Why should one have friends? Of all the reasons I could imagine, the best that strikes me is that they will buy you the tickets for a movie on any given weekend. Topping it up with crunchy pop corn and icy cool drinks. What else does one need in life? :-). As a consequence I had a chance to watch "Yudham sei"; the latest flick from the staple of Myshkin.
The movie is a dark take on the sexual abuse and exploitation, the twin shackles today's teenage girls are fettered with. The director adds elements of mystery, drama, and tragedy in this crime investigation narrative and fairly succeeds in holding audience's attention for the major part of the movie. This movie appears to take off where his earlier film "Anjadhey" had left and in my opinion this could easily be called as "Anjadhey-2".
In my opinion Myshkin can be Kollywood's Anurag Kashyap. Anurag who is an acclaimed bollywood filmmaker reminisces one of his experiences with the censor board during the certification of his recent film "The woman in yellow boots" which as you might have guessed is again a dark movie with sexual overtones and wide use of expletives. He says that one of the censor board persons had asked him to get his mind checked for only a disturbed person can make this kind of movie. In the same breath he also says that when the movie was screened in an European country (the name I forgot)one filmmaker had actually asked him why the movie was so subdued and why had he made the film so polished despite the content being so raw.That's how our Myshkin too has treated this film.
If movie is a way to let people know something, then Myshkin surely lets us know that he is angry. Very angry over the way women are treated in our society. How decency and virtue are crushed under the juggernaut of power, corruption and muscle power. This movie though looks like a crime thriller on the outset the director emphasises on the emotional turmoil of the investigator the subject of investigation throughout the movie. All his usual touches like low angle shots, scene establishment through the movement of the feet, low light shots, wide angle shots, scenes sans dialogues etc, all are present. These make him one among the directors whom one can guess by just watching a few scenes in his movie. The performances especially that of the character "Judas", the police inspectors are top notch. In one scene Judas actually looks directly into the camera and justifies that it's not wrong to take law into one's own hands and weed out the scum breeding in this society and it's bound to become a reality if people are pushed to the edge. That's a highlight which reminds me of a similar scene from the classic "Rathakanner" in which M.R.Radha looks directly into the camera and justifies that it's not wrong for a married woman to remarry if the husband turns out to be a pain in the err... neck. Though dialogues are different, both scenes reflect the times and challenges of the society in which they are actually set.
Mainly on the flip side, the climax song at the end of the movie was totally unnecessary. It was so absurd that even the very beautiful and sensuous Neetu chandra bending and gyrating to the song actually made me cringe and at one point I thought of going out and have a fag to let out some steam.
Psychiatrists say that today's abominations of gender mistreatment are as a result of projecting women just as objects of sexual gratification and not as human beings with mind, intellect and bodies just like men. Though this movie shows the consequences of the tumour present in our society, when it comes to projecting women, in one single stroke or should I say in one single song, the director fails miserably. The song is so ridiculous that the guy even address the woman as paramour and the woman along with other group dancers go on with their pelvic thrusts unmindful of how they are addressed.
EPILOGUE: Nice movie depicting pain, suffering and deprivation albeit a bit violent. But a total waste because of the one song. Good attempt by the director but unfortunately he himself makes a mockery of his film and his characters with that one bullshit song.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
DHOBHI GHAT
"Once upon a time there lived a king, a farmer, a merchant..." is the manner in which a story would normally begin and it never fails to grab my attention no matter how many times I might have heard the same story till then. The interesting part is that you would still come out of that experience with something new. That's how one feels or atleast that's how I felt after watching "Dhobi ghat".
This is neither a mainstream commercial bollywood potboiler nor a serious art cinema. It provides an alternative for those longing for something different and in my opinion it fairly serves the purpose.
With 95 minutes of running time, it was appropriate to not to have an intermission and this gives a sense of continuity which in my opinion is its USP. The debutant director Kiran rao has shown Mumbai in all its colours which is rare to see in a hindi movie. I guess she is more of a story teller than a movie maker for that's how I felt during the course of the film. I don't know how this film ranks on a scale of 10 on movie watching experience, but scores pretty high when it comes to her prowess of story telling skills.
