Bond Jam's Bond

Thats what i would like to call the guy/gal who actually wrote this.....

This anonymous Infoscion show us what a true blue Bangalorean is at heart... a eternal optimist

Read on and Enjoy

"Over these last few years of living in Bangalore , I have slowly grown to like the jams, which this city provides in abundance.

These jams do build your patience and character. Is it a coincidence that India ’s most patient cricketers, Dravid and Kumble, hail from this city of jams? (Dravid is even nicknamed “Jammy”). Does it tell you something? Sri Sri Ravishankar…does he get his daily dose of spiritual inspiration while in a jam?? And will I also get a halo after a few more years of this “character building”?? There are, I am sure, thousands of future Anands stuck in the Adugodis and Anand Rao circles, who are plotting their moves against future Kramniks… those poor little Kramniks stand no chance. And if you see a professor-like guy prancing around the Palace road jam, you can deduce that a postulate in Physics has just been proved.

A few days back, I had a thought - If we can have reviews of movies, which occupy only a few hours of our life in a month, why not reviews of traffic jams, which takes up significant hours of our day?? So here is my review of some of Bangalore ’s famous and not-so-famous jams(in no particular order).

But before that, a general comment - As they say, the taste of food in a restaurant is dependent on the ambience ; similarly, the way I see jams, cozy inside the office shuttle or public transport, is different from the way the owner of the swank new SUV sees it. (btw, if you are the owner of the swank new SUV, don’t run me down).

1. The Hosur Road Jam - Unarguably, the mother of all jams. We (ex-) Infoscions are proud of being (once) associated with a great company. We are equally proud of contributing in no small extent to this jam. This jam gives a great glimpse of the Other India - colorful music-blaring interstate buses, garment factory workers, highway trucks, smoke spewing lorries and such. Provides ample food for thought for socialist minds. (Rating: ***1/2)

2. The jams around K’mangala/Forum mall - Definitely the best jams in town. PYTs (Pretty young things), fancy cars, and fancy restaurants; this has it all. But you can’t afford any of those. Never mind!! Your sadistic brain can take pleasure in the fact that the guy in the fancy car next to you is cruising around for a parking space, feasting his eyes on the PYTs , while his family is having dinner in one of the fancy restaurants. (Rating: ****1/2)

3. The KG Road jam - To be experienced in the evenings before a long weekend. Every auto/taxi in town seems to be stuck while going towards the City railway station - your hair stands on end, you start sweating, the heart beats faster, and you get the rush that a Michael Schumachaer gets on his last lap. And just as the auto moves, a movie show ends and a few hundred more vehicles pour out… Which was the train that hooted just now?? (Rating: ***1/2)

4. The Jayanagar jam - The puzzle-lovers jam; Jayanagar is maze of bylanes, one-way streets, no right-turns, no left-turns, traffic signals and whatnot. It is an establised fact that Point A to point B, in Jayanagar, can be reached in 6436 distinct ways. But whichever way you take, you are left with a hollow feeling that another route had a better and bigger jam? (Rating: **1/2)

5. The jams around Marathahalli/ Whitefield - The IT professional’ s dream jam; As she sits in the office shuttle looking at other office buses, she can make her career plans. A typical evening in this jam goes thus:

Voice from Company A bus : “Any J2EE developers in your bus?”. Three guys from Company B bus respond “Yeah” and get down. By the time, the bus crosses the Marathahalli bridge, the first guy is hired as a J2EE developer. The second guy, who didn’t know what J2EE meant, is hired as a project manager and the third guy is rejected as he realised late that he has already worked for Company A last year.

(Rating: ****)

6. The Airport Road jam - Similar in taste and character like the Koramangala jam but has socialist twist. This jam treats the rich businessman, who will later travel business class on Jet, the same as a poor programmer, who had unusually come to office early in the morning, 3 months back, to buy one of those cheap airline tickets. (Rating ***)

7. The BTM 7th Main x 7 Cross jam - Close to my home, so close to my heart. But alas, the spoilsports at BDA finished the flyover at the Jayadeva circle and brought an end to this jam. But for a couple of years, this jam used to give me pure joy as vehicles of all types created a tangle in the small bylanes of BTM layout. The BDA is now planning a new flyover at the Udupi Garden junction; so there is still hope (Rating ***1/2).

We jam lovers - currently this club consists of only me - have petitioned the government to protect and preserve traffic jams as a cultural asset of Bangalore . Just so that traffic jams are not endangered in the future, we have these suggestions:

1. Build more flyovers - Flyovers do not reduce jams. They just transfer it to the next junction. And in the 2 years that it takes to build them, you are assured of some joyous jams. I am drooling…

2. No public buses - If everybody goes by buses, where will our culture go?

3. Make Tata’s 1-Lakh car cheaper by making it tax free - Imagine every two wheeler replaced by a car…The prospects are mouth-watering."

