Pokkisham-Treasure

There is a scene in which Cheran reads a letter written to him by Padmapriya. The camera focuses on the inland letter. It has "786" at the top. No wonder because Padmapriya is playing the character of Nadira a Muslim girl. It is these small vignettes of directorial brilliance that make Cheran's movies enjoyable.

The movie is about D. Lenin a marine engineer in Kolkata in the 70s and Nadira a college student in Nagore. The tale poignantly examines the budding romance between the two. It is a tale of unrequited love enhanced by melodious songs tuned by Sabesh-Murali and has simple but effective cinematography.

There are scenes of Durga Puja in Kolkata, the long sea-line in Nagore, shots of Victoria Memorial, the Maidan and trams.

The movie narrates how Lenin's son Mahesh discovers his dead father's trunk which contains the letters written to Nadira.

Mahesh is fascinated as he reads the letters and examines his own four-month old flip-flop relationship with his girl-friend.

He tracks down Nadira who has settled in Malaysia and hands over the letters to her.

The movie ends with Nadira remembering Lenin and closing her eyes.

We assume that she dies and is finally reunited with her Lenin.

It is sad that the movie tanked at the box-office. The current crop of cine-goers need fast numbers, foreign locales, item-numbers, shootouts and stuff.

The movie deserves a watch for some excellent performances by Cheran and Padmapriya.

Aayirathil Oruvan

Selva's labour of love that took over three years to make starts with a street-play that describes how the Chola prince is taken to safety by a loyal minister, when the Pandyas attack the Chola kingdom.


Now the movie movies to Pratap Pothen an archaeologist who discovers the lost city of the Cholas. Then we are shown news clippings saying that he has gone missing.

We are introduced to Andrea, Pothen's daughter and Reema Sen and Arivazhagan from the ASI and the army, respectively. They plan to seek the lost city and the archaeologist. Karthi is introduced as the head of a bunch of porters who join the expedition. We are told that the lost kingdom is somewhere in the vast ocean near Vietnam.

They reach a tribal settlement from where they journey to the mysterious island on boats. The tribals refuse to go to the island saying that the island is a haunt of ghosts.

As the party reaches the island and walks in shallow waters, strange luminescent fishes attack the expedition party and the members run towards the land to save their lives. The adventure continues as they are attacked by a band of tribals, then they face poisonous serpents and Karthi and the girls are separated from the remaining expedition party. The trio travel across a desert battlinig hunger and thirst. They stand before a Stonehenge like pile of pillars. The eagle flying above at sun-rise causes the shadow of Lord Nataraja to be displayed on the ground and the trio run on the path shown by the shadow.

Till here the story made sense :)

They reach the lost city and play with the treasures and swords and suddenly a screeching sound drives them mad as they attack each other and dance and Reema even shoots Karthi. They are captured by the remnants of the lost Chola civilisation ruled by Pathiban in a strange costume reminding me of one of the characters in 300.

More confusion comes as Reema seduces Parthipan and hatches a plan with an old woman, we realize that something is wrong. There is unwanted sexual imagery here and it is better we don't dwell much on it.

There is an arena where a giant clobbers prisoners using a rock at the end of a chain. Pothen is alive and gone raving mad, he and Karthi face the giant and Karthi kills the giant and is rewarded by Parthiban.

Then the army comes and attacks the Cholas, Reema Sen is revealed to be a Pandya princess. A war between guns and rocket launchers and spears, swords and stones take place. Reema mixes poison in the water drunk by Chola soldiers. The long-drawn war scene ends with the army officers capturing the Chola king.

Scenes of torture by the army draw comparison with the Sri Lankan army torturing the Tamils in Sri Lanka the imagery and comparison is very visible with the Tiger in the Chola flag.

History repeats itself when Parthiban hands over his on to Karthi for protection. Parthiban dies and his body i immersed in the sea by faithful ministers who walk into their watery graves.

The movie ends with the message "Chozhanin Payannam Thodarum" --The journey of the Chola kingdom shall continue.

The script is messy and there are ample references to Mac Kenna's Gold, Apocalypto, Indiana Jones, Mummy etc...

The second half has too many loopholes. Are some scenes hallucinations or reality we do not know. The people speaking ancient Tamil drew lot of catcalls in the theatre. This is indeed sad, if we forget our roots who will respect us.

Cannibalism definitely does not go down well, what happened to Reema and Arivazhagan, how does Karthi survive bullet shots? How does the mobile network work in the middle of nowhere?

Too many unanswered questions, cinematography and music is good. Reema has hammed her way through a super role but all media is going gung-ho about her performance. Wish we had Sneha/Meera Jasmine/ or some other actress who could add substance to the role.

The movie had a super-duper opening but I doubt if it will recover its cost of production.

AO was a super chance for Selva to cement his position in Tamil cinema, somehow I feel he lost the plot mid-way through the movie.

The Horsemen-Movie Review

This was a movie that held so much promise and worked out wonderfully well till the last 10 minutes. The story is about Dennis Quaid a widower and a police offer with two sons. One son is in high school and the other is about 5 years old.

The movie opens with an old hunter and his dog hunting in the cold and freezing forest. Suddenly the dog starts barking and moves to a clearing on a metal stool some human teeth dripping with blood are placed and there are signs with the words "Come and See" painted on the trees in red.

Slowly a series of murders are reported. A mother of three children is found killed. Investigations reveal that the woman's husband was a pervert and child abuser. A shocking confession by an adopted girl played by Zhang Ziyi reveals that she and her compatriots committed the murder. An eye-popping scene is when the girl pulls out a plastic bag with a foetus taken out of the dead woman.

Slowly the tension builds as the taxing investigation forces Dennis to distance himself away from his sons. We are shown two brothers one is gay and he stabs a thief. Then he hangs his brother from hooks and in front of his eyes commits suicide.

A connection between the Biblical 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the murders is established and the investigation reveals a connection that no one would have imagined.

I am not revealing the climax. Watch it for the tension that builds in the case.

As mentioned at the beginning the movie is let down by its unconvincing climax.

Cricket News

I thought Bangladesh would pull off a surprise win the way India's first innings folded. Good knocks by Gambhir, Laxman and Amit mIshra and some excellent bowling by Ishant, Amit and Zaheer ensured that India won comfortably a 113-run margin.

A fighting century by Mushfiqur went in vain.

One more test to go.

The real battle will begin when India face South Africa in a two-test series.

Musings

As I sit all alone,
I just think of the recent past.
I weigh the consequences of my actions
And ask was it worth it?

I honestly don't know!
Only time will tell.

Musings

Taking stock of life at the moment!
This is yet another stage of introspection!
Let us see what happens!

Freedom

For the first time in seven months I feel free, light and focused.

I hope this is a new beginning that will bring me closer to my goal!

The game is afoot!

Cricket News

Mumbai won a thriller to defeat karnataka and clinch the Ranji title at Mysore.

Team India got a blast from the past as they choked once again in the final of a tournament and lost to Sri Lanka.

Ricky Ponting hit a splendid 209 and with Clarke's century Pakistan are staring at defeat already having lost 4 wickets.

First test between Bangladesh and India starts on Sunday.

Can the Bangla Tigers pull of a surprise?

Yuvraj Singh has been officially dethroned as the captain of Kings XI Punjab.
Sangakkara is the new captain.

Three Idiots

Aside all the tamasha that was created by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Raju Hirani, Aamir & Co. and Chetan Bhagat where the unsuspecting public were made idiots the movie is good.

There is fun, melodrama, comedy, a message about chalking one's destiny.

My biggest grouse with the director and the producer is why did they opt for such senior actors. They could have experimented as Shankar did with the cast of "Boys".

The actors have done a decent job and the guy who plays the character of Chatur is simply superb.

A whole extended scene mixing "chamatkaar" with "balatkaar" was a gem.

The scenes about ragging were not necessary, but then everyone knows the bitter truth about ragging and we know much serious stuff happens within the confines of the hostel walls.

Boman Irani as the director of Imperial College is reduced to buffoonery but the scene where he speaks to Aamir after the birth of his grandson and hands the pen to the most excellent student shows Boman's class as an actor.

