Kabali - Movie Review - No Spoilers

My quick take on the film that's on everyone's minds today.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely Yes. It is a good film.


What is good?
Rajnikanth - Don't expect the 40 year old you saw in Baasha or the swagger of Sivaji. The director has made it very clear that he is playing his age. So expect a performance as mature as his age and he will not disappoint you. Infact, I loved some of the emotional scenes and his performance.‪#‎magizhchi‬ to see him take this route and it paying off.

Ranjith-Rajni Balance - The director has struck a wonderful balance in how he has treated the Superstar giving ample space for the whistles as well as the character. Augurs well for the future!

Radhika Apte - All it takes is one scene for her to prove why she is so sought after.

Duration & Script - It is not a long movie by Kollywood or Rajni movie standards with a running time of little over 2 & half hours and was engaging. The script does not give you much scope to think with all the characters and events, despite its relaxed pace, which I think is a big positive. Good balance again!

Others: 'Neruppu da' theme from the already popular soundtrack (Mayanadhi plays out beautifully!) and some adequate performances from the co-artists. Good cinematography (subtle and not on your face, which I think is a big plus) and neat editing.

What could have been better?

I don't have a list here. No Major grudge either. Maybe the 2nd half could have been just a few minutes shorter. No stand out performance either from the supporting cast with a couple of them looking amateurish at places. A more menacing Antoganist could have added more value.

It is a gangster film. So expect some violence and bloodshed. It is not too much gore though.

Final Thought: Good film with a strong 'performance' from the Superstar. Do watch it!

Tamasha - Music Review

Post 'Rockstar' there is always the curiosity element when Imtiaz Ali and Rahman come together. 

'Tamasha' starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in the lead is their 3rd outing. Here is a quick look at the tracks.

Matargashti - sounds more like a 'Rockstar' leftover, more so because of Mohit Chauhan's singing, till Rahman comes up with a lilting twist half way through the track. One that will rock the charts for sometime to come.

Heer Toh - rides on Irshad Kamil's Hinglish lyrics and exploits Mika's singing skills pretty well, which is not the case most often and ends on frenzied high. One can imagine the  heroine wiping her tears away and joining in to shake a leg as the pace picks up towards the end. Heer Toh Abhi Khush hai!

Tum Saath Ho -  is from a standard Rahman melody template, one that you have heard in the past in possibly Sadhna Sargam's voice. One cannot ignore Alka Yagnik almost sounding like Lataji. Passable.

Wat Wat Wat - Rahman strikes a lovely balance of pep and melody with this infectious track. Arijit Singh & Sashwat Singh only take it a notch higher with their rendition. One of those tracks that you will come to love after a few listens.

Chali Kahani - This dramatic track swings between moods and genres and is an interesting listen for some of the transitions. Sukhwinder handles it pretty well, ably supported by Haricharan & Haripriya. One has to wait and see how this is used in the film. 

Safarnama - Lucky Ali sounded very Rahmanish in this song. Rahman also pitches in with some vocal backing in the interludes. The song ends better than it starts with Rahman upping the ante half way thru. Could go on to become a favorite with FM stations along with Wat Wat Wat and Matargashti

Parade De La Bastilla (Instrumental) - Has a very celtic feel to it and should work well as background material

Wat Wat (Vengeance Mix) - I liked the other version better. The mix sounds a bit too forced and out of sync to me. The other version had a inherent beauty that seems suppressed here with the 'vengeance'

Tu Koi Aur - Perfect track for the director to put together montages of the lead pair reminiscing their happier past. Typical slow burner from Rahman, with fantastic support from Alma Ferovic and a majestic Western classical choir. Rounds up the soundtrack well and on a high.

Imtiaz Ali and Rahman have set such lofty standards for themselves with 'Rockstar' that it is tough to scale it with every outing. This is definitely not comparable to 'Rockstar' but certainly better than their second outing 'Highway'.

My Picks: Wat Wat and Heer Toh

Swappnam - Dance, Theatre, Dreams

I am in a Trance.. Trance created by dance.. Dance emanating from a dream and a dream realized by Music..

Unlike anything I have heard before, the soundscape conceived and created by Maestro Isaignani ILaiyaraaja for the Dance show "Swappnam", conceptualized, directed and choreographed (alongwith Vaibhav Arekar) by Krithika Subrahmanyan, resonates with infectious energy and one is left asking for more.

The rich canvas he paints with his music holds the well choreographed abstract act by Krithika and team, together and portrays multiple hues and emotions that may miss the grasp of even the one's uninitiated to classical dance formats.

Featuring stars and stalwarts from the classical music field, including Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr.TV Gopalakrishnan, Sudha Raghunathan, Abhishek Raghuram, Embar Kannan, Bharath Sundar, Composer-Singer Sharreth Vasudevan, Rajhesh Vaidya, Haridwaramangalam AK Pazhanivel, Palakkad Sreeram, Rajashree Pathak among others from his own troupe of musicians and technicians, the composer encapsulates the works of Manickavaachaagar, Sundarar, Thirumoolar, Gopalakrishna Bharathi, Adi Shankara and many others like only he can in the space of about one and a half hours.

