The latest meme in blogosphere, is among the techies. I’m sure they are the last people to jump into such childish memes but this one isn’t child’s play. So what is the GYM Diet meme ? Can you keep yourself from blogging about the GYM trio. GYM ? Yep !! Google , Yahoo and Microsoft. If you can, you are GYM free. I know it doesn’t apply this blog as only Google gets featured often.
BTW, the GYM Diet is a brainchild of OM Malik and a bunch if bloggers are already into this. Are you GYM Free ?
The time of the year, when Hemanth and me are in same building, we walk out for a evening coffee and eventually endup in the Star of Bucks. As we keep rambling, commenting and yapping on the subject which bridges me and him, the cinema, Hemanth said that he was planning to bring back Teakada. But this time with Puthiya !! Niram, Suvai & Thidam.
Teakada was originally a weblog Hemanth had started back in 2003 that would aggregate news on kollywood and cinema. The naming of teakada is got from our roadside nair kada where people of various walks of life walk-in for a single chaaya. As they dip the butter biscuit in that single strong tea, they keep rambling on the latest happenings in the city. This is where new dimensions to common news usually takes birth. Even if not for new dimensions, news that you have missed which is readworthy are often discussed.
While Hemanth was writing essentially on everyday kollywood he also started to include news and some superb commentaries on news, politics and anything concerned with Chennai. Not just that, Teakada was also aggregating blogposts from the Chennai based bloggers. When it was on a all-time high, he put it to rest to concentrate on other things.
Now, Teakada 2.0 is back with more energy and a refreshing look. Its been two three weeks now since Teakada is brought back and the request from me is to go have a look at it and suggest changes if any.
Teakada also wants more speakers-ya-bloggers who can write on anything about Chennai / Tamil Nadu / Kollywood/ Politics/Music/Literature and so on. Just about anything. The spicier, the better. There are no rules except for the arduments and postings need to be logical. Leave a comment on Teakada or send a note to Hemanth at hemanth.kum[at]gmail and he should able to set you up soon. Already a fiery bunch including Ravages, Nilu, Tilotamma, Karthik and Boston Balaji are brewing tea there. Hop on if you are excited.
Over to Teakada 2.0.
Karuvaraikkul Thaanaaga
Katrukonda Siru Aattam
Thottilukkul Sugamaaga
Thodarum Aattamae
Paruvam Pookkum Naeratthil
Kaadhal Seiya Poraattam
Kaadhal Vantha Pinnaalae
Bodhai Aattamae
Paerukkaaga Oru Aattam
Kaasukkaaga Pala Aattam
Ettu Kaalil Pogumbodhu
Ooru Podum Aattamae !!
I write, as George Bernard Shaw said, for the same reason a cow gives milk: it is inside me, it is got to come out, and in a real sense I would die if I could not – Shashi Tharoor in The Hindu dt September 16, 2001.
One would think what an self-absorbed writer Shashi Tharoor would be with those lines comparing him to Bernard Shah or even thinking about him on the same lines as the bearded great. At least I was offended when I read this on the newspaper, back in 2001. What next ? I started to read his subsequent columns. Ever since, the only time I got a little bored was when Tharoor started delving into Mahabharata. I actually enjoyed reading his columns on a Sunday Hindu. It even led me to read his books Riot and The Great Indian Novel. By now, I’m absolutely sure that Shashi Tharoor is a gifted writer. Not only he writes lucidly but he also makes his point loud and clear. One could sense the sides he takes, even during the beginning of a column.
Bookless in Baghdad is Shashi Tharoor’s latest book. Its a collection of essays primarily on literature and writers. And its arousing to read a writer’s take on other writers. Not just that but also the political and social commentaries keep this book afresh. Though this book should have been clearly named anything other than Bookless in Baghdad, the book delivers all your would expect as a reader. Bookless in Baghdad is the name of a column which describes Tharoor’s wandering in Baghdad. The title of the book is more of a sales pitch than a perfect title. So we can forgive the publishers for the want of more sales than an eternal title. Some of the selected columns have been written for Hindu. And this was the special book that I never disclosed but mentioned in a previous post.
The essay that moved me is the analogy of India in comparison to the epic Mahabharata. As mentioned earlier for someone like me who was bored by his lectures on Mahabharata, this was a cool take. Shashi Tharoor, to what I’ve read from his novels and columns, believes and makes you agree that the plurality of India is it’s biggest strength. This is clearly reflected in this essay and makes one feel proud about the land he comes from. I am sure this is not cheap patriotism selling but a realistic analysis on India’s strengths and of course it’s weaknesses. If you are the type of dude who thinks India is loud and laughable, this is dedicated for your, departed soul.