Kareena looks ravishing and has a small but significant role as Pia the medical student.

Sharmaan Joshi does a better job than Aamir and Madhavan. It is a pity that Sharmaan is reduced to comic roles and multi-starrers. When is the chap going to get a solo-hero movie?

Javed Jaffery as the real Ranchore Das and his father's ashes in the "lotta" is another laughathon.

Songs are good, the cinematography awesome. The movie is preachy and goes over-the-top in some areas.

All said and done the movie deserves a watch on the big screen.

The controversy with Chetan could have been avoided. Let us see if they make Two States into a movie.

Words

So close and yet so far away,
After what seemed like ages,
You answered my call.

It felt great ,
To listen to your voice again.
When I asked you what happened?

You replied with nonchalance-
"Why nothing happened?"
I will never ever understand,
What goes through your mind!

For the moment,
I am happy,
That after so long.
You had the time,
To speak to me.

I am happy again after a long long time!

Cricket News

India managed to win despite a great performance by Bangladesh.

The last wicket pair of Onions and Swann again frustrated Smith & Co. to secure a draw.

Pakistan lost a match against Australia which I thought was in Pakistan's pockets. Hussey proved his mettle with a fine knock which helped Australia post a decent total.

Life

I am on the verge of taking a big professional risk!
Hope things work out properly!

If things do not materialise and unless something concrete is received the dull monotony might continue!

Let us see :-

Salary, Salary, Where are You

New year seems to be no different!
Salary, Salary, Where are you?
Hope you come soon!
As I have lots of bills to pay.
Rent to be paid for the house!
And loads of other expenses too.
Please come soon :)

33rd Chennai Book Fair

:(

I am honestly disappointed and disappointed big time. This year Tamil books and software and games for children are in majority. Surprisingly even the choices offered by the stalls selling English books are limited. English fiction takes a back seat as engineering text books and reference books for various subjects rule the roost. The books offered by the sellers on the pavement next to Pachayappa's College also disappoint. Hardly 7 or 8 sellers and they too only have Mills n' Boons novels, some assorted fiction, loads of colouring books for children and engineering books.

I bought the following books at the book fair:

The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson.

A book on medicine a Harvard University book for Rs. 99.

A Shite History of Time a Parody.

A novel for children in Hindi.

love the growth and popularity of regional literature but if you keep setting up the same predictable stalls from the various religious missions and book-sellers offering the same novels that you would pick up any day at their showrooms! What is the point of organising a book-fair?

English translations of foreign novels, foreign comics, books on poetry and drama, there is such a wide scope for rare books, literary readings. Above all we need English translations of Tamil novels. Gems of Sujatha and Siva Sankari. When will the publishers wake up to the infinite possibilities of English translations of Tamil literature?

I don't know may be it is my frustration of not finding the books that I would have loved to see.

BAPASI needs to get its act together the stalls were not ready even on December 31 and the food-stalls were functional only late into the evening of December 31. Many people satisfied their hunger with fruit salad on December 31 and it cost Rs. 20.

Some stalls had bargains for two books for Rs. 99 stocking unsold assorted fiction.

Let us hope the next year offers better prospects.

2009-Review Round-up

2009 saw lots of movies releasing, some minted money, some balanced and managed to float and many sank without a trace. Here is my list of top movies of 2009.


KOLLYWOOD

PASANGA

Kudos to Sasikumar for having the courage to produce a movie for children starring children. The songs were good and the children sparkled in their roles.

NADODIGAL

Sasikumar under friend Samudrikani’s direction went on to strike box-office gold with this tale about friends uniting lovers.

SIVA MANASULLA SHAKTI

Light-hearted romance starring Jeeva and Anusuya. Great comedy by Santhanam.

ACHAMUNDU ACHAMUNDU

Prasanna, Sneha, John O’ Shea and a cute little kid. Great effort from director Arun Vaidyanathan, shot in Seattle a movie about child molestation.

EERAM

Director Shankar’s production a slick horror thriller with great graphics. Fear the water the new enemy.

POKKISHAM

The movie sank but Cheran continues to make clean cinema with good music. Padmapriya proves once again that she is the best actress in southern cinema.

UNAIPOL ORUVAN

The remake of Wednesday, brought together on screen Kamal and Mohanlal


PADDIKATHAVAN/KANDHASWAMY/VETTAIKARAN

Formulaic mass-masala movies for Dhanush, Vikram and Vijay fans nothing great just time-pass.

PERAANMAI

Good work by Jayam Ravi, a mission in the forest. We saw Terminator-4 villain indulging in hand-to-hand combat with Ravi.


BOLLYWOOD

Ranbir Kapoor is the new star in town with a hat-trick of successes.

DEV-D

Anurag Kashyap’s hour of retribution, superb acting, an awe-inspiring music score. Gorgeous Kalki Koechlin and Mahie Gill-Absolute Emotional Atyachar.

PAA

Balki’s tear-jerker Abhi plays Amitabh’s dad. The biggest unintentional joke was when we received YEPPA forwards showing Simbhu struggling to carry our very own T.R.

WAKE-UP SID

Life, roles, responsibilities, and do your own thing a sonnet for freedom. Konkona and Ranbir a strange pair and a surprise hit.

QUICK GUN MURUGAN

Superb comic timing, ravishing Mango Dolly-Rambha with a golden wig, great one-liners and quirky fights-Mind It!

ROCKET SINGH-SALESMAN OF THE YEAR

Shimit Amin and Jaideep Sahni script the success story of an entrepreneur. Could have been better but the movie is clean, unpretentious and enjoyable but a bit too preachy.

AJAB PREM KI GHAJAB KAHANI

Clean mindless comedy and great fun, Ranbir sparkles and Katrina manages to emote.

LOVE AAJ KAL

Loved to see Rishi Kapoor on screen. Saif and Deepika made a good pair. The Brazilian model Giselle Montero was the surprise Punjabi kudi.

THREE IDIOTS

I am yet to see the movie but friends say the movie is a mix of Munna Bhai and Rang De Basanti. Will make enough money I guess!

Delhi-6, Gulaal two good movies that did not garner the attention they deserved.

New York, Kurbaan dealt with terror and America-OK.

Wanted gave Salman a new lease of life and became the biggest blockbuster of 2009.

HOLLYWOOD

AVATAR

The courage to visualise a whole new world, wait patiently for more than 14 years and introduce state of the art motion-picture technology to create magic on the big screen. James Cameron you rock! We would have preferred a different story. The concept of the white man gaining acceptance among the natives has been examined umpteen number of times.

UP

A simple tale about a retired balloon salesman and an eager scout kid. Animation from Pixar with a great tale. The first ten minutes of the movie which narrate the saga of the romance of the old man and his wife are simply beautiful.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Slam-bang spaghetti western meets Nazi adventure. Tarantino is in top form and the movie has a great cast doing full justice to the characters.

THE HANGOVER

Loved it! Las Vegas, partying, drugs, money and marriage and mayhem.

DISTRICT-9

Aliens, humans and a survival story with a difference. This movie shot in South Africa deserves a viewing.

NUMERO-9

An animation movie about the fight for survival in an apocalyptic world, great graphics good presentation.

IMAGINE THAT

Enjoyable fare from Eddie Murphy and a cute little kid. One for the family.

STAR TREK

A new generation of sci-fi lovers has been created!

KNOWING

Nicholas Cage in the fatalistic fantasy about the world coming to an end. Mind-blowing graphics but the movie failed to make a mark. Lot of symbolism and references to Hindu philosophy.

PUBLIC ENEMIES

Could have been a lot better but still enjoyable. The story of how they nabbed Dillinger!

Terminator-4 and Transformers-2 had great graphics and made heaps of money but again these are commercial cinema of a different kind. Mindless waste of money on blowing up man and machine in more innovative ways, the movies make money and the branded toys and merchandise sell even more.

I am yet too see many movies like-Sherlock Holmes, Precious, Invictus, Julie & Julia and loads of other movies whose names I do not recollect. Some other movies that I enjoyed last year include-Nan Kadavul (It have written a detailed review earlier), Ayan, Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu, State of Play, The Hurt Locker and In the Loop.

