My AT11

Uniqueness, warmth, rarity and competence are the four fundamental and intrinsic aspects which ensures that a person, product or service to truly stand out in the crowded, boisterous and intensely cut-throat market place. How effectively a brand differentiates and distinguishes themselves from the competing entities either by providing superior value or that singular and exceptional jaw-dropping factor that will definitely result in the brand to burn, etch and occupy a lion's share in the minds and hearts of the consumers. 

From whatever my professors had taught me during my MBA with their lectures and case studies, I have inferred and understood this much in real life. In fact, I believe that 'Mind Share' must be replaced with 'Heart Share'. I am not undermining the importance of Mindshare here. But, Heart Share is what that drives people to go bonkers and shell out a heavy premium for brands like Apple. So, why the heck am I giving a mini-enlightening session on how great brands should function?

It is as simple as scratching your adorable doggy's fluffy fur when they affectionately butt their heads onto your shoulder. There are many All Time Eleven's by cricket legends that are being constantly bombarded on a daily and weekly basis through videos and blogs. I wondered why not to give my own Best Playing XI after having religiously and devotedly followed and played the Gentleman's Game for close to three decades. I have gone one step further by not just giving the Best Test 11 but also in ODIs and T20s as well.

The lists below are not randomly based on my personal preferences or inclinations or prejudices but it is curated solely on the basis of their performances on:

a)  Merit

b) Man of the Match and Man of the Series awards

c) Value &Impact that the players have added over the years

d) The ability to soak in pressure at crucial and dire moments of the game and deliver successful results

e) Capacity to assess, adapt and adopt to the situations accordingly
f)  Produce positive outcomes at home as well as on foreign soils

g) Consistency

Nine day wonders and flash in the pans will not be definitely there in the list as IMHO reliability, dependability, duration and frequency of consistency is as much important to a player to be THE GO-TO person in the team as the player's skill, talent and innate potential.

Just like how we go to a restaurant and order an entree at first, the first in line is the T20 list.

Best T20 11:

1. David Warner

2. Brendon McCullum

3. Virat Kohli

4. AB De Villiers

5. Kevin Pietersen

6. MS Dhoni (c&wk)

7. Dwayne Bravo

8. Chris Morris

9. Sunil Narine

10. Samuel Badree

11. Lasith Malinga

I have considered these players based on my observable fact that it is better to have a player to score minimum 30 runs off 20 balls in, say for example, 5 out of 8 matches than a person scoring a knock-your-socks-off innings of 100 runs off 40 balls in an once in a blue moon manner.

So, One down. Two to go.

Best ODI 11:

1. Sanath Jayasuriya

2. Sachin Tendulkar

3. Ricky Ponting

4. Kevin Pietersen

5. AB De Villiers

6. MS Dhoni (c&wk)

7. Michael Bevan

8. Wasim Akram

9. Shane Bond

10. Muttiah Muralitharan

11. Glenn McGrath

It was extremely tough to not to accommodate Sehwag or Hayden as an opener. But, Jayasuriya is a relatively better bowler and fielder than the dashing openers. Likewise, between Waqar Younis and Akram was like choosing a Chocolate Truffle and Haagen Dazs Icecream. Akram is a relatively better bat than Younis which helped me to tip the scale in his favor. Also, Kallis, Dravid or Ponting in number 3 slot?  Ponting's phenom strike rate amongst the three made him to be a cut above them. Similarly, the swashbuckling keeper Gilchrist had to be given the boot as Dhoni is in the picture with his astute cricketing brains, icy coolness and beautiful brawn.

The best in the big daddy of a purist's delight:

Best Test 11: 

1. Rahul Dravid

2. Alastair Cook

3. Ricky Ponting (c) 

4. Brian Lara

5. Sachin Tendulkar

6. Adam Gilchrist (wk)

7. Wasim Akram

8. Shane Warne

9. Curtly Ambrose

10. Glenn McGrath

11. Muttiah Muralitharan

As no one could be as flexible and tenacious as Rahul Dravid, I moved him to the top slot ahead of Hayden or Amla or Graeme Smith for the openers contention. And of course, in the extreme worst case scenario that others fail, everyone will have the pollyannic feel and hope that The Wall is out there to defend and shield them from any adverse situation even if eternity crumbles down likes a cookie..!