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Blood Guts Glory

300- the name in itself is unconventional, and considering the story a very obvious choice. 300 as the name and subtitles suggest is story of 300 Spartan warriors facing a army of a million from Persia.

300-is a very visually stylized adaptation of the graphic novel also titled "300" by Frank Miller. The graphic novel tells the story of Battle of Thermopylae where a army of 300 Spartans had held up a army of Xerxes which came to conquer their land. They held up enough for the Spartan navy to arrive and beat Xerxes to the retreat.

The first thing that strikes you about the movie is the stunning visual imagery, composition of each shot, each frame is just so beautiful. The power of CG is at the fullest, what with only one of the scenes in the movie being actually shot outdoors. Be it stunning landscapes or the grotesque battle sequences, everything is done with total honesty to the comic book genre. The picturization is not a very real one but has the element of fantasy to it. Characters are made larger to life and their dialogues out of a story board. And considering that was what the makers set out to do, they have achieved to the fullest.

The movie opens with sequences which are meant to establish the credentials of an Spartan warrior. Each of the one hand picked and the deformed and diseased eliminated. Every child is made to go through an initiation in to pain and endurance. All this to create the ultimate war machines that the Spartans claim to be.

The story follows the travails of the Spartan King Leonidus, a man of virtue and honour who stands up to protect his nation as the rest of it is embroiled in corruption. He sets out with 300 of the finest warriors in Sparta against the wishes of the Counsel to protect his nation, knowing fully the might of the self proclaimed god Xerxes.

What follows is a blood smattering, torso piercing war sequences, although grotesque in depiction shot with with a certain sense of aesthetics. You see people being beheaded, legs chopped off and hordes of Persian warriors assembled by Xerxes from across Asia turning into heaps of dead bodies. Its all in your face... with little left to the imagination.

What unravels further is a nothing unexpected, as seen many American war movies... guts, pain, endurance and glory. But what strikes you is the way it gets told on screen.

The director Zack Snyder has recreated the war sequences using CG as well if not better than many Hollywood movies before made with budgets many folds of this movie. Just for the trivia this movie was made at around 1/5 the budget of Spiderman!!!.

People like me who would like a good war movie would like this movie and the people who donot like seeing limbs severed better stay away. Overall this is quite a entertaining movie which doesn't leave you unsatisfied.

Traffic [non]Sense

Here is a funny article worth posting that I found ...

I hope you like it too.. [and yeah I know my creativity is DEAD]

"This hilarious article was written by a Dutchman who spent two years in India, as a visiting expert. A little long article but makes interesting reading!!!


For the benefit of every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting India and daring to drive on Indian roads, I am offering a few hints for survival. They are applicable to every place in India except Bihar, where life outside a vehicle is only marginally safer.

Indian road rules broadly operate within the domain of karma where you do your best, and leave the results to your insurance company. The hints are as follows: Do we drive on the left or right of the road? The answer is "both". Basically you start on the left of the road, unless it is occupied. In that case, go to the right, unless that is also occupied. Then proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess. Just trust your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Adherence to road rules leads to much misery and occasional fatality. Most drivers don't drive, but just aim their vehicles in the generally intended direction.

Don't you get discouraged or underestimate yourself except for a belief in reincarnation; the other drivers are not in any better position. Don't stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so only if you enjoy being bumped in the back.

Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly or has come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.

Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest as in some countries. We horn to express joy, resentment, frustration, romance and bare lust (two brisk blasts),or just mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the bazaar. Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them during traf fic jams, while awaiting the chief minister's motorcade, or waiting for the rainwater to recede when over ground traffic meets underground drainage.

Occasionally you might see what looks like a UFO with blinking colored lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrims go at breakneck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty, often meeting with success.

Auto Rickshaw (Baby Taxi): The result of a collision between a rickshaw and an automobile, this three-wheeled vehicle works on an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene oil and creosote. This triangular vehicle carries iron rods, gas cylinders or passengers three times its weight and dimension, at an unspecified fare. After careful geometric calculations, children are folded and packed into these auto rickshaws until some children in the periphery are not in contact with
the vehicle at all. Then their school bags are pushed into the microscopic gaps all round so those minor collisions with other vehicles on the road cause no permanent damage. Of course, the peripheral children are charged half the fare and also learn Newton's laws of motion enroute to school. Auto-rickshaw drivers follow the road rules depicted in the film Ben Hur, and are licensed to irritate.

Mopeds: The moped looks like an oil tin on wheels and makes noise like an electric shaver. It runs 30 miles on a teaspoon of petrol and travels at break-bottom speed. As the sides of the road are too rough for a ride, the moped drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road; they would rather drive under heavier vehicles instead of around them and are often "mopped" off the tarmac.

