X-mas Wreath inside the house -- X-mas

Ceiling Decorations -- for X-mas

On the X-mas Tree

Merry X-mas

From today, I will post a snap of the decorations till Wednesday. It shall be my tribute to the concept of Wordless Wednesdays -- of course it is not a single day but 3 days of no words - only pics - to show you my x-mas decorations. I like the idea already. No more writing, talking, or thinking out loud.

Of course, I can write today. This is the snap taken on the 25th - of the crib. The Arien is quite creative. This time, I helped a bit. Usually, he gets so hyper that I keep away but this time we both were involved in the creation of the crib.

The Arien had this amazing design and by the time we finished with it - he felt our crib did not match up to his expectations.

According to me -- It was made by him with a lil help from me and so it was ob. great :D But, naturally, I would say that :D

This is a close-up shot of the crib - You can see baby Jesus and the focus was perfect for the snap. Of course, some of the others snaps were not so easy or blur-free.

Merry Christmas to you all :D

Merry Christmas to you all -- Happy Holidays!

The first bit of decoration that was completed on the night of the 23rd while we were giggling and shushing each other outside our door in the common hallway. It was also the first time we were hanging up the decoration on the door especially because the Arien is paranoid 'bout the door. He is so sure someone will walk away with our decorations.

We usually only put up the Merry Christmas on the door but this looked so much nicer -- Xmas spirit was on the rise :)

Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol

This movie had garnered so much of publicity that though we were not ready for X-mas yet, we made time for the movie. Yes, we saw the movie on a weekday two days before X-mas. It was a nice idea - catching a movie on a weekday. Both of us felt so relaxed - it was almost as if we were dating :D Also, we were seeing it at the new multiplex near our home, Cinemax @ Total.

About Cinemax @ Total:
The new multiplex is a hop, skip, jump away from my place. Wah! The Gold Class tickets are 200 bucks a head. Wah! Wah! The Gold Class seats are huge, very comfy, and simply fantastic. Double Wah! Wah!

Image Courtesy: http://www.guardian.co.uk

About the movie:
The MI movies always have some amazing stunts and this one does not fail to impress at all - in that department. Of course, in this movie the mega stunts are actually over and done with by the time we come to the intermission. Tom cruise looks seriously old in the escape scene at the hospital. However, in the last scene, he looks clean and yumm!! Its surprising how much damage unwashed hair can do to your looks :P

Waaah: Tom Cruise is good, yet again. I was very surprised to know that he has actually performed the stunt in Dubai and did not take the help of a stunt-double. They are simply aeons away in terms of technology wen it comes to film-making. Inspite of squinting real hard, I really could not see the wires that were holding Tom - fantastic! Story was ok. Both the Arien and self realized after a few minutes that the main villain, Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) was actually the actor who played Blomkevist from "The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo". He is older but is good as the villain. We had recently seen Jeremy Renner (William Brandt) in the movie "The Town". Good choices. Simon Pegg provided some comic relief and was perfect for the role he played.

Blaaah: Anil Kapoor, is not the villain as mentioned in various press releases, but can actually be described as an extra with a few dialogues. He plays the part of a foolish, rich, Indian businessman with an eye for the ladies. He is absolutely ridiculous. The scene supposedly shot in a parking lot in Mumbai, is very clearly not shot in India. While we have not yet reached tht level of spohistication wrt parking lots, the number plates of the cars also has not been modified. A colleague remarked that some of those cars have not even been launched in India. Attention to detail was clearly missing. When Tom Cruise mentions that they will be travelling to India, it almost sounds like an anti-climax punch dialogue which falls pathetically flat. WTH???!!

Worth watching once - if only to see the stunts!

The Town

This movie was the Arien's choice. I wanted to see it because the movie starred Ben Affleck. This whole week seemed so lazy that a movie seemed like a good idea :D I remember "Good Will Hunting" which was a fantastic movie. We hoped this was a good one too. It was. Not great - good. Definitely worth a watch.

This movie is yet another bank heist movie but I liked it because of the script. The movie also stars Jeremy Renner. I had not seen him in any other movie before this. He is good. Usually, movies end with the robbers walking off into the sunset with the money. This movie begins with the heist and how their life changes after that. Four friends, from Charlestown, known as the Town, plan the heist and successfully pull it off. Ben and Jeremy are close friends. As part of the heist, they take the assistant manager hostage and let her go without harming her. Ben is drawn to her. Jeremy wants no loose ends and is worried that she may recall something which may result in their capture. Ben falls in lowe with her, gets close to her and makes her fall in lowe with him all the while hiding his true identity from her.

At the same time, the police are waiting for the gang to make mistakes or plan another heist. They are blackmailed into planning another heist and what happens after that forms the rest of the story.

Adhoc Interpretations of an Ad

Today, as I sat down to watch some TV, the first ad I saw had me cringing. It was an ad for pickles (Aachi). They had used an old Tamizh song "Thottu Kollava..." as the background. If you have not seen the ad, watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbwBfVjjnds&feature=related

Why was I cringing? Well, they had this handsome hulk giving you a sidey smile as he sang "Thottu kollava.. "! A very small percentage of Tamilians use the term "Thottukka" to refer to the side dish accompanying the main dish. Now, if I am told that we are having sambhar and rice for dinner, I will probably ask "Thottukka Yenna irrukku?" The answer is usually the name of the subzi that was made. If you are eating curd rice, pickle is usually the answer. Thus, the idea for this ad, I think. However, literally translated, it means "What is available for me to touch?" And from the guy's expression, it looks like he means it literally - Naturally, I am cringing at the double meaning! So when he is singing "Thottu Kollava..." with sidey grins and glances, he is probably singing it literally to the heroine and not so literally to the pickle jar.

Well, if we are going to look at it literally, I vote for the big bad wolf singing this song to Little Red Riding Hood. Makes it less of a double meaning and kinda more believable - don't you think?

Wordless Wednesdays -- My new Footwear -- Comfort Won Over Style

The Song Playing In My Head Nowadays

No no no... Its not "Why this Kolaveri Kolaveri di?" which has been a hot fav on Facebook. However, this song is yet another Dhanush song - at least it is picturised on him. The song is from the movie Mayakkam Yenna and I am unable to shake the song from my head.

I liked the song when the Arien played it in our car. When I saw the video, I liked the song even more. Dhanush is purrfect as the desperate guy and the video is quite good for a Tamizh song.

Naturally, one part of me wonders why I like this song.

Without further ado, the song is: "Voda Voda Voda Dhooram Korayala".

If you have not heard it yet, check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_aS5agMhAg

Wordless Wednesdays -- Separated at Birth?

How much do you lowe ur hair?

