Star Wars: The Force Awakening - An Entertaining and Engaging Battle

On the eve of Christmas, it was definitely due to the divine interference by Santa's grace that my friend and I got the last two available tickets for a pre-First day First Show of Star Wars at Escape Cinemas. Despite the fact that we knew Amma's propaganda and other jewellery ads would be displayed before the commencement of the film, we did not want to miss even a single moment but treasure and savor every moment of it. Comfortably seated in Streak, the anticipation and the expectation was running feverishly high after news broke out that Star Wars had broken every single BO record in the USA. At the single stroke of sight when the screen began to blur, all the 3D glasses were up in unison and everyone were waiting in bated breath for the iconic words and legendary theme music to have a war with us before the actual fight began in the movie. The entire theatre was in a perfectly synchronized state of heightened jubilation by whistling and clapping as soon as the theme music hit us and the words "A long time ago in a galaxy far,far away...." appeared majestically on the silver screen accompanied by its faithful and typical crawling text which gave the backdrop in a nutshell. From that moment onwards, there was no turning back for The Force Awakening whose story is set 30 years after The Return of Jedi.

There are going to be no spoilers here. Head to the nearest IMAX to immensely enjoy a complete immersive experience of the dizzying and pulsating action. 

It was refreshing to see a black guy occupying a major chunk of the movie. Many movies have had black people in the lead roles but certainly not for a big billion dollar franchise that has a humongous and an extremely ardent fandom across the world. John Boyega excels as the troubled stormtrooper FN-2187 who wants to purge himself of being a stormtrooper by turning a new leaf. My best guess is that the director is a big time fan of Natalie Portman who had reprised the role of Amidala in the Star Wars prequels. Rey had a remarkable and striking resemblance to her! 

After Mad Max Fury where Charlize Theron simply sizzled in the scenes, it was heartening to see that Rey was also given a central and key part in The Force Awakening instead of being used as an add-on or as a garnishing. The last fight sequence in the frozen lands between Rey and Ren was a riveting and visual spectacle. But, the biggest show stealer has got be BB - 8 - the very cute spherical orange and white droid. The way the droid communicated in its own language, moved by rolling down on its head and devoted to Poe was endearing. Kudos to JJ Abrams for not making it as CGI but as a real remote controlled robot. 

That is precisely where the film derives its substantial strength. The perfect blend of CGIs and human element, the correct mixture and usage of old characters like Han Solo, Leia, Chewie, R2-D2, C-3PO and The Millennium Falcon with the current generation actors without compromising on the Star Wars legacy like the warping in the scenes - A dream come true for any and many die-hard Star Wars fan. Although the first half excitingly vanished like a smoke, the second half dragged a bit due to its sentiments and romances. 

Nevertheless, the force has come out as strong as the original Star Wars. As Harrison Ford says when he boards The Millennium Falcon "Chewie..We are home". Yes. We are. Indeed andTruly.  

Vignesh 50 - Breaking the Convention

Whoaaaa! 50 blogs this year...okay....50 blogs in 4 months time! I never realized that a simple change in mindset can reap in enormous benefits as a blogger. When I started writing my blogs during my engineering days, I was very stubborn that my blogs must necessarily have an element of story weaved in and built into the blog so that the reader does not feel any forlorn sense of humdrumness and prosaicness when they read my blogs. I wanted to give my readers an authentic and fresh user experience so that they not only dip into my blogs but also thoroughly enjoy the activity. But, when I was made to realize that I had written only 8 blogs during the course of 5 years and no blog had been tagged against my name for the past 2 years, I knew I have to take corrective measures to set things right.

The first and foremost action which I undertook was to be reflective and be consciously aware of my negative mindset which was serving as an obstacle for me to move forward to be a better writer. It took me a while to change my perspective. But, once when it was done, I was ready and up for the challenge. I have been writing on many subjects like Movie reviews, Food reviews, Cricket, Tennis, Festival, Floods and my own Personal escapades. Even the love story, which I had intended to write for more than 2 years, was written as teasers. I had also tried out many writing styles - linear, non-linear, fiction and non-fiction - to expand the repertoire of my writing skills and not being labelled as one-dimensional for my writing style. What I had learnt in Marketing during my MBA days is very simple and straightforward - to tailor make the content as per the intended audience and strike the right chord with them. I guess that my MBA is also integrated whenever I began to type in a new blog.

I had given my blogs to be reviewed by my friends. It was well-received and appreciated by everyone. What started as an amateurish work has seen a marked and tremendous upswing in terms of grammar,choice of words and content which was inferred by me from the feedback given by my friends. It was then I felt that no sense of complacency should drill into my head and that I should work even harder from then to continuously improve and excel in this wonderful art. 

It was not just that. Writing gave me the freedom during my spare time to break away from the normal day-to-day infinite loop of only going to office and coming back home. I had lost myself without connecting to my better part for more than a year since I joined TCS. I am not going to blame TCS or the outside world for putting me through a very boring phase of life. I am responsible for my actions that I did not realize and take the initiative to ease down the clutter in my life by connecting with what I loved to do most - writing. In fact, I have started to love sales as much as I do for writing. Initially, I liked sales as it gave me the opportunity to solve people's problems and bring happiness to them. But now, Life is very colorful like a rainbow to me as soon as I had tore down the veil of monotony that severely hampered my everyday life. 

Ultimately, it is upto the person to perceive the things in the world either for the good or the bad. In my case, it turned out to be the former. 

Magic's Magnetism

There is always something magical about magic. From time beyond one's recorded historical and geographical events, magic has decisively played its own part in shaping up people's beliefs ergo the civilizations ultimately. It has intrigued and fascinated may people thus have them hypnotized and spellbound under its enchanting spell. So, what is magic? It is certainly not what the magicians perform on stage to enthrall the audience with their performances. That is merely an illusion. One of the many forms of magic which has an inherent and intricate logic and science with years of hard toil attached to their tricks and unbeknownst to the spectators. So, back to our question. What is magic? It is very simple. Magic is an event, act or situation that is not understandable to the common man and woman which causes them to worry, fear, panic, alarm or be elated at the turnaround of the given circumstance. Before the advent of  theoretical and practical science, every phenomenon in the world - be it lightning, thunder, storms, day, night, seasons, diseases, origin of the universe etc. was attributed to God. In short, before science began to spread its wings and soar far and wide in this world, God was the greatest and grandest magician that this planet had ever seen. This can be very well found in Greeks, Egyptians, Christians, Hinduism or every other place and religion which regards The Almighty to be the most powerful and formidable being on this planet. Even now when you venture into the deepest jungles or simply move away from the city, you can still see quite a million, which goes into billions in reality!, who revere the divinity and sanctity of Gods for their day to day usage of objects. So, am I going to bore you to death on the different kinds of magic or the chronological record of events in magic like the ghost Professor Binns who had taught The History Of  Magic at Hogwarts? Def Not! 

Like the billions spread across the nook and corner of the world, I was also bitten by the magic bug when I was a kid. I saw magic everywhere - be it the TV, cinemas, cartoons, electricity, comics, super heroes etc. I always had the sense of awe and wonder as to what made these objects come live so beautifully and colorfully thus enriching the lives of the people who use them. It did not take me long to find out and know that it was due to science , courtesy schools. Still my interest in magic never diminished and I have always had the inclination for things that are improbably fantasized as equal to the things that are objectively real in front of me. The last week was truly magical in every sense of the spirit of the letter of the word.  

It started when I started to search for The Big Bang Theory's latest episode to torrent. Suddenly, the name "The Magicians" caught my eyes when I was scanning for the episode. Without any hesitation, I simply downloaded it first followed by the TBBT's  new episode. Later a quick search on the internet told me what I wanted to know about The Magicians minus the plot - A trilogy written by Lev Grossman. Wasting no time, I set out to delve into the world created by Grossman to see and explore newer concepts and life forms that were created in his universe.

When the pilot successfully and positively ended, my instinct and immediate reaction was to search for other famous alternatives on similar lines. It did not take me long as I struck gold and found another jackpot - Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel. An IMDB rating - 8.3/10 and Rotten Tomatoes rating of 90% was more than sufficient for me to watch this mini series aired by BBC based on the novel written by Sussana Clarke. Its based on a prophecy that 2 magicians were destined to bring the lost magic to England after a gap of 300 years. Mr. Norrel performs practical magic that is only respectable whereas Strange performs venturesome and audacious spells for his country's sake. It seemed like the perfect recipe for yet another "The Prestige". 

It was then it hit me that it had been ages since I caught up with Nolan's swashbuckling masterpiece "The Prestige". Every word. Every sentence. Every scene in the movie made immense sense in hindsight. For instance, when Tesla tells Angiers "At what cost"? where Tesla actually has understood the significance that Angiers would be killing himself every night when the latter desires to purchase the machine from the former. The importance of the dialogue would hit you like a boomerang only when you see this movie for a second time. Just like inception, till date, Nolan has left me in  a state of complete and perpetual ambiguity to the ending of the film - whether the Angiers shown in the tank is alive or not! The Prestige is a multi-layered masterclass magic by itself which lives up to the 3 essential components of a magic trick namely - The Pledge, The Turn and The Prestige. The Pledge - the hanging of Borden and Angiers being victorious over him finally. The Turn - Borden is hung and Fallon goes after Lord Caldow. The Prestige - when the cat is out of the bag that Borden and Fallon are twins and that it was Borden who kills Angiers and eventually reunites with his daughter. One of the most brilliant and complex scripts handled with skill and ease by the ace director. Even Tesla's and Edison's rivalry were showcased for a brief moment in the movie much like the one upmanship between Angiers and Borden. The Prestige is indeed a roller-coaster ride which truly leaves everyone gaping with an open mouth at the end. The magic has done trick its trick.

What started with an innocuous search for TBBT's torrent lead me one after another to The Prestige thus making my week to be truly ABRACADABRA ! 

Pind - An Ultimate Punjabi Delight!

Do you want to visit Punjab during your summer vacations and have a bite and flavor of Punjabi cuisines with their foot tapping music @ very affordable rates ? You don't have to go all the way to Punjab to savor and enjoy the rich and luxurious Punjabi experience. The answer is very much here in Chennai. In fact, it's in Velachery and located very close to Vijayanagar bus terminus.

Traversing slowly through the uneven terrain that were badly weathered by the rains, you get to park your vehicles in lanes adjacent and alongside to the restaurant. Barely taking a few strides, you reach Pind's entrance. As it was a Sunday night, the place was overly crowded due to the immense popularity of this restaurant. Before you are welcomed in by the welcome drink, you are actually greeted in to the groovy tunes of pure Punjabi bliss. Without your knowing and acting subconsciously, you begin to tap your foot to the energetic and enthusiastic tunes of the lively music. This is just not the end. The entire place smelled, tasted, heard and felt nothing other than the land of 5 rivers. The decor was plastered with vivid images, colorful wall-hangings and bright pictures which loudly spoke tomes of the Punjabi culture. Pind simply emanated the ebullient and gregarious Punjabi culture and completely immersed everyone to sumptuous Punjabi cuisines. A la carte and buffet were on the cards, at least the A la carte was on the card and the buffet was handed to us in a piece of neatly hand-written paper!

As the peppy songs were playing in the background, the buffet was also going for a song - 499+taxes and that too on a weekend! The spread included:

a) Soup  

b) 3 varieties of starters 

c) Pani Puri 

d) Roti & Naan with 3 types of side dishes 

e) 3 kinds of salads

f) Veg Rice and Noodles

g) Ice Cream

It was heaven especially the Paneer Tikka Masala which was one of the side dish to the Naans & Rotis. Not going to talk much about the quality of food or the service despite the place severely swamped with throngs of people. One word - Outstanding, as people were also literally standing out patiently and awaiting their turns to wallow in this wickedly awesome Punjabi offering.

Pind does not serve food. It gives you an authentic and true Punjabi experience which ensures that when you want to indulge in Punjabi food, Pind would be the obvious first place of choice.

Not all Magic Schools are Hogwarts!

Expecto Patronum. Imperio. Crucio. Avada Kedavra. Lumos. Every kid and adult on this planet who has assiduously and unflaggingly followed Harry Potter since 1997 would know better that the world of magic is synonymous to the Potter world. Such is the strong brand name and brand equity that the entire Harry Potter series had created that you find anything even remotely related and concerned to magic would be definitely Harry Potter and nothing else. A complete generation and its successors have grown up to create such an intense and indestructible bond with the lightning scarred and spectacled boy who had by then grown up and evolved to kill You-Know-Who with his bunch of chums in the 7th and final installment of this revered series. So, when you hear that Brakebills is also a magic school, the instant reaction which you will have is 'Hey..I have read the Potter series more than my Bible or The Bhagawad Gita. There is no such school by that name in The Potter Universe'. You are absolutely right. Brakebills does not feature in the HP series at all. It is actually a school, a magic school, created by Lev Grossman in The Magicians trilogy.

"I can't just go to Yale if I know this place exists" Julia exclaims after she is rejected by the university professors during her preliminary magic examination. On the other hand, Quentin Coldwater, her best friend, is selected and given admission in the magic school which is situated in upstate New York. No more big spoilers other than this will be revealed but the tone was set for the pilot of The Magicians. The pilot's plot moved at a slow yet steady pace thus covering all the characters one by one in a wide and shallow manner. Though you can see semblances of Narnia-esque and Potter-esque scenes in the pilot, The Magicians set the bar very high towards the concluding part especially in the final scenes where it is more than gripping and intriguing. 

The small quick dance accompanied by a hair-raising BGM did surely give an eerie sense of foreboding that something nasty and evil was just imperative and impending on the horizon. Just like the awesome and eye-popping magic scenes like the cards flying, stopping and swirling in mid-air to form a castle on the table to a crystal melting and transforming itself into a horse, the ending was simply mind-blowing thus creating the desired anticipation for the actual episodes that is to be aired from Jan 25. Even though I have not read the books, I can very well say with categorical confidence that as ever the books trump and triumph over movies and serials. This is very evident from the simple fact that all the characters are so hurriedly introduced and frisked away thus leaving the newer entrants to the series with very less time to register and digest the mindset of the characters on board. However, the final act was more than sufficient to make up for the lack of proper character introduction in the Magicians. So, its an unquestionable and clear-cut thumbs up for The Magicians as of now but only the future should let know whether this brand of magic should be discarded or not.

The Intern - De Niro shows Hathaway who is the Intern!

"Why am I not Brad Pitt"? " I think its kinda self-explanatory"! These were the sort of scenes that actually made this cute movie to be a very lovable one. Though the storyline is not as deep as Inception or as brainy as Interstellar, the lead actors - De Niro and Anne Hathaway ensured that The Intern is a good breeze that wafts through your face and makes you smile and cry till it lasted. By the time you recover from the impact of the gentle and soothing breeze, you realize that you have forgotten that the breeze existed in the first place!

Like how Atlas holds the Earth on his shoulder, De Niro carries the entire brunt of the film on his elderly shoulders. Not that Anne Hathaway was bad as a tough and ambitious boss but it was De Niro's relaxed, centered and calming composure with his deep range of expressions that literally stole the show away from Hathaway's exemplary performance as Jules. The rest of the crew including Anne's husband just scratch the surface and pass muster. But, it was De Niro in his father-like character as a widower, sorry single!, makes you feel for him who wants to be a part of the dynamic and energetic world even at the age of 70 post his retirement as VP-Marketing. The way he applies for the senior internship program & conducts himself in About the Fit and his explanations for carrying a hand kerchief will surely invoke a sense of chivalrousness even in the most rude and boorish person. De Niro was not only overloaded bu also completely submerged in a sage-like serenic state. The reason for his admirable self-composure is explained very succinctly in the first and the last scenes of the movie where Ben Whittaker is involved in Tai Chi classes and he encourages Joules to take part so that she can also feel relaxed in her fast-paced work atmosphere.

The movie revolves around how an ambitious and young woman who wants to fiercely protect her baby a.k.a About the Fit - an e commerce firm - from outside hands and the problems that she had to face with her stay-at-home husband and daughter whom she doesn't see much because of her hectic work schedule. This is the moment when De Niro shows up as a senior intern to her and brings back the much needed balance in her life. It was really a good thing that the movie did not end up with De Niro and Anne Hathaway as lovers. However, the scenes involving the masseuse was more crass than laugh worthy. In the end, everyone is happy and all smiles in the zephyrus movie leaving the audience also in smiles to the extent that they forget why they smiled in the first place!. 

ssendrawkcaB at its Best!

Travelling to a new place is like going to a restaurant and trying out a dish which you haven't tried at all in your life. You might have heard great positive reviews from your friends and relatives. Since then, all you would have wanted to do is to sink your teeth at least once and find it out for yourself as to what exactly had made so many of your friends to describe so joyously about the viand. So, the next time when you walk into a restaurant and quickly scan the a la carte and see that the particular item is available on the card, without any hesitation, you simply order it without even considering its price. Then, it will take close to eternity for the garcon to bring the delicious dish to your table. The wait. The anticipation. The expectation. It keeps on mounting until the waiter serves the food to you. Your eyes glow up very brightly when they keep the item in front of you. Finally, when you manage to have the first bites of the raved cuisine but have an anti-climax ending to this patient saga, you know it was not what you had expected based on the pretty perceptions that were creatively created by your near and dear ones. Yet you still love the anti-climax because it was a twist which you never anticipated. It was a welcome surprise rather than a shocking or a horrible ending to you. So, you go ahead with gusto and relish every last bit of the delicious dish.

This is the same scenario with places too. You plan to go to a place which you have been hearing since your childhood in Geography textbook, TV or newspapers. To make matters even good, some of your best friends might be hailing from that particular place and would have given a detailed account of their hometown. With all the mental impressions formed in my mind for the last 18 years , I landed finally in Bhubaneswar for my friend's wedding. A car picked me up to Cuttack - my ultimate destination point. Just like Pondicherry or Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar is a well-planned city which could be evidently seen from their layout of roads to their distinctive and systematic well-maintenance of roads and infrastructure. A quick one hour drive takes you to Cuttack which makes you to wonder whether you have travelled back to at least 50 years in time!

Cuttack- the erstwhile capital of Orissa, apologies Odisha, handed over its capital reins to Bhubaneswar as soon as we had our independence. From the famed Barabati Stadium where International Cricket fixtures are held time to time to Barabati Fort to Netaji's birth house, you would have surely and luxuriously heard about Cuttack. But, what you see in stark reality is completely in contrast from the painted picture of the second most important city in Odisha. 

The congested roads. The seemingly rickety and ramshackle buildings. The lethargic pace of the people. When most of the places in India clamoured for growth and development, it was then very obvious why Cuttack did not have its much-needed and anticipated growth. Enquiring a couple of local people who have been in the place for more than 50 years, they were of the opinion that people still shared the same old school of thought to preserve their history and that they see new developments as serious detriments to their culture. Also, people feel so much jealousy when others are on the right track of progress that they are overwhelmingly consumed by the very act and fact of it that they fail to perform proactive progress in life. Furthermore, the geographical location is such that it does not permit the place to expand horizontally. These factors directly attribute for the city's lack of development and infrastructure.

However, the backwardness had also has its own charm. You can truly feel and have a connect with nature for every step you take and make. The people were very contented and satisfied with what they had and looked happy, at least on the surface. It was as if they were living one day at a time! They were also kind and helpful when you needed help.  God-fearing and Superstitious is not wrong but it should not be at the cost of a city. Cuttack has a wonderful food life with extremely tasty native delicacies. The Silver city can indeed become a gold city provided the people make some giant strides in their mindset that not all development and advancement is bad. The sooner they come to terms with this reality, the better it is for them to move leaps and bounds and be a true game changer in Odisha for being the second most important in the state.

Turquoise - A Regrettable Gem!

There are only two kinds of memories that people primarily retain with them - The Good and the Bad. However, when something is worse than the worst, the first initial reaction of anyone would be to not to think about it all any cost! Just like the gravity which pulls down the objects to keep it in check within the Earth's atmosphere, the more you tend to forget and erase something in your life the harder and faster the particular event comes gently strolling and dancing in your minds. One such episode which still lingers and ceases to fade away from our memories and taste buds was our disastrous food journey to Turquoise - a restaurant in Shan Royal.

It was a well-planned and well-executed booking for a table of 6 for whom the booking was reserved well in advance considering that the buffet was only Rs.399 and also that we had scheduled to meet at 8pm on a Sunday night. Barring and battling the heavy rains, we reached the place near Koyembedu Flyover. The hotel is situated on the left when you travel on the Ponnamalee High road towards Kilpauk. All of us reached by 755pm and proceeded towards Turquoise. Most of us skipped our lunch and were famished to death as it was an unlimited buffet. As we were entering the premises, we saw many people which included families exiting hurriedly towards the door. We made ourselves very comfortable in the restaurant and was surprised to see that we were the only people occupying and chatting to heart's content. The signs were very much there in front of us. But, we did not pick it up as we were busy engrossed in our stocked chitter-chatters and friendly banters. Twenty minutes into dipping our spoons in the soup, 3 couples walked in and sat beside our table. After 10 minutes, they were nowhere to be seen. Now, why is that there is so much detailed elaboration that is being given to the situation rather the hero of the hour - Food. Simple. Even in this blog, the signs were already given on the quality and variety of spread that were served in Turquoise.

The starters followed the soup though both were equally horrible. To make the already worsen matters even worse, they had plain Biriyani and curd rice served as the main course. In the meantime, another couple were happy when they ambled in and scampered away from the restaurant in no time. We were there till they end to see how abysmal things can reach the shocking bottom of the buffet. Actually, when one of my friend had asked for Mango icecream and they brought in a small dusty plastic cup, things became even more obvious that there was no bottom to this outrageous, deplorable and substandard smorgasbord.

Turquoise Buffet was simply hopeless, unsatisfactory and extremely disappointing as far as the food is concerned. At such a frightfully low price, a jewel which could have been a leading light and commanded respect in the market place eventually turned out into a very sour and less than mediocre mullock.

An Eternal Love for Sadistic Fletcher

A spark is always needed for people to fire up in life to make them realize that they can do something immensely remarkable and exceptional beyond their wildest imagination which they had falsely thought previously that it cannot be done by themselves. Sometimes, the spark can also be to rediscover their lost love like in my case where I got the much needed knock on my head when I had unintentionally, inadvertently and mistakenly abandoned my penchant for writing for quite some time. The spark can be roused either by external or internal factors. As long as its internal, everything is really good. But, when it comes from an external agent and under a completely humiliating and embarrassing situation, it is bound to not only to fire you up to perform to your potential but also make you soar and lose yourself in the process so that your performance is overwhelmingly and enchantingly effortless.

This is precisely the basic premise of Whiplash - To unearth that burning fire which is buried in the very depths of yourself so that greatness is realized and achieved with tears, toils and hard labours by grinding oneself to the hilt thus involving a lot of practice and exertion to accomplish a pure sense of bliss by performing that very act itself. It's like you become that work itself forgetting yourself in the process. Terrence Fletcher wanted only the best in his band and he wanted his best to be not just the best but also the best of the bests. He is frighteningly intimidates, scathingly insults and throws sexual innuendos at his students thereby scaring the living daylights out of them. The best example will be the scene where he feels that his band is out of tune and initially asks politely as to who is it that is on the prowl to sabotage his band. When the highly nervous and tensed Elmer confesses out of fear that it was he who was responsible for being not in sync, Fletcher furiously asks him to get out of the room. As soon as the door is shut, he smiles and says coolly that it was Erickson who was out of tune but the very fact that Elmer didn't know that he was not playing in time was more than enough for him to see his back out of his band. The level of perfection that Fletcher demanded was simply unbelievable. He is also right . Greatness cannot be achieved by ordinary mortals who merely work for the sake of working. It has to be earned through your complete dedication and commitment and most importantly, you have the conviction to see through your time and effort to fine tune and perfect your art.

He was simply ruthless when his team comes to the rehearsals a second late. Such was the high expectation that he had set for his students that most of them failed to reach even half way to the bar. Here, he is inculcating a sense of discipline that is very much needed for any person to achieve success leaving aside the greatness factor. Discipline is one of the key cornerstones that is needed for a person to do something extraordinary. The way Fletcher terrorizes his drummers to play "Caravan" for hours when he asks his class to wait out outside is the ideal example that some times it is only the stick and not soft words that can impel a person to give a stirring performance. Not that Fletcher uses any soft words to his students in the film, but it is his tremendous toughness that had made him a cynosure in the eyes of every student to aspire to be in his troop.