PS:

This Best list is post the 1990s as anything before then would mean that there were absolute legends, geniuses, magicians, mavens, greats as Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Thomson, Lillee, Border, Botham, Martin Crowe, Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, the intimidating express WI Quartet etc. 

I did not include these players in the Best category as the playing conditions in those days were completely alien from today's better, healthier, fitter, quicker, faster, safer, superior and smarter ways of playing the game due to sophisticated technologies, savvy physios, introduction and enforcement of newer laws and rules for batsmen and bowlers.

Travel Diaries - Gorgeous Goa...! Part 2

So, with all the necessities at my behest, it was time to vroom the highways and byways of the spectacular beach roads in the erstwhile Portuguese inhabited and dominated region. 

To ensure that my Angelina was in top riding condition, I drove her to the nearest Colva Beach which was relatively nearer to my not fit-for-a-king or queen lodging that was nearby to the Madgaon Railway Station. Taking directions from the sign boards that were placed across the way, it was a fantastic experience to see the golden sun silently gliding into the horizon. Though the Kanyakumari sunset still tops my list for the sunsets, as of now, the Colva sunset with the pleasant winds blowing into my tousled hair was a good one to remember and blog. It was then I realized that my over-grown hair like a mini-jungle needed to be shortened to adapt to the local sunny conditions.        

After a renewed makeover that felt like freedom from a dictator, I was able to feel the chill sweeping gusts of air hitting the almost bald head that was a serious relief to the otherwise humid day. It was then the alarming bells started to ring, not on my mobile!, in the form of fuel deficiency. That was the moment I had the sudden light bulb moment and took a call, Again, not from the mobile!, that I shouldn't travel after dusk in a completely new environment considering my language barrier would be a thorn in the flesh in the event I had to encounter a breakdown or puncture or lack of operating drink for my Angelina.  

I knew it was the Arabian Sea that was stretching all throughout the Goa Beaches much like the Bay of Bengal for Chennai Beaches. The waters are the same to similar depending on the elevation of terrain, type of terrain and level of crowd catchment of the place. Nevertheless, it was an one-of-a-kind moments to freely and independently roam the roads of Goa like a sprinting cheetah especially when you move out from the crowded inner sections of the city to the beautiful coastlines where you have the ultra-luxury to simply plug into your headphones and listen to your fav numbers on the move. It was akin to the famous ECR Road, Chennai in which the songs and long drives are inseparable like Laurel & Hardy. But, when you step within the city limits, it becomes extremely difficult to even concentrate on the road barring your treasured song lists.

After sometime, I lost track of the number of beaches that I had visited. There was a famous beach at every turn like Colva, Dona Paula, Miramar, Calangute, Anjuna, Baga, Bogmalo etc. But, the one beach which I loved to the hilt is the sun-kissed waters of Palolem. The two things which made me to be head over heels with the glistening sands is the sheer long drive from Madgaon to Palolem. The serpentine roads along with the picturesque setting en route to the beach added the extra dash and panache to the to and fro travel. Not to mention the pristine pulchritude because of the relatively lesser tourists ensured that Palolem was at the top of my order in the Goan adventure. But, one thing. Unless you have a filled tank and a spare tyre in your reserve, all you have to do is pray to God that nothing out of the ordinary happened to you on the way. I had the former but not the latter at my command and had to chant Krishna's name throughout the course of this standout journey so that my Angelina did not have a flat tyre anywhere on those deserted and splendid scenic route punctuated with villages and houses here and there like the stars on a cloudy night.

Much as I had the perception that Goa was completely occupied and sated with churches due to the Portuguese influence, it was indeed a welcoming and pleasant surprise when I saw the sign boards that read of a Durga temple and Iyyapan temple in my accommodation vicinity though they were not a stone throw's away. Getting up early in the morning and having a quick crow's shower, I paid my obeisance to the two temples on two different days and proceeded to drop by other places of attractions like The Big Foot, Agoda Fort and Central Jail, Mormugao Port and Museum. It was indeed a bit scary and creepy on the way to the Central Jail in Agoda due to the stillness of the surroundings and minimal visitors to the spot. A big NO-NO to this place in the dark or even after sunset. Luckily, the horse sense that I should keep to the main roads before the sun hits the other half of  the world really helped me to pace my ride accordingly.