Leaning Tower of Passes: Most bus passengers are given free passes and during rush hours, there is absolute mayhem. There are passengers hanging off other passengers, who in turn hang off the railings and the overloaded bus leans dangerously, defying laws of gravity but obeying laws of surface tension. As drivers get paid for overload (so many Rupees per kg of passenger), no questions are ever asked. Steer clear of these
buses by a width of three passengers.

One-way Street: These boards are put up by traffic people to add jest in their otherwise drab lives. Don't stick to the literal meaning and proceed in one direction. In metaphysical terms, it means that you cannot proceed in two directions at once. So drive as you like, in reverse throughout, if you are the fussy type. Least I sound hypercritical; I must add a positive point also. Rash and fast driving in residential areas has been prevented by providing a "speed breaker"; two for each house. This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence and is left untarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.

Night driving on Indian roads can be an exhilarating experience for those with the mental make up of Genghis Khan. In a way, it is like playing Russian roulette, because you do not know who amongst the drivers is loaded. What looks like premature dawn on the horizon turns out to be a truck attempting a speed record. On encountering it, just pull partly into the field adjoining the road until the phenomenon passes.

Our roads do not have shoulders, but occasional boulders. Do not blink your lights expecting reciprocation. The only dim thing in the truck is the driver, and with the peg of illicit arrack (alcohol) he has had at the last stop, his total cerebral functions add up to little more than a naught. Truck drivers are the James Bonds of India, and are licensed to kill. Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on, usually the le ft one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate. You may prove your point posthumously."

Ciao.........

GO Dhoom AGAIN

The title track promises a roller coaster ride... and that's exactly what it delivers.... a roller coaster ride of thrills and some ignorable spills............

What could be bigger than a movie which has Hrithik, Abhishek and Ash in it..... the hype began when this coup was made.. and it just developed into a avalanche of hype that the movie opened with.

Hype is something which can make or break a film, it makes the expectations skyrocket and if the movie does not eventually match up to the hype the spiral downwards is equally steep.

So how does the most hyped up movie of recent times fare up..... let me give you my point of view...

Dhoom 2 is a sequel, and I believe a sequel is successful only if it can better the original. Dhoom was a film which broke the genre of romantic movies at the box office.. It put the buck where the bang was.. action became cool again.. and icons were made... the whole nation rocked to "Dhoom Machale" and it created a space for stylized action movies to be made...

So anything which followed Dhoom had to be bigger... and that's where Dhoom 2 steps up to the plate. For starters it has the biggest star cast of the year. backing by the successful Yashraj films and the same director back at the helm.

When the Dhoom series began it began from the concept that every five minutes needed a highlight, a cool action scene or a great song... the enterprise carry’s forth with the same belief.

So we have Hrithik jumping of a airplane and pulling of a impossible heist in Namibia for the opening sequence. Its followed a supercool hrithik rocking to "Dhoom Again" when the titles roll. The pace is set and what follows is a barrage of eye candy... Hrithik pulling of robberies after robberies which incredulous techniques [thank fully not borrowed from Hollywood this time].

By the time interval hits you, you have already feel u have had your monies worth. The second half is more of the same lots of action and cool songs.

Agreed this movie ain't one that would be "intellectually stimulating" but its damn entertaining and I believe great cinema is one which does what it sets out to do. In this case to entertain and it does it to the fullest. Escapism is the name of the game here.

I am consciously not telling u the story here coz.. actually there ain't any and u are happy for it.. it just ur cop chase robber saga with a love story thrown in...

Cast

Hrithik Roshan: This man is awesome period. He looks awesome and does the craziest stunts that would put any hollywood actor worth his salt to shame. This man has arrived and is undoubtedly the international face of Indian cinema. Just go watch this movie for this man... uber cool!!!!

Abhishek : This man isn't his usual self in this movie and gets over shadowed Hrithik big time. Does a honest job but script doesnt allow much for him, nor does his efforts shine through.

Aishwarya: tries to look very hot in the first half and half succeeds, the skimpy outfits doesn't just go with her somehow. But her performance in the second half is worth mentioning especially the scene

ac cross the table with Hrithik.

Uday : Is actually funny this time and is bearable which is a surprise to me.. way to go Uday

Bipasha: Looks like desi Lara Croft in the first half and that's about it. Dunno why she was there in the first place. The most confusing part of the movie about the twin Bips Monali and Shonali...


Overall

Great movie, kool songs another movie this year which makes you feel Bollywood is on the right track. The action and stunts match up to any hollywood production. and Hrithik is gonna go ballistic from here... Watch out for him.

Go Dhoom Again ... Dhoom MACHALE

Nostalgic Classmates...

This Onam, along with all the usual Superstar movies that release during this time was movie which stood out for its youthfulness. It was a movie which had the crop of young talent in Malayalam coming together in movie. Lot of expectations were riding on the movie, and did it deliver lets find out.

Initially i thought this movie would be just another campus movie in Malayalam which is increasingly trying to ape the surrounding film industries. But the word of mouth publicity for the film was very good and I couldnt resist from watching ths movie.

