A city with a river running right across it, is considered to be lucky and prosperous. But in the case of Chennai, what was meant to be a leeway to prosperity has now turned out to be a mere eyesore for people visiting the city. The city's main waterways are the rivers Cooum and Adyar, the Buckingham Canal, the Otteri Nullah, and these waterways travel for 65.92 KM inside the city. Till the year of 1983(if im right...), these waterbodies were instrumental in the growth of the City.
The Cooum originates from a village in the neighbouring Thiruvallur district and ends up in the Bay of Bengal near the Marina. It runs across a total length of 70 KM. The Adyar river originates from the Chemabarambakkam lake in Chengalpaatu and reaches its destination at the Bay of Bengal at Adyar. The Buckingham canal is a product of the British Raj and runs for over 400 KM from Andhra Pradesh to the interiors of Tamil Nadu. The Otteri Nullah runs across the East-West direction of the city for 12 KM and is the shortest of the main waterways in the city.
These waterways were efficiently used for transportation purpose and also were highly helpful during floods in the city. But in 1984, when the most defining decision to divert the sewage links to the Cooum river was taken, the whole scenario changed course. It was once a pleasure to take a walk at the banks of the Cooum in the evening, but now we would rather take a longer route to avoid the stench of the river. Crores of money has been spent to clean up the water bodies and to restore their lost beauty. But the situation has not improved the slightest. So where has all the money and effort gone into? We have been recieving help from almost all possible quarters to clean up this mess, But something has gone somewhere. Most of it could be attributed to poor planning and lack of coordinaton among the various departments responsible for maintaining the waterways in the city like the Chennai Corporation, Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board, PWD, Pollution Control Board etc etc. If there was some unified attempt by these boards the river could have seen the light long time back.
The river Cooum was recently tested for its toxic content and the tests declared the river to be 80% more dangerous than treated sewage. There is a value known as BOD(Biological oxygen demand), which determines the cleanliness state of the water in each river. A clean river is said to have 1 mg/Litre BOD value. Treated sewage has a BOD of 20 mg/L, whereas the BOD for Cooum has been measured to 36 mg/L. This means that the fishes could survive for not more than 2-3 hours in this water. There was almost 0% dissolved oxygen found in the sample from the river, and traces of heavy metals like copper were also found(Shocking!!!). The Fisheries department has confirmed that the only ways fishes could survive in the Cooum is by completely desilting the river, and preventing any further accumalation of sludge after clearing the present lot.
IMO, some basic things need to be followed before investing crores of rupees into cleaning up the waterways. Firstly the a new drainage system should be kept in place to prevent the entry of the sewage water into the rivers. We can deploy parallel leeway(enclosed one) for the sludge and sewage to enter the bay of Bengal, without affecting the Cooum. Secondly, the encroachments put up on the bank of almost all the waterways in the city should be removed and we have to take the pains of allotting them an alternate place to stay. Much worse is that we get to see some retail outlets, petty shops and even Government outlets on the banks which also add up to the mess. I would say "Remove them all!!! Right away!!!". Unless this is done all the money put into cleaning the rivers is converted to the sewage and nothing else. Before all this is done, we could be highly helped with some desilting in these waterways, so that there is some free flow of water during the floods. Recently I had heard from some source that there is some bio product which can be used to clean up water bodies. I am mot sure about the process that is carried out but it is something like breaking up harmful elements like CO2 and NO2 to reasonably less harmful elements. We just need to put these up at the point where the river originates and it ll do its work. Well I shall let you all know about that when I get the complete info on that.
Now joining the big list of helping hands is the Sathya Sai Trust, Puttaparthi who have come to help us get back the old river Cooum. This project is carried out with the help of the World bank and is slated to start by March 2009 and expected to be complete by end of 2010(I dont expect it though). The least we can pray for is that it should not be a waste of another few crores of rupess.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Blast or not, Champions league was never on...
The sensational Mumbai terrorist attack is yet to sink in ,but its aftermath is already clearly visible. The world of sport is one of the primary sufferers, especially if India is the economic powerhouse of the game. The English cricket team has already called off its ongoing tour(Escapes an embarassing whitewash), and the much expected Champions Trophy has been postponed, which never came as a surprise, with Mumbai scheduled to host a few matches. India is becoming another Pakistan in this regard. But even if this gruesome incident had not occured, the Champions Trophy was never on a safe and smooth ride.
For those who are not in sync with the topic-Champions league, the depleted version of the UEFA Champions league soccer tournament, was a tournament scheduled to be played between the top county teams from India, Australia, South Africa, England and Pakistan. The organisers already did have quite a few things to worry about. Firstly the global meltdown in US, which inturn affected the other nations, came to scare the cricket world too. Can you believe if I say that there were no sponsors available for the Champions League, with top teams from all over the world participating? I still could not believe it. With the success of the IPL and the current performance of the Indian national cricket team, Sponsors should have galored and that was what the organisors would have expected. But it was otherwise, with no one ready to spend huge amounts as sponsors when their own livelihood was at crossroads. ESPN-STAR had bought the Television rights for a huge amount, and when the sponsors were found on the backfoot, they are now into a negotiation with the Champions league organisors.