Goa is renowned for beaches, parties, boozes, flea markets and churches. As I was not much of a party person and a complete teetotaler, the middle two choices were ruled out of the picture, pun intended. I had single-handedly covered almost all the major beaches in the North and South Goa during my stay here. Since no GF or wife, flea markets were of inconsequential interest to me. SO, the only thing left were the churches. Right next to the Museum was one well-known Portuguese church. Likewise, there was yet another architectural worship of the Christians right across the Museum. Having come such a long way, I just dropped in and took some snaps and headed towards Madgaon. The only problem which I faced was the fact that I had to Dio out to all the points of tourist interests from Madgaon.

When I landed in Goa, I had the uncomfortable uneasiness that it was going to be a drab expedition as the common perception was that Goa is buzz of activity with friends. But, what I learnt from my trip is that it is possible to enjoy this spectacular and wondrous place solo-singing as well if you have the right mindset and attitude to discover the wonderful and untainted places instead of merely sleeping in the rooms and having extreme hangovers in the morning. I am not saying that's not right. IMHO, whatever rocks your boat! as long as you don't cause harm or hurt others. To me, it was about finding and indulging in the raw nature of Goan environment. However, I might have created a mini-Guinness record to not having touched a single drop of hot drink during my brief stay in this fabulous place that has loads to offer other than just parties and cheap alcohols.  


                                                                     X---Concluded---X              

Travel Diaries - Gorgeous Goa...! Part 1

When you ask any Engineering or any Graduate student, for the matter, as to where they would like to head for the vacations, their unanimous choice would scream "Goaaaaaaaaaa". I am still not sure as what has captivated them without even an infinitesimal dissenting voice. My best bet is the superb perception and the glowing aura that has been created by their friends and seniors who would have definitely said that Goa is a heaven for rave parties and sublime relaxation from the mundane humdrum of the normal lives. I had the opportunity to visit Goa when I was in Engineering as a part of our In-Plant Training and Industrial Visit. As my sister's engagement was just around the corner then, I prioritized Goa to some other time. Never in my darkest nightmares that I could have dreamt that I would be visiting Goa all alone by carrying a heavy baggage of emotional turmoil and mental anguish.

After arriving straight from the Dubai airport to Chennai, one of my friend, who happens to be lawyer, recommended that Goa is the ideal place for relaxation and peace of mind. The flight tickets were extremely precipitous. So, I decided to take a train to Goa from Bangalore after meeting up with one of my friends from my MBA. Bading goodbye to her after a nice lunch, that was actually High Tea!, at Domino's, I headed towards Mangalore by bus to catch the Madgaon Express which was due in the next morning. As none of my travels were planned and were completely off-the-cuff, I had the vague feeling of discomfort that the world and time was controlling me instead of me being in command over the plans. Still, I enjoyed the feel to be truly in flow with nature just like a river meanders slowly and lazily across the plains.

Due to restless sleep in the bus caused by the vague feeling, the train journey was marked with me sleeping most of the time. By the time I woke up, the train was near Madgaon. This was the second time ever I was without a roof over my head in an alien place. The first time was when I made a quick trip to Kancheepuram to visit all the temples there before I caught a bus to Bangalore from Koyembedu Bus terminus. I was well in my comfort zone when I went to Kancheepuram as I was within the boundaries of Tamil Nadu and everyone spoke Tamil. So, finding an inexpensive hotel wasn't that difficult. In this scenario at Madgaon, I was completely all at sea, pun intended, with no idea whatsoever as to what the other people were talking since their conversations were in Hindi. A good soul at the Railway Station guided me to the Auto stand. But, to make him understand that I wanted to hire an auto was a herculean task by itself like carrying a big wheel on the shoulder.

A super nice person at the Auto Stand told me that he would drive me to a decent hotel as I had clearly stated my requirements that I would be visiting the beaches and other tourist attractions and that I just needed a good  yet cheap place to sleep and bathe. He was polite enough to acknowledge it and used his sales skills to make me hire one of his vehicles for the extensive sightseeing. He also suggested some other places like The Big Foot.

After checking into the hotel, I went along with him to rent one of his two-wheelers. I can read your mind now. "How on Earth, Okay, Goa! did you trust a man who was nothing but a stranger?". Of course, I didn't. In fact, I was chanting 'Krishna Krishna' silently in my mind when we made our way to his residence. I perfectly knew and understood that I was in his territory and completely out of my comfort zone and that he was the person who was calling the shots there. If he had kidnapped or killed me then, no one would have ever known and I wouldn't be here alive now and typing out this blog. So, yes. I put the burden on Lord Krishna and left everything to Him. Fortunately, the person lived with his brother or at least that's what he told me and gave me multiple choices to select from his arsenal of vehicles .

As I wasn't aware of the road conditions or traffic, I preferred a Blue Dio after making sure that I got all the necessary documents pertaining to my Angelina, Okay! That's the name I kept for the Blue Dio!, and the most imperative of all - Helmet.


                                                            X---To be Concluded---X

The Gaffe of Gaffes..Or Is It?? - Part 3

First up, what Trump is doing is right in the best interests of the American people. As a leader of the land, it is one's duty to discharge their obligations to their own country men first and then proceed to the rest of the world. To put things into clearer perspective, supposing you are married and have kids. Will you take care of your family first or your neighbours? No. I am not talking about you having an illicit relationship with your neighbour and then feeding him/her. It's a genuine question.

Is it Unagi by any chance?? I don't know..!

Likewise, when you take the country as a huge family, wouldn't you provide opportunities and livelihood to your family members first?? Some might aver that it is a regressive move or step in the wrong direction. It will be a backward-looking decision had at least the majority of the Americans have enough to support them and their own family. Is that the case? The unemployment levels are falling now yet it stands at a mammoth 7.2 million people being out of work. The reasons may be attributed to several factors but it all boils down to one essential fact that their own citizens should be given the top priority and when there is a skill gap, the government can ensure then to plug it up by whatever legal means that is necessary.

Also, illegal immigrants are like bunnies. In the blink of an eye, they multiply so fast and quick that Sonic the Hedgehog would seem slow..! Unless the weeds, No! Not THAT!, of illegal immigrants are detected and pruned away as early as possible, they will be detrimental to the economy and health of a country.

Taking a cue from Trump's far-sighted vision to make America great again, countries like Singapore, Australia and New Zealand have also adopted stringent visa rules to curtail the flow of immigrants looking for jobs. This is actually the best way to move forward when your own country faces a shortage of skill set in their poolset. It will result in better utilization of their resources - be it Financial or Manpower - to improve their existing infrastructure by catering to their local needs and enhancing their competencies so that their own nationals have the requisite knowledge and expertise to be given the appropriate roles and responsibilities in an organization.

'Nation first. Others next' should be the mantra that will ensure a well-rounded and all-round development of a country's actual potential. When it is satisfied to a satisfactory level, then the rules can be relaxed and made liberalised to accommodate foreign workers. Until then, we, Indians might face the heat and pressure of their squeezing and choking rules but the really skilled will get the deal anyhow on grounds of merit and value that they bring to the table.

In Trump's case, his intention was right but his execution was a little off the mark. The problem is that when you try to force something against the people's will, it will result in massive backlash. Time is till there for him to create and have that initial groundswell, which wasn't there earlier, to back his executive orders that will ensure the stars in their flags to coruscate and scintillate in the world again.

Until then, people will be mocking the idiosyncrasies of Trump's logic to make America a better country in the world as to what happened in the prestigious Oscars were many celebrities sported blue ribbons to support the immigrant population in their country.

                                                                   X---Concluded---X


PS 1:
I am neither Anti-Trump nor Pro-Hillary. Just felt what Trump is doing is in the bigger context of the American welfare. No offence to anyone or anybody here. Apologize deeply incase this blog has hurt the sentiments of any and many.

PS 2:
I have nothing against the Oscars. Have been a big fan of Hollywood movies for a very long time. I had the feel that La La Land was the most deserving contender for the Best Movie Category. That's all. 

