Vikram Vedha - One Good Story has been Told!

It's like yesterday when Maddy made his irresistible smiling debut in "Alaipayuthey" and the intro scene peppering with the Mozart of Chennai's youth-ish "Endrendrum Punnagai" track. Madhavan gave his signature woman-swooning and overpowering curve-at-the-end-of-his-lips to perfectly give life to the mood of the song. The smile. His boyish looks. Made him an instant favorite especially amongst the girls. Overnight, he became the benchmark for that Adonis boyfriend to them. Such was the craze for him that it is still persisting and prevalent even after more than a decade had passed since his dream debut with the amazing combo of Mani Ratnam-AR Rahman. 

Over the course of time since 'Alaipayuthey', he has had mixed fortunes with show stealers like 'Minnale', 'Dum Dum Dum', 'Rang De Basanti' (RDB) etc and many a dud against his name particularly in Kollywood. Okay! RDB is technically an Amir Khan film. Still. 

And just when everyone seemed to consider him as a bad debt and a non-performing asset, the tides turned in his favor with the K.O 'Irudhi Suttru'. That movie really showed what Maddy was really capable of his acting potential just like SJ Suryah's character in 'Iraivi'. 

I am sure everyone, At least mostly, would have watched 'Vikram Vedha' (VV) by now considering the humongous positive reception the movie has been garnering since it hit the silver screens. So, it's a futile exercise on my part to even give a gist of the story. But, to sum it up, VV is like Tom & Jerry - each trying to outdo and outsmart each other with their lives webbed together in a complicated story. Who prevails whom forms the rest of the plot in this twist and turn filled cop-gangster ride.

When the news went around that Madhavan was against the versatile Vijay Sethupathi (VJS) in VV, the writing seemed to be on the wall for him just like how Ginny Weasley wrote her name in 'The Chamber of Secrets'. So, did the Basilisk called VJS petrify him?

Yes and No. 

It is a Yes because VJS shows his full range of talents, as ever, especially in the final concluding portions where the truth was reaching its logical conclusion during the abandoned factory climax sequences. Woohhh! It was clap-worthy, whistle worthy and you can keep simply put the scenes in repeat mode only to have eyes for VJS's awesome body language and expressions. Chance-a-ila!

It is a No as the script called Fawkes - The Phoenix had given equal weight and substance to Maddy's role as a honest cop who knew what was right & wrong and to separate professionalism with personal life even if it meant to track down his own wife. 

IMHO, what he did was right as his wife did not go as a wife to meet VJS to deliver the papers but only as a lawyer. 

Had it been any other person instead of VJS, Maddy would have walked away with the top honors in VV. Fortunately, the VJS Basilisk turned out to bite at him only during the film's denouement, pun intended. 

Until then, both were tremendously at neck and neck in terms of performance which eventually culminated into a photo finish with VJS crossing the lines to gain the outstanding performer award in this slick I-want-you-You-want-me crime suspense.

The only hurdles were the songs which impeded the forward motion of the film like a bumpy speed breaker even though they were in tune with the narration's flow. Likewise, no proper ending to the story line of VJS's boss. 

On seeing the stunning success in the B.O, maybe a Part 2 is in the offing where all the loose ends are tied up including VJS's love story? To say it in his style, "Oru Kadha Solatuma Sir"? 

PS:

I agree that you need to have songs from a business perspective so that the audiences and fans get the extra kick seeing their favo. actors and actresses in scanty & ostentatious clothes grooving to the beats. But, should the songs be like a solicitous and intrusive salesperson who annoys you when you are seriously in the middle of  something? 

If your answer is No that movies cannot be done without songs, then what are 'Kurudhi Punal' and 'Unnai Pol Oruvan'?

Dunkirk - The Spirit is Alive & Kicking!

Chrisy. Chrisy. What have you done. Your new venture is nothing but rubbish in its uncontaminated and contaminated form. IT is so disgusting and odious that it reeks immense and deep foul odor that is sure to reach the habitable exo-planets that are millions and billions of light years away from us. Such is the level of appalling and God-awful creation that you have given us in the name of a movie. Sheer garbage! And sickeningly decomposed beyond recognizable recognition!!

