Good music is created only when there is interest and enthusiasm in the creator and able support and guidance for him. In short, you need a good team, which can bring out the best in an induvidual. Yuvan shnakar Raja is a composer who needs all these, and when he gets them, you can prepare yourself for some good music listening experience.
Saroja happened few months ago, and that was the last good album from Yuvan. After a few unconvincing albums, he is back with the dream team - Vishnuvardhan and Arya. 'Think Music' presents the music of Sarvam, an Ayangaran release, and lets check out what the album offers.
1. Theme music
Starting off with a humorous and romantic tone , it manages to keep us interested for a while befor it slips into serious mode. The composer has borrowed his own tune from Billa and tried to create a racy tune according to the mood of the film. A good piece that can kindle your interest to see the film, even more.
2. Siragugal - Javed Ali, Madhusree
From the very begenning of the song it reminds you of Rahman's "Guzarish", and what makes that more convincing is the same voice(Javed Ali) for both songs. Nevertheless it is a treat for the melody buffs, with Madhusree's sweet voice matching the mood perfectly. Had only Javed's tamil pronounciation been a bit better, the song would have been one among Yuvan's best melodies.
3. Neethane - Yuvan shankar Raja
The song starts with an interrupted signal like sound, and sette down witha rythmic guitar interlude. A typical Yuvan number, with his signature all over it, sagging at no point. Yuvan manages to keep the tempo of the song at the right place where you can feel the melody and the rythm. This is my pick of the album.
4. Sutta suriyana - Vijay Yesudas
Vijay has become a regular in Yuvan's albums, as his father was in Illayaraja's. The tune is nothing new in this one and the beats also reminds us of 'Kappal eri poyaachu' from 'Indian'. But midway through you are introduced to the 'Megam karukuthu' piece and then the same tune is used in a flute, which makes the song an above ordinary fare.
5. Kaatukulle - Yuvan shankar Raja
This could have easily been the song of the album, if it was not for Yuvan's inablity to raise the tempo to the levels that the song required. This was again a trademark song from the composer, starting of with sound of water droplets and Yuvan's voice rising from the it. The choice of instruments is commendable and the sound engineer can take a bow for putting them beautifully in place. Nevertheless, it has all ingridients for a chartbuster.
6. Adada - Illayaraja
When was the last time you saw Illayaraja playing a rockstar?? He is back in that avatar, with this rollicking song, signalling that he can still create magic. Only he coud have managed to make an impact in a song dominated by loud BGm, wierd flute interludes and husky english lyrics in feminine voices. He has had a blast, and this song is set to burn the dance flores.
Overall, a good album from Yuvan aftera long time, and has made quite a few adjustments and tried to come out of the usual tunes without missing his punch
Rating: 3 1/2
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Naan Kadavul - Movie Review
I am stranded for words at the end of the film, but I took courage and managed to get few words to review one of the very few films that had disturbed me a lot. This is once again a personal review, as opinions differ, and what with the film being a Bala special. It has been a long time since I have seen such a heart rendering movie in Tamil Cinema. And this is not a surprise because it was expected from the director who manages to make his films to stay in the viewers mind for a long time. Bala has his own school of direction and 'Naan Kadavul', his fourth venture as dirctor is nothing different.
The story starts with the visuals of Kasi and the Ganges flowing through with the soothing hindi(i think so...) song at the background. Then you are introduced to a old man and his daughter in search of his long lost son, whom he abandoned due to the advice of a few astrologers. He finds his son with the help of a local, and is astonished to find him as an Aghora. Rudran(Arya), after being left alone by his father, took refuge under an Aghora and is also brought up as one(Do not miss his astounding introduction). He believes that he is the creator and he has the right to kill evil people and provide moksha(by the way of death) to people who are not able to sustain. He returns home to Malaikovil(Tamil Nadu) with his father and sister, but neither his mother's affection nor his new relationships could make him differ from what he is. He makes a cave near the Malaikovil temple as his home.
When you are introduced to Thandavan who captures helpless beggers and milks money through the alms which they get, it is then that the original plot is revealed. Hamsavalli(Pooja), a blind girl with a beautiful voice is captured by Murugan, Thandavan's aide and she is made to beg along with the fellow beggers. When she is tried to be sold to a gory looking man for a ransom, she tries to escape, and lands at the feet of Rudran. Rudran, who can sense the evil from the good just by the looks, kills both Thandavan and one other dealer who tries to sell Hamsavalli. Pooja who was tortured by Thandavan, loses interest to live and begs Rudran to give her moksha by ending her life, and Rudran obliges.
There are plenty of scenes which make you cry like when we get to see the plight of the beggers and the way they are tortured when refused to beg. It brings the sour truth of our society to limelight. The choice of artists for beggers(physically deformed in real) is commendable and Bala can take a bow for making such raw people from such a cruel walk of life, to act. These secondary characters form the soul of the film. They not only make you cry but also provide quite a few laughs with their witty dialouges. Bala's penchant for humour cannot be set aside, as right from Sethu till now, he doesnt fail to tickle your funny bone often. The dance sequence in the Police station and the 'Ammavum neeye' song sequence have us in splits
The lead actors Arya and Pooja have relatively lesser screen time than it is required for lead actors. Arya is stupendous in his appearence and his voice modulation is immaculate. His asanas are a treat to watch and we curse Bala for not showing enough of them on screen. Pooja as a blind girl is unbelievably great, with her moves and expressions making us believe that she is one amongst the real handicapped people. She is sure to go places with her talent brilliantly exploited by Bala. The other charaters like the villain Thandavan and his aide Murugan, and the limbless Swami at the Malaikovil, have done a neat job and garner praise.
When it comes to soulful music Illayaraja can never be matched, and he has once again proved the same. The background score is so true that it tugs your heartstrings and takes you into the film. 'Om hari Om' and 'Bikshai paathiram' leave an everlatsing trail in our minds. The music often takes the movie forward when there is lack of dialouges. The technical team also deserves praise
On the flip side, this film is sure to make many a people uneasy while watching it. The raw potrayal of the plight of beggers is sure to create a lump in your throat, but I am sure many might not sleep the night they saw the movie. The climax scene where Pooja is put to death and the scene where she is tortured by Thandavan is just out of imagination for an ordinary film goer. Realism as it is takes centre stage in every Bala movie, but I rate this the best when it comes to realistic potrayal.
So what is the conclusion?
No one in India can never ever think of making such a movie, other than Mr. Bala. If you can see movies like Apocalypto, then here is your cup of tea.
AHAM BRAMHAASMI......
Rating:
For the weak hearted: Stay Away
For others : 4/5
The story starts with the visuals of Kasi and the Ganges flowing through with the soothing hindi(i think so...) song at the background. Then you are introduced to a old man and his daughter in search of his long lost son, whom he abandoned due to the advice of a few astrologers. He finds his son with the help of a local, and is astonished to find him as an Aghora. Rudran(Arya), after being left alone by his father, took refuge under an Aghora and is also brought up as one(Do not miss his astounding introduction). He believes that he is the creator and he has the right to kill evil people and provide moksha(by the way of death) to people who are not able to sustain. He returns home to Malaikovil(Tamil Nadu) with his father and sister, but neither his mother's affection nor his new relationships could make him differ from what he is. He makes a cave near the Malaikovil temple as his home.
When you are introduced to Thandavan who captures helpless beggers and milks money through the alms which they get, it is then that the original plot is revealed. Hamsavalli(Pooja), a blind girl with a beautiful voice is captured by Murugan, Thandavan's aide and she is made to beg along with the fellow beggers. When she is tried to be sold to a gory looking man for a ransom, she tries to escape, and lands at the feet of Rudran. Rudran, who can sense the evil from the good just by the looks, kills both Thandavan and one other dealer who tries to sell Hamsavalli. Pooja who was tortured by Thandavan, loses interest to live and begs Rudran to give her moksha by ending her life, and Rudran obliges.
There are plenty of scenes which make you cry like when we get to see the plight of the beggers and the way they are tortured when refused to beg. It brings the sour truth of our society to limelight. The choice of artists for beggers(physically deformed in real) is commendable and Bala can take a bow for making such raw people from such a cruel walk of life, to act. These secondary characters form the soul of the film. They not only make you cry but also provide quite a few laughs with their witty dialouges. Bala's penchant for humour cannot be set aside, as right from Sethu till now, he doesnt fail to tickle your funny bone often. The dance sequence in the Police station and the 'Ammavum neeye' song sequence have us in splits
The lead actors Arya and Pooja have relatively lesser screen time than it is required for lead actors. Arya is stupendous in his appearence and his voice modulation is immaculate. His asanas are a treat to watch and we curse Bala for not showing enough of them on screen. Pooja as a blind girl is unbelievably great, with her moves and expressions making us believe that she is one amongst the real handicapped people. She is sure to go places with her talent brilliantly exploited by Bala. The other charaters like the villain Thandavan and his aide Murugan, and the limbless Swami at the Malaikovil, have done a neat job and garner praise.
When it comes to soulful music Illayaraja can never be matched, and he has once again proved the same. The background score is so true that it tugs your heartstrings and takes you into the film. 'Om hari Om' and 'Bikshai paathiram' leave an everlatsing trail in our minds. The music often takes the movie forward when there is lack of dialouges. The technical team also deserves praise
On the flip side, this film is sure to make many a people uneasy while watching it. The raw potrayal of the plight of beggers is sure to create a lump in your throat, but I am sure many might not sleep the night they saw the movie. The climax scene where Pooja is put to death and the scene where she is tortured by Thandavan is just out of imagination for an ordinary film goer. Realism as it is takes centre stage in every Bala movie, but I rate this the best when it comes to realistic potrayal.
So what is the conclusion?
No one in India can never ever think of making such a movie, other than Mr. Bala. If you can see movies like Apocalypto, then here is your cup of tea.
AHAM BRAMHAASMI......
Rating:
For the weak hearted: Stay Away
For others : 4/5
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Somdev saves the Chennai Open
The Chennai Open, considered to be India's biggest tennis event, always had a good reputation among the players and the officials. Reason being the good attendance and knowledge of the Chennai crowd. Some really great players like Pat Rafter, Rafeal Nadal, Carlos Moya and Michel Tillstrom have graced the Chennai courts. Infact, this tournament has made the city the Tennis capital of India. From GoldFlake Open in 1997, to Tata Open in 2000, it snow the Chennai open withe the main sponsors being the Tamil Nadu government
But for some reason, the 2009 edition. the 13th succesive edition, of the tournament was feared to be a low key affair. The few reasons being non participation of top ranked players, as Rafeal Nadal pulled off for playing in the prestigious Dubai Open, and the long eluding Federer also citing the same reason. The highest ranked player was Russian Nikolay Davydenko ranked 5th in the world and YES, there was the Chennai favourite Carlos Moya along with some big names like Rainer Schuttler, Mario Cilic who were among the top 30. And then there were our own boys Rohan Bopanna, Prakash Amritraj and Somdev Devvarman. The two greats of India- Lee and Hesh preferred to pair up with different partners and contest in the tournament. So was this enough to draw the chennai crowd?
The attendence for the first two days were not encouraging, and the sight of empty stands would not have been a pleasant sight for the organizers. But that was not a surprise though, as the crowd starts to pour in only from the quarter final rounds. But it seemed unlikely that even the QF round would be graced by the people as the developments during the first 2 rounds were not at all good. Davydenko, the most valuable player of the tournament withdrew citing a heel injury and was also expected to miss the Australian Grand slam. The two promising indians Amrithraj and Bopanna left the scene, the latter without a noise and the former created a flutter. And the big nail in the box was the ousting of Carlos Moya, the crowd puller, by our very own Somdev. Lee and Hesh followed suit by then leaving the Indian hopes completely on the shoulders of Somdev. Little would have expected Somdev to overcome Moya and though it is a proud thing that an indian was through, would he be able to grow any further in the tournament?, was the fear the organizers had.
Somdev Devvarman, a Tripura-born Chennai lad learnt his tennis in the same venue for his first few years, before leaving for the US. He came in with no expectations into the tournament and after the first few matches, he had the whole of India cheering for him. After killing one giant in the form of Moya, Somdev was ready to face another. Ivo Karlovic, the world no. 25 was the next opponent for Somdev and the Indian was upto the task. The 6'10" croat was never in control of the match as the comparitively puny Somdev raced through the match with a handsome 7-6, 6-4 victory over the croat. Now ther was a smile in the face of the organizers, as Somdev filled in the shoes of the likes of Davydenko and Moya. As the QF was viewed by a full house, Somdev ensured that the remaining matches also get the same response. The much awaited match between Somdev and Rainer Schuttler was not on, as the German withdrew from the match with a wrist injury. By now, even the doubles matches were viewed with great interest by the public. Somdev's tryst with glory was finally ended when he went down fighting to Mario Cilic. The crowd though had witnessed a pulsating encounter and were treated to a great exhibition of professional tennis. Somdev may have lost the final, but won many hearts in front of his home crowd. And also he made the organisors happy and ensured that there were no more talks of the tournament moving out of Chennai. The $450000 tournament is here to stay and we chennaites should be always there to support them.
But for some reason, the 2009 edition. the 13th succesive edition, of the tournament was feared to be a low key affair. The few reasons being non participation of top ranked players, as Rafeal Nadal pulled off for playing in the prestigious Dubai Open, and the long eluding Federer also citing the same reason. The highest ranked player was Russian Nikolay Davydenko ranked 5th in the world and YES, there was the Chennai favourite Carlos Moya along with some big names like Rainer Schuttler, Mario Cilic who were among the top 30. And then there were our own boys Rohan Bopanna, Prakash Amritraj and Somdev Devvarman. The two greats of India- Lee and Hesh preferred to pair up with different partners and contest in the tournament. So was this enough to draw the chennai crowd?
The attendence for the first two days were not encouraging, and the sight of empty stands would not have been a pleasant sight for the organizers. But that was not a surprise though, as the crowd starts to pour in only from the quarter final rounds. But it seemed unlikely that even the QF round would be graced by the people as the developments during the first 2 rounds were not at all good. Davydenko, the most valuable player of the tournament withdrew citing a heel injury and was also expected to miss the Australian Grand slam. The two promising indians Amrithraj and Bopanna left the scene, the latter without a noise and the former created a flutter. And the big nail in the box was the ousting of Carlos Moya, the crowd puller, by our very own Somdev. Lee and Hesh followed suit by then leaving the Indian hopes completely on the shoulders of Somdev. Little would have expected Somdev to overcome Moya and though it is a proud thing that an indian was through, would he be able to grow any further in the tournament?, was the fear the organizers had.
Somdev Devvarman, a Tripura-born Chennai lad learnt his tennis in the same venue for his first few years, before leaving for the US. He came in with no expectations into the tournament and after the first few matches, he had the whole of India cheering for him. After killing one giant in the form of Moya, Somdev was ready to face another. Ivo Karlovic, the world no. 25 was the next opponent for Somdev and the Indian was upto the task. The 6'10" croat was never in control of the match as the comparitively puny Somdev raced through the match with a handsome 7-6, 6-4 victory over the croat. Now ther was a smile in the face of the organizers, as Somdev filled in the shoes of the likes of Davydenko and Moya. As the QF was viewed by a full house, Somdev ensured that the remaining matches also get the same response. The much awaited match between Somdev and Rainer Schuttler was not on, as the German withdrew from the match with a wrist injury. By now, even the doubles matches were viewed with great interest by the public. Somdev's tryst with glory was finally ended when he went down fighting to Mario Cilic. The crowd though had witnessed a pulsating encounter and were treated to a great exhibition of professional tennis. Somdev may have lost the final, but won many hearts in front of his home crowd. And also he made the organisors happy and ensured that there were no more talks of the tournament moving out of Chennai. The $450000 tournament is here to stay and we chennaites should be always there to support them.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Top 10 Tamil songs - 2008
Following my list of the top 10 tamil movies in 2008, I thought of listing the top 10 tamil movie songs for the year. There were lot of candidates, though we were not able see much of the "Mozart of Madras" AR Rehman in tamil music this year. Let me jump straight into it
10. Where is the party...
Film: Silambattam
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Singers: Mukesh, Priyadharshini
Forget the basics, rap to the tunes and enjoy the cynical lyrics. This is exactly what Yuvan and Simbu had made you to do with their latest offering from Silambattam. The voice of Mukesh was suiting the mood of the song and he was enjoying it. One of the party numbers set to rock the dance floors.
9. Mukundha Mukundha
Film: Dasavatharam
Music: Himesh Reshamiya
Singers: Mahalakshmi Iyer
A simple song with a devotional background was the only refreshing point in the music of Dasavatharam. Good music and good performance by Asin and Kamal made this song a watchable fare. The devotional element in it made it a household affair
8. Mudhal Mazhai
Film: Bheema
Music: Harris Jeyaraj
Singers: Hariharan, Mahathi
The only plus point of the movie was this classic melody rendered beautifully by Hariharan and Mahathi. Hariharan was perfection personified with his modulations making listeners sway to his voice. Mahathi matched it with utmost flair. It was a pleasent hearing from months before the film's release
7. Anbe En Anbe
Film: Dhaam Dhoom
Music: Harris Jeyaraj
Singers: Harish Raghavendra
The Harris-Jeeva combo had changed track after giving few musical love stories and headed towards an action film, but that didnt deprieve us from a scintilating melody like this. The romance was felt and the voice of Harish grew on us each time we get to hear. A number to relish for lovers.
6. Dosth bada dosth
Film: Saroja
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Singers: Haricharan, Naveen, Rahul Nambiar
Another song celebrating friendship, but it's not just another song. It was made special by the success of the film and the way it was short. You cant be blamed for getting to think about the Dil Chahtha hai number, as it is largely inspired by it. But it defenitely differs in means of artist performance, and our regional flavour. The next friendship anthem??
5. Taxi Taxi
Film: Sakkarakatti
Music: AR Rahman
Singers: Blaaze, Benny Dayal, Javed Ali
A close resemblence to the Gasolina number, but AR Rahman has once again proved why he is the master. His only offering for the tamil music listeners this year turned out to be a huge hit and a rage among youngsters. Sad that his effort was wasted with the movie turning out to be a disaster. But we are yearning to get more from him for the coming years.
4. Kathaazha kanaala
Film: Anjathey
Music: Sundar C Babu
Singers: Naveen Madhav
Sundar C Babu, a predominantly unknown name amongst tamil people was behind the best film of the year "Anjathey", with his soul rendering BGM. He proved his worth in the songs too with this song proving to be another "Vaazha meenuku", which was a rage at that particular time. The choreography was different and the Snigtha was charming and energitic in her dance movements.
3. Nenjukul Peithudum...
Film: Vaaranam Aayiram
Music: Harris Jeyaraj
Singers: Hariharan
The music starts with a rythmic guitar interlude and that is retained till the end, for us to enjoy a sweet little journey of music. Harris-Gowtham combo rocks to the core, not for the first time. Surya and Sameera's screen presence makes it a beautiful watch too. Kudos to the director for making a wonderful piece of melody look as sweet as it was when heard.
2. Nakka Mukka
Film: Kadhalil Vizhundhen
Music: Vijay Anthony
Singer: Vijay Anthony
There are very few films that bank on the charm of a single song to carry the whole film through. There cannot be a better example than this song. The song was a chartbuster 6 months before the release of the film. It catches the attention the very first time we hear it. A normal gaana song can be turned into a memorable number, with the clever use of instruments, this is the thing Vijay Anthony has proved in this song. The other songs in the movie didnt fall back, as they also were excellen t pieces.
1. Kangal Irandal
Film: Subramanaiapuram
Music: James Vasanthan
Singers: Pelli Raj, Deepa Mariam
In the era of stereotyped and hystirical songs with awful lyrics ruling the roost in Tamil cinema, came a breath of fresh air. This song was the best example of the rarely seen montage songs. A new Music director, two fresh singers - what can you expect? A real and fresh tune, with no sense of deja vu. James Vasanthan, the attractive TV host had a hidden talent which he had unnvieled in the most remarkable fashion. But what made this song special was the performance of both the lead actors and tghe natural feeling given to it. This has all ingrisiednts to be the
SONG OF THE YEAR-2008
10. Where is the party...
Film: Silambattam
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Singers: Mukesh, Priyadharshini
Forget the basics, rap to the tunes and enjoy the cynical lyrics. This is exactly what Yuvan and Simbu had made you to do with their latest offering from Silambattam. The voice of Mukesh was suiting the mood of the song and he was enjoying it. One of the party numbers set to rock the dance floors.
9. Mukundha Mukundha
Film: Dasavatharam
Music: Himesh Reshamiya
Singers: Mahalakshmi Iyer
A simple song with a devotional background was the only refreshing point in the music of Dasavatharam. Good music and good performance by Asin and Kamal made this song a watchable fare. The devotional element in it made it a household affair
8. Mudhal Mazhai
Film: Bheema
Music: Harris Jeyaraj
Singers: Hariharan, Mahathi
The only plus point of the movie was this classic melody rendered beautifully by Hariharan and Mahathi. Hariharan was perfection personified with his modulations making listeners sway to his voice. Mahathi matched it with utmost flair. It was a pleasent hearing from months before the film's release
7. Anbe En Anbe
Film: Dhaam Dhoom
Music: Harris Jeyaraj
Singers: Harish Raghavendra
The Harris-Jeeva combo had changed track after giving few musical love stories and headed towards an action film, but that didnt deprieve us from a scintilating melody like this. The romance was felt and the voice of Harish grew on us each time we get to hear. A number to relish for lovers.
6. Dosth bada dosth
Film: Saroja
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Singers: Haricharan, Naveen, Rahul Nambiar
Another song celebrating friendship, but it's not just another song. It was made special by the success of the film and the way it was short. You cant be blamed for getting to think about the Dil Chahtha hai number, as it is largely inspired by it. But it defenitely differs in means of artist performance, and our regional flavour. The next friendship anthem??
5. Taxi Taxi
Film: Sakkarakatti
Music: AR Rahman
Singers: Blaaze, Benny Dayal, Javed Ali
A close resemblence to the Gasolina number, but AR Rahman has once again proved why he is the master. His only offering for the tamil music listeners this year turned out to be a huge hit and a rage among youngsters. Sad that his effort was wasted with the movie turning out to be a disaster. But we are yearning to get more from him for the coming years.
4. Kathaazha kanaala
Film: Anjathey
Music: Sundar C Babu
Singers: Naveen Madhav
Sundar C Babu, a predominantly unknown name amongst tamil people was behind the best film of the year "Anjathey", with his soul rendering BGM. He proved his worth in the songs too with this song proving to be another "Vaazha meenuku", which was a rage at that particular time. The choreography was different and the Snigtha was charming and energitic in her dance movements.
3. Nenjukul Peithudum...
Film: Vaaranam Aayiram
Music: Harris Jeyaraj
Singers: Hariharan
The music starts with a rythmic guitar interlude and that is retained till the end, for us to enjoy a sweet little journey of music. Harris-Gowtham combo rocks to the core, not for the first time. Surya and Sameera's screen presence makes it a beautiful watch too. Kudos to the director for making a wonderful piece of melody look as sweet as it was when heard.
2. Nakka Mukka
Film: Kadhalil Vizhundhen
Music: Vijay Anthony
Singer: Vijay Anthony
There are very few films that bank on the charm of a single song to carry the whole film through. There cannot be a better example than this song. The song was a chartbuster 6 months before the release of the film. It catches the attention the very first time we hear it. A normal gaana song can be turned into a memorable number, with the clever use of instruments, this is the thing Vijay Anthony has proved in this song. The other songs in the movie didnt fall back, as they also were excellen t pieces.
