My First Night...

Now, don't get ideas after reading the title. I just wanted to put my thoughts about having attended my first full night shift at office with my new team together here! I have never really worked a regular night shift but they have not been completely alien to me either. But, 25 January 2008, saw me take my first full night shift (11 PM- 9 AM) in my office with my new team. The reason was the technology testing that was scheduled by the client from 2 AM till 7 AM to judge the connectivity and the team's performance on the process and there I was, at 10.10 PM, waiting outside my house all set for the cab to pick me up. The first 2 hours were easy since I normally work till 1 AM at night. By around 1.30 AM, we had the entire office to ourselves and it was time for the midnight snack that consisted of samosa, vada and unniappam. It was difficult eating the oily stuff at unearthly hours but I had no other go since I had to survive till 8 AM for the next meal. As planned, the testing started around 2 AM and the next six hours (when the tendency to sleep is at its peak) went off at supersonic speed thanks to the extent of work that had to be completed. There was noise all around and my 30 member team really rose to the occassion by channelizing all their energy in completing the task on hand. We had a poori- masala breakfast at around 7.30 AM and by about 8.30 AM, we were done with what was expected of us. We were 1.5 hours late, but nevertheless, the whole affair was a memorable one for the team spirit and commitment that was exhibited by each and everyone in office! My initial thought was that my first night shift was going to be a difficult one! Fortunately for me, it turned out to be quick, easy and something I would remember for a very long time for the team spirit that was on display during the shift :-)

Time for some cricket!

I have not been a very great fan of cricket and have written very little on cricket. However, the current spate of events has left me with no other option but to write about the games people play around cricket! While I completely agree with the Australian supremacy in the game, I have always despised their behaviour on field during the game. Sledging, calling out names, enraging the opponent team members- they have used all crooked ways in winning, so much so that Australia is regarded as a team that rarely plays gentleman's cricket. But, the Gavaskar- Border test series that is currently on has brought out the callousness of team Australia like never before. A case of precisely what happens when the players think that they are bigger than the game itself. In the name of fetching a world record, the Australians have reduced the sport to a sham! What I still fail to understand is how renowned umpires like Steve Bucknor could fall prey to something like this! After all that mud slinging over the media, the players and the International Cricket Council have finally realized that the game is more important than anything/ anyone else and put their best efforts in putting back the believability in the game. The results are for everyone to see. Under the master leadership of a veteran and sincere player like Anil Kumble, supported by the ever dependable Sachin and the young guns like Pathan, Dhoni and Harbhajan, India has won over the entire world by exhibiting their mastery over the game! Good going, mates. You have done the country proud :-) Let us hope that after all that has happened, the Gavaskar- Border series goes down well in the history of world cricket as a series that performed a "Shuddhi Kalash" of the entire game!

Male Sexuality sells and how!

With due respects to India and its rich culture, the country has always been a place that has looked at women as mere objects of affection. There have been quite a few exceptions but largely women are looked at as sex- objects and nothing else. This is more than evident from the manner in which women have been treated from times immemorial. Manusmrithi said that women do not have right to freedom. She is protected by her father in her adolescence, her husband in her youth and her son in her old age. Women have been depicted in seducive postures in the ancient sculptures and paintings of India. The female sexuality has been used and is still being used in selling everything under the sun in India. Things have not changed much in its last 10000 years of history which is evidenced by the incidents of molestation that hogged the limelight on the dawn of the New Year at Mumbai and Kochi. However, the increasing awareness, education, the reach of the media and the many other effects of globalization has brought in something else that is selling like hot cake these days in the country and that is nothing other than male sexuality. As is the case with everything else, it was Bollywood that started this trend in the late 90's. Salman Khan took off his shirt to exhibit his well toned body in "Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kya" and left the ladies drooling over him. Come 2K and entered Hrithik Roshan whose bulging biceps sent the whole nation crazy. 6 years later, Hrithik exhibited much more than his biceps in "Dhoom:2" and the girls were crying for more. All the boys wanted to be like Hrithik and this was evidenced by the number of multi- gyms that mushroomed all over the country. The Diwali of 2007 was the ultimate! The 2 big Diwali releases had the same USP- both of them flaunted the sexuality of its leading men while the ladies remained neatly clothed. Om Shanthi Om had Shah Rukh Khan flaunting his newly acquired six packs while Ranbir Kapoor, the craze of the nation, showed off much more than what anyone else has ever done in his debut vehicle- Saawariya. Things were not very different down south either- Dhanush used the climax of "Pollathavan" to flaunt his packs while the usually reticent Vijay took off his shirt to gyrate with Namitha on the beaches for a song sequence in "Azhagiya Tamizh Magan" Come year end and it was not just the Kingfisher calendar with the bikini- babes that hogged the limelight, it was also Daboo Ratnani's stud- calendar that had Hrithik and Dino Morea (shirtless, of course) with a lot of other dudes like Abhishek, Akshay, Ranbir and Neil Nithin Mukesh that was also very much in the news. The ad world and the serials are also not to be left behind. Everyone is on the look out for that well toned torso and everything else matters very little in a man! I am not complaining at all because I feel it is now that we have really become an equal opportunity country. Women are finding sexual liberation in a country that always thought of them as subservient to men; thanks to media and globalization. It is reassuring that the new generation men are also accepting this as a way of life. How else can one explain the new found interest in body building and the number of successful gyms and gents beauty parlors that have come up all around the country? Guess, it is time for me too to get back to my tread mill!

The changing skyline of Kochi!

I was born and brought up in Kochi and have lived most of my life in this wonderful city. There is no place in the world that I would trade for Kochi in spite of its many disadvantages- pollution, crowd, congestion, the works. I have always looked at the city very closely and have been ecstasic about anything new that has come up in the city- the first indoor stadium, the big football stadium, Le Meridian, the International airport, its first mall and the like. Over the past 20 years, the city has changed a lot. New shops, new outlets, new avenues of entertainment, new restaurants- everything that one would associate with a city that is growing. The skyline of Kochi, the marine drive, to be precise, boasted of only Ashoka flats in the mid- 1980's. The first (and the best) apartment to have come up in Kochi, the promoters of Ashoka flats had a tough time selling it since at that point of time, Kochiites could not imagine living within the four walls of an apartment. The last 20- odd years has brought a great deal of change in the city and in the attitude of its inhabitants. Apartments have sprung up in every part of the city even extending to its suburbs. Its getting increasingly difficult to draw the borders of the city since it is in an ever expanding mode. Kakkanad has become the cynosure of all eyes with the Infopark on rapid path to progress and the much hailed Smart City on its way to becoming a reality. Kalamasserry is close behind with cyber park and other private IT parks coming up. Vallarpadam is also under close scrutiny with the work on the International Container Handling Terminal in fast progress. With all this and more, Kochi is definitely on its way to become the next Mumbai. It is not without reason that I am writing about this topic today. Last week, I had a chance to cross the Goshree bridges for attending a function. It had been ages since I had crossed the High Court Junction and I was literally dumb founded to see the kind of construction happening at the Marine Drive extension. Purvankara, Prestige, DLF, Abad- all reputed builders who are engaging in giving shapes to what can be called the dreams of the new generation Kochiites. Luxury apartments, big malls, multiplexes- you name it and you have everything right there. Beyond the second Goshree bridge, I could see stretches of land that had just been reclaimed from the backwaters. Yes, the vast stretch that is going to house the International Container Handling Terminal that is expected to come up soon. Add to that, the constructions happening at the various suburbs like Kakkanad (Smart City), Kalamasserry (Cyber Park), Edappally (Lulu Hyper Market, the Mall "O"), Maradu (the new mall by Abad group), Vyttilla (Gold Souk), Kundannoor (Crowne Plaza) and Palarivattom (Holiday Inn). With all these projects completing in the next couple of years, the skyline of Kochi is definitely going to undergo a major change! With many more Kochiites who have believed strongly in the prospects of the city, I am also looking forward to all these and more becoming reality soon!!!