The climax was out of the world. Fletcher tells a smiling Andrew that he knew it was because of him that he got fired from Shaffer and the instant shock and what-Fletcher-gonna do reaction was very realistic. Andrew had actually prepared himself to play "Whiplash". The moment Fletcher drops in the Hiroshima bomb that they would be performing "Upswinging" and gives Andrew the sadistic smile of getting him destroyed as a drummer in front of the audience was too good to believe that it was just a movie. After a few, dull, faint and muted claps, Fletcher comes to Andrew and tells him that he is not good enough to be drummer thus rubbing the salt in his already wounded humiliation was the icing on the cake and the perfect recipe for something great to happen. It did happen.

Andrew was so disappointed and defeated that when his father had come running to embrace his son, he knew that Fletcher had not only insulted him but also his one thing that he loved so cherished which made him to break up even with his girlfriend. Picking up the remaining pieces of himself in that instant, with a steely resolve, Andrew returns to the stage much to the surprise of Fletcher. He immediately starts to drum with a high degree of confidence "Caravan" for which he was literally blasted during the trials and chucked out of the band rather unceremoniously midway during the troop's concert before the spectators. Andrew had the nerve and temerity to mouth 'Fuck you' to Fletcher when the latter was glowering menacingly and giving a surly murderous stare at him. It was one of the finest moments in the movie though the best was in the horizon. Fletcher was of the opinion that Andrew wanted to incapacitate and wreck his crew totally without knowing that his statement had roused the musical monster in Andrew to deliver what he was truly made and capable of performance. Fletcher had directed his immense anger at Andrew without realizing that Andrew was one of those who truly cared for the sacred art. As time progressed, Fletcher understood that Andrew was a special person which was very evident from the way he gave a smile when Andrew was playing his heart out the most difficult piece of the concert with immense concentration and to the perfection which he always expects. All hell breaks lose even after he had reached out to his right hand and tight fisted it thus signalling the end of that particular piece. However, Andrew was so immersed with his drums that he continued to play to his heart's content.

Andrew drew the inspiration from his intense and vehement anger at Fletcher but converted into pure positive music thus becoming the music itself. Every strike was loud, powerful and lightning fast which was what Fletcher had wanted his drummers to be during the rehearsal for "Caravan". Though Andrew had earned that part then, he showed signs of tremendously exerting energy while playing the drums. But, here. It was the exact opposite. It was naturally coming out of him which was precisely Fletcher's definition of music and his level of expectation. Once, he even comes to adjust the drum plates so that Andrew doesn't falter in his rhythm. Fletcher knew then he had found his true student who had not only matched up to his demands but rose up to the occasion by drumming up beyond his savage imaginations. When Andrew was decrementally slowing down his tempo to the point that he was about to stop beating with his sticks and then instantly began to raise the tempo in an incremental manner again, Fletcher's sadistic pleasure over Andrew had evaporated into acknowledging the artist and the talent that resided in Neiman. The last scene was a picture perfect finish - Andrew's eyes interlocks with Fletcher for a fleeting moment and the tiny nod which he returns with a smile to his student was all that Andrew had hoped, worked and endured with him for his talent to be acknowledged by the best in the business. A moral victory for Andrew who then drummed his way to happiness afterwards.

Epilogue:

Sometimes, people like Fletcher needs to be present in the right place at the right time for the right person to unlock the latent power which dormantly hibernates within an individual without his knowing that they are destined for greatness, when rightly locked out, till eternity. 

Tracing the Regal lineage from Royal Theatre Complex to Palazzo

Cinema and Chennai have been an integral part of every person's life much like the Bhajjis and Marina Beach. There are more than 120 screens spanning across the length and breadth of the city. However, one brand stands tall in the top of the minds of the customers when they plan to watch their favorite film or whistle & clap for their revered hero and beloved heroines with their family and friends - Sathyam. 

Founded and formed in 1970s as Royal Theatre Complex adjacent to the busy and crowded Anna Salai, it was transformed into the mighty Sathyam Cinemas to which the kids, college goers and adults were attracted like a bee to a flower. But every transformation has to come with a cost. The Sathyam Cinemas invested heavily to build their infrastructure by ensuring that they did the basics right - cleaner toilets, friendly staffs and improved customer service through trainings. Change is inevitable and the owners of Sathyam Cinemas had grasped the point so succinctly and accurately that they were always on the prowl to adapt and adopt to the latest technologies so that they can provide an overall thorough cinematic experience at affordable prices to classes of all masses. The solution was going digital - moving away from the print era. They had to reinvent themselves to cater to the constant changing requirements of the market. Unlike other metros where the ticket prices are set by the respective theatres who literally fleeced the fans, the Tamil Nadu government decided to step in and made sure that the maximum cap on the tickets should not be more than Rs 120. Though it was highly reasonable, most theatres who had wanted to embrace newer technologies were unable to do so because of the massive outlay that were incurred in the process. However, this was not the case with Sathyam Cinemas who have truly devoted themselves to make film-watching a unique, sublime and memorable event for all.

The first in the line which the Sathyam Cinemas introduced was the RDX - Real Digital Experience which resulted in crystal-clear images and rich sounds thus solving the problems of dust and flicker that occurred by using the faded prints. The outcome of this transformation was phenomenal. It provided a hassle-free and first-rate visual experience thereby satisfying the film goers to a great extent. Through the RDX, the multiplex boasted of being the first in the country to incorporate the technology to match the demands set by the Hollywood movies as most of them were shot on digital format then. The technology did not come cheap. It came at a heavy price - Rs 60 lakh to Rs 80 lakh. But, the owners realised that to survive and flourish in the cut-throat market, it is essential and imperative for them to make the investment to attract the people especially the youngsters of the city. All was fine and dandy as most of the people thronged to watch a film in Sathyam Cinemas because of their superior quality offerings in terms of  movies, their intermission delicacies especially the popcorns or their customer service.

As the Brookefields Mall was close to completion in Coimbatore, Sathyam Cinemas felt that the time was ripe to have their footprint and have a strong foot hold in the Manchester of South India by establishing a multiplex with 6 screens in the establishment. It was a roaring success considering the fact that going out for a movie is an aspiration for many people in the Pump City.

Then, Express Avenue had opened up their premises very close to Sathyam Cinemas in 2010. It was time for change again. They launched Escape Cinemas touted as the city's first luxury multiplex. Every screen has a theme and the interiors spoke volumes as the names of the screens. Also, the screens were well-provided and loaded with 4k digital projectors and 3D to have an enriching viewing escapade for ardent film aficionados at Escape Cinemas! As the brand kept on expanding, Sathyam , thecinema, Escape and the future multiplexes were brought under one single banner as SPI Cinemas.

Then, Sathyam Cinemas went on a purchase spree buying out and refurbishing the Theyagaraja Theatre in Thiruvanmiyur and one @ Perambur in Spectrum Grand Mall to have a wider audience base and extend their brand in the rapidly growing areas of Chennai. They named it as S2 to provide a very convenient and economical tryst with movies for the ritual film followers.

So, the only thing that was missing in the bubbling and movie raving city is the presence of an IMAX. The closest IMAX is in Bangalore. People had to go all the way to Bangalore to catch up with their movies that are close to their hearts. Like a Hawk catapulting downwards to its prey, as soon as Phoenix Mall was set up in 2013, Sathyam Cinemas swooped into launch Luxe - their ambitious and most daring venture that simply shattered the traditional way of movie watching. Luxe was not just grand in the size and shape of the project but also very impressive in every respect - be it the decor, lighting, spoilt for choice of foods and beverages, close-to-perfect 10-customer service and most importantly, the technologies used in the theatres - Dolby ATMOS and Auro 3D to provide an immersive sound experience to go with the visual treat for the eyes and a snazzy & deeply satisfying ambience thus further enhancing their reputation and status as the first choice to go theatre in the city. But the biggest highlight of Luxe Cinemas was their IMAX. However, the Tamil Nadu government's strict orders to not to sell tickets above Rs. 120 created an intense tussle between the management and the government. The fight lasted well over 2 years and resulted in stalemates and deadlocks between the 2 parties thus it created further frustration and resentment amongst the fans. With the growing dispensable income of the current generation, people were longing to sit on the stylishly comfortable chairs to see their preferred movies in the IMAX format. However, the inglorious impasse did not seem to come to an end until 2015. Jazz cinemas purchased Luxe for an undisclosed amount from SPI Cinemas though it is rumored that the deal would have been anywhere between Rs 1000 crores to Rs 5000 crores. This decided to resolve the IMAX issue once and for all as Jazz Cinemas was held By Sasikala and the clearance for IMAX screen was just a matter of minutes to be accessible to the dedicated fan followers. Amidst much fanfare, James Bond's Spectre was released as Chennai's first movie in IMAX with the tag of Rs. 360 excluding the online and 3D charges. It was a sumptuous feast for the eyes as the movie was a sore to the brain! Chennai would be getting their second IMAX in Palazzo by late December or early January for people to luxuriate and indulge themselves in the stunning curved big screens.