This movie has interesting narration style where it movie back and forth between today and the early 90's. This is also the USP of this movie.


The movie strts of with old classmates coming back to their college hostel for their class reunion. The reunion is arranged by their lecturer played by Balachandra Menon. He aslo is the father of one of the guys Murali who had died during the college days. The reunion itself is arranged as Murali wanted all the friends to meet after a long interval.

People start arriving, and the first to arrive is Suku[Prithviraj] a diamond merchant now and was a SFK leader in his college days, Pious[Indrajit] the college flirt, Satheeshan[Jayasuriya] now a MLA and earlier a opposing student leader, Thara [Kavya Madhavan] Suku's old flame and now a famous dancer and finally Raziya[Radhika] the quiet girl in class and now bearing a lot of sorrow which no one knows about.

The reunioun goes well and the next day they all decide to part, happy that they could all meet up. But tragedy stikes that night and they find Suku lying motionless in his room with a Guitar String arond his throat. He is transferred to a hospital. And now the mystery begins... who tried to kill Suku... Is it Satheesan his political rival in college... or is it Thara who feels that Suku had cheated her in college... or was it some one else.... the story unfolds......


The story unfolds from here in flash backs to the college days of the early nineties... where student politics is at its best.. Strikes and walk outs abound..... and where student politics is considered the play ground of erstwhile politicians....

Giving out more is a Sin cause.. the suspense in this movie is thoroughly enjoyable. Especially because the script is full of twists and turns and it never loses control. Every incident in the movie has a cause nad a effect. The way all the dots join in the climax is amazing and needs to be appreciated. Everything seems logical at the end.

Lal Jose needs special mention as he among the Young brigade of directors in Malayalam who shows a lot of promise. Script and direction wise this is his best yet. The narration style and the structure of the script is different and fresh.

Music by Alex Paul is also of high calibre, each song sits very easily in the movie, they are very situational and very pleasing. Special mention to Ente khalbile which appears twice in the movie.. it certainly is the song of this festive season.

And regarding th casting too.. its very different as Indrajit plays a comic role and is very good, also Jaysuriya in negative role is also interesting. Prithvi And Kavya are adept and the senior brigade of Jagathy Balchandramenon etc are good as usual.

Overall its a thoroughly enjoyable light hearted movie with a dose of romance and mystery.. centainly not to be missed. Remakes seem to be a certainity... Overall this is a movie which is not to be missed...

Hopefully this will lead to a lot more good movies from the younger crop in the industry to complement the seniors...

Not So Fanaa-tastic

Fanaa finally openend with a lot of expectation and a equal measure of controversy. Luckily controversy had nothing to do with the movie itself and was with the stand taken by Aamir on a social issue. There was also another minor controversy involving Yashraj production bargaining for a bigger share of the earning, why blame them who wouldnt? Thats if ur line up included movies like Fanaa, Krrish, Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna, Kabul Express and Dhoom 2

Expectations were also high considering the movie has most things going for it, a Yashraj Films Banner, Jatin Lalits Music(for the final time too), Two extraordinaire performers who never have been paired before and a director who has proven his worth with tthe very likeable "HUM TUM". So does "Fanaa" live up to all this hype. Lets find out.

To be fair to Kunal Kohli he has got most things right in this movie, nice production vallue, decent storyline, very good performances and quite good direction. But somehow Fanaa fails to raise above the good to a Great movie, which it so easily could have been.

And to the most important question, How is the chemistry between Kajol and Aamir? Is it even close to whats it between Sharukh and Kajol? Different people may have different feelings about this, but I do believe this pairing is absolutely magic on screen too. The two spontaneous actors, work up a lot of magical chemistry between them. This only brings you to a question that "Why on Earth weren't these two caster together before?". This is a question every person in the hall would be asking. :)

Before i go on to the plot let me go through the performances, coz I dont want to ruin it for the people who want to watch this movie.

Performances

Performances in this movie are of the top draw. I feel its a movie where the casting is absolutely perfect. No body could have played the Romantic, Street Smart(not the tapori kind of Ghulam and Rangeela) part of Rehan Khan and the brooding, stubborn(Sarfaroshish) Rehan Qadri of the Second half with as much elan has Aamir in this movie.

Kajol too is at her best. Looking absolutely stunning in this movie, she dislays the vulnerabiity and the blind love of a blind girl in the first half and the steely resolve and the maturity required in the second half with great finesse which can only be expected of a actor of her calibre.

The supporting cast including Rishi kapoor, Kiron Kher and Tabu who is aptly cast thankfully, in a long time in a mainstream movie, all perform their parts well. mention also has to be made of the jr. Rehan, he is too cute in the movie too.

Music

I think this is the most disappointing part of the movie, Expectaions were high from the Jatin lalit pairing considering the kind of music they have delivered in the past. But this isnt a patch on their previous efforts. The song "Chand Sifarish" is the highlight and other songs are passable. The Background music is quite good and syncs well with emotional overotnes of the movie.