Except for the character of Yasmin who is the personification of innocence and all that's good in this world, all the other characters have shades of grey. Just as it's almost impossible to come across an out and out good person in real life, the same applies to the character of Yasmin. She too isn't real and yet she is a prominent character in the story. You have to watch this movie to know what I am blabbering.
This movie exudes emotion subtly and in right proportions. The dynamics of human emotions has always been an enigma and it's difficult to answer why one person likes another person. The obsession of Aamir's character for Yasmin and how he undergoes transformation as a person is example of how people think and relate to others.
In terms of screen presence Monica dogra & Prateik have lion's share and hats off to them for their acting, which is nothing less than natural.Kriti Malhotra as a muslim girl named Yasmin and the diction of her lines deserves a special mention. Surprisingly Aamirkhan's performance except for few scenes looks just good which is not what we normally associate with him, "just good". In this movie Prateik's & Monica's & Kriti's importance and performances overshadows Aamir's which never happens in a bollywood movie with any of the top heroes. Poor chap he is even the producer of this movie. Well, the director Kiran rao happens to be his wife. Need I say more?
Jokes apart, if you are open to something different, something good that you want to feel inside watch this movie. Just like a flower which remains shut until one fine day it would have suddenly bloomed, this movie also seems normal until it reaches its climax.
How do you feel when you see a beautiful flower? That's how I felt at the end of this movie.
EPILOGUE: All of you would have listened to the background music of "Mouna raagam" in which Ilayaraja cast a spell. Get prepared for another such spell. I came to know that the music is by a two time oscar winner Gustao and you will agree why he got them in the first place. Well, I agreed.
This is neither a mainstream commercial bollywood potboiler nor a serious art cinema. It provides an alternative for those longing for something different and in my opinion it fairly serves the purpose.
With 95 minutes of running time, it was appropriate to not to have an intermission and this gives a sense of continuity which in my opinion is its USP. The debutant director Kiran rao has shown Mumbai in all its colours which is rare to see in a hindi movie. I guess she is more of a story teller than a movie maker for that's how I felt during the course of the film. I don't know how this film ranks on a scale of 10 on movie watching experience, but scores pretty high when it comes to her prowess of story telling skills.
Except for the character of Yasmin who is the personification of innocence and all that's good in this world, all the other characters have shades of grey. Just as it's almost impossible to come across an out and out good person in real life, the same applies to the character of Yasmin. She too isn't real and yet she is a prominent character in the story. You have to watch this movie to know what I am blabbering.
This movie exudes emotion subtly and in right proportions. The dynamics of human emotions has always been an enigma and it's difficult to answer why one person likes another person. The obsession of Aamir's character for Yasmin and how he undergoes transformation as a person is example of how people think and relate to others.
In terms of screen presence Monica dogra & Prateik have lion's share and hats off to them for their acting, which is nothing less than natural.Kriti Malhotra as a muslim girl named Yasmin and the diction of her lines deserves a special mention. Surprisingly Aamirkhan's performance except for few scenes looks just good which is not what we normally associate with him, "just good". In this movie Prateik's & Monica's & Kriti's importance and performances overshadows Aamir's which never happens in a bollywood movie with any of the top heroes. Poor chap he is even the producer of this movie. Well, the director Kiran rao happens to be his wife. Need I say more?
Jokes apart, if you are open to something different, something good that you want to feel inside watch this movie. Just like a flower which remains shut until one fine day it would have suddenly bloomed, this movie also seems normal until it reaches its climax.
How do you feel when you see a beautiful flower? That's how I felt at the end of this movie.
EPILOGUE: All of you would have listened to the background music of "Mouna raagam" in which Ilayaraja cast a spell. Get prepared for another such spell. I came to know that the music is by a two time oscar winner Gustao and you will agree why he got them in the first place. Well, I agreed.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
All the best laid plans
Which is more difficult?
Planning or Executing?
Formulating or Implementing?
