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September 24, 2004

Blame it on who ?

Night Shyamalan‘s Village has finally arrived last week to Chennai. Probably thats one film that I would have expected to release parallel to its hollywood release given the proven audience for Night’s films.

Steven Speilberg’s The Terminal which has won accolades around the world is yet to release in Chennai. Or has it released and gone out of theatres without my knowledge. Can’t comment on that, anything is possible. A similar thing did happen to Steven Spielberg’s Amistad. It released and on the first weekend, less than 20 odd people were found themselves aloof inside the theatre. If that’s funny, here’s more. The 1996 Oscar winner, The English Patient, is yet to release in Chennai. Why would someone release it when you have such a small audience for good films. Blame it on the audience and they blame it back on the distributors.

If Shyamalan’s Village could get kollywood audience amused, we will have some more Shock movies in Tamil. Can’t stand those bad adaptations.

Update : Latha has some nice things to say on herself and also on bloggers [Indian Bloggers especially] in the Guest Blog. Read her blogpost – I, Me, Myself.
September 24, 2004

I, Me, Myself.

[ by Latha (lathsmail@gmail.com) ]

Hey Latha, here’s to u. Way to go dear, a pat on my back. Well, no one can blame me for respecting myself now, can u? Here pals, hold my hand and I shall lead to this wonderful world of self realization. I am a best eg for puliya paarthu poonai soodu pottu kondathu. Inspired by the enormous creativity of bloggers all around, the schizo in me jumped awake and said that I can do it too after all isn’t all talents hidden initially. Armed with a laptop and so called self proclaimed hidden talent, I started (or is it ended?) to pen my thoughts into words. Starting from the stuff that I don’t like (isn’t it comparatively easier to vent out our frustrations and dislikes). I guess all of us are just waiting for an opportunity to take it out on someone what better place to do that than in a blog. But first, tried to check the latest posts of all fellow bloggers(?!)- (hey, come on, I have started to write, so the guys who are presently writing are my fellow bloggers, surely, I can claim that). Feeling inwardly happy that Maximus is a little out of form and what aNti writes about goes only 20000 feet above my head (he isn’t in my league, u see), and since is KG is busy scaring people out of their wits with his flashy antics and Anand having chosen specific subjects to write about. I thought that I will definitely have my share of readers. The huge looming threat seemed to come only from a jujubi one time Indiblog winner Lazy Geek, but me thinks I can charm him into stop writing about simple things in life and getting into some other hobbies like maybe deep sea diving or bungee jumping or something less adventurous like traveling by PTC footboard on Monday morning, when his only focus wud be on hanging on to the window rod and not drooling over Sonia Agarwal over Kodambakkam bridge. Hey, come one, give me a big hand. I did manage to write so much now, didnt I?

Now, I dedicate this piece of my writing to my earlier attempt(the first, actually hee hee hee) at writing something which I presumed would make the world sit up and look at me with respect (and a little weirdly too). This writeup is inspired by the reaction I got for my previous article. Profound silence! Isn’t silence supposed to be gold and talk silver and all of u know that I cant be anyone else than a typical Indian girl who knows the true value of gold. Well, I should say that my dogged determination (read arrogance) to make my fellow bloggers and readers(?!) life miserable is also inspired by my all time fav Kamal Hassan who cant be anything but himself at any point of time. Trust me guys, Narcissm helps atleast it definitely doesnt harm.. if we cant blow our own trumpets then how will we even be able to the tell the world that we have trumpet in the first place. Well, this logic cant be beaten now, can it?

In addition to dedicating this piece to myself (hey, only I read what I write), this also goes to all those people whose talents are trying to break free to set the world right, and those who are basking in the glory of their skills. 3 cheers to all you bloggers out there for enlightening ignoramasus like me about this world’s achievers and dreamers, the explored and unexplored, interesting trivia’s, right up to bringing back nostalgic memories of pleasant yesteryears, lightening speed todays and positively wild tomorrows.

A special note of thanks to Lazy Geek. For identifying the writing bone in me, its ok lazy, relax everyone is allowed to make one mistake in life and you made yours 🙂
September 24, 2004

On Kamalhassan’s Thenaali tone, if

On Kamalhassan‘s Thenaali tone, if I have to say, these Deiva Machaans, Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google, are awarded with the highest award in engineering. These googles guys are selected for the 2004 Marconi International Fellowship Award at Columbia University. Read More.
September 23, 2004

Barkha Dutt and her time-out crib

[Pic: tribuneindia.com]

Barkha is highly impressive with a mike in her hand. The comparable Christiane Amonpour of India. One of the stalwarts of NDTV and also a household name in Indian news. For the kind of fabulous reporting she does on NDTV she can just walk away with the best news correspondent award every year.

I’ve been a fan of her talk show We The People for a couple of years. We the People focuses on the hot topics of the contemporary political and social scene in India. She manages to get the best of minds appropriate to the topic selected and she definitely does a good job in forking the time/space between the opposites in the show. Its a show that will grow on you and you would even street fight with your folks to get hold of the remote on Sunday evenings. The same time Kushboo does the Jackpot show on Jaya TV and hence the street fight.

Last week, the topic on the hottest and very concerning topic of Reservation of Jobs in Private Sector. Thats enough to rake up the show. From Dalit activists to sociology professors, there were more than enough chief guests carefully selected to deal this rather very sensitive topic.While the group churned out some nice points on both sides[for/against reservation], I loved what GurCharan Das had to say.

GurCharan Das, the former CEO of Procter & Gamble, also a leading columnist in Times of India, answered to a query of giving away 2% of all the private companies profits to backward caste students, thereby enabling the government to start more schools for the backward castes. GurCharan remarked, why would the backward caste guys get public education even when the private sector contribute so much to the education. He said the private sector would surely give away more than 2% of their profits and those students who are from backward classes should be allowed to study in any school they feel like. Be it the Dhoon school to the Don Bosco they should be given the best of education. A reply with lots of foresight. He is certainly one visionary.

Back to point, Barkha Dutt seems to be too bothered about the time running away and literally cuts short some interesting conversations between the guests. That seems to be dull side of the show. If a guest comes over to the show, he should be given ample time to convey his ideas and also he needs time to talk against his counterparts ideas. Rather it seems like Barkha conducts a GD interview and the one who interrupts at the right time with the right stuff gets full scores. With the show being such a hit on NDTV why would those guys at NDTV crib so much to extend the show to an hour and half. Instead of the same news getting repeated every half hour, this one is better alternative. Would Barkha/NDTV get it done ?

More:
Barkha Dutt – A Profile.
Her Interview to The Tribune.
September 22, 2004

Kamalhassan’s Confessions of the Assassin

[Pic: thehindu.com]

Kamalhassan, in his interview to The Hindu, makes a mention of Hey Ram‘s english version called Confessions of the Assassin. He leaves it to the assumption if it’s a remake or a dubbed version. But to read between/upon/downunder the lines, it looks like its a re-make. I hate to make this assumption because it could very well be a dubbed version. However, he says it been made on a limited budget and he is in agreement that Hey Ram should have been made on a shoestring budget.

Personally, I think, Hey Ram is one of the most stupendous movies he ever made. It had to it many abstract theologies that he advocated without being obvious and he did a good job of making it in big budget. Just because the movie failed in the box-office none[including him] can think it could have been made with a tight budget. Kamal along with Bharath Shah[who produced it in Hindi] did spend a huge lump of money for Hey Ram. However, the portrait of Sagetharam which he weaved so lavishly was definetly worth it.

Hey Ram had some superb talent to it. Be it Kamalhassan himself, Illayaraja who orchestrated the music for Hey Ram in Hungary, Thiru who did a great camera work, Shahrukh, Rani and many more.

If this Confessions of the Assassin could get a good notice in Hollywood, like Bend it like Beckham, Kamal’s long term dream of Marudhanayagam has chance to get a re-birth.

Incidentally, he also mentions Marudhanayagam while saying, It is a nice movie that has to be released in Tamil, English and French. My investment of Rs. eight crore is totally blocked. It should happen very soon. Read more from his interview, No stopping him.

Blame it on who ?

I, Me, Myself.

On Kamalhassan’s Thenaali tone, if

Barkha Dutt and her time-out crib

Kamalhassan’s Confessions of the Assassin