Next worry was the state of the venues where the matches were to be played - Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai. Arent these the best cricketing venues in the country? Then why and how should this be a problem? Yes. These are arguably the best available venues to host such a mega event, but the problem lies elsewhere. The MAC, chepauk in chennai is said to be a cursed ground, why not with 4 of the last 6 matches played here producing no result due to inclement weather. Chennai is by no means a Chirapunji or a Mawsyram!! With the cyclone 'Nisha' playing havoc in Tamil Nadu, the whole state is submerged. Forget about matches, people could hardly step a foot out of their homes. Bangalore is no better, with the one-dayer between India nad England reduced to a 20-20 match, and signs for the future are also not encouraging. Mumbai was the only place without any problems, but we have a plenty now...in a span of 12 hours.
Players burnout is not an issue originally attached to the Champioins League, but with the International calender already cramped and you try to squeeze in another league then it is a real issue. Dhoni was to lead the Chennai SuperKings in the Champions league, and if had done well enough to lead his team to the finals, then I am not sure if he would had been thoroughly happy. Yes, that is because he had to play the final on Dec 11 and then had to lead the Test side against England. Phew!!! Im tired myself.
Can you ever hear Lalit Modi, the Chairman of IPL and one of the co-founders of the Champions league, to let go a tournament(in India) so easily, without any fuss. He did it, because there were already pressure mounting on him in handling this league.
The only gain to be taken from the postponement , is the players can have a pleasent rest for a month or so.
For those who are not in sync with the topic-Champions league, the depleted version of the UEFA Champions league soccer tournament, was a tournament scheduled to be played between the top county teams from India, Australia, South Africa, England and Pakistan. The organisers already did have quite a few things to worry about. Firstly the global meltdown in US, which inturn affected the other nations, came to scare the cricket world too. Can you believe if I say that there were no sponsors available for the Champions League, with top teams from all over the world participating? I still could not believe it. With the success of the IPL and the current performance of the Indian national cricket team, Sponsors should have galored and that was what the organisors would have expected. But it was otherwise, with no one ready to spend huge amounts as sponsors when their own livelihood was at crossroads. ESPN-STAR had bought the Television rights for a huge amount, and when the sponsors were found on the backfoot, they are now into a negotiation with the Champions league organisors.
Next worry was the state of the venues where the matches were to be played - Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai. Arent these the best cricketing venues in the country? Then why and how should this be a problem? Yes. These are arguably the best available venues to host such a mega event, but the problem lies elsewhere. The MAC, chepauk in chennai is said to be a cursed ground, why not with 4 of the last 6 matches played here producing no result due to inclement weather. Chennai is by no means a Chirapunji or a Mawsyram!! With the cyclone 'Nisha' playing havoc in Tamil Nadu, the whole state is submerged. Forget about matches, people could hardly step a foot out of their homes. Bangalore is no better, with the one-dayer between India nad England reduced to a 20-20 match, and signs for the future are also not encouraging. Mumbai was the only place without any problems, but we have a plenty now...in a span of 12 hours.
Players burnout is not an issue originally attached to the Champioins League, but with the International calender already cramped and you try to squeeze in another league then it is a real issue. Dhoni was to lead the Chennai SuperKings in the Champions league, and if had done well enough to lead his team to the finals, then I am not sure if he would had been thoroughly happy. Yes, that is because he had to play the final on Dec 11 and then had to lead the Test side against England. Phew!!! Im tired myself.
Can you ever hear Lalit Modi, the Chairman of IPL and one of the co-founders of the Champions league, to let go a tournament(in India) so easily, without any fuss. He did it, because there were already pressure mounting on him in handling this league.
The only gain to be taken from the postponement , is the players can have a pleasent rest for a month or so.
Monday, November 24, 2008
20 commandments to Chennai Police
We have to wait and see if this might turn out to be a new dawn in the History of policing in India. We have heard many reformations proposed, but all of them have disappeared into thin air. But when the Chennai city police Commisioner Mr K Radhakrishnan had issued the 20 commandments to his fellowmen in the department, we are waiting with our fingers crossed if it would prove to be beneficial to the public. Though I do not have the whole list of the 20 commandments, I had helped myself by gathering some crucial points from the newspapers and electronic media.
The fact that Mr Radhakrishnan has focussed on the presentability of the policemen and women is highly welcome. The very first point in the circular issued to all police stations within the city limit is that the police personels should present themselves better. They should wear well ironed and neat uniform and look smart. This would defenitely earn them more respect than what they have got now from the public. The next priority is given to punctuality. The staff should be present for the 7AM roll call, without fail.
From now onwards it might be difficult for you to spot a policeman in a bunk shop smoking or having tea, or even a policewomen resting at the shades of a tree or a shop. These activities by the Men in Khakhi is highly condemned by the Commisioner of Police, and they are asked to refrain from such acts. During the bandobast duty for VIPs in the city you might have got to see this practice often. From now onwards the personnel will wait in the sun or rain and be alert all the time when they are in duty.
And morover, the most critical and significant point mentioned is the following one. "Before you advise anybody not to smoke, or to wear a helmet, or to follow traffic rules, you should be an ardent follower of all these". Bingo!! The same thought might have cropped up inmany of us. A policeman can ride freely without a helmet, Can we?,,Now even they cannot?
