Tribute

A good friend is always a valuable asset you have earned for yourself. There is no substitute for good people being with you. I have limited group of people whom are close and mutually cherish the moments. Today morning I got the news of losing one due to unknown reasons so far. It really broke me down and the day was horrible. All the past instants with him was hitting hard in my mind. It was shocking and shouldn’t have happened. He is a nice, energetic, enthusiastic person whom everybody would like to move along. We have shared our times together happily, quarrelling, discussing and playing…ahh! I am thinking how his family would take this, it’s tough and a total let down. I have no idea what had happened suddenly and still unable to believe myself. Many people die but when the near & dear does, it pinches you to ground. Pray that his soul rest in peace and his family needs to get consoled. We are going to miss you dear friend!

King with NDTV

[Via: Forward]

Sivaji aka MGR

For the 1.5 months exaggerations, for the multiple story lines revolving around from the day movie was launched, for the interviews each key person of the movie gave, for all the pre\post reviews in news papers, blogs and all media, for the dashing trailer, for the premier show chats, for the feedback from the known persons who saw the movie, for the question why a bald person is wearing the cooling glass in reverse fashion before entering the theatre, I got the answer finally for all these for’s. The movie Sivaji can be classified as one of the commercial super hits of all-time superstar Rajini, the youth at 50’s.

Rajini strengths are his style, comedy, action and his looks which are being utilized completely. Shankar’s strength in this movie is Rajini and he has played around him. The whole movie can be watched for Rajini, Rajini and Rajini. Yes he has banged the industry that he is the 100% entertainer and evergreen super star. You can admire him from all aspects in the film. You expect to watch him in his action then he fulfills your expectations more than you want. Thegata thegata Rajiniya kamichirukanga and pathu rasikalam. Every frame pixel by pixel he is occupied. I don’t recollect a single scene where his presence is not shown. After a 2 years gap from a movie and 8 year gap from a Rajini type movie this is it. You will enjoy “The Boss” from every angle you watch. At his age he has given more than 100 percent effort which is visible. His performance in order if you arrange in this movie it will be looks, comedy, style, dance, action. Enormous effort can be seen in his dancing, fight sequences pushing back his age factor. The don roars in the second half and you can see 80’s Rajini in the first half. The second half is routine Rajini stuff and I thoroughly enjoyed the first half. Every scene was as pleasure to watch and this man just kalakals. When he walks in songs, dances or in the actions you can observe his aging factor. Mottai Rajini simply takes over you. Eppadi antha vettayan Raja manusula ninaro intha mottai Rajiniyum appdiye ninutaru. In fact many scenes were surprising to me from this super man, antha comedy dialogues imitations, disguising himself into Shivaji, MGR & Kamal…Wow! He rocks. Kandipaga Rajinikaga pakka vendiya padam.

Shankar has done well in coordinating and articulating the play with a team. But sir ethayo neenga tholachitteenga athu kathaya, illa unga logic senseya, illa unga originalitya, illa saraku theenthu pocha…something or everything is lost. Antha Gentlemen, Indian, Mudhalvan Shankara thedi thedi pakuren padathula kanum. When you have such a powerful person casting for your story you should have given a powerful story. Seri Rajini movies always revolve around a small group of persons and theme. Avara poi veena National, international ranguku ellam panna vechu konjam sothapal paniteenga. You have taken utmost care for small things in each frame and tried to improvise it. But main matterana storyum athu ketha screenplayum konjam sarikirukeenga. Rajini superstar thaan but athukaga superman panra fantasy ellam avaru mela thinicha avarudo strengths weeknessa marida abayam iruku. But really appreciate your whole effort in piling up and taking care of the direction. But as a whole you haven’t exploited completely neither Rajini strength or the story. How a software architect can earn 200 crores and how after 20 years of service he is unmarried? Bramandam kamikaruthu unga style aana Rajini mattikitta athe image lock madhiri neengalum matikatheenga, muyuchikoonga. Ellathyum bramandam kamika pona thegatidum. Unga Asst. directors ellam kalakranga, so watch out Shankar.