Thinking or Doing?
Learning or Performing?
Talking or Working? and on goes the questionnaire.
In my opinion, for any action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Ok. That was Newton's law. Let me try again. In my opinion for any action before it gets materialised something should have been ideated prior to it. Coming back to the initial question of which is more important, is the intellectual part more important or the gross and palpable part? Some would opine and rightly so, as there are two sides to a coin which are equally important so does the subtle and gross elements that are equally important. But the secret lies in the quality and the pace at which one makes the transition from the conception of an idea to its implementation.
Sometimes because the idea lacks the desired punch it falls apart. And sometimes getting absorbed too much in the nitty gritty of the practical aspects also causes the execution part to go haywire. Added to this there is one Murphy's law "If anything can go wrong it will go wrong". So what is one supposed to do amidst this seemingly inextricable maze called life?
We all had faced this dilemma in the past,are facing at present and I have no reason not to believe that it will happen in the future.
The topic in discussion is to have a party among friends. The usual barrage of questions like why, when, where, how and who, follows and we more often that not end up in the same square from where we had actually set forth. Democracy is good until every Tom, Dick and Harry comes up with a opinion of his own. Though one's friends doesn't consist of any of Toms, Dicks and Harrys each one will have his or her own opinion which makes it a challenging task to reconcile all these different opinions and to find a common ground.
However your woes won't end at the arrival of the decision. Only after it actually happens can one truly answer the question, which one is more difficult?
The planning or its execution? :-)
Planning or Executing?
Formulating or Implementing?
Thinking or Doing?
Learning or Performing?
Talking or Working? and on goes the questionnaire.
In my opinion, for any action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Ok. That was Newton's law. Let me try again. In my opinion for any action before it gets materialised something should have been ideated prior to it. Coming back to the initial question of which is more important, is the intellectual part more important or the gross and palpable part? Some would opine and rightly so, as there are two sides to a coin which are equally important so does the subtle and gross elements that are equally important. But the secret lies in the quality and the pace at which one makes the transition from the conception of an idea to its implementation.
Sometimes because the idea lacks the desired punch it falls apart. And sometimes getting absorbed too much in the nitty gritty of the practical aspects also causes the execution part to go haywire. Added to this there is one Murphy's law "If anything can go wrong it will go wrong". So what is one supposed to do amidst this seemingly inextricable maze called life?
We all had faced this dilemma in the past,are facing at present and I have no reason not to believe that it will happen in the future.
The topic in discussion is to have a party among friends. The usual barrage of questions like why, when, where, how and who, follows and we more often that not end up in the same square from where we had actually set forth. Democracy is good until every Tom, Dick and Harry comes up with a opinion of his own. Though one's friends doesn't consist of any of Toms, Dicks and Harrys each one will have his or her own opinion which makes it a challenging task to reconcile all these different opinions and to find a common ground.
However your woes won't end at the arrival of the decision. Only after it actually happens can one truly answer the question, which one is more difficult?
The planning or its execution? :-)
Saturday, December 18, 2010
1st Anniversary
It's really amazing how time flies!
It's been exactly a year since I started blogging in the net and you started banging your head on the wall. It's said that all good things come to an end; but not my blogging, for obvious reasons. :-)
But if at all I have learned something by this year long experience, it is this. Though anybody can write not everybody can write. Not because someone lacks proficiency in language but rather lack of inclination to write. It's only when someone starts to write do they realise to their astonishment, how much they want to share their thoughts and feelings with the world. It doesn't matter even if no one in the world gives a damn to what you want to say as is the case. But what is important is the process of giving shape to the thoughts in your head through words. I guess it provides an emotional and intellectual(probably :-)) outlet atleast for the blogger(Not sure about the readers).
So with this spirit, my legacy continues and so is your torture.......