I would love to say all these things in my review for your present historical work of art. But, you won't let me do it as you have assiduously, meticulously and painstakingly have achieved a name and reputation as strong as a Q-Carbon in the film-making industry. You wouldn't even let your own guard down for a moment as you have great expectations from yourself thus significantly increasing the bar day-by-day with every film that it is not only difficult but also virtually impossible for any pole-vaulter to out-bar you. The latest in the addition to your list of impressive credentials is DUNKIRK.

As there are many paid reviewers out there in the world and to cull out who's who is a tiresome process, I always take their reviews with a pinch of salt. I frame and form my objective opinions grounded on facts after watching the movies rather than getting heavily swayed by the paid or genuine critics but use their opinions as a yardstick as to whether to watch them in the theatres or not. But, when films from the cerebral prowess of Nolan hits the screen, there's no question as to where one should indulge themselves in to get a good feel and ultimate experience of cinematic brilliance.

Even before the film was screened in India, positive reviews were so effusive that it was flooding in like the rushing waters breaking down a dam. Still, it is their opinion and not mine. Unless I saw it and satisfied to my heart's content that Dunkirk really struck a chord in me, I wouldn't be true to myself but merely parroting what others had opined. And Yes. Finally, I got to see Dunkirk yesterday.

Does Dunkirk live up to the expectations of Nolan's predecessors?

As this was a classic case of actual history deeply rooted with facts, the story is pretty much simple and as open as an uncultivated land. So, there was only room for Nolan to fiddle around and tamper with the screenplay in order to make it more engaging and compelling.  Oh Boy! He really made it a room to manoeuvre to strike gold big time. Dunkirk is the piece d resistance of Nolan's works. It is his crowning accomplishment till date. Period.

What makes Dunkirk so special?

For starters, the movie exactly knows what is irrelevant and out of scope to make it the capstone of Nolan's achievements. What I mean by "irrelevant" and "out of scope" is that Nolan precisely knew that he was dealing with actual and factual data that cannot be manipulated or distorted as Dunkirk is an integral aspect of British life which eventually resulted in the coinage of the term "Dunkirk Spirit". He would have been severely at the receiving end of the historians and general public if there were any concoction of his imagination infused into the valiant true life story that happened during WW 2.

So, there was no wasting time or beating around the bush as to what transpired before the events of Dunkirk or what happened after the evacuation. This movie is only about the bravery and courageous acts and feats of people who risked their lives to safely take ashore the thousands of stranded soldiers in a life-threatening situation. ONLY that particular life and death situation. Nothing else.

Nolan was crystal-clear about the extent and what he was going to show which made Dunkirk to be extremely gripping especially the second half where time simply flew away with the action-packed sequences devoid of blood or gore. However, you can still vicariously feel the pain and mental torment of the soldiers considering the gravity of the situation. Even the shell-shocked soldier and Bolton. That was a whistle-blowing moment when the commander chooses to stay behind. And just when you are thinking that Tom Hardy is more a fifth wheel who plays video-game-like-shoot in the air, he is given a vital role which gives a totally new definition to the phrase 'out of the blue'. It is indeed a 'Dude..That was totally unexpected' scene.  

Dunkirk is shown from 3 standpoints - Okay, not stand but land point, sea point and air point! with their respective time frames seamlessly intertwined with each other to give us a finished product of exemplary quality and craftsmanship. Be it the breath-taking cinematography like the aerial shots from the airplane's perspective or the soldiers packed like sardines or their exploits in the water - It is so graceful and beautiful to the eyes that it doesn't make the audience retch or squirm in disgust but at the same time, it makes you to exceedingly empath with the characters as well. This is a delicate balance which is extremely difficult to pull it off in a war film. Nolan does it superbly here with such finesse and firm aplombness.

Adding to the movie's aura is the crisp and taut screenplay which is mainly made possible as Nolan had his ideation to the letter 't'. Anything less would have diminished the viewers' involvement factor and anything more would have made the palpable tension and edginess to be dissolved and evaporated into thin air, pun intended. It was as perfect as a freshly baked choco cookie taken out of the oven with the right crunchiness.

Also, Hans Zimmer's simmering background score mind-blowingly elevated the movie to a whole new level. You could actually feel the build up of tension and nervousness oozing out through the movie. Every frame. Every scene. Was Rollicking. Intense. Powerful. Stirring. The overstrung crests and troughs of the beats was a major thrust to viewing the entire movie as a whole. Just like the swells in the film. 