The Plot - Plot not revealed completely

The Plot involves a Blind Girl Zooni Ali Baig(Kajol), who comes from Kashmir to Delhi to perform at a concert near the Chief Ministers office. There she meets the charming and dreamy eyed Rehan Khan, their tour guide. Rehan being the ultimate play boy manages to charm Zooni off her feet. The scenes here between Aamir and Kajol are definetly worth a mention, they r quite beautiful and their exchanges are the highlight of the movie. te song "Chand Sifarish" at the beginning of the movie is worth a mention and has been shot absolutey brilliantly with the back drop of Delhi's exquisite monuments.

Zooni now feels she has finally found the prince of her dreams, Rehan tries to convince Zooni that he isnt the right guy for her and she would never be happy with him. But Love has taken root very deep and in true filmi fashion( a la DDLJ with the Train sequence and all) Aamir finally decides that he couldnt live without Zooni too.

So preperations are made for their Nikaah, and Zooni's parents decide to coem down for their marraige. Meanwhile Rehan gets Zooni's eye tested and gathers that a operation could give her sight back. They prepare for operation and on the D day, kajol asks him to go for his work i.e. as a tourist guide. The operation is successful and Zooni gets her sight back, When she opens her eyes she sees her parents there, but cannot find Rehan. news trickles inthat there has been a bomb blast near a tourist spot and Rehan was killed in the blast. Zooni is distraught and shattered.

But there is a twist to the tale yet. Rehan is well and alive and is not Rehan Khan but Rehan Qadri, member of the IKF, a terrorist organization who fight for a Independent Kashmir. the director has appently tried to play safe and not take sides and make the outfit a Pakistani or an Indian one. Apparently Rehan was the master mind behind the blasts.

What happens to Zooni after this? Can Rehan leave his love for his principles? These are the questions one leaves with at the interval and these questions get answered as movie moves on.

i wouldnt reveal the ending here.. because I donot want to spoil it for a lot of People who want to watch this movie in its entirety. But for all those people who cannot resist knowing what happened you can move to the section right at the end where I tell all :)


Summary

Overall Fanaa is quite a good movie, definetly worth a dekho, for its performances if not for anything else. Aamir is truly charming and sweet in the movie and shows the amateurs how things need to be done. Am sure he would be competing with his own RDB performance with this movie at the awards.

Kajol is the best thing in the movie, she is absolutely brilliant.. other actresses can take notes. And she definetly proves that when it comes to female actors she still is the Queen Bee.

Kunal Kohli is adept in his craft and the movie doesnot drag too much, but second half could have been a lot better, and the climax was a bit too predictable. But kudos to him to have given something that is bit more than a mushy romance. The locations are absolutely beautiful and are a treat.

So i would recommend you to watch this movie over the weekend if you have nothin else to do. It wont disappoint you much, except for the fact that it could have been so much better.

** And a request Do leave in your comments **


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If you dont want to spoil your movie watching experience stop here
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Plot Revealed

Seven years pass since Rehan left Zooni and now Rehan is on his next mission to acquire a Trigger which is apparently need by the IKF to activate the nuclear missile which now IKF apparenlty possess. Rehan is planted into the Indian Army in disguise of and officer and he manages to get the Trigger, while escaping he get badly hurt and crawls to a house in the midst of a snow storm.

Luck has it and he has come to Zooni's house in Kashmir and he collapses in front of their house. Zooni and her dad cannot recognise him as Rehan had left before Zooni got her eyesight. They nurse him back to health. Zooni becomes aware that its her Rehan. But rehan is adamant on his mission. When they realise his true identity they try to stop him for the Greater Good of humanity. Alas he doesnt listen and kajol is forced to kill a man she so much loves. The film showcases how you can kill the person you love without still any one having any hard feeling about each other.

So another Aamir Khan film ends with his death... the clmax was quite predicatable for them moment we know that rehan was a terrorist. So all you guy s who read this part of my review can go ahead and watch the movie anyway, if not for anything else just to check what I said was right ;)

Perfection Personified

MohanLal, is the best and the most under rated actor in India today . I can quite confidently say that he is the best acting talent that I have seen in India. This I say keeping in mind the other great actors of our times, Kamal Hassan included.

MohanLal’s entrance in to Malayalam cinema was at a time when acting in most of the film industries was overtly dramatic. Malayalam had in itself its greatest superstar then Prem Nazir, who was quite dramatic in his acting. MohanLal’s entry into the Malayalam Film Industry also coincided with the entry of a new crop of directors, In whose association MohanLal would scale the heights that he so self assuringly has.

