Iru Mugan - It's LOVEly but.......

When you have a hero as 'Chiyaan' who would pour his complete heart and soul for the character and when you have the ravishing and Kollywood's top heroine as Nayanthara, you will definitely have your hopes soar high like an eagle flying above the skies. What if, just what if, the two heavy weights perform splendidly but with a botched up screenplay? The result for everyone to see and digest is Iru Mugan..!

The movie starts off on the right note with an Asian elderly person who turns himself into a superhuman with enormous strengths and abilities beating the hell out of the police in the Indian Embassy situated in Malaysia. You start to think that a brilliant sci-fi is in the offing especially the trailers visually stating the existence of another Vikram in a very different avatar as the villain. I will come to THAT part later. First thing's first.

The first half really sprints like a deer. Before you can even notice the time on your watch, a substantial interval block runs you over thus engaging you with a couple of thoughts when you stand in the line to get your cold coffee:

a) Is Nayan really an agent for Love and backstabbed Vikram by posing as his lover?

b) Has Nayan somehow survived the fall and forgot her memory?

The answer was revealed very early in the second half. Yes. One of the option is right. But, after watching the complete movie, you tend to think whether the other option could have made things even more spicier in this otherwise lukewarm affair.

Thambi Ramaiah tries to bring in the comic element but it evoked only few laughters till it lasted. Nayan has a solid role in the film and not simply hear the three magic words from the hero, dance, romance and THE END!  She has something to offer on the table and pulls it off with ease. But, it is Vikram who really hogs the limelight from everyone as the rugged and razor-sharp RAW agent as Akhilan and the twisted effeminate Love. Though Love's voice is gravelly and grating to the senses, the mannerisms and expressions are worth every rupee spent particularly the hospital scene which was very close to Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker as a nurse in The Dark Knight. Cold-blooded, remorseless, unforgiving and sadistic - Vikram projects Love to be a character who is to be hated but unfortunately, as an audience, I just did not feel the emotional connect with Love. Instead of playing around in the beaches or imagining a sad song by the hero, time and screen space could have been utilized to develop the Love character so that the missing void was filled and the audience would have appreciated better the smart, able, ruthless Love as there was a definite method to her madness. It was really a witty director's touch to add "OK Kanmani?" when Love speaks to Nithya Menon. Nevertheless, Vikram was ruddy brilliant in his mien and attitude as Love. 

Sadly, the second half was unrestrainedly meandering in its course to stop Love from distributing the dangerous inhalers to other parts of the world. All hell broke loose in the screenplay and I was constantly looking at my watch and groaning when will this omnishambles come to its end. If you want a sci-fi thriller, the screenplay has got to be taut and crisp. Instead, it was dragging till eternity. Also, why should I know the molecular formula of a compound or its workings? Am I going to examine it under a powerful electron microscope and get 'Good' in the record book from my teacher? Similarly, the lovey-dovey scenes between Nayanthara and Vikram were so unnecessary that it disturbed the complete balance of the movie. Not to mention the songs. I KNOW IT'S A TAMIL FILM. But, we certainly need movies like 'Unnai Pol Oruvan' more often so that the story and screenplay drives the film forward and not the masala elements. Likewise, Nithya Menon and Karunakaran were literally wasted away by excessively focussing on the drugs and its nervy effects. 

Speaking of drugs, the director tries to give credibility to the SPEED drug by bringing in historical references to Hitler's atrocities when he was at the helm. The facts could have been reserved for the end credits so that people are made aware of the abominable acts done by Hitler to his own people and not in the middle of the film when it was stemming its speedy, no pun intended, flow. After one point of time, the SPEED drug is used so many times that only the director and producer wouldn't have had the opportunity to use it since the export plan was failed..! Such was its consumption that it produced yawns much faster than the men or women who ingested it into their systems and be endowed with superhuman strength. The SPEED drug SLOWS down the movie especially in the second half..!

Unlike other movies where the action sequences are stretched to unimaginable limits, the only good thing about the SPEED drug is that, for once, I knew exactly for how long the fight was going to last..!

Don't Breathe - Even my CO2 failed to exhale!

Almost everyone would have seen 'Home Alone' especially the first part. In that movie, we get to feel for Kevin when he is accidentally left behind by his family and had to battle out two burglars who try to force their way into his house. It was all about Kevin using his brains to stay out of harm's way and at the same time, he had to ensure that his dear home was safe and sound from the invaders. 

Fast forward to 2016. In 'Don't Breathe' again, we have not two but three people who break and enter into a very eerie and sinister house in a desolated place due to their own personal agendas. The gloomy and battered house belonged to a blind old man who lived with his ferocious Rottweiler and lump sum of money securely hidden in a safe vault. Did the 3 so-thinking brilliants manage to outwit the dumb man, sorry blind!, and lead a happy life forms the rest of the plot with many twists and turns that is sure to leave the audience with bated breath!

Despite having lost his eyesight, the old man, who actually served in the Army, had his sense of hearing and smelling intact. In fact, it was so acute that he was able to see with his nose and ears! 'Don't Breathe' really picks up speed when the Money fires a shot at a door when he, Alex and Rocky were in hot pursuit to find the hidden cash. With the slo mo of the camera and suspended stillness, at first glance, you have the slight feel that a ghost or a poltergeist might be lurking in the shadows of the house particularly behind the sealed door which Money shot.  Things go downhill for the trio when the vicious old man kills Money in cold blood. Barely escaping from the clutches of the old man, the situation gets complicated further when the remaining duo find a gagged and captive woman behind the tortuous ridden closed door. 

The scene where Alex is just inches from the maddened old man holding the gun and shooting in all directions was a testimony to the tremendous build up of tension and suspense by the director. The T & S factor shot through the roof with the emergence of the drugged dog from its short sleep.The real hero in the movie is the wild and savage Rottweiler who really scared the living daylights, though the lights were off in the theatre!, with its blood curdling barks. The Rottweiler's monstrous presence was such that it ensured that the audience were made to look like scaredy cats by its powerful rapid quick chase and fearsome looks. 

However, the best scene in the movie has to be the sequence where the old man switches off the lights in the basement and scared Alex and Rocky out of their wits. It also really scared the bejesus out of the audience when he grimly says "Now you see what I see". After a lot of twist and turns, some were very predictable like the old man standing above Rocky when she locks the bloody dog in the car, 'Don't Breathe' finally breaths when Rocky is eventually reunited with her daughter after successfully pulling off the heist leaving Alex and Money dead in that dark and dismal house.  

Had the last half an hour been a little tighter without focussing on the loop hole for a sequel, 'Don't Breathe' would have struck even more fear in the hearts with its spine-chilling screenplay.

PS;

The old man deservedly got the bitter taste of his own medicine when Rock force feeds him with his sticky juice upon his throat. The entire theatre was clapping and whistling for Rocky's act when moments before she was at the receiving end of an almost cringing and atrocious deed by the diabolical veteran. 

India's MODIsh and Positive MODIfier - Part 2

Edward Bulwer-Lytton was absolutely right in every way when he said "The pen is mightier than the sword". However, in the current world of extremely alacritous and bullet-train speed proliferation of smartphones and laptops - be it in the World or in India - the proverb needs to be tweaked a bit - "The keyboard is mightier than the pen"! 

With this MODIfied DIGITAL proverb to suit this day and age, I will proceed from where I had left earlier in my previous blog. I am talking about that atrocious meme! that was created without any understanding by the certain select few who grossly mislead the public for their own vested interests by creating further rubbish memes like:

                                        

When I was pursuing my MBA in Marketing from a well-reputed B-school - Amrita School of Business, Coimbatore to be very precise - I was very glad that someone in India had the gumption to use the social  media in the right way to its full effectiveness for a big, important and main event as the Indian election to target the voters especially the tech-obsessed youth. 

India was standing on the cusp of a life and death situation where the wrong person would have driven the nail in the coffin to the hilt for our excellence and advancement in all spheres of life. Luckily, sanity prevailed and Modi was the beacon of light to breathe a new life into our heavily debilitated economy. 

With immediate and drastic measures needed to correct the financial course that would pave the road to a future action and prosperous nation, he undertook his first journey to Bhutan on June 16, 2014. Little did Modi knew then that he would be enormously and erroneously subjected to indecorous ridicule of inordinate degree for the strenuous efforts that he has been undertaking to woo the investors and propel our nation's growth by flying to all corners of the world, I know that our Earth is an Oblate Spheroid! (It's a bad joke with reference to corners of the world!),  to clear the smelly mess left by the previous government.

What our PM is doing is like planting a seed now so that it grows into a full-fledged, strong and unshakeable Banyan tree tomorrow. Prepare a solid foundation by carefully nurturing the plants and Voila! The results will be mind-boggling! Marketing is all about that - Look forward positively to a thriving future. Strongly riding on the opposition's and certain media's tall tales that our PM is wasting a lot of the tax payer's money on foreign trips, the clamorous outcry from the general public has been steadily increasing with time due to such false claims and many memes have been circulating the net like wildlife:

I was extremely saddened on seeing such gross misunderstanding and misrepresentation of what NaMo has been fantastically doing since the baton had been passed over to him in 2014. In fact, I was very frustrated and irritated for the past two years seeing all the unwanted news about Modi when he is ACTUALLY doing good for our nation especially with regards to his canny Marketing efforts. I was patiently waiting for the results to manifest itself knowing very well that the lotus will swiftly bloom and spread its delightful smile. Now, the outcomes are speaking for themselves and it was high time that I blow off my steam with solid facts.

It is indeed a political masterstroke that he not only addresses the socio-economic problems that are plaguing our society in isolation but also collectively by frequently flying to establish to the world leaders that India should be the first choice place for investments. In short, an effective Brand Building exercise to create the perfect Top-of-the-Mind-Awareness for the state heads of the developed and developing nations to park their resources into our country. From a 'doom and gloom' situation in 2014, it has become 'boom and bloom' (Sometimes, I like my meaningful rhyming very much!) for our nation with his 'Make in India' mission and strategically positioning India by strongly exhorting other countries to manufacture in our country.

How does he do it? Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy! By leveraging our country's core competencies (Falling in love with my own Alliteration here! Jokes apart). India has a very rich and abundant reserves of natural resources to go hand in hand with our whopping great talent pool of population - Skilled and Unskilled Labour. So, when he gives his sales pitch by convincing the various powerful and numero uno's of the respective countries making the best use of what we are exceptionally good thereby giving our nation that vital and distinct competitive edge which provides us with the tremendous upper hand over the other developing nations.

By September 3 2016, NaMo has undertaken 52 foreign trips across 43 countries. To give a detailed breakup of his broad abroad itinerary:

2014-2015 - 9 countries

2015-2016 -  28 countries

2016-2017 (as of today) - 15 countries.

He has visited USA 4 times which would have enabled NaMo to imaginarily and successfully say "If you smell what NaMo is COOKing"! Yes, I am referring to Tim Cook's exploratory tour to India during the hot and humid May. Though Cook didn't exactly spell out the investment ideas in India, the initial barrier has been broken and the first steps have been taken. 

To put it in a nutshell, NaMo is a ruthless and tough Corporate PM who gets what he wants unlike his predecessor MMS who did what was said to him based on an SMS! I don't have to say who would have sent him the messages as the entire world knew it. Nevertheless, every cloud has a silver lining!

NaMo is a highly savvy Corporate person who knows and understands the nuts and bolts of India's economic landscape - that the way to a rapid development is through having sufficient sources of legitimate funds so as to generate enough employment in the country. In fact, IMHO, he is a brilliant and genius Marketing personality. Sharp, Smart, Traditional, Hip and Debonair - NaMo has an eagle-eyed taste and sophistication when it comes to his attires. 

Some people may say that he is doing a political stunt just to garner good media attention and coverage. Unfortunately, there is something called Cross-Cultural Management which is a crucial and an indispensable element for conducting International Business. "When in Rome, do as the Romans". NaMo has internalized it to such an extent that he dons several hats, pun intended, in many countries.

Likewise, he has many firsts to his name after many a year that has ensued a very good relationship with not only our neighbours but also on a global scale. To illustrate my case in point:

On the surface, it can seem that Marketing is an expense - an unnecessary and extraneous cost. But, in reality, Marketing is an investment. I will just give some examples. As a result of our NaMo's unflinching and untiring efforts, France has pledged to invest 2 billion euros and Airbus has committed to outsource 2 billion dollars. Japan's outflow is going to be 2 billion dollars in Real Estate. I can give more such examples. But, we shall first take a look at the inflows that has been steadily streaming (I love my alliterations!) into our economy.

Note: All are in USD. Do convert the numbers by multiplying it by 66.58 (as of September 2, 2016) to have the exact value in rupees.

NaMo's expenses stands at Rs 604 crores for the trips he had taken in the past two years. The split up is as below:

2014-2015 - 37 crores - 9 countries

2015-2016 - 567 crores - 28 countries

This is excluding his cavalcades' outlay. Let's say for the two years that his ministers have been travelling along with Namo, the ballpark figure is in the range Rs 1500 - 2000 crores. Putting together the total expenditure from the exchequer stands at approximately Rs 2100 - 2600 crores.

The most important metric in Marketing is the ROI which will not only be 100 % but significantly more than that! It's not just ROI that matters but how the inflow has been transformed to make a difference to the overall economy - that is also equally important. NaMo would have earned the "Outstanding Performer" for the last two years if he were employed by any corporate but all he got was brickbats from the people!  

This is just in monetary terms. When we look beyond money, there is all round growth and development when money flows into the country - The latest technologies, the best governance and management practices, the best breed of technical know-hows and most importantly, more employment opportunities in the country. When employment is there, people's standard of living increases. 

Education and health takes care of itself automatically when people's disposable income is on the rise. Why? Simple. When people have the money, they consume good and services to take good care of themselves and their families. Hence, even more business opportunities and our people will get world-class facilities in education, health, sports etc at affordable prices. It's a win-win situation for everyone - Business can be happy and people can be happy.

Also, with the up-to-the minute technology at their disposable, people tend to think and begin to do smart work instead of hard work which results in better efficiency and provide a substantial boost in productivity thereby it helps in the increase of GDP. Investors flock only to those countries which shows the slightest shine of economic growth and prosperity. As a result, the entire cycle gets repeated on an endless positive note.

Now, pessimists and naysayers might come at my throat and tell me that I am painting, sorry typing!, a very rosy picture of Indian economy and that I am supporting Narendra Modi to an excessive level.  Am I?

India has leapfrogged to 35th place from her previous 54th position in the Logistics Performance Index released by the World Bank which is stupendously in sync with NaMo's Vision "Rapid Transformation not gradual evolution". Likewise, by 2022, he has stated his Goal that every household will have 24*7 power supply, toilets and clean drinking water.

These are not simply vague words or politically correct terminologies or hot management hot catchwords like "empowerment, transparency, accountability". He really walks his talk. 

Because of his extensive foreign trips, Canada supplies Uranium to India for the next 5 years. He has also convinced Australia for Uranium supplies. Examples to name a few. So, the results are visibly tangible and for everyone to see. The cornerstone of any business is Trust, Commitment and Relationship. Supposing the countries who promised us failed to keep up their promises and honor their commitments especially with the whole world watching them, do you think it would be good for their country or their leadership? Food for thought.

"Are you saying that the Congress did not do anything when they were in power"? I can hear the Congress hardliners deafeningly screaming in my ears. 

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

Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank my professors Dr. Deepak Gupta and Shobhana Madhavan for their plenty of quizzes, interactive and engaging way of teaching that has enabled me to grasp the concepts of Marketing, International Business and Cross-Cultural Management to some basic level.

Feel free to check out their credentials for yourself:
1. Dr. Deepak Gupta
2. Prof Shobhana Madhavan

Disclaimer 1:
 You can also check out the facts, if you wish, excepting the ballpark figure.

Disclaimer 2:
I have written everything from a pure Marketing perspective. So, macro-economic conditions like Inflation, Monetary policies, Fiscal policies etc. or the many social welfare schemes that have been launched by our PM or the internal scuffles and external tensions have not been factored in as these were irrelevant and out of scope to the main intention of writing this blog.

Disclaimer 3:
None of the images and memes were created by me. Whatever I felt was right to the context, I just did a copy and paste from the web. So, thanks to all those creators!

Disclaimer 4:
All the opinions are mine. So, whatever mistakes, blunders and fallacies that could have cropped up in the blog is the result of my negligence or partial understanding or no understanding on the topic. Will tend to be even more careful in future if someone points out the errors and flaws in my facts and writing. TIA!

India's MODIsh and Positive MODIfier - Part 1

"Corruption is like a cockroach. It rears its undisguised, unmistakable yet evidently recognizable ugly head in all the right and wrong places"  Courtesy - Vignesh Venkatasubramanian. Yay! That's me. Self-Congratulating myself for coming up with it!

So, we are starting now...

Long long ago, No! It is certainly not a Disney Story!!, when the date on the calendar read May 26, 2014, Narendra Modi was indisputably and majestically crowned the King of India, OK! Prime Minister!!, overthrowing the endlessly corruption-rampant Congress government by a phenomenal majority in the Lok Sabha elections. 

The election result was the strong emphatic outcome of the vehement anger which the 1.25 billion people had been harbouring and wanting to showcase at the right moment to the people in power who had taken them for a jolly ride. It took the powerful Indian population to upset the apple-cart in 2014. Ah! Abraham Lincoln would have been very proud on that day!!

As there is always an rotten egg among the majority of the good eggs, scams and governments are like Batman&Joker. They simply cannot live without each other! However, the period between 2004-2014 was an one time event in the millennium when even the scams were themselves utterly shell-shocked that they would have prayed to Hades to hide them away in hell for eternity! Such was the enormity of skulduggery that it created a humongous outrage in the common man.

Italy has always been a money-making powerhouse for churning out the very best in the world - Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Fendi, Ermenegildo Zegna, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bianchi, Lavazza, Prada, D&G to name a few. Am I forgetting something? Definitely Yes. How can I forget it? She has also produced the best of the best which the majority of the Indians love very much. No. Congress supporters. I am talking about PIZZAS in this instance! The whole nation knew who was the actual Prime Minister even though the highly reputed and eminent economist Manmohan Singh was the face of the country who lead our country from the front. 

Unfortunately, India was driven from the back which also punctured and pushed away Dr. Abdul Kalam Sir's vision of India to be a developed country by 2020 to merely a wool gathering process. A wise man once said "Just because you have your surname as Tendulkar, it doesn't  mean you are a great cricketer". Don't even try googling the name of the wise person as that individual is none other than the person who is typing this blog but hope you got the drift of the message! Likewise, a single day was not gone when people used to censure him for being silent on crucial issues that eventually lead to the ultimate demise of the Congress government in the last election.

Standing at the crossroads, Indians were fed up of the paper tiger and wanted a real tiger who would fiercely hunt for the development, growth and progress of our motherland. With an enviable track record that even Usain Bolt would be jealous, pun sprintly intended!, Narendra Modi was the obvious choice, without even a MODIcum of doubt,  to be India's 14th Prime Minister for the way he had commendably marshalled his resources and commandeered Gujarat to her glittering glory during his stint as Chief Minister of the State between 2001 - 2014.

On a more serious note, NaMo has been meticulously and industriously sweating his way to achieve the above objectives since 2014 from the day his uphill and arduous transformation journey of India commenced until today.

I am not going to deep dive into the achievements of NaMo's various reforms and schemes that are already helping millions of our brothers and sisters who live across the length and breadth of the country after he took the oath as PM. 

Though his plaudits are myriad in number and still counting, the blog is going to clear the air by revolving around the fact that he has faced severe flaks from all corners of the country for his extensive foreign trips which has caused such a furore that it resulted in the creation of outrageous memes like:

                                                      

                                                           X----To be concluded----X

It's a MARVELlous day..!

There was a time in the recent past when the world of sports was dominated by a few single men and women, of course!, and teams. The Formula One was dominated by Ferrari and Red Bull. Tennis by Fed-Ex and Nadal. William Sisters' as well. Cricket by Australia. Golf by Tiger Woods. It was like these men, women and team can do nothing wrong once they are on the field. Flawless was given a whole new meaning and it looked like they were literally making the word 'flawless' kowtow before them to an inordinate degree. Such was their flamboyant excellence that they had tremendously and painstakingly imparted to their arduous practice and impeccable perfection in their selection of shots and timing that they mercilessly decimated and reduced their opponents to ashes. 

The war between DC and Marvel Comics is one such highly lucrative battle between the two heavy weights comprising of multitude of our admired superheroes and their triumphing fantastic abilities over the bad guys. A myriad of spin-offs, prequels, sequels and reboots are hitting the big screens every now and then like the villains beating our beloved characters. At times, these atrocious characters win but most of the times, they end up on the losing side. Oh My GAWDDD! I have side-tracked big time from what this blog was actually intended to be. Or Did I? :)

It was very refreshing when the first installment of The Avengers was released. It took the super hero movie to an entirely all new level and set the benchmark for the  rest. Unfortunately, even the second Avengers flick couldn't match the phenomenal success of its predecessor. Be it from Marvel or DC, the genre was becoming more banal and highly predictable in their scripts and visual cacophony that a  new inspiration was needed to revive the interest. It really doesn't matter to the hardcore fans who pay out and fight over whether DC is better or Marvel is the best but this important point really matters to those who are otherwise yet love to watch their superheroes in action - DC or Marvel - it doesn't matter.

Just as the world was reeling under the effects from the Avengers 2, Ant Man was a blessing in disguise, pun giANTly intended!, for the Marvel Studios. Not that Avengers 2 was bad but it could have been better. I am not going to go into the review for Ant Man here as much has already been talked about how freaking awesome the movie was by all the reviewers. It's just that movies like Ant Man are what the general people need to see when they shell out their money and indulge themselves to some stunning actions. 

Take for instance. The final action sequence set in Lