The Times of Manoj

These Changed Times

2009-01-20T10:04:00.003+05:30

I lost interest in the US Presidency after George Bush won(?) the presidency in 2001. POTUS (President of the United States) has the opportunity to be one of the most inspiring offices in the world. The President can inspire people just by being there, being seen and heard by the public at large, including the world. What a great communicator Clinton was! I loved listening to his speeches, whatever their length. And then the baton was passed on to Bush! Oh my dear Lord! He spoke like he was was having a bad dream. In gruffs, grunts and squeaks. It ruined my interest in US politics. I never bothered about what was happening till around 2006 when I chanced upon THE best TV series that I have ever seen in my life, "The West Wing". And that changed things.

Jed Bartlet and then Matt Santos (the fictional presidents from TV series) were great communicators, leaders. The team Bartlet had assembled took pride in working for him. That was the devotion that Bartlet brought forth. Sounds familiar? Of course it does!

These are changed times. President Obama! Oh sweet Lord! There is a delightful rhythm in saying that out loud!

This blog is going to witness hectic activity from now on. Thats for sure.

Dasavatharam - The Review

2008-06-16T12:08:00.000+05:30

I have always been a Kamal fan but a silent one. My explicit approval is and will always be reserved for the one and only Superstar. I have however admired Kamal’s movies and like millions have been amazed by his brilliance in film after film. It is then with much anticipation that I watched Dasavatharam. Contrary to all the negative reviews, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

First things first. If you walk into the theatre expecting a tight “story”, then you will surely be disappointed. There is no strong story as such. But this movie is not about the story and was never was. This is about showcasing the skills of a man who is so much in love with cinema that his enthusiasm drips from every frame of the movie.

Some Tid-Bits:

The plot, even though pretty thin, has been crafted very cleverly. I am amazed at the intelligence of Kamal. Hats off to him!
Balram Naidu Rocks!
Vincent Poovarahan’s portrayal seems so true that it is very difficult to believe that it actually was Kamal essaying the role.
The “moment” of the movie undoubtedly belongs to Krishnaveni Kamal who in one of the sequences blinks her/his eyes twice in a puzzled manner when somebody tells her something which she/he has absolutely not understood. That one sequence is worth the price of the ticket of the movie.
Asin is her cute self. Her voice as usual being the strong point. Though she does tend to get a little irritating towards the end with her repeated “Perumal Perumal” dialogue.
The first 15 minutes of the movie is just out of this world. The sequence where Nambi Kamal is at the mercy of Napoleon and uttering “Om Nama Shivaya” would save his life and with his family members insisting nay pleading that he say it and when the entire gathering is waiting to find out what he is going to say, he finally starts off with a lengthy “Om” to only be followed by “Namo Narayana” is just fantastic. I was riddled with goose bumps all over. The effect was that electric!
Bush Kamal and Fletcher Kamal were letdowns. Fletcher Kamal could have done with better dialogues and dialogue delivery.
It was unfortunate that Mukunda Mukunda song was not played out fully.
Dialogues were sharp and funny at most places. Though I get the feeling that Crazy Mohan would have done a much better job.
The audience was so into the movie that nobody even bothered clapping or whistling when the different “Kamals” started appearing.
Kalifullah Kamal’s introduction was good but he never seemed to do anything but just keep shuffling here and there.
Mallika Sherawat does what was expected of her.
Once again Kamal gets himself entangled in the language conundrum. There are some lengthy sequences where the “masses” may get completely lost.
The way love blooms in Asin is again a masterstroke. It is again the intelligence of Kamal that astounds me here.
The dialogues at the very end of the movie was sparkling with humor. Sample this:

Asin (holding Kamal’s hand and pleading): Please don’t tell that God does not exist.

Kamal: I never said that. I just said that it would be good if God actually existed.

Amazing!

All in all, a very entertaining movie from Kamal. And yes, take a bow Kamalhassan.