Their fantastic combo reminded me of our Kollywood's sensational duo of Shankar-AR Rahman &Mani Ratnam-AR Rahman in the current generation. Had it not been for the BGM, Dunkirk would have still been an Oscar-worthy material but its impact would have been drastically impaired. You always need the right person to capture the mood of the scene as it is. Nolan's go-to man exceeds expectations by sustaining the tempo throughout the whole duration.

SO, will Dunkirk get the Oscars?

Maybe not for Best Actor or Best Support Actor. 

Best Movie - Highly Probable though Dunkirk will ride high on the waves of the BAFTA and the Golden Globes.

Best Director. Definitely Yes. 

If Christopher Nolan doesn't get the prestigious Oscars this time, then it means:

a) The golden statuette doesn't deserve Nolan. At ALL.

b) It's high time to take a look at the process of Oscar Jury and revamp it. COMPLETELY.

c) Nolan can start his own Academy Awards!

Did the brainy and astute Nolan 'Oscar Bait' with Dunkirk?

You can read all about it here. Yep. It's another blog of mine which I had written it some time back.

But, IMHO, whether he baited or not is immaterial as he has given us memorable movies as Inception, Memento or The Prestige. Who can forget The Dark Knight Trilogy especially the second installment which is as indelible as the colors of a butterfly.

And now, the nervy, heart-thumping, no-unnecessary-chatter and tour de force Dunkirk.

Christopher Nolan deserves. Very Much. In the Spirit of the letter of the word 'OSCAR'.

There, I end my case.

PS:

You can also explore other reviews at your own paced time like:

a) The Revenant - DiCaprio's ticket to holding the Oscar finally!
b) Captain America:Civil War - A Whipsmart Encounter between the Suit and the Shield
c) Wonder Woman - A Film to Wonder and Ponder for DC!

It's All About Perspectives

If you are reading this, then there is a very high probability that you have seen the FB post and curiosity got the better of you. So, the logical extension is that I don't have to unnecessarily explain the context again. Right? WRONG. All in capital letters. By the way, it's already in caps. PJJJJJJJJJ...!!

So, why is it wrong? Well. There are those who might land on to my blog page by accident and not by design or by quirks of fate or through SERPs. 

Doesn't your pristine thinking tell you that those gentle souls also have the right to know what-the-heck is happening when they are reading the content for the first time? 

For the benefit of such web-surfers, let me recap the entire scenario again like how they do it in serials by having a voice over which says "Previously on"... 

Sometime back, maybe weeks!, Rahul Gandhi had said "Modi Ji is a weak PM".

With due respects RaGa sir, Modi Ji had just been given an one-of-a kind welcome that's primarily extended and exclusively reserved for eminent personalities as The Pope and The President of USA - Donald Trump.

Hence, to call him a weak PM is tantamount to saying that Dhoni does not know how to successfully lead a team...:( :(

The attack could have been directed at Modi Ji in a much more subtle and sophisticated way as:

"What good is/are the big, bold and good measures as Demonetization or GST by the all-powerful Modi Ji when petty and trivial cow vigilantes couldn't have been stopped by him?

This shatter-proof emotionally-laden and logically driven question has the following benefits:

(Be it the FB visitors or any other visitor - You are all on equal footing now!)

1) From People's POV:

God is someone who solves the problems - small or big or easy or difficult. By addressing and equating Modi Ji as all-powerful, he has been apotheosized to a divine level or that's how people will perceive Modi Ji since "all-powerful" in common parlance is generally used and referred for God. 

So, how does this benefit the Congress? 

Simple. By saying "all powerful" for Modi Ji, "petty, trivial" for cow vigilantes later and "big,bold and good" for GST or DeMon earlier, people's innate and inherent thinking ability automatically correlates to the fact that Modi Ji can solve only complex and intricate issues as Demonetization or GST but not the day-to-day problems that harms them in one way or the other. Thus, as time progresses when the everyday concerns aren't met, people will start seeing Modi Ji as a mere mortal who is incapable and incompetent to stop all the small yet important things that plagues their normal lives. 

I am not making this up. That's how human brains work. At least, for ordinary and common people like us. We love to attach and associate meaning to anything and everything within our eye-sight and develop heuristics to retrieve them instantaneously and at will. As a result, when problems keep compounding at an alarming rate, the divine status of Modi Ji tumbles down into a mighty deep ravine! 

