meatier roles on the silver screen.

Koffee with Karan : Don’t judge Karan Johar by his fairytale movies. He is brilliant and witty in real life. See how actors fare when they are asked to speak their own dialogues.

Lara Dutta wins hands down. What spontaneity. What humor!

Aishwarya: Diplomatic

Shahrukh : Dramatic

Himesh : Pathetic

Koffee with Anu: Star World’s adaptation of the above program for its south Indian cousin Star Vijay. Saroja Team did a one-of-the-sorts good show.

Hari Giri Assembly: Two college seniors Bhaski and Sethu ragging the freshers who incidentally are eminent people mostly from the film fraternity.

Tony B Show: A lighter version of the above program on Channel V. Shankar Mahadevan was laudable. The opponent has to be a real sport to handle Tony B’s interview. Otherwise, it becomes a flop like the one with Manish Arora.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S: Of course.

Navarathri

2008-10-10T01:10:00.000-07:00

Navarathri - My favorite season of the year. Appa chants the Suktham with reverence. I sit beside him looking at the Golu Mandap. Every time the name Janani comes in the sloka, he turns and looks at me with a twinkle in his eyes. I rejoice and smile back. I was 10 then.

I am 24. The scene has not changed. Appa continues to chant the Shuktham every day of Navarathri. And, we still share silent twinkles whenever my name comes in the sloka.

Navarathri is one grand celebration at home. This is my personal favorite among all the festivals. Not for no reason. All these 10 days, the ladies in the household are believed to be representatives of the Durga Mata. Perippa and Perimma would do special somethings for me as I am the daughter they never had. All my pranks with VKR are forgiven; No clauses attached.

The festivities start during our Quarterly holidays when Amma gets her free time, time away from her school work. All four of us get involved while setting up the golu mandap. The mud dolls are wrapped in clean cotton clothes which turn out to be our old dresses. Unfolding every doll from the tiny dress pieces brings nostalgic memories to Amma Appa. Besides nostalgia, Appa gets Nasal Allergy too, whenever a box is opened. I and VKR know the stories by heart, but every year we would make them recite it again.

The dolls unpacked, the Golu Stage set, a magnificent 7 stage mandap brings a new look to the hall. Of the rare things that interests Amma, arranging the Golu is one. Besides arranging the golu, she gives her special touch by setting up a park next to the mandap. The park is usually a township starting with a clay hill in the corner of the hall and roads diverging from it. My old dolls, VKR's cars and rockets, my kitchen set - all form a part of this township. Amma's special effects come handy now. She would place a glass palace in the middle of the township with all the tiny bottles she had collected from pharmacies (those lil transparent ones used to fill syringes). The building blocks we once played with would become the houses and the animals and birds set would form the zoo. The paper coffee cups would be miniature flower pots where she had sown pulses that would shoot up and grow as plants in the days to follow.

The arrangement is done. As the evening approaches, Amma decorates her darling son and daughter (thats me and VKR), sends them out to invite neighbours. Imagine two innocent kids dressed up as Radhe Krishna or as the policeman and his wife (this is VKR's fav as he gets to use the whistle attached with the dress) and what not, repeating the rehearsed dialogue at every house in the street. 'Aathula Golu Vachirkom. Avasyam Vaango'. All the neighbours turn up. There had been occasions when we went over enthu and ended up inviting people we barely knew, insisting that they come home to see the golu. The actual secret is we had lost our way and we had to be chauffered back to our place.

Its fun back home. A ladies special get-together. Appa wears a solemn face and smiles at everyone. When the preliminary inspection of the Golu is done, the gossip exchanges start. Amma is one of the two rare women who does not gossip. She dreads it when some aunty starts 'Ungalukku theriyuma teacher?'. It is impossible to hold back our giggles seeing amma trying to remain patient till the session is over.

The day ends when we get to taste the sundal varieties we gathered from our 'Nagarvalam' and thereby judge the culinary skills of their makers.

Today, I am in a land where the day dawns 5 hours ahead. Its almost lunch time here when my folks back home would still be hearing the morning news. … Called up Appa.

'Janani, ippo dhaan pooja mudinjadhu. Unna dhaan nenachinden.'

'Theriyum pa', I say.

Rules of certain games remain forever.

Shri Suktam

2008-10-10T00:46:00.000-07:00