People always reserve the best for the last. Forum Vijaya Mall in Vadapalani was opened by 2013 and it was hyped that Palazzo under the SPI banner would be something which people has not seen so far in Chennai. The hype was very much true in every sense of the word and spirit of the word. Palazzo was simply sensational with the typical and perfect Italianesque architecture. Right from the word go to chandeliers to the curtains to the marbles to the paintings adorning the walls, every inch of Palazzo spoke and oozed magnificence and majestic beauty of Italy. The decor and color schemes were neither glitzy nor grandiose. It was more than that. Palazzo was truly ritzy and plushy with a lavish ambience that will surely not fail to impress even the most stone-hearted person! SPI Cinemas has given the word experience an all together complete meaning with the introduction of Palazzo. They have raised the bar for film watching which can be beaten only by themselves. To put it in a nutshell, their competitor is only their previous work. Palazzo is an amazing and breath-taking work of art that is the outstanding result of many hours and tireless effort time put in by the entire team. Hats off to them for bringing the idea to its fullest execution. In short, Palazzio is a marvel to wonder for it is even more better, grander and dazzlingly palatial thus showing their competitors that they are light years ahead of the pack. The theatres bring with them all the latest technologies that has been the defining aspect and a strong competitive advantage of SPI Cinemas. Through Palazzo, SPI Cinemas has issued a powerful notice to their rivals that unless they reimagine and reinvent themselves, it is rest assured that many would be digging their own graves in a matter of time. SPI Cinemas provides yet another benchmark for cinemas thus categorically ensuring that their products and services would produce nothing less than immense customer delight thereby strengthening the numero uno position as the undisputed and unrivalled leader in the movie crazy city of Chennai

Epilogue:

I sincerely hope that DMK do not purchase Palazzo as an act of retaliation for ADMK buying out Luxe.

The Good Dinosaur - Pixar Keeps up their GOOD work....again!

The Rain Gods had stopped their downpour for the city to recuperate and stand on their feet after they had vented out and unleashed all their strength over Chennai in the past one week. So, its Business As Usual for everyone apart from the Army & the myriad volunteers who are ferociously helping the city to gain back her usual strength again. So, I would like to give a heartfelt salute to those selfless individuals before jumping into the review of The Good Dinosaur.

Pixar has always had an element of magic in them especially coming from the highly innovative stables of Steve Jobs. They have weaved in their meticulous enchantments through stellar films like Toy Story, Incredibles, Wall-E, Brave, Monster's Inc & Monster's University, Wall-E, Finding Nemo, Up, Inside Out to the latest The Good Dinosaur. This year is even more very significant as it marked the only year since 1995 where two Pixar movies have been released to thoroughly entertain the audience - Inside Out & The Good Dinosaur. So, everyone knew that at least one movie would win the coveted Oscar for this year as no Pixar movies got released in 2014.

Intense. Deep. Emotional. A full family adventure with lots of laughs that is sure to keep the children and the adults completely engaged in this wonderful prehistoric ride. As far as the story is concerned, kindly rush to the nearest theatre to watch this visual spectacle of landscapes which seemed more real than a CGI. The rivers, mountains, forests, trees - they were literally as identical and indistinguishable from the actual forests, trees etc. which makes us to be simply amazed and dazed at the level of effort that has gone through to make the environment to be natural as possible. However, a small backdrop to the story - it's not new or ground-breaking as Wall-E or Ratatouille. Yet the director has managed to rope in enough resources to generate a screenplay that is sure to keep you away from your yawns and be happy when you walk from the theatres. Certain scenes in the movie were truly memorable and remarkable - for instance, the scene where Arlo explains what a family is & what became of his dad using sticks and the way Spot said his sad story in the same manner with the addition of throwing sand over the sticks was evocative and poignant moving me to tears. Similarly, the climax also evoked a strong emotional connect with the film and had my tear gland to swell open again. This is something which Pixar has been able to do something on a regular and consistent basis - Toy Story or Wall-E or Brave or Up. The only drawback was that the story could have been a bit strong and the VFX for the predecessors of T-Rex could have better. They looked much like the plastic models on the platforms! Apart from that, The Good Dinosaur is a story telling a strong friendship between a scared dinosaur and a critter and how the dinosaur eventually goes through his fears to come out of his fearful nature. Ultimately, it is Spot who had the Spotlight throughout the movie with his over cuteness and protective instinct for Arlo.

The Pixar mojo delivers again. It is no relevation!

TESTing Times!

Focus. Concentration. Patience. Perseverance. Dogged Resolution. Strong Will Power. Never-say-die Attitude. Adaptability. Great Spunk and Stamina - Physical & Mental. Consistency. Endurance. The admirable qualities that define the hallmark of a true test player who battles and grinds themselves against average and tough oppositions in tricky, unplayable and alien conditions. The sheer pleasure of watching a team fighting tooth and nail for their survival either on seaming & swinging conditions of Day 1 or the unpredictable turn & variable bounce on Day 4/5 is what makes Test Cricket to stand heads above than the other forms of cricket. Though Test Cricket has undergone extensive changes till date since its inception in 1887, the bedrock of the longer format remains the same - the one who adapts exceptionally well to the surroundings and has the necessary skills & techniques to execute their range of defence and shots can not only survive but also flourish even on demonic tracks. The beauty of the game is such that the highly agile & dynamic AB De Villiers, who holds the fastest record for scoring 50, 100 and 150 runs in ODIs, was happy defending against the Aussies in their own hunting ground by scoring a mere 33 runs from 220 deliveries without a boundary! You need to be flexible enough to constantly adapt as the situation demands to fit into the conditions of the game for longer periods in the longer format of the sport.

For purists and sticklers to conventions, Test Cricket still remains and would remain to be the crowning glory for eternity. However, the spectators do not seem to match their interests actively. The waning popularity of test matches was evident from the vacant stadiums in West Indies & other parts of the world and the meteoric rise of T20s. Also, it can be attributed to other factors like lack of sponsorships citing the evaporating interest of test cricket with the current generation & IPL and other T20 formats which occupies a significant chunk of the cricket calendar. Test Cricket desperately needed a new fresh of air to match the pulse of the current generation who are always in a hurried need of instant gratification. The change was contemplated and deliberated for a while and then it happened. The neighbours, Australia and New Zealand, were to lock horns with each other in what is to be the world's first day/night test cricket!

Adelaide was the venue to host this new innovation to revamp and cast test cricket in a bright light under floodlights! Though the match was won by Australia and securely wrapped up the series, it was the match which ultimately caught the attention and hearts of not only the spectators but also broadcasters and administrators. The game brought in a whopping 120000 people in the 3 days that the match had lasted. Not to mention the equal balance between the ball and bat for both the teams. Although the contest got completed in 3 days time, both the teams struggled against the seaming pink Kookaburra cherry in the lights. The world also witnessed the world's first dinner break in the entire 138 year Test Cricket History. It is sure to go into the annals of chapters as a truly memorable and cherishable event. Likewise, the captains of Australia and New Zealand, Smith and Baz, have already acknowledged and accepted the resounding triumph of the game's newfangled concept. Though certain modifications needed to be done as far as the ball is concerned as the batsmen found it difficult to read the seam of the pink cherry, changes will be surely be made for the better to improve the overall quality of the game. For ardent cricket lovers who are really passionate and care about the 5 day competition,  the Day/Night test has indeed resuscitated test cricket from the dead giving the much needed spark and impetus for this gentleman's game to prosper for perpetuity.