2)  From BJP's POV:

Once when such a question is posed, the BJP army will try to defend it with all their might either by saying that Congress doesn't respect Modi Ji or RaGa don't care about the people or skirt to a new issue altogether by introducing a red herring in their response.

Whatever they say, they have over-looked one significant and essential fact - The question had already acknowledged the contributions of Modi Ji to our country by saying "Big, Bold and good measures as DeMon or GST".

Likewise, the moment the word "all powerful" is used, it intrinsically suggests that Congress respects the potency and stature of Modi Ji. 

Similarly, by saying that cow vigilantes aren't stopped, it overtly indicates that Congress cares for the everyday issues of the people whereas Modi Ji doesn't. 

And if the BJP spokesperson tries to evade or divert the question, RaGa can very well say that BJP lacks the courage to directly answer a simple question. 

3) From Congress's POV:

Such a question will boost the image of RaGa and the Congress as being the champions of the poor and the average man as they have been heavily affected by the cow vigilantes. 

Second, by addressing "big, bold and good measures as DeMon or GST", they are acknowledging and appreciating the work done by the BJP. 

People will start seeing RaGa in a new light as a responsible opposition leader who is magnanimous and gracious enough to give due credit when required instead of being party poopers whose sole intention is only to gain power. 

I am not sure about other countries but our country tremendously loves the concept of self-sacrifice and renunciation. So, when RaGa timely commends BJP's work, people's respect for him goes one notch above.

By incessantly harping on the question like a non-stoppable and garrulous sales man, RaGa can authoritatively drill in and ensure that it is only Congress and he who actually cares to heal the daily thorny difficulties faced by the normal people unlike Modi Ji who is like Einstein or Newton to address only complicates issues.

Also, this question shouldn't be asked by RaGa just as an one-time exercise but should be repeatedly and continuously done on a regular basis as a concerted marketing campaign whenever a new problem crops up by retaining and modifying the question according to the situation. What I mean is that..Supposing there is a steep hike in vegetable prices, it has to be rephrased as:

"What good is/are the big, bold and good measures as Demonetization or GST by the all-powerful Modi Ji when Onion prices are making the people cry" ?

You get the drift, right?

Now, some people will say that I am a pro-Congress and Anti-BJP.  

Nope.

If I were in the BJP when RaGa makes such a dramatic and iron-clad emotional-logical statement is that I would forcibly push out on an all-out strike at the Congress by making ads-like movies to be aired during the intervals of cinema theatres which exactly tells the people how the Congress are acting and behaving erratically now and before using pin-pointed screenplays which doesn't explicitly say that the ads are about RaGa or Congress. 

Let the people who watches the ads infer that it is concerning the Congress party. It will have greater impact than the ads revealing that it is regarding them. And what better way to quickly reach a larger audience other than theatres! especially when the ads are shown during specific A-1 star movies as the Khans or Kumars or Rajinikanths or Kamal Hassans. 

Marketing is pure fun. When you well-understand your intended target audience and purposefully tune-in your message accordingly.  

PS:

Now, some might think now that I am a logical bastard who scores on both sides of the field.

First up, Thanks for the compliment of "Logical bastard".....eeeeeeeeeeee..... :) :)

Second. I am not scoring goals for both the sides. 

I don't have any affiliation whatsoever with neither the BJP nor the Congress. 

I have nothing to gain or lose from them whereas BJP or Congress have everything to gain and lose IF they follow what I have said as above with their own sets of modifications. 

Au Contraire, I am being perfectly impartial and fair to both the sides by giving them different and newer dimensions to explore avenues for gaining the Iron Throne.

Yeah. I am a Game of Thrones fan...:) 

Hope you have watched S7 E1 and deeply enjoyed as I particularly during the feisty Lyanna Mormont's fantastic kick-in-the-guts reply or Arya's smile when she poisons the Freys or the goosebumps 'Shall we begin'? single dialogue.