Morover the commisioner has thought over another major plan, which is followed mostly by IT firms. The plan is"The fit sails along, the mediocre stay afloat, while the unfit has to go". Yes! Policemen cannot be rest assured that their job is safe. Slack policemen may face the heat if their performance continues to be poor. Flagging off this plan, the policemen involved in the Law college students' brawl have been temproarily suspended or have been handed over transfer orders. Now see who is facing the heat???
Some more important points are to respect the public who approach them(So that they reciprocate). In any situation the problem of the approaching public should be immediately dealt wth, and people should feel comfortable to approach them anytime. These things are already on the path of a change. I heard one citizen tell "I had recieved a post from the Chennai police to pay a fine of Rs.50 for a traffic violation done sometime back. When I went to the Mambalam Police station, I was in for a pleasent surprise. I was welcomed and offered a seat and I had been treated with utmost dignity. I was even offered tea. Chennai police have already begun changing." Yes indeed! they are changing and as ctizens of this charming city, lets join hands to help our city's saviours keep up the good work, and ofcourse improve and do much better.
I would like to thank my primary source of information - The Times of India, Chennai news daily and Radio Mirchi 98.3, Chennai.
The fact that Mr Radhakrishnan has focussed on the presentability of the policemen and women is highly welcome. The very first point in the circular issued to all police stations within the city limit is that the police personels should present themselves better. They should wear well ironed and neat uniform and look smart. This would defenitely earn them more respect than what they have got now from the public. The next priority is given to punctuality. The staff should be present for the 7AM roll call, without fail.
From now onwards it might be difficult for you to spot a policeman in a bunk shop smoking or having tea, or even a policewomen resting at the shades of a tree or a shop. These activities by the Men in Khakhi is highly condemned by the Commisioner of Police, and they are asked to refrain from such acts. During the bandobast duty for VIPs in the city you might have got to see this practice often. From now onwards the personnel will wait in the sun or rain and be alert all the time when they are in duty.
And morover, the most critical and significant point mentioned is the following one. "Before you advise anybody not to smoke, or to wear a helmet, or to follow traffic rules, you should be an ardent follower of all these". Bingo!! The same thought might have cropped up inmany of us. A policeman can ride freely without a helmet, Can we?,,Now even they cannot?
Morover the commisioner has thought over another major plan, which is followed mostly by IT firms. The plan is"The fit sails along, the mediocre stay afloat, while the unfit has to go". Yes! Policemen cannot be rest assured that their job is safe. Slack policemen may face the heat if their performance continues to be poor. Flagging off this plan, the policemen involved in the Law college students' brawl have been temproarily suspended or have been handed over transfer orders. Now see who is facing the heat???
Some more important points are to respect the public who approach them(So that they reciprocate). In any situation the problem of the approaching public should be immediately dealt wth, and people should feel comfortable to approach them anytime. These things are already on the path of a change. I heard one citizen tell "I had recieved a post from the Chennai police to pay a fine of Rs.50 for a traffic violation done sometime back. When I went to the Mambalam Police station, I was in for a pleasent surprise. I was welcomed and offered a seat and I had been treated with utmost dignity. I was even offered tea. Chennai police have already begun changing." Yes indeed! they are changing and as ctizens of this charming city, lets join hands to help our city's saviours keep up the good work, and ofcourse improve and do much better.
I would like to thank my primary source of information - The Times of India, Chennai news daily and Radio Mirchi 98.3, Chennai.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Remixes - Does it go well with all?
"Pon magal vanthaal...porul kodi thanthaal..."A classic Shivaji-TMS-MSV song is heard somewhere in a college hostel...But how come? Have the youngsters of this generation finally understood the greatness of yesteryear singers?? No way. For the kids of our time, to understand the genius of Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy, KV Mahadevan or for that matter maestro Illayaraja, the older people should keep rendering the songs into their ears or, a simple solution, someone like AR Rehman has to remix it to suit their taste. Once the hit tracks of the golden period of tamil cinema(1960-80) are altered and modified to suit the puzzling taste of the younger brigade, we get to think about the creators of the original track. Those legends were not blessed enough to have the comfort of a keyboard and various other hi-tech equipments which is used today, but still they managed to create soul rendering tunes to capture the heart of millions. But people of the present, do not get to really appreciate those lovely songs. But I am not going to blame or curse the youngsters of today for being ignorant of the good music created several years back. They have grown up hearing artificial music(though they dont realise it) in the form of various hi tech gizmos used to create music, and when they get to hear the yesteryear tunes, they are sure to get a feeling of paleness and boredom. So how can they get to know about the works of master musicians of the past? REMIXES - is the answer.
Though the tunes of old songs are brilliant, when heard now they do not give the same fervour it would have given when it was first composed, and we might tend to miss the brilliance of the work. Young people are even hesitant to hear those songs, and often end up with petty fights with the older people. But when the same songs are recreated with the help of new instruments and fresh voices, they are able to realise that the tunes are actually masterpieces. We start to hear more evergreen classics of the older generation, and we also get to appreciate some really good work. So the point is, remixes should make people sit up and take a look at the music of yore. It should lay a platform for more and more people listening to evergreen songs and ensure that good music does not die a natural death due to ignorance. But does this REMIX CULTURE go well with all? Hardly.
Some days back I heard legendary singer TM Soundararajan say that its painful for him to hear some of his own classics being pathetically recreated. One of my friends said "This guy is jealous man". "TMS is jealous of the young crop of singers? Why?" I asked myself. "Maybe...The fact that he had took great pains to croon for such great numbers, while these young singers mint money by just rendering the same lines in the same style." But No...there is something else that should have worried him. And yes...One thing I should say about remixes is...."All remixes do not serve the above discussed purposes. Some might very well backfire."