I have never bothered too much 'bout my hair. I have always had ramrod straight hair, which turns wavy when it is left to grow too long. I keep my hair short, in what used to be known as a boycut, for several years now. Low-maintenance, easy to manage were my buzzwords when anyone asked me why I was not going in for a change in hair style. All that changed, thanks to the combined efforts of water, pollution, some amount of negligence, trying out various hair care products, indiscriminate usage of hair colour, and not to forget, age.

Wondering if I will ever find a product that would help my hair go back to soft and smooth was on my wish list for a while. I came across Dove shampoo which seemed like god-send to me. My hair was soft to touch and smelt divine. It seemed like I could finally put a check against this item on my wish-list.

This Diwali, when I had to decide on some nice gift for myself, I decided to pamper my hair. Yes, I got myself the Dove Hair Care products. Yes, all 4. Kinda too much?? Well, ya especially because I am still not sure how to use the serum or the mask. I saw the directions but am still a bit confused. The Arien has been teasing me -- "You got what you wanted and now you don't know what to do with it. Seriously?!!" I am sooo grrr.. that I wrote this post to ask for help. Do any of you use the Dove hair mask? Or the serum?

Happy Diwali -- 3 Reviews in 1 -- Loong Post

Diwali is a special time for most Tamilians. Apart from the celebrations, the pattasu, the sapadu, and the bakshanams, most Tamilians eagerly await the diwali film releases. This year, there were a number of releases around Diwali timeframe, we had Vedi, Velayudham,  7aam Arivu, Engeyum Eppodhum fighting it out for audience attention and appreciation. Naturally, I had to see all or some of them. Thanks to the Arien's enthu, we caught 3 of the 4 movies. Happy Diwali, you all!!

Vedi

This is an action movie starring Vishal, Sameera Reddy, and Vivek. Though the movie released almost a month before Diwali, I am including it here. This movie was directed by Prabhu Deva, who gave us Wanted, [Beeg Hindi Hit], Engeyum Kaadhal [Beeg Tamizh Flop]. I went to this movie with low expectations. This movie is typical of Vishal's movies and follows the regular tamizh masala movie template through and through.

Vivek, though he manages to bring a smile to your face, is hardly in his element here. His comedy  is a far-cry from his usual style and seems to follow the slapstick comedy of Vadivel. However, he was one of the bright spots of an otherwise absolutely blaaah movie.

Image Courtesy: http://www.tamilrelease.com/

Vishal beats up guys left, right, and center and they go flying across the screen, doing somersaults in the air, bouncing back from the ground.. Ufff!!Sameera Reddy first hates Vishal and then falls for him, as usual. She is the other bright spot in this movie. She looks very lean and quite cute. The first part is funny and moves at a fast pace. The second part got so boring that the Arien decided to leave before the film ended. For once, I did not disagree.

Verdict: Thumbs Down

7aam Arivu

This was a much-anticipated Diwali release starring Suriya and Shruthi Hassan. The masala movie template was thrown out of the window which was a welcome change. A R Murgadoss, known for Ghajini, is the director of this movie. Some of the songs in this movie were very different and reminds you of A R Rehman's songs. However, Harris Jeyraj is the music director for this movie. Except for the first song, which introduces present day Suriya and his circus, others seem disconnected and jarr a bit. Though the songs were good, well-picturised, it disrupted the flow of the story and looked as if it was forced into the script because they were already shot. (While this is the case in most movies - it seemed particularly out-of-sync in this movie). 

Bodhidharman, a tamizh pallava prince, goes to China to ensure that the epidemic that was killing most of the chinese people, does not reach India. He cures the chinese folks and also displays his martial skills when the village is attacked by a group of men. He teaches them these skills to protect themselves. He is fondly known as Damo. When he wants to return to Kancheepuram, India, the chinese decide to poison him because it was predicted that he must be buried in China so that the disease does not return to China. Knowing that he was poisoned, and realizing the reason for this, Bodhidharman eats the posioned food and is buried in China. This was well-shot and Suriya comes alive as Bodhidharman. In the next part, Suriya is a circus artiste or performer with the Great Bombay Circus.

The chinese villain, Dong Lee, is fantastic and has nearly as much screen space as Suriya and is outstanding. Shruthi Hassan is not a natural. She looks very pretty, slim, but somehow in the songs, she seems to be holding back. Lot of plot holes and an amateur Chinese conspiracy theory spoils the rest of the movie. While the movie shares information that would make most Tamilians proud, it was kinda done in a very prabhu deva style and so failed to make an impact. The ending is also slightly weird. See if you can catch A R Murgadoss in the final scene.

Verdict: 50-50

Engeyum Eppodhum

This is a movie that most people saw, liked, and recommended. It sounded so much like Engeyum Kaadhal that I was not sure. However, it was the best of the lot. There are two love stories, one involving Jai (Subramaniapuram, Goa) and Anjali (Angadi Theru, Mankatha) and the other involving Ananya and Sharavanand. Both stories strike a chord and are well-written as well as well-picturised.

The love story between Jai and Anjali happens over a few months. Jai watches her across terraces and attempts to wave at her for a period of 6 months. Jai is soft-spoken, shy, and does not have the guts to talk to her. Also, from the distance, sometimes he is unable to differentiate between daughter and mother resulting in some funny scenes. Anjali is quite bold, visits him in his home one day, much to his shock. He is also not sure if she is the girl who he has been waving at. She tells him that on the fourth day, she went to the tea shop opposite his house and had a good look at him. She then waits for him to make his move but he seems to be happy waving at her frm his house. She orders him about mercilessly and both are a treat to watch. 

Image Courtesy: http://www.vadakudin.blogspot.com/

The love story between Ananya and Shravanand happens during the course of a single day. Ananya comes to Chennai to attend an interview and is suuposed to be picked up by her cousin who is called away because of a family medical emergency. Ananya wants to go back to her village immediately but the cousin asks her to attend her interview and shares the bus details. Ananya fears the travel and her cousin asks her to call someone to the phone who will follow her instructions and put her on the bus. The stranger she asks is Sharavanand. Her innocence, shock as she observes the goings-on in Chennai is a lil contrived but amusing nevertheless. Shravanand, as the patient, understanding guy, who takes an hour's permission, half-day leave and then finally full-day leave so he can drop her off at her cousin's place is good. Ananya refuses to take the job as it means she has to work in Bangalore. They do not meet after that but they both have slowly but surely fallen in lowe with each other. They finally decide to find each other with very few details.I do not want to share too much except to say - WATCH IT!