The western classical piece that seamlessly culminates in the "Ezhisayaai Isaipayanaai" or the "Bhajeham Bhajeham Shivoham" sung brilliantly by Rajashree Pathak or the grand finale in "Ammaye Appa" or the "Pradeepta Rathnojwala" (which I learn is from the Ardhanareeshwara Ashtakam by Adi Shankara) sung by Sharreth and Arunmozhi (Flautist Napoleon Selvaraj) or the intriguing Nandicchol constructed on top of a host of percussion instruments or the rich tapestry of rhythms sprinkled across the medley or the chanting of vedas, rudram and chamakam, this multilayered soundscape is another feather in the already sparkling bejeweled crown of this great composer.

The interludes of "Bhajeham" transports one to Kashi for a splendid "Vishweshwara Darshan". The on stage 'Uzharcchi' visualization of 'Ayye Mettha Kadinam' was interesting. The popular composition in Jonpuri "Eppo Varuvaaro" or the Neelambari based lullaby bit - everything plays out quite beautifully in the scheme of things.

The dance and choreography were pleasing to the eyes and I was blessed to get a glimpse of Padma Bhushan Prof.CV Chandrasekhar whose cameo appearance left the rasikas enthralled.

I sincerely wish the producers of the show take it to other centers (the show premiered on Dec 28th, followed by 2 more shows on Dec 31st and Jan 2nd, 2015-all in Chennai) for more people to soak in this wonderful dream.

An audio cd containing selected tracks from the show is also available for music lovers to revel in and get a feel of the surreal world of 'Swappnam'.

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! 

தீ..வாளி.. (ஹைதராபாத் பேருந்து விபத்தில் பலியான உயிர்களுக்கு என் அஞ்சலி)

வாணம் விட போகணுமின்னு

வண்டி ஏறி கண் அசந்தா

வானம் கூட்டிப் போயிருச்சே!

வழிப்பறியா ஆயிருச்சே!

விடுப்பு ரெண்டு எடுத்துக்கிட்டு,

உடுப்பு நாலு வாங்கிக்கிட்டு,

அடிச்சி புடிச்சி கெடச்ச வண்டி

வெடிச்சி வீணாப் போயிருச்சே!

ஆடுற ஆட்டத்துல

ஆனந்தமா தூங்கையில

அர மணி நேரத்துல

ஆட்டமெல்லாம் அடங்கிருச்சே!

ஆம்பளயா பொம்பளயா

அடையாளம் தெரியலயாம்!

அதுலயும் பாதி பேர்

ஆருன்னே புரியலயாம்!

எங்களத் திரியாக்கி

வண்டிய வெடியாக்கிட்டியே,

எமதருமராசா! பட்டாசுன்னா

உனக்கு அம்புட்டு இஷ்டமாய்யா?

என்ன பொலம்பி என்ன செய்ய! 

எங்க போயி நாஞ்சொல்ல!

எண்ண குளியல் போடும் முன்ன

எண்ணயில பொரிச்சிட்டியே!

கஷ்டத்தப் போக்க

நஷ்ட ஈடு தாராங்களாம்!

போன உசுர 'ஜப்பார்' தருவாரா,

அவுங்க அப்பாரு தருவாரா?

வானம் தொட்ட வாலி!

October 29, 1931 - July 18, 2013

நீர் மறைந்த தினத்தில் வானம் அழுததாம்!

கண்ணீரால் உன்னுடல் கழுவிப் பாதம் தொழுததாம்!

உன் கவிதைகளைப் படித்துப் படித்தே கவிஞர் ஆனவர் பலர்.

கவியில்லையென்றாலும் உன் சேவடிக்கு இது நான் சேர்க்கும் மலர்!

என் மானசீக குரு நீ! நான் பார்த்திராத

தமிழ்த் தாத்தா உரு நீ!

நான் இன்று எழுதுவதும் படிப்பதும் 

நீ முன்பு பற்றவைத்த தீ!

வாலியின் முன்னில் பலம் இழந்தவர்கள் உண்டு.

அது த்ரேதா யுகத்தில்.

வாலியின் பண்ணால் பலம் கொண்டவர் மட்டுமே உண்டு.

இந்தக் க(லை)லி யு(ல)கத்தில்.

உனக்கு அலாதி ப்ரியம், ராமச்சந்திரன் பேரில்.

அவர் பவனி பல வந்ததுண்டு உன் கவிதைத் தேரில்.

சில நாள் அரிதார புருஷனாய்!

சில நாள் அவதார புருஷனாய்!

ஒருவன் புரட்சித் தலைவன்

இன்னொருவன் காவியத் தலைவன்.

முன்னவருக்கு கிடைத்ததோ முதல்வர் அரியணை!

பின்னவன் கொடுப்பான் உன் ஆன்மாவுக்குத் தலையணை!

நீ தாய்க்கும் பாடினாய், சேய்க்கும் பாடினாய்.

காமத்தையும் பாடினாய், ராம நாமத்தையும் பாடினாய்.

உனக்கு தத்துவமும் அத்துப்படி

'குத்து'வமும் அத்துப்படி!