Recently, I heard the remix of Illayaraja's masterpiece from the movie "Agni Natchathiram" - "Raja...rajathi rajan intha raja". Man! I really had to shed a tear for Raja sir. If he could have heard this horrible piece of rework done by D Imman, I wouldnt be able to explain his feelings in words. There is an old saying "If you cant do good, you can still do good by not doing anything bad." Nice tracks get blown away by these horrible attempts by few people. Yes, Imman has done some good remixes too...like 'ennadi muniyamma un kannula mai' in an unknown movie, but most of the remixes are pathetic(to say the least). When even we fans cannot tolerate such crude recreatons, how could the creators bear it. Isnt TMS' worry justified?
While remixing, MD's should learn to have the original flavour of the song intact, and yet try to do something new. That's what will serve the original purpose of remixes. And last but not the least "Never even make a single move to hurt the feelings of the original creator, after all they had taught us what film music is."
My list of best remixes...(entirely my opinion..opinions may differ)
1. Ponmagal vanthaal(Sorgam - Azagiya thamizh magan)
2. Thotaal poo malarum(Padagotti - New)
3. Ennaasa mythiliye(Mythili en kaathali - Manmadhan)
4. Kadhal vanthiruchu(Kalyana raman - Vallavan)
5. Aasai nooru vagai(Adutha varisu - kurumbu)
6. Ennadi muniyamma(movies unknown)
and the worst...
1. Raja rajathi raja(Agni natchathiram - Durai)
2. Engeyum eppothum(Ninaithale inikum - Polaadhavan)
3. Atho antha paravai pol(Aayirathil oruvan - some rubbish arjun movie)
4. Nalamthaana(Thilaana moganaambal - Silambaatam)
5. Ae aathaa(Payanagal mudivathillai - Malaikotai)
6. Maasi maasam(Dharmathin thalaivan - Paandi)
there are many more pathetic remixes..cant fill in all...
Thanks for reading my views.
Though the tunes of old songs are brilliant, when heard now they do not give the same fervour it would have given when it was first composed, and we might tend to miss the brilliance of the work. Young people are even hesitant to hear those songs, and often end up with petty fights with the older people. But when the same songs are recreated with the help of new instruments and fresh voices, they are able to realise that the tunes are actually masterpieces. We start to hear more evergreen classics of the older generation, and we also get to appreciate some really good work. So the point is, remixes should make people sit up and take a look at the music of yore. It should lay a platform for more and more people listening to evergreen songs and ensure that good music does not die a natural death due to ignorance. But does this REMIX CULTURE go well with all? Hardly.
Some days back I heard legendary singer TM Soundararajan say that its painful for him to hear some of his own classics being pathetically recreated. One of my friends said "This guy is jealous man". "TMS is jealous of the young crop of singers? Why?" I asked myself. "Maybe...The fact that he had took great pains to croon for such great numbers, while these young singers mint money by just rendering the same lines in the same style." But No...there is something else that should have worried him. And yes...One thing I should say about remixes is...."All remixes do not serve the above discussed purposes. Some might very well backfire."
Recently, I heard the remix of Illayaraja's masterpiece from the movie "Agni Natchathiram" - "Raja...rajathi rajan intha raja". Man! I really had to shed a tear for Raja sir. If he could have heard this horrible piece of rework done by D Imman, I wouldnt be able to explain his feelings in words. There is an old saying "If you cant do good, you can still do good by not doing anything bad." Nice tracks get blown away by these horrible attempts by few people. Yes, Imman has done some good remixes too...like 'ennadi muniyamma un kannula mai' in an unknown movie, but most of the remixes are pathetic(to say the least). When even we fans cannot tolerate such crude recreatons, how could the creators bear it. Isnt TMS' worry justified?
While remixing, MD's should learn to have the original flavour of the song intact, and yet try to do something new. That's what will serve the original purpose of remixes. And last but not the least "Never even make a single move to hurt the feelings of the original creator, after all they had taught us what film music is."
My list of best remixes...(entirely my opinion..opinions may differ)
1. Ponmagal vanthaal(Sorgam - Azagiya thamizh magan)
2. Thotaal poo malarum(Padagotti - New)
3. Ennaasa mythiliye(Mythili en kaathali - Manmadhan)
4. Kadhal vanthiruchu(Kalyana raman - Vallavan)
5. Aasai nooru vagai(Adutha varisu - kurumbu)
6. Ennadi muniyamma(movies unknown)
and the worst...
1. Raja rajathi raja(Agni natchathiram - Durai)
2. Engeyum eppothum(Ninaithale inikum - Polaadhavan)
3. Atho antha paravai pol(Aayirathil oruvan - some rubbish arjun movie)
4. Nalamthaana(Thilaana moganaambal - Silambaatam)
5. Ae aathaa(Payanagal mudivathillai - Malaikotai)
6. Maasi maasam(Dharmathin thalaivan - Paandi)
there are many more pathetic remixes..cant fill in all...
Thanks for reading my views.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Vaaranam Aayiram - Movie review
Finally , the much hyped movie of the season has been thrown open to the audience after a long wait. And does the movies satisfy the fans? Is it worth the wait? Well, taste differs and so does opinion, and I shall present my review of the movie in my own style.
