Vaaranam Aayiram - A Big Disapointment

Yes, it was a very big disappointment from Gautam Vasudev Menon. There is nothing good in the movie except for the songs, cinematography and Surya's acting. I didn't see anything great in older Surya as the director explains so that he would be so very influential in his son's life. He loved a girl, proposed and married her. He had lot of debts in the family to an extent that his son graduates and solves all the problems. Smokes and drinks till he gets throat cancer but still he is portrayed as a God Father. That's stupid. There is no proper justification for the younger Surya to be inspired by his father. The movie loses its meaning in that itself.

Surya getting a 6 pack abs, donning different roles were all farce and nothing needed for the movie. Other than Surya, none acted well in the movie. Gautam has not yet found a proper replacement for Jothika, both Sameera Reddy and Divya Spandana suck big time. Simran could have done a lot better.

I do agree that there are very few movies in Tamil depicting a father-son relationship. One of them which I really liked was "Thavamai Thavamirunthu", directed by Cheran. If Gautam had seen that movie he would have definitely re-written the whole script of Vaaranam Aayiram. "Thavamai Thavamirunthu" was a movie in which I was able to identify myself in the character played by Cheran. It would be hard to believe that I cried continuosly for the last one hour of the movie. It portrayed the love between a father and son so very practically that you would cry instantaneously if you loved your Dad so much.

The bottom-line is it was a great performance by Surya and he deserves all the accolades he is getting. Script by Gautam has spoiled the movie and it got very boring at the climax. If you are a fan of Surya watch it once, or else don't waste 3 hrs of your life as I did.

Ghanjni - Music released

The Rahmania strikes again. Music for the hindi version of Ghajini released.

The film has six song tracks composed by the Music God A. R. Rahman , with lyrics by Prasoon Joshi:

* Guzarish - Javed Ali, Sonu Nigam - Vocals

* Aye Bachchoo - Suzanne D'Mello

* Kaise Mujhe - Benny Dayal & Shreya Ghoshal

* Behka - Karthik

* Latoo - Shreya Ghoshal

* Kaise Mujhe (Instrumental) - Instrumental

As always it took some time for the songs to sink in. I cant stop listening to them now. I would have listened to Guzarish atleast 40 time yesterday. Awesome music and commendable lyrics by Prasoon Joshi.

Remember Dec 25, of course for Christmas and also for the release of Ghajini.

Welcome to Sajjanpur!!!

I watched a wonderful movie after a long hiatus... "Welcome to Sajjanpur" written and directed by Shyam Benegal and music composed by Shantanu Moitra. It is a movie about a BA graduate who ends up doing the work of letter writing at his home village. All the characters in the movie surround him and the director has done a tremendous job by writing a wonderful script.

It is an end-to-end comedy movie and you will laugh like hell if you get to understand the dialogues properly. The movie is set up in a Bihari village and the accent was little difficult for me to understand. VD raj was there to my rescue whenever I didnt grasp stuffs in the movie.

There are couple of characters which will be etched in my mind for ever. Munnibai Mukhanni played by Ravi Jhankal and Subedar Singh played by Lalit Mohan Tiwari. And of course the hero of the movie Mahadev Kushwaha played by Shreyas Talpade needs a great deal of appreciation. This is one movie which has no great star cast and no much publicity but the story, screenplay and the way each character is portrayed will easily make it one of the great movies made in Hindi film history.

No wonder Rajeev Masand gave a 4 on 5 rating for this. Dont forget to catch a little cameo by Kunal Kapoor in the end.

"Welcome to Sajjanpur", a must watch movie and the whole credit should go to the director Shyam Benegal.

Watch Masand's review here:

http://in.truveo.com/Masands-Verdict-Welcome-to-Sajjanpur/id/442755373


Sita Ram Sita Ram Sita Ram Sita Ram chitti ayina pathri aayi aayi na telecom re..................

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness"

Random thought!!!

I was thinking whether the corporation or the municipality or any other governing body is responsible for keeping a city clean or is it the duty of the people who live in it.

Couple of weeks ago, on the way to my part time workplace, I saw a cute and lovely pigeon lying dead on the road (Warren Ave. to be exact). It was not a new sight for me as I have seen so many crows, rats, worst case dogs lying dead on Indian roads. Of course, I felt very sorry for the pigeon.

Back in India, I would say the corporation workers would clean the place and throw the poor dead fellow into the trash bin or at times burn it say within 2 or 3 days.

But, it was little surprising for me to note that the local Tucson governing body didn't even try to clean the place for almost 10 days and the dead pigeon was left in the same place uncared. The irony is that the Warren Ave. is just in front of the University Medical center. I did tell the authorities there about the poor fellow, but even they did not care for it. The neglected the fast that some diseases could have spread from the dead and rotten pigeon. At last my plea was answered yesterday and the place was clean again.