MohanLal intro into films was as a villain, who stole the spot light in Manjil Virinja Pookal (although this wasn’t his first film technically). He was noticed and destined for greater things from there. Later films like Gandhinagar Second Street, Chitram, T P Balagopalam MA, Nadodi Katte and a few more were the films that gave him the image we all have so much come to love. His simplistic, natural acting and his naïve attitude in these movies endeared him to the family audiences. He could draw crowds now and was well on the way to being a Superstar.

Superstardom finally arrived with the movie Rajavinte Makan, where he got moulded into the action hero image and was branded as an actor who had the range to justify any kind of a role given to him. Along with this movie Kireedam(one of his best performances) established his acting potential, a special mention from the national award jury was only a precursory for the greater things to come. This character which portrayed how circumstances and society can make a criminal out of an innocent lad, was justified to the hilt, especially the vulnerability and the helplessness portrayed is simply unbelievable.

What followed were movie which would take him to the next level both as a Superstar and as an actor. Movies like Ulladakkam, Yodha, Manichitra thazhu, Devasuram, Chenkol, Aaram Thamburan, Kaala Pani, Narasimham, Vanaprastham(for which he got his Second National Award), and more recently Thanmatra(which I am confident, will fetch him his Third).

The greatness in MohanLal the actor lies in the fact that he requires the minimum effort in conveying the true emotions of that character subtly and powerfully directly into the heart of the audiences. As many have said about him, when he is on the screen, he makes the audience connect to the character on screen rather than the actor himself, he lives the character, it’s every emotion, acting and more importantly reacting to his environments.

Many a scene where other actors could have played it over the top, just to convey the depth of the emotion to the audience( I hint to Kamal here.. cause he is the only other actor who could match up). MohanLal would underplay it. Sometimes when an emotion is overplayed it get surreal and audience fails to connect. I would also like to clarify her that I am the greatest fan of Kamal. He is definetly the most complete actor/performer in Indian cinema. But on sheer acting ability MohanLal would score more. I am sure people who have observed both would agree.

Tragedy lies in the fact that Malayalam cinema has very few audiences outside of Kerala, due to its linguistic constraints. I do believe the World as a whole has been deprived of truly appreciating the actor that is Lal.

Accolades also needs to be given to the directors who moulded him, some great co actors with whom he could tune so easily and to the scripts which allowed him to showcase his versatility. Malayalam cinema and MohanLal have shared a common Golden period, whether it is merely incidental is totally upto the context. The real people who have gained are the audiences of Malayalam cinema who could watch a truly great actor in some truly Great movies.

My New V3I

I am going to review Motorola RAZR V3i on 5 basic criterion Design Usability Music Camera Voice Quality and Battery life Motorola RAZR V3i takes the stylish yet featureless V3 and adds features to it like Megapixel Camera, Expandable memory and iTunes.. It tries to give you the best of both worlds, style and substance... lets see how it fares..... Design This phone belongs to the Impressive lineage of RAZR phones which have revolutionized the industry by their sheer looks. This phone is the typical RAZR with the super slim looks and impressive cuts. Actually this phone goes ahead and has a casing with a metalic glow. On the looks department it surely scores the perfect 10. Sleek, Stylist, fashion statement are the words used to describe the RAZR family and V3i is no exception. Rating 10/10 Usability For its super sleek looks, the RAZR is surprisingly comfortable to usse. It has a nice big display on the inside, which holds its own in bright sunlight too and a smaller external display. The Extendable memory slot sits safely under the back flip and the card can be inserted and removed,without powering off the phone, this has become quite standard in todays mobiles. The chemically etched keypad is quite a delight to use, and a visual treat too. On the flip side, RAZR gives you a delicate feel. You feel as if its one drop away from disaster and I dont want to find out if that is True. The menu’s are simple and most things are easy to find, but the Ui isnt a patch on the ones given Sony Erricsson and the rest. Rating 7/10 Music Motorola RAZR V3i has a differentiator when it comes to music, the iTunes supplied with the phone. It certainly has to be the single most desirable thing on the phone. Its such a cute and easy little software to use. I really feel for the rest of the world where iTunes are not available yet. You guys really are missing something. The sound quality on the supplied headphones are adequate to good. But the sound on the external speaker, especially while playing a song leaves more to be desired. the Volume level is quite low when compared to other phones of its class. Rating 8/10 (with iTunes that is) Camera Camera is the big improvement from the previous V3. Here a 1.23 MP camera is provided, capable of taking pictures of 1280x968 resolution which is quite decent. The image quality although not brilliant is decent enough. I do miss the flash on the phone though. The images taken are always in the potrait mode. It also has a good video recorder which can record videos at 176x144 which is quite good. Overall the camera and its features are pretty nice. Rating 6/10 Voice Quality and Battery life Both Voice Quality and Battery life are decent. Rating 7/10 I would really recommend this phone, for people who want their phones to be a style statement. if you are looking for features alone, and want to use it to read mail or view documents, the phone is definetly not for you. Overall rating 8/10

Pros : Looks, iTunes Cons : Delicate, External Speaker Sound Reception : Good--I can hear 'em all Usage Convenience : Fairly easy to use Looks & Style : Slim, Sleek and I Love it!