காலனொடு 'முக்காபுலா' போடும் காலத்திலும்

'சுவாசம் ரொம்ப மோசம்' என்று எதுகை மோனை!

விடுவானா காலன்! கேட்டதும் அள்ளிக் கொண்டு போய் விட்டான்

எங்கள் தெள்ளுதமிழ்த் தேனை!

அள்ள அள்ளக் குறையாத 

நீயோ அட்சயப் பானை.

உன் வெண்தாடி விழுதில் ஏறி விளையாடும்

நாங்கள் வெறும் வானர சேனை.

சேட்டை மட்டுமே நாங்கள் அறிவோம்.

ஏட்டைக் காட்டி பாட்டைக் கேட்டல்

கோட்டையில் அமர வைக்கும் - ராஜ

பாட்டை உன்னால் மட்டுமே சாத்தியம்!

திருவரங்கத்துக் கவியரங்கமே!

தெவிட்டாத தமிழ்ச்சுரங்கமே!

நீ விட்டுப்போன சிம்மாசனம்

இனி நிரந்தரமாய் காலி.

நீ தொட்டுப் போன உயரங்கள்

என்றென்றும் சொல்லும் - வாலி! வாலி! வாலி!

வணக்கத்துடன்,

ப்ரவீன்.

Lootera - Movie Review

Vikramaditya Motwane's second coming (after the coming of age debut in 'Udaan') 'Lootera' is out on the big screen and is garnering quite a bit of positive reviews and critical acclaim.

Starring Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha in the lead, the first half of the film is set in the 1950's West Bengal, in the backdrop of the implementation of the Zamindari Abolitions Act.

Pakhi (Sonakshi) is the adored and protected daughter of the Zamindar of Manekpur (Barun Chanda). Pakhi collides (literally) with a government appointed archaeologist on a mission, Varun (Ranveer), who ends up being a guest, subsequently at the Zamindari haveli. Slowly but surely, the two fall for each other, even as the effects of the new legislation takes a toll on the Zamindar's assets, who resorts to Varun's help to trade some of his prized possessions. On the verge of getting married, circumstances force Varun to leave Pakhi and Manekpur only to meet her under completely different circumstances in the second half, set in Dalhousie.

I will refrain from giving away any spoilers, as the travel from Manekpur to Dalhousie is itself worth the money you spend.

The backdrop of Manekpur is beautifully etched with lot of attention to detail on the period props and fashion. The script is brilliant, aided by some first rate performances, especially by Barun Chanda and Vikram Massey, playing Varun's friend.

Its only when the scene shifts to Dalhousie, the writing starts gradually deteriorating and unfortunately hits rock bottom towards the end. The Writer-director in search of the (inspired) poetic ending, loses control of the lead characters, their emotions and lets the screenplay meander to a tame end, which reflects in the performances as well. Pakhi's portrayal when she meets Varun again and her emotions and reactions seem unconvincing and confused, after one point in time. I could sense the same with the fellow audience as well, which could pretty much be the movie's undoing.

(The disappointment in my case could also be because I knew the twist in the tale much before it presented itself, thanks to Mr.William Sydney Porter, and was waiting for it to arrive! If you have no clue of what I am talking about, you may enjoy the second half better).

Ranveer and Sonakshi play their parts well and are effective as Varun and Pakhi. Adil Hussain as the cop is adequate and Divya Dutta's role hardly warrants a mention.

Mahendra.J.Shetty's cinematography is easy on the eyes and apt.

Amit Trivedi

Amit Trivedi, who calls the music of Lootera, his tribute to Pancham da, delivers a brilliant performance with the songs and the background score. You will remember 'Sawaar Loon', 'Monta Re' (my personal favorite based on the traditional baul music) and 'Zinda Hoon Yaar' long after you are finished with the movie.  Barring a few instances where it is a little dominant on the dialogs, the background score (particularly the portion leading to the intermission) is one of the better scores I have heard in recent times.

My Verdict: Watch it if you like soft romantic dramas with fine performances and for the brilliant first half. The 'Lootera' ends up a couple of notches below what could have swept you off your feet.

The Dreamy Wishlist..

"He knows the pain of others
Does good to others, especially to those ones who are in misery
Does not let pride enter his mind

He tolerates and praises the entire world
Does not say bad things about anyone
Keeps his/her words, actions and thoughts pure
one, whose mother is blessed

He sees everything equally, rejects greed and avarice
Considers some one else's wife/daughter as his mother
The tongue may get tired, but will never speak lies
Does not even touch someone else's property

He does not succumb to worldly attachments;
Has devoted himself to staunch detachment to worldly pleasures
Has been addicted to the elixir coming by the name of Ram
For whom all the religious sites are in the mind

Who has no greed and deceit
Who has renounced lust of all types and anger
By who's virtue, the entire family gets salvation

This poet, will like to see one such person."

Now, I am no poet and what you see above is not something that I have composed. The above is a translation I found on the web for one of the most famous Gujarathi bhajans, "Vaishnava Jan Toh" written by Narsinhji Mehta, a devout poet-saint who lived between 1409 & 1488.