Verdict: Thumbs Up

Been there, Done that -- Bengaluru Metro

Finally, 5 days after Metro service was launched in Bangalore, I went on my first metro ride. It was a holiday and I was visiting my grandma and aunts who live in Cambridge Layout. Visiting them was never an issue before 'cos I had my two-wheeler. Last Diwali, I disposed off my bike. And, because I am not comfortable driving my car, I have to either wait for the Arien to pick or drop me or take an auto. You do not want me to rant 'bout the rampant auto issue that folks in Bengaluru face. I was quite glad I had another option. Yes - The Metro!

After a nice loong chat with my aunts, and my grandma, a bowl of papaya, hot chai and biskoot, I decided it was time to go home. While I could have taken the metro frm Ulsoor, I opted to walk up to Indira Nagar and then take the metro from that station. The walk was invigorating. It had jes stopped raining and somehow the place felt so much like Bangalore and not Bengaluru.

Image Courtesy: www.mrnewz.com

The metro ride was a joy. I have travelled on the Delhi Metro and so while the experience was essentially the same, I was so glad to experience it here. The ride from Indira nagar to Baiyappanhalli cost me Rs. 12.  "So cheap.. so so cheap" was all that was running in my head :D I wished I had taken the ride earlier, as it was becoming quite dark and I really could not appreciate the view. All the seats in all the coaches were occupied. And quite a few ppl were standing when I got on. It took me ~6 mts to reach the station. I was lucky enough to get on the feeder service that dropped me off right opposite my Dad's place. That cost me Rs.9. I got to spend some time with the Taurean and the senior Arien before the Arien landed up to pick me up. If I had taken an auto from Indiranagar to my home, I would have spent minumum Rs. 100. On top of that, I would have to listen to the auto drivers rant 'bout how IT folks who sit in AC rooms all day are mean (because they refuse to pay auto drivers their hiked up charges). Let me not forget to add that most times, they are positively rude and refuse to take you anywhere that you have to go to. The metro is such a nice solution to all those issues. I wish they hurry up and finish up all the other lines as well. I wish they had a station near K R Puram or B Narayanapura. There is some plan to extend the existing route to whitefield. I wish they do.

Go Bengaluru!! Very positive news for Bengaluru!    

Wordless Wednesday -- Aloo Gobi (North Indian Style) -- Yummy!

Mausam -- Movie Review

Over the weekend, we decided to take the Arien aunt out for a movie and lunch. The Arien aunt is back in Bangalore from Mumbai for a month. It was my idea to take her to Mausam because I felt it would be slow with no major dishum dishum. You may recall, she enjoyed Deivathirumagal. Both the Arien and self found it quite boring in some places and very slow. Anyway, come saturday, both the Arien and self book tickets for Mausam, and treat the Arien aunt to an interesting lunch at Gokul Kuteera, a veg eatout. Both self and the Arien aunt chatted nineteen to a dozen while the Arien watched us both, amused. My aunt was enjoying her timeout and was keen on having some fun. The mistake was taking her out to watch Mausam! *Spoiler Alert*

The first one hour of the movie moves at a languid pace and you enjoy the antics of the gaon ka handome chora (Shahid) as he tries one dare-devil stunt, runs across rooftops to catch sight of the love of his life (Sonam) using a pair of binoculars from a different era, teases his sister, makes fun of his would-be brother-in-law, and generally behaves like a naughty younger brother you may have. If you recall your first crush and your behavior at tht time - you may feel a lil indulgent. But, as the movie moves on, we now have Shahid as a smart ofser with a moustache and a vardi, both of which look very good on him btw, and Sonam in Scotland as a ballerina, that you wonder -- whaaattt??? You wish 7 or 9 years had such an effect on you :P

Image Courtesy: www.ibnlive.com

Anyway, they are apparently as crazily in lowe as they were then. Sonam seems to have developed her fashionista sense at Scotland and family members of Sonam are quite impressed with his vardi that they claim it is an honor that someone known to them is in a vardi! He is the absolute pukka sahib. But, somehow he comes across very serious for no reason. If he had come to announce someone's death - I can understand tht expression but seriously holding on to that expression throughtout the second half - killed the movie. On the day Shahid is supposed to meet Sonam's dad to ask for her hand, kargil war beckons and Shahid goes away before getting married. At this juncture, the movie becomes absolutely boring and you really want to go home - the Arien asks aloud "Where is the villain?" I had to shush him. The movie is far from over.

Image Courtesy: http://www.forevernokia.com/

After the war, Shahid has paralysis on his left arm and believes Sonam may not lowe him anymore. (Reminds you a lot of that Aamir Khan and Manisha movie). Are you dead yet? Well, believe me it goes on and on and on. Rather than boring you further, I will take you to the last but one scene :D This scene was largely mistaken for a dose of humor or slapstick comedy in an otherwise very boring part of the movie. In ahmedabad, there are riots going on and people are setting fire to houses, cars, people. Sonam has been living here for several years and Shahid has jes landed here to attend the wedding of one of his punju friends from the dare-deviliry days. Amidst all the confusion, Sonam runs out and meets Shahid who saves her. Shahid then goes on to save a horse, and a child from a giant wheel whose mother lies dead - all by himself with one paralysed arm. They decide then to set up home with the horse and the child. That was when ppl started walking out. My aunt said "Aiyooo - this movie will never work". And then the song "Malla Malli" is thrown at us - no one is keen on watching it at all and is quickly walking towards the exit sign.

I like Shahid. This movie did not work for me at all. While the initial part was nice, interesting, indulgent, and slow but still likeable - the rest of the movie went over the top with slow scenes, no impact scenarios, and the final saving scene involving a child, a horse, and the heroine was absolutely a throw-back from the 70s era. We now watch those scenes and laugh - It jes served to confuse the already confused audience. The arien summed it up in one word "BLADE". I have to agree. I hate to do this but watch this movie with very low expectations and you may not feel so bad.   

Wordless Wednesdays - Balmuri Falls & Ranganathittu

Wordless Wednesdays -- Smoothie made by the Arien

180 Not Out

Happiness need not be a beeg nice happening in the day - it can be one small happening - a word, a smile, a handshake, a chocolate, a cookie, a small accomplishment, a word of praise, a second look, a nice cuppa chai, anything.

Well, I jes submitted my 180th post!! Its a small accomplishment but it means a lot to me. Woohoo!! Woohoo!! Ya - you are allowed to shout from rooftops when you are happy. 

Ooops!! The Arien has the shocked look of someone who is on an important call and has to now explain why someone in his house is going Woooohoooo!!! His eyes are giving me the naughty smile: "I was dying there - thanks to ur scream - ppl woke up" while his mouth was saying "Sorry - tht was the TV in the other room - hahahaha - sorry again - haahaha".