The movies are not ranked in any order. The list just states the movies that I enjoyed. Here is hoping that 2010 brings more blockbusters to the big screen and the prices of tickets in theatres come down a bit. Otherwise piracy will continue to gain momentum and reducing broadband costs will ensure that bit-torrents and file-sharing websites become the source for movie-watching.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy, prosperous and happy new year 2010

Exams on in full swing

Exams are on in full swing.
One more paper to go!
Will be back soon!

Folks wishing you all a healthy, prosperous and happy new year.

Exam Fever

Folks my university exams will be starting in another three days.
Need all your prayers and good-luck wishes:)

ONE HAPPY FAMILY???

There was a massive fight at home as Dad once again returned home after an alcoholic binge. Mom had suffered and endured for over forty years. She had held on to Dad in the hope that he would reform some day. Her brothers helped her in the marriage of her daughter. She heaved a sigh of relief as her daughter bid her adieu in all her bridal finery. Now all her hopes were laid on her son. The boy was strange and shy, average in studies and sports. All his teachers never held any high hopes for him. He would grow up in to one more of those thousands of average unknown citizens who laboured as clerks, office-staff and the like.

Returning to the day when Dad broke all his previous records of drinking. It was a Saturday evening. Dad had expected the son to be at work. So when he knocked the door and saw his Son opening the door; Dad’s drunken confidence shook a little. He entered the house with his head stooped low. He faltered and slipped and when Son tried to help him, the alcoholic fumes created a sick stench.

That was the limit! The beginning of the end! Mom snapped and lost all her controlled patience of forty years. She asked Dad to leave the house. To the Son’s surprise Dad gave a sarcastic smile and with renewed energy packed his bags and left. When Mom egged him to take away all his belongings; he replied – “I don’t need them. Throw them away, burn them, do whatever you want.” He bid goodbye with a satisfied smile on his lips and walked away. Mom did not know what to do. She wondered – “I should have divorced the scoundrel years ago.”

The Son sat silent for a long time. He had tried his best to rid his father off alcohol. But the Devil had impregnated Dad’s soul a notch too deep.

The Son examined the contents of Dad’s closet. There were various bills. Mostly from bars and hotels. There was a diary where expenses had been recorded. There were multiple entries against a mysterious X. Jewellery, clothes, and perfumes! So the plot grew thicker. There had been another woman. So the Sinner had another sin to his tally. Perhaps it was the best option for all.

The Son closed the diary and picked up the telephone directory. He found the phone numbers of a couple of lawyers. Perhaps it was finally time to get a Divorce for Mom from the Scoundrel!

Serendipity

She stood there,
In front of me,
As pristine and calm,
As I remembered her,
From a time long gone by!

Sometimes life brings,
Memories and surprises,
In the strangest of ways,
Is this serendipity?
One can never tell!

Wishing you all the best as always!

Points to Ponder

I got this as a long SMS today. Makes one think:)

LISTEN and SILENT.

Look at these two words.

Do you observe something.

Both words are formed by different combinations of the same letters of the alphabet.

You need to be a good listener and also know when to remain silent to succeed in life.

Chennai Book Fair-2010

Folks!

I guess this is breaking news.

The 33rd Annual Chennai Book Fair is set to take place between December 30, 2009 and January 10, 2010 at St. George School Grounds opposite Pachaiappa's College, Kilpauk.

I came to know about this yesterday when I was reading a magazine.

For further details visit http://www.bapasi.com/

Members of the Book Loving Souls Gang if you are reading this please let me know if we can have a reunion of sorts:)

We never really progressed after the Citi-Centre Meet:(

Hi

It is not everyday that one gets a new follower for one's blog.
That too someone whom you have never met or spoken to.
It feels great.

Hi Madhuri and welcome to my blog!

India Win a Thriller

India won a tense thriller at Rajkot yesterday.

More than 800 runs were scored in a single day.

India scored 414 runs to post it's highest one-day total.

Sehwag blazed with the bat with useful knocks by Sachin and Dhoni.

Dilshan, Taranga and Sanga threathened to take the match away from India.

Decisive bowling by Zaheer, Nehra towards the end and Harbhajan in his first speel ensured that India won by 3 runs.

This is going to be a cracker of a series!

I Wonder

As I sit down in front of my computer and wonder,
Wonder if it is really worth it?
All this labour for all these years!
Was it for this?

No one to call as my dearest!
Nothing to claim that this is my labour of love and care!
I continue to trudge in monotony,
Performing my chores everyday!

The Orphan

This one takes the cake for its climax.

The movie is about a family that adopts a girl from the church orphanage.

Once the new girl Esther comes in to the family strange and disturbing events take place.

What is the real identity of Esther?

Why is she killing people?

Watch the movie for answers!

This is a kind of B-grade mystery movie but the climax works great.

I liked it because there wasn't too much blood and gore.

Watch it on a lazy Sunday afternoon if you have nothing better to do.

Sanga leads the way

Sangakkara's blitzkrieg with the bat set an imposing target of 216 for India to chase in 20 overs.

Gambhir and Sehwag gave India a rollicking start.

The loss of Gambhir's wicket triggered a collapse that saw the loss of wickets cheaply.

Sri Lankan fielding was impeccable with some brilliant catches in the out-field.

India have to win the next T:20 at Mohali.

Let us see what happens

Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino the maverick is back and in awesome form!

Blending fiction with history and a superb cast-the most notable being Brad Pitt the movie is a winner.

The movie starts with a senior Nazi officer arriving at the house of a dairy-farmer in Nazi-occupied France in 1941. The officer Colonel Handa portrayed by Christoph Waltz, interrogates the poor farmer methodically and coaxes out the truth that the farmer is hiding a family of Jews under the floorboards. A firing order ensures that all the hidden family is exterminated, but one girl Soshannah manages to escape.

The story moves to 1945 and we are introduced to Aldo Rainer played by Brad Pitt who leads a band of Nazi-hunters named The Basterds. he story moves on as the Basterds infiltrate the top rung of the Third Reich and get an opportunity to kill a whole bunch of Nazis in a theatre.

What happens? Do the Basterds complete their mission? Is Handa punished? What happened to Soshannah?

Watch the movies for answers!

Team No. 1

The final day's play did not spring any surprises. Zaheer's incisive spell of disciplined bowling ensured that the party started much earlier than anticipated.

India defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs to become number one in the international test-cricket rankings.

Sehwag got both man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series awards.

This numero-uno position is pretty likely to be short-lived as the Australia-West Indies series is in progress and the South Africa-England series will start soon.

Anyway kudos the team, coach and support-staff.

In other news Pakistan bounced back with superb bowling to trounce the Kiwis and level the test-series 1-1.

Sehwag misses 300

Sehwag missed another triple century by a whisker and Muralitharan finally had his revenge!

Let us see how the game progresses.

Meanwhile in New Zealand Kaneria and Asif triggered a batting collapse to bundle out the Kiwis for 99.

The match is poised interestingly and in the absence of Shane Bond we need to see who will don the striker's role for the Kiwis.

For Pakistan the Akmal brothers, Umar Gul and the new kid Aamir are doing a good job.

Let us see if Pakistan can level the series?

I am Losing the Plot

Life is in utter chaos.
Mom's illness shows no great sign of recovery.
The monotony of work and all the lies associated with it are driving me nuts!
Six months back I made a decision with lots of dreams and aspirations.
Everything has gone crazy.
I have cursed and kicked myself umpteen number of times since that fateful day.
Now it is a matter of time!
I am running the risk of being labeled a back-stabber, escapist and quitter by many.
I guess it is just not worth it.
I need to be with my mother till she regains good health.
I need time to sit down and decide what to do with my remaining life.
Too many bad decisions have landed me in this current mess. I need to recharge, rejuvenate and do something meaningful.

It is time to do some serious introspection and find out what my life's true calling wants me to do.

Bye folks!