Travel Diaries - Happiiieeeeeeee Hong Kong! - Part 2

The looming tenebrous clouds was the perfect signal that we may not be unable to observe the entire lighted city in her stunning beauty as such during the airy and foggy uphill climb by the famous HK peak tram. It was a fun ride. It would have been more wondrous had the Rain Gods dispelled the water-laden clouds completely. Still, it didn't rain. Every cloud has a silver lining, pun intended! After reaching the top, the guide bought us tickets to Madame Tussauds. As it was my first ever entry into the world-famous wax museum, I couldn't hide my glee when I saw Mahatma Gandhi or Einstein or Wolverine or Spider-man who seemed so life-like like an artificial flower when viewed from a distance. No need to say. Selfies galore. Once when the pics were taken, our guide dictatorially told us that it's a criminal waste of time and effort to even go to the observatory deck due to the fog over-shrouding the city. With nothing else to do, the bus left us at our respective hotels giving a brief glimpse of the city in the night. 

As the food prices were well-above my budget in my hotel, I decided to get something from the nearest 7-eleven convenience store which I had seen when our bus dropped me off. The funny thing was that there were 2 7-eleven stores diametrically opposite to each other. It made me wonder who is that marketing genius to open two shops on the same roads and opposite to each other. Convenience stores ought to be convenient but this was stretching the retail concept a bit too far, pun intended! Getting a coke and Doritos, my dinner was served in my room after paying out the cashier in the store.

The adrenaline-rushing day began on the next day when the guide told us to assemble on a spot at the designated time once when we finished our adventure in the mind-blowing aquarium. To see so many different varieties of fish, sea horses, jelly fish, sharks etc. face to face was amazing. Not to mention the adorable and cutesie Pandas lazying around without a worry in the world. My only regret was that I couldn't feed those endearing bubbly mass of fur out of my own hands. Nevertheless, it was a freaking super moment that I wouldn't forget at all. Also, it's a worthy mention of the HK's aquarium to maintain the freezing temperature for the penguins. My Gawddddddd! Their swimming abilities were like a rocket! Too fast. It was then time for high octane rides especially the upside-down-whole-city viewing I-forgot-the-ride name. I was chuffed to bits at the sheer sight of the fabulous view at the top from my riding seat when being inverted like a bat! Though I missed out on one of the major attraction - Cable Car as the queue was longer than those standing during the Demonetization times in front of the ATM, it was a long and tiring mesmerizing day of hectic activity which set the right tone for what was to come the following morning - Disney Land(DL).

I was squealing like a little girl, No! not being sexist here!, and jumping with joy internally when our guide gave us exclusive timings to attend the miss-me-not shows at the magical land that had captivated my imagination since childhood through the numerous shows of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Goofy etc. that used to be telecasted in DD 2 which was later changed to DD Metro afterwards. Saying a silent Thank You to the legend Walt Disney for he was chiefly responsible in the character's creations, Disney Land was the stuff of dreams that every person on the planet should at least visit once in their lifetime if they don't like or believe in cartoons or fantasies or fairies or talking mouses but just to immerse and enjoy in the dream marvel for a day. The live shows were out of the world like the Lion King, Tarzan's story setting, boat ride around the small river or the evening and night parade. 3-D movie featuring Mickey Mouse was simply unbelievable. It's extremely difficult to pick and choose which was my personal favo but the top 3 honors goes to the rollicking Space Traders roller coaster, an U-shaped hair-rising ride and the dazzling display of fireworks before the park closed for the day. 

It was hypnotizing. You could actually feel an overwhelming and unspeakable swell of positive emotions arising within yourself wondering why the world is such a mean and cruel place when it could be exactly wowed and be happily ever after just like that moment. If there had been my queen then, it would have been the most romantic moment interlocking our hands which would have been the cherished and valued instances in our life. But, as I was all alone in that delightful setting, it was a sort of intense, fierce and deep bittersweet transience of the flowing time. But, one thing is certain. NEVER EVER GET ANYTHING INSIDE DL. Ice cream or the only Veg Indian Thali or even HK tea - it doesn't just burn a hole but reduces your pocket to cinders in no time. The cyclical conundrum is that you have no other option but to have your lunch or dinner within the park itself as you are sure-fire to have fire in your belly after the extensive walks, intensive rides and exhaustive waits at the queues.