The Gaffe of Gaffes..Or Is It?? - Part 2

As soon as the reports and tweets started to surface all over the Netweb and Idiot Box that there had been a 'vishwaroopam' goof up - the  likes and scales of which has never been seen before - by wrongly announcing the Best Picture Award, my thoughts travelled at RoadRunner's pace to the scene in FRIENDS where Ross utters Rachel's name at Emily's Wedding Altar!

The gargantuan stuff up was taken in good spirit by the La La Land's team. However, possibilities are like petrol/diesel. They make the world to drive in infinite directions - Not the 16 geographic ones.!

The 2 PwC partners memorize the 24 winners during their laborious hand-counted votes before the D-day. So, IF Ruiz and Cullinan were the only two people in the entire world to know the winners of the Oscars before the actual event happened, how easy or difficult for any influential director or accomplished artiste to use their coercive or reward or referent powers to sway the Academy Awards in their favor by browbeating or cajoling or coaxing the Accountants prior to the ceremony since there is no evidence of any paper trails or systems to cross-verify the winners as selected by the 7000 Oscar members??

Many will say it is the up to the integrity of the 2 partners to morally and ethically uphold the real talents to be the true winners. Even I am of the same opinion but I found it extremely hard to believe that a person as Cullinan having 30 years experience under his belt to spectacularly screw up the one job he had in his hand despite being cautioned that they shouldn't use their mobile phones in the backstage.

Had anyone been in PwC's position, they would have fired the 2 partners on the spot for bringing their prestigious firm to such reputational infirmity and shame. But, Ruiz and Cullinan were not given the pink slips. So, was it a part of a grand stage up between the Oscars and PwC to obliterate them officially from the Red Carpet and have 2 dummy newbies to manage a cumbersome process next year under their supervision behind the scenes?? Only they know the truth.

However, what is more of a probable certainty is that this year's Oscars wanted to show to the world that they welcome diversity with open arms with not only just nominations but also handed over the Academy Awards in multiple categories like Best Picture unlike the previous 2 editions where the minorities were not even nominated in the first place. Ah! Such Sudden Love!!

Thank you Google for lightening up my time in giving this extensive stats

La La Land epitomized the heartwarming story of how 2 aspiring wannabes with pure and true passion and talent in their respective professions break down the strong walls of poverty and misery to lead a successful life with sheer dedication and hard work. It's an inspiring and stirring movie that hits your heart at the right places to follow your heart to enjoy the meaning of work and come triumphs in it as well. A musical rags-to-riches story well-told by the 'Whiplash' director. Not to take anything away from Moonlight, IMHO, La La Land was more about positivity and optimism that results in joy and happiness to a person by motivating us to have the world at our feet when we rightly put our minds and hearts to it.

It was really a pleasant shock that Moonlight won the coveted Best Picture Award. The same applies for Best Supporting Actor as well. Mahershala Ali was good in the Moonlight but was he the best when compared to Jeff Bridges or even Dev patel?

Did the Oscars try to present themselves a self-image to save their faces by saying that they care for the minorities by attacking their own President in their backyard through the gestures of doling out the awards or they gave away the awards because the awardees really deserved it? Again, only the Oscars would know the truth for this as well.

Despite having a positive review, this year's Oscars was more like O! Scars! for the way things turned out especially with the surprises dished out in the Awards category and the massive what-the-hell-just-happened moment in the Oscars history.

Speaking of Trump, I do not know the electoral promises of Hillary Clinton but what made this election so explosive was that of Trump's candidature to run for the President and his big dream to build the Mexican wall.

                                                           
                                                                   X---To be Concluded---X


PS:

a) Those who want to read more about the harmful effects of Self-Image,
                                                                           
                                                                Bad! Self-Image Very Bad..!

b) Others who want to read more on Trump and New Zealand,

                                                                 Really TRUMPing it up..!

c) Still the selective majority who wishes to read both the parts, please do click the above 2 links for your reference.

The Gaffe of Gaffes..Or Is It? - Part 1

Mistakes - People simply look down upon you as if you are a pig when you make one! But, when they commit an unforgivable howler, they utter punch dialogues like "Mistakes are the secrets of success" or "Mistakes are a part of life" etc. So, what is exactly happening here?