It's been exactly a year since I started blogging in the net and you started banging your head on the wall. It's said that all good things come to an end; but not my blogging, for obvious reasons. :-)
But if at all I have learned something by this year long experience, it is this. Though anybody can write not everybody can write. Not because someone lacks proficiency in language but rather lack of inclination to write. It's only when someone starts to write do they realise to their astonishment, how much they want to share their thoughts and feelings with the world. It doesn't matter even if no one in the world gives a damn to what you want to say as is the case. But what is important is the process of giving shape to the thoughts in your head through words. I guess it provides an emotional and intellectual(probably :-)) outlet atleast for the blogger(Not sure about the readers).
So with this spirit, my legacy continues and so is your torture.......
Friday, December 10, 2010
History and its lessons we ignore!
Today the nobel committee awarded this year's peace prize to one Chinese national "Lu Xiabao". This is the first time I am watching such a ceremony and unfortunately it was incomplete because of the absence of the prize winner himself. In other words he was conspicuous by his absence. None of his relatives and friends were present on the occasion. It seems that the Chinese government has put him in jail and imposed a 11 year sentence on him.
Here comes the interesting part. He did only one thing for which he was awarded nobel peace prize on one hand and a 11 year sentence on the other, and that one thing is to raise his voice against the Chinese government on behalf of the weak and downtrodden. One action and two extreme reactions.
In the award ceremony the person who addressed the gathering had rightly criticised China on its unwillingness to realise that peaceful protests and valid dissent is as important as discipline and compliance to the incumbent constitution. Just because a country is an economic and military super power it can not turn a blind eye to the indispensable needs of its citizens and human rights is an important part of it. If imprisoning Lu is not enough, it went ahead and decried the nobel committee's decision to give the prize to Lu and by influencing around 40 nations not to attend the ceremony, China has brought itself upon the ignominy of an immature state not withstanding its economic and military might.
The same kind of mistakes were committed by erstwhile USSR, and now a fading super power called USA. Both, during the course of history were blinded by pride and an insatiable greed to gain control over anything and everything they could lay their hands upon. Only now do they realise that ones stature is not based on GDP or military might but based on the extent of empowerment of its people. Both the nations taught us these lessons and we humans, the most intelligent species should have learned the lesson by now. But no, we don't learn our lessons as is shown by China and by thus doing so, history repeats itself. When a person begins to hate himself the road to degeneration has already begun and the same is true for a nation. When a country tries to suppress the voice of its people, though its economic curve may point northward in the short term, its social curve falls to depths pulling the entire nation down.
Once Abraham lincoln famously said "Anybody can stand adversity. But if you want to test the character give him power". China did struggle a lot and survived the last century to become a major player in this century. But the real test has only started now because it's only now that it has great power. If God has equipped us with a neck, he surely meant us to stick it out. So all the nations should at-least voice their opinions against this immature stance taken by China and hope that sanity prevails in the end.
Here comes the interesting part. He did only one thing for which he was awarded nobel peace prize on one hand and a 11 year sentence on the other, and that one thing is to raise his voice against the Chinese government on behalf of the weak and downtrodden. One action and two extreme reactions.
In the award ceremony the person who addressed the gathering had rightly criticised China on its unwillingness to realise that peaceful protests and valid dissent is as important as discipline and compliance to the incumbent constitution. Just because a country is an economic and military super power it can not turn a blind eye to the indispensable needs of its citizens and human rights is an important part of it. If imprisoning Lu is not enough, it went ahead and decried the nobel committee's decision to give the prize to Lu and by influencing around 40 nations not to attend the ceremony, China has brought itself upon the ignominy of an immature state not withstanding its economic and military might.
The same kind of mistakes were committed by erstwhile USSR, and now a fading super power called USA. Both, during the course of history were blinded by pride and an insatiable greed to gain control over anything and everything they could lay their hands upon. Only now do they realise that ones stature is not based on GDP or military might but based on the extent of empowerment of its people. Both the nations taught us these lessons and we humans, the most intelligent species should have learned the lesson by now. But no, we don't learn our lessons as is shown by China and by thus doing so, history repeats itself. When a person begins to hate himself the road to degeneration has already begun and the same is true for a nation. When a country tries to suppress the voice of its people, though its economic curve may point northward in the short term, its social curve falls to depths pulling the entire nation down.