Like how Narsinh Mehta dreamt of seeing a person (Vaishnava) with all the above qualities, in another part of the country there was this lady who lived as early as the 8th century and  dreamt of her unison with the lord himself. Going by the name Kodhai, she composed some exceptional verses that are recited with verve to this date.

'Naachiyaar Thirumozhi" is probably my most favorite Tamizh literary work, of the very little I have managed to read till now. Vivid in her imagination, she paints such grandeur of a dream that eventually the lord had to give in. It contains 143 verses and is part of the 'Mudhal Aayiram' (1st 1000) of the Naalaayira Divya Prabhandham.

The 6th & 7th chapters (paasuram) are possibly the most popular even with the uninitiated. The writing is so lucid that anyone with the basic knowledge of Tamizh will be able to gather and appreciate the beauty of the verses.

The 6th Paasuram "VaaraNam Aayiram" depicts each and every aspect of a vedic wedding in utmost detail. The 7th Paasuram "Karuppooram Naarumo" is addressed to the 'Paanchjanyam' - the conch that adorns the hands of the lord.

Sample this:

"நால் திசைத் தீர்த்தம் கொணர்ந்து, நனி நல்கி

பார்ப்பனச் சிட்டர்கள் பல்லாரெடுத்தேத்தி

பூப்புனை கண்ணி புனிதனொடு என் தன்னை

காப்பு நாண் கட்ட கனாக்கண்டேன் தோழீ! நான்." 

"Naal Thisai Theerttham KoNarndhu, Nani Nalgi

Paarppana SittargaL Pallaar edutthu aetthi

Poo punai KaNNi, punidhanodu en thannai

Kaappu naaN katta Kanaa Kandaen Thozhee! Naan."

(Priests well versed in Religious rites perform the purification by sprinkling water from Holy rivers from all directions. They chant loudly the Mantras for the Lord and Me to tie Kankanam (thread- Kaappu naaN) to take marriage vows)

2 beautiful dreams or wishes!

What happens when 2 such beautiful dreams are fused. The very thought of it is irresistible isn't it?

Maestro ILaiyaraaja did exactly the same to fulfil the dream of Kamal Haasan! And what a perfect fusion it was, that brings a Vaishnavite wedding in front of our eyes. One that is as resplendent as Kodhai's dreams, encapsuling an entire wedding in a matter of 3 and half minutes.

I take this opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful Ram Navami, with this wonderful track from Hey Ram. Beautifully picturized with some wonderful banter, this track is sung by Vibha Sharma and Asha Bhosle amidst soul stirring traditional rendition of verses from the 6th Paasuram of Naachiyaar Thirumozhi, that culminate in another verse from the prabhandham.

Happy Ram Navami!

Link to the dreamy wishlist.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaFGmVr1X-8

Vishwaroopam - Movie Review

These days, living in a non-Thamizh speaking state seems to be a boon, when it comes to watching Thamizh movies. Which also means, I got to watch the unedited, uncut and unmuted version of Kamal Haasan's magnum opus, Vishwaroopam!

The first question anyone asked me when I said I saw the movie is, what is wrong with the movie, that it drew so many protests? Nothing at all!! I am appalled that the Muslim fraternity is upset. There are enough reasons for many other communities to feel offended, actually! (பாப்பாத்தி/we dunk him in the sea..anyone??) :)

That apart, Vishwaroopam is technically brilliant and keeps you hooked for most parts. Whether it is the art direction (the Afghanistan portions are unbelievable) or cinematography or the visual effects, Kamal the technician shines in getting the best out of his multinational ensemble.

Kamal the director is also in fine form with extracting the best from the limited but adequate scope that most of his actors have. The problem I had is only with the writer facet. The plot has quite a few glaring loop holes (like the scene where Viz and co are chased by both the police and Omar in the streets of NY and the chase abruptly ends and out of nowhere they are in Nirupama's office stalking computers and lockers) that remain unanswered and I don't believe they will even get a mention in the sequel.

Kamal should also watch his god/theist bashing in his writing. You may be an atheist (rationalist as you would like to be called) Mr. Kamal, but you can keep it at home and not include it forcefully in your films and dialogues just for the sake of it.

There are some wonderful touches as well (like the prayer scene before the climax or the swing scene in afghan), but they are few and far between.

Rahul Bose was another big let down for me. Quite irritating! Jaideep Ahlawat was a lot better.

The Kathak portion somewhere seemed forced in the script and Kamal's act as the Kathak dancer to me was nothing more than the நடை & பாவனை of Avvai Shanmugi, with the உடை being different. Nothing special! Even his look in the Afghan portions failed to leave an impact.

Andreah Jeremiah has nothing much to do and looked like a 'choice of convenience' and was the sore thumb in the Kathak dance sequence. And why would you need a Shekhar Kapur for that role anyway?!

Barring these glitches, that one may tend to ignore, it is still a mighty good film and a must watch for the package per se.

The stunt sequences are just brilliant. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's songs and Inderjeet's background score lift the movie, though I thought the 'Unnai KaaNaadha' song could have been a little better to exploit Kamal the dancer. It was just good, I would have loved an awesome dance sequence. Something missing! The title track sounds better when its resurfaces towards the end and 'Thuppaakki engal Tholili' is apt.