Random Ramblings

2007-09-20T18:54:00.000+05:30

Yes, this post is being "posted" :) after a long while. Yes, I was hibernating. Yes, I was lazy to post. I hope to break this routine through active posting again.

Here are some random thoughts rambling in my mind over the last couple of months:

1. Superstar rocks! I have seen Sivaji 5 times in the theatres and I am still in awe of the movie. The freshness has not faded at all.
2. I got sick and tired of a couple of things and then got sick and anyway finally bought TATA SKY for home.
3. I have had a horrible time over the last couple of weeks over a lot of different things with no end in sight :(.
4. I have started learning Spanish and I love it :). Nice place, very nice people and oh yes beautiful language!

I hope to come up with more meaningful posts in the future. Too much thinking I have done for the last couple of weeks. All of that is going to flow out. Beware! :)

The Blog is alive! Long live the blog!

2007-05-18T20:07:00.000+05:30

Its an interesting thing, this life. Just when you and me thought that the blog was over, here I am again.

Its an interesting life.

What could have kept yours truly from blogging?

2007-03-19T17:09:00.000+05:30

What could have kept me away from blogging? Here are some probabilities:

1. This blogger could have been hit by a bus. (Actually no. Considering that he works for an Indian MNC whose buses are more often the terrorists than the terrorized.)
2. This blogger could have lost access to the Internet. (Actually no. This blogger's mobile is also connected to the Internet. Ha point made :) )
3. This blogger could have run out of things to say. (Actually no. This blogger can never run out of things to say. He may run away but never the other way round.)
4. This blogger could have gone to a remote corner in the world. (Actually No. This blogger has not crossed the limits of Chennai city in a long while)
5. This blogger could have have had a lot of work at home. (Actually no. Considering the biggest work that this blogger is expected to do at home is shut up and not be a pain.)

Actually, this blogger was just damn lazy to blog. But now he is temporarily out of the slumber and may write once in a while.

Keep checking this space. (Actually no. Go do some work :) )

Manoj

Dear Mobile Snatcher

2007-01-18T11:56:00.000+05:30

Dear Mobile Snatcher,

Very sorry that your attempt to snatch my mobile yesterday failed. Even more sorry that I couldnt identify your cowardly and cheap face.

Just an FYI for you: You tried to snatch my mobile at around 10:00 in the night in my very own "home road". You made me feel very vulnerable in my own homeground. You are the biggest as***le that I ever "missed" seeing.

And idiot, if at all you want to use a cellphone, go and buy your own. Dont f****g dare snatching anybody's again.

No Regards for you,
Manoj

Aalwar

2007-01-15T19:00:00.000+05:30

** / 5

The reaction of Ajith's fans in the cinema theatre said it all. Right throughout the first half they were whistling and shouting whenever their "Thalai" uttered a dialogue. The first half did show some promise of a good movie. Come second half and the reactions started changing drastically. "Dei intha padatha seekram mudi. Pokkiri podu!" (Finish this movie soon and screen Pokkiri). Thats what even I felt watching this movie!

I really do not want to go into the excruciating details of the so-called "story". Let me safely say that this movie has a "story" that can put even a 70's masala movie to shame. Cliched action, cliched dialogues and cliched songs make this movie the first "cliched movie" of 2007.

Even if one wants to make the 18646473th revenge movie, one could have brought freshness into the screenplay atleast through dialogues, scene picturisations etc. This movie sadly fails in all the departments.

And for God's sake if the next director has the line "Naan yaaru theriyuma?" in an Ajith movie I will sue him for public nuisance! How the hell many times are we supposed to see the same crap? I am sick and tired of it.

You know that things are not going well for you when your own ardent fans scream "Now stop this and lets quickly see your sister getting raped, mother being shot and you taking revenge on all of them". Pathetic!

Verdict: Avoid! Avoid! Avoid!