Once Abraham lincoln famously said "Anybody can stand adversity. But if you want to test the character give him power". China did struggle a lot and survived the last century to become a major player in this century. But the real test has only started now because it's only now that it has great power. If God has equipped us with a neck, he surely meant us to stick it out. So all the nations should at-least voice their opinions against this immature stance taken by China and hope that sanity prevails in the end.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Fifth stone
During the past two months a lot of events came and went, most of them without a trace and few of them leaving some memories. Teacher's day, Dussera, Deepawali, Obama's visit, Children's day etc, etc. And then there are other things Mumbai's Adarsh housing scam, CWG scam, Karnataka CMs land acquisition scam and the "raja" of all scams:the 2G scam.
To tell you the truth, I wonder why people are making so much noise for a mere scam. I guess it's because Indian media and public have forgotten the fifth and most influential corner stone (Oops! it's the central stone) of our democracy. Once people remind themselves of this undeniable fact and face it courageously all this brouhaha will continue forever. All the four cornerstones, the parliament, the constitution, the judiciary and the fourth estate, are taught in our schools, colleges and in some way or another we all would have come across few incidents that indicate their presence. But nothing is taught about this fifth one. Nowhere can you find it being mentioned in any of our books, institutions and it doesn't have any physical record whatsoever. But we all feel it. Just because we can not see it, it doesn't mean it isn't there. In fact it is as much a part of us that it's the building block of our DNA. It is "the message" that's transmitted by the billions of neurons in our brains.It's omniscient, ubiquitous and every word in the dictionary that represents infinity.
Wise men mention that soul is "சதயஸ்யா சதயம்" i.e, "the truth of the truths". But I am sure they said this before they actually became wise. They left out this fundamental entity which at least in Indians' case is "the truth" and that thing is "CORRUPTION".
It is an institution by itself and it's the central stone of our democracy which you would have figured it by now, is taller than the rest of the four corner stones which makes our democracy rest solely on this single most important pillar. Like in any institution there are rules and regulations for this institution too. They are
First and foremost is 1.when it comes to me there are no rules and regulations.
2. Rules are not meant to be followed but to be stretched and if not feasible to be broken.
3. Nepotism is a must.
4. There are no copyrights, because copying is our right.
5. There is no such a thing as bad or unethical or immoral. The things that matter are shamelessness, insensitivity, arrogance and how fervently you follow them.
I can go on and on but for beginners I guess, these are enough.
To tell you the truth, I wonder why people are making so much noise for a mere scam. I guess it's because Indian media and public have forgotten the fifth and most influential corner stone (Oops! it's the central stone) of our democracy. Once people remind themselves of this undeniable fact and face it courageously all this brouhaha will continue forever. All the four cornerstones, the parliament, the constitution, the judiciary and the fourth estate, are taught in our schools, colleges and in some way or another we all would have come across few incidents that indicate their presence. But nothing is taught about this fifth one. Nowhere can you find it being mentioned in any of our books, institutions and it doesn't have any physical record whatsoever. But we all feel it. Just because we can not see it, it doesn't mean it isn't there. In fact it is as much a part of us that it's the building block of our DNA. It is "the message" that's transmitted by the billions of neurons in our brains.It's omniscient, ubiquitous and every word in the dictionary that represents infinity.
Wise men mention that soul is "சதயஸ்யா சதயம்" i.e, "the truth of the truths". But I am sure they said this before they actually became wise. They left out this fundamental entity which at least in Indians' case is "the truth" and that thing is "CORRUPTION".
It is an institution by itself and it's the central stone of our democracy which you would have figured it by now, is taller than the rest of the four corner stones which makes our democracy rest solely on this single most important pillar. Like in any institution there are rules and regulations for this institution too. They are
First and foremost is 1.when it comes to me there are no rules and regulations.
2. Rules are not meant to be followed but to be stretched and if not feasible to be broken.
3. Nepotism is a must.
4. There are no copyrights, because copying is our right.
5. There is no such a thing as bad or unethical or immoral. The things that matter are shamelessness, insensitivity, arrogance and how fervently you follow them.