There was nothing much to see in Macau as it was extremely dark on that day which ensured that we couldn't go to the observatory deck in the tallest building though the high-speed ferry ride from HK to Macau was outrageously good where I was promptly picked up by the guide-cum-driver @ Macau who showed the famed Lady Buddha, an amphi-theater kind of place, museum, decent sit-down veg lunch @ a pre-booked restaurant as a part of the tour package and then dropped me at the iconic and largest casino in the city. Even Janice would have shouted Oh.My.Gawwddddd at least ten times on seeing the sheer size of the mall-cum-casino. As I wasn't much of a gambler, the mall was a huge place to even walk by to do window shopping. Finally, the D-time arrived to head back to the terminal to catch my return ferry to HK and then fly to Thailand first up in the following morning.

The only massive problem I faced during the stay was food. Being a vegetarian, I had a hard time to get good food. Even 'good' was secondary. At least, the food. Though I had an excellent choice of breakfast in the hotel, lunch and dinner was a torrid affair. I had managed on coke and chips for the first 2 days. On the 3rd day, I had a costly veg dinner @ Disney Land. But, it was at Macau where I found it difficult to ask the servers not to add any non-veg item. In fact, as I was in the mall @ Macau, I had to walk out of even McD as explaining to the attendants that I needed only veg food became a tiresome process. Finally, after I landed in HK and reached a restaurant adjacent to my hotel, barring a couple of items, the complete a la carte consisted of all possible combinations of sea food. Till date, I have no idea whether the attendant gave me pure noodles with vegetables to the extent that I started asking specifically whether it's really not non-veg whenever there is a non-veg counter nearby just to make sure. SO, ALL VEG BEWARE! Unless you have the spending power to dine out on your meals.

I will not blame HK in any way as it is their culture and their way of life. From a business perspective also, it doesn't make any sense for the restaurants to stock up a veg menu just for budgeted once-in-a-blue moon tourists. Nevertheless, the people of HK were very friendly. Right from the receptionists at the hotel or the guides, they were good-natured and amiable. In fact, there was a cutey cutey small girl and with her mom's permission, I took a snap of them. I think it was @ DL. Likewise,in the Aquarium also, a random elderly couple wanted to have a pic of me near a group of red parrots with my permission. HK has indeed good people.

Yes. Even the Immi Officer who was extremely efficient and clinical by only following his standard operating procedures to ensure that his country was at no risk. So, despite the steep costs, I would love to visit HK again in the far future, maybe not as a solo traveler but as a family, just because of their people. IMHO, it's the people who is the face of their country along with the premiers of the respective countries. Of course, there will always be rotten eggs in a basket. That's why persons like the Immi officer are very much needed.

As soon as I landed in India, I went straight to my travel operator friend and thanked him profusely for having included HK as a part of my itinerary to relieve me of my mental stress and torment because HK was not in my tour radar at all. He asked me whether I had faced any issues at the Immi.

I was surprised at his question and answered him yes saying that the officer quizzed me like I was not a tourist. He laughed it off and simply said that HK is the gateway to China and stringent measures are taken so that no illegal people enter into China. Also, the trip aggregator @ the HK airport made him calls asking about my whereabouts from the airport. Allz well that ends well. Right?

No. Wait. How did I directly fly to India after HK? I am sure you must be asking this question. Simple. Touristy Thailand is for another blog....eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..:)  :)

I felt myself that this write-up was way too long.But, if you desire and decide to go to HK, you should be well-prepared especially if you happen to be a veg. Just wanted to give you a heads up giving the reality as such from the perspectives of both a budgeted traveler like me as well a person who can afford to spend their money.



                                                              X---Concluded---X


PS:
A word to the wise. Please don't forget to take your power banks wherever you go. Not just in HK but which ever place you feel like to go. I couldn't take any pics of the night parade in DL as my mobile ran out of juice and had to be contented by watching the colorful exhibition of the night's extravaganza in live which literally took the breath away from us. All that remains now are only memories, in fact fade now!, that I had to depend upon at that moment. So, it's your choice. Get yourself a power bank if you are the heavy type of photo-taker and want to relive the spectacular moments of your life even after the good moments are washed away by the pushing force of time.  
     

