ALEX PANDIAN

I was told by a friend that the director was the one who did Marudamalai & Padikkadhavan. So, with Santhanam being a part of this movie, I thought there’d be atleast something to laugh & booked for today’s show. Another friend’s short and simple feedback was “Soora Mokka”! Having already booked, I just hoped that atleast Santhanam would do some justice.

Milind Soman, a NRI, brings a ship full of medicines banned in the US to sell in Tamilnadu and needs CM’s approval. When it gets rejected, he, along with Suman, a doctor and a Godman, plans to kidnap the CM’s daughter. Karthi who does anything for money, agrees to kidnap the CM (Visu)’s daughter Anushka for 10 lacs and as a hero, he does it easily. When he comes to know about the banned medicines and the 1000 crore business aligned with it, has a change of thought, kills the baddies and saves the world… sorry Tamil nadu. Btw, Prathap Pothen is a bad guy too.

All of the story I had said above happens in the second half. So, what does the first half contain? Absolute JUNK… and they call it Comedy! Santhanam is good only in parts and some of the comedy scenes are GOUNDER Style. Remember the Ramarajan-Gounder comedy wherein he eats on a large banana leaf? He’s the brother of 3 sisters and Karthi is content at playing with the 3 girls when Anushka is undergoing treatment. Saravanan plays an useless cameo. I think it’s time to stop those Rajini jokes. Here’s a man who misses a train while fighting and after few minutes is found waiting on the bridge to jump on the same train!

Like the Tamil Cinema of eons, though the hero is surrounded by 30-40 of baddies and have a gun (with bullets)  they do want to kill him, they only hit on his head with the gun. Wait, its not over. The villains start hitting the handcuffed hero in front of his lover – Anushka – and when she dares them to release him and fight, the villains oblige and as expected get beaten to death. And ya, they also follow the Theorem – Love is Blind. A CM’s daughter falling in love with a carefree thug is not new to our cinema either.

To sum it up, this is easily one of the WORST films that I have ever seen. It stands right up there with the likes of Red, Villu & Sura! (Those are the other films that I watched on the big screen and regretted!) It will not be incorrect if I say this is the first TELUGU movie I have seen with Tamil Dialogues! The movie starts and ends with a fight and in between there are some so-called comedy scenes, songs and punch dialogues.

Why am I writing an exhaustive review for such a stupid movie? It’s for you to save your money and precious time!! Please DO NOT watch this crap. Please avoid such craps in future too. A friendly suggestion – Do not try to watch a movie during the first week of its release. Better to be safe than sorry!

A suggestion to Suraaj, Karthi et al., – A Book Fair is going on. There are lacs of good books. Try if you can make a story out of them. Get some life.

The Bell rang and the light glowed!

All was well until she became my neighbour. I was only 17 - playful yet fared better in my exams. I was lazy yet never left things pending. But things changed soon after her arrival. My playing time got curtailed. My laziness wafted into thin air. Soon, I discovered that I was not myself.

My mother was the first to talk about her. My father was the next. Then, both of them together! I came to know her name as Priya. In fact, my brother too had seen her, but he was not overly concerned. I didn't care much until I saw her myself. I had to believe. The very next day was the first time - 'The Bell rang and the light glowed!' I really had no clue which of the two happened first. But they happened. I thought it was just an one-off event. It was not to be. It was only the beginning and it went on and on. Each day, I thought I could shrug off. But deep inside me, I didn't want to. I wanted to tell my mother that I could not bear it for long. I somehow wanted a full-stop to this. I was waiting eagerly for the day my final exams would end.

The D-Day arrived. I thought I'll tell my mother on reaching home. But I deferred. But, the next day morning, again - The Bell rang and the light glowed! Yes, it was in that order! My mother woke me up from my sleep, "Kanna, the time is 4.30 AM. Wake up and start studying. See, Priya has been studying since 4 AM." "But Ma" I answered in my sleepy tone, "the exams are over!". My mother flashed a victory smile and said,"you still have your entrance exams!".

I had only one option apart from waking up - curse the inventors of the "Alarm Clock" and the "Tube light".