1. Kangal Irandal
Film: Subramanaiapuram
Music: James Vasanthan
Singers: Pelli Raj, Deepa Mariam
In the era of stereotyped and hystirical songs with awful lyrics ruling the roost in Tamil cinema, came a breath of fresh air. This song was the best example of the rarely seen montage songs. A new Music director, two fresh singers - what can you expect? A real and fresh tune, with no sense of deja vu. James Vasanthan, the attractive TV host had a hidden talent which he had unnvieled in the most remarkable fashion. But what made this song special was the performance of both the lead actors and tghe natural feeling given to it. This has all ingrisiednts to be the
SONG OF THE YEAR-2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Top 10 Tamil movies - 2008
2008 was by no means a great year for Tamil Cinema, but by all means it was an eventful one. The big stars were humbled, the younger ones shined, experimentation was appreciated, corporates showed interest in producing movies and produces opted for more reallistic and good cinema, which the audience too yearned for. I found it tough to list down 10 of the best movies in 2008, not because of the tough competition but I could hardly get 10 movies. I was saved by the movies released late this year and here I have the Top 10 Tamil Movies of the year 2008.
10. Jeyam Kondan
Cast: Vinay, Bhavana, Lekha Washington
Direction: R. Kannan
A neat and simple story about a struggle for wealth between siblings. Vinay was apt in his character as a London return, Bhavana was at her usual chirpy best. Vivek's comic interludes were so-so and the surprise package was Lekha Washington as Vinay's sister. Kishor and other actors filled the bill, and had completed a suave family poem. It had created a lull at the box office, but with its shoe-striing budget the producers were hardly disturbed.
9. Bommalattam
Cast: Nana Patekar, Arjun, Rukmini
Director: Bharathiraja
The film boasts a comeback vehicle for veteran ace director Bharathiraja and the debut of Bollywood great Nana Patekar, and the film doesn't fail to deliver. The usual Bharathiraja touch was missing, but we are glad to see this more than ordinary offering from this man. This thriller made with cinema itself as the background had quite a few brownie points, and it travels purely on the shoulders of the Nana Patekar and the suspense element in the film. Nana as Director Rana plays his heart out, and the girl Rukmini is very much a welcome change to tamil cinema. Arjun has a very brief role and he excels in it. Overall, a different experience for movie-goers and yes...Bharathiraja is BACK.
8. Yaradi Nee Mohini
Cast: Dhanush, Nayanthara, Saranya, Raghuvaran
Director: Mithran R Jawahar
A remake of the Telugu superhit "Adavari Matalaku Ardhalu Veru" is a beautiful little love story of a struggling youngster and a software proffesional. This film has its moments of fun and sentiments, but the movie can be never categorized as any one. Dhanush was on a high after the stupendous success of "Polladhavan" abd the director made good use of it. Nayanthara looked wooden in expression, but nothing great was expected from her. The two characters that steal the show were Raghuvaran as Dhanush's dad and Saranya as Nayan's cute little sister. Music was pleasenty from Yuvan. The film was a good summer treat for the family audience annd the movie worked wonders at the boxoffice with piling up 4-5 times its production costs.
7. Poo
Cast: Srikanth, Parvathy Menon
Director: Sasi
Poo is about the unadulterated love a village girl has on her cousin and her inability to express her love to him. Srikanth after a long time has been part of some good cinema, though his role is overshadowed by the brilliance of Parvathy. A hip girl in real lifeshe had gone under the skin of the character Mari, and her expressive face a delight to see in the sequences where she was unable to express her love to her man. Kudos to the director for making a reallistic and refreshing village story. The fact that the film was not that well recieved in the box-office is a worrying factor though
6. Santhosh Subramaniam
Cast: 'Jeyam' Ravi, Genelia, Prakash raj
Director: Raja
Another makeover of a telugu film was on the cards what with that film turning out to be a blockburster of all sorts. "Santosh Subramanaiam" is the faithful remake of the telugu movie "Bommarilu". Not making much an effort to modify the original, the director opted for a much direct approach off taking the film forward frame by frame as in Telugu. Ravi made an attempt to show his histrionic skills and Prakashraj as the doting father was just doing a repeat of his wonderful performance. The film truly belongs to Genelia who with her vivacious approach to the character made everyone sway to her tunes. Music was just OK as it always had a telugu flavour to it. Thefilm ran for a 100days in TN and garnered close to 2.5 crs in the opening week.
5. Vaaranam Aayiram
Cast: Surya, Simran, Sameera Reddy, Divya Spandana
Director: Gowtham Menon
Defenitely not the director's best , but Surya's awesome potrayal of father and son, and Harris's soothing music and its picturisation made sure that Gowtham pulls it off. The film defenitely belongs to Surya, where he has taken his acting to the next league. The 3 ladies do their job perfectly, with Sameera's screen precence showing once we miss her after her character,s demise. There flaws apleanty in this story about the father-son relationship but the good things outdo the bad ones and the movie turns out to be a winnner. Non-release of big star movies saw this film scrape through by getting back the production cost of 14 crs.
4. Saroja
Cast: SPB Charan, Vaibhav, Shiva, Premji, Nikitha, Vega, Sampath, Prakash Raj, Jeyaram
Director: Venkat Prabhu
It shows on the screen, when a director is having fun with his wor. It showed in "Chennai-600028" and it clearly shows in "Saroja". raking in a new genre 'Comedy-thriller', Veenkat played all his cards well and emerged the winner.Taking the story of "Judgement Night" and mixing uo his trademark comedy element he had provided the most enjoyable movie of the year. All the actors form the veterans Prakash Raj, Jeyaram to the younger lot had thoroughly enjoyed the film and also made us to do so.
3. Dasavatharam
Cast: Kamal Haasan x 10, Asin, Mallika Sherawat
Director: K.S. Ravikumar
A once in a lifetime film made on a whopping budget of 60 cr had Kamal Haasan potray 10 different roles. The story was experimenting the chaos theory and butterfly effect, which are hitherto unseen in Indian cinema. With the help of high end technical effects and brilliant cinematography the film was a treat to our eyes. Though the movie recieved mixed reviews, the collections were steep. It garnered close to 100 crs worldwide therby recovering the huge production cost. Kamal Haasan would have been a rekieved man with the tag of "Producer's nightmare" getting off him for a while.