Silence

Dearest your silence,
Continues to torment me!
You said that-
"We still remain the best of friends".
Was that in jest or in spite?
Maybe I shall never know.

As the winds of time blow,
We might meet again,
Till then it is silence!

Sreesanth Reloaded

India completed its century of victories in test cricket by defeating Sri Lanka at Kanpur.
Sressanth's performance with the ball which included a five-wicket haul in the first innings was instrumental in India's victory along with the centuries by Sehwag, Dravid and Gambhir.
Sreesanth has mellowed down and his stint at Warwickshire has done a world of good for him.
He has to remain calm and focus on the game. Let his bowling skills talk instead of his on-field antics.
With the final test beginning soon, let us see if Sree can provide another match-winning performance.

Musings

My past continues to haunt me!

One of the darkest periods in my life which led to a life-threatening accident keeps returning.

Distant relatives on meeting me after all these years keep referring to the accident.

I have tried so hard to come out of those five months of madness, mayhem and illness.

But I can never run away from the truth!

Never:(

A Prayer

A prayer for all the innocent souls who lost their lives in the terror carnage on November 26, 2008.

A year has gone by, the scars remain.

I pray that we never again face a scenario like this.

Hang Kasab!

If a superpower can declare a war on terror, should not our nation at least take action against the culprits?

Will the law take its own sweet time?

Is any further proof required to prove that Kasab was indeed one of the main perpetrators of the crime?

The prime accused in the Parliament attack Abu Afzal Guru's execution was stayed!

Does justice prevail in India at all?

When will my nation's slumber be broken?

Folks please think!

Musings

My patience is running out.

Seems that I will have to run again!

But how far will I run?

Ghosts from the past keep returning to haunt me.

Is it the end?

Or the end of a horrible nightmare-

That seems to be forming in the immediate future.

Only time will tell!........

Kanpur Test promises to be a batsman's delight

There were loads of complaints on the quality of the pitch at Ahmedabad.
Seems the curator of Kanpur decided to better his mate at Ahmedabad.

At the end of day-1, India have scored 417 runs for the loss of two wickets. Solid centuries by Gambhir and Sehwag. Dravid looks good on 85 with Sachin giving him company.

Let us see how the pitch behaves tomorrow.

Back to work

A bout of fever and an injury on my foot got me a holiday on Friday.
I am back to work.
I am being typecast to be suffering from "The Friday Syndrome".
:)

Gambhir and Sachin Save India the Blushes

Determined centuries by Sachin and Gambhir and a patient 50 by Laxman ensured a draw.

The next test at Kanpur should be interesting. If the pitches remain as they were at Ahmedabad then well anything is possible.

The Clock Ticks!

The clock ticks,
I sit silently,
Staring at my monitor,
With a false smile,
On my face.

The mind wanders,
With the body stuck here.
Every single day starts on a melancholy note.
Each day one expects,
Things will improve.

But things remain the same.
Pressures at work,
Domestic discords,
The list of troubles keeps growing.

The path for the future,
Looks unsettled and mysterious.
Decisions in the past,
Some treasured as cherished memories
And others banished as dreaded nightmares.

As I stand at the fork,
Of my professional
And personal life,
I wish to break free.
Of all rules and codes

Travel all alone
To some distant mountain
Or to some old sea-side town
Sadly these will all remain as dreams.

As the monitor blinks,
With a notification,
Of an e-mail with yet another project-deadline
The clock ticks again

I awake from my dreams and am back to staring at the monitor.

Rediscovering Friends

It is a feeling of absolute joy and the heart feels happy when one rediscovers a friend from college-days on a social networking site.

I am happy:)

Jayawardenes demolish Indian bowling attack

Dravid's knock has been overshadowed by the batting display of the two Jayawardenes.

An imposing total of 760/7 ensures that Sri Lanka has a fair chance to win their first test match in India.

More to follow on this once the match ends.

A post on the batting of the underrated Mahela and Dhoni's flawed captaincy will be published once the match gets over.

First-Love and One True Love-Books

This post is inspired by Kavi's post

I have always loved reading books. All kinds of books except my school-books:)

Some of my earliest memories of introduction to reading goes to the journey I made from Pune to Calcutta; when my father had quit one more job and sent me and my mom to my uncle. I guess it was a Chandamama that my mother bought and silenced me. I kept looking at the pictures and was awe-struck by Vikram and Betaal.

At Calcutta, I met my elder sister after a gap of three years. She took me, I was five years old I guess, in her arms and promptly placed a peck on my cheeks. I got lots of Indrajal and Amar Chitra Katha Comics and my sister would explain the stories.

At school there was Ronnie madam who took English class and it was a real treat to attend sing-along classes when rhymes and lessons were held.

I guess I was seven or eight; when I got my first Tintin comic-"The Blue Lotus" from my uncle. I guess that fateful day marked the ignition for my life-long passion for books. My uncle was separated from his wife and son; perhaps to make up for his paternal los, showered all his affection on me. Sundays would be spent in Camac Street, Mirza Ghalib Street, Gariahat and lots of other places where we would pore over old books. The biggest attraction was the Calcutta Book Fair at the Maidan. I guess the venue has changed now. Enid Blytons were staple diet, by the time I was eleven I had completed-Famous-Five, Five-Find-outers, The Secret Seven and the Adventure Series.

There was healthy competition between me and my younger uncle's daughter. She loved Nancy Drew and I was mad about Hardy Boys and The Three Investigators. She had a massive book collection courtesy her uncle Mani mama who used to run a lending library when he was a teenager. As each new year dawned the seriousness of academic excellence dawned and everyone realised that I was an absolute misfit with Maths.

Classes six and seven were devoted to Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, Jules Verne and Alexandre de Dumas. Sherlock Holmes, Captain Nemo, Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers were my heroes.

By the time I reached Class-8 I had switched to Sidney Sheldon, Jeffrey Archer and Desmond Bagley. I was a man trapped in the body of a boy. I had matured as a reader and as well as a teen who had realised that his father was an absolute failure.

Fast-forward to 1998-May 1

I am at Central Station in Chennai with my mother, waiting for my father. A last chance for him to redeem himself as a husband and a father.

Chennai is a book-lover's paradise. My dad could never fathom what I wanted. My mother would give me a hundred rupees once in every two months as pocket-money. I would pain-stakingly save money and make trips to Triplicane and Moore Market to buy old novels.

June 2002

After scraping through high-school; I finally joined college-R.K.M. Vivekananda College. A course in English Literature and a whole vast new world of drama, fiction and poetry. Shakespeare and Francis Bacon were read for marks, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams and Tagore were read for pleasure.

Poetry for me was a fine balance between Robert Frost, William Wordsworth and Emily Dickinson. John Donne and co. with their metaphysics were beyond me.

June-2005 -The Professional

An essay on Dickens won me a place in the corporate world and I started my career as an Instructional Designer. Now I had the luxury of a zero-balance salary account. After paying my mother my salary, a small portion of my pay would go towards buying DVDs and books.

Current Scenario

Five jobs later in different companies and different roles, my career continues to hang on at the precipice of uncertainty as I am contemplating one more switch. I have discovered police-procedurals in the translated works of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo-the Inspector Martin Beck series. I have also enjoyed the Inspector Morse and Inspector Rebus books.

There is such a vast ocean out there and my room is already full of books. I have a huge list of books that I need to buy and read. My mother keeps warning me that my wife will come and throw away all my books. Well that is a veiled threat:)

An affair that never began and ended before it could start still hurts me.

But my passionate romance with books will continue till the very end.

Girl-friends may come,
Girl-friends may go,
A woman might actually end up being my wife
But my one true love shall be my books alone.

Musings

Again and again I rue my decision of having quit my job on writing about cars. I feel like kicking myself for becoming greedy and tempted by the designation of a "Manager". I got a decent offer from another company but I rejected it.

I honestly am at a self-created mess or yet another career-crossroad. A couple of fellows left without serving any notice; just a farewell. I do not have the heart to do that as I am a sentimental bloke. I respect a director of the company for her intelligence and her strength.