AR you showed again what you are. The background score as well as music will be the next talk of the town after Rajini till this movie celebrates silver jubilee. But antha music instrument store fight scenela konjam adaki vasichirukalam konjam kathulernthu ratham vanthuduchu. Overall AR has scored distinction in the movie.

Money Laundry, CPR, Voice recognition system and for few dialogues Sujatha sneaks in. But fulla ethyume explore panama ethu 100 pera konna pathee vaithiyan madhiri irunthathu. Shreya the beauty doll walks, talks, dances, and does minor acting. She was a breeze as a heroine. The art direction thotta tharani and camera work by KV Anand in this movie will be their certificates for life time. Shivaji styla sollanumna Chumma adhiradi panirukanga. Intha creative team athu ithunu padam arambikum bothu sonangale avanga enna senchangnu theriyala. Raghuvarana totala waste pannirukanga and the list include Manivanan.

Suman does well but still his dialogue delivery sucks. Ethoo madhiri iruku, antha effect varala. Always Rajini movies the villains will be powerful in their personality take Basha, Padayapa or any commercial movie in the recent past. But ivaru buildup ellam ok than but pesum bothu tamlegu madhiri iruku. Vivek Rajini pinnadiye irukaru, first halfla sirika vekararu, poraru. 30 to 40 percent of his Boy’s performance, ambuttuthaan. Opening scene of a Rajini movie eppadi irukanum!! konjam theatrea adhiranum illa aana inga dialoguela than adhirathu varuthu. Opening scena Karthik padam madhiri arambichutanga. Ithu nalatha illa kedathanu theriyala but satisfyinga illa.

Overall the movie is a thorough entertainer and a feast for Rajini rasigan. Cool endra varthaya thayavu senchu Tamil ilakiyathula sethirunga. Inume adutha padam release agura varaikum Tamil nadula veyil eppadinu kettalum coooolnu than padhil varum. Shivaji effect ache….Coooooool!!

Nammavar

What am I writing about when “The Boss” is sending havoc across the globe? What you think is not what you get :) I am a buff of thalaiver, but still a person who like to watch any good movie. Kamalhasan to me is a person who loves the Tamil industry and tries to do experimentation in his movies. In his experiments he has burnt his fingers several times but still striving to give different movies and waiting for the audience approval. In Devar Magan there is a dialogue where Shivaji says “Athu ethu restaurant sonniye konduvaa, kathu kodu, aana namma pasanga methuva than varuvanga” perfectly suits for Kamal's thirst to give variety movies to Tamil audience. Nammavar was a blend of commercial items with a light message to society. Nammavar, Devar magan, Anbe Sivam are on my evergreen list from this actor, I do have couple more but just mentioning these as I watched for nth time these recently. Kamal is one of the best artiste whom Tamil industry had bagged but sometimes I don’t like his overacting. Nammavar does have couple of scenes where he does this extra effort which becomes hamming. But still overall it’s a movie where you can enjoy as the plot and screenplay was neat. The first entry of Kamal as vice principal with his lifted coolers, blade fight scene where he says “Venamda ithellam venam thane naan iruken”, clash scenes between him and Karan, the apologize scene, the song sequence that follows after the instruments were broken were few to mention. The movie portrays the bad patches of college youngsters and few scenes hits the society with its raw fact. The scene when one of the student falls from the ceiling and taken to hospital the ward boy says to Kamal “Sir ethachum kavinga sir, kamal then shouts and he continues to say dei sir remba kovama irukaru…”, another scene in a open discussion between college management and parents one of the founder says “Sir nanga ellam saraayam vithhu vantha kasula thaan intha college kattinom” are few hitting the truth in a light manner. Nagesh, this splendid actor has shown several brilliant performances in the past and here too was amazing. The scene where he behaves differently after his daughter suicides was a sample and shows his in-depth experience. Karan’s debut but still showed his maturity and I liked his performance. Sun TV top 10 style if I have to say “Nammavar Vallavar”!