------- Thanks for Reading-------

RAAVANAN

I know it is too late now, to write a review for this movie. Actually, even before seeing the movie on the second day of its release, I had planned to write one. But then, after watching it, I was in a dilemma on how to go about it. One head - 2 Minds! Here we go.
Why I liked this movie?
Music (read songs) of any film creates an expectation for the film when it will be released. Good the music, more the expectation. Raavanan was one of them, according to me. An ARR-Mani combo is always special (well, I didn’t quite like Guru but for a couple of songs) and it was proved one more time. I don’t know how many liked it, I did. Raavanan had good songs. I’m not bothered if they’re a hit or not.
The Acting - This film has some of the top names - Vikram, Ash, Prithvi, Prabhu and Karthik - and all these have done justice to their roles. Though the first 3 have a meaty role, the last two don’t run out of your focus for almost the whole of the film. Vikram has done a great job, to say the least. You can watch the movie once, atleast for him. No two thoughts on that. Ash is beautiful, said to have taken some risks - twice and performs her role quite well. Prithvi has the unflinching attitude written all over his face. He has obeyed Mani sincerely! Prabhu and Karthik are significant and they get their timings right.

Cinematography - Awesome! Manikandan and Santhosh Sivan have given their best. There are some beautiful shots throughout the film. I’d be unhappy if they don’t get nominated for some of the top honours.

A R Rahman - Amazing BGM. This movie is an example to say why he’s got so many fans countrywide and even worldwide. Usure Poguthey is the one that draws you into mesmerism. I liked Veera, but was disappointed to see that as the title song. (I expected it to be something like a theme song.) The short song at the end is good too, but I guess it’s not in the Audio.

Editing - Perfect! Big B might have his own views about the editing in the hindi version(which I haven’t seen). But, I couldn’t find any faults in the Tamil. Kudos to Sreekar Prasad!

Art - Though the entire film (almost) happens in natural locations, the climax-fight on the hanging bridge stands apart! Try to watch it and you will become anxious about how it was done!

Mani Ratnam - Not for the movie, but for having chosen his personnel well!
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Why I hate this movie?
Mani Ratnam - The story is nothing new (even for a Non-Hindu). Haven’t we watched movies where the heroine is whisked away by the hero, only to be rescued later (by a so-called second hero!)? The screenplay is not as great as you expect in a Maniratnam movie.Even if the director wants to say that this is not (his version of) Ramayana, you can’t stop equating it to the epic! I bet he did it on purpose. Let me share some of those that I felt as very much straight:

> The main plot of the story - Revenge for cruelty done to Raavana’s sister (Soorpanakha/ Priyamani) and that Raavana falls in love with Sita - needs no special explanation.
> Vikram with Prabhu (the bulky) and Munna (the literate) easily equate to Raavana with Kumbakarna and Vibheeshana.
> That Karthik in his introduction as the “Forest Guard” jumps from tree to tree notwithstanding, Prithvi identifies him by his name and deeds. In the Ramayana, as Ram and Lakshman enter the forest in search of Sita, ‘Hanuman’ meets them in disguise but gets identified by Ram!
> As Prithvi and his team begin their search, they meet the injured boatman tied to a tree who tells them to go east! Ramayana - Jatayu, the eagle, narrates the abduction of Sita and tells Ram & Lakshman to proceed south!
> During his sister’s marriage, Vikram is shot by Prithvi from behind a group of dancers, when the former has no idea about the latter’s entry! Ringing bells?? Refer Vali’s death in Ramayana!
> Maniratnam’s Hanuman (Karthik) offers to go and find Ash and when he does meet her, he introduces himself as coming from Prithvi’s camp and what more - says Prithvi did give him something to show as an identity! When Karthik reaches Prithvi after the meet with Ash, what does he say first? - “I have seen her!” Why Mani sir? Whose story it is?
> When Karthik gets caught to Vikram’s men, Vikram wants to kill him but his younger brother changes his mind and thus saves Karthik. In Ramayana, Hanuman gets caught and when Ravana decides to kill him, is advised by Vibheeshana not to do so and thus saves Hanuman.
> Prithvi is shown in deep worry seeing the dress worn by Ash (which he has it hung in his tent). In Ramayana, Ram falls into grief after seeing the jewels of Sita. (Not exactly, but precisely so!)
Almost all the characters in the movie equated to characters in the Ramayana except - who? Ram and Ravana! Though Vikram has been portrayed as a most wanted, the grey shades on Prithvi… err… Ram is not justified. (The grey shades of Prithvi are quite obvious - when he tortures the already injured Priyamani’s husband, killing of Vikram’s brother when he comes for a peace talk etc.)
Maybe only for this reason, Maniratnam could claim the movie as not a version of the Ramayana! But, when you have every other thing pointed to the epic, it creates a feeling among certain sections of the audience that this is how Ramayana would have happened and they may begin to think that Ram does have those negative shades in him and Ravana as a great man who did not want to hurt Sita! But then, how many know that Ravana stayed away from Sita fearing death (by a curse!)? As a filmmaker, there are some responsibilities than misguiding people. Glorifying Ravana by demeaning Ram is totally unwarranted and unjustified!