The way things are going with no signs of any major improvement I think I will have to "abscond". My resume looks shabby and although I have worked in various roles in diverse areas the "drifter" tag is becoming prominent.

I think I will end up again at SS Earnley or at some of the other companies where I have worked earlier. The process of sending resumes, taking up tests, attending interviews is all set to start again. I need to find a job without shifts!

Wish me luck folks! The game is afoot !

Bride-Hunting and Horoscope-Matching

Thirty horoscopes from my sister.
After many permutations and combinations, five show signs of matching. Five e-mails have gone to different parts of the country with my details.

Let us see if a favourable reply comes.

A Time to Study

Need to start studying with more interest and energy as exams are in December.

I am worried about one paper called Quantitative Methods.

Maths has always been my weak-point and the ghosts of high-school are back to haunt me.

God give me strength to study well and clear all papers in the first attempt itself.

Team India-What went wrong?

Team India-What went wrong?

Before the start of the seven match India-Australia ODI series, things were pretty much gung-ho and we looked for an interesting series.

The so-called second-strung Australian team has once again proved how an effective and efficiently run Cricket Australia churns out match-winners who are up to the challenge and snatch victory from the mouth of defeat.

Two very closely contested matches. It was India's cocky approach that cost them the series. Today's match is likely to be canceled because of heavy rains. Sachin will once again be disappointed as his 175 a master-class of batting went in vain. Memories of the Chennai test conceded to Pakistan will echo again.

Dhoni's captaincy and the lop-sided batting of the team has caused a lot of heart-burn.

A banner held by a spectator "INDIA MISSES THE WALL" is proof of what is needed.

Why Sehwag or Sachin did not get to bowl remains a mystery. Sehwag's failure to get a good start and an unsettled opening batting pair troubles India.

The one true positive from this debacle was Praveen Kumar surprisingly for his batting.

The Sril Lankan series starts soon can India regain some respect. Let us see.

Public Enemies-Politicians

Look at the mess:

In Karnataka a chief minister and a national party are held to ransom by two brothers.

Madhu Koda a former minister is accused of a scam running in to thousands of crores.

Maoists continue to create mayhem as ministers look dumbfounded.

Maharashtra Assembly is disrupted as MNS members attach Abu Azmi for taking oath in Hindi.

Water wars emerge as Tamil Nadu and Kerala are at loggerheads over Mullai Periyar Dam.

God save this country!

UP!

I finally got to see "UP" this Sunday evening. This gem from Pixar had a long delay in reaching India.

The movie is a departure from previous offerings from Pixar and has human emotions as a major factor.

The movie recounts the story of a young boy who wants to be an explorer. He meets a girl who has similar ambitions. They become friends and they grow older and get married. They plan to reach the fabled Paradise Falls and start saving for their trip. The sequence extends and the childless couple have grown old. The man Carl and the woman Ellie still love each other deeply.

Carl gets two tickets to Venezuela but Ellie has fallen ill and eventually she dies. Carl sits all alone in the church after Ellie's burial.

Carl's old house is in the middle of a construction plan. A series of events leads Carl to be arrested and forced to move to an old-age home.

Carl plans something else and blows loads of balloons fixed to his roof and flies away. The only problem a small chubby boy Russell is unwittingly also at the doorstep when the house flies.

The duo face problems and finally reach Paradise Falls.

Here they meet talking dogs, a strange bird and an explorer Charles Muntz who was presumed to be dead.

What follows next is an interesting mix of the duo outwitting the old explorer who wants to capture the bird alive with his coterie of talking dogs.

There are chase sequences in the air, a zeppelin kind air-ship and Carl's humble home.

Watch the movie on the big-screen.

Thumbs-up!!!

Public Enemies

I expected a lot from this movie.

A chance to see Christian Bale and Johnny Depp trying to outwit each other.

This is a movie which traces the history of notorious bank-robber John Dillinger and the story of how law-enforcer Purvis manages to trap him and kill him finally.

The movie was good from the cinematography and background music-score point of view. A couple of jail-breaks and chase sequences.

The movie was entertaining but the feeling that I did not get my money's worth continues to bother me.

Christian Bale was wooden while Depp was average.

The lady who plays Depp's love-interest has done a good job.

Sadly only a 2.5 star rating!

District-9

DISTRICT-9

What a movie!!!!

A formulaic concept of a man on the run that has been rewritten with an alien twist.

This movie needs a detailed review, but I am pressed for time.

A situation where aliens land in Johannesburg, they are pushed to a colony in the city termed District-9.

A company is given the task of moving them to another area. One of the officers gets infected and mutates into an alien.

Now the authorities and a group of Nigerian gangsters are after him.

Does the officer escape?

Does he become a full-fledged alien?

Is he reunited with his wife?

Watch the movie for answers.

Worth watching on the big screen

A Decision

Musings.....

Well I do not know who all are going to read this post.
May be someone from my current office might read this!
To cut a long story short, I got an offer from a leading company. A good offer too.
But with all the problems and short-comings that are here, I chose to continue here.
Let me see how things progress.
The 2-year clause continues to weigh heavily on my mind.
I am trying to bring in changes, clarity and a systematic approach to work. Two months more to go for completion of probation.
If things continue to move downwards then it will be "quits".
There is a gut-feeling that good-times are around the corner.
Let us hope for the best.

HAPPY DIWALI

WISHING EVERYONE HAPPY DIWALI

Crisp Movie Reviews

Crisp Movie Reviews

Managed to see some movies:

Kandaswamy-Over-hyped, time-pass, Shriya looks stunning and anorexic at the same time, Vikram is cool, Vadivelu is crass, the movie bends all notions of "Wilful suspension of disbelief".

Eeram-Great potential, starts of well, loses steam in trying to balance itself as a horror movie or a suspense thriller. Definitely worth watching once.

Unaipol Oruvan-Mohanlal outshines Kamal, but the movie lacks suspense for folks who have seen "Wednesday".

Dare House

All these years in Chennai, I used to look at the imposing Dare House at Parrys Corner.
The European-style architecture and a chequered history behind the building.
Later this evening I shall be visiting the building to meet a client.

Wish me luck:)

Searching for The Divine

Searching for The Divine

One wanders in temples, mosques and churches, trying to find the Divine One.
It takes a long time for one to realize that the Divine One exists in oneself.

An Emotional Outburst

All the frustrations at home, my mother's illness, father's irresponsible behaviour and the pressures at work-took their toll and I had an emotional break-down at work. I was practically in tears and mumbling incoherently.

The folks at office were worried and promptly sent me home.

A colleague dropped me at the railway station and I reached home in a dazed state.

I do not know how things are going to go on.

Life keeps springing surprises at every stage.

The quest continues...

Missing Kolkata

Lines Composed on the City where I was Born

I do not know why!

But I am missing Kolkata a lot.

The Navaratri season has started.

It is time for Pujo in Kolkata.

The pandals with the various forms the goddess.

The crowds, the jhal-muri and puchka.

The stalls with the shooting games.

I just don’t know why!
Why I had to leave the city where I was born!

Chennai has given me a lot!
Moulded me in to a man,

From the gawky adolescent that I was!

Given me praise, friends, fame and a job!

Somehow the winds of change,

May destine me to return to the city,

Where I was born!

May be a bride from the land of sweets!

Who knows?

An offer to work!

In a land of bandhs and strikes!

A chance to travel by the trams and the Metro!
A chance to visit the maidan in the evenings!

Wish that some things,

Fall in to place soon!

The Quest Begins!

So the quest shall start all over again!
The surprise being the seeker might return to an old haunt again!
Wish me luck folks!

Musings

Musings


I wonder,
As I sit trapped,
In this place.
Bereft of any joy or humour.

Pretending to be happy,
And enjoying what I am doing.
Another charade-
To play my role.

Will there be a change?
The darkness that continues to haunt me
Is puzzling!
Will the shining light!

That I aspire for,
And dream in drug-induced sleep
Brighten my life-
In reality?

Salary:)

Salary:)

Finally we have got our salary.
Funny thing is have not got a message from the bank yet.
One of my colleagues checked his account online and passed the news around.

Salary!