Tidbits:

1. Asin looks really cute in the movie. She wears knee-length skirts most of the scenes and looks a million bucks!
2. Ajith has put on the right amount of weight and he looks really good! The screenplay just looks the opposite!
3. There is one song in the movie called "Solli tharava..." which i thoroughly enjoyed!
4. There is another song in the movie called "Mayile Mayile" which I officially annonce as the worst music directed song in the history of Tamil cinema.

Thanks Mani Sir!

2007-01-13T10:47:00.000+05:30

I get really sick if a Mani Ratnam movie does not take a good opening. I feel like whining for days together. Thankfully Guru has take a good opening and is sure to be become a superhit. I am relieved!

I have not seen the movie yet. But am definitely gonna watch it this weekend, by hook or by crook :). Will post the review once that happens. And that will be the first review in this blog. What a start!

Relieved and Happy,
Manoj

Updated 5 All-time favourite songs

2007-01-09T16:23:00.000+05:30

I keep drawing this list up every now and then. I think I have to update this list now and so here goes. Just the songs alone. I will go into more detail in the coming days.

1. Fanaa from Ayitha Ezhuthu (Still!!!)
2. Munbe Vaa from Sillunnu Oru Kaathal (New Entry)
3. Yeh Jo Des hai from Swades
4. Sorgamey enraalum....
5. Raasathi unnai.

More musings on the above songs to follow.
:)

Cultural degeneration?

2007-01-08T10:29:00.000+05:30

Was watching a program called "Neeya Naana " on Vijay TV on Sunday. The program debates about a particular topic every week. For the last two weeks the topic has been "Has IT led to cultural and other forms of degeneration?" or something like that.

The topic as such was interesting and the arguments put forth by both sides were also worthwhile. But I somehow felt that the pro-IT side could have easily beaten the anti-IT side by a number of "easy" arguments.

There were a lot of arguments put forth by the anti-IT side which seemed to be total junk. More on that later. But first I want to address an important point that they kept coming back to, namely cultural degeneration. The anti-IT brigade claimed that ever since IT industry had become popular the cultural degeneration had accelerated.

So in this post i want to address the issue of "cultural degeneration".

Those of you who keep claiming that culture can first of all get degenerated, please consider history before speaking. In the early Sangam culture, a man could have more than one wife. Whereas now it is considered taboo. Does this mean that with respect to Sangam times, culture has degenerated? If it is then we have to get back into that mode!

When man was first confined just to the forest, he and she wore only pieces of cloth, maybe today's equivalent of a mini-skirt. Then at some point of time Man started wearing more clothes than before. Was that degeneration of culture? Did that generation view it as such? Of course not. Indians before the British rule had a lot of different traditions and customs that would put a lot of us through embarassing moments now. So when customs and traditions changed, are we to call it "cultural degeneration?".

My point is that "culture" can never get degenerated. It can only evolve. Women wearing mini-skirts or partying late into the night does not suggest that we have become culturally regressive. It is only the reflection of the times. That is it. Nothing more, nothing less. To harp on this point is foolishness.

The other really comic argument that the anti-IT brigade were putting forth was that a lot of women were smoking and drinking and partying because IT allows them that room and space. Here are my questions:

1. Is it OK if a man smokes?
2. I mean does a man have a God given right to smoke?

They went on to add that if IT really cares for its employees, why dont companies ban smoking and ask their employees not to smoke.

Here are my rejoinders:

1. IT companies are not parents.
2. Nobody has the right, not even the Constitution of India, to ask somebody to stop smoking.

Expecting IT companies to ban smoking and asking its employees to remain clean is stupid. If that is the case why dont we ask the government to ban smoking as such and make it an offence. Is that feasible? Of course not!

More thoughts to follow.

Manoj

My New Avatar

2007-01-06T15:03:00.000+05:30

Here I am with my French beard :)

Waiting for Guru

2007-01-05T13:53:00.000+05:30

Am eagerly awaiting the release of Guru.
Mani Ratnam.
AR Rahman.
Abhishek Bachchan.
Aishwarya Rai.
Madhavan.
Vidya Balan.