"Taare Zameen Par" tugs at your heartstrings!

Aamir Khan has always been an actor who has let his work do the talking. The reticent actor works in one film an year on an average and invests all his time and energy in that one film to come up with a hugely successful one- both critically and commercially. Taare Zameen Par (TZP) did not hog much of the limelight while in the making because it focussed on a child and not on Aamir. The movie had an art film look about it and the majority of the cine going population was under the impression that TZP was being made for film festivals and awards. But, trust Aamir to come up with something unique! TZP is the first film deep rooted in the Bollywood commercial stream that has successfully managed to narrate its story from a dyslexic child's point of view. Not only that, the hugely talented Aamir assisted by the wonderful script of Amol Gupte comes up trumps and how! TZP is the story of Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Zafary), a 7 year old child with nothing going for him. He lives in his own world and is overshadowed at home by a very successful and hardworking brother. At school, he is ridiculed by all and sundry since he just cannot get anything right at studies. His mother (Tisca Chopra) tries her best to put him on track, his affectionate older brother tries to counsel him to success, his teachers try every rule in the book to set things rolling for him, but none of these work. Disillusioned and disappointed, his parents finally take the big decision to enroll him in a boarding school in Panchgani. The boarding school and the life there is just too difficult for Ishaan who slowly starts withdrawing into a shell. He loses his liveliness and becomes inert to everything that is going around him. Just in time, enters the temporary art teacher Nikumbh (Aamir Khan) who takes a deep interest in the child. The teacher focusses on the child and the kind of mistakes he makes to finally determine that the child is suffering from dyslexia. How the teacher manages to instill confidence in the child and put him on track is what the rest of the film is all about! TZP is unique in ways more than one- this is definitely the first time that a movie focusses on the life of a 7 year old. The camera focusses completely on Ishaan during the first 30- 45 minutes of the movie, clearly establishing his character and the best part is that there is nothing cinematic about the whole affair. Amol Gupte seems to have done his research very well indeed! The script is life like and devoid of any cliches, the dialogues are very realistic. The other department that works in the film's favour is its music. Prasoon Joshi- Shankar- Ehsaan- Loy combo deliver a classic set of songs that gel completely with the mood of the movie. The camera work by Sethu is of avant- grade quality. Editing and Art Direction complement the narrative well. Tisca Chopra is great. Aamir Khan is as good as ever. The actor needs to be applauded for taking up a project like this. He scores as an actor, exhibits a maturity that is rare to find these days in debutant directors and walks away with the credit for having funded a well- intentioned movie like this as its producer. The real star of the movie is definitely Darsheel Zafary. The child actor is a rare find and exhibits such fine timing and talent that he is unbelievably good. He has been shot mostly in extreme close up's and the way the actor emotes needs to be seen to be believed. Darsheel can take acting lessons for at least half the leading lads and ladies in Bollywood! Talents of this kind needs to be rewarded and let us hope that the National Awards jury keeps its eyes open while watching TZP. A bold effort that will be remembered for a very long time to come!

Halla Bol has its heart in the right place

Rajkumar Santhoshi has been going through a lean patch for quite some time now. His last couple of releases (Insaaf, Family) were big let downs coming from a director whose creations include modern classics like Ghayal, Ghatak, Damini, Pukar and Khakhee. For all those Raj Santhoshi fans out there, Halla Bol is good news! Definitely, Halla Bol is not Santhoshi at his best. Nevertheless, it is a movie with its heart in the right place and has quite a few moments that are vintage Raj Santhoshi!

Halla Bol is the story of Ashfaque (Ajay Devgan), a highly talented youngster with a lower middle class upbringing. He is the right hand of Sidhu (Pankaj Kapur), a reformed dacoit who bides his time by playing street theatre depicting the various ills plaguing the society. Lady luck smiles on Ashfaque, as he gets his maiden film offer and before he could bat an eyelid, Ashfaque becomes Sameer Khan, the new heart throb of Bollywood.

The honest, upright, sensible and sensitive Ashfaque transforms into the successful, money minded, chauvinistic, spineless, callous Sameer Khan and is riding Bollywood when he witnesses the murder of an upcoming starlet in an upmarket Mumbai club. The guys involved in the murder belong to the upper strata of the society who have people, paisa and politics with them.

Sameer withdraws into a shell and refuses to acknowledge witnessing the murder. But, his conscience pricks him and finally he decides to speak the truth. All hell breaks loose and life is never the same for him again. How truth finally wins against all odds is what the rest of the film is all about.

Halla Bol's strength is its script which is also its weakness. Santhoshi starts well but begins fumbling half way through. As the script writer and director, his confusion is all the more evident towards the end of the film. It is true that such preachy films can end only on an unrealistic note, not everyone can come up with a "Rang De Basanti". But, it is to Santhoshi's credit that he packs quite a punch in a few impressive scenes. Watch out for Devgan relieving himself on the expensive carpet at the villain's place, Vidya Balan (Did I say she plays Devgan's sweetheart turned wife, Sneha) confronting the journalists and defending her husband, Pankaj Kapur molly coddling the villain when he tries to buy him in and Pankaj Kapur breaking down in front of the crowd towards the last reel.

Ajay Devgan underplays Sameer Khan aka Ashfaque effectively. The actor is just getting better with time, but it is high time he changed his stylist and costumer. Vidya Balan gets to "act" for the first time post Parineeta. Her role is not lengthy but she leaves an impact with a sincere performance. Darshan Jariwala overacts. Anjan Shrivastava and Sulabha Arya play Devgan's parents and do a good job, as always. However, the film belongs entirely to Pankaj Kapur. He proves that it is for no reason that he is regarded as the best actor in Bollywood today. Pankaj literally lives as Sidhu and comes up with a performance that clearly rises above the script and everything else!

Halla Bol scores in all the technical departments except editing and music. The film could have been trimmed down a little since it gets quite boring towards the end. The songs in the film are unimpressive and two of them could have easily been avoided.

Halla Bol definitely cannot be counted as Santhoshi's best but it is a movie that needs to be encouraged for having its heart in the right place.

To sum up, this is a clear case of a good concept that suffers from a not so good execution!