Still no luck and my saint-like patience is reaching its breaking point.

Salary......!

Salary Woes

Salary, dear salary,
Where are you?
Are you stuck-
In the coffers-
Of the great directors?

Are you stuck in limbo
Awaiting a signature from HR
Or a signature from Accounts?

Or are you stuck
In the labyrinth
Of servers and networks
That enable the transfer of funds

Shall I receive an SMS
From my bank this evening!

Stating that-
RS ***** has been credited in your account number XXX
As salary for the month of August!

Was I a fool?
To have accepted things at face value!
It seems that the Quest!
Shall begin all over again.

It seems I shall never ever-
Find sanity-
Amidst this corporate chaos.

The Guessing Game Begins!

With August coming to a close tonight and September starting tomorrow-- the guessing game begins!

Wonder not!

It is with regard to the payment of salary.
Last month it was the tenth or eleventh of August!

Hope pay gets credited at least by fifth of September!

Keeping my fingers crossed.

A Change is Promised

The culmination of various frustrations led to a colleague tendering his resignation. What followed was a long e-mail to the VP of the company detailing all the problems.

Some subtle changes can be seen since then. Things have been promised. Let us see how things shape out.

Wishing Big-heart all the best in his future endeavours!

Independence Day?

Happy Independence Day to all Indians.

The update is one still has to work from home on I'Day to avoid traveling for four hours to and from work.

Now that is Independence!

Damn! If they had Form V-A we could have claimed double wages!

Life continues to go in all it's monotony!

Cheers!

Earthquake in Chennai

Woke up to an urgent call from sis' enquiring about an earthquake. The TV news items added the suspense with reports of trmors in Thiruvanmiyur and Velachery. Tremors were felt in Cuddalore and Kanyakumari too.

I did not feel a thing and thank God for that!

There is a tsunami warning too!

Let us see what happens!

Old Movies on a Sunday

Hectic work, frustrations at work and a strange feeling of emptiness within were all forgotten on Sunday as yours truly went on a cinematic voyage through some classics.

I saw the following movies yesterday:

Wages of Fear-French

Branded to Kill-Japanese

Rebel without a Cause-English

Singin' the Rain-English.

Each movie in the list deserves a separate blog post as a review. Currently I am limiting myself to brief summaries.

Wages of Fear-Yves Montand, Charles Vanel, Peter Van Eyck, William Tubbs, Véra Clouzot.

Directed by-Henry James Clouzot.

The movie directed by Henry James Clouzot is a slow haunting psychological case-study of the fears and unfulfilled desires of mankind, coupled with lust for money and women. An unnamed Lain American country, an oil-field operated by an American conglomerate, a rag-tag bunch of vagabond-like characters, two truckloads of nitroglycerine. How is that for a plot? The movie is shot in monochrome and the first hour progresses in introducing us to the characters. Then the challenge of transporting two truckloads of nitroglycerine across 300 miles of rugged terrain. Two drivers for each truck. You have got to see the movie to experience the fears, tensions, courage that the actors portray. A scene where a truck almost falls into a ravine as a wooden bridge breaks is brilliantly shot. Do both trucks reach their destination? Do all the four drivers survive? Watch the movie for answers. The movie deserves five stars!

Branded to Kill-Jo Shishido, Mariko Ogawa, Koji Nanbara, Mari Annu

Directed by-Seijun Suzuki

This was indeed a special movie. I had purchased this dvd almost a year ago, inexplicably I never viewed it. The movie is a real treat for its visual appeal, symbolism-imagery and slick editing. The striking aspect is that the visual appeal holds greater value as the movie was shot in monochrome. You have obsessed women, disturbed-assassins, thrilling chases and shootouts, strange imagery of dead butterflies and birds, a couple of explicit sexual encounters with abundant nudity. An anti-hero who sniffs boiled rice for sexual arousal. The movie is a bit difficult to understand but never loses its tempo. Condemned in Japan on release the movie has since built a cult-following and served as inspiration to many directors like John Woo. Deserves 5 stars but I was put off by the nudity and I guess language is a barrier. So I give it 4 stars.

Rebel without a Cause-James Dean, Natalie Wood, Corey Allen, Sal Mineo, Dennis Hopper

Directed by-Nicholas Ray

James Dean why did you die so young? The movie showcases the acting skills of James as a teenager who tries hard to fit in the scheme of normal American life. Shot in colour the movie serves as a mirror of American society in the fifties. Life was about status in society, how to present and conduct oneself so that society would look up to you. The movie is set in a time-frame of 24 hours. from getting arrested for drunkenness, to joining a new high-school, a fight, a racing challenge, an inadvertent death, fleeing from home and once again another inadvertent death.

Frustrations in society that are universal. A must-watch for all teenagers and their parents. Sometimes parents never understand kids and many a time kids end up living a life that their parents envisage for them! Five stars for James and the gang!

Singin' in the Rain-Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell

Directed by-Stanley Donnen and Gene Kelly

The all-time favourite seen long back on TNT. The movie describes the transition of Hollywood from the silent era to the musical talkie. A sweet little movie with elaborate sets, songs and dance. A romance woven into it. A star who falls for small-time artiste. Great lines, beautiful songs, awesome tap-dancing, some really funny lines. Watch this on a rainy day with your beloved beside you. Five stars again!

Murali Leaves Us

Talented actor Murali passed away this morning in Kerala. He was 55. An actor par excellence, a lawyer by profession whose first love was theatre. Murali had the depth and power to reign supreme in Malayalam cinema. There are many rumours that Mammooty tried to sabotage Murali's career as a hero. Such accusations are common in all the various "woods" when character actors give the so-called heroes a run for their money.

Murali has played the cold-blooded villain, the friend, father, honest police inspector and countless other roles. His performance in Pulijanmam won him an award. He had won accolades for many other movies too. Of late he appeared in some Tamil movies too. He also appeared in the Deccan Air ad of a small town villager who ends up travelling in an aeroplane.

On par with Thilakan for his powerful dialogue delivery and magnetic gaze-Malayalam cinema has lost another good actor.

State of My Mind

Life sometimes is cruel,
But when the cruelties,
Strike one after the other,
Without a break in between.
When prayers that come,
From a devout heart,
Get lost in the confines-
Of space and time,
What does one do?

When the folks-
Who always stood by you.
Stand helpless and weak.
How does one provide support and solace?
Is this the cruel joke!
That was in store for me!

I cried when I realised-
That I had lost her.
That I could no longer call her-"Dearest."
I was sad but then I quickly recovered!
And wished her the best.

But now-
I am lost for words.
Lost on every count!
And in spite of everything that I tried.
I ended up as a loser!
Not just in love.
But in life too.

As I continue this dreary monotonous existence and fall into new depths of depression with each passing day. I continue to hope that the light would shine out of the gloomy depths.

Avani Avittam without Father

The yearly ritual of changing the sacred thread, went without a hitch. Managed to get a day's leave for the ritual. It is good to have an Iyengar/Iyer as the boss. They know the importance of the day and do not ask silly questions. This year holds special significance as I performed the ritual in the absence of my father. The Lord knows what he is doing. For all practical purposes I guess he has fled the state. I spoke to some staff at his office and they said that he comes to office irregularly.

I try not to worry or think about him. But my work keeps getting disrupted as my mind wanders back to the past when I thought I was a part of a happy family-20 years back in a block of flats in Pune. Never did my child's mind realize that Fate would play such a curious trick on me and I would end up like this.

For 11 years when the three of us stayed together and tried to build a rapport, cracks kept appearing and disappearing in the bonds of affection. Finally as the proverbial final blow that struck, I was surprised to see how happily my father washed his hands off all responsibilities and left us.

All these years of prayers, meditation and devout belief have resulted in this. Perhaps the Good Lord wanted things to be like this. I made a choice to chart a career again in Instructional Design and I will be honest when I say that I am failing in my quest. An environment that is filled with self-created pressure does not help things.