2. Subramaniapuram
Cast: Jai, Swathi, Sasi Kumar, Ganja Karrupu
Director: M. Sasi Kumar
The film potrayed the right flavour of love, betrayal, friendship, politics and exploitation of a group of youngsters in a remote town of Subramaniapuram(near Madurai). The backdrop of the 80's was a flawless exhibition of thorough research and proffesionalism of the makers. This can be easily classified as a cult classic in Tamil Cinema. The Characters were seen, not the actors. Jai and Swathi's decent potrayal of love forcesa grin in our face,The song 'Kangal Irandaal ' is a classic example of a montage song. If only the vio;ence was a bit toned down. it could have catered to a wider audience, but still it worked wonders. Sasi himself produced the movie as there were no takers for his story.
1. Anjathey
Cast: Narain, Ajmal, Vijaylakshmi, Prasanna
Director: Myskkin
Anjathey is in a league of its own. The screenplay and camera are fresh , and give a different perspective to film making. The director should take credit for his boldness and unusual approach to a usual story. Not a thing is unacceptable in the film. Myskkin proves that his first flick "Chithiram Pesuthadi" was not just a flash in the pan. He has earned a repution and recognition for himself through Anjathey , and there is every sign that he will live upto it. Narain is marvellous in his diverse role as a trainig police Si and a good-for-nothing youth, and his transition is smooth. New find Ajmal is nothing short of brilliance, as the friend of Narain. Vijaylakshmi has a meagre role and Prassana, except for that horrible wig, provides justice to his role of a rapist(chocolate boy no more!!). This by all means is the
MOVIE OF THE YEAR
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Top 10 moments for India - 2008
10. Best ever Olympics for India
The 2008 Beijing Olympics is a golden period, not only in Indian Sports history, but was also a important occurence in Indian history. The first induvidual olympic gold that was eluding the Indians finally found the hands of Abinav Bindra. The Chandigarh lad won India the first olympic induvidual gold in the 10m rifle event. Added to that there were two more bronze medals which came from the effort of Vijender and Sushil Kumar in Boxing and wrestling respectively, therby making this event as India's best ever olympic campaign.
9. Parvathy Omanakuttan
The 20year old beauty from Kottayam represented India in the Miss World beauty paegent, and she finished First Runner-Up at the Miss World Grand Finale at Johannesburg, South Africa on 13 December 2008. She was pushed to second by Miss Russia Ksenia Sukhinova. The last Indian to be crowned Miss India was Priyanka Chopra in 2000. After 8 yeras Parvathy had come close to repeat the class act. Good job Madam...
8. Fight for the Oscar(Nomination)
No..We have yet not reached the final stage of Oscars, but there have been 2 entries form India for the Best Foreign Film Award at the Oscars. Aamir Khan's directorial debut "Taare Zameen Par" has been officially recommended by the Indian Film board to the Oscars. While Mr. Mangesh Hadawale the director of the critically acclaimed Marathi film "Tingya" feels that his film had an edge over the former, and he is not the one who is going to let it go. He has filed a nomination induvidually for his film and is determined to bag the award. Hope the best film wins...
7. Election after Mayhem
The election at the five states Delhi, Mizoram, Rajasthan,Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the later stage of 2008 held more significance as it was held pretty soon after the Mumbai terrorist siege. The nation expected a reversal of fortune for the fore-runners BJP and the Congress. The Congress was widely critisised for being soft to terror, and BJP hoped that it was a golden oppurtunity for them to utilize. But the end results showed that the Indian public were in no hurry to react, they have decided to think. Congress won Delhi, Mizoram, Rajasthan; BJP retained Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh. BJP had no words, and the nation seems to have taught them a tough lesson "Rather than basking on others poor performance, one has to prove his worth to stay in hunt"
6. India: A secular nation?
the violence in Kandhamal and parts of Orrisa has raised this question among the indian public. The activities of the Cristain missionaries, who were converting poor farmers to Christianity, irked the local people and they had to show their rage in a dastardly fashion. The police or the government were able to do absolutely nothing, as law was taken into once own hands. The rape of a nun, the murder of a temple priest and many more gory incidents became the way of life in Eastern India for the whole of 2008
5. Blast 'em all
Operation BAD, as it was named, tested the seurity and intelligence of the nation, where both failed miserably. Indian Mujahideen had claimed that their operation BAD was successfull after the series of blasts in Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Delhi rocked the nation. These operations made bomb blasts a household name in India. Hope it is soon forgotten.
4. 2008- A blessing for Indian cricket
Indian crickt after the world cup fiasco, was expected to take time to recover and establish its old authority. But Dhoni and his boys proved that anything can happen in cricket in a few days time. They started with the T20 WC triumph and are yet to finish. 2008 has been a brilliant year and they are inching closer towards the throne of the NumerUno team in the World. The stepping down of Kumble and Ganguly could not have come at the right time, as youngsters are waiting in the wings to fill in heir shoes. Lets wish Dhoni a similar 2009.
3. Economic slump & Fluctuating Inflation
US witnessed one of the worst calamities in their economic history with top banks declaring bankruptcy. With almost 60-70% of India's IT and ITES services dependent on the US, we are begenning to face the heat with job cuts, pink slips and salary reductions being the order of the day. This has resulted in the sudden reversal of inflation in the country. Once at a high of 13.8%, it has gradually reduced to 6.5% at present. With crude oil prices touching a new low of $35.35, 2008 has seen fluctuating fortunes as far as economy goes.
2. Journey to the moon
The ISRO succeeded in launching India's first unmanned lunar vehicle "Chandrayaan" in the later part of 2008. With this India becomes the third in Asia and sixth nation in this world in achieving this feat. The estimated cost was put at 386 Crore indian rupees. G Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO also put in words that Chandrayaan 2 was also on the cards, and it might come up in 2012.