We have always seen on TV, movies and read in many news articles about the clean environment in the US. Is it the US government authorities who keep their city clean or the people who live in them?

I strongly feel that it is the people here who are majorly responsible for the cleanliness of the place they reside in. So Indians, stop complaining about the negligence of the corporation or the municipality for keeping your surroundings clean. It is we, people who are responsible for keeping the place clean and saving the environment.

It all starts with our house. If we all pledge to keep our home and it's surroundings clean, the locality will be clean and eventually our city will be clean. Let us make a clean and green India.
We should always remember that our corporation is definitely trying it's best to help us live in a hygienic place.

As we all know"Cleanliness is next to Godliness".

First blog from US of A

First blog from US of A.. actually U of A.. [:)]

This is to announce to the world that I have no plans to come online in any of the chat windows until I improve my status... Thanks to my Godfather...He came to my rescue when I was struggling to manage time.. Only after talking to him I realized that I am wasting a lot of time in chat and also in social networking sites like orkut, facebook, etc.

So, if anyone wants to contact me the only electronic way is to mail me...

P.S: I didn't go online for the past 5 days...

My Favourite Quotes - IV

"Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles."
-- Confucius

"While there's life, there's hope."
--Cicero

"Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece."
--Ralph Charell

"If you cant get through the mountain, go around it. If you cant go around it, go over it. If you cant go over it, sit down and ask yourself if getting to the other side is all that important. If it is, set about digging a tunnel."
--Anonymous

"At the end of the day, whether or not those people are comfortable with how you're living your life doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're comfortable with it."
--Phillip C.Mcgraw

"Whoever does not love his work cannot hope that it will please others."
--Anonymous

"It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees."
--Emiliano Zapata

"Holding onto anger is like grasping onto a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else. You are the one who gets burned."
-- Gotama Buddha

"One must have a good memory to be able to keep the promises one makes."
--Friedrich Nietzsche

"When you leave college, there are thousands of people out there with the same degree you have; when you get a job, there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you are the only person alive who has sole custody of your life."
-- Anna Quindlen

"Choose the life that is most useful, and habit will make it the most agreeable."
-- Sir Francis Bacon

"Study the past if you would define the future."
--Confucius

"Always be nice to people on the way up; because you'll meet the same people on the way down."
--Wilson Mizner

"Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft!"
--Theodore Roosevelt

"Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star."
-- Confucius

"Before you embark on the journey of revenge; dig two graves"
-- Confucius

"The worst sin - perhaps the only sin a person can commit, is to be joyless."
-- Dorothy.L.Sayers

"Passion is the quickest to develop, and the quickest to fade. Intimacy develops more slowly, and commitment more gradually still."
-- Robert Sternberg

"One day the factory sports coach, who was very strict, pointed at four boys, including me, and ordered us to run in a race. I protested that I was weak and not fit to run, but the coach sent me for a physical examination and the doctor said that I was perfectly well. So I had to run, and when I got started I felt I wanted to win. But I only came in second. That was the way it started."
--Emil Zatopek (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_Zapotek)

"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved."
--Confucius

ManU vs Chelsea - Champions league final

Happiest day of my life.

Red Devils winning the UEFA champions league for the 3rd time, first after 1999. This comes after the dramatic climax in the English Premier league season.

Without any doubt a year that Gods were on the Devil's side.

ManU vs Chelsea - Champions league final - Minute by Minute.

Edwin van der Sar stops Anelka's penalty and earns United their third trophy!

United needed another miracle to get this cup, and they got it.

Nicolas Anelka: SAVE!!! MANCHESTER UNITED WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!

Ryan Giggs: GOAL! 6-5 No mistakes from Ryan Giggs.
Salomon Kalou: GOAL! 5-5 the young Kalou scores calmly!
Anderson: GOAL! 5-4 Anderson shoots it right through the middle!
Terry slipped away just when he was about to hit the ball.
John Terry: MISS!! John Terry hits the right post and United are still alive!
Nani: GOAL! 4-4 This time it's Cech that is close, but the ball goes in!
Ashley Cole: GOAL! 3-4 Van der Sar almost has it but the ball squeezes through!
Owen Hargreaves: GOAL! 3-3
Frank Lampard: GOAL! 2-3 Chelsea have taken the lead!
Cristiano Ronaldo: SAVE!! Ronaldo stops during his run-up and then shoots it into the left corner but Cech saves!
Juliano Belletti: GOAL! 2-2
Michael Carrick: GOAL! 2-1