Partner is a big let down

To be very frank, I have never been a great fan of the David Dhawan brand of humor. There have been times when the rolly polly director has come up with real good laugh riots (Coolie No: 1, Hero No: 1, Judwaa, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya) and there have been times when his outings have been really irritating (Chal Mere Bhai, Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge, Mr and Mrs Khiladi, Banarasi Babu). Unfortunately, Partner falls into the second category. Almost a scene by scene remake of the big Hollywood hit- Hitch, Partner is the story of Bhaskar (an earnest Govinda) and his "Love- Guru" Prem (a disinterested Salman Khan). Bhaskar falls for Priya (Katrina Kaif, cute!), a rich heiress for whom he works as a Financial Advisor and seeks Prem's help in wooing and winning over her. How after a lot of misadventures, Priya finally falls for Bhaskar is what the rest of the film is all about. In the middle of all this is a crime reporter cum single mother (Lara Dutta, hot) who becomes the object of Prem's affection. The biggest problem with Partner is its length. What could have been easily narrated in an hour and a half, has been needlessly stretched into more than 2 hours. Rajpal Yadav's comedy track is unnecessary and irritating. The songs are boring and their placement is not right either. The only song that stands out in Sajid- Wajid's composition is "My Love" featuring Sallu and Lara. The comic sequences are not worth mentioning. Will Smith's original version was much funnier. Sanjay Chhel's dialogues belong to what you call the "Below the belt" comedy, especially the gay jokes that involve the fashion designer and Govinda. Art direction is loud, photography is mediocre and editing is below average. It is to Govinda's benefit that in spite of all odds, Partner emerged a winner at the BO. The actor exhibits a rare sincerity and his earnestness in hogging the limelight is clearly evident in his performance. How we wish David Dhawan shared at least a tenth of that in putting the film together! To sum up, Partner is a wasted effort!

2007 at the movies

I take immense pride in calling myself a very stoic critic of the movies. I am not sure how many of the readers of this blog would agree to this (I hope all of you agree). Anyways, another year has passed. The year was important to me for it was in 2007 that I started writing my own blog. Being the eternal movie buff that I am, I have spent a lot of space allotted to me in writing about movies. With this post I am trying to look back at the movies of 2007 in Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi and pen my final thoughts on the movies of 2007. Here we go: Malayalam Malayalam cinema had a not so good year in 2007. Out of the total number of movies released during the year crossing 60, including the dubbed ones, only 4 could be termed Superhits- Mayaavi, Vinodayaathra, Hallo and Chocolate. Chotta Mumbai and Arabikkatha made money and there were a few average grossers like Big B, Nazraani, Inspector Garud, Detective and Nadiya Kollapetta Raathri. Katha Parayumbol released during X'mas is expected to do well too. The following were the highlights of 2007 in Malayalam Cinema:

1. Mammootty had a good year in 2007. His performances in Kaiyoppu, Ore Kadal and Katha Parayumbol were appreciated. Mayaavi made money. Big B and Nazrani were safe. Katha Parayumbol is expected to break even. However, the highly anticipated Mission 90 Days turned out to be a dud at the box office.
2. Mohanlal had a good start with Chotta Mumbai making the moolah and Hallo making it even bigger at the BO window. But, things took an ugly turn later with Alibhai, Rock n Roll and Flash biting the dust. The much touted Paradeshi also did not turn out to be favorable for the talented actor.
3. Suresh Gopi picked and chose the worst movies for him to appear. He received a lot of flak for his movies like Time, Black Cat and Kichamani MBA. Detective and Nadiya Kollapetta Rathri did well for him
4. Dilip also did not have things working in his favor. He had a superhit in Vinodayaathra but Sathyan Anthicaud and Meera Jasmine walked away with all the credit. Inspector Garud did average business. But, he was blamed for the failure of Speed Track, July 4 and Romeo.
5. Jayaram is simply NOT APPLICABLE these days. He delivered duds like Sooryan and Anchil Oraal Arjunan.
6. Prithviraaj entered the big league with the huge success of Chocolate. Kangaroo released during X'mas is doing average business. He too had his share of non starters in Veeralipattu and Khakhi.
7. Sreenivasan was the toast of the year. A compelling performance in Thakarachenda fetched him a State special jury award. Arabikkatha and Katha Parayumbol were completely his babies. The actor is going to have a good round at all major award functions this year.
8. Meera Jasmine raised the bar of acting a few notches higher with her inspired performance in Ore Kadal. Vinodayaathra gave her the much needed commercial success.
9. Kaavya Madhavan put in a good performance in Nadiya Kollapetta Rathri which along with Inspector Garud proved her acceptability as a saleable actress. Athishayan was a non starter but Kangaroo is doing quite well.
10. Roma is basking in the glory of the stupendous success of Chocolate. Her non starter July 4 is almost out of public memory.
11. Vimala Raman was the actress who was noticed the most among new comers. However, she had a string of flops like Pranayakaalam, Sooryan, Romeo and Time. Nazraani managed to scrape through.
12. The directors of the year are Shafi (Mayaavi and Chocolate), Lal Jose (Arabikkatha) and Shyamaprasad (Ore Kadal).
13. Master director Adoor Gopalakrishnan offered "Naalu Pennungal" which is doing the festival rounds. The movie will fetch quite a few awards and Padmapriya might stand to benefit from it. Naalu Pennungal shares the credit for the most discussed movie of the year with Ore Kadal.
14. P T Kunjumohammed gave us Paradeshi. The film was appreciated for the subject it dealt with and Mohanlal's performance, but did not rise to the expectations in general.
15. The superstars continued their dominance over the industry but the younger lot of actors are slowly making their presence felt. The female actors are not getting good opportunities in films these days except say, a Meera Jasmine. 2008 is not going to be any different from the looks of it. Some of the major attractions of 2008 are- Roudram (Renji Panicker- Mammootty), Pazhassiraja (Hariharan- MT- Mammootty), Sathyan Anthicaud's untitled venture (Mohanlal, Murali, Rahman, Mukesh, Meera Jasmine, Khushboo, Mohini, Seetha Parthiban), Kolkata News (Blessy- Dileep- Meera Jasmine), Sound of Boots (Pyramid Saimira- Shaji Kailas- Suresh Gopi starrer carrying good pre release reports) and finally the big one- Twenty- Twenty (Produced by Amma and starring the entire industry)

Tamil

It was a comparatively good year for Tamizh Cinema considering the fact that almost all major stars with the exception of Kamal Hassan made their presence felt in the industry. Young talent is being encouraged like never before and youngsters have never had it so good in the Tamizh film industry. Favorable winds of change all over and a generally upbeat atmosphere should work in favor of Tamizh cinema in 2008 too:

The highlights were:

1. Rajnikanth's Sivaji, Vijay's Pokkiri and Ajith's Billa were the biggest grossers of the year and expectedly so.
2. The surprise winners were Mozhi (Prithivraaj- Prakash Raaj- Jothika), Paruthiveeran (Karthi- Priyamani), Chennai 600028 (a host of newcomers) and Pollathavan (Dhanush, Kuthu Ramya)
3. Rajanikanth delivered the biggest hit of them all in Sivaji. Kamal Hassan was busy with the post production work of Dashavatharam and did not have a release this year. Vijay hit gold at the BO with Pokkiri but Azhagiya Tamizh Magan was a turkey. After a disappointing start with Aalvaar and Kireedom, Ajith delivered a big hit in Billa towards the end of the year. Prashanth is out of circulation. Vikram did not have a release. "Arya" was a saving grace for Madhavan at the BO but he pleased critics and masses alike with Evano Oruvan. Surya had a mixed bag- Jillunnu oru Kaadhal met with cold response while Vel was lapped up by the audience. Jeeva's Pori and Rameshwaram did not do well. But, Kathruthu Thamizh wowed the critics. Jeevan was good in Naan Avan Illai but his Machakkaran was a damp squib. Jeyam Ravi's Deepavali met with a thunderous response. Arya had "Oram Po" that did average business. Vishaal's Thamarabharani and Malaikottai did well. Sibiraaj entertained with Lee. Arjun had a good year with Maruthumalai and Vaadhyaar. Vijayakanth and Sarathkumar were more interested in politics than movies. Sarath's performance in Pachaikkili Muthucharam earned a lot of praise. However, the actor of the year definitely was Sathyaraaj with his sensitive and sincere portrayals in Onpathu Roobai Nottu and Periyaar.
4. Shriya Saran emerged as the big thing in Kollywood with Sivaji. Asin had Pokkiri and Vel to boot but the actress is looking beyond the Vindhyaas these days. Nayanthara wowed the front benchers in Billa. Namitha's stocks went crashing down. Priyamani is back in circulation with Paruthiveeran and Malaikottai. Sneha had Naan Avan Illai. Trisha's hopes were pinned on Kireedom which did no good the actress. Bhavana had a good run with Deepavali and Arya. Gopika had Veerappu to feel proud of. Archana made a comeback with Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram and Onpathu Roobai Nottu. Jothika had a befitting swan song in Mozhi and Pachaikkili Muthucharam. The actress of the year, apparently, is Bharathi who made a strong debut with Parthiban's Ammuvagiya Naan.
5. 2008 looks extremely promising for Kollywood. Rajanikanth's animated film "Sulthan", Kamalhassan- Asin- Jayaprada- Mallika Sherawat starrer "Dashavatharam", Vijay- Trisha starrer "Kuruvi", Vikram- Trisha starrer "Bheema", Vikram- Shriya Saran starrer "Kanthasaamy", Vishaal- Nayanthara starrer "Sathyam", Dhanush- Nayanthaara starrer "Yaaradi Nee Mohini", Prithviraaj- Prakash Raaj- Gopika starrer "Vellithirai", Jeyam Ravi- Jayaram- Kangana Ranaut starrer "Dhaam Dhoom", Surya- Sameera Reddy starrer "Vaaranam Aayiram", Madhavan- Bhavana starrer "Vaazhthukkal", Jayaraj's Navya Nair starrer "Sila Nerangalil"- the list is impressive and includes commercial potboilers as well as films that are likely to be lapped up by critics. To add to all this, Manirathnam is contemplating a film with Prithviraaj in the lead and there are chances of more of such impressive projects to be announced later. 2008 should be a good one for Kollywood as well.

Hindi

Welcome to the Big Bad world of Bollywood which did not have a good year in comparison to 2006. The certified hits of the year are Om Shanti Om, Partner, Hey Baby, Chak De India, Taare Zameen Par, Welcome, Namastey London, Bhool Bhulaiyya, Guru and Jab We Met. There were more misses though. Sample this- Salaam- e- Ishq, Ekalavya, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Ta Ra Rum Pum, Aaja Nachle, Laaga Chunri Mein Daag, Saawariya and the biggest of them all- Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag.

Shah Rukh Khan emerged victorious with 2 massive hits- Chak de India which was critically acclaimed as well and the biggest hit of them all- Om Shanti Om. Akshay Kumar had a dream run with all of his releases striking gold at the BO. Salman and Govinda had partner, AB's baby had Guru and was luckier than his father whose films bombed one after the other with the exception of a delightful Cheeni Kum. Aamir Khan gave us a refreshing Taare Zameen Par. Shahid Kapoor matured as an actor with Jab we Met.

The year saw Kareena Kapoor making a strong comeback with a riveting performance in Jab We Met. Her item number "Its rocking" rocked the whole country. Deepika Padukone was the discovery of the year. Lara Dutta found star status with Partner. Rani Mukherji and Preity Zinta were washouts. Madhuri Dixit Nene's much touted come back came a cropper at the BO. Shilpa Shetty impressed one and all with Life in a Metro. Konkona Sen Sharma found her footing in the commercial Hindi cinema and her performances were rocking in all three releases this year. Kangana Ranaut was not in news. Aishwarya Rai was good in Guru. Bipasha Basu could not score a goal at the BO. Priyanka Chopra was eluded by the BO window. Vidya Balan smiled through the year with 3 out of her 5 releases being certified as hits. Tabu wowed critics and masses alike with her powerful performances in The Namesake and Cheeni Kum. Katrina Kaif smiled her way into the audience's hearts through Partner, Namastey London and Welcome.

2008 is not expected to be good for Bollywood. The year opens with the Raj Santhoshi directed Ajay Devgan- Vidya Balan starrer Halla bol and has biggies like Jodha Akbar (Hrithik- Aishwarya), Drona (Abhishek- Priyanka), Tashaan (Akshay Kumar, Kareena, Saif, Anil), Race ( Saif, Akshaye, Anil, Katrina, Bipasha, Sameera), Sarkaar Raj (The bachchans), Ugly Aur Pagly (Ranvir Shoerey- Mallika Sherawat), Kunal Kohli's untitled Yash Raj venture with Saif, Rani and Ameesha Patel, Aziz Mirza's Shahid Kapur- Vidya Balan starrer, Phir Golmaal (Ajay Devgan, Tusshar, Riteish, Arshad, Kareena, Celina), Priyadarshan's remake of Ishtam starring Akshaye Khanna, Genelia and Sobhana and the big one- Aamir- Asin- Jiah Khan starrer "Ghajini" the remake of the popular Tamil film with the same name. However, with Shah Rukh Khan staying away from the arc lights along with good friends Karan Johar and Farah Khan- 2008 is supposed to be gloomy.

Predictions can go wrong. In fact they can go haywire, like it happened with 2007. Let us hope things are good at the movies in 2008.

Thanmaathra fails to impress

I know I am going to attract quite a few frowns from readers for this post of mine. May be I expected too much from Blessy after that well made Kaazhcha. With a great actor like Mohanlal in tow and treading a less travelled road like Alzhiemer's, I thought Blessy would come up with a classic in Thanmaathra. Unfortunately, forget being a classic, Thanmaathra fails to exhibit some class! Thanmaathra is the story of Rameshan Nair (Mohanlal), a secretariat employee leading a contented family life with wife Lekha (Meera Vasudev) and kids (Arjun Laal and Niranjana). Rameshan is always thinking about his father (Nedumudi Venu) who leads a life of solitude in his village and cherishes the dream of returning to his village after retirement. He wants to make his son an IAS officer and leaves no stone unturned in working towards this. Things start taking an ugly turn when Rameshan Nair slowly starts losing his memory and gradually starts falling prey to Alzhiemer's. Everyone around him fails to understand his temporary memory losses but they take him to a doctor (Prathap Pothen) when he starts behaving like in home, at office. Rameshan is forced to discontinue his job and moves to his village. He goes back to his childhood and becomes completely oblivious of his family. All who matter to him are his father and his cousin, Ammukutty (Seetha Parthiban). The rest of the film deals with the degradation of the health condition of the protagonist and how his close ones try to take this fact in their stride. Predicatably, the movie ends with the death of Rameshan Nair. The problem with Thanmaathra lies in its script and casting. The film moves at a snail's pace especially in the second half and is full of melodrama and cliched dialogues that can even put a Kottayam based pulp fiction writer to shame. (Ironically, Blessy won the state award for Best screenplay for this film). The dialogues between Meera Vasudev and Arjun Laal are the worst. Songs have been tossed in unnecessarily and characters have been introduced to make the movie appealing in the commercial sense. Thanmaathra finally ends up neither being here nor there. Meera Vasudev turns out to be the weakest link in this film. The role of Lekha required a mature actress and Meera simply does not fill the bill. She looks more like a girl friend to Arjun Laal who plays her son and a daughter to Mohanlal who plays her husband. Her lip- syncing is atrocious and she makes a mess of the meaty role given to her. Arjun Laal shows promise. Niranjana is a pleasure to watch on screen but her character gets sidelined as the story progresses. The film exhibits a close bonding between the father and the daughter in the beginning but fails to carry it forward as it progresses. Nedumudi Venu and Jagathy Sreekumar add value to their characters, being the veteran actors they are. Seetha Parthiban is adequate. The real hero of Thanmaathra is Mohanlal- literally and figuratively. To take up the role of an Alzhiemer's patient at the height of superstardom is a bold step in itself. Add to this, a distastefully picturized love making scene with Meera Vasudev which was completely unnecessary and also the scene where Mohanlal confronts his colleagues in his brief. Not many superstars would be bold enough to take up characters and scenes like those. Blessy's interpretation of Alzhiemer's might not be clinically correct, but believe Mohanlal to come up with a performance that truly deserved the Best Actor award. Thanmaathra is definitely proof enough for the wide range of Mohanlal's histrionic abilities. The technical aspects of the movie are just fine. If at all, Blessy was careful with his script and in casting his leading lady, Thanmaathra could have ended up a classic!