Thats my second accomplishment for today. Its very tough to faze the Arien. I jes did it!! woooohooo -- jes lowering the volume! Have to keep the peace in the house.

And if you are wondering what this shoe has got to do with it - Well, thats 180 Not Out. Go figure!

Image Courtesy: www.cricket-hockey.com

Callista -- Nice

Have gone past this restuarant every single day since we moved to the new office premises but the Arien did not budge. This month, the ofc junta chose that place to go for a lunch treat. The food was ok - they had a fixed menu. We had mushroom soup, one veg starter (veg coin), one non-veg starter (not sure wht it was). We had a bread basket and the veg dishes were jeera aloo, a panner dish, and another dish, which I cannot recall now. I think there was a non-veg side dish as well. This was followed by the biriyani (veg and non-veg) and finally dessert. Dessert consisted of fruit salad with ice-cream and gulab jamoon. Quite a mouthful. Not bad at all - in fact, quite good.The ambience would be much better later in the evening, was my thot. They had a huge projector and a few wall-mounted TVs. They also had a decent bar. From outside, it looks quite small but it is actually not that small. I actually enjoyed the place as well as the food though the music played was a bit loud and one waiter was a lil dim. I wanted to visit the place for dinner once before I gave my final verdict.

The same week, we were treating the Arien's bro and sil to dinner and I chose Calista. We reached the place around 10 pm for dinner. (Yupp! Thts a first - we are usually back home by tht time) We opted for the fixed menu again as they did not have a buffet in the evening. The Arien ordered for two non-veg starters (chicken) and was quite impressed. His bro was also happy with the food. I had ordered the Paneer Chilly which was quite spicy and tasty. We moved to the main course - bread basket with yellow dhaal (absolutely yummy), some paneer dish which had no specific taste, and a non-spicy vegetable biriyani which was tasty. The Arien had asked for mutton biriyani which was not available but the chicken biriyani was quite good, he said. The same dim waiter brought our orders. He  blinked when asked any question and then smiled. Next thing you know, he has left everything on the table so that he can call another waiter to answer our question. By then, it was 11 and everything was going to close. He quickly brought the dessert - fruit salad with ice-cream (no change since last visit). The bill arrived around 11:30 by which time most ppl were waiting at their table for their bill. We reached home ~11:45. The Arien and his bro watched a bit of the match on the wall-mounted TV because we were on the other side of the projector. It was a nice, lazy end to a gen day.  

Image Courtesy: www.bangalore.burrp.com

   

Mankatha -- Movie Review

A new movie from Venkat Prabhu, the director who gave us Chennai 28, Saroja, and Goa. It was also supposed to be Ajith's 50th movie. I am not a beeg Thalai fan but the Arien's bro was quite keen. So, 6 of us went for the movie.

The movie is fast-paced. It has shades of "The Italian Job". It is also an all-out guys movie with loads of action. Lot of shooting, guns, bad language, and reference to names given to the stars by their fans. A lil tiring but manageable.

The story is about Arumuga Chettiar, a rich man, who owns a theatre and is involved in a few shady deals in Mumbai. Trisha is his daughter. Ajith, a suspended policeman, is in love with Trisha. Arumuga Chettiar, decides to route 500 crore of betting money (IPL) through his theatre. So, the story is about this heist. 4 guys plan the heist - one is a henchmen of Arumuga Chettiar, other is a policeman who is regularly bribed by Arumugam. Another guy, who runs a bar and his IIT friend. Ajith comes to know of the plan and decides to join them. In another side of Mumbai, Arjun who is the Assistant Commissioner is working to unearth the masterminds involved in the betting scandal. What happens next forms the rest of the movie. 

Image Courtesy: www.latesthot.in

Ajith had absolutely no make-up on - no hair dye and appeared quite natural. Though he did not resemble George Clooney in the least - the salt and pepper hair, and unshaven look actually made him look quite good and required a lot of courage - which impressed me a lot. Trisha had a small, itsy-bitsy role which she handled in her usual style. Lakshmi Rai, was the manipulating bimbette. Arjun, looked his age, but did a good job.

The movie was not at all a typical Tamizh movie that I have to say "Go and watch it!"

Ganesh Chaturthi

I had missed celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi last year thanks to the golden triangle trip we went on. So, I was quite keen on not missing it this year. For the first time, the Arien insisted that I take an off on Wednesday (ytdy) so I do not feel hyper stressed on Ganesh Chaturthi. I think that idea was good. After cleaning up the house, we went out for a drive and purchased Ganesha idol, the go-green one as usual, and all the other misc stuff. We were actually back home before 6 pm on wednesday. Thats a first!

We made Kothhu Kadala shundal, sweet Kozhakattai, and Vadai. The Arien forgot to get Vermicilli. So I could not make Semiya Payasam. The arien suggested Gulab Jamun as an alternative and I agreed. If I mentioned that to any of my aunts especially my periamma - she will burst into laughter and I will never hear the end of that for the rest of my life. So, I did not call her or anybody else to discuss the dishes I made :D

It was a nice celebration - no tension, no stress - jes the way I wanted. Yeah!!! Thanks a lot to the Arien, of course, without whose help I may not have been able to celebrate it - the way I wanted to :D

Wordless Wednesdays -- So Cute!

Zafraan Divine Cuisine

After a marathon run of eating only home cooked food, I rebelled. The Arien acquiesced. It was yet another one of those rainy days. I actually wanted to curl up in bed with a good book and order in food. The Arien wanted to shop and because he had agreed that we could eat out - I was ready in a jiffy. We decided to try Zafraan, which was enroute.

The ambience at Zafraan was quite nice, welcoming, and cozy. The chairs were a bit severe. We should have chosen the sofa but it was already occupied. There were only a few folks arnd and we were late and so I was sure we would be served quickly. We took a few minutes to identify what we should eat and then waited for the waiter to take our order. He took forever to take our order. The Arien was ready to lose his cool when the waiter appeared and took our order. After that we had another looong wait. I noticed that most of the folks who were seated had been waiting a loong time. Some of them were slowly losing their temper. We waited for ~40 minutes before our dishes made an appearance. The food was piping hot and tasted quite different. We actually enjoyed the food a lot. Definitely a lot more than we had expected to. The Arien was also pleasantly suprised.

Image Courtesy: http://bangalore.burrp.com

We had not ordered very spicy dishes and the Arien had also not tried the Non-Veg items on the menu. So, I think Zafraan deserves a second visit from us. Nope, I am not going soft in my old age - I liked the food and really wanna visit again to see if they ever serve on time. While I agree that food gets the highest preference, ambience, and service play a very important role in making you re-visit the restuarant. Making your customers wait 40 minutes is taking the customer for granted.