If things go on at this pace and tempo-I am definitely calling it quits. Salary being delayed again and again, lame excuses of a strike that started today when pay was promised on the fourth of every month(maximum by the fifth!). This blog started with a definite purpose of providing insights into cinema, literature, my poems and short stories. Now it has turned in to my cribbing/crying/ranting notebook. I have lost my follower too.

Nadodigal and Meiporul

Finally I managed to see two movies.

Nadodigal and Meiporul

Nadodigal
Directed by Samudrakani starring Sasikumar, Ganja Karupopu and others.

Sasikumar is turning out to be the man with the Midas touch. He has found success as a director, producer and actor. Nadodigal is about a group of friends who help another friend marry the girl he loves. The impact of this action and how this changes the lives of the original group of friends forms the crux of the story. Good energetic feel in the movie, one unwanted gaana-item by a buxom lady, decent comedy track and a foot-tapping mood-setter "Shambo-Shiva Shambo."

The movie becomes preachy at the end and suddenly Sasi reminds one of T. Rajendar but the movie is a superhit in all centres and the producers are laughing all the way to the bank.

Meiporul

Shot in the U.S. and made by a bunch of non-filmi software professionals this movie deserved a better run. There is a doctor and his wife( a reporter for a Tamil magazine). They are friends with another couple. The doctor is an atheist and he befriends a man who predicts the future. He says that the doctor would be killed by his wife.

What happpens? Does the doctor get killed? Who is this strange man who predicts the future? Who is the American who shadows the doctor?

Watch the movie for answers!

Musings

I just do not know. I am cracking up! Losing my sanity and patience. After my father returned home after a massive alcoholic binge and listening to another cock-and-bull story. I finally asked my father to leave. Surprisingly he was extremely happy and thanked me for liberating him of his duties. He never did do anything good and that is another story.

Mother frequently falls sick and is becoming frailer with each passing day as she keeps worrying herself.

Work-load is heavy and I feel that I have signed a pact leading to my own doom.

If things keep going at the current pace-I am going to call it quits and start working from home as I cannot keep worrying about mother while I am in office.

Let me see what happens.

Wish me luck!

Saw some movies on dvd-finally!

Will post reviews soon.

Work, Work and more Work

I seem to be loaded with work and have not seen a movie for a record period of 20 days now. That is indeed a weird statistic considering that I am one real movie fanatic.

Loads of work at work[I am being poetic!]

Good I guess!

Hope pay gets credited properly on time.

Last month was one long complicated waiting process.

Things not well on the domestic front too as Daddy Dearest has begun his ritual of the Betaal climbing the old tree and returned to his nefarious ways of drinking hard and absconding from work and home. God knows that I have been very very patient all these years and I do not know when I will snap and take a serious action. Mother continues to suffer in silence and has been afflicted with fever and tiredness.

Things continue to go and I try to find some sense in this life.

May be I am cursed to be this way and suffer for the sins of others!

Cricket News

Bangladesh secured a historic test win against West Indies.
Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan twice in the current test-series.
England managed to escape by a whisker to secure a draw in the first Ashes Test.
The second test is underway.

Cricket News

When everyone talks about the demise of Test Cricket and how T:20 is changing the world of cricket-the first test match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan provided twists and turns and a striking batting-order collapse. Pakistan lost 8 wickets in quick succession and lost a match that was by all means in their pocket.

The Ashes Test in Wales is in progress and Ricky has cracked century number 38. Today's play should provide some interesting fodder for thought.

England 435 all out. Australia 249/1. Katich is on 104 and Ponting is on 100.

A Month

It is exactly a month since I joined this firm. It is too early to say anything. But it is very evident that there is absolute chaos in everything that goes on here. Having the head office in another city and allocating work across branches and people does not help matters. Remote management, communication gap, miscommunication, money-transfer issues. A set of people who do not know what to do? Conflicting and confusing job roles and responsibilities. The list can go on... Added to that this is a small office functioning out of a flat.

But among all this chaos there is a good bonding among all the staff and there is a sincerity of purpose and dedication to get the job done. Additionally there are a couple of stalwarts of the e-learning industry who are on the board of directors and offer lot of valuable insights.

Let me see how long I last here.

Folks wish me luck!

A New Friend

Well after four years of company in which you provided me joy, good news, sorrow and fun. I decided to move on. But do not worry you will still be with me.

Well folks I got a new mobile phone. The Samsung Star. It looks awesome and is loaded with features. A huge screen and only three buttons at the bottom. The phone is a total-touch enabled one and has a host of widgets. A 3.2 megapixel camera with lots of photo-composing features. Dedicated music player and FM radio. The phone is black in colour and cost me Rs 9500 plus taxes.

My old friend the Sony Ericsson z530i is safely secured in its original package in my cupboard at home. Too many memories of using Ziggy. Well you can stare that's the name for my old mobile. I have spent many an hour talking to someone whom I can no longer claim to be mine. Tracked cricket match updates while traveling on the train by calling up friends. Shot a whole lot of pictures in Ooty. The list can just go on and on. Ziggy thanks for being such a good companion. I almost had a shock when someone tried to steal the phone in the bus, but by good luck and presence of mind I got you back in one piece.

Thanks for all the good times!

Now it's time to keep moving with the times with Sammy! That's my new friend:)

Holy Shit

HOLY SHIT

I am going to think twice before I utter the phrase again. The past week has been hectic. A case of food poisoning and dehydration-leading to upto four trips to the toilet every hour for three days. Three days of Sick Leave in office. A delay in completing my work. The Lord knows how much water has passed:)

My stomach still feels strange and I have a suspicious feeling that I might need to rush to the toilet any time.

Folks my advice-"Avoid red cabbage and spinach for a while."

Those were the suspects in my case.

Thiruvanamalai

THIRUVANAMALAI

An opportunity to visit Thiruvanamalai came my way and I jumped to the chance. A magnificent temple and well maintained too. The overpowering feeling of strength and devotion is unmistakable here. I also managed to visit the Ramana Ashram and met spiritualist Nochur Venkatraman-popular for his discourses on the Bhagavatham.

The whirlwind trip was completed in 10 hours-Chennai-Thiruvanamalai-Chennai.
A proper trip is in my mind and I intend to spend a couple of days at the ashram.
As God wills!

Pakistan Win

In troubled times some good news for Pakistan. An all-round performance by the team and a brilliant spell of fast-bowling ensured that Pakistan are the new T:20 world champions.

Afridi, Razzaq and Gul did a good job.

Younis Khan announced his retirement from T:20 cricket.

Afridi might be the new T:20 captain

Pakistan enter the finals

South Africa with all their experience and positive vibes continued to retain the "chokers tag" as they were defeated by Pakistan in the first semi-final by 7 runs.

Afridi won the match for Pakistan with a brilliant performance with both bat and ball.

The second semi between Sri Lanka and West Indies will be a thriller.

Let us see what happens.

Three Defeats in a Row

Well Captain Cool-Three defeats in a row. Disastrous captaincy horrible running between the wickets. A target of 131 against South Africa and you lose with wickets still in hand. Soul-searching, accusations and resignations are expected soon. The honeymoon is over let us see what the big bosses say.

Team-India Falter

The first true test and our first Super-Eight Match against the mighty West Indies!
India bat first and wickets fall in quick succession. Yuvi and Yusuf Pathan do the rescue act. A decent total of 157 thanks to a solid knock from Yuvi.

West Indies lost early wickets but Dwayne Bravo sizzled with the bat to add to his 4 wickets to lead the Windies to victory.

Dhoni's captaincy was poor as the bowling changes do not make sense.

Let us see if we can make it to the semis.

England are in a desperate situation too and the India vs England match will prove to be a thriller.

Another Innings in Instructional Design

The past week has been hectic. I have joined a another firm in the e-learning domain. I have the designation of an Assistant Manager. The new place is a small outfit and they are in the process of setting up a full-fledged team. There is absolute chaos. We have a big and prestigious project that means a lot to the company. An induction is yet to take place. I was supposed to go to another city for a formal induction but it got canceled. It is a young and dynamic team. We were told that it was a 5-day week but the project and the deadline means it is a six-day week.

A colleague celebrated his birthday yesterday. There was cake and ice cream. In the evening it was time to go for a wedding reception. Met some old colleagues from SFY and EK.