Mogambo Kush Huva!!

Watching Rajini movie first day show is like watching India vs. Pakistan cricket match and where India batting second hits a sixer in the last ball of the 50th over.

I am eager and charged.

Previous Rajini flick, first day show ticket pooja done at Chennai.

வந்ததில் புடிதவை!

[Courtesy:Forward,kollywoodtoday.com;Click for a blow up]

Just Here & There :)

Here : Chicago Metra train
There: Chennai Electric train
Here : Year 2005
There: Year 2007
Here : Hero is an advertising executive
There: Hero is a medical representative
Here : No Songs and just screenplay
There: Unakul naane, Karu Karu vizhi…added up
Here : Hero has a daughter suffering from a disease
There: Hero has a son suffering from another disease.
Here : Anti-Heroin dies and Male villain dies in the final scene
There: Male villain dies and anti-Heroin dies in the final scene
Here : Released in Hollywood as Derailed
There: Released in Kollywood as Pachai Kili Muthu Charam


[Courtesy:teakada.com;Jennifer Aniston & Clive Owen in Derailed; Jyothika & Sarath Kumar in Pachai Kili Muthu Charam]

To aspiring Indian Students

[Konjam blade potruken keela athaan oru breakku thalai snap:)]

I know adequate details were\are provided for the students in India on the importance of education & career prospects. With the niggling experience and exposure I have, I wanted to emphasis again on the same topic. This is not for the exceptions and intelligent eccentrics. I write this because I was ignorant, arrogant and of course unaware in my early stages. Advice is one of the free items you get in India all over. But we need to evaluate by assessing how it benefits us when implemented. The competition level is increasing day by day and demands for multi-skills are essential for ones steady growth. When we look at the future we should envision a steady career and ground work should be done at very early stage. This might be boring or sounding differently but reality is yeah! effort without which nothing comes out. What goes in is what comes out. How much you involve yourself is important for success. During school\college days, many would have heard people saying study! study! study. But people like me press the mute button until they complete this talk. To school students they need to give immense concentration on Maths, Physics, Geography and of course English. You don’t have to worry about computer programming as if the roots are strong this comes automatically. English is utmost important as I see people struggle present themselves. They have a fabulous idea but without a glamorous presentation how it can be sold. English means not just speaking jargons or writing something. But right grammar, strong vocabulary and stylish way of speaking\writing. People struggle for it as their foundation is weak. If the roots aren’t strong we tend to search for right words to use and repeat same kind of words in our usage. When you have a strong vocabulary you don’t have to really search as it will be instant and your presentation would be influencing.

According to Indian system of education 10th and 12th are the deciding phases and I totally align with it. The percentage of successful students scoring low in 10th\12th is less when compared to the one scoring high. I am not saying that scoring matters and it only shows your IQ. But the system believes so and we have to operate along. People will give 1000 examples of Bill Gates, Edison but we aren’t talking about the exceptions. We want to prove by regular practice and hard work. Scoring high in 10th\12th provide the outside world that you are a proven machine and can work well. It’s kind of measuring equipment to specify how much load you can withstand. Hence show that you can take how much ever given. Then after finishing in good way select a college\course which tops [course depends on interests]. This is very important for your career. An average from IIT is preferred than a brilliant from some Andipatti Engg college. Former gets more opportunities than the later. Top colleges really matters and provides more scope and a broader spectrum of choice. During college days along with the piles of theories intake and vomits one has to do more practical’s on applying what he learns. One has to experiment & validate whether what he learnt is correct. The application of hands-on boosts confidence and true understanding of your learning. When you have made your stamp in the college then you have choices of choosing the companies. Good companies and right work in your early stage also matters and one has to be careful in choosing it. One has to see the mutual growth of company and self. There should be a vision on ones growth and has to work towards it.