From aeons when the first human beings framed and formed a society and learnt how to communicate through language, we have always been at the mercy of others for social validation despite our unique talents and expertises. Then, there are those mavericks for whom society is like a bowling alley wherein they get a strike by dismantling all the pins in one-go.! Let us focus on common people like us here.

Success or failure depends on the mistakes and errors that we consciously or unconsciously effectuate in our daily lives. The perceived notion is that the success rate of an individual is indirectly proportional to the number of goof ups that they have done in their lives. Most of us have subconsciously equated success with money and money with hard work when we forget a basic fact that even a smuggler or any person indulging in unethical, immoral, unlawful and illegitimate acts also has oodles of green cash at their disposal.

So, success is a very subjective term as it will definitely vary from person to person because it is a summum bonum of each and every person's needs, activities, attitudes, interests, wants, opinions, desires, beliefs, faiths, cultures, habits, behaviors, lifestyles and personalities. However, the underlying self-image to be right, despite the evidence contrary, in front of your parents, friends, relatives, peers and strangers has been playing a pivotal role since time immemorial so that others view us in good light even if there is no electricity!

Without you uttering any profanities or expletives for the above pathetic PJ, we will proceed further. So, why do we have the incessant urge to get the attention of other people and make them see that we are correct? It gives us a sense of false satisfaction that we are right in this world because of our beliefs and values that makes us who we are. Also, when we give others the impression that we are right, they tend to have a sense of confidence in us and accept us into their fold. We have always wanted to be associated with a part of a group as many of us crave for love from others and also to have the feeling of belonging with the 'normal' society so that we are not alienated and pushed into the despairs of depression and chasms of unhappiness. 

Instead of being genuine, authentic, sincere and original, this concept of self-projection is the most destructive weapon to have been invented by Mankind, and Womankind!,as even in the face of evidence that when a person is actually and factually wrong, they deny it vehemently to protect their own self-image from harm and wound by accusing and blaming anything and everything in sight without having the conviction to acknowledge as to what they did was improper and incorrect. Such small-minded people are so self-obsessed with their excessive selfishness that they cannot clearly see they have caused hurt and injury - be it physical, mental, emotional, psychological, spiritual or financial - all around them because they have strongly and deeply clung to their wrong opinions and judgements as if they were sacred gospels and canons.

Such people don't have any sense of guilt or regret that their stupid actions have caused tremendous and unnecessary troubles to other people. All they care about is to safeguard their dumb self-image and be luxuriantly happy with their inflated egos that everything is fine and dandy when it is not in reality. As how I see it, however flawed a person is, it is better to be real than hide behind the steel walls of facades.We can strive for perfection by grit, determination, patience, endurance, persistence, perseverance and iron will to be the best at what we excel in. Whether that is achieved or not is entirely different story but the pursuit for perfection and excellence can be executed than displaying false smiles and fake laughs.

The reason is that the consequences are disastrous when someone deliberately or unintentionally punctures their helium-filled delusional self image which they had meticulously created to be seen as apparently right. When such a thing happens, the ruptured self-deflated individual goes to great lengths to take their revenge on the person who had dared or attacked their self-image in an unplanned manner. I don't have to spell out as to what will happen when there is a tit-for-tat. The extreme hatred and intense hostility might even span generations.  

There are those who will now say "Dude..We know these things already" without actually knowing these things. This is yet another kind of self-image to project that you are a sciolist. Another ostensibly elite category will try to live beyond their means like champagne on a beer budget.

Why am I giving an elaborate gyan about the effects of self-image and its morbid ramifications?

Part 2 has all the answers to it.

                                                      

                                                     X---To Be Continued---X 

Kavan - Reality Shows Strip "Danced"..!

The concept of a competition to the public, at least in Tamil!, was put forth by Sun TV in the incipient beginnings of the Cable Era during the early 1990s with the show "Sapthaswarangal". As with the growing interest and surging popularity of this show. the competitors namely Jaya TV wouldn't definitely want to be left behind in the race. They had their own version "Raga Maalika" followed by Raj TV who jumped into the bandwagon as well. Just like the Pet Rock fad, these shows were the Pizzas of the audience - liked and loved almost by all to the point that we started to cheese off  with the overwhelming glut of the singing spectacle.  How a candle wanes off in dribs and drabs, the lustre of the shows began to sheen away. People began to give the shows a big-time time out. It wasn't that the shows weren't aired but no one gave a hoot..!

