kirukkal.com

In Defense of Mani Saar :

It’s burning again. After The Sethu Controversy, here is a flame again. Can you see it at the sides of the browser ?

Senty’s comment on Mani Ratnam’s movies are blatant copies of western films have set a flame. From Senthil it started and Anti took it off to the next level of expressing the angst in two detailed posts in his blog fearing that my comments box will break if he tries to dump such huge essays as comments.

Anyway, I am open for a fair discussion. Anti and Senthil have already won half the case for me.

Ayudha Ezhuthu Update:
Ayudha Ezhuthu or Aayutha Ezhuthu is not opening up for the pongal season, as expected. It will be here for tamil new year’s day on April 14th 2004 . But my first wait is for the A R Rahman’s music of Aayutha Ezhuthu which I hope will get released during march as a marketing strategy.

Why do all your films revolve around a mentally- affected man?

Bala : Honestly speaking, every man is affected mentally by something. My films are reflections of those people, who had experienced it. My characters Chiyan, Nandha or Chithan are people affected by something.

I told you, All his heroes are mad. Finally he ends up calling everyone mad. Good Joke. I stopped reading the interview the minute I read the above answer. You continue reading it here.

Enjoy !!

Goggles, Joystick and Kasparov :

As Kasparov takes on the next generation Chess gaming system called X3D Fritz, ESPN is recording the entire match to be broadcasted.

X3D Technologies is a private company that develops three-dimensional display systems. X3D is sponsoring the current match, and the publicity angle is that Mr. Kasparov is wearing electronic 3-D goggles for the entire match while watching a computer screen. Mr. Kasparov plays the machine by speaking his moves, which are then represented in the computer image he sees, rather than by actually manipulating a physical board. A joystick controls the viewing angle.

On Tuesday, playing the white pieces in the opening game in front of a few hundred spectators , Mr. Kasparov fought X3D Fritz to a draw. The second of four scheduled games at the New York Athletic Club is to be played today; Mr. Kasparov will receive $200,000 for winning the match, $175,000 for a draw and $150,000 for a loss.

Watch the whole game LIVE on wired here or read more on New York Times about the Kasparov phenomenon. NY Times needs login/password.

Srinath calls it a day. He retires. Again and Finally.

Hey that wasn’t a joke. Javagal Srinath proved to be the most important replacement for the Indian Pace bowling after Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar. When Manoj was caught amidst the wave of scams, Javagal filled in the void and had shouldered the Indian team’s stigma of missing Kapil and Manoj.

Having bowled tons of overs in the tests under the captaincy of Azharuddin, got his muscles over-worked and finally got hurt. Azhar used him to the core in the tests and finally he was a sqeezed pepsi can. Sorry to be harsh but I have to be. ‘Cause Javagal bowled more overs in tests than an average pace bowler of his stamina. Misused-yet-useful was Srinath who toiled enough for India. Let him have a cup of coffee in his bangalore house while Indians toil against the al-mighty aussies. I hope they come back victorious.

Best of Srinath : The 1999 World Cup match in Bangalore against Pakistan when the Banglore trio Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Kumble whacked them out.

Chennayil Oru Mazhai Kaalam

Kakkha Kakkha Gautam is directing his next flim, Chennayil Oru Mazhai Kaalam (A Rainy Season in Chennai). Are u teasing us, Gautam. There is absolutely no water or rain except for the last few days it seemed to have dripped here and there. Swear I don’t know how much it rained. (H)ear say.

But seriously if this is the final title, it is very intriguing. Even Balu Mahendra‘s Dhanush starrer is named as Athu Othu Kannak Kaalam. Its rumoured that the story lines goes like Dhanush getting seduced by Ramya Krishna(n)vamsi. So who’s going to seduce who in Gautam’s Chennayil Oru Mazhai Kaalam. Atleast the rain seduce the Chennaites.

Hope Gautam gets a chance to seduce Sujatha for writing dialogues. Given Gautam’s slick style of film making like what we say in Kakkha Kakkha and Sujatha’s consumate experience in writing slick dialogues like what he did for Kannathil Muthamittal and Shankar’s Boys, their combination could be nothing but sheer fun.

Remember the true-to-life dialogues of Sujatha in Kandukondain Kandukondain directed by Gautam’s guru Rajiv Menon. I hope this combonation gets hooked and works well.