The film starts with an old an out Krishnan(Surya) nearing his end with the memories of his son(Surya again) in the army. Once the news of his father's demise reaches surya, who is in middle of a rescue operation, he thinks about the past, where his father was everything for him.
The flashback starts with Krishnan in his 70's trying to woo Malini(Simran)and he sweeps her off her feet(as she says in the film itself). They fall in love with each other and obviously get married. Then comes the son Surya, who is the apple of Krishnan's eyes. Surya has been given enough liberty by his parents and he doesnt seem to take his academics seriously, and always has fun with his group of friends, be it college or school. When returning home from college for one last time he meets Meghna(Sameera Reddy) in the adjecent berth in train. Inspired by his parents' love story he proposes Meghna the same moment, and he even follows her to San fransisco, with his parents' permission. He impresses Meghna and when things are going well, a blast in Okalahama accounts for Meghna's death and Surya's dream is shattered. He is so bereaved that he induldges in drugs and the whole family do their best to bring him out of it. Then enters Priya(Divya), a neighour of them who is in love with Surya. Surya unwillingly rejects her and goes to the Army. However in days time he is convinced that Priya is her future and they get together. Meanwhile Krishnan falls seriously ill and is diaognised throat cancer. Surya leaves for the rescue mission hoping to meet his father again, but his hopes are shattered when he gets the news of Krishnan's demise.
Gautham has been so attached to his father that the latter's death has urged him to make a film on father-son relationship. Neither the story nor the theme is new to Tamil Cinema, infact it is a blur mix of Cheran's "Autograph" and "Thavamai Thavamirundhu". What stands out is the treatment meted to the story. It's pure Goutham style. Dialoges are fresh and the way CG is used to show the father Surya and his son in same screen is commendable(not the Azhagiya tamil magan way). Haris Jeyaraj has already made his contributions noteworthy with the songs proving to be chart busters. The songs were picturised with purpose and they had enough appeal to keep you attached to your seats. Yethi Yethi was pure fun(watch out for Surya as Micheal Jackson), Mundhinam is Nostalgic, Adiye kolludhe rocks, nenjukul is refreshing and other songs fit the bill. The way Anjala song was shot reminds us off various old songs, but it is still great.
The fact that Surya alias Saravanan has been improving as an actor with every film he does, is once again proved in VA(i shall use this instead of the whole title hereafter). He is inching closer to the place attained by none other than Kamal Haasan, with this movie. He is a treat to watch as the young man Krishnan in the 70's, the aging father, a young man who is victimised by drugs and the untimely death of his lady love, the muscular army major who frequently flaunts his well developed six-pack abdomen(girls may go gaga over it), but my personal favourite would be the 17-year old teenager with his cool hair-do and almost invisible moustache. Surya's potrayal of all these charecters would even make Kamal Haasan proud. And as said by Goutham Menon, no one else could have fit the role better than Surya.
Simran proves her mettle in her role as Malini. The scene where the subdued reaction she exhibits on losing her husband shows that there is still lots of areas to explore with this actress. Sameera Reddy is a breath of fresh air for the tamil audience.The scenes on the train with Surya where he pulls out the guitar and sings 'En iniya pon nilave' is the romatic best we can get. And the fact that we really fell for her once her character dies tells us the impact she had on us. Divya Spandana is homely and makes a very subdued appearence.
Coming to the negatives, the film is far too lengthy and it's considered as a documentary by many people who watch it . Certain scenes in the second half could have been trimmed. And the scenes where Surya goes to Delhi and rescues the son of an person whom he had befriended in a flight journey(He had met him only once before) is unrealistic and loosely attached to the main theme(The scenes were aimed at showing that Surya's negative energy is turned into positive energy, but hardly do all get to understand that). How come anybody send an already troubled child to a lonely place when the first thing he needs is good company. And when the family is struggling to meet ends Surya is advised by his father to go to US in search of his lady love(too good a father). Everyone in the movie speaks english predominantly,and for almost 15 mins in the second half they speak hindi(Thank god..they had subtitles in tamil), and so it may not be well recieved in the B & C centres.
A shorter second half , some unwanted scenes deleted can do loads of good to this film. Watch it for Surya and he will defenitely not disappoint you.
I ll rate the movie by awarding a 3/5
The film starts with an old an out Krishnan(Surya) nearing his end with the memories of his son(Surya again) in the army. Once the news of his father's demise reaches surya, who is in middle of a rescue operation, he thinks about the past, where his father was everything for him.
The flashback starts with Krishnan in his 70's trying to woo Malini(Simran)and he sweeps her off her feet(as she says in the film itself). They fall in love with each other and obviously get married. Then comes the son Surya, who is the apple of Krishnan's eyes. Surya has been given enough liberty by his parents and he doesnt seem to take his academics seriously, and always has fun with his group of friends, be it college or school. When returning home from college for one last time he meets Meghna(Sameera Reddy) in the adjecent berth in train. Inspired by his parents' love story he proposes Meghna the same moment, and he even follows her to San fransisco, with his parents' permission. He impresses Meghna and when things are going well, a blast in Okalahama accounts for Meghna's death and Surya's dream is shattered. He is so bereaved that he induldges in drugs and the whole family do their best to bring him out of it. Then enters Priya(Divya), a neighour of them who is in love with Surya. Surya unwillingly rejects her and goes to the Army. However in days time he is convinced that Priya is her future and they get together. Meanwhile Krishnan falls seriously ill and is diaognised throat cancer. Surya leaves for the rescue mission hoping to meet his father again, but his hopes are shattered when he gets the news of Krishnan's demise.