Locked Out

Today, I forget my keys at home. I did not even realize that I had done so until I got off the bus at the bus-stop near my house, in the evening. I called the Arien instantly b'cos this was only the second time in 4 years that I have done something so foolish. The Arien was going for his Chai break but sweetly agreed to come home immediately. I was glad because Dad was coming home only after 9 pm and I really had nowhere to go and no vehicle either.

Immediately is subjective. That is what I realized after sitting outside my apartment for more than 45 minutes. Before coming home, I even went to the local Bakery and purchased sm general items. I spent the 45 minutes sitting on the stairs playing Global Bloxx to while away the time. A thoughtful neighbour asked me in but I had one of my TB coughs going on and they have a chuntu baby. I really did not want to be blamed if the baby fell sick. As a general rule, I do not venture into the neighbouring apartments and chit-chat. So, their invite made me feel quite awkward. I probably ended up sounding rude. While I was wondering 'bout tht, the Arien called and told me he would be home in 5 mts... and he was.

I did not realize how much of a haven my home was until I was stuck outside with no way of getting in. Oh Oh! This is the first time I have posted on the first of the month -- Woohoo!! Its a blooper post of mine -- Boohoo!!

Myna

I was not too keen on watching this movie. Myna was released in November, 2010. I was sure it was going to be some graamathu kathai with "louvves" thrown in which does not appeal to me at all. The Arien mentioned that I had said the same thing 'bout Aadukalam which I had actually enjoyed. Hmmm...

Well, this was the movie which had a Vizha (Celebration) for its hit status and Kamal Hassan came and said a few words 'bout how great the movie was and how he shed tears and all tht - actually, that should be the one reason for not watching this movie. This whole Vizha stuff is overdone - they have a Vizha for almost anything nowadays. Forcing popular actors to say a few words, making some TV actress dance for the songs from the film etc. etc. After all tht the movie is a total blaade and you wonder why they are having a Vizha??!!! Blade da saami. Hmmmm...

Image Courtesy: http://www.chennaionline.com/

The Story: (No Spoilers)

Surali is the hero, who as a boy rescues Myna and her mother when they get thrown out of their house. He requests an old lady for whom he has a lot of affection, to take care of both of them. Myna's mother makes Kuzhi Paniyaram and other tiffin items and earns her livelihood. Myna goes to school while Surali is a wastrel. Myna's mother always calls him her Maruman (Son-in-law) but when Myna grows up, she decides to get Myna married to someone rich from Dubai. This upsets Surali who has a nasty temper, he picks up a stone to kill the mother. The mother reacts by filing a police complaint and Surali is put in jail for 15 days.

In the meantime, the mother arranges for the wedding. Surali comes to know of this and escapes from the Jail to stop the wedding. The entire police station and all the constables are forced to abandon Diwali celebrations. One police constable and the Inspector go in search of Surali. Meanwhile, Surali reaches home and confronts the mother. The mother locks the door and stays inside with Myna while threatning to commit suicide by burning herself. Myna informs her mother that she would rather die than marry the Dubai Mappilai and the mother can go ahead and commit suicide. She walks out with Surali only to be caught red-handed by the Inspector and the constable. What happens after this forms the rest of the story.

Watch the movie and let me know how you like it. I felt the movie was well-edited and had a good story which was presented well. It kinda reminded me of Aadukalam. Naturally, the Hero's looks meet the requirements of a gramaathu wastrel (unshaven look, curly hair tht fell over his forehead, overall an unkempt appearance).

Deiva Thirumagal

A new movie starring Vikram, Deiva Thirumagal, released last week, with absolutely no hype. If that was not plain weird, I wonder what is. I had not even seen a single trailer. In fact, when I found the movie listed, I did not want to see it until I found out that it was Vikram's movie. And then my Arien aunt insisted that she wanted to watch a Tamizh movie and she said she did not want to watch Vengai starring Dhanush. So, we booked tickets online and went for this movie.

The story revolves around a man who has the mental capability of a five-year old and his daughter, Nila. The mother is no longer alive. And the relatives from the mother's side do not think the father is capable of taking care of the child and separate the two in a very shocking manner. In a funny twist of events, the father meets a lawyer who finally takes up this case. The father's role is played by Vikram. And he has done a fantastic job. Baby Sarah as the daughter has also done a great job. Amala Paul has a small role and she has done her job well. Anushka plays the role of the lawyer. Nasser is the lawyer from the other side.

The movie is quite slow, funny in bits, has absolutely no dishum-dishum, and jes 'bout ook. The Arien aunt fell in lowe with the movie. She is the same person who was very shocked after watching Kaminey, here. I did not like the movie much. I felt the premise was interesting but the movie failed to match it. Its quite possible that a movie about a mentally challenged person is kinda not my favorite type of movie. I did watch Sadma but tht was a looong time ago and while Vikram is almost as good as Kamal - this movie seemed too indulgent. I was quite bored at times. There was a totally unnecessary song between Anushka and Vikram which should have lead to some romance but it did not. Probably the idea was to develop that bit but it got cut or maybe Anushka feared that Amala Paul may end up walking away with the heroine tag and insisted on the song. Y G Mahendran was wasted in a role that did not require him to do much and he delivered. After over-indulging in some places, the story ended in an abrupt manner as though someone had yelled "CUT!". This movie should have been edited better.

the winner

Beginning of July we visited Chennai. The trip was hectic and at the same time quite relaxed. As I was leaving, I picked up the camel club by David Baldacci from my cousin's bookshelf. My SIL offered me another book, the winner, by the same author and so I was all smiles. However, it was only last week when I actually started on the winner because I was keen on finishing The Reversal. I have not read any other book by this author and the fact that the book was recommended by my SIL was an added plus.

The winner is interesting. The story is about an evil genius, Jackson, who carefully chooses 12 people who will ultimately win the government-sponsored lottery for a particular year. He plans to use their money to get what he wants. He fixes the lottery so that his chosen 12 win. Of the 12 people he chooses, LuAnn is the weakest link as well as his nemesis. LuAnn and her baby, Lisa, stay away from the US of A for 10 long years, as instructed by Jackson. This is easy for LuAnn because she is wanted for murder in the US of A. Meanwhile, a reporter is writing a story on how lottery winners usually end up bankrupt and he finds that 12 winners (Jackson's 12) have surprisingly kept bankruptcy at bay and are quite wealthy. This makes him wonder if they had some help. Amidst all this, LuAnn returns to the US of A under an assumed name, Catherine Savage, and purchases a huge property to settle down after years of looking over her shoulder. The reporter makes the connection and realizes that Catherine Savage and LuAnn Tyler are one and the same.