Nevertheless, this film will go down in the history of Thamizh films as a landmark film, both for its technical excellence and more so for the controversies!

Thuppakki - Movie Review

It's been a few years, since I mustered up courage to watch/tolerate a Vijay film ('Nanban' was an exception and was more Shankar driven). Such was the effect 'Azhagiya Tamizh Magan' left on me! At the helm of affairs was A.R.Murugadoss, whose 7-am Arivu was something that didn't suit my palate much either. Enough reasons to be skeptical?!

Egged on by positive comments from a couple of fb friends and with no better films for an alternative, we settled on Thuppakki.

Thuppaakki stars Vijay, Kajal Agarwal, Sathyan, Vidyut Jamwal among others and is the first time Vijay was coming together with A R Murugadoss.


To be fair to Vijay & ARM, this one is far more engaging and entertaining than I expected it to be. To start with, the concept of terrorist sleeper cells and a bunch of army men taking on it when on vacation (homework!) does make for an interesting premise. We also have a parallel track (as always), of the hero and heroine and their encounters which paves way for a few guffaws. Sathyan does his bit in inducing a few laughs and does his part really well, the 'petromax' remark being the high point.

The director manages to keep the screenplay afloat with a careful mix of the afore-mentioned tracks and with the entry of the 'all powerful' antagonist, things only get better. Vidyut Jamwal as the baddie looks all menacing and intelligent, before the climax makes a clown of him.

What really hampers Thuppaakki, are the songs by Harris Jeyaraj. None of the songs make an impact and hamper the flow of the film. 'Poi Varavaa' is the only song that sounded apt, but felt more like remains of a Goutham Menon film. The background score was adequate though and compliments the narrative.

I am told that Santosh Sivan is the cinematographer (he even makes a cameo appearence  alongside the director in the "google google" song.. or was it the other one?!). One wonders whether the acclaimed lensman has been used to his potential!

Another talent, whose potential the director has failed to tap is, Jayaram. I fail to understand why Jayaram is in the movie, in the first place. Sad to see such a colossal talent being reduced to a caricature. Jayaram needs to really think about his choice of films in Thamizh.

The climax is a bit of a let down and ARM loses a trick or two in order to please Vijay's fans. Orthopaedic surgeons have a few lessons from Vijay here!


ARM does touch a few emotional chords here and there with the 'army-family photo-sacrifice' sentiment.

Kajal Agarwal looks pretty and does her part(!) satisfactorily..Hee hee..

The screenplay does have its share of loopholes and moments (the car change sequence before the climax for instance) that drag the movie down, but its pacy enough to sustain one's interest.

Coming to Vijay, such roles are a cake walk for him and he does well in a tailor made role. There is nothing that really stretches his abilities (acting or otherwise), but that takes nothing away from his performance as Jagadish. Save for a minor hiccup in the climax, he manages his lines in hindi pretty decently as well.

My Verdict: Its a safe 'DeepavaLi Thuppakki' for Vijay, his fans and Murugadoss. Decent watch this.

Thilakan-End of an Era!

One of Indian cinema's supreme talents, actor Thilakan, breathed his last today. The man who breathed life into every role that he played (despite the multiple politics that he was in the middle of) leaves behind quite a number of memorable characters that will be etched in the minds of Malayali's and movie lovers for long.

One of those roles, that remains inimitable is that of Thampi, a retired lawyer and doting grandpa, who takes the ultimate decision when his grandson dies accidentally, in the critically and commercially acclaimed film, Moonaam Pakkam.

Written and directed by the legendary P.Padmarajan, this movie had some outstanding songs tuned by Maestro ILaiyaraaja.

'Thaamarakkili Paadunnu' is a famous track from this film.

But the song that is as legendary as Thilakan himself, "Unarum Ee Gaanam"-where the grandpa is shown, reminiscing the time he spent with his grandson, is my humble tribute to this genial actor.

Thilakan-during his early theatre days

Beautifully picturized, the song starts with Thilakan browsing thru a photo album, as the piano leads you to the flashback (notice how the piano resembles a toddler's walk!) and the memories come flooding.

G.Venugopal's voice is an apt choice as he glides through the song with utmost ease. Watch out for Thilakan's reaction when the assistant (played by another great talent Jagathy Sreekumar) puts his hand on the furniture being made. The doting, possessive grandpa stands tall!

The humming in the first interlude showers affection as the watchful grandpa oversees the 'apple of his eye' swim.

The second charanam shows the pain as the grandson is separated from the grandfather. Time passes by. His wife is no more now. 

The grandson is grown up (Jayaram) and the bespectacled grandpa is awaiting his return. As he glances thru the greeting cards and letters from his dear 'Pachu', written to his one and only 'Appooppan', tears roll down his cheeks..

An emotional avalanche accentuated by outstanding music and phenomenal acting!

Unarum Ee Gaanam

Unarpiccha Oru Nadan!

RIP Thilakan!

மன்னிப்பாயா?