Michael Ballack: GOAL! 1-1
Carlos Tevez: GOAL! 1-0
United will begin this shootout.
United goalie Van der Sar has already been involved in a penalty shootout in a Champions League final. Against Juventus, his side Ajax lost in 1996.
The penalty shoot-out will point out which of the teams will be remembering this day as legendary, and which as dramatic.
FULL TIME EXTRA TIME
Minute 120+5: And Anderson comes on for Manchester, replacing Wes Brown.
Minute 120+4: Probably the last attack as Tevez heads wide. Belletti comes on for Makelele, which has everything to do with the penalty shootout which is now imminent.
Minute 120+2: Big clash in Chelsea's penalty area and two players are down. Nani and Ashley Cole need treatment.
Minute 120+1: Again, two minutes are added.
Minute 120: Giggs thinks to have a chance to close in on the goalkeeper but it's offside.
Minute 118: During this chaos, the yellow card has also been shown to Vidic. And now it's Essien that gets booked following a foul.
Minute 116: RED CARD - The match is over for Didier Drogba! The striker is sent off after hitting Vidic in the face. It probably seemed worse than it was but Michel has no mercy.
Minute 115: The tension is visible as the players involve themselves in a large and rather physical argument.
Minute 114: And another goes down with cramp. Chelsea defender Carvalho needs a moment.
Minute 114: Pressure now from Manchester United but Chelsea survive. Petr Cech eventually controls.
Minute 112: After Ballack earlier this match, it's now Drogba to give it a try. It's a fast shot, but it goes wide.
Minute 110: Yellow card to Nemanja Vidic as result of a challenge on Anelka. Chelsea also get a free kick.
Minute 109: Manchester United have hardly been able to scare Chelsea's defense since their goal in the first half. Cristiano Ronaldo has been invisible and Chelsea are the ones taking the initiative.
Minute 106: The action is back underway, at 1am local time.
HALF TIME EXTRA TIME - Still no decision in Moscow. If the next fifteen minutes go by without goals, a penalty shootout will be needed.
Minute 105+1: Carvalho gets his head to the ball but it goes wide of the far post.
Minute 105+1: Two minutes will be added to the first half of extra time. Chelsea get a corner meanwhile.
Minute 103: Carlos Tevez tries a shot on goal but Petr Cech makes no mistakes and collects.
Minute 102: And Ferguson makes his second change as well. Wayne Rooney has been largely invisible tonight and comes off for Nani.
Minute 100: John Terry saves his team as Evra comes into the penalty area and passes to Giggs, whose shot is deflected over the bar by Chelsea's skipper.
Minute 100: Anelka is another former Championd League winner. The Frenchman got to hold the trophy with Real Madrid in 2000.
Minute 99: Chelsea's second substitution as Nicolas Anelka replaces Joe Cole.
Minute 98: Essien dangerously enters the penalty area and forces United to give away a corner kick. Carvalho heads far wide though.
Minute 96: Injury treatment for Joe Cole. Another case of cramp, it seems.
Minute 94: Chelsea again hit the woodwork! Frank Lampard shoots from within the area but hits the crossbar. United are lucky again.
Minute 93: Florent Malouda comes off for Salomon Kalou, thanks to which we now have a fully Ivorian attacking duo.
Minute 92: Fluent combination between Tevez and Giggs, but Tevez can't take advantage of it and the attack is ended.
Minute 91: Extra time has begun and the players continue their exhausting battle for victory.
FULL TIME - Extra time will be needed as it's all equal between these two English giants.
Minute 90+2: A late dangerous moment as the ball sails through Chelsea's penalty area but nobody touches it.
Minute 90: Frustration rises for Chelsea as the Londoners should have received yet another corner kick, and again Michel thinks differently. Meanwhile, two minutes will be added.
Minute 87: And here's Giggs for his 759th match for United. The Welshman replaces Paul Scholes. With this amount of matches, Giggs breaks the old record of Bobby Charlton, who is present in Moscow as well.
Minute 86: We're slowly but surely closing in on extra time. Or will someone manage to decide this match before?
Minute 84: Sir Alex Ferguson is about to bring on the veteran Ryan Giggs, who also played in United's last Champions League final in 1999.
Minute 82: Carlos Tevez tries a shot but the Argentinian sends it just past the left post.
Minute 80: Drogba just fails to reach the ball, which had entered the area from the left side.
Minute 78: Chelsea almost score their second! Didier Drogba launches a beautiful shot on goal but it bounces off the right post.
Minute 77: Chelsea want a spotkick as Malouda goes down in the penalty area, seemingly as result of a Rio Ferdinand touch. United get away with it.
Minute 75: Again no real danger from the corner kick as Ronaldo fails to get his head to the ball properly.
Minute 74: Another corner kick to United. It did look like Ronaldo's shot remained untouched but Michel decides differently.
Minute 73: The corner comes to nothing as someone fouls Peter Cech.
Minute 73: Makelele doesn't seem too hurt anymore but has to leave the pitch, following protocol.
Minute 71: Corner kick to Manchester, but they'll have to wait a moment as now it's Makelele to need injury treatment.