The premise is interesting but it ends quite tamely. Some portions defy logic and no effort has been taken to develop the secondary characters and so mid-way, it gets to be a general rom-com with some action thrown in. Otherwise, it is a good read.

The Reversal

A visit to the bookstore and I saw the new book from Michael Connelly. As usual, I picked it up without thinking. After I billed it, I remembered that I had not liked his previous one, the one in Hong Kong, 9 Dragons. Kinda late realization but then I have always had a soft spot for his books and so I hoped for the best. I was not disappointed.

The Story:

When Mickey Haller is invited to prosecute a case for the LA District Attorney, he knows something strange is going on. Mickey's a defence lawyer, and to switch sides like this would be akin to asking a fox to guard the hen-house. But the high-profile case of a convicted child-killer who spent almost 25 years on death row before DNA evidence freed him is an intriguing one....

What do I think of the book:

This feels like the first book where Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch work together, while in fact, it is not. The story is quite interesting. Mickey Haller is pulled into this case by the DA's office and for the first time, Mickey is prosecuting for the people instead of for his client. His first ex-wife is his co-counsel, in this daunting case. Mickey Haller chooses Harry Bosch as his investigator to investigate the missing links. The story consists of individuals who are good at what they do and believe they do not need any assistance but are forced to work together for a common good. This book enabled me to view the case from both their perspectives.

I always preferred Harry's approach to a case. He was somewhat like a dog following a scent. I always felt like cheering him on, encouraging him to find that elusive clue that would help him break the case. I frankly, did not like Mickey Haller all that much. However, in this book, I realized how Harry's attitude can be detrimental to the case.

One of the big pluses for me was that I was reading this book right after watching Lincoln Lawyer. So whenever I am reading about Mickey, I am in fact, imagining Mathew McConaughey saying those things. Of course, I was also wondering who would play Harry Bosch. Back to the book, I enjoyed it. I was quite surprised with the ending but again I felt that Michael Connelly did not shy away from stating the facts. Read it and let me know what you think.

Addictions

**Disclaimer: This post is not a helpline for folks who need help with their addictions**

• Re-reading Agatha Christie Novels over and over again --- Am currently reading They Do it With Mirrors. I know who the murderer is. That, however, does not stop me from finishing the book. Cannot understand it.



• Watching Fear-Factor based Indian Reality Shows --- Am currently watching Khatron Ke Khiladi Torchaar. The format has not changed - you would think I would be bored by now - naaah.



• Never walking out of a book-store without purchasing --- Went to get 2 books for my niece but ended up buying the latest Michael Connelly book, Reversal without having read a single review.



• Watching Re-Telecasts of the popular sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S --- Have the entire collection, season 1 through season 10 except season 7. Still cannot switch it off when there is a re-telecast of even a single episode of any one of the seasons. Drives the Arien nuts.



• Purchasing shoes, sandals, slip-ons, and a variety of other footwear --- I have to try on a pair of stilletos or wedges, fall madly in lowe with it even if I cannot walk a step without support, and then purchase it. Of course, it is def not comfortable for daily wear and so is dumped in the far corner of my shoe rack until I forget all 'bout it. It is the Arien who sweetly informs me that I have a very similar one at home when I am busy contemplating my next purchase.



• Watching movies with Subtitles at home --- I believe that a complete movie experience involves no missed dialogue, no did-not-get joke, no "wh?-whaa?-whatwastht?" etc. When you have subtitles, you don't miss dialogues, you get 98% of the jokes, and there is no "whaa?". Of course, it is tedious but I wudn't have it any other way.

Wordless Wednesdays -- My Snap was posted on TOI

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Bangalore-Elevated-Tollway/

Look under Photos and Select More.

Ragged -- A funny day!

My ofc moved to a new location last month. I like moves because of the change aspect. We get new cubes (Yeah!), the day before the schedueld move is spent in packing (no work - Double yeah!), and then after we actually move, we waste a lot of time clearing our clutter i.e unpacking (yaba daba doo). Well, all that happened last month - yes, during the movie mania month. Anyway, the new place is nice. However, thanks to the move, I now take the public transport aka the Red Bus (Not Red Bull) -- the Red Volvo from ofc to home.

These red volvos have been around since 2006 itseems, but I always had my Honda Activa and so I had no use for the red volvo until quite recently. Anyway, I am now quite a regular on the red volvo, which is a fully air-conditioned, low-floor, sooper cool bus.

Image Courtesy: www.bangalorebest.com

I am so regular that I got ragged by the driver and the conductor last week. The reason - I refuse to sit on the seats and spend the 15 mts that it takes for the volvo bus to reach my stop, standing. In some weird way, they actually felt insulted that I refused to sit. The driver asked me if I was worried that the bus may have an accident. Red-faced, I started "It takes hardly any time to reach my stop.." and stopped. The conductor interrupted "Your stop is 5 stops away." Grrr... I started again "The bus goes so fast..." - I could not complete the sentence. The driver took offense by assuming that I meant he was speeding and informed me that he was not going fast at all and gave me a baashan. I got more and more red-faced, trying to explain the same point in different ways and was totally and completely ragged! I gave up finally and I was never so glad to see that it was my stop. I jumped out and heard their uproarious laughter from inside the bus. Whaaat a day!!

Five Children and It

After a really looong time, I read a book. And, I am sooo glad that this post is not a movie review :) This young adult novel was a total joy to read. It reminded me of my Enid Blyton days. Enid Blyton could draw me into her world and I would always hate to go back to mine. Edith is equally good. I really wanted to know what happens with the children next. Do they meet Psammead again? When? I think thats wht good writing is all about. You keep the audience interested long after the book has been read. Thats a good tip for my blog posts and for later!

Anyway, I had never heard of this book or the author and that is suprising considering I am quite a bookworm. However, I recall that I steered clear of classics. So, probably I missed this as well. Anyway, I would have never read this book, if it weren't for my frend's blog. Thanks Nish!

This book is part of a trilogy and as is my practice, I must read the rest of the books. Yeaaahh!! I think I will finally read some books :D

Wordless Wednesdays -- Ofc Decorations

The Hangover - Part 2 - Season of the Sequels

We celebrated the last weekend in May by catching yet another sequel. Yes - we caught Part II of the Hangover movie. I did not have too many expectations from this movie. Sequels usually carry a lot of hype and then fall flat. However, this movie was funny in bits, was true to the premise followed in the earlier movie, and was watchable. As usual, the humour was bordering on crude but Part I was not any different. Also, this movie had an extra share of male nudity which was quite over-the-top.