Gautham has been so attached to his father that the latter's death has urged him to make a film on father-son relationship. Neither the story nor the theme is new to Tamil Cinema, infact it is a blur mix of Cheran's "Autograph" and "Thavamai Thavamirundhu". What stands out is the treatment meted to the story. It's pure Goutham style. Dialoges are fresh and the way CG is used to show the father Surya and his son in same screen is commendable(not the Azhagiya tamil magan way). Haris Jeyaraj has already made his contributions noteworthy with the songs proving to be chart busters. The songs were picturised with purpose and they had enough appeal to keep you attached to your seats. Yethi Yethi was pure fun(watch out for Surya as Micheal Jackson), Mundhinam is Nostalgic, Adiye kolludhe rocks, nenjukul is refreshing and other songs fit the bill. The way Anjala song was shot reminds us off various old songs, but it is still great.
The fact that Surya alias Saravanan has been improving as an actor with every film he does, is once again proved in VA(i shall use this instead of the whole title hereafter). He is inching closer to the place attained by none other than Kamal Haasan, with this movie. He is a treat to watch as the young man Krishnan in the 70's, the aging father, a young man who is victimised by drugs and the untimely death of his lady love, the muscular army major who frequently flaunts his well developed six-pack abdomen(girls may go gaga over it), but my personal favourite would be the 17-year old teenager with his cool hair-do and almost invisible moustache. Surya's potrayal of all these charecters would even make Kamal Haasan proud. And as said by Goutham Menon, no one else could have fit the role better than Surya.
Simran proves her mettle in her role as Malini. The scene where the subdued reaction she exhibits on losing her husband shows that there is still lots of areas to explore with this actress. Sameera Reddy is a breath of fresh air for the tamil audience.The scenes on the train with Surya where he pulls out the guitar and sings 'En iniya pon nilave' is the romatic best we can get. And the fact that we really fell for her once her character dies tells us the impact she had on us. Divya Spandana is homely and makes a very subdued appearence.
Coming to the negatives, the film is far too lengthy and it's considered as a documentary by many people who watch it . Certain scenes in the second half could have been trimmed. And the scenes where Surya goes to Delhi and rescues the son of an person whom he had befriended in a flight journey(He had met him only once before) is unrealistic and loosely attached to the main theme(The scenes were aimed at showing that Surya's negative energy is turned into positive energy, but hardly do all get to understand that). How come anybody send an already troubled child to a lonely place when the first thing he needs is good company. And when the family is struggling to meet ends Surya is advised by his father to go to US in search of his lady love(too good a father). Everyone in the movie speaks english predominantly,and for almost 15 mins in the second half they speak hindi(Thank god..they had subtitles in tamil), and so it may not be well recieved in the B & C centres.
A shorter second half , some unwanted scenes deleted can do loads of good to this film. Watch it for Surya and he will defenitely not disappoint you.
I ll rate the movie by awarding a 3/5
Friday, November 14, 2008
Srilankan Tamil issue and itslevel of significance to Tamil Nadu
The whole of tamil Nadu is fasting along with Kollywood personalities and politicians, all for the sake of the helpless Srilankan tamils, who are suffering out there in our neighbouring country. Our Chief Mininster is trying to eke out funds from whatever means possible. Some people from the film fraternity have gone to the extent of hailing Prabakaran, the leader of the banned outfit LTTE, and were jailed. The State government has already threatened the Congress to back off its suppport if it does not look into the Srinlankan issue seriously.
With all these happening around us, I still have a question lingering around my mind - Do we really need to do all these? Yes, We tamils may be humanitarian in all aspects, and when are neighbouring country is in trouble, we defenitely have a thing to worry about. But what is interesting is that we are ordering the Srilankan government to stop the war within their country.Wierd, isn,t it? Mr. Karunanidhi wants Rajapakse to obey his orders and befriend Prabhakaran and the tamils in their country. Srilanka has already remended us that it is their internal matter, and India or Tamil Nadu has no rights to interfere in it. The Centre has always been reluctant to talk about this issue with the Srilankan Govt. but the pressure from the DMK, which is an integral part of the Congress led govt. at the centre, was too much to ignore.
In the fast organised by the film fraternity Kamal Hassan made a valid point "We are worried that the tamil speaking people in Lanka are in trouble, but by all means they are Srilankans and not Indians. If there is a problem for people in UK, do the people in US gett worried because the y speak the same language?" And another interesting point is thst they have collected funds to send it over to the Tamils there. To whom will they handover the funds to? To rajapakse? Or Prabakan? These questions are best left unanswered.
So what does the Tamil Nadu government want from this issue? Why is so much importance is given to the problem in Lanka, when we ourselves have many issues to cope up with. There are problems like inadequate power, dwindling agricultural lands etc. to be addressed by the govt. That is why the CM is sitting up there in the St. George's fort. Before the Lankan crisis what had the CM been doing? He was almost non-existent, just showing up for filmy functions and audio releases and yes, he had also written the script for a film. He could have done this when he is at home, and he need not have become the CM to attend functions an write scripts. The Chennai Corporation has been doing so good that it overshadowed the shoddy performance of the State Govt. And now the Government is celebrating the achievements by them in the 2 years in power. This way, neither the State nor the country would move any where further.