Some Say Love.....

A nice poem.. describing all that is love..

Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.

Some say love, it is a hunger
And endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you - its only seed.

It’s the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.
It’s the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance.

It’s the one, who won’t be taken
Who cannot seem to give.
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live.

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
When you feel that love is only
For the lucky and the strong

Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love
In the spring becomes the rose.

Mallika - the Talented One

After that post about Mallika Sherawat.. here's a gem from another Mallika... a far more talented one for sure. After much toil .. i managed to get this poem onto my blog. Thank Mallika for that !!
It may also be noted that the poet is a enthusiatic rock climber (interesting)...

Anyway Mallikaji aapke permission ke saath....

Wanderlust

The looking-glass of a desolate past
That calls to life the tensile faith
This fleeting phase shall always last;
This wanderlust shall never cease.

The whirl of life has firm duress
And locks away in oubliette
This rock-ribbed urge to caress
That profound inner wanderlust.

Yet I cede to arcane thoughts
For they pledge no éclat
And this gambit might yield naught
Except a lone, uncertain life.

Lone I might be, but never lonely
For the heart is brimming with secluded joy
Anticipating with élan and equinanimity-
The young delight of wanderlust.

-Mallika-

If you happened to like this; which I am sure u did. Do check out more articles from her blog (there are a couple of fantastic ones I assure) @ www.pagalgirl.blogspot.com. Any by the way u can also figure out how pagal she really is........ ;)

Mallika -e- Sherawat

Yeah as the tilte goes this entry is on Mallika Sherawat. What actually inspired me is the wide spectrum of emotions the name "Mallika Sherawat" draws. From downright disgust to jaw dropping awe.. but one thing is sure everyone has an opinion on her.

Mallika first appeared as a demure damsel(by her own standards) in Mujhe Kuch Kehna hai; little did she give the indication of how she would sizzle on the screen later. What makes her a true diva is the fact that she is as hot and controversial off the screen as on it. Be it her interviews(which I particularly recommend) or press conferences about movies she hardly is in. And between all this she's been to Cannes even.

But behind all this glitz u will notice a women who has reached to where she has from a humble back ground. In a way she represents what India is doing right now. India is growing and growing leaving behind much of its traditional so called aesthetics. Whether it is the right method is quite debatable. I feel she represents the 21st century Indian, who dares to dream big and stops at no hold to get there.

Love her or loathe her.. Mallika symbolizes 21st century Consumerism where the market strives to give what the people want. She manages to make movies work on her own, which some of our big stars cant. She just gives people what they ask for and hence her success.

Parineeta

Another review, I finally happened to watch "Parineeta" on TV. Its quite a well made movie, nice story line (its based on a classic novel.. so it had to be), nice performances, beautiful music... overall a pleasant experience. The thing I really liked is for once a Bengali novel ended without a tragedy :)

Parineeta basically tells the story of Lolitha( Vidya Balan) who is the childhood sweetheart of Saif, but circumstances, force the people around her to percieve her differently; even so her sweetheart. Its a period drama set it the pre independence Bengal. The canvas has been built up beautifully, it trully has an authentic feel to it

Some scences in the movie are truly exceptional, like the one where Saif on his marraige day comes to Lolitha's house. The scene is so wonderful because it comes early in the movie and it sets the tone for the movie going forward. The original thought about that scene only comes when u reach end of the movie and makes you re think the assumptions you make at the beginning.

Coming to the performances, every one has done their jobs quite well. Be it Saif, son of a rich landlord who goes through the pain and agony of knowing Lolitha, or Sanjay Dutt, as a restained Girish, a buisnessman from london, who is there for Lolitha in time of need.

But the true star of the show as she should be is Lolitha herself, Vidya Balan, doing a commendable job in her first movie. She looks like a "Parineeta" indeed as she as a timless beauty to her.

The music, art direction and the direction itself is quite good. Overall a good movie to watch if have not seen it already.

Blasphemy

It's blasphemy indeed.. to post my poems.. among these glorious ones, but my friend Seema wanted them up here, and I dont dare to say no... So dont Blame me people for these.... :)

Seema, you are a friend unseen,
Vivid to me like a dream,

I just wanted to let u know,
That come rain, shine or snow.

I'll be always there for you,
Doing what a friend needs to do.

Your a special friend to me,
And all my feelings are here for u to see..