Everyone at your workplace your colleagues, boss, friends respect you when you have stuff. Without which if you show off it will be exposed shortly and you need to search a new place soon to stay for survival. I am not saying people with moderate knowledge don’t stay but how many people give the same dignity in their backs as they show in front of them. You forget people around you, just think within yourself how many days we fool ourselves by show off and what is the satisfaction level we get. If we think deeply we can realize the fact. Inclination to do new things and learning should not be stopped at any stage of life to have a successful career. When one feels he is saturated then his expiry is nearing in the industry. My final point is when one has done all these successfully then chances hits the door and we really don’t have to fear much. Many people in the industry have this insecure feeling as they don’t really believe them as their grounds are weak. Run boy run and grab the baton of success!

Theory

In a recently watched movie “Slither”, a professor teaches student on the phrase “Survival of the fittest” and concludes saying fittest doesn’t mean stronger or intelligent. But how on given circumstances one survives or one who is better at surviving on given conditions. How true!!

AadaaTha aattamellam!!

[Courtesy: Hindu.com]

Po TTavanga mannukkulla
Pona kathai unakku Theriyumaa?
Nee kondu vanthathenna?
Nee kondu povaThenna?
Unnmai aena, unakku puriyumaa?
.
.
Vaalkai ingae yaarukkoe sonThamillaiyae,
Vanthavanum varubavanum nilaipaThillaiyae
Neeyum naanum nooru varusham iruppaThillai, paaru...

New Opera...

Am using the Opera browser for quite some time. I like the sleek look and the presentation. Recently upgraded it to 9.2 version. It has the feature of speed dial as we have in our phones. You can set 9 most visited sites of yours as speed dials and it will show in one tab as thumb nail view. It’s convenient and good to use. Also I like the widget feature of it which is available in the early versions.

Vijay TV Awards

[Courtesy:vijaynet.com]

Happen to watch Vijay TV award for film artistes, forming a bridge between TV medium and film industry. I am always a firm supporter of Vijay TV due to sheer fact that it’s much better than all the other Tamil channels available. Especially I support just to oppose Sin sorry Sun TV. The show was nicely packed with right mixtures of planned events. The program was hosted by Yugi Sethu and did have few giggles in his presentation. The show started with a traditional dance combined with Yogi B rap group. Group of young singers from super singer show, group from Jodi no 1 series, Priya Mani, Yanna Gupta, Ragasiya dances and the famous Madai thiranthu song remix fame Yogi group added essence to the show. The awards were presented based on the votes casted by the people of the state conducted by Vijay TV. S.P.Balasubramanian was awarded for the best male singer which is worth and has completed 40 years in the industry last December. WOW! Incredible and his voice is a prodigy. He thanked Janaki another female singer for inspiring him to sing during his early days. I was moved a bit when Janaki was announced for the female singer award. I didn’t expect it to happen, as the whole audience, celebrities gave a standing ovation for this respectable female singer. She is completing her 50 years in her profession by this April and still her voice is in teens. She was modest, childish, humble and adorable when she got the award and gave a pep talk. Man! Getting award is different story but to win the respect from people and still being modest with so much fame, talent, money is something really appreciable. I liked the way the audience gave their salutes to her. Similar treatment was given to Kamalhasan when he got the “Shivaji” award. They couldn’t have reached these heights without scarifying so much from them towards their profession. After the function was over, the making of this function was relayed. It was good to see the amount of effort undergone in preparing this event. But what was annoying me is every celebrity spoke, exactly said these words “It’s good that Vijay TV organized such an event. What is remarkable about this award is it is not chosen by a panel and it’s by the people”. My god I got headache hearing the same lines from different voices. Thaanga mudiyala Saami!

பழநி மலை முருக!

ரெண்டாயிரம்...நாலாயிரம்...ஆராயிரம்...எட்டாயிரம்...பத்தாயிரம்....

பீம்பீலீக்கீ பீலீபீ...மாமா பீஸ்கோது.......

மாமா பீஸ்கோததா......பைத்தியம்கள்....

Grr...oh lucky chaps

Mandayila bulb adikuthu, munadiye oyunga padichirukanum....Kathu thaan varuthu...

Many things I know it won't happen but still I dream. One such is working here....Check out this....