Flash Forwarding to the the late 2000s - the spectacular emergence of Vijay TV with rib-tickling "Lollu Sabha" ensured that the Tamil audience once again started to tune in to new food for entertainment. Bring in Airtel Super Singer - Season 1. It was a rousing hit that even the likes of Vijay and Ajith (In those days, they had a rough time with blockbusters!) would have been envious of the show's phenom success. Post the stellar Super Singer's crowning achievement, the trails, competitions, eliminations and finals for Jodi Number 1 was also held which once again proved to be feather in Vijay TV's hat. Following Season 1's triumphing TRPs, what followed next was an endlessly insatiable and single-minded focus to glue in the eyeballs to their channel for the I-have-lost-track number of seasons for both the song and dance events. Just like how the X-Men have had many prequels, sequels and spin-offs, the shows branched off to bring in the new talents through the innocent and raw skills of kids. 

What ensued then was utter mayhem as every other competitor like Kalaignar TV, Jaya TV, Raj TV, Sun TV etc. desired to have a go at these competitions in their own respective way to the point of taedium vitae of such contests marked and marred by controversies like the Simbu's in Jodi Number 1 to generate enough attention and curiosity for the spectators to not miss to out on the show. 

Leapfrogging to 2017 where we have 'Kavan' directed by the canny KV Anand and highly flexible Vijay Sethupathi which got released some time back. I don't have to go into the nuts and bolts of the story or the screen as that had been the talking point for some time in the social media - Real Life? Who cares anymore?? The current generation are almost more of keyboard warriors..!

It seems that the director literally wanted to express his anguish at the plight of the children and artists being manhandled, woman handled and children handled by the makers of the show. As with every trademark KV Anand movie which has a heavy undercurrent of social message infused with commercial elements, he has clearly showed how the producers, just for the sake of TVTs, do not realize that they are dashing the hopes and dreams of the young talents who have big aspirations to come out on top to the next level using the respective platform provided to them. There was no doubt in anyone's mind on which show he was explicitly targeting through his striking narration.  

Likewise, the running gag as to how he self-deprecates his earlier movies is also present in Kavan as well when he requests for an award for his film-making abilities. The songs were bit of a high speed breaker in the already long and meandering movie especially in the second half wherein the storyline seemed like losing its plot, pun intended. Nevertheless, the ship steadied herself at certain inflection points of the movie which was in such a way so that the audience goes "Wow. Amazing twist" instead of the twists naturally blend in with the storyline and not standing out conspicuously like Australian Off Spinner Miller's Blue hair color! 

Though some of his jokes may have fallen flat, TR had pulled off an astounding performance as ever with his impeccable timing and delivery. As ever, Vijay Sethupathi was fluid and  masterful in his portrayal as an idealistic reporter who wants to sensationalize the truth in the form of right news. Madonna Sebastian charms her way in and out of Kavan like a gentle breeze on a hot, sultry day with her expressions and cute smiles though the director could have used her further. I am not sure whether it was only me but the scene where Powerstar drums his way to glory reminded me of Simbu's Manmadhan where STR plays in front of a similar audience for a contest and utters the punch dialogue "Vaazhkaila firstu yaaru poranganu mukiyam ila. Last la yaaru firstu varaanganu mukiyam". Power Star also has a close enough punch when the audience requested for an encore. 

Overall, Kavan represented the state of stark reality that is predominant in our society wherein the media really cares only about their ratings and nothing else which is an alarming and worrying trend as put forth by the director.

PS:

The way Vijay Sethupathi transforms and does a Arnab Goswami was the best scene of the movie. However, he says the answers are more important than the questions. IMHO, that holds tenable ONLY IF the answers are true and considering that many of the politicians are seasoned actors and actresses without National or Oscar Awards, the questions are most imperative and asking them in the tough and vociferous manner as Arnab Goswami is of paramount importance when we see the current context of the dynamics.