Travel Diaries - Happiiieeeeeeee Hong Kong! - Part 1

After a quick stop @ Ramana Ashram to pay obeisance to the Master once when the physically and mentally demanding Vipassana programme came to a definitive concluding halt, it was time to head home on my lawyer friend's insistence. Depending on the magnitude, physical injuries and bruises would be quickly healed as time progresses but the psychological and emotional scars have a longer recovery period. Being @ home and within the confines of the 4 walls, it was like a hangry tiger roaming in its cage with great distress and wanted to be relieved of its pain and suffering. I decided to travel again. Australia and New Zealand were good options as they had abundant adventure and tranquility in their picturesque attractions. Unfortunately, my tour operator friend had suggested that I will be spending a fortune on the flight tickets if I were to book them ASAP then and that Pattaya &Bangkok would be a relatively cheaper and better alternative than the Antipodeans.   

He also furthered the trip by saying that Hong Kong is a fantastic place with the likes of Disney Land and a myriad thrilling rides in the Aquarium besides the parasailing and other fun-filled activities @ Pattaya besides meditation @ Buddhist temples in Bangkok. I loved his reco as he clearly and exactly understood my needs for my wanting to travel and suggested places that were well within my budget as well. So, it was HK first followed by Thailand. That was the only way my flight tickets were cheap at that point of time.

Everything was smooth until the immigration @ HK. The officer was hurling question after question at me like Arjuna using his Gandiva until he was satisfied with the necessary documents that he asked like the hotel reservation @ HK, Flight ticket to Thailand etc. Some of them would have been terribly irked at such a rough treatment. But, I understood that he was extremely concerned and was only doing his duty so that no unnecessary person disturb the peace and harmony of their nation. As I had nothing to hide, it took me a while to clear the Immi and proceed to mainland. Nevertheless, I was immensely impressed with the officer as he was very methodical in his approach when he had a slight doubt about me as I was travelling solo and didn't cave in to unwarranted assumptions or verdicts but to deal the issue at hand in a systematic and objective manner. When his qualms were naturally quelled, he waved me a big 'Happy Hong Kong'. Yeah. He left me an early and huge positive impression about the citizens of Hong Kong as sincere, hard-working and warm people who take their job seriously and put their country first even if it meant to tough ball a tourist to their country. 

It was cloudy and rainy when I got into the cab that was reserved to take me to my hotel. I felt like my precious money was also getting soaked and drenched with the waters quickly coming down from the heavens like how school children rush from the gates to their homes when the last bell is rung.

Having a face like a wet weekend, I had to complete the formalities @ the Hotel and prayed to Lord Varuna to put the rains to a recess as I had to visit The Peak Tram and Madame Tussauds in the evening. Luckily, Lord Varuna showed his mercy. The weather was chilly to the extent that I had to wear my sweatshirt. Making a short stopover at other hotels to gather the rest of the tourists, we made our way to the first itinerary @ HK. 

I had already been warned by my tour operator friend that HK was an expensive city. I found out how insanely it was during the short stay at this wonderful place. It was then I had an another realization that the prices appeared exorbitant to me but in reality it was at the cost of living according to HK's standards. Most of the people were active and there was constant hustle and bustle in the city. There was an electrifying energy in the cool and refreshing air. It was time for all of us to see the beautiful city's skylines in the night under the brilliant lights.

                                                          X---To be Concluded---X

AAA - What the hell just happened?!

According to Oxford Dictionary, the definition of worst reads as follows:

Of the poorest quality or the lowest standard; least good or desirable.

It seems like the director of 'AAA' - Adhik desired to give stiff competition to Oxford for re-writing the meaning of the word 'worst' as 'AAA'.

Is 'AAA' that bad? IF 'worst' was a person, then he/she would be crying in a corner of a room after watching it! 

For each and every movie, there will be positives and negatives. In some cases, the pros outweigh the cons and vice-versa. That is life. Why. Even our own Earth has FAULTS!

Overlooking my geographical poor joke, I have seen many bad movies of close-to-top to top heroes in Kollywood like "Azhagai Irukirai Bayama Irukiradhu" or "Alex Pandian" or "Anjaan". I can continue the list especially when there was a time in the past when many Vijay and Ajith films was vying to be crowned as the baddest movie of the year. But, none of them can come remotely close to what 'AAA' has achieved. In fact, in my 3 decades of existence, this has got to be the rottenest of all.

It's like 'AAA'- Part 1, Yeah! there is Part 2 in the pipeline!, wanted to achieve the gold standard for exceptionally abysmal film-making. If Kollywood had the Razzie Awards, then I will close my eyes and loudly say with absolute certitude that 'AAA' would win the award hands down, legs down or whatever! 