என்னை மன்னிப்பாயா?

கொஞ்சம் கடினம் தான்!

என்னவெல்லாம் செய்திருக்கிறாய் எனக்காக!

உன்னைப் போய் காயப் படுத்திவிட்டேனே!

உன் மீது நான் சாய, 

என் கன்னம் நீ தீண்ட

எத்துணை இரவுகள், 

எத்துணைப் பொழுதுகள்!

நான் முதலில் காதல் சொன்னது உன்னிடம் இல்லை.

பின்னாளில் சொன்னது உனக்கானதும் இல்லை.

என்றாலும், என்னைப் புரிந்து கொண்டு

எனக்காய் எத்துணைக் காதல் தூது சென்றிருப்பாய்!

என் காதலுக்கு நீ தானே சாட்சி!

நான் முதன் முதலில் என்னவளிடம் பேசியதை

உடனிருந்து கேட்ட ஒரே ஜீவன், 

நீ அல்லவா!

நீ எனக்காய் கற்றுக் கொண்டு பாடிய 

எத்தனையோ பாடல்களில்- நான் 

கண் அயர்ந்திருக்கிறேன், 

புண் ஆற்றி இருக்கிறேன்!

வழி தவறிப் போய் தவித்த போதெல்லாம்

எனக்கு சளைக்காமல் வழி காட்டினாயே!

உன்னிடத்தில் நான் எத்தனையோ சொல்லி இருக்கிறேன்

ஒரு முறை கூட நீ சலித்துக்கொண்டதில்லையே!

எத்தனை நாட்கள் நீ எனக்காய் ஒய்விழந்திருக்கிறாய்!

உன் நலம் பொருட்படுத்தாது, கொதிக்கும் காய்ச்சலிலும்

எத்துணை முறை எனக்காய் அலைந்திருக்கிறாய்..

பின் அணைந்தும் இருக்கிறாய்!

என் கண்ணே! இன்று உனக்கு பக்கவாதம்!

தொட்டால் உணர்ச்சியற்று கிடக்கிறாய்!

உன்னுள் உயிர் இருப்பது தெரிகிறது!

என் உயிர் மட்டும் வலிக்கிறது!

நான் இத்துணை கொடுமை செய்தும்

நான் சொன்னதெல்லாம்,

எனக்காய் சேர்த்துத் தான் வைத்திருக்கிறாய்!

உனக்குள் கோர்த்துத் தான் வைத்திருக்கிறாய்!

கல் நெஞ்சன் நான்!

இன்று கண்ணீர் வடிக்கிறேன்.

உன்னைக் காயப் படுத்திய என் கையின்

நகக் கண்ணிலும் சேர்த்துத்தான்!

என்னை மன்னிப்பாயா?

நான் கோபத்தில் காயப் படுத்திய என் இனிய கைப்பேசியே!

காயப் படுத்திய வருத்ததுடன், 

உன் அருமையை உணர்ந்த,

நான்!

My ode to my Nokia 5230, whose touch screen display is damaged due to a single moment of madness from yours truly.. :)

Sri Rama Rajyam - Movie Review

'Uttara Kaanda' in Ramayana is the last of 7 chapters, credited to sage Vaalmiki, that narrates events post the coming home of Lord Rama & his consorts Sita and Lakshmana, after defeating the Demon king of Lanka, Raavan, leading to the end of the Rama Avatar.

I have been all ears from the day I knew that a Telugu film is being made on Ramayana for which Ilaiyaraaja is scoring music. The movie has been in the news for over a year now and has had its share of delays and controversies as well. The fact that Nandamuri Balakrishna (Balayya Babu to his fans) was embarking on playing a mythological character that his illustrious dad was best known for, the return to the marquee of yesteryear actor and octogenarian Akkineni Nageshwara Rao after almost 5 years, the audio release at Bhadrachalam and its subsequent comparison to the music (by the legendary Ghantasala) of the 1963 movie Lava Kusa of which this is a remake, the passing away of Ramana (co-writer), the protests against Nayanthara playing Sita and this being touted as her silver screen swan-song, the untimely passing away of Mrs. Jeeva Ilaiyaraaja during the post production stages etc.., ensured that the movie got its share of publicity.

'Bapu Bomma'-Sri Rama Pattabhishekam

Though my initial interest in this flick was more Ilaiyaraaja oriented, my curiosity levels multiplied when I read about director Bapu and his legendary 'Bapu Bomma' (If you own a music cd of Sri Rama Rajyam, the drawings that you see on the cover are by Bapu!). The coming together of these 2 legends after almost 3 decades (Manthri Gaari Viyyankudu, 1983, was their previous and possibly the only other outing) meant it was a must-watch for me.

From the moment the unique paintings of Bapu accompanied by Raaja's mellifluous score combined in the opening credits, I was quite convinced that I was in for a visual and aural treat. Anything else being good was only a bonus!

The movie is indeed a visual treat. Whether it is the palace in Ayodhya or the ashram of Valmiki the sets, frames and colours are beautiful with graphic embellishments all through. The art director deserves a pat for the visualization of the Palatial buildings and the imagination. We even get a glimpse of NTR! But how did they miss an opportunity to show the Viswaroopa Dharshan?!

The script itself is pretty slow in pace after the initial 20 minutes.

Balakrishna as Rama, is good. His body language, expressions and dialogue delivery are apt and justify the faith reposed in him. It would have helped if he had worked a little bit on his physique for this role. He looks a little bulky at times but that takes nothing away from his impressive performance.

If Nayanthara decides to call it quits after this film, I am sure there cannot be a better way to say good bye. She is quite a revelation as Sita. She puts her heart and soul into it and will be remembered long for this portrayal.

Akkineni Nageshwara Rao as Valmiki is an asset to the film and his screen presence and poise ensures there is stability to the narrative. The kids that play Lava, Kusha & Bal Hanuman do their portions confidently, with the bunny toothed Bal Hanuman being the pick. K.R.Vijaya (Kausalya) is at her wailing best and she along with Srikanth (Lakshmana), Murli Mohan (Janaka), Roja (Bhoo Devi) and a host of others are adequate. Oh yes! Bhramanandham was there too!

Cinematography is pleasing to the eyes. The editor may not get (m)any nominations for awards this year. The choice of junior artistes is something that could have been better. Also the choreography in a couple of songs were not upto the mark.

Ilaiyaraaja's songs and score are the backbone of the movie and he proves yet again why he is the master at the art of re-recording. The Vasanta based theme (to my limited knowledge) when Rama admires a sleeping Sita and the sarangi bit that holds the long Lakshmana-Sita conversation in the forest together are only instances of how the maestro can elevate a movie to different levels. If one sits patiently through some long winding scenes in this almost 3 hour movie, its largely because of Ilaiyaraaja's contribution.

I particularly enjoyed the placement of the 'Sitarama Charitham' song in the movie. Watch out for the shift in mood he brings into the 'Sita Seemantham' song when the event moves from the ravishing palace to the simple hermits ashram. Marvellous! Hardcore Raaja fans will miss one half of the 'Sri Rama Lera' song in the movie, but I am sure the makers had a valid reason behind omitting Sriram Parthasarathy's portion of it.

More than anything else, this is one movie that you can take your family to without any doubts. Whether its your parents or kids they will have a good time watching this.

That way you can also impart some mythological knowledge and values to gen-next.

'Sita Rama Charitham' well narrated!!

Rockstar (Hindi)-Music Review-A.R.Rahman

Sorry for being away for so long.. I am back and hope to keep going like before.

ARR's Rockstar audio has already created the ripples and infact the store that I regularly buy music from had run out of the cd's. I managed to get a copy only after a week of the audio release. Shows the popularity and the pull of the double oscar winner!

The album has 14 tracks of which 2 are instrumental works and one (Meeting place) a poem (of Rumi) narrated by Ranbir.'Tango for Taj' and 'The Dichotomy of fame', the 2 instrumental tracks are quite engaging with the latter weaving some Shehnai (feat Balesh) magic in unison with Kabuli's guitars.

'Phir Se Udd Chala' starts with a meditative chorus elevated by that lilting guitar bit. Mohit Chauhan rules it and sounds a lot like Ranbir himself. Fantastic start this!

'Jo bhi Main' has some fabulous lyrics by Irshad Kamil, who unfortunately has not been credited in the CD. The guitar loop initially gave me a feel of 'If I Rise' from 127 hours, until Mohit's 'Yayaya' takes over. With minimal arrangements, this one's another good listen.

Harshdeep Kaur's silky vocals rule 'Kateya Karoon' and is undoubtedly one of the picks of this album. Super infectious from the word go!

To me the album belongs to 'Kun Fayakun'. On first listen, I felt a Delhi-6 hangover (Arziyan) probably because of Javed Ali's voice. But ever since, this song has been on loop. No complaints! Fabulous feel, typical of all Rahman devotional songs!

'Sheher Main' is fun and the dholak beats elevate the song to a different level. Didn't notice this song much the first few times. But it grabbed me today and I am lovin' it. Mohit's rendition is brilliant.

'Hawa Hawa' is another peppy and infectious track. Based on a Czech folk legend, the vocal arrangements are this song's highlight.

'Aur Ho' is a slow, mellow track and will feature in the backgrounds. Passable.

'Tum Ko' sounds like a Yuvvraaj leftover. Do you hear Tu Hi to Meri Dost hai somewhere? I do, for some reason. Nevertheless, its good to hear Kavita (Krishnamurthy) Subramaniam after quite sometime. Where have you been Kavitaji?

'Naadaan Parindey' is the anthem of the wandering soul. Is this a reflection of Rahman's state of mind, I wonder?! For that reason is alone this song is thoroughly enjoyable.

'Tum Ho' is another passable number that suffers from a Yuvvraaj hangover.

'Sadda Haq' is the war cry backed by some sensational guitar work (feat Orianthi Panagris, best known as Michael Jackson's lead guitarist for the ill fated 'This is it' concert series). Brilliant! The song is Jordan's (Ranbir Kapoor's character in the film) call to claim one's rights and is one sweeping track from the 'Isai puyal'.