Billa: Colossal waste

It is raining remakes and remixes in Kollywood these days. If music directors are remixing old songs to glory (read Ennadi Muniyamma, Vasantha mullai, Engeyum Eppodhum, Ponmagal vanthaal- all massive hits that were much better left alone), directors are also not so far behind. After that not so impressive remake of the KB classic, Naan Avan Illai, comes Billa, the remake of the earlier Billa, which in turn was the remake of Chandra Barot's block buster Don, which was recently remade by Farhan Akhtar with SRK in the lead. If you cannot make sense out of the previous sentence, Billa starring Ultimate Star Ajithkumar, "Ilaiya Thilakam" Prabhu and Nayanthara is not for you. Or rather, it is not for you anyways! For that is the kind of time, resources and talent that have been wasted on "Billa"- a Pyramid Saimira- Ananda Films presentation. I don't want to go deep into the story of this film since it is a faithful remake of the earlier Billa. The only difference is that it has been "stylistically" shot in Malaysia. Which brings us to the next important aspect- Making a movie in "Style". Now, this is something very few directors in India have been able to achieve. Farhan Akhtar's Dil Chahta Hai and Don were stylish. Sanjay Gupta's movies are almost always well shot. Abbas- Mustan and Anubhav Sinha make fairly stylish movies. Unfortunately, Vishnuvardhan (director of such impressive films as Arindhum Ariyamalum and Pattiyal) gets it all wrong with his third outing- Billa. The following are what Vishnuvardhan has to offer in terms of style:

• The Malaysian twin towers in the background of almost every scene
• The cops, the thieves and the dons all roaming around in black suits with black sunglasses
• The grossly under dressed Namitha showing off her distastefully fat thighs and calves
• Ajithkumar roaming around Malaysia in cars as varied as Merc, Jaguar and BMW
• Ajith pulling out guns from inside his suit, behind his pants and also from unmentionable parts of other people's bodies
• "Ilaiya Thilakam" Prabhu trying desperately to look and sound cool mouthing those inane English dialogues clumsily
• Every crucial scene opening on the terrace of high- rise building with a bunch of croonies in striking poses and mouthing dialogues animatedly
• Yuvan Shankar Raja's completely unimpressive musical and background score, exceedingly irritating for the manner in which he has destroyed the inherent coolness in M S Vishwanathan's original compositions- "My name is Billa" and "Vettalaye Pottendi"
• Ajithkumar trying desperately to hide his paunch under thick layers of clothing and suiting
• Rahman sporting a goatee and trying to look and sound cool but ultimately ending up reminding the viewers about "Rajappartu"- a rustic form of drama that is driven by highly theatrical, over the top performances
• and finally, Nayanthara who looks hot in her low- neck clothes revealing a lot of cleavage, but cannot manage to walk on her pointed heels

One fails to understand how could a group of fools come together and make this apology for a movie. Unfortunately for the cast and the crew, the audience are far more smart. Or rather, I hope so for the new gen directors should realize that some songs and some movies are best left alone.

There are a couple of things that are impressive about Billa though- Nirav Shah's camera that captures Malaysia and Nayanthara in all their beauty and splendor; and Anil Adithyan's performance as the Assistant Police Officer. He has come a long way from his days of "Mambazhakkalam" and "Bus Conductor"

My sympathies are with Sreekar Prasad and his team. If this is what the Editor has to offer after chopping off whatever was unnecessary, I cannot imagine their plight of having to sit through whatever was shot by Vishnuvardhan in the name of "Billa"

If you are a fan of thrillers, I strongly recommend "Billa" to you, definitely not the Vishnuvardhan- Ajithkumar offering, but the earlier Balaji- Rajanikanth offering that can still keep you entertained!

Katha Parayumbol strikes a chord

I personally consider Sreenivasan the most intelligent film maker in Malayalam today. It is all about the way he looks around him and the naturality with which he reproduces everyday life in his scripts. No writer in Malayalam has understood the malayalee- psyche better than Sreenivasan and this is evident from his scripts like Sandesham, Thalayanamanthram and Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala. "Katha Parayumbol" is vintage Sreenivasan after a long time and here he takes on responsibilities for the script, playing the leading man and co- producing the movie with actor Mukesh. Katha Parayumbol is the story of Barber Balan (Sreenivasan) of Melukavu village who lives with his wife, Sreedevi (Meena) and his three school going kids- Sona, Seena and Sathyan. Balan owns a dilapidated Barber shop in the junction which hardly anyone visits, thanks to his competitor Sarasan (Jagadeesh) who has opened a new gen Hair Styling saloon with modern equipments. Balan is struggling to meet both ends but does not compormise on his dignity. Added to this is his sharp tongue which almost always puts him in trouble- sometimes with the local money lender Eappachan (Innocent) and sometimes with the school principal (KPAC Lalitha). In the midst of Balan's hand to mouth existence arrive a film shooting crew in Melukavu. The hero of the film is the reigning superstar Ashok Raj (Mammootty). Ashok Raj happens to be Balan's childhood friend and this news spreads like wild fire in the village. All of a sudden, Balan becomes the cynosure of all eyes in Melukavu and he has the entire village- from Eappachan to the school principal to the local tutorial college owner Venugopal (Mukesh) approaching him. All of them want just one thing from him- introduce Ashok Raj to them. This puts Balan in a quandary- his situation is such that he cannot refuse any of the favors extended to him, but he just cannot muster enough courage to go and meet Ashok Raj considering the time that has passed ever since he met him last. How Balan manages the situation and whether or not he is able to meet Ashok Raj is what the rest of the movie is all about. The strength of the movie lies in its script penned by Sreenivasan. The first half proceeds at a slow pace where we are introduced to Balan, his life, his family, his friends and his problems. The characters in the village look as if they are straight out of a story book. It is true that sometimes the characters and the situations fall into mere buffoonery in the name of satire, but Sreenivasan, the writer, more than makes up for a faulty first half with a brilliant second half and a masterly crafted climax. Believe me, the climax of Katha Parayumbol is the best to have seen on Malayalam cinema since Aniyathipraavu (1997). P Sukumar captures the beautiful locales of Thodupuzha as alluringly as possible. Renjan Abraham does an OK job as the editor. Art direction is clever in bringing out the minimalistic existence of Balan and his family. Other technical departments also have their hearts in the right place. The music department by Gireesh Puthencherry- Anil Panachooran- M Jayachandran team deliver. "Vyathyasthanaayoru" stands out for its different writing and singing style. Anil Panachooran and Pradeep Palluruthy do a fine job behind the mike. The Vineeth Sreenivasan- Sweta Mohan duet filmed on Mammootty and Jasveer Kaur could have been avoided in the movie. The song "maargazhikkavil" is pleasing to the ears though. The supporting actors do a good job and Salimkumar walks away with the major chunk of the credit playing the local village poet. Meena puts in a good job as the frivolous Sreedevi. Mukesh is wasted. Mammootty gets an opportunity to play himself in what can be called an extended guest appearance and gets to utter the best lines in the film. Watch out for his riveting performance in the climax. The actor is at his best and the sincerity with which he has approached the role is commendable. "Katha Parayumbol" belongs completely to Sreenivasan though. He delivers as the script writer, but he takes the film to totally higher level with his subtle, highly nuanced performance. He literally lives the life of Balan and is a complete treat to watch, especially in the climax. Balan's weak, non- confident self that lies under the tough exterior is revealed towards the end of the movie and Sreenivasan the actor is completely under control while performing. With Arabikkatha and Katha Parayumbol, Sreenivasan should be the major draw at all award ceremonies this year. What sets Katha Parayumbol apart is the message that it spreads. In this era of globalization and cut throat competition, not many people pay much regard to friendship- especially the truthful, innocent friendship that one gets into during his/ her childhood. Sreenivasan does not preach on the importance of friendship but he very subtly reminds you as to what you are losing out. Katha Parayumbol is a film that needs to be seen, talked about and encouraged. This film should be recorded in golden letters in the history of Malayalam cinema for its noble intention.