Combination looks real hot! Hope the movie is hot as well!

Btw, the songs just rock! I dont know why ARR is wasting his time in Hindi music where his music never really gets its due. Come back to Kollywood ARR. You are wanted here! :)

Manoj

Nemesis at Noida

2007-01-04T13:45:00.000+05:30

The stories of children being assaulted and murdered in Noida is sure to have shaken up the country. But for how long? Till the next skeleton comes out of the closet and we start focussing our energies in condemning that incident. This has become the pattern in our nation.

We have become predictable creatures. Condemn a shocking incident when you hear about it, say the right words and then just go your way. Accountability has lost its meaning.

Apparently BSP leader Mayawati was demanding President's rule to be imposed in UP due to the Noida killings. With due respect to those who have lost their near and dear ones, isnt this the mosst stupidest thing to say? Dont we all know that Mayawati or Chayawati, they are all the same and no government would have been in a position to stall such killings? Of course, the Police officers who took the incident lightly and never really investigated are to be entirely blamed for this fiasco. When the son of Adobe India's CEO is kidnapped, the police make it a priroity and trace him as soon as they can. But when poor residents of Nithari make the same complaint the police shoo them away. How unjust can society get?

Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. I have to ask you a question. Do you still really believe in all those ads that you appear in which are lavising praise on governance in UP?

Shame on you UP.

Manoj

My Laptop

2007-01-03T21:51:00.000+05:30

For all of ye out there, here is the photo of the most priceless of my posessions.

How is it? (Superstar

style)

Saddam - Eye for an eye?

2007-01-03T09:49:00.000+05:30

In the last and final moments of Saddam's life, I ended up sympathizing with him. Picturize this. You are about to die. You know you just have 2-3 minutes left in your life. What will you do? What will you think about? Will you at all be able to think? Watching Saddam walk his way to the gallows, I forgot who the person was. A gruesome dictactor, butcher of his own people, corrupt administrator. Whatever. It didnt matter.

How did justice catch up with him so quickly? Was it because he was Saddam and Bush needed something to crow about? Possible. Nevertheless, it was a gruesome act and vindicates the age old belief that you have to give an eye for an eye. Is it right? Morally, ethically? That be damned. The US will parade this as a great victory.

The execution has left me with mixed feelings. Do I rejoice that a dictator fell or do I feel bad for the man in his last moments?

Am confused.

10 Good Things about Tamil Cinema in 2006

2007-01-02T14:07:00.000+05:30

2006 was a fantastic year for the Tamil film industry. Lots of positive changes happened. Here, according to me, are the best things to have happened in the industry in the year 2006.