In essays about books & writers, I just couldn’t say how much I’m impressed with this man’s prodigious talent. Even the first essay details books, childhood and his growing up with books. From Enid Blyton to Hardy Boys, Shashi Tharoor has grown up exactly the same way you, me or any middle-class Indian would grow. You would be instantly attached to this book just after this first essay. It certainly brought back my childhood memories and made me yearn for those read-like-crazy days. Thats probably one reason, I was feeling lost and rambling about not been able to read books as before.
Heck !! even if you are not a PG Wodehouse fan you would appreciate the heights of stardom PG enjoys in India. An essay centers around PG Wodehouse and his everlasting books. Not to mention the special interest of Shashi tharoor on PG Wodehouse. Shashi Tharoor seems to be a big fan of Salman Rusdhie and has been covering most of Rushdie’s books and appearances whenever he gets leisure time. His essay on Salman’s re-appearance after fatwa and the aftermath was just gossip to me. His tribute to RK Narayan was at its best. Even as a staunch hater(!!) of RKN, Tharoor writes about the loss of RKN and how the literary world would miss him. I didn’t find myself at ease in this essay but I’ve to say its one’s choice. Also I found Shashi Tharoor to make some fairly arguable arguments on the old man’s writings.
Though I couldn’t relate too much to the essay, or I should call it a boast, on St Stephen literary skills, I think it was one essay which Tharoor was wanting to get out for a long time. It was an attribute to his college and we can excuse that as a trade-off for his classy narration of Neruda’s poems.
If you are an aspirin or aspiring writer/reader, start here for Shashi Tharoor. Not only you would chance on a guy so prodigious also you would harmonize that he possibly be one of the best writers from India, for a long time to come.
The process of creating a successful potboiler lies in the art of creating an interesting storyline. While a successful film stops there, a super hit goes into unraveling the interesting story with lots of twists thereby doping the audience. Though how much ever Perarasu sounds completely crass and cliched when they display a title, Story Sceenplay Dialogue Lyrics Direction – Perarasu, has managed to create an acceptable masala that is certain to end up as a Super HIT.
Sivakasi is coming together of a divided family and this ain’t new for kollywood for we have been witnessing this since Kudiyirundha Koil. As a change, the movie starts in the Ranganathan Street of T.Nagar and travels to the village for a climax. Offlate, the stories from villages come speeding towards a city, this story actually is a relief as the second half is set in a village. The speedy second half would actually cover-up for the comedy drag in the first half and when the people come out of theatres, they would certainly look at Sun TV cameras and repeat, “Sir, Padam Super”. The winner is actually AM Ratnam. While a successful movie always reward nearly everyone, AM Ratnam manages to get a super hit from every alternate movie.
Exactly on the fifth minute, an iron door is cut with a gas burner and an image walks out. The camera pans in wide angle from the shoe to show the face. The camera wantedly shakes and a loud harmony of Oh !! Oh !! continues in the background. Few minutes later, the mechanic kid says, “Anney!! Oru anju thadava turn pannunganney”, our hero actually turns five times with a ready-made music of vishk vishk vishk. Irrespective of your movie philosphies, you tend to enjoy just these supremely exaggerated shots and willing to watch this angry young man in action. By the time, our hero reaches for the kumkum plate and make a thilak on his forehead, you are sucked into an idiosyncratic world of Super Stars. With Vijay, An HEIR to the Super Star arrives.
Heroism in kollywood terms, comes easy to Vijay. He is graceful, cool and is on his best when the story requires him to display heroism. This is the third of Vijay’s good movie in the last 3 years. After Thirumalai it was Gilli and now its Sivakasi. Vijay has nearly perfected the rajini pattern and infact I should say he says that loud in few scenes like when he is throwed onto the throne as in Rajini Muthu. Also when he pronounces, Unmaiya Sonnen while vishking his finger. With the boy-next-door looks and a typical dravidian face, Vijay will be celebrated like Rajini. Vijay who is 30 has an advantage of starting early. Vijay is here to stay provided if he doesn’t get carried away in doing ‘different’ movies. I only wish those crappy dialgoues on ‘how to be a girl’ are most avoided.
Prakash Raj actually increased the value of the film. With his role similar to Gilli if not the same, he out performs most of others in the movie. As they say, only when you have a Nambiyaar, MGR can become a hero, Prakash Raj is a must have for such movies. Asin is the heroine. Asin is the heroine. Asin is the heroine. Nothing much about this girl who even laughs in malaylam. The comedy gang spear-headed by the ‘hari-giri’ Chittibabu does a neat job. Prakash Raj’s sidekick, the guy with the beard is actually funny. And as many believe, the director just ensembled the hit characters of the recent commercial hits and brought them together in one movie. The songs and dances are certainly cool and reminding me of Dhill, Gilli, Dhool and Thirumalai.
If you are all out for the movie, you will enjoy, clap hands and whistle along with the crowd and I did miss watching this movie in Kamala among numerous Vijay fans. Have a mighty timepass !!
kirukkal.com 