1. Mumbai Siege
60 hours of perseverence and struggle were witnessed at the primary pockets of the nation's financial capital, at the cost of almost 190 lives. A bunch of terrorists form a still unclaimed terror outfit, had the whole of Mumbai in a panicky situation for almost 3 days, thanks to the inefficient and incompetent security and Intelligence bureau. The ares attacked comprised the Taj Mahal hotel, The Trident, The Oberoi , The CST terminal and Cama Hospital. With 15 policeman losing their lives, most of them not fighting terrorrists but by meekly giving up without any arms or ammunition to fight with, the only salvage was a lone terrorist caught alive. This heart breaking incident had the most significant impact on a common man's life. With the dead comprising nationals of 10 countries, this is considered an international calamity. One hopes this will be the last bead in the chain of tragedies the country is facing in the recent past. And our hope will bear of no use if even this event doesnt trigger the fact that much more needs to be invested in Security and Intelligence in our country, in the minds of our famed politicians
The 2008 Beijing Olympics is a golden period, not only in Indian Sports history, but was also a important occurence in Indian history. The first induvidual olympic gold that was eluding the Indians finally found the hands of Abinav Bindra. The Chandigarh lad won India the first olympic induvidual gold in the 10m rifle event. Added to that there were two more bronze medals which came from the effort of Vijender and Sushil Kumar in Boxing and wrestling respectively, therby making this event as India's best ever olympic campaign.
9. Parvathy Omanakuttan
The 20year old beauty from Kottayam represented India in the Miss World beauty paegent, and she finished First Runner-Up at the Miss World Grand Finale at Johannesburg, South Africa on 13 December 2008. She was pushed to second by Miss Russia Ksenia Sukhinova. The last Indian to be crowned Miss India was Priyanka Chopra in 2000. After 8 yeras Parvathy had come close to repeat the class act. Good job Madam...
8. Fight for the Oscar(Nomination)
No..We have yet not reached the final stage of Oscars, but there have been 2 entries form India for the Best Foreign Film Award at the Oscars. Aamir Khan's directorial debut "Taare Zameen Par" has been officially recommended by the Indian Film board to the Oscars. While Mr. Mangesh Hadawale the director of the critically acclaimed Marathi film "Tingya" feels that his film had an edge over the former, and he is not the one who is going to let it go. He has filed a nomination induvidually for his film and is determined to bag the award. Hope the best film wins...
7. Election after Mayhem
The election at the five states Delhi, Mizoram, Rajasthan,Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the later stage of 2008 held more significance as it was held pretty soon after the Mumbai terrorist siege. The nation expected a reversal of fortune for the fore-runners BJP and the Congress. The Congress was widely critisised for being soft to terror, and BJP hoped that it was a golden oppurtunity for them to utilize. But the end results showed that the Indian public were in no hurry to react, they have decided to think. Congress won Delhi, Mizoram, Rajasthan; BJP retained Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh. BJP had no words, and the nation seems to have taught them a tough lesson "Rather than basking on others poor performance, one has to prove his worth to stay in hunt"
6. India: A secular nation?
the violence in Kandhamal and parts of Orrisa has raised this question among the indian public. The activities of the Cristain missionaries, who were converting poor farmers to Christianity, irked the local people and they had to show their rage in a dastardly fashion. The police or the government were able to do absolutely nothing, as law was taken into once own hands. The rape of a nun, the murder of a temple priest and many more gory incidents became the way of life in Eastern India for the whole of 2008
5. Blast 'em all
Operation BAD, as it was named, tested the seurity and intelligence of the nation, where both failed miserably. Indian Mujahideen had claimed that their operation BAD was successfull after the series of blasts in Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Delhi rocked the nation. These operations made bomb blasts a household name in India. Hope it is soon forgotten.
4. 2008- A blessing for Indian cricket
Indian crickt after the world cup fiasco, was expected to take time to recover and establish its old authority. But Dhoni and his boys proved that anything can happen in cricket in a few days time. They started with the T20 WC triumph and are yet to finish. 2008 has been a brilliant year and they are inching closer towards the throne of the NumerUno team in the World. The stepping down of Kumble and Ganguly could not have come at the right time, as youngsters are waiting in the wings to fill in heir shoes. Lets wish Dhoni a similar 2009.
3. Economic slump & Fluctuating Inflation
US witnessed one of the worst calamities in their economic history with top banks declaring bankruptcy. With almost 60-70% of India's IT and ITES services dependent on the US, we are begenning to face the heat with job cuts, pink slips and salary reductions being the order of the day. This has resulted in the sudden reversal of inflation in the country. Once at a high of 13.8%, it has gradually reduced to 6.5% at present. With crude oil prices touching a new low of $35.35, 2008 has seen fluctuating fortunes as far as economy goes.
2. Journey to the moon
The ISRO succeeded in launching India's first unmanned lunar vehicle "Chandrayaan" in the later part of 2008. With this India becomes the third in Asia and sixth nation in this world in achieving this feat. The estimated cost was put at 386 Crore indian rupees. G Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO also put in words that Chandrayaan 2 was also on the cards, and it might come up in 2012.
1. Mumbai Siege
60 hours of perseverence and struggle were witnessed at the primary pockets of the nation's financial capital, at the cost of almost 190 lives. A bunch of terrorists form a still unclaimed terror outfit, had the whole of Mumbai in a panicky situation for almost 3 days, thanks to the inefficient and incompetent security and Intelligence bureau. The ares attacked comprised the Taj Mahal hotel, The Trident, The Oberoi , The CST terminal and Cama Hospital. With 15 policeman losing their lives, most of them not fighting terrorrists but by meekly giving up without any arms or ammunition to fight with, the only salvage was a lone terrorist caught alive. This heart breaking incident had the most significant impact on a common man's life. With the dead comprising nationals of 10 countries, this is considered an international calamity. One hopes this will be the last bead in the chain of tragedies the country is facing in the recent past. And our hope will bear of no use if even this event doesnt trigger the fact that much more needs to be invested in Security and Intelligence in our country, in the minds of our famed politicians
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Top 10 Chennai Moments - 2008
10. Chennai Open '08
The 13th edition of India's biggest Tennis event in India- The Chennai Open '08 got underway early this year. The event boasted the likes of top players like Rafael Nadal, Marcos Baghdatis, Carlos Moya and Mikhail Youzhny. It was Mikhail Youzhny who defeated Rafael Nadal in the final to lift the trophy. The other match that lived upto the stature of the tournament was the semi-final clash between Rafael Nadal and World No.17 and Chennai favourite Carlos Moya turned out to be the longest 3 set match in ATP and Chennai Open history with Nadal coming out on top with a 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 victory.