Rise and rise of Vadivelu - There is something about this black genius. Vadivelu's ability to make comedy out of the most routine of things is outstanding. He was at his comic best in Imsai Arasan. This phenomenal rise of Vadivelu means that Vivek better watch out. Vadivelu slowly has started becoming as much class and mass that Vivek was just 2 years back.
Dominance of Kerala Heroines - This according to me is a wonderful trend. The Bombay Bimbettes usually ended up being just that. There used to be no scope for them to act. These kind of heroines typically followed the 3 sentiment scenes + 1 introduction song + 4 romance scenes + 2 glamour (read exposing) scenes and then final scene in climax along with everybody. The Kerala heroines like Asin, Gopika, Sandhya really did bring a lot of character to their roles.
Ghajini's Kalpana - It is kind of ironic that Surya's career got its biggest boost not only because of Surya's acting capabilities but also because of Asin's. Her portrayal of Kalpana, the naughty and likeable girl, in Ghajini definitely marks a landmark in what heroines could do on screen. More such please.
Ajith's comeback - I am not the biggest fan of Ajith. But there is a sincerity in this man that appeals to me. I was happy that he was on the comeback trail with Paramasivam and Varalaaru. Frankly, I enjoyed the effeminate character that Ajith portrayed in Varalaaru. It showed the grit and determination that Ajith was holding on to. If he picks and chooses his movies carefully, then he can definitely dream on to become the next Superstar. (Except that I think Vijay is all set to reach there first!)
Vetayadu Vilaiyadu - I am an avid opening scene buff. I generally love the opening scenes. Superstar movies are the best that way. Every entry of Superstar is fantastic. It generates its own appeal and hysteria. Kamal's openings on the other hand are a tad predictable. He normally appears in a comedy scene or a fight scene to start the movie. But Vetayadu Vilaiyadu was very different. The opening sequence and the song that follows it was a feast to my eyes. I have wanted to watch the movie again and again due to just these sequences. Gautham Menon did a fantastic job with this movie which redefined how "slick movies" had to be made.
Dhanush's Thiruvilaiyaadal Aarambam - I loved this movie and I think this movie is a lesson in "how to make madcap enjoyable movies". This movie does not boast of any intellectual content. We know that right from the start. But the way the movie has been directed and Dhanush's thoroughly enjoyable role really provides wholesome entertainment. The movie has resurrected the career of Dhanush. This is the break that he must have been looking for a long time. Dhanush does not look hero material but that itself makes him the unlikely hero bringing about the yearning that all of us have of becoming heroes.
The Fall of Vallavan - Lets face it. Vallavan was a horrible horrible movie. I never really understood what Simbu was trying to say. I am never adverse to seeing a good romantic scene, but the supposedly hot scenes between Simbu and Nayanthara were plain stupid and utterly childish. I cannot even bring myself to say "vulgar". This should make Simbu think on what sort of movies he should be acting and directing. He got away with Manmadhan, which was really not impressive at all. But the buck has stopped with Vallavan. Time to introspect and come up with better movies.
The Rise of Bharath - Bharath has had a phenomenal year. Pattiyal was a hit. So was Em Mahan. Then there is Veyil, which is not exactly the best movie of the year, but boasted of a good performance from Bharath. He has come a long way from Boys. He was the 2nd or 3rd hero in Boys, when Siddharth was romancing Genelia. In Chennai Kadhal, according to me the worst movie title of 2006, he got to romance Genelia and how. He is the most important hope of Kollywood in 2007.
The Sound of Music - Kollywood experimented with music in 2006. There was YSR with Pudhupettai giving us a totally different feel. GV Prakash's wonderful tunes in Veyil and Joshua Sridhar's Chennai Kadhal. Of course, Harris Jayaraj's VV, what with Manjal Veyil and Paartha Mudhal Naaley being chartbusters. How can one forget the King? King's Sillunnu Oru Kaathal showed just why he was the King and the others were leagues behind. New York Nagaram and Munbe Vaa just rocked. Hope this trend continues in 2007.
Ceiling on Ticket Rates - The decision by the Tamil Nadu government to fix the maximum rates at which tickets could be sold to Rs 120 for multiplexes and Rs 50 for single screens is a welcome one. Sometimes I felt Mayajaal was just indulging in plain and open robbery by pricing tickets at Rs 200! Except for Superstar movies, I dont want to pay such money to watch regular and routine fare.

That was my list. What do you think of the list? Do you have a list of your own? Feel free to publish it.

Manoj

Reborn. Reloaded. Recreated.

2007-01-02T13:28:00.000+05:30

My third blog in 3 years. I know what you must be thinking. Cannot hold on to blogs. Has wanderlust etc. Fact of the matter is that I forgot the username / password of the previous blog and hence am forced to open a new one. :)

This blog is going to be very different from my attempts so far. I am going to have some photos also published. Photos from mundane and inane daily life. Of course it will have reporting and analysis of Cinema, politics and sports.

Here I go. This blog should be my final blog. I should be updating this everday. Yes everyday. I will consider myself a failure if I am not able to update it on a daily basis. So thats setting the bar rather high! :). Tom Peters effect! More on that later.

Right now, just wallowing on the thought of starting a new blog. The Times of Manoj. Enjoy!

Manoj