Minute 70: Looks like it was just cramp as Ferdinand is back in action.
Minute 69: Rio Ferdinand down on the pitch. The defender injured his leg while clearing a ball and the question is whether he'll be able to go on.
Minute 67: And another corner to Chelsea, this time from the right. It's not dangerous though and United clear easily.
Minute 66: The Blues now get a corner kick and captain John Terry heads over the bar.
Minute 65: Chelsea get a free kick at about 30 meters. Too far to shoot on goal so it's swung into the area. Carrick stands in the right spot and gets it away.
Minute 62: Ballack brings the ball into the area twice but United clear in both occasions. That did look a little chaotic though.
Minute 60: United aren't happy with the linesman, who stands about two meters away when Makelele hits an opponent in the face with his elbow, but refuses to act.
Minute 58: A unique detail is that it's now just past midnight in Moscow. Which date will appear on the trophy afterwards?
Minute 58: Michael Ballack tries his luck from a distance but the ball curles just away from the right post.
Minute 57: Chelsea are stronger in this phase, and it's impossible to say which side will be the happier one at the end of the night.
Minute 55: Essien shakes off a defender but then shoots the ball over the crossbar. Lucky for United that it wasn't on goal as Van der Sar slipped away when reacting to the shot.
Minute 54: Danger in front of Chelsea's goal as Patrice Evra sends in a cross, but it's just too high to be received by a teammate.
Minute 52: Michel now makes a mistake though, as Chelsea deserve a corner kick but the referee decides that Joe Cole touched the ball last.
Minute 51: Ballack is visibly annoyed when Cristiano Ronaldo goes down too easily, in the German's opinion. Michel avoids further troubles.
Minute 49: Just like in the first half, the first few minutes of the second are relatively calm.
Minute 46: The match is back underway. In 45 minutes we might know who are the 2008 Champions of Europe.
HALF TIME - The first half is over and the score is 1-1. United were probably the better side but Chelsea did get closer to a goal in the last phase of the half, with the eventual equaliser as result.
Minute 45+2: Yellow card for Ricardo Carvalho after a foul on fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo.
Minute 45: GOAL CHELSEA (1-1) - FRANK LAMPARD scores from the rebound after a shot by Michael Essien is blocked by a defender!
Minute 44: Michael Ballack takes it but it goes about 30 centimeters over the crossbar.
Minute 43: Rio Ferdinand is booked for a foul just outside the penalty area. Chelsea get a dangerous free kick.
Minute 43: Another great chance for Tevez. Rooney sends in a low cross from the right which is missed by the defender, but Tevez comes just to late to reach the ball.
Minute 41: Ashley Cole wants a penalty after a push from Wes Brown, but only the shoulders were used and Michel waves play on.
Minute 35: Chaos on the other side now. Cech first needs to save a low Tevez header and then has to stand in the way of a shot from Carrick in the rebound. Both keepers show their worth at the moment.
Minute 34: Almost an equaliser as a short pass from Drogba is almost headed in by Ballack but Van der Sar makes a great save.
Minute 33: A quick moment of concern for Chelsea. Didier Drogba seems affected by a challenge but the Ivorian seems able to continue.
Minute 30: It's a deserved lead for United, who have been slightly dominant in the first thirty minutes. Paul Scholes was important there as he formed the base of the attack.
Minute 27: GOAL MANCHESTER UNITED (1-0) - CRISTIANO RONALDO. Paul Scholes finds Wes Brown whose following cross is met by Cristiano Ronaldo's head. The ball flies into the left corner and Cech has no chance!
Minute 25: Anderson leaves the bench to begin warming up.
Minute 23: Dangerous moment as a high ball from Frank Lampard is headed over Van der Sar's goal by United's Nemanja Vidic.
Minute 23: Update on that - Makelele received a yellow card as well.
Minute 22: Paul Scholes receives treatment after a clash with Claude Makelele, and the Mancunian is surprisingly provided with a yellow card by referee Lubos Michel.
Minute 19: Manchester United get a corner kick but the ball is missed by everybody in the crowded penalty area.
Minute 16: Cristiano Ronaldo shows his great skills on the left wing, getting past Essien before crossing the ball to Hargreaves but the latter misses the ball.
Minute 14: Ashley Cole has come off the pitch for a moment to get new shoes. The defender wants more grip as clearly some are struggling to stay on their feet.
Minute 11: After ten minutes neither side has created real chances. If anything, Manchester United have been the more threatening side.
Minute 8: Again danger coming from Hargreaves. This time he has a cross headed away by a defender.
Minute 6: An Owen Hargreaves cross from the right wing is deflected by Ashley Cole but goalkeeper Cech remains focused and collects.
Minute 3: The first three minutes took place in midfield. Question is how long it takes for one of the teams to test the other's goalkeeper.
Minute 0: The 2008 Champions League final in Moscow is underway!