Imtiaz Ali has extracted some brilliant stuff from Rahman. Now I am curious to see how these have been utilized.

All said and done, this album well and truly belongs to Jordan's voice, as the sleeve notes credit him, Mohit Chouhan. He has come quite a long way from his 'Dooba Dooba Rehta hoon' days. Now its time for him to fly high as in 'Phir se Udd Chala'. 

This Rockstar rocks for sure!!

பார்த்ததில் ஈர்த்தது!

பார்த்ததில் ஈர்த்தது!

சாவதற்கு முன் ஓர் இறுதி ஊர்வலம்!

Manmadhan Ambu-Movie Review

My blogger life has come one full circle! Despite some highs and lows in the frequency of the posts, personally it has been a pretty satisfactory ride and I have enjoyed every bit of this first round. Thanks to each one of you who had the courage to read the 'ULarals' and encouraged me to blabber further.

I said 'full circle'. The reason being, this blog started with a review of the previous Kamal Haasan-KS Ravikumar venture, "Dasaavathaaram", on Jun 19, 2008. 75 posts in 2 and a half years, is something that I had never imagined even in the wildest of my dreams. Maybe, its nowhere comparable to bloggers that publish 2 posts a week or sometimes in a day and have hundreds of visitors in a day. But I hope with my limited imagination and unlimited observations I will get there one day.

Enough of 'Suya Puraanam'! Lets talk about the 'cupid's arrow'..

'Man-Madhan-Ambu' revolves around Major 'Man'naar (Kamal Haasan), 'Madhan'agopal (Madhavan) and 'Ambu'jaakshi (Trisha Krishnan), with Kamal being a 'ex-army man turned private detective' in the trail of actress Nisha (screen name of Trisha whose screen name is Ambu!), who is engaged to the ever suspicious-rich-spoilt brat Madhan.

In the process, we are also introduced to Deepa-Nisha's friend from school (think she was 5 years Nisha's senior in school!), Mrs & Mr. Kurup-a malayali producer couple with a script, in hot pursuit of the actress (Nisha) to get her dates, Rajan (played brilliantly by Ramesh Aravind), a cancer stricken friend (oh no! not again!) of Mannaar, whose treatment is the prime reason Mannaar takes up this assignment to toe Nisha and Mallika-Rajan's wife among many.

The pace is pretty slow as Kamal (the writer) takes his own time to establish the above mentioned premise.The first half is sluggish and is like the tiring drive thru the city traffic to get to the highway. There are 'typical Kamal dialogues' throughout the film and one that I enjoyed is Nisha's explanation to Madhan as to why there is a connecting door in the caravan. Well placed!

Post-intermission one starts wondering if 'Crazy' Mohan has made a guest appearance to co-script the second half. The characters, the slapstick, the dialogs and all else remind you of the playwright. But to be fair to Kamal, its the smooth flowing second half that keeps the film intact. There are several funny sequences and all the actors carry it off with ease.

The highpoint of the film and perhaps its most memorable, is the flash"back" 'Neelavaanam' song sequence. Brilliant!!

Kamal breezes through his on-screen role, that doesn't require him to break a sweat, with utmost ease. He looks jaded at places and his paunch (look who's talking!) is uncomfortably distracting in a few places, especially in the (unnecessary and forced) stunt sequences. Trisha looks nice and does her part really well. Sangeetha seems to be enjoying her extended second coming (post Pithaamagan) and impresses with her spontaneity and the boy that plays her son is a treat with his bunny teeth. Kunjan and Manju Pillai, as the Kurup couple, are funny.

Madhavan hogs all the lime light in an author backed essay and is a cut above the rest, any which way. It took me a couple of minutes to identify Ramesh Aravind, who manages to hold his own in a cliched role. Usha Uthup as Madhavan's mom and Oviya (remember the petite gal in the 'Damma damma' song from KaLavaani??) as his suitor pass muster.

Coming to the technical aspects, first timer Manush Nandan's cinematography is splendid, especially in the way 'Splendida' has been showcased. Shaan Mohammed's (debutante editor) scissors' require some more experience and the live recording is patchy at places.

Devi Sri Prasad impresses with his background score but the songs (except Neelavaanam) are pedestrian. 'Thakidu thaththam' literally is! 'Who's the hero' is annoying to say the least. The movie ends with Trisha murdering some (of the already suffering) Thamizh (despite some interesting lines written by Kamal) in the name of reciting poetry. Sad.

With a plot-line that has tremendous scope to tickle the funny bone, a stalwart like Kamal, the ever dependable Madhavan and the proven K.S.Ravikumar at the helm of affairs, what one expects is a hilarious roller coaster ride. But when I walked out of the hall after just over 2 and half hours (and the countless comedy capers that Kamal has been part of), it felt like a drive on the Bangalore-Chennai highway. Good and smooth, it was. But thats all, I think, it was! The film lacks any surprises or unexpected turns that could have elevated the overall experience.

My Verdict: Its a good option, if you are thinking of taking your mom and kids (wife goes by default, I guess) for a movie outing this holiday season. There are some good laughs for sure. But beware its no laugh riot by any chance!