OSO is high on Entertainment!

My trip to Canada was scheduled right after Diwali and I had to fly out of India during the Diwali weekend. Happy I was on the prospect of getting a chance to visit another country, but what upset me was the fact that I was going to miss the 2 major Diwali releases of Bollywood- Om Shanti Om and Saawariya. Thanks to a visit by my cousin and his wife during X'mas, we made this quick plan to catch up with OSO at the local cinema and here I was getting sucked into the world of non- stop entertainment created so skillfully by the indomitable Farah Khan! Om Shanti Om is a tribute by Farah Khan and Shah Rukh Khan to the Bollywood of the 70's which they have grown up on and is spot on as far as its intentions are concerned. The story lands up in the 2K's during the second half and almost all major heroes and all major cliches in present day Bollywood is also made fun of in a tongue- in- cheek manner. Full credit to Farah for having come up with something as bold as this... OSO starts as the story of Om Prakash Makhija (Shah Rukh Khan) a struggling junior actor who along with his friend Pappu (the incredible Shreyas Talpade) dreams of making it big in Bollywood some day. Om falls for the charm of "Dream Girl" Shanthipriya (Deepika Padukone), the reigining superstar and gets a chance to get close to her by saving her from a fire that breaks out on the sets of her new film. As he gets close to the actress, he learns that she is married to producer Mukesh Mehra (Arjun Ramphal) and is pregnant with his child. The scheming self that Mukesh is, he asks Shanti to abort the child and when she refuses, he sets her ablaze in a set constructed for his new film. In his efforts to save Shanti, Om too loses his life. Circa 2007. Om is reborn as OK aka Om Kapoor, the reigning superstar and son of an yesteryear superstar (Javed Sheikh). OK is the toast of Bollywood and is unabashedly arrogant of his superstar status. His new film starts rolling at the same set at which Shantipriya was set ablaze earlier and once he lands up there, he starts getting visions of what had happened to him in his previous avtaar. How he recognizes his mother, dear friend Pappu and his enemy Mukesh Mehra in his current avtaar and how he takes revenge for Shanthi's death with her lookalike Sandy aka Sandhya is what the rest of the film is all about. Farah Khan has always been about fun and entertainment and the lady, apparently, is getting better with time. To make a film on something highly unbelievable as reincarnation in today's age is something and to come up trumps, that too by making it the biggest hit of the year, is another. Believe me, the lady delivers and she does so in style. Being the most celebrated choreographer in Bollywood helps and having the king of Bollywood for your producer, helps even better. This is evident from the plethora of stars who make fleeting appearances in the movie- everybody from Amitabh Bachchan to Vidya Balan express their solidarity towards the Khan duo by appearing on camera for this movie. V Manikantan's cinematography is fabulous and so is the art direction. Editing by Shirish Kunder is good. Vishal- Shekhar have come up with another chartbuster album and all the songs are well penned, well tuned and very well picturised. "Aankhon mein teri" is one of the best romantic melodies heard in recent times, "Dard e Disco" burns the dance floors and "Dekho dekho" is pure eye candy. Arjun Rampal as the menacing Mukesh Mehra delivers a strong performance. His classy looks add to the value of his acting. Kirron Kher is impressive as Om Makhija's mother. Deepika Padukone makes a fresh and impressive debut with OSO. She has been packaged very well and looks extremely alluring. Deepika has it all- beauty, class, elegance and talent- and all of them in abundance. She is definitely the most promising thing to have happened to Bollywood in 2007. Shah Rukh Khan stands tall, carrying the entire movie on his shoulders and generously exhibiting his newly acquired six pack abs. The man has star power, energy, charisma and in fact, everything that works. With OSO coming in after that power packed performance in Chak De India, SRK proves beyond doubt that he is the "Superstar" of Bollywood and that he is here to stay. OSO is brainless Bollywood at its best. Dont miss it!!!

Thirumalai is impossible

I have always been a great fan of "Ilaiya Thalapathy" Vijay and I almost always enjoy whatever he does on screen. Well, I added almost there after I went through this painful apology for a movie called "Thirumalai"

If anyone is interested this is the story- Thirumalai (Vijay) is a mechanic from Puthupettai and meets this girl (Jothika) on New Year. All of a sudden, something passes through him and it takes his neighbors- the "always- in- love with each other" couple (Raghuvaran and Koushalya) to make him realize that he has fallen in love with the girl. The girl, as all should have realized by now, hails from a very rich family and spurns the hero's advances at first only to fall head over heels in love with him later. Her father (Avinash), an affluent TV channel owner hires the service of Mass (Manoj K Jayan), the local thug to put an end to Thirumalai. What happens later is what the film is all about.

Quite frankly, Thirumalai belongs to the category of films that is just impossible to sit through. There is nothing new in the film and debutant director Ramana seems thoroughly confused as to which way he is heading. It is Vijay all over the film and the other characters, including the heroine, appear as and when the director wants them to, resulting in a major incoherence in the script. Photography and Art Direction are interesting. Peter Hein has done a good job with his stunt choreography. Vidyasagar does a good job with his music- "Azhakooril Poothavale", the lilting melody by SPB and Sujatha stands out. Raghava Lawrence appears to shake a leg (his whole body, rather) with Vijay in the foot tapping "Tham thaka". Kiran looks attractive in the "Vaadiyamma" song sequence.

Except for the songs and action, nothing else impresses in the movie. The characters are banal and cardboardish. Actors of the calibre of Raghuvaran and Manoj K Jayan also fail to impress. Koushalya is wasted and does not look old enough to be convincing as Raghuvaran's wife. Jothika is reduced to a mere prop. The actress should not have taken up this assignment at all.

Vijay tries to infuse some life into the movie with his sincerity and screen presence but fails thanks to a script full of loopholes and lacklustre direction. One really wonders what made K Balachander's Kavithalayaa produce this bull shit movie.

Thirumalai is simply avoidable. Not even recommended for hardcore Vijay fans. You can watch the songs on Sun Music instead!

Cheeni Kum: Good Fun

Adman turned director R Balki has written and directed- Cheeni Kum- a sweet love story between a 64 year old chef and a 34 year old lady. Buddha (Amitabh Bachchan) runs an Indian restaurant in London and is a chronic bachelor who lives with his nagging mother (Zohra Sehgal, aptly cast). Buddha is very particular about the quality and taste of his dishes and takes immense pride in the popularity of his restaurant. It is the same pride that gets hurt when Neena Varma (Tabu) returns Hyderabadi Zafrani Pulao saying its sweet. Buddha's hurted ego makes him challenge Neena to put on her apron and cook the Pulao for him- a challenge that she silently accepts and succeeds in fulfilling. From here, starts a lovely relationship between Buddha and Neena which finally ends up in they falling in love with each other. Opposition comes in the form of Neena's father (Paresh Rawal) who cannot agree to his daughter getting married to a man 4 years older than him and how the duo manage to get his consent is what the rest of the movie is all about. Cheeni Kum works because of its cheesy one liners. R Balki has come up with a story idea that many would dare not touch and has woven a light screenplay replete with repartees around it. Cheeni Kum raises poignant questions like whether or not a 60 year old man can get married to a much younger girl, whether or not men can have sexual fantasies at that age, is everyone above 50 supposed to turn to spirituality to keep themselves occupied etc. However, at no stage, the film becomes preachy thanks to the fresh and entertaining approach to the story by the debutant director. Balki is competely supported by P C Sreeram, the very able cinematographer. Editing is largely crisp though the last reels could have been trimmed down a bit. Art direction is tacky when it comes to recreating the London restaurant in the Mumbai studio but never does it compromise on aesthetic appeal. Maestro Ilayaraaja rehashes his old tunes but they completely complement the story and the situations. Special mention should be made about the make up and costumes of both Amitabh and Tabu. It is refreshing to see Amitabh Bachchan playing something entirely different and it is to his credit that he carries off Buddha with a rare panache and confidence which actors even half his age fail to exhibit in their films. Matching him step by step is Tabu who looks like a dream and performs like another. Her portrayal of Neena is a clear departure from the serious, brooding roles that one has seen her play. Her comic timing is impeccable and her chemistry with Amitabh is sparkling. It is high time Tabu's talent is exploited in commercial cinema too. The script however loses a lot of its steam towards its last quarter. When the scene shifts to Delhi and when we are introduced to Paresh Rawal who plays Tabu's father, we expect the film to get more exciting. Instead, Paresh's character suffers from weak characterization and the "satyagraha" concept introduced by the director just does not work towards the end. On the whole, Cheeni Kum belongs to the "feel good" category which also pulls of quite a few laughs, thanks to its cheesy one liners.

Book Review: Paralokam

It is time to get back to the intention with which I started this blog and I am putting on the critic's garb again, to first write about Punathil Kunjabdullah's novel- "Paralokam" (Malayalam). This is the first time I am reading Punathil but I have been fortunate enough to hear him speak once at my school annual day. This was more than a decade back and the reason why Dr. Punathil took time out of his busy schedule to grace our school annual day was that his son was a student of the school. Ever since, I have been wanting to read his books and finally I did manage to grab a copy of "Paralokam". Now, Paralokam is a book that has been written with a totally different mindset- it explains what difference death of closed ones can make to the lives of those who continue to live. A very normal, close to the life concept on which not much has been written/ filmed. The novelty of the theme coupled with its identifiability and the narrative style of Kunjabdullah makes Paralokam an interesting read. The premise in which the story has been written also adds to its attractions. The imaginary Algarah valley and the village of Sadookka where the story is set have been described very beautifully by the author. The valley with the winds blowing constantly and its picturesque landscape with the fruit orchards have been described in a very captivating manner. The characters in the novel like Kabara Muthassi, Miriam, Moosamean, Varadaraja Muthaliar, Sivasankari, the Railway station master and his wife are all unique and exhibit characteristics that are unique to them. It is precisely because of this reason that all of them become very well etched in one's minds by the time one finishes the book. It is really commendable that in spite of his busy schedule as a medical practitioner, Dr Abdullah finds time to write and has managed to come out with such novels that really stand out. As noted critic, Zachariah rightly points out in the prelude to the book- "Kunjabdullah does not construct his craft. Instead his narrative style is flowing along with the flow of the story and its characters." Paralokam is not just to read, it is to read, reflect and enjoy!!!

To sum up...

I know I am writing a bit too much about Halifax and Canada but I feel I have every reason to, for this is the most important thing that has happened to me, both personally and professionally in the past 2 years or so. I have shared all my personal experiences in Canada with all of you through my earlier posts and the professional experience cannot be shared for security reasons. All said and done, it was a really memorable trip and the excitement was enhanced by my colleagues who travelled with me and all the wonderful people I met there. Lots of work, of course but coupled with lots of food, shopping, sight seeing and the like. It was in Halifax that I first witnessed a live Ice hockey match in a stadium. Needless to say, it was very entertaining. The agility of the players, the tempo that was maintained throughout the game and the committment and professionalism of those on the field really attracted me. Also, it was very well organized and managed and the crowd also joined in with the kind of sportsman spirit that is rarely seen these days. All that I saw and experienced did excite me and the ice hockey match and snow fall were added attractions. I generally believe that a new place, a new set of people and a new culture can influence a person heavily and can contribute a lot towards widening the horizons of his/ her thinking. This is precisely what I experienced during my visit to Canada. Needless to say, I will always look back at the trip with lots of excitement, thanks to the wonderful time I had in the beautiful country...

Halifax and Titanic!!!

The Titanic disaster still remains the world's most dreaded and damaging ship wreck of all times and thanks to James Cameron, it is something that is being remembered even by the current generation thanks to the well made "Titanic" movie. Little did I realize when I landed in Halifax that the city had a very close relationship with the Titanic disaster. Apparently, it was 700 nautical miles away from Halifax that the Titanic ship wreck occured; right in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. It was Halifax that was first notified of the ship wreck and the city sent out ships and life boats to the ocean to save the passengers and bring their belongings on shore. This and more I learnt during my visit to the Maritime museum at Halifax which shows exclusive photographs and memorabilia that were salvaged from the Titanic ship wreck. The museum also has some video footage of the excavation that was done under water of the remains of the ship and gives us valuable information on what, when and how it all happened. Apparently, close to 150 who perished in the ship wreck have been cremated in Halifax in a special cemetry and this has been separated and is being maintained as Titanic memorial cemetry. Many people from different parts of the world visit the cemetry to offer their prayers and to remember their ancestors who passed away in the mishap. The museum, the Titanic story,the photographs, pictures and memorabilia were so touching that all of us turned emotional at the museum. None of us had the will to go and visit the Titanic memorial cemetry after all that we saw. I know its late, but I feel it is never too late to pray for departed souls. All I can do right now is to pray for all those who lost their lives in the incident and hope, wish and pray that such ghastly incidents do not occur ever again.