Nagpur Test – A Substandard pitch or a Sporting turf?

The second test was completely washed out in Bangalore. All eyes turned now to the venue of the third test where test history beckoned India to be the first team in a decade to beat the Africans in a series away from their home grounds.  Trailing one-nil in the series, the South Africans had a massive task cut out ahead of them. Like a first rank student coming out of the examination hall beaming after answering all the questions right, the Indians strolled into Nagpur with all smiles knowing very well that they had something in their weaponry which the Proteas did not possess – Quality spinners. Unfortunately, the Indians also succumbed to the mediocre Proteas spinners and the Africans were destructively demolished by the better Indian spinners. Though the match was done and dusted in a matter of 3 days and Indians won the game hands down, the manner in which the pitch was prepared raised a lot of eyebrows and drew in a lot of flaks from the cricketing world for such a rank turner. The Indians winning against the Africans in Nagpur was more like a hefty, muscly and powerful school bully mercilessly beating to pulp a meek, timid and helpless kid!

The Indians were all out for 215 in their first innings on day 2 thanks to 2 gritty and very helpful 30s knock from Saha and Jadeja. What followed was a disaster of epic proportions much like how the Aussies folded up very cheaply for 47 against South Africa in South Africa, at least that was on day 2! On that fateful day, 23 wickets had fallen like nine pins and our Nagpur wicket gave stiff competition to Cape Town pitch by capping in 20 wickets on day 2 again! The 47 was scored in the Oz second innings unlike the 79 in the African's first innings. In fact, Michael Clarke had scored 150 odd runs in their first innings of that test match. The comparison was brought in as every home team prepares and lays a pitch that suits their needs to gain an additional upper hand yet without compromising on the element of sportivity. Everyone knows that South Africa plays spin badly just like how Indians are uncomfortable on seamy & bouncy conditions. 

Like how Pakistan starts shooting on kids when they innocently cross the LoC, all hell would break only when people cross the border! Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened in Nagpur. It is perfectly agreeable when a pitch helps the home team. But, to see that our very own team succumbing to the gentle spin of Harmer and Tahir which escalated the pitch wars to be a World War 3! The entire cricketing fraternity took up to the Twitter Universe to rant and vent off their feelings on the diabolical nature of the turf which included the likes of Micheal Vaughan, Michael Clarke, Mathew Hayden, Glen Maxwell to name a few. However, Gibbs made a profound point when he pointed out that it's not wrong for a pitch that starts to turn right away from Day 1. A very good view which opposes the traditional way that a test match has been played till date: Day 1 - 1st session - swing, seam and fast bowlers. Day 1 - 2nd session to Day 3 - last session - batsmen. And Day 4 & Day 5 belonging to the wily spinners and skilled batsmen. However, Gibbs point of reference is very valid and pertinent for a pitch that is naturally allowed to turn from Day 1 and not doctored to behave in an artificial way. Much of the anger was directed at the fact that Nagpur's wicket was engineered beyond the permissible limits of play. No one refutes that being the Number one team in the world, the Proteas should have been equipped to play spin better mainly if they were playing in the sub-continent especially India . With tonnes of runs behind his back and bat, even Hashim Amla acknowledged that this was the toughest turf he had ever played in his life and it would have been even more miserable had they faced Kumble and Harbhajan on these tracks! Nagpur wicket was more a RETURNING pitch than a TURNING turf! Batsmen walked in and walked off the field in the blink of an eye.

As ever as the eternal saying goes "There are 2 sides to a coin"!! It is high time that every country produces a wicket that is even footed covering all aspects of the game - bowling as well as scoring runs instead of heavily tilting in the favor either for the bowlers or the batsmen. The beautiful nature of Test Cricket is already on the verge of  becoming extinct with the advent of T20s where the spectators are loving more of the fast paced and adrenaline packed action than the slow and patient version of the game that actually tests the skills and ability of a player. When people constructs such pitches in future too, the audience will surely lose their interest in the game thus sounding the death bell to strike for Test Cricket and then everyone can lament how the graceful gentleman's game had fallen from such great heights into a deeply dug grave for the sake of being result-oriented instead of  a sporting and hard-fought draw. Time is running out lest the score card should read all out for test Cricket!

A Tale of 2 Continents!

History was made last week in 2 different geographies duly separated by the vast Indian Ocean. Usually, when a significant event occurs in any part of the world, the only common denominator would be the people excluding the circumstances that may have been prevalent and contributed to the historic event in that place and at that point of time.  However, there is a perceptible link that connects the 2 regions which were mentioned earlier - Cricket. As George Bernard Shaw had once famously said”Cricket is a game played by 11 fools and watched by 11,000 fools". There were millions of fools, cheering in the stadium, watching it on TV and checking out the scores on Mobile apps, who were waiting with bated breath for the epoch-marking and headline grabbing games to quickly begin in Nagpur and Adelaide respectively. Cricket matches, be it ODI, T20 or the test version, happen throughout the entire 365 days in some country or the other. So, what was special with these 2 venues?

In the land of the cricket-driven and cricket revered India, the Proteas were on the verge of losing their highly consistent overseas track record where they had not been beaten in a series by any country to close to a decade. Having won the ODI series and T20 comfortably, they marched on a high and brimming with confidence into the test series until they ran into the wily Ashwin who simply terrorized the South African batsmen with his wide array of tricks that were hidden secretly under his sleeve.  Even the likes of the ever dependable Amla, the dashing De Villiers and the dedicated Du Plessis had no answer to the web spun around them by the Indian trio - Ashwin, Jaddu and Mishra. The South Africans were like a cat on a hot tin roof on seeing the prodigious spin and turn that the pitch was massively offering and assisting the spinners. Though the Indians were supposed to be good at playing spin, even they were tremendously troubled by the gentle likes of Harmer and Tahir. In the end, the Indians won the first match. The second was washed out due to heavy rains and the third was the final nail in the coffin for South Africa's away wins. There was no denying that the pitch was not conducive to the batsmen to play their shots but they made the pitch to look even worse and unplayable. This would be covered in another blog but for now, the match as a whole is covered. This was Virat Kohli's second series win in a row and is sure to silence those who had questioned his captaining abilities when Dhoni retired rather abruptly during the Australian series and was asked to fill up the big shoes of MSD. The South Africans would have learnt a very good lesson that despite an excellent line-up, they still have gigantic mountains to climb when it comes to playing spin to be truly dominating the cricketing arena like the West Indies of the 70s or Aussies of the late 90s. On the other hand, the Indians should not have any sense of complacency for beating the Number 1 team in the world as the pitch played its part as much as their spinners.  Lessons should have been learnt but the application of those lessons should be seen only in the upcoming tests.

When India was hurtling spin missiles at the Africans and decimating them, the competitive & combative Oz and the warm & friendly Kiwis were at loggerheads with each other in Australia. The first match was won comprehensively by the mighty Aussies. The second test ended in a draw. But, the historic moment was captured in the third test @ Adelaide where the world’s first official Day/Night test was to be held and the red cherry was to be replaced by the pink Kookaburra. It was also the first time when the world witnessed the first dinner break in the entire 138 year Cricket history! Under lights, it was surreal to see the two neighbouring countries battling against the seaming conditions on a pitch that has always favoured the batsmen. The pitch was left so green that no hundreds were scored by either team during the 3 days of play. The audience were left enthralled to the extent that it broke the house record for the attendance @ Adelaide. The funny part is that it did not involve England! At the fag end of the third day’s play, Aussies became the first team in the world to win the first ever Day/Night test match amidst the heatedly disputed and controversy surrounding over Lyon’s decision in the first innings.

Ultimately, it boils to the incontrovertible fact that the chapters of Test Cricket were rewritten in the swift span of only 7 days. The South Africans have a daunting task ahead in front of them. The Indians, despite wrapping up the series, need to show to the world that they can beat a challenging opponent on a sporting wicket. Last but not the least, whether purists and traditionalists of the longer version of the game accept it and like it or not, Day/Night test matches are here to stay.

The Hunger Games - Part 2 - A Hobbling final act!

LOTR. Harry Potter. The Bourne Series. Twilight and now The Hunger Games. One more book series is successfully laid to rest after raking in millions from the revolutionary franchise!