***

Just for you I am writing this jingle
Where phrases and ideas mingle
You are one of a kind
Unique in my mind
Do hope, Seema, this gives you a tingle

At friendliness you pass the test
At making friends you are the best
You are friendly and fetching
So simply outstretching
Your warmth is not given in jest

Your friendship is something rare
If needed, you are always there
For when my tears glisten
You always will listen
I thank you for showing you care

There is nothing you can't do
You're talented, special and true
Refreshing as a spring
Like birds on the wing
You're special because you are YOU


***

I'll try to describe and explain
How i see u, in words nice and plain
It's u who inspired me to try
To chose word that'll aptly apply
Read on and i'll clarify

You're gentle it's easy to see
A more pleasant gal, there cant be
Your warm friendly style
Always brings to me a Smile
Well, Do u like this refrain ?

Rang de Basanti

Yeah... after a long wait I finally could watch the movie, that I almost watched thrice. But it was worth the wait I guess. So here goes lemme try and review the movie for you... :)

Believe me I went to this particular movie with some expectations and it wont be wrong in saying that it met them quite well. Once the ads stopped playing I was eagerly waiting for the Krrish trailer to show up, which eventually didnt.

The movie revolves around 7 main protagnists Aamir, Siddarth( who's the surprise package actually !!), Kunal, Sharman, Atul, Soha and Sue... It basically shows how Sue.. comes over to make a documentary on the Indian revolutionaries and ends up re-igniting the same flames in the youth of today.


It basically shows how indifferent we the youth of today are towards our nation, and makes us realize its time we stood up for our nation.

The beauty of Rang de Basanti lies in the fact that this message is not passed on in a very preachy kind of a way, which other honest movies like this tend to do. The movie is very light and contemporary and thouroughly enjoyable. the director Rakyesh Mehra and the cast really need to be commended for the efforts. This is surely a movie movie made with the heart.

Coming to what I personally found very interesting in the movie is the fact that I could relate to the emotions that a Bhagat singh or Chandrashekar Azad must have gone through to give up their lives for the country at such a young age. Today for us it is impossible to think why some one would be so passionate for a cause. I guess this movie wakes us up to fact that the passion still lies within each of us and it is looking for a cause to fight for. It shows us how the same emotions are at play in a very contemporary set up.

The music of the movie is also excellent, as u can expect from A R Rahman in most of his movies, the music gains more relevance when we watch the movie as most of the songs are very situational.

Overall its a great movie to watch, and is part of the new wave of cinema hitting us lately... So if u havent still watched it do so soon....

The Tiger

A wonderful poem by William Blake, which i like and remember since my school days

TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

** Daffodils **

William Wordsworth doing what he does best, describe nature nice and simple...

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Armies in the Fire

Here's a poignant poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, only too relevant in our times

The lamps now glitter down the street;
Faintly sound the falling feet;
And the blue even slowly falls
About the garden trees and walls.

Now in the falling of the gloom
The red fire paints the empty room:
And warmly on the roof it looks,
And flickers on the back of books.

Armies march by tower and spire
Of cities blazing, in the fire;
Till as I gaze with staring eyes,
The armies fall, the lustre dies.

Then once again the glow returns;
Again the phantom city burns;
And down the red-hot valley, lo!
The phantom armies marching go!

Blinking embers, tell me true
Where are those armies marching to,
And what the burning city is
That crumbles in your furnaces!

Fire and Ice

One good one by Robert Frost ...

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Have u really loved a woman?

Firstly I would really apologise to people who may think its a farce to put this up among all these classic poems.. Buti just couldnt help myself I just seem to like these lyrics so much...

To really love a woman
To understand her - you gotta know her deep inside
Hear every thought - see every dream
N’ give her wings - when she wants to fly
Then when you find yourself lyin’ helpless in her arms
Ya know ya really love a woman

When you love a woman you tell her
That she’s really wanted
When you love a woman you tell her that she’s the one
Cuz she needs somebody to tell her
That it’s gonna last forever
So tell me have you ever really
- really really ever loved a woman?

To really love a woman
Let her hold you -
Til ya know how she needs to be touched
You’ve gotta breathe her - really taste her
Til you can feel her in your blood
N’ when you can see your unborn children in her eyes
Ya know ya really love a woman

When you love a woman
You tell her that she’s really wanted
When you love a woman you tell her that she’s the one
Cuz she needs somebody to tell her
That you’ll always be together
So tell me have you ever really -
Really really ever loved a woman?

You got to give her some faith - hold her tight
A little tenderness - gotta treat her right
She will be there for you, takin’ good care of you
Ya really gotta love your woman...

Then when you find yourself lyin’ helpless in her arms
Ya know ya really love a woman
When you love a woman you tell her
That she’s really wanted
When you love a woman you tell her that she’s the one
Cuz she needs somebody to tell her
That it’s gonna last forever
So tell me have you ever really
- really really ever loved a woman?

Just tell me have you ever really,
Really, really, ever loved a woman?
Just tell me have you ever really,
Really, really, ever loved a woman?

Phenomenal Woman

This poem by Maya Angelou surely has some attitude. And thats what impressed me about this poem... Just read it and u know it not how u look but how u feel that makes u pretty......

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies,
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't jump or shout about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.