9. Margzhi Festival
The season of music was underway at the fag end of the year, with
classical musicians from all over the world gracing the city. Thanks to the city and its love for traditional music, Carnatic music still lives.
classical musicians from all over the world gracing the city. Thanks to the city and its love for traditional music, Carnatic music still lives.8. Chennai Rains -Courtesy "Nisha"
One of the worst rains which p
aralysed the whole city. What with the streets under feets of water, and the power switched off for almost 48 hours. The people were virtually cut off from the rest of the world and I had personally experienced one of the horrendous phases in my city life.
aralysed the whole city. What with the streets under feets of water, and the power switched off for almost 48 hours. The people were virtually cut off from the rest of the world and I had personally experienced one of the horrendous phases in my city life.7. Marina Beautification
One of the pride of the city and the second largest beach in the world 
is about get its due. The beautification projects have started this year, and are well on the road to improvement. Infact, you can already witness the change, as there are very few shops alongside the beach and you can find quite a few dustbins around, which is a rarity in India. You can hopefully get to see a cleaner and visitor friendly Marina welcoming you next year.
is about get its due. The beautification projects have started this year, and are well on the road to improvement. Infact, you can already witness the change, as there are very few shops alongside the beach and you can find quite a few dustbins around, which is a rarity in India. You can hopefully get to see a cleaner and visitor friendly Marina welcoming you next year.6. The Chepauk & the IPL
The mother wicket of Indian cricket had its share of moments in the Indian cricket calender for 2008. It had hosted a c
ouple of Test matches and was the home ground for the Chennai SuperKings IPL team. And it was nothing short of excitment, what with Sehwag scoring his second Triple century and later this year India chased a record 387 in the 4th innings against England with the help of Sachin Tendulkar's brilliant 100. The Chepauk also bagged the award for the best ground facilities provided for the IPL.
ouple of Test matches and was the home ground for the Chennai SuperKings IPL team. And it was nothing short of excitment, what with Sehwag scoring his second Triple century and later this year India chased a record 387 in the 4th innings against England with the help of Sachin Tendulkar's brilliant 100. The Chepauk also bagged the award for the best ground facilities provided for the IPL.5. Kathipara flyover
The one department which has improved leaps and bounds in the city, is the infrastructure. The advent of many fyovers and underpasses have significantly helped the traffic management in the city. The highlight being the Kathipara flyover, which is the first multi-level flyov
er in South India. The total length of the main arm of the grade separator is 1.41 km and there are four loops each of 180m length radiating from the main flyover in a clover leaf structure. It had reduced traffic congession to a great extent. Along with this, there few more flyovers opened up in T.Nagar, Kodambakkam and other areas. And there pleanty to come in the near future.
er in South India. The total length of the main arm of the grade separator is 1.41 km and there are four loops each of 180m length radiating from the main flyover in a clover leaf structure. It had reduced traffic congession to a great extent. Along with this, there few more flyovers opened up in T.Nagar, Kodambakkam and other areas. And there pleanty to come in the near future.4. Support for the Tamil eelam
The whole of Tamil Nadu including the film fraternity and the politici
ans stood up in support of the tamil origin people when they were allegedly killed by the Srilankan Army in the name of war. As of now, no one knows what is wrong and what not is, but the whole city was abuzz with activities in support of the Srilankan tamils. Fasts were organised by thr film fraternity and also by induvidual stars, which was duly supported by their fans.
ans stood up in support of the tamil origin people when they were allegedly killed by the Srilankan Army in the name of war. As of now, no one knows what is wrong and what not is, but the whole city was abuzz with activities in support of the Srilankan tamils. Fasts were organised by thr film fraternity and also by induvidual stars, which was duly supported by their fans.3. Chennai Commisioner of Police
When the former Com
misioner of Police Mr. R Sekar was transferred due to his inaction in the Law college studens brawl, all eyes were on the new CoP Mr K. Radhakrishnan, and he responded in style. The first action he did was to issue a set of commandments for his own police team and has lead by example till now. He is a strong believer in the fact that for one to preach a method, good or bad, he should be a follower of it first. Have to wait to see if he can stand the test of time.
misioner of Police Mr. R Sekar was transferred due to his inaction in the Law college studens brawl, all eyes were on the new CoP Mr K. Radhakrishnan, and he responded in style. The first action he did was to issue a set of commandments for his own police team and has lead by example till now. He is a strong believer in the fact that for one to preach a method, good or bad, he should be a follower of it first. Have to wait to see if he can stand the test of time.2. Chennai Transport
Apart form infrastructure, it is the transport department that has improved and is doing a lot better. As of now the variety of travelling options a chennaite has is amazing. What if an autowala charges you a hefty amount, when you are in a urgency, you have other options. 2008 has seen the endrsement of the MRTS train services and the advent of A/C buses. As the MRTS services was extended from Thiruvanmiyur to Velachery, the daily patronage has been increaed by 100%. And the A/C buses have squashed the theory that only that public transport is only for middle class people. Mr. KN Nehru, the transport minister has seems to have hit the bulls eye.
1. The Chennai Marathon
For every city, be it Mumbai or Chennai, what makes it special is the spirit of the people. And one of the wasys to show the world the unity and spirit is by getting together for a cause. The Marg Chennai marathon came as an oppurtunity for Chennaivaasis to show the passion for the city. The much publicized Mumbai Marathon was attended by close to 25000 people, while the Delhi half marathon was also attended by the same no. of people. Can you guess the no. of people who ran in various categories of the race. The number of participants for the MARG CHennai marathon stood at a whopping 1.7 lakh people. The greatest ever marathon in Indian history."I'm aware of the Boston, London, New York marathons. This should be the greatest marathon in the world in terms of numbers," said Union Sports Minister M S Gill. For this shows that Chennaites are more passionate for their city than anyone else.
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