But the problem is I am able to identify all the problems which prove to be the hinderancefor the State'e growth, but I do not have the resolutions with me, and I dont think anybody else wold have one. Lets all hope for the best to happen.
With all these happening around us, I still have a question lingering around my mind - Do we really need to do all these? Yes, We tamils may be humanitarian in all aspects, and when are neighbouring country is in trouble, we defenitely have a thing to worry about. But what is interesting is that we are ordering the Srilankan government to stop the war within their country.Wierd, isn,t it? Mr. Karunanidhi wants Rajapakse to obey his orders and befriend Prabhakaran and the tamils in their country. Srilanka has already remended us that it is their internal matter, and India or Tamil Nadu has no rights to interfere in it. The Centre has always been reluctant to talk about this issue with the Srilankan Govt. but the pressure from the DMK, which is an integral part of the Congress led govt. at the centre, was too much to ignore.
In the fast organised by the film fraternity Kamal Hassan made a valid point "We are worried that the tamil speaking people in Lanka are in trouble, but by all means they are Srilankans and not Indians. If there is a problem for people in UK, do the people in US gett worried because the y speak the same language?" And another interesting point is thst they have collected funds to send it over to the Tamils there. To whom will they handover the funds to? To rajapakse? Or Prabakan? These questions are best left unanswered.
So what does the Tamil Nadu government want from this issue? Why is so much importance is given to the problem in Lanka, when we ourselves have many issues to cope up with. There are problems like inadequate power, dwindling agricultural lands etc. to be addressed by the govt. That is why the CM is sitting up there in the St. George's fort. Before the Lankan crisis what had the CM been doing? He was almost non-existent, just showing up for filmy functions and audio releases and yes, he had also written the script for a film. He could have done this when he is at home, and he need not have become the CM to attend functions an write scripts. The Chennai Corporation has been doing so good that it overshadowed the shoddy performance of the State Govt. And now the Government is celebrating the achievements by them in the 2 years in power. This way, neither the State nor the country would move any where further.
But the problem is I am able to identify all the problems which prove to be the hinderancefor the State'e growth, but I do not have the resolutions with me, and I dont think anybody else wold have one. Lets all hope for the best to happen.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Detroit of the East
It is 369 years old , but yet refreshing and enthusiastic as a new born baby. It is cursed by a few for its misgivings, but hailed by many as better than the best. I can say that I am arguably the biggest lover of this interesting city of Chennai. When people from many other places in India visit Chennai, their first impression will without doubt be 'This is the most boring place I ve ever come across'. When you query those people further, the reason they say is never satisfying or proving their point. Though Chennai is the fourth largest city in India and one of the four major metros people might argue that it has the least number of shopping malls for any city in India(though many are creeeping up now), Not enough places to hangout, no hindi or other language spoken, no clean water(though its a matter of past now) etc. I have the answers for those who argue Chennai is a dull city.
Yes. Chennai does not have enough malls and hangout places. that is why people from all classes are able to survive here. With the invent of Mall culture comes increase in Cost of living. Chennai is a city a person earning 50 rs can also survive along with people making mllions. It is one of the very few Indian cities to have a moderate cost of living index even now.
Yes. Chennai has not seen a rampaging growth like Bangalore. And so we are living a peaceful life with lesser road traffic and even lesser tension. We have to take a lesson from Bangalore on how the growth of a city should be. You have a thousand companies across the city connected with poor roads and even poor transport.
Autowaalaas are a menace in Chennai. but why the hell do you need an auto when you have an extremely well connected railway system and a much improved MTC bus service(With very good roads and flyovers). With the invent of AC buses and MRTS trains, Autorikshaws are the least used mode of transport in chennai.
People dont speak Hindi in Chennai. Correct, even we do not expect peoople to speak Tamil in Bangalore or Mumbai.
Apart from this Chennai is the only city to maintain a balance between the two major sectors- IT and Manufacturing. Where else in India do you have an Infosys, TCS, HCL on one end and Hyundai, Saint- Gobain, TVS & Ashok Leyland at the other end. Not to forget other giants like Dell, Seimens, Samsung etc.
And you cannot say there are no places to hangout. You have the beaches ranging from the vibrant Marina to the peppy Besant Nagar to the calm Thiruvanmiyur to match your moods. You do have a few malls to shop out(Spencer Plaza is a place for all, jus like chennai) . And though thereis a dearth of Pubs in chennai, you can still find a few.
The safest city, where you can find policemen patrolling 24 hrs. You can not relax a signal even at 3 am.
There are a lot of problems you might face in chennai, ranging from water to the heat and dust, but this city gives you a joyfull and rollercoster experience, but only if you make up your mind to have one.
Yes. Chennai does not have enough malls and hangout places. that is why people from all classes are able to survive here. With the invent of Mall culture comes increase in Cost of living. Chennai is a city a person earning 50 rs can also survive along with people making mllions. It is one of the very few Indian cities to have a moderate cost of living index even now.
