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Here is an survey article that says the best invetion ever is ……toothbrush. Phew!!, you might think but MIT professor Merton Flemings is pretty exited to say this. Taking about inventions, he also says about Farnswoth who devoted his life to develop the basis of today’s television.

When asked him what if few people would argue that television is an invention that do great harm, he replied “With any good tool, you can do the wrong thing with it. [When I was a boy] there was a machine in the shoe store I could stand on, push a button and X-ray my feet. It was a terrible thing, but we didn’t know the danger back then.”

We had a similar dicussion on Kiruba‘s blog where I was pointing out that television isn’t a harmful invention and it just depends on how good we use it.

Couple of movies this weekend kept me busy.

One was Lesa Lesa, Priyadarshan‘s re-make of malyalam movie Summer in Bethlehem. The original Malayalam version had Mohanlal (played by Madhavan in Tamil) and Suresh Gopi (Shaam in Tamil). It is a perfect example of a movie with a good storyline but damaged by bad characterisation and very loose screenplay. Madhavan rocks the show with his powerful cameo performance like Karthik in Mouna Ragam. Trisha scores badly because her characterisation doesn’t keep up with the story. Its a heavy role like Revathy’s role in Mouna Ragam and is played very lightly by Trisha but with lot of new comer exuberance. As usual Thiru kalakks with his stunning cinematography. Every scene is framed immaculately. Except Ulaga Azagiye song there aren’t many innovative number by Harris Jayaraj. Finally, the movie can be re-named Promise Promise, for there are dozens of promises made back and forth in the movie.

Also watched a long overdue movie, Mr & Mrs Iyer. Aparna Sen‘s exceptional directorial skill amazes me. Rahul Bose, one of my most favourite actors since the TV series, Mouthful of Sky, continues with a simple-yet-relaistic performance. He is someone who is like Morgan Freeman whose acting couldn’t be distinguished from the movie. He is the best choice for this role. If this movie was to be shot a decade back it would have been Amol Balekar. Not many would attempt this role which needs a common man and not an actor. Konkona Sen, is an unexpected acting talent in the movie. Her performance as Meenakshi Iyer, goes much beyond the boundaries of a veteran actresses.

Ustad Zakir‘s background scores are a treat to ears while Gautam Ghose displays the artistic skills of Kolkatta cinedom. But a little disappointing point is the thin line of dramatic feeling that runs throughout the movie. Maybe for me who is accustomed to Mani Ratnam way of film-making, this spoon-feeding-the-viewer-with-expressions-that-could-have-been-sublime technique is slightly difficult to follow.

This morning was as fresh as Alai Payuthey Madhavan‘s leap to the sky. Watched Pachai Niramey for the nth time in Sun TV. nth time = number of days from the release of Alai Payuthey * 2. Arguably the best picturised song of AR Rahman and one of the best song of ARR and Mani Ratnam combination. Before Pachai Niramey‘s coming I would have argued it could be the Chandralekha song from Thiruda Thiruda. Even today Chandralekha is one of the outstanding songs in tamil cinema. Even if Mani wants to picturize a similar song it would be difficult for him, now. It is such a potent combination of extraordinary camera angles, awesome choreography and fresh vocals (rendered by Anuphama). My cousin couldn’t believe that the whole Chandralekha song was picturised in the Chennai museum located at the heart of Chennai.

Alai Payuthey by itself is such a engrossing movie. But Pachai Niramey clearly stands out. It could be said as a song with nearly no flaws. The picturisation glues with the tune and color combination is so pleasant that there isn’t any diminishing marginal utility funda with this song. Though there is a clear exaggeration of color and this has been achieved by the color grading. I had read in an interview of PC Sriram that he and Mani Ratnam took more than a couple of weeks for the color grading for this movie which is far from normal. The result is such a clean product that will stand over time.

Mani Ratnam loves the Taj Mahal. Not the usual way which others show and see. It is an angle that many haven’t even thought about. From Panni Vizhum Iravil in Mouna Raagam to Pachai Niramey in Alai Payuthey he has shown this tomb of love in some real exciting angles. In Mouna Raagam it was a nightly view with a long panning shot. It was mostly a backdrop for that song. But the most intresting angle was in Iruvar. Many haven’t even attempted to see the movie in theatre. In Iruvar’s Vennila Vennila (rendered by Asha Bhonsle) song when Aishwarya seduces Mohanlal, the camera shows a blurred green leaf and suddenly moves in a fast fashion opening up the Taj from the side angle. It is a very close angle where the viewer is suprised by the sudden appearance of Taj. Only someone of Mani’s caliber could think this shot. A similar backdrop of Taj is filmed in Pachai Niramey just as the last shot when Madhavan takes a huge leap among a maze of white clothes and taj forming the white backdrop for that shot. The whole shot lasts just for 4 seconds and it is real piece of class. And so I sipped my morning filter coffee watching Mani’s masterpiece.

Truely obnoxious but true. This survey was ordered by Paramount Home Entertainment to coincide with the video release of Changing Lanes, which stars Ben Affleck as a worker who marries his boss’s daughter to get on, says that many employees are prepared to cheat, lie and stab work-mates in the back to get on in their jobs.

This and much more than what you imagine. Read it. Link via Balaji.

What would have happened if Jack Welch hadn’t become CEO of GE, when he did. Nothing. GE would have produced an equally good CEO remarks Jim Collins, the American management guru.

In this article he cheers that the Indian corportate management would do well if it doesn’t inbibe bad habits from the American management practices. Finally, he concludes, “Technology can accelerate greatness that’s already in place. We didn’t find one company that became great principally because of technology. Rather, we found that first companies became great and then applied technology.” Makes Sense.