Winter in North America

My trip to Canada in November was my third trip to North America and the first to Canada. However, my last 2 trips to NA (to the US to be precise) were during July- August which was spring- summer time in NA. I had heard a lot about the fall and winter seasons in NA and I have ever since been cherishing this secret wish of traveling to NA during one of those seasons. This time around I was lucky as I was asked to travel to Canada during November for official reasons. We were flying Lufthansa and had a stop over at Frankfurt, Germany. It was in Frankfurt that I got the first taste of what I was likely to see in Canada. We landed in Frankfurt at about 8 in the morning. We had to deplane through the staircase and walk a few steps to get into the bus that would transport us to the terminal. I had my jacket neatly packed in my check in luggage and was wearing a T- shirt with jeans. The moment I reached the exit door of the flight, I could sense the cold wind blowing against my face. The next couple of minutes I was exposed to the atmosphere and by the time I climbed the bus I was shivering with cold and my face had gone completely numb. Some 15 odd hours later we landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, our final destination. Once I collected my luggage, I took out my jacket and wore it since I did not want to take a risk. However, I had left my winter cap and gloves inside the suitcase and still thought I was all set to face the weather in Canada. Little did I realize that I was in for a rude shock. The gates of the terminal opened to the main road and lo and behold, I could see snow upto half a metre in height on both sides of the road. It was cold and the wind was blowing violently. We had 15 pieces of luggage to be loaded into the cars that had come to pick us up and it took us a jolly good 5 minutes to finish the job. Thanks to the wonderful climate outside, we felt as if it was taking us hours to finish the job. We somehow managed to push our luggage inside and got into the comfort of the car, heater on, windows up. We looked like cleaned broiler chicken kept in cold storage for days together. All of us were as good as dead and were looking at each other wondering how we were going to survive another 21 days in this weather. Fortunately for us, things were not all that bad in the days that followed. We were taken to the city and put in a hotel very close to our office. It had not snowed in the city and everything looked like it was summer except for the occassional cold winds. It was one thing that we could not step out into the open without our jackets on, but it was another that we got used to the weather in less than 2 days. There were those rare times of the day when the winter cap and gloves were necessary to keep us warm and comfortable but all in all the next 3 weeks went just fine for all of us. In spite of all that happened, I was still praying for a snow fall since it was something that I had seen only in movies. And lo! my prayers were answered on 1 December. It was a Saturday and a pretty lazy one at that. We got up late, had a late breakfast and took a bus to the mall for our last minute shopping since we were traveling back to India on 2 December. We boarded the bus and within less than 10 minutes, it started snowing. It was really a wonderful sight! I felt as if talcum powder was being showered on all of us from the sky. It was powdered snow that was falling and not the big flakes. Within 10 minutes, everything around us turned snow white. The roads, the pavements, the roofs, the plants and trees- almost everything. It was time for us to alight from the bus and walk towards the mall. Needless to say, the pavement was covered with snow powder and it was really slippery. We had to hold each others hands and take one step at a time to avoid falling in the snow. The sight from within the bus was wonderful but definitely not the walk in the snow. We had a X'mas party to attend in the evening and I thought it would be better if I wore a long kurta with jeans for the party. The worst decision, however, was to wear a pair of slippers with the jeans and not the customary pair of sneakers. As usual, we took a bus to the venue, got down at the nearest bus stop and had to take a 10 minute walk to reach the final destination. There was snow all around which made it difficult for us to walk fast and as if that was not enough, there was chilly wind blowing all around. Here I was trying to rush to the venue with my slippers on and I felt as if I was kilometres and kilometres away from my destination. Within a good 10 minutes, I was inside the party hall freezing like never before and trying to look as normal as I could. Later only did I realize that I was taking that walk at a temperature of -9 degree celsius. I thanked the supreme being for I was still alive. The next morning, it was time for us to leave Canada. It was bright and sunny when I boarded the car that was to take us to the airport. The snow was lying all over Halifax for upto 2 cm in height and we could see it melting slowly as we were driving towards the airport. However, the experience of watching the snow falling and feeling the cold air blowing against my face still lingers afresh. The quality of that image in my mind would not melt at least for some more years to come...

Travails of an International traveller

Now, I have made enough international travels during the last 3- 4 years of my life covering countries as varied as United States of America to the State of Kuwait. However, I was in for quite a few surprises when I was about to take my flight to Canada on 11 November 2007. I took a Kingfisher flight from Kochi to Bangalore on 10 November. Needless to say, it was one of the best flights I have ever had in my life. Kingfisher has been the most preferred airline of many a domestic traveller ever since it was launched with much fanfare. Coming from the UB Group, headed by the very charismatic Vijay Mallya, Kingfisher really lives up to its tagline- "King of Good times". The aircraft is very well maintained, the interiors are very well done, the food served is of avant grade quality and taste and the cabin crew (handpicked by the Chairman, it seems) look like heavenly beings. However, things were different when I landed in Bangalore. To start with, Bangalore airport has hardly any space but has a lot of planes flying out of it. To add to this, the International terminal is so small that it cannot handle more than 2 flights at a time. With Air France and Lufthansa connecting Bangalore to Europe through planes flying out at more or less the same time, the airport authorities were finding it real tough to handle the crowd. There are no enough luggage scanning machines or check in counters which makes check in a long and cumbersome process. Add to this, an unclean environment and lack of adequate chairs for the passengers, the 4 hour wait at the airport was like hell. The icing on the cake was the condition that was put by the Indian Aviation authorities- that you are allowed to take only one piece of luggage with you inside the aircraft and if you have a laptop with you, you wont be allowed to take anything else other than the laptop bag. Now, this made no sense to me. Considering the number of business passengers that travel out of Bangalore these days thanks to the booming IT/ ITES industries, it goes without saying that there will be many people travelling with their laptops. Considering the duration of the flight to North America (which is where most of the people travel to), the number of aircrafts the traveler has to change to reach his final destination and the dubious distinction earned by US in misplacing luggage, I feel it is high time the authorities gave this rule a second thought. What would the traveller do if his luggage is lost in transit/ does not reach his destination along with him? Will he wrap the laptop bag around his waist or should he continue wearing the same pair of clothes that he has been wearing all through his 30 odd hours of flight? (wearing the same pair of clothes for close to 48 hours is not fun, and this I am telling you out of my own experience). Considering the kind of revenue the industry is generating and the number of business travellers flying out of India these days, I think it is high time the Indian aviation authorities did something to get this rule amended. Some food for thought for them would be the fact that the western countries do allow travellers to carry a bag weighing upto 10 kilograms with them into the aircraft in addition to their laptop bags. Let us hope the authorities understand the plight of the travellers and do something to get the rule amended in favour of the travellers...

The looong break...

Gosh! It has been almost a month and a half since I last wrote something. I know for a matter of fact that this is the first time I am taking such a long break from updating the blog ever since I started it in the first place. But, there are more important things in life than updating your blog regularly (If you need a job, money and other such things, that is). This was precisely the reason for the long break. In the last 45 days, my job took me to Canada, brought me back to Kochi, then there were the many formalities to be completed associated with travel, I had cousins and relatives visiting me during holidays and finally here am drafting my first post during the year 2008! Due to my many pre occupations, I could not bid farewell to 2007 in a befitting manner. However, wish all you readers a very happy and prosperous 2008!!! A new year should hopefully bring us new hopes, newfound happiness, new challenges and much more. Let us all wish, hope and pray that 2008 works out advantageous to all of us. Once again, with Best wishes...