"Welcome to the 76th Hunger Games" whispered Gale into Katniss's ears and the entire theatre erupted into volcanic chants and rooted for Katniss to win for one last time against a very redoubtable and commanding opponent in this concluding quartet - President Snow himself. However, there was a twist. Though the twist was as predictable as a hero emerging triumphant over the villain in the climax of every wood industry, the way in which the narration had slowly meandered its way to the final scene was nothing short of the usual formulaic film. As was the problem with Harry Potter and Twilight series when the producers and directors decided to rip apart the concluding part into two just for the sake of milking in the extra cash, The Mockingjay Part 2 too suffered a very similar fate. The movie was at times being dragged to the extent that even a snapping rubber band would stretch itself beyond its limited breaking point! The movie had a solid run time of close to 150 minutes including the intermission. With a crisper editing and a racier screenplay, The Mockingjay would have ensured that it satiated the hunger of the audience who have been assiduously following the series since 2012. Th film heavily relies on the quiver-carrying J-Lo who failed to impress in the most vital scene - her pep talk to invigorate the people to launch an all out attack on Snow was more demotivating than otherwise. 

Undoubtedly the movie had it own good moments like the Underground chase where the Mutts attack the squad.  Although a deep sense of foreboding engulfed the tensed pods sequences, the escape could have been orchestrated into an exciting edge of the seat thriller rather than as the tepid lull as showcased in the movie. The final confrontation between Snow and Katniss was indeed a revelation for not only to Katniss but also to the devious Snow himself to know the actual mastermind behind his splendid downfall. Eventually, Snow was buried in the snow by the angry mob who had thronged to the Capitol in multitudes to witness his execution. What should have been a glorious firework of a finish got ended rather as a shall-I-burst-thinking kind of cracker. 

Epilogue:

Those who are tear-eyed after the movie's end that they cannot see J-Lo as Katniss again on the big screen, fret not. There is a rumor that Lionsgate has planned to release prequels and sequels to this money generating akshayapatra!

Epilogue 1:
The review on Mockingjay Part 2 will seem very tangential and not have touched the depth of the bottom. Unfortunately, the review can be only as good as the movie is!  

Spectre - A soulless spirit!

Imagine a slimmer and fitter Ajith sporting silky suits who has a troubled past which comes to haunt him in the form of his devious and devilish brother. You pepper in two ravishing looking girls with deleted kiss scenes and action sequences in swashbuckling locales. And oh yes! No songs in the movie - intro, romance or sad. Voila! What we have is a typical Kollywood movie with a stylish touch to it. Does it ring a bell somewhere? Yes. Ajith had almost reprised James Bondesque role even in Billa 1. Spectre, if it had been directed by an Indian Director, would have been the perfect platform to announce officially that he is the most apt person to play as James Bond at least in India! 

I am not going to let the cat out of the bag by revealing Spectre's story. Kindly watch the movie and find it out for yourself. If your decision is to watch it in IMAX, then it is well and good as the IMAX actually spared the Bond franchise's blushes. Yes. The IMAX format got finally screened in Chennai. The experience was worth the surprising and out-of-the ordinary cost but not for the latest Bond movie! The review is as follows minus the story!

When you have a list of options to be checked against the imperatives for an 007 picture, almost all the boxes get ticked. A Suave and Sophisticated Hero. Bad Villain. Sexy Girls. The Theme song. The all-famous punch dialogue. Speedy cars. Pounding action sequences. Wry One-liners. So, why did I say the film lacked life and boring? Simple. One of the most important check boxes remained unchecked till the very end. STORY. To put it in a nutshell, Spectre is more Kollywood-esque than Hollywood as far as the story is concerned excepting the indisputable fact that Spectre's budget would be many many manifold times than an average Tamil film.

Even the full potential of actors like Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Andrew Scott, and Monica Bellucci weren't completely utilized especially the services of Christoph Waltz who has so gracefully, menacingly and delightfully had given stellar performances in The Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained. The moment it was known that C.Waltz was playing Number 1, anticipations were sky high and only to become downfall by the end. It was not that he had performed badly. He had done enough justice to the role in the limited screen frame and time frame he had been allotted in the movie. His screen presence could have been more in the film to showcase the entire range of arsenal which C. Waltz possesses. Unfortunately, that was not the case with the weak story.  

In the end, when Bond says "Time flies" and the watch-bomb bursts, I realized that the time was actually going very slow in reality. Now, it's up to the new and unknown Bond to deliver an exceptional performance in the next Bond outing to make it a truly memorable and unforgettable one with his signature "Bond...James Bond" dialogue!

Chennai's Water Woes - Part 2

So, the million dollar question. Does the Chennai citizens feel even a modicum of safety in this harsh and bitter weather ? The answer is a simple , straightforward  thundering and lightning no. This is extremely evident from the fact that 2 people were electrocuted in KK Nagar when the electric line snapped out and touched the waters when the unfortunate incident occurred. Though the city faced severe power outages when heavy winds and rains lashed and torn into the very heart of the city , it is still basic common sense that the power supply should have been discontinued until the weather was at least all fine and dandy. Even on Sunday, a husband and wife were electrocuted on the spot in Velachery when the electric cable fractured and fell on them causing the government to suspend 4 people.

This is just the beginning. Stagnant water is the ideal place for mosquitoes to increase their population and spread deadly diseases like Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya. As the sewers have beautifully mixed in enormous proportions with the rain water, it would be only uncommon if the hospitals aren't frequented by people suffering from cholera, diarrhoea and food poisoning. This situation would be highly relevant to those who reside alongside the Adyar river when the hydrogen oxide from Chembarabakkam lake was released thus causing the polluted and stinking Adyar river overflow to venture boldly and freely into the neighbouring vicinity. The government is stepping up on the gas by having free medicines distributed to all the people through their emergency health camps set up in the hospitals. But, this is like licking the wounds and making it better when the wound could have been avoided in the first place. The rainy weather showed not just the gross mismanagement of the government to handle a severe crisis but also their colossal inability to make the best use of the technologies available to have mitigated the extent of the damages caused by the floods. In short, the government missed out on their management!

Every cloud has a silver lining. The 4 major reservoirs in Chennai - Chembarabakkam, Poondi, Red Hills and Cholavaram - are almost filled up to their brims. This ensures that Chennai, where a bucket of water can cost Rs10 due to the acute water shortages experienced in the scorching Summer months, can heave a sigh of big relief and be all smiles as even today, our esteemed Chief Minister Jayalalitha has said that 850 million liters of water can be given to the city from its previous 537 million liters per day. 

However, the big 72 font size question remains - Does the battle wounded city is prepared to combat another low pressure when it strikes her again? As far as the Met Department news is concerned , there is one more low pressure that has been formed and may bring heavy rainfall to the city. Chennai has already submerged like the Titanic and is very slowly swimming back to the surface to be alive. Considering and seeing fully the lack of proactive preparedness and effective planning by the Government,  Chennai would be another Atlantis when the next massive cloudburst happens unless expedient steps are taken urgently to address the city's drainage issues thus guarding this favorite and fabulous city from the savage weather thus sustaining her till eternity

                                                                  X----concluded----X

Chennai's Water Woes - Part 1

“Water, water, everywhere,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, everywhere,

Nor any drop to drink.”

― Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

This quote aptly and perfectly summarises the plight and flight of Chennai-ites in the last 15 days. 

There were buses submerged in water under a bridge to go with the boats being used to ferry out people to safety. The sewer mixed with the waterlogging on the roads made the matters even worse. So, what is the point of having so much water surrounding your islandish house/flats and being confined in your own house like a prisoner without electricity, bitten by mosquitoes and unable to venture out to the nearby shops for buying a basic necessity as milk and water if the waters on the roads couldn't have been used effectively?     

What began as a simple low pressure eventually culminated into receiving a vicious 23.5.cm rainfall on one fine extraordinary Sunday - the highest rainfall for a single day since 2005. As a result of the heavy rains that has left the city in a badly battered state, schools and colleges were closed for more than a week across the state and they are still closed even tomorrow (28/11/2015). Early haly yearly holidays for children without studying hard and writing their half yearly exams ! Ramanan is now being revered as the new Rain God - as far as school children and college goers are concerned! The impact of the depression was such that many offices were also closed, of course! with compensation, due to the potential risk to life besides the property that the damaging floods had caused to several parts of the city. Apart from certain areas in and around Mount Road, the rest of the city borne the severe brunt of the rains resulting in extensive and immense waterlogging and flooding thus throwing the city into complete chaos and disrepair.