So, what had gone wrong with the ever-charming Simbu starrer 'AAA'? 

Barring the fantastic crisp and sharp silhouette that was captured during an action sequence, everything else was pure rubbish that stinked to high heaven. I will give a blow-by-blow account  of it.

1) Punch dialogues are meant to be tactically used to rouse the emotions of the audience for its usage in accordance with the weight of the context of the scene. What I meant is...Just imagine what would have happened had Rajinikanth utilized the famous dialogues 'Nan Oru Thadava sonna nooru thadava sonna maari' for every scene in the film. Would it have been memorable or clap-worthy? No. Isn't it? Similarly, Simbu's 'Sirappu' which was used even for the dullest moments of the movie became an ear-sore after one point of time. Not to mention that irritating hair-ruffle which he did after uttering the punch phrase made matters even worse.

2) Shreya's voice. I have no idea who lent their voice to the character but whoever it was, they surely messed it up big time. IT was harsh than the harshest soap on the skin!

3) Movies are not real. Everyone knows that. But, to make it look like real and natural is what separates a good director/actor from bad ones. Here, you can feel the sense of artificiality and fakeness oozing out of the screen throughout the entire movie particularly the scenes which had Kasturi in it. It was so glaring that the falseness couldn't be missed out even from a mile!

4) In the name of comedy, there was total tragedy. Risque. Bawdy. Screechy. Cliched Double Entendres. None of them evoked any iota of laughter except for the "Thalli Pogathey" remake with Rajender-Kovai Sarala. The director had literally wasted the talents and services of people like Kovai Sarala, Rajender and others in his single-minded quest to make Part 2 by being under the illusion that Part 1 would be a super-duper hit.

5) Which brings us to the most critical question "Why do you have to make Part 2"?. Not all movies can become Baahubali! AAA - Part 1 was actually and exactly 30 to 45 minutes run-time when you trim and strip away the unnecessary parts which is almost the full movie! Whatever they had planned for Part 2, they could have easily re-written the screenplay and finished the film in one part itself. I doubt whether people, read:Simbu Fans as well!, would even have the courage to book their tickets particularly when the GST has hit the floors and ticket prices in Chennai are sure to go through the roofs.

6) The plot revolving around Tamannah. Other than the fact that she was used as a glam girl for trashy songs and over-acting, there were only 2 possibilities - Either she was an agent of Kasturi or was playing with the feelings of 'Thatha' Simbu. Whoever still itches to watch the film, I am not going to spoil your surprise.

7) Speaking of the hyped 'Ashwin Thatha' (AT) in the trailers, there wasn't much at all. The back angle shot when AT was showed for the first time was akin to Rajnikanth's older get-up in 'Padayappa'. In this case, the make-up was pathetic and horrible. Simbu could have simply acted as such instead of the poor cosmetics on his face to make him look older. 

8) You can see Baahubali-like lightning in the background time and again whenever Michael was walking in the first half. Also, Mankatha's theme music was remixed and played out in the background. Not to mention Simbu's yesteryear songs, dialogues and acting were used on a regular basis. It was like the director had run out of ideas as to what should be the content of Part 1 and occupied the running time with Simbu's old phenomenal stuffs.

9) Now, coming to the story. Story? Was it there? It was more of a loud vomit which left the audience in disgust. Anyway, Simbu as AT is robbing the cradle with Tamannah and his antics with her forms the screenplay in the second half. Madurai Michael and Shriya share the first half. As Shriya's dad, YG Mahendran is reduced to a caricature and is made to look like a blundering fool with his tomfoolery by electric shocks. In short, he was shorted. Again and again. It was no laughing matter either. Overall, how to get a terrible headache is answered by this movie. That's the biggest takeaway to the extent that I didn't even take the popcorn during the interval. All I did was to watch my watch, Mobile time!, and hear the jarring nonsense that was presented in the name of a film.  

To sum up, 'AAA' - Part 1 is a disastrous outing for Simbu&Co. Even Simbu fans like me will not only think twice but also thrice, four times, five times, you get the drift!, whether to see Part 2. Instead of U/A certificate, it should have been AAA certificate in reality. At least, the certificate could have had a logical connection with the movie's title instead of the dismal climax part to proceed to Part 2.