Most of the characters reprised their roles, with the exception of Heather, the person that Stu married last time. Mike Tyson has a brief cameo. This movie is regarding the bachelor party for Stu, who is getting married in Thailand and actually decides not to have a bachelor party. Of course, the others agree after kicking up a fuss. There are a host of new characters but none of them have any scope to perform as the story is not 'bout them. Doug, the suntanned bridegroom of Part I, misses out on this adventure, but the bride's younger brother, Teddy, takes his place. It is a crazy ride. Good to watch in an adult-only environment and preferably with folks on the same frequency. Some people may find some of the scenes quite uncomfortable. Watch it and let me know what you think.

Image Courtsey: http://hangover2-trailer.com

Paranormal Activity 2 -- Addiction thrives on

Sometime last year, I saw Paranormal Activity. It probably happened during the time when I decided "No more movies" and so instead of not seeing the movie, I decided not to write 'bout it. Yeah - I kinda do such things. Back to the movie, most folks do not consider Paranormal Activity to be a scary movie. However, I was totally creeped out after watching the movie (both parts), and so I disagree. The key point about both these movies is that we watch the story unfold via video cameras that are placed all over the house. The idea is not really new but works for a lot of reasons.

The second part is not a sequel but actually runs parallely. This part was quite confusing as we watched the main characters from the earlier movie appear in this movie and we realized that the second part is kinda where it all begins but it is not a prequel. Anyway, there are more characters in this movie. A husband and wife live with their teenage daughter, a young baby, and a dog. Things start happening, the house looks broken in but nothing valuable is taken. This creeps the new mom and they install cameras all over the house. So, what exactly is in the house? That forms the rest of the story and this movie was as scary as the previous one. And, to really enjoy the movie you must watch it late in the evening!

Image Courtesy: http://cinema.theiapolis.com/

Issues: It takes a while to get to the scary part and this can be a bore. There are some unexplained bits.. we may have a Part III in the works. The ending is totally unexpected and you are like "Whaaaaa??? Come on!" Good to watch at home.

Lincoln Lawyer and Limitless -- Addicted to Movies

After all that Gyaan 'bout reading more books and watching fewer movies, May was movie month. This time, I blame it all on the Arien. I saw Lincoln Lawyer twice, once with the Arien and once with the Taurean. Limitless had the cute Bradley Cooper and so irrespective of the reviews, there was no way I was going to say No to that movie. So, another movie weekend began and ended before we knew it and my addiction continued to thrive. *No Spoilers*

Lincoln Lawyer

This movie is based on the Michael Connelly book with the same name. I love Micheal Connelly's books and am actually surprised that he did not make his first movie with one of Harry Bosch's stories. But, no complaints.

Anyway, this movie worked for me. The movie had the right amount of style, good actors, interesting story-line --- purrfect! The Arien took a while to warm up to the movie because so many characters were added at the beginning but he liked the twists. The Taurean also liked the movie.

A big positive is that the actors chosen were perfect for the part and were ob. chosen with care. Though the movie did not promise a meaty role for most of the actors, they all did a great job. Mathew McConaughey was quite good and though he looks old, he pulls it off. Marisa Tomei is cute but looking her age. Ryan Phillippe, William Macy, Josh Lucas, Frances Fisher were perfect for the part.

Image Courtesy: www.rottentomatoes.com

Limitless

An interesting premise, a good-looking actor in the lead and a script that fails to keep up its promise. Bradley Cooper is Eddie Morra, a "highly" intelligent writer, suffering from writer's block, who after having spent his book advance and losing his girl-friend, meets his ex's bro. The bro introduces him to NZT, an untested drug that is capable of harnessing the entire brain's power. As you may already know, we only use a fraction (around 2% of the brain power).

Anyway, Eddie takes the pill, against his "sooper intelligence" and comes up with a first draft of his novel, and feels more alive than ever. Because the drug wears off in a day, he contacts his ex's bro only to find him dead and the apartment thrashed. He finds the stash that the bro had hidden (How?? - Do not bother - he is "sooper intelligent") and then begins a new life - taking a pill a day. He learns multiple languages, changes his career and becomes a Wall Street genius (Why?? - No idea). He also sleeps with and murders women. Anyway, if you ignore some of these "what-the-hell?" issues, you can actually enjoy the movie. Bradley Cooper is enthusiatic, charming, and perfect for this role. Robert Di Niro is the surprise addition in this movie that is relying wholly on Bradley Cooper's charm. Good to watch on a lazy saturday when you want to relax.

Image Courtesy: www.popcultureshock.com

Source Code Review - Finally

The reviews of Source Code were a lot better than the ones for Limitless and so we decided to catch this movie on the same day we tried out mexican cuisine @ Taco Bell, Koramangala. Both were good decisions.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays Colter Stevens, an army pilot whose mission is to locate the person who places a bomb on a train. The sci-fi twist is that Colter is actually inside a program known as the Source Code which enables him to take on the body of one of the passengers in the train for the last 8 minutes of the passenger's life. The first time Colter wakes up as a teacher, he is new to the entire process and is quite confused with his dual identity. As the process is repeated over and over, he is quicker at grasping things and figures out the identity of the bomber. When he offers to stop the bomber, he is informed that he cannot alter the past but he must find the bomber to prevent him from planning another attack in the future. As he works with Vera Farmiga and the creator of the Source Code program, he tries to remember life as Colter and wonders if his father is aware 'bout his whereabouts and wants to contact him.

An interesting movie, with a very bollywoodish ending. As Colter figures things out, we are doing the same and that makes this movie interesting. And while the 8-minute window gets repititive, we are provided a different angle for each window and that keeps boredom at bay. One of the passengers in the train is Russel Peters. Though he has only a short duraction to crack jokes (~3 mts), the addition does not seem like an intrusion.

Wordless Wednesdays -- Cross Helmet

Saapadu -- Foodie Weekend Continues..

After experimenting with Mexican food, you would think that we would be satisfied for the rest of the month. But, No. Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself. Lets start at the beginning. It all started when the Arien forgot to lock his helmet to his bike on Friday. When he came back - the helmet was missing. Sometimes, the Arien's trust in other humans is too shocking to be true. Well, end result, we had to go helmet-hunting in JC Road over the weekend. We invited the Taurean. With the Senior Arien away at Pondicherry, the Taurean was feeling a lil lost. We walked into the first shop and both the Arien and the Taurean fell for the Cross helmet and purchased one each. Ya... and I am known as the shopaholic... Hmpf!! Anyway...