It was just not only raining cats and dogs or coming down in bucket loads but also raining buffaloes, cows, goats and other domesticated animals along with coming down in jumbo tank loads! Such was the steady intensity and ferocity of the precipitation that it had brought the complete city to a silent standstill. The only sound that was breaking the pin drop silence was the mighty force of the whooshing wind and the pitter patter of the heavy showers due to the incessant cloudburst activity. The unflagging wet weather was really uncommon for a water-starved place like Chennai considering the dubious moniker she has earned for herself because of the scorching and sweltering summers - Hot, Hotter and Hottest. 

With the majority of the rains that the city receives is due to the Northeast monsoon which accounts for 60% of her annual rains during this season, it was extremely surprising to see that Chennai was thoroughly unprepared for the event. Though Chennai is merely 7m above sea level, the natural strategic location of this beautiful landform cannot be considered as one of the chief causes for flooding. It goes beyond that. In fact, this disaster is purely man-made and the sooner we accept the reality the better it will be as it can ensure such situations do not occur in future again.

So, what is it that we have done that has completely thrown this busy city out of gear in such an unabated fashion? It is due to 3 reasons - geography, incompetent, ineffective and inadequate water drainage and finally, the massive urbanization that has been taking place in the city. Geography is something that is God given and naturally formed for centuries. We cannot do much about it. But, drainages and encroachments are directly connected with the city planners and the government. Every action could have been taken with prudent and proper plans to avert this catastrophe of this magnitude. It has come to light that the Pallikaranai marsh, a natural flood control barrier, has dwindled to one-tenth of its original size due to excessive construction activities with the meteoric rise of the IT industry along the OMR stretch. There were 150 water bodies in the city which is significantly reduced to only 27 now. The meaning is loud and clear to everyone. We have been building on these water bodies thus encroaching  them to the level that drains could not be connected to an outlet. The result - internal flooding due to the artificial barriers that have been erected and thus serving as an massive obstruction to the natural flow of the water. Speaking of drains, though 10000 crores have been spent to build the storm water drains in the last 5 years, it seems that the urban planners have failed to take into account the hydrological aspect which is an indispensable and inevitable part for a city layout. Drains are as important as the roads when it comes to a city. It is very evident from the indisputable evidence that even the Harappan civilization had excellent drainage system in place to the likes of which has not been seen in a city like Chennai. It is really sad to see that the government still maintains their stance they cannot do anything beyond rescue and relief when instant proactive measures for short-term and long-term are the need of the hour.

Nature's fury is unpredictable and unstoppable but it can be drastically mitigated to a great extent. What has happened has happened. It is time to look to the future immediately so that the biggest industrial and commercial center in South India can at least ameliorate the lives of millions of residents who have been inhabiting this deeply culture-rich place for ages yet still has the tolerance to accept and accommodate millions of new comers, thus giving them a chance - an opportunity - to earn and grow in the lives. It is now up to the concerned authorities to ensure that the city also grows and develops  in a proper and sustained manner to match this accelerated economic hustle and bustle so that people can lead a safe, secure and prosperous life.

                                                                            X-----to be concluded----X

Rasavid Buffet - A True Value for Money Deal!

It was a toss between Ibis and Rasavid and the latter won the tussle hands down for their claimed sheer spread and cost. Our team of 13 colleagues. despite all odds, confronted the rains heads on and reached the place on an extremely wet and flooded Friday for our team lunch. Though I had already PAID a visit to the Rasavid (opposite to Aravind theatre) several times, this was the first time I was stepping into Rasavid Buffet. Just like the entree offered by Rasavid, there were 7 veg and 6 non-veg members in the group. Needless to say, there were 7 Veg and 6 Non-veg, to be exact, followed the soup. The welcome mint drink was initially served as soon as we had comfortably settled down in our seats. From then onwards, it was a tough fight between the stomach and the food!

The ambience was simple, neat and clean with the service being just above par quality. The starters were brought in as per our preferences. Being a vegetarian, I found the variety of appetizers were adequate and tasty. The main course was satisfactory with Noodles, Biriyani, Dal, 2 side dishes for Naan and our Staple foods - Rice, Rasam, Curd Rice and fryums. But, the desserts were really good especially the mouth-watering and hot Gulab Jamuns with the varieties of ice-creams and cakes. Overall, the food lived up to the name "Rasavid" though it could have been better! The bottomline is that you simply cannot find a quality buffet at such a competitive and affordable price in OMR.  A killer buffet @ Rs.450 for Veg and Rs.550 for Non-Veg minus the taxes. The smorgasbord was worth every rupee spent.

A special mention to Priyadharshini who was not only friendly but also very helpful and cooperative when it came to reserving and arranging the seats to make it one of our memorable team lunches.   

A word of caution - As the name suggests, there is no a la carte available in this restaurant. So, enjoy the unlimited buffet to your heart's content! 

Sigree Global Grill – An extremely delectable and rich experience!

It was more than 6 years ago since I met one of my best friends from my Engineering days. I met him one last time in our verdant campus before he left for his native Tirunelveli. He completed his Masters in Dehradun while I was doing mine in Coimbatore. Though both of us were in the two extreme parts of the country, we still maintained and sustained our friendship through various means - FB, Mails and Calls. I felt the telecom operator would have raked in a fortune because of us during this period! So, when he arrived in Chennai, I was more than excited to him in person after all this while. We decided to meet up in Sigree Global Grill as it was very close my friend's place. Barring the sudden downpour on a pleasant Saturday morning, I braved my way towards Thuraipakkam with my friend. I have heard quite a lot from my friends about this place. Obviously, positive else we wouldn't have chosen this place for our get together. But, there was a kick that was going in at the back of my mind as I knew that this place was always swarming with people and that a reservation is more than a mandate to gain access to this place during the weekends. Fortunately, we were more than well in time before the crowd began to trickle in by throngs!

After occupying our seats comfortably, we were welcomed in with a welcome drink! Then, the servers brought in the barbecues after enquiring our preferences - veg and non-veg. A couple of their working party ensured that the veg delicacies were correctly served to me and non-veg to my friend. I was particularly impressed with the tandoori pineapple. When my friend and I were chewing the cud as well as chewing the food, the starters were steaming in one by one. It took us more than an hour to finish our entree. We were casually engaged and lost ourselves in a trip down the memory lane and at the same time, we were slowly and thoroughly enjoying every last piece of the food - Sweet Potatoes, Paneer and Mushroom Grill, Bread platter and Mineral Water! After having a taste of all the appetizers, we decided that the time was ripe to move on to the main course.

As I was gently strolling towards the main course arena, the Pasta & Pizza counter grabbed my attention as even the most popular and famous Barbecue Nation did not have one! After the initial reconnaissance of all the veg main courses and the dessert spread, I was up for the challenge to have a taste of all the items that were included in our prices excluding the taxes! I do not remember the exact names that were labelled on the steaming vessels but there was Naan, Parsley rice, Tomato veggies, Dal, Salads, Fryums, Paneer Butter Masala, Biriyani and Curd Rice. Like how we used to have pickles, I filled out my entire plate with such a quantity covering all the items. Finally, our main course ended up with the veg spaghetti carefully chosen by my friend. My stomach was literally and metaphorically bursting at the intestines!

Just like the innings break during IPL matches, we were completely reeling under the heavy lunch minus the desserts. We took some selfies to kill the time and also to break down the food in the stomach! It took us more than 15 minutes to even stand up from our seats and proceed towards the mouth-watering dessert section. Gulab Jamuns, Kheer, Ice creams with toppings, Tiramisu, Mousses and Cakes. When all was said and done, it was time for us to bid adieu to each other and also to Sigree Grill after paying our bills. The Sigree squad gave us a warm and polite farewell with the soft and gentle music playing in the background

Epilogue:

The food was indeed worthy of a King & Queen though the prices were on a higher side. If it had been a tad less by Rs. 100 for both veg and non-veg, then I am really sure that the reservations in Sigree would be completely booked in advance for the month.