Yes. Chennai has not seen a rampaging growth like Bangalore. And so we are living a peaceful life with lesser road traffic and even lesser tension. We have to take a lesson from Bangalore on how the growth of a city should be. You have a thousand companies across the city connected with poor roads and even poor transport.
Autowaalaas are a menace in Chennai. but why the hell do you need an auto when you have an extremely well connected railway system and a much improved MTC bus service(With very good roads and flyovers). With the invent of AC buses and MRTS trains, Autorikshaws are the least used mode of transport in chennai.
People dont speak Hindi in Chennai. Correct, even we do not expect peoople to speak Tamil in Bangalore or Mumbai.
Apart from this Chennai is the only city to maintain a balance between the two major sectors- IT and Manufacturing. Where else in India do you have an Infosys, TCS, HCL on one end and Hyundai, Saint- Gobain, TVS & Ashok Leyland at the other end. Not to forget other giants like Dell, Seimens, Samsung etc.
And you cannot say there are no places to hangout. You have the beaches ranging from the vibrant Marina to the peppy Besant Nagar to the calm Thiruvanmiyur to match your moods. You do have a few malls to shop out(Spencer Plaza is a place for all, jus like chennai) . And though thereis a dearth of Pubs in chennai, you can still find a few.
The safest city, where you can find policemen patrolling 24 hrs. You can not relax a signal even at 3 am.
There are a lot of problems you might face in chennai, ranging from water to the heat and dust, but this city gives you a joyfull and rollercoster experience, but only if you make up your mind to have one.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Ponting - A clever captain?
For those who had seen the last two sessions of the fourth day of the Final test match for the Border-Gavaskar trophy, it might seem that they had witnessed two completely different facets of the same team on the same day. From almost a hopeless situation at the end of the first session when India were 98-0 with Sehwag and debutant M.Vijay scoring freely, the Australians did a superb job by restricting India to 166-6. Vijay was sent back after nicking a watson delivery to Haddin, and Dravid(at his worst) didnt last longer. And once Sehwag was back in the dressing room, the onus was on Sachin and Laxman to do the 1st innings repeat act, but Kreza had other plans. He produced a peach of a delivery that breached the defense of the formidable Laxman. And Ganguly did a Bradman, by failing to score in his last outing in international cricket, again Kreza doing the damage. And a moment of madness at the stroke of tea cost Sachin and India dearly. Sachin set of for a single after nudging the ball to cover, but Dhoni was unmoved, and it was too late for him to return back. Six indian wickets in a single session.This showed the Aussies can never be written off, and we have a game on our hands, with India leading by just over 250.
This situation set the alarm bells ringing for the Indians, but little did they expect that Ponting would be so generous. After tea Kreza operated from one end, but the other end saw White(not the best choice) and part timer Hussey operating in tandem. Where were Johnson, lee and Watson? Their absense from the attack was a blessing for the Indian duo of Dhoni- Harbhajan. They scored freely at 4 RPO. And by the time Watson was into the attack, the game was taken away from the Aussies. India ended the innings at 295, with an overall lead of 381.
So what was wrong with Ponting.?Why did he leave India off the hook? The answers are best known to him. But as far as my knowledge goes, Australia were 10 overs behind schedule and Ponting may face a one test ban if he failed to meet the over rate. If this is gong to be the reason for deploying part timers, then I have to rethink on my opinion that Ponting is a clever captain. How could he think about playing the next match against New Zealand, while the match, series and more then that, pride is at stake. Cricket is a game where every induvidual has to put the team before themselves. Ponting has for sure lost a trick or two. Wat was Tim Nielsen, the coach, doing when bizarre things where happening in the middle. And one more question which is asked for the umpteenth time in this series is, Why was Simon Katich not bowled?He is a far better bowler than Hussey and the first choice for part timers(Micheal Clarke was not 100% fit).
If Australia are going to lose this match and with that the series, the first culprit would be Ponting. But still a day to go, and Australia having to win the match to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy and given their attacking spirit we have an exciting final day on the cards.
This situation set the alarm bells ringing for the Indians, but little did they expect that Ponting would be so generous. After tea Kreza operated from one end, but the other end saw White(not the best choice) and part timer Hussey operating in tandem. Where were Johnson, lee and Watson? Their absense from the attack was a blessing for the Indian duo of Dhoni- Harbhajan. They scored freely at 4 RPO. And by the time Watson was into the attack, the game was taken away from the Aussies. India ended the innings at 295, with an overall lead of 381.
So what was wrong with Ponting.?Why did he leave India off the hook? The answers are best known to him. But as far as my knowledge goes, Australia were 10 overs behind schedule and Ponting may face a one test ban if he failed to meet the over rate. If this is gong to be the reason for deploying part timers, then I have to rethink on my opinion that Ponting is a clever captain. How could he think about playing the next match against New Zealand, while the match, series and more then that, pride is at stake. Cricket is a game where every induvidual has to put the team before themselves. Ponting has for sure lost a trick or two. Wat was Tim Nielsen, the coach, doing when bizarre things where happening in the middle. And one more question which is asked for the umpteenth time in this series is, Why was Simon Katich not bowled?He is a far better bowler than Hussey and the first choice for part timers(Micheal Clarke was not 100% fit).
If Australia are going to lose this match and with that the series, the first culprit would be Ponting. But still a day to go, and Australia having to win the match to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy and given their attacking spirit we have an exciting final day on the cards.
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