After the purchase both of them acted as if they had climbed mount Everest and said in one voice "Lets Eat." The timing was kinda between a snack and dinner and I was not sure when the choice was taken out of my hands. We walked to MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Room) - a place that I was visiting for the first time since I moved to Bangalore 11 years ago. They mentioned that dinner would be served at 7:45 and tickets would be given at 7:30. It was around 7:15 and so we decided to wait. The waiting Room was quite old-fashioned and had a board mentioning where we were and was kinda funny. I did not even have my camera for the historic moment was all I was thinking when I remembered that I had my cell phone and viola - a grainy pic of the Waiting room.

And then the meal started.... Firstly, the Arien is a huge foodie and wanted a Yelai Saapadu but we were given steel plates. The Arien was a lil disappointed but cheered up when he saw the items arrive one after the other. First up was fresh orange juice, which tasted heavenly, arriving in a silver tumbler. I heard that that was the tradition at MTR. Coffee was usually served in silver tumblers. Wow!! This was followed by the thick coconut chutney, payasam, alu palya, kosambri, vadam, and then Masala Dosa. You could have two dosais but if you had more, you would regret that decision sorely. This was followed by Bisibele bath, Vaangi baath, and steamed rice with sambhar and rasam. And then... (yes, there is more) we had curd rice followed by ice-cream. I stopped after the Vangi bath but both the Arien and the Taurean went on and on and on. Naturally, I had to tease them for that. I think we had had enough for the month now. If you have not visited MTR yet, ... Do so NOW.

Wordless Wednesdays -- Coziest Seat @ Ofc

Mexicano Foodo -- Foodie Weekend

Our regular weekend plan usually consists of a movie followed by lunch. Lunch is the usual traditional south or north indian fare. While the Arien is a big fan of traditional Indian food, I am fond of experimenting with different cuisines as long as the items are vegetarian. For the first time, the Arien suggested we visit Taco Bell in Koramangala. Naturally, I almost fell of the chair.

Because our weekend is not complete without a movie, we saw Source Code, before we visited Taco Bell. Thankfully, Source Code was still running in the theatres. The Arien put on his best "Back-frm-the-USA" air and ordered a chicken burrito while explaining what a burrito was. This was the first time I was trying out Mexican food, and so I ordered the veg burrito instead of trying out the other dishes.

The burrito is like a roomali roll made from wheatflour with paneer and alu stuffing for the veg burrito and shredded chicken for the chicken burrito. The roll also consists of rice which was quite interesting. We had opted for a combo and ended up with Nachos and unlimited coke/Mountain Dew/Miranda/Pepsi refills.

Price-wise, I was surprised. It was not as expensive as KFC or McD. Taste-wise, I liked the burrito, but not the Nachos. I think it had to do with the oil it was fried in or maybe the masala. Not really sure. The soft drinks were ice-cold and I was unable to drink it until after we finished the meal. The Arien added that this was how it was in the US as well. I could see his "B-F-T-USA" cap re-appearing :P

April Jes Whizzed Past

After resolving to write one post per week this year, I am amazed to see the title of this post. But, seriously, it was a case of too many things going on at the same time. First, came the news of the Arien's impending visit to the US. While I initially toyed with the idea of accompanying him, I dropped it because his itinerary was hectic and I had a release coming up. Then, came the shopping frenzy for the Arien because we found out tht it was around 5 degrees in Chicago.

After a major send-off from his family which kinda became a lil too much for his two week trip, he was gone. I opted to take up additional work to keep myself occupied. Also, my cousin and family were visiting me the week after and so I was all set. Soon, I was very busy: chatting with the Arien in the morn and in the evening, working on the day-2-day office work, completing the additional work that I took up, catching up with 2 old friends and colleagues over dinner at Tangerine, travelling to Mysore with the extended family, MIL's short visit - the general crabbiness that follows, Easter weekend and the hoo-haa that follows, etc. etc.

As a month, April rocked. I mean, I have not had it this busy for a while both professionally and personally, but I was really tired and cranky by the time the Easter week came to an end. I think I was totally zoned out. I felt like I was in a Giant wheel that kept spinning, spinning, and spinning and while I love Giant wheels, I was kinda wanting to step on good ole stable earth for a while. The Arien summed it up by saying "All U really wanted was everyone out of your house - rite?" I agreed :P

Image Courtesy: http://geardiary.com/

Wordless Wednesdays -- Michael Connelly discusses The Lincoln Lawyer Movie.mov

Aadukalam

Another Tamizh movie -- I finally caught up with my backlog :) The Taurean insisted that this was a movie totally worth watching. Now, he is not a fan of Dhanush and is aware that I am not one either. Naturally, I was curious. Thankfully, the arien had purchased the VCD a while ago (ya ya - thiruttu VCD). So, we made haste (have been reading too many books set in sm other era) and watched the movie last weekend.

Surprisingly, this was one movie that totally lived up to the hype. It stayed true to the script and you are drawn to Karruppu (Dhanush), and his unflinching faith in his rooster and his mentor, Pettaikaran (Jayabalan).

Image Courtesy: http://kollywoodz.com/movie-preview-aadukalam/

The Story: The story revolves around rooster fights, which is considered a sport in Madurai. Pettaikaran is known for his wins and Karruppu (Dhanush) is one of the lads who handles the roosters and feeds them on a daily basis. A policeman, who belongs to a family who were known for their wins, has been losing to Pettaikaran and wants to have that one last match that will enable him to reclaim his lost glory. Pettaikaran does not want to give in but is forced to. In the last match, Pettaikaran again wins. It is around this time that Pettaikaran asks Dhanush to kill his rooster, because it can never be a winner. Karruppu believes that his rooster has the capability to win and decides to participate, mainly because he is provoked by the other team. This angers Pettaikaran and he announces that Karruppu's participation does not count as Pettaikaran's entry. The policeman loses 3 matches against Karruppu and Karruppu wins a huge sum of money. Pettaikaran is happy for Karruppu. What happens next forms the rest of the movie.

Wah Wah:

• The script is clearly the winner. A taut storyline, an interesting twist makes it worth the while.
• Songs are good. The dapanguthu number, Otha Solala, is choreographed to suit the movie and not Dhanush, who is known to be a good dancer. (You can totally understand his joy and his crazy moves)
• Taapsee, as the anglo-indian girl, is a doll to look at. (Not Kaif-like barbie but those cute ones you had forever as a kid). Her dialogues are few and she has given it her best.
• Pettaikaran -- a fantastic performance.
• Ending - so not typical.

BAH:

• Nothing really.

I enjoyed the movie, the rustic feel of it, the love story hidden amidst the fights. In fact, it brought to mind, Murrattukaalai. A film that made Rajni, highly popular and a superstar. That movie dealt with bull fights in Madurai and Rajni played a larger than life character. While this movie cannot be compared with that classic, it still earns its place in the Hall of Fame.