Muzhudhaai Unarndhavar Yaaro - Lyrics (Tamil)

I was looking for the lyrics for the Sai Bhajan 'Muzhudhaai Unarndhavar Yaaro' popularized by MS amma. Since I could not find the same documented anywhere, I penned it down (in Thamizh).

Originally part of the multilingual album 'Sathya Sai Sangitanjali', this Behag based song, I understand, was composed and written by Athmanathan. This was later released as part of the compilation "Thamizhe Isayaai" featuring Thamizh compositions sung by MS Amma.

முழுதாய் உணர்ந்தவர் யாரோ? சாயி உன்னை

முழுதாய் உணர்ந்தவர் யாரோ?

பார்த்தனுக்கு கீதை சொன்ன பரந்தாமா, இங்கு

பாலனுக்கு பாடம் சொன்ன மாயம் என்னவோ! (முழுதாய்)

அங்கேயும் இங்கேயும் எங்கெங்கும் நிறைந்திருந்தும்,

அன்பர் மனதுக்குள்ளே அடங்கி ஒடுங்கும் உன்னை (முழுதாய்)

அம்மையாய் அப்பனாய் அம்மையப்பனுமாகி

இம்மையில் எனக்கும் இன்னருள் பொழியும் உன்னை (முழுதாய்)

கொண்டது எந்தனை கொடுத்தது உந்தனை

என்ன கணக்கோ இது ஏதும் புரியாது (முழுதாய்)

Queen - Movie Review - Hindi Film

'Queen', the story of Rani from Rajouri Garden, Delhi, has been making waves since its release alongside the lot more publicized 'Gulaab Gang'. But looks like the box office has not been so kind to the women in pink.

After almost a week long deliberation, we decided to celebrate the 'holi'day with Kangana Ranaut and she absolutely made our day!

The film begins with a tribute to its cinematographer Bobby Singh, who, I understand, passed away mid way during the shooting of the film (& Special Chabbis).

Directed by Vikas Bahl, who earlier gave us 'Chillar Party', the film stars, alongside some brilliantly cast character artistes in various supporting roles, Rajkummar Rao and Lisa Haydon.

A bride-to-be, dumped by her fiancee, 2 days before the scheduled wedding decides to go on the already planned honeymoon all by herself and in the process learns to live life on her own terms. Any similarity to last years hit 'English Vinglish' is only coincidental, I guess, as Vikas dishes out well etched scenes one after the other to keep things moving.

The dialogues (co written by Kangana), hilarious at times, are uncluttered and real, for a film that hinges completely on the actors and their interactions, what with most of the film being shot abroad and key characters that do not speak Hindi. Kudos!

Amit Trivedi deserves special mention for the soundtrack and every song fit the bill perfectly. I have raved enough about the songs (London Thumakda and Ranjha-credited to Rupesh Kumar Ram, being my favorites) on my fb page. It was interesting to see the usage of Sitar in the Rock show scene. Another stellar effort post Lootera, where I thought his background score was brilliant.

The screenplay does lose a bit of steam in the second half as some scenes seem repetitive but thankfully it picks up pace again at the right time. The Roxette episode I thought was an unnecessary detour and hardly leaves an impact. Further, the reason for Vijay's (Rao) change of heart could have been established better. Nevertheless, the writing does leave a moist eye at places.

Lisa Haydon is vibrant (in every way!) as Vijayalakshmi ;) ;) Rajkummar Rao as Vijay does his part well. Even the Japanese & Russian room mates in Amsterdam and the Italian chef are perfect choices and throw in nuanced performances. The 'sense of humour' that keeps you smiling though out needs special mention. The french toast, the sex toy shop, the hostel, the non-veg jokes of Santa-Banta, the lizard et al..

But in the middle of it all, is an outrageously heart warming performance from the leading lady

Kangana Ranaut, who does not let you take your eyes off her even for a split second. Whether it is the drunken street dance (to the kick-ass rejig of Anhonee's Hungama Ho Gaya) outside the discotheque in Italy or the pleading at the coffee shop in Delhi, Kangana's Rani is one of the best enacted leading roles I have come across in a recent times. And going by the trailor of her next, 'Revolver Rani', Kangana is certainly setting a few benchmarks for the bollywood leading ladies. Hats off!

My Verdict: Highly recommended. Kangana's Rani will leave a smile on your face as you step out of the movie hall.

Drishyam - Movie Review - No Spoilers

At last, after almost over a month of its release, I managed to watch Drishyam, the movie that is already being billed as the first MalayaLam film to rake in a 50 crore business.

The moment I heard that it is a thriller, I ensured that I didn't read thru any of the reviews floating around, which meant I had no clue of the plot. The only thing I knew was that it was a family drama which turns out to be a thriller. So, if you plan to watch the film, do not go read about it. Even the Wikipedia page has spoilers!

What works in favor of Drishyam is the narrative. Written and directed by Jeetu Joseph, the movie stars Mohanlal, Meena, Asha Sarath, Siddique (of Siddique-Lal fame) & Kalabhavan Shajon among others. The narrative goes back and forth as it unravels answers to every question that pops in your head. Whether it is the jovial and pleasant household scenes in the first half or the unfolding of the events in the second half, except for a few moments during the interrogation sequences, the screenplay pretty much keeps one glued.

The cinematography by Sujith Vaassudev is an asset and aids Jeetu's narrative ably. Some of the shots of the scenic Thodupuzha and its surroundings are indeed a feast. Music composed by Anil Johnson and Vinu Thomas is adequate. The songs are pleasant and do not hamper the flow. The background score though loud at places serves the movie well when it really matters.

I consider the characterization of Mohanlal as a tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema. A protagonist playing a movie buff and taking real life decisions based on the movies he watches, is a stroke of brilliance from the director and who better to play this than the master actor Mohanlal. There are news' doing the rounds that Kamal Haasan has been signed to do a Tamizh remake of this film (with some changes to suit the Tamizh viewers, ofcourse!). But I will stick my neck out and say, with all due respect to Kamal, Mohanlal's performance can not be matched.

Meena is excellent as the protagonist's wife and Asha Sharath as the stern police officer in the company of the dependable veteran Siddique does a commendable job. Kalabhavan Shajon as Constable Sahadevan, who has a few scores to settle, is very effective as well.

All in all, a fantastic movie watching experience. One cannot stop from applauding the way the thriller unfolds. Kudos to Jeetu Joseph for the script. I really look forward to his future projects.

My Verdict: Must Watch!