I can go on and on but for beginners I guess, these are enough.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
ROBOT
The long wait is over. It's time for thalaivar padam "Endhiran". Before I proceed any further let me make myself clear that this is definitely not a review of this movie and I'll tell you why.
In my opinion a review of any work of art like a cinema, by an individual is meant to explore good aspects and not so good aspects of that work. Though it's subject to that person's own interpretation, people who want to see that particular work of art can go through these reviews to have an idea of what's actually in store for them or more specifically whether it's worth the effort or not.
Having said this, it's not applicable to our thalaivar's padam. Reviews of his movies are irrelevant and can be dispensed with. It's like a big festival which comes once in two or three years and everybody wants to participate in it. They can not afford to be left behind without their share of fun and frolic. No matter where you are, what you do but when his movie releases you have to go and watch it, period. It's like devotees going to temples for no specific reason. Rajni's fans are devotees of a different kind. It doesn't matter who has directed the movie, whoever else has acted in the movie, and even if there isn't any story at all, it's just enough for them to have a glimpse at their movie idol on the big screen. Such is his charisma and magnetism towards which like everyone else I am also drawn. His style of acting, his style of dancing, his style of dialogue delivery and to top it all his style alone can make the fans go in a frenzy.
It's an enigma that when today's young, fair and handsome actors well trained in dance and sporting six pack bodies struggle to draw crowds, this sexagenarian actor has consistently drawn crowds of all classes, in all centres. Unlike popular belief that he is just a commercial star, if we go through his filmography one will surely be impressed with his work earlier in his career. Our current crop of actors would do well to emulate it. So that's the review of the move "ENDHIRAN". My sincere belief is that you would be going through this review having watched it already. If not I hope you would be leaving this midway to watch it.
For those who have already watched the movie and still going through this review, one wonderful insight.
When the entire country was tense awaiting the verdict of ayodhya, people of almost all other states were weary of any untoward incidents but people of Tamilnadu in my opinion weren't so concerned about it. The release of thalaivar padam is far more gripping, exciting and enticing than the fate of a temple for a poor chap known as Ram!
In my opinion a review of any work of art like a cinema, by an individual is meant to explore good aspects and not so good aspects of that work. Though it's subject to that person's own interpretation, people who want to see that particular work of art can go through these reviews to have an idea of what's actually in store for them or more specifically whether it's worth the effort or not.
Having said this, it's not applicable to our thalaivar's padam. Reviews of his movies are irrelevant and can be dispensed with. It's like a big festival which comes once in two or three years and everybody wants to participate in it. They can not afford to be left behind without their share of fun and frolic. No matter where you are, what you do but when his movie releases you have to go and watch it, period. It's like devotees going to temples for no specific reason. Rajni's fans are devotees of a different kind. It doesn't matter who has directed the movie, whoever else has acted in the movie, and even if there isn't any story at all, it's just enough for them to have a glimpse at their movie idol on the big screen. Such is his charisma and magnetism towards which like everyone else I am also drawn. His style of acting, his style of dancing, his style of dialogue delivery and to top it all his style alone can make the fans go in a frenzy.
It's an enigma that when today's young, fair and handsome actors well trained in dance and sporting six pack bodies struggle to draw crowds, this sexagenarian actor has consistently drawn crowds of all classes, in all centres. Unlike popular belief that he is just a commercial star, if we go through his filmography one will surely be impressed with his work earlier in his career. Our current crop of actors would do well to emulate it. So that's the review of the move "ENDHIRAN". My sincere belief is that you would be going through this review having watched it already. If not I hope you would be leaving this midway to watch it.
For those who have already watched the movie and still going through this review, one wonderful insight.
When the entire country was tense awaiting the verdict of ayodhya, people of almost all other states were weary of any untoward incidents but people of Tamilnadu in my opinion weren't so concerned about it. The release of thalaivar padam is far more gripping, exciting and enticing than the fate of a temple for a poor chap known as Ram!
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