Finally, this movie is technically good, but watch it just as a film without comparing it to Ramayana! Of course, better than Sura!

Thanks for reading :-)

ARISE, AWAKE!

It was just another Monday at my ofice. The year was 2006. The month was not significant to remember. [Of course nor did the year!]. I had returned from my home that morning in Rockfort express. [For those that don’t like to give a thought – the train runs between Kumbakonam and Chennai in both directions.] Train journeys in the night have a few advantages like ‘day-time savings’ and ‘sleeper’ coaches [whoa! In my college, my staff coached and I was the sleeper] etc. At the same time, there are quite a few disadvantages too. For eg., if it was not your day (night), you will not get proper sleep… yes, the sound outside will prevent your sound sleep! If you are still wondering where am leading to, well, it’s only about sleep!

My friends surely know me as a person who sleeps well – in the class or my hostel or in a travel, irrespective of the surrounding. For quite some days, I bore the brunt of being teased and later started boasting that it’s a boon that am getting to sleep well, as someone said only a man with problems doesn’t get a good sleep!

So, the Monday in office was usual except that I was a little tired after the previous night’s travel. In the evening, when I returned to my home – I shared my home with 3 of my colleagues – I started with my daily chore of trying out the Hindu crossword. One of my roommates was there watching a movie on his computer and the other two had not come. When it was about 8.30 pm, the friend left for his dinner and I was told to lock the door. I did so and resumed my crossword activity – now in a reclined position.

Suddenly, I heard my cell phone ring and I got up to pick it up. Only then I realized that I had slept and my roommate was standing outside the house. Not to mention that he was the person who was calling me! I knew I was going to be a scapegoat when he enters. As I was about to get up to open the gate, I saw that I had got 7 missed calls – all from him! Not wanting to waste more time (!!!), I got up only to stamp on some pebbles and coins.

When I opened the door, my friend’s look said it all. Of course, I had the sheepish smile written all over my face! The time was 9.30 pm. He started his narration: “You know what? I reached home at 9 pm and saw you sleeping. I tried calling you a couple of times, but you didn’t move at all! I then spoke to my parents for about 20 minutes and again tried to call you. No response again. I took out all the coins that I had in my pocket and threw at you – in vain. Then it was the turn of pebbles – I thought I was going to either spend my night outside the house or break open the lock when I decided to give a final call. And by the good deeds of my parents - you answered that! Thanks!” At the end of it all, he was not angry at all and we just laughed it over.

I swore him the same day – “From now on, I will make sure that YOU TAKE THE KEY WITH YOU WHEN I’M AT HOME!”

Then - They Romped! Now - Dumped! (Part-2)

The match against the host became the most important match of the tournament with both the teams facing a do or die situation as England too lost their opening match against SA. Ahead of the match, it became a news that England would replace the spinner - Rashid with Sidebottom, the pacer. And how did India prepare for the match? The team made the practice session as optional. And Dhoni’s response was that a single practice session will not better a player. (Did these fellows skip practice during the IPL or were there any optional practice sessions then? Or does a person like Sachin skip practice simply because he knows to play every shot?) This is purely an example of over-thinking! —1

Match day: It was one of those games, where you expect India to do too well and they end up doing just the opposite. The toss was won and Dhoni elected to chase!!??!! (Another surprising decision! Why would you want to put yourself under more pressure when there exists some already? It’s well known that the last time they met, India piled up runs - with Yuvaraj’s whacks - and put them under pressure, eventually won - though not convincingly. Moreover, this team is touted to have the best batting line-up on paper! Was the result of the previous match a distraction?) —2