Let us see how things go!

Wish me luck.

The Last Day

The last day at work was spent in the usual order. Saying good-byes! Wishing luck and all that emotional nonsense!

Memories:
Sethu Sir-Truly one of the great inspiring men that I have met in my life-time. Thanks for the books that you gave me and for the blessings.

Honestly the best manager I ever worked with - Vicky. Always cool and calm composed and steady and a great human being.
Deepak-Funny, honest, frank and sometimes too damn philosophical for even me to interpret what he means!

Robin-Great all-rounder and always ready to crack a joke.

And everyone else who made my stay at the firm memorable.

Now I await the settlement amount!

Rohit Sizzles with the Bat

India continued its supremacy over arch rival Pakistan and defeated them by 9 wickets in a warm-up game. Pakistan lost a wicket in the first over. Then they went ballistic and reached 45 in four overs. Then a suicidal run cost Kamran Akmal his wicket courtesy a superb throw from Raina. Then Pakistan were reduced to 45 for 4 as Afridi too lost his wicket alongwith the other opener.

Misbah as usual was the mainstay as Pakistan reached 157. The Indian openers Rohit Sharma in the form of his life and Gautam Gambhir blasted the ball to all corners of the park. Rohit's quickfire 80 and a composed 50 from Gambhir ensured that India won.

The main tournament starts tonight and we can expect loads of fire works.

May the best team win.

I WONDER

[Image Source-Google Image Search]

I wonder. I wonder a lot. No wonder I was labelled a day-dreamer when I was still very young. When I was in Class I-I used to wonder what it would be to be a famous cricketer. When I reached Class V-I used to wonder what it would be to be a tram-driver.[I was in Calcutta during that peiod]. Class VIII and the first crush on a girl in class and I wanted to emulate the antics of Shahrukh and Aamir. Reality struck a crushing blow when we had to move to another city. The first crush remained in my heart forever. I had never spoken to her in that year in class. I guess the shyness-syndrome continues as many of the readers of this blog already know:). By the time I completed the torture that was Trignometry and Analytical Calculus and Differential Calculus and drawing diagrams of the human heart and preparing herbariums of Clitoria ternatea. I was done with Science and Maths. Three years of college were full of fun, two life-threatening accidents. A long-period of recovery, which led to a spiritual awakening. A campus-recruitment drive that I attended by accident. I wonder what would have happened if I had never written that test. Four years down the line and heading in to my fifth job.

These four years have brought in so many incidents! The pangs of a failed attempt in love. The realization that I belong to a fractured family where the factors may change but some couples will remain incompatible and at loggerheads forever. The knowledge that the powers vested in me are great and the responsibilities and roles that I have to perform are greater. The absolute truth-that the path that I have chosen was destined to have come to me. I know that I am different and though folks may say I am difficult to understand and slightly cracked:). They will nver know what is in store!

Now I really wonder if something is wrong with my head:)!

India take on Pakistan

Team India faltered in its chase and lost to New Zealand in the first T:20 warm-up. Tonight the boys-in-blue take on Pakistan. Let us see what happens. The match is scheduled at 10 PM IST. So watching the full match live is ruled out.

May the best team win!

The little piece of plastic-the credit card

Know how your credit card
works before you swipe...."


It is just a piece of plastic the size of a visiting card, which has changed the way we handle our money and finances. You do not have money right now, do not worry, use your credit cards, make your purchase, wait for your monthly statement, and pay the bill in installments. Is that all that there is to using a credit card?

The credit card as a concept started in America. The success and popularity of the concept led to the global presence and usage of the credit card. A credit card is essentially a plastic card containing a magnetic strip. The card is issued in the user's name and allows the user to purchase products without making any cash/cheque payment. At the beginning of every month the user receives a statement from his/her bank. The user has to pay the bank the amount within a specified period either in installments or as a one-time payment. If the user pays the amount in installments the bank charges interest for the balance amount.

The bank specifies a credit limit based on the user's income and financial security. The user can make purchases using the credit card within the specified credit limit. A credit card is valid only if it has the user's signature on the reverse of the card.

Identity theft is an issue of growing concern as more and more cases of online fraud are being reported everyday. This is primarily due to the increase in the number of users conducting their transactions on the Internet and the carelessness of the credit card users. There have been instances where portable card-readers were used to get data from credit cards and this information was misused. Hackers also use this information to conduct online transactions.

Some simple tips that can help prevent identity theft and misuse of credit card details are as follows:

1-Never reveal your credit card details, like account number and PIN(Personal Identification Number) to others.

2-Be sure to tear all receipts or bills once the transaction is over and the bills are paid.

3-If you are buying something online, ensure that the Website is approved by digital security firms like Verisign, Entrust, RSA Security, etc...

4-Always collect your credit card once you complete your transaction and keep analysing your bills to check if someone has misused your credit card.

A credit card is a boon for the middle-class citizen as it allows the luxury of buying things now on credit and paying for them later. One has to remember that all things should be used in moderation and it is always good to pay one's bills on time.

Good Used-Books at Low Prices

The book-lover is bothered by the rising cost of books. Some have also gravitated towards buying pirated copies of books. In a world where everyone wants to spend the minimum to get the maximum pirated movies and pirated books are a major source of income to many entrepreneurs and source of joy to many book-lovers and movie-lovers. A Sidney Sheldon thriller that costs Rs 250 to Rs 300 in Landmark is available for Rs 50 to Rs 60 in many of the pavement stalls that dot Chennai.

But not all books make it to the pavement in its pirated form. Only the books by Jeffrey Archer, Sidney Sheldon, Frederick Forsyth, Paulo Coelho, Stephen R. Covey, Linda Goodman, Robert Ludlum, Arundhati Roy, Arvind Adiga and a few other chosen ones make it to the pavement.

The other option is to visit the many used-book shops to find old forgotten novels and comics. Indulge in nostalgia from childhood and an age of innocence when one fought with siblings to read Enid Blyton and Asterix and the Biggles series. Adolescence was devoted to the exploits of the Hardy boys, Nancy Drew and the Three Investigators.

I am listing a few of my favourite haunts in Chennai to find old books.

1-Moore Market

This has been my favourite ever since I started college and went hunting for copies of Milton’s “Paradise Lost” and “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.” Moore Market has a long chequered history. The current suburban railway complex is where the original Moore Market stood. My uncle used to say you could get each and every type of electronic item, exotic perfumes and various birds here. The biggest section was reserved to rows of book stalls. A planned fire led to the shop-keepers to be evacuated. A new complex (the current one) was built but many shop-keepers left the place. Today one finds most of the shops selling engineering books. Only about 12 shops spread across three floors sell novels and magazines. There are some shops that sell stamps and coins. The current complex has a lot of shops that sell exotic fishes, aquariums and related equipment. I visit the place and browse through the books. Some of the gems that I got here include: “An Anthology of American Poetry”(Got for Rs 350) a bargain as a new one costs about Rs 2000. The original James Bond novels by Ian Fleming at Rs 30 a piece. A new one at Landmark costs around Rs 200. Four Agatha Christie novels at Rs 45 a piece. The books look new and none of the pages are missing.

2-Adjacent GPO on Mount Road

There are about four stalls on the pavement on Mount Road adjacent to the GPO. Three sell pirated new novels. The fourth shop sells old books on a wide variety of topics. Novels starting from Rs 10 to coffee table books selling at Rs 500. I have picked many Enid Blyton novels here for Rs 10 and Rs 20. Other buys include an encyclopedia on dogs for Rs 200.(a picture book with details on breeds and health care tips for dogs). Lots of pulp fiction thrillers for Rs 20 and Rs 30.

Folks more shops coming soon. Cross-posted on Art, Books, Cinema and Music.

Chelsea Win!

Finally the silverware and joy for Chelsea Chelsea defeated Everton 2-1 to win the FA Cup. A parting gift for their Dutch coach Hiddink. Everton struck the fastest goal in the tournament's history but Chelsea won under the stable leadership of Lampard and a good game by Drogba.