Parupoosili

[The one I cooked :-)]

Scrambling for cooking food is always present after coming to US. Sometimes you feel very upset about the food you just prepared. Now understood the pain of cooking and seriously will owe lot better to my mom. I like parupoosili with vegetables like cabbage and beans. I asked my mom the method for it and then I have tried several times. But always felt that something lacked and I am missing something in it. What it is…. again called up mom and asked for an explanation. Yesterday tucked up my sleeves and entered the kitchen with full josh. I wanted to prepare the same way I eat at home and so patiently did each step with utmost care. Finally it was well payed off…Yes the dish came exactly the way I have it at home without any hassles. Oh man the feeling you get when your cooked food is good, ahh… it’s really something good sense. I have just pushed off my plates when something wasn’t right at home and seriously regret for those actions. But anyways Mom’s cooking has one more ingredient added in it which we all know we won’t be getting it anywhere else.

To bachelors and temporary bachelors here is the recipe:

1. Soak Toor Daal and bit of Channa Daal in water for 30 minutes.
2. Cut Beans\Cabbage into small pieces and cook them in a cooker or open pan in water with salt added to it.
3. Take the soaked daal and add red chilli, salt to it. Then grind it with very little water to form a thick paste.
4. Pour good amount of oil, mustard and fry the grinded daal into dry separate chunks.
5. Then add the boiled vegetables into it and fry nicely till it gets the aroma :-0

Enjoy the curry with sambhar rice and it perfectly matches with curd rice.

aha..ahh !

kaadhal oru aandhai poalae
nighTU muzhuvadhum muzhikkum
kamban veeTTu naayai poalae
kavidhaiyaa adhu koraikkum
ava Thummal azhagudaa
pimple azhagudaa sombal azhagudaa vasantha mullai

Nothing Lasts Forever!

[Courtesy:booksamillion.com]

This week I completed yet another thriller series from Sidney Sheldon “Nothing Lasts forever”. The novel was written in 1994 and it is a medical thriller. The story revolves around three young female doctors Paige Taylor, Kat Hunter and Honey Taft. Most of the situations were built around the county hospital where these three doctors join as residents. The novel has a prologue, chapters and an epilogue with a perfect finishing touch. The prologue deals with the court room scenes where the readers are brought into the middle of the story in the introduction. Then each chapter passes like a windy breeze building upon minute details one after the other. Finally the epilogue concludes with the details of the each main characters aftermath. The characterization of each character in the novel is gross and gives the readers with complete dimension of the story. Paige and Kat were the two main characters I liked most in the story.

Sidney Sheldon has done adequate homework for the novel. He would have read many books on medicines, Sex, discussed with dozen of doctors on their routines and observed for several days in a hospital. Without this he couldn’t have written this novel with so much information on each item. The good part is he tempts the reader to move on and doesn’t allow stagnating or feeling bored. Overall it was a fascinating novel with impeccable story line and thorough entertainment.

Identity

More than “Who am I”, I get choked with the question of “What am I”. I get so much confused with this question and searching for an answer. If I know this answer then I would be one of the rishi’s sitting in one eternal place. I am puzzled in finding what I came for and what I am doing is what I am for. Should I be living a life doing 9-5 job, then going back home with briefcase? Making some money, saving for buying a home, ending up in seeing the children grown up and making the way to graveyard.

I see many varieties of people, one who just see his family and forget all his passions. Neither he learns or has some interests to do something new. Only thing that concerns him is his family & be a bread winner. So he comes to job and goes back that’s all he does. What spark is there in it, I don’t find one. But I think one way oh! Is this what life should be and should I also do like this?

When I do some work I think do I mean in doing this? Am I here for it and is this what I am good at? Everyone will get a turning point where one would know what he is meant for. Did I get already this gyan or am I yet to get the opportunity? Where to find the inside and how to really pursue what am good at? But I believe everybody has this type of insider but nobody reveals or expresses. All just live as the reality pinches and stops them from pursuing their aspirations or the search for what they are. Some just live without even making this attempt as they don’t want to and completely avoid it. With this state of confusion going to bed am I meant for sleeping? :-)

[P.S.:- This post might be confusing as I am confused]

Fanna...

Weekends and weekdays are routine and same story runs throughout. Either a break is needed or something new is to occur around. Same people, same stuff, same house, same bath, same habits...gosh...Sometimes you look life in a different angle. This is a boring window I am looking at. With a lazy outlook I was browsing through the Youtube for something interesting. Came across Madurai Muthu’s Comedy series in "Kalaka Povathu Yaru" show. Muthu is a person who can interestingly elucidate pocket jokes. He has a database within him where he has tagged the jokes by personality, situation, characters and so on. So when you assign him with a tag say doctors he would be cracking jokes related to doctors in a lucid manner. Sometimes the flow is spontaneous and you will enjoy it. But what annoyed me is the way Sun TV presents the show; it is so artificial and unnatural that you puke on their creativity. Basically Sun TV doesn't have much of any creativity and only can impose its ideas by repeatedly showcasing in its advertisement. If you look at its shows, papers, magazine anything of such will not have any creativeness or analysis. It can just do a copy paste or buy off the creators from other channels. Kalaka puguthu yaru is actually from Vijay TV and the entire crew was bought from Sun TV. The irritating part of the show is, it cannot set real people to watch the show and like in the movie "Speed" sets a clapping audience clipping. This clipping is repeatedly shown whenever required. Also the crappiest idea I have ever seen is the way the chits are selected for assigning a random performance to the performers. How Muthu always gets jokes to perform and similarly other showers will get same chits for which they have practiced. All these shows, that Sun TV thinks the viewers as fools. With this kind of creative thinking if it goes on then the day to close its channel one by one is very near in the future.

The Sky is Falling

[Courtesy: wikipedia.com]

The recorded news of the BCCI meeting on the recent world cup debacle of Indian cricket was flashing in the laptop. Ravi Shastri, Sharad Pawar, Whatmore and to surprise Viv Richards faces were flashing on the screen. I was eyeing on the sketches of the story on the meeting. But was keen on completing the book I was seldom reading for the past two weeks. I was in the edge of the chapters and wanted to complete. It was really tough to read the binded piles of paper after quiet sometime. But the author compels you to do so due to the journey he takes you through.

The novel I was on was "The sky is falling" by "Sidney Sheldon". The story was about a TV journalist solving a murder mystery of an entire family. Dana Evans was the main character around which the story revolves and the story is about the murder of Winthrop family. The story has a good plot, paced move and makes you to read the next chapter after completing one. The language used is not subtle and makes the reader comfortable. The novel has several twists with right mixture of imagination, suspense and fiction. I was really impressed with the relation and logical reason it has for every point referred. It was really a pleasure to read this thriller and it has the advantage of you getting into the mid of the story. It makes as if you are watching all the happenings undoubtfully. That’s the success of the novel.

I dare not comment on Sheldon as his accolades speak about. He can be referred as a Hi tech Rajesh Kumar who is famous in writing Tamil crime pocket novels. What is interesting about Sheldon is the way he approaches each sequence in the novel and he obligates the reader to finish the novel at a stretch. The language he uses is lucid and lively to the situation. "I try to write my books so the reader can't put them down," he explained in a 1982 interview. "I try to construct them so when the reader gets to the end of a chapter, he or she has to read just one more chapter. It's the technique of the old Saturday afternoon serial: leave the guy hanging on the edge of the cliff at the end of the chapter." Yeah! this carves the key for his booming stories. Luckily read his novel from the place where he was born :-)

Meanwhile SPB is really troubling me a lot and causing me to tap my feat always. SPB introduction songs are the most welcomed and suited for a Rajini movie. The good thing about it is it exactly fits Rajini on screen and most appealing when he sings the introduction song which always holds a message to society. The song "Sooriyanum Santhiranum yaar" from the latest hot flick "Shivaji – The Boss" is the one disturbing and the top in my play list. It’s awesome! Balelaka!!