Bowling: With RP coming in, the powerplay overs were kept tight after the wicket of Wright! And out came a surprise decision to bowl Yuvaraj Singh (was that an experiment?). The over costed 11 runs. (The last ball was the ugliest - a short pitch down the leg-side which was fortunately whacked only for 4!) Yuvi was not getting it right, but was again handed the ball for the 9th over (to prove that the experiment failed) and 10 more added to the total. —3

The positive thing was Jadeja’s bowling. He maintained a tight line throughout his spell but for a full-toss dispatched to the stands by KP. And he was rewarded well with the best 2 wickets of Bopara and KP. Harbhajan did bowl well and his figures read well too, at the end of the match. But he was one culprit when he bowled the 2 wides on the leg-side which eventually hit the ropes - thus costing 10 runs out of nothing. Of course, one of them was a mis-field by Yuvi at short-fine leg (which incidentally cost 3 extra runs that was the difference between the two teams in the end). —4

Ishanth’s bowling on that day could be very much compared to Agarkar’s during the 99 world cup (both are KKR mates :-)). And Zaheer was brought to bowl the 19th over which costed 12 runs (and an insignificant wicket). Why was RP not allowed to bowl his 4th over inspite of him bowled well in the match? Any captain would like the bowler with the figures 3-0-13-1, to complete his spell! In my opinion, RP should have replaced Ishanth than Irfan, who can bat as well! —5

Batting: As expected, England started bowling short balls. Gambhir was fortunate not to get out in the 1st over! Rohit sharma, survived one inside edge, but perished with another, attempting a pull off Sidebottom. And Raina too was uncomfortable with the short balls and ended his stay by top-edging a pull off the same bowler. Wouldn’t some practice have helped them a little? With 2 wickets down and the score reading not much, in came Ravindra Jadeja - one who had not batted in any of the earlier matches and when Yuvi was in top form! No prices for guessing - Gambhir played the waiting game but then, Jadeja started to compete with him in the same fashion, thus enhancing the required rate to climb notches up! It was another bad decision, considering the form that Yuvi was in and the match situation too. And the way he hit the first ball he faced, for a straight six! May be he wanted to prove a point against the bowler – Mascarenhas! —6

Credit should go to the England bowlers, for they bowled a very tight line, with very few looseners. When Yuvi got out for a brilliant work behind the stumps, pressure competed with the required rate to become sky-scrappers. As has been the story of the tournament, Dhoni just could not dispatch the ball air-borne. But for the 2 edges that went past the keeper for 4, his strike rate would have just been close to a 100 (which has become more common in a 50 over match for him! “Score run-a-ball – remain not out”). Though Yousuf Pathan at the other end, cleared the ropes a couple of times, he could not keep it going. Broad bowled a very good 19th over giving away just 9 runs when 28 was required off the last 2. But the damage was done much earlier. The last ball four (hit in the air by Dhoni!!!!) just narrowed the margin of victory and officially called for the removal of the last finger on the cup! What happened to Dhoni’s big hitting which brought him to limelight? Should a captain not take his chances even when his team is facing an exit from the tournament? —7

England had a sweet revenge for what happened 2 years ago. The defending champs only got ‘boos’ from the crowd, a rarity for a Dhoni led team.

Start to wonder who let Dhoni down? – His STARS or his PLANETS??

Then - They Romped! Now - Dumped! (Part-1)

Couple of weeks back, if someone had said that Australia would exit from the T20 World Cup at the earliest instant, he would’ve been laughed away. But as days went by, they were the first test playing nation to exit from the tournament! Thanks to the nature of the game, teams like Netherlands could beat England and Ireland could stare at the eyes of the Lankans. So, what of the defending champions led by one of the charismatic captains the country had seen? As I write, they, by all means, have lost all their chances of getting thier hands on the cup, which they had won in great style two years back.

To put it bluntly, they did the unexpected in both the editions - in 2007, they were so new to the format and were not expected to win; this time - they were expected to defend the title, though teams like South Africa and Pakistan were expected to throw a big challenge, (Incidentally, Pak has the biggest win % in T20 cricket.) but they are out!

India did have a considerable practice in the form of IPL with the cream of performers getting selected in the 15. (Of course, Ishant had a bad IPL!) Though the warm-up matches should not be much read into, they lost to New Zealand (a team whom they had not beaten in T20 in all the 3 matches played) and defeated Pakistan (a team whom they had beat in both the T20 matches played).

Though Bangladesh is considered a tricky opponent and Ireland came to the light beating Pakistan in the 2007 50-over world cup, the two matches did not pose a great challenge and victories against them was clinical and ensured them a place in the Super-8s. The real challenge started then on where they were pit in the group comprising West Indies, England and South Africa.

The first encounter against the Caribs was lost at two places - the first and the last 6 overs of the match. In the former - they lost 3 wickets for few runs and in the latter, they leaked too many runs. Thanks to Fidel edwards and dwayne Bravo, the whole cricketing world came to know the weakness of this batting line-up - The short-pitched deliveries! Yuvaraj was the only solace in that match.

CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS

It was a beginning of the end of an era – an era of supremacy and dominance by the Aussies in world Cricket. And who better than the proteas to give them back, what only they have always done? It was a good 3 match series right from the start (even though Dale Steyn and Mitchel Johnson aggregated more runs than hayden!). If one could recollect, Ponting, as always, did the talking, even before the first ball was bowled. And for me, it felt heartening when I saw him score a golden duck – his first ball of the series! (I was more happy because a possible contender to cross Sachin’s record got out without scoring!) On the contrary, one man was silent. He’d spoken enough the last time to not back that up with performance. Eventually, his silence won proving “action speaks louder than words”. This blog is about that one brave man (also).

Many would say Sourav’s 144 at Brisbane set the tone for that series down under in 2004. Similarly, or even better, Smith’s 108 in the first match (2nd innings) set the tone for this wonderful years. Chasing 414 in the 4th innings is not an everyday happening. It involved more. It needed the grit and the resolve. It becomes special when it comes from the captain himself! The chase overshadowed India’s successful chase of 387 achieved only a few days earlier. And why not? The second match was a typical 5-day match. But what a rear-guard action from Duminy and Steyn! (Duminy was only playing the second match of his career.) What a match for Dale Steyn! His fifer in the 2nd innings gave his team the winning edge and Smith ensured they were home with a well-made 75. I read somewhere that he’s scored the most in the 4th innings of tests that are won. More than anything else, the series was won. Graeme Smith has led his country for their first series victory in Australia! This match had more evidences of his astute leadership as well. Smith Gone. Icon Born!

The third match was only of statistical importance, but Smith would not give in. It was said that Smith who suffered an injury would not be available for the ODIs. He coveted for something else – The No.1 status if South Africa were to win the 3rd match. Unfortunately, he got hurt in the 1st innings after scoring 30 odd runs and didn’t come back even as the proteas were all out conceding a lead of about 120 runs. Many thought he’s done with this series. I too did. I presume Ponting too did! Having already lost the series 0-2, he went for the jugular when he set the proteas a target of 375 in about 110 overs. He should’ve had Smith’s absence in mind too ‘cos he would’ve known from the 1st test that SA can chase high scores. On the 4th day evening, Smith himself would’ve laughed off any thoughts of his batting in the 2nd essay of the match.

Came Day 5. All hopes relied on Amla and De Villiers, but no partnership stood the length of the time. There were only moments when both of them scored their fifties but they could not carry along. I lost hope (as would many have) when De Villiers was became the 7th man to return. Soon, Harris followed. It was left to the bowlers – Steyn and Ntini - to face the music for about 25 overs.

The tail wagged! It wagged for a long time. Ponting need not have gone in search of a more frustrated man than better see himself on a mirror! The two bowlers batted out almost 17 overs when Steyn got out. It could’ve been a dramatic moment. The aussies celebrated but could not avoid seeing the South African dressing room. Technically 50 more balls remained to be bowled but there was also a wicket to take! The suspense broke out in a few seconds when Smith walked out to the middle amidst huge cheers from supportes – inside the ground and those watching on their Television (or computers). No doubt his bravery was stamped immediately. Here was a man who got his arm broken only a couple of days ago but now in the middle to save his team from the jaws of defeat. That spoke volumes of the person he is.

I presume he could’ve been in a dilemma whether to take the strike himself or allow Ntini who’d managed to protect his wicket for quite a long time than usual. In the process, however, Ntini managed to clock the maximum amount of time he’d ever played in an innings! Ponting brought on his fast men. I wonder if he did that on purpose. On the other end, though, Ntini survived a chance when hayden dropped him. The next over, a Johnson delivery cut back in to disarrange Smith’s stumps and the battle was over. By then he’d played 17 balls for his 3 runs. Australia won the match by 103 runs. They’d avoided the ignominy of a whitewash and also retained their no 1 rank with that win.

Unfortunately he could not accomplish what he wanted (Or what a non-australian supporter wanted J). Had he survived only 10 more balls…! It was later revealed that he did not even bring his cricketing gear to the ground and had to borrow from his teammates! Such people are very few. I wish this finds a suitable place in Cricketing history. I can only relate to only one person in the last 20 years. It may not be a difficult guess, though. One man who was more silent and composed and admired by fans all over. The man, face wrapped in a bandage, after sustaining a bleeding Jaw, came out to bowl 14 overs during May 2002 and even got a wicket…the Wicket of Brian Lara and the bowler is none other than Anil Kumble.

My First Time to Sabarimala

The middle of May when the calendar showed the date 16, a friday. It's that time of the month when the 'Nadai' in Sabari mala was kept open for the devotees. I came to know from a Chinmaya Yuvaveer - Ganesh anna(as we call him) that the Nadai would be open every month for about 5 days. The other info I knew only then was that a devotee can go to Sabari mala and worship the lord even when he hasn't worn the 'mala' or undergone the traditional 48 days Vratham, only that he will not be allowed via the holy 18 padi (steps) but by a side entrance. Though the final destination is HIM, any ardent ayyappa devotee would want to worship him only by climbing up the 18padi. But then, we decided to take the alter route - we wanted to reach him.

Well, the WE here includes Ganesh anna, myself, Sriram - my junior at school. Though we planned to start on 16th - to worship HIM on the 17th, we missed to book tickets in advance. We could only get WL tickets and our upto-the-last-minute efforts to get an EQ failed! It was Anna and me from Chennai and Sriram was to join us at Salem.

The train (Trivandrum mail) was at 8 pm. And as usual [:-(], the train was waiting for me to depart!!! Anna was in the unreserved coach which was crowded to its maximum. I was fortunate to get a place - to stand! As the train started we thought one of us could go to the reserved coach and find if any berth was available. The thought didnt seem silly until Anna went to one coach at Katpadi. There were many people with WL tickets who were occupying the 'lowest berths'. I joined Anna at the Salem junction and we got a nice place to sit comfortably - near the door! Sriram, coming from trichy had got into an Ernakulam express and we decided he would board our train at Ernakulam. It was about 8.15 in the morning when we reached Kottayam, our destination. Coming out of the station we boarded a bus to the Kottayam bus stand. From then on it was 'Bus'y Kerala!!

At Kottayam we didn't have a direct bus to PAMPA. We were suggested an alter route - via Pattanamthitta. But we didnt have a bus to that place either. As we didnt want to wait, we took a bus to TIRUVALLA - we were told this place has many buses plying to Pattanamthitta. It was a 40 minute travel to Tiruvalla and that was the beginning for our ever'green' memories! We had arrived to the God's own country! At Tiruvalla, we're fortunate to get immediately a bus to Pattanamthitta, a place 40 minutes away. We had a nice nap though we didnt miss noticing the greeneries. Soon after getting down at Pattanamthita we saw a fully occupied bus leaving for Pampa. When queried about the next bus, we're told there was no fixed timing and buses would start once they become full. Not wanting to wait longer, we got into that bus. It was a footboard travel for me - with the door closed! 3 hours later we're on the banks of Pampa.

Water was only knee-high but we managed to take bath in the same. Impurities in it didn't matter! Minutes after that we started walking. It was an 'uphill' task! I was brisk for a while but started gasping after that. I was the slowest of the three and I often wondered (and got inspired) how some kids walked. Enthusiasm was written on their face. The weather didn't become my enemy - it was almost pleasant. The path that we took was called the Chinna Paadhai. I was said the Periya Paadhai started at Erimeli and was about 53km to Sannidhanam. Persons taking the Periya Paadhai usually do a dance before the long walk - mainly to relax their muscles and to get ready! It was about 3.30 pm when we reached the temple. The gates were to open at 5 pm. Taking our shirts off as in many other Kerala temples we climbed via the side entrance by 5. The Darshan was superb. I never imagined I would get such a wonderful darshan of the Bhagawan. Though it was not the 'season' the temple was full with the chantings of the lord's names. When we started to descend it was about 5.45 pm. And a good rain followed until we reached Pampa.

There're no buses in the late evenings and at 7 pm we could get only a jeep proceeding to Pattanamthitta (though it took time to find people - something similar to our share autos) where we reached by 10 pm.

Overall it was a nice and memorable experience. Ofcourse, we didn't miss to get the Aravana Prasadam that's reknowned.

DASAVATHAARAM - My First Movie Review

Rocking, glitzy, fabulous, great, brilliant, neat, knowledgeable, kingly, astounding, victorious… Well, just ten one-word praises will only mean injustice to the ten-in-one person!

Dasavathaaram – the most expected Tamil movie of the year (I guess Kuchelan will not have a hype tantamount to Sivaji!) was released last Friday in theatres across the globe – and why not for a global hero! Ever since the project was announced there has been a hype and hoopla surrounding it. And undoubtedly, Kamal has lived upto the expectations. But his 11th avatar as that of story-writer and screenplay would evoke a mixed response. I was of the fear that his thoughts (that are mostly one step higher than a normal story-teller) would dominate the proceedings. But then, he has given space to commercial aspects as well, of which Ravikumar is a master!

The film starts off in the 12th century with the then chola king – Kulothunga cholan II gets frenzied with saivism and dictating his people to follow suit. One man – Rangarajan Nambi, opposes him but in the process loses his life along with the Govindarajar statue. That was history. The film then moves to the 21st century to the month of December, 2004, days before the Tsunami, where Govind, one of the scientists (in the US) is involved in the creation of a bio-weapon. Soon, the bad guys are after that. The action shifts to Chidambaram as the bio-weapon reaches there. Govind and Fletcher (an ex-CIA) lock horns in their look-out for the weapon. The RAW comes to know of this and an officer Balram Naidu starts to chase the two. These are the 3 main characters that hog the limelight. The remaining 6 characters are only fillers who help in the completion of the Dasavatharam!

The make-up has been exceptional in almost all the characters except for the lanky Kalifullah – where it’s slightly overdone. Anyways, Kamal has shone in all of them. I liked those of Bush and Krishnaveni! [This film cannot be compared to Michael Madana Kamarajan because the 4 were siblings, here it is not so!] Asin as Andal is cute and plays her role well. [I felt she looked more iyengarish than Nayanthara in YNM.] Mallika Sherawat and M.S. Bhaskar do justice to their roles.

Coming to talk of the screenplay, it was fast paced. Thankfully there was no duet between Kamal and Asin. It was predictable of Kamal to joke in a very serious situation – but it doesn’t look too odd! The bullet taking away with it the Cancer is something that makes you say – “Oh God!!” but that can be put aside as it is quoted a miracle! [What cannot happen in the miracle-filled world of cinema? Maybe, they didn’t want to kill ‘another’ Kamal] There are few other loopholes too. (For eg: Avatar Singh, the singer, gets ill in the Chennai Airport, but is treated in a hospital near Chidambaram!) But then, those don’t seem as too much when you keep watching Kamal! As a dialogue writer, he has shown (and shone) his penchant for punning – something from the school of Crazy Mohan! And no one will forget his last line in the narration about his belief on God’s existence! Moreover, the dubbing he has done to the 10 characters shows his commitment! Hail Kamal!!

Music – It is better not reviewed. Only four songs appear in the film (leaving out the Ulaga nayakane song which was there only for Ravikumar to show up his face!). Mukundha and Kallai mattum were listenable. I wonder why Kamal wanted to bring in Himesh when there’re are better people here. What was the point in Hariharan showing his singing skills in such a (situational) song? On the other side, Devisri Prasad has done well with the Background score. In the Mukundha song, which I presume as written by the great Vaali, he could’ve described all the 10 avatars of Vishnu. But then, when he tells about Koorma using the lyrics – “Koormamagha Mannil Thondri Boomi Thaanai Meettai” I guess he is wrong – factually. To my knowledge, it was Varaha avatar that saved the world and Koormavatar was taken - while the Devas and Asuras were churning the ocean – to prevent the mount from submerging!

Ravivarman’s camera needs a special mention. The 12th century scenes were picturised excellently! There were many other examples. However, the much-hyped Tsunami scenes were a let-down. That didn’t make any eye-brows rise!

Overall, it’s a nice film with all ingredients – well proportioned and would make you enjoy throughout. But DO NOT EXPECT SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY other than Kamal and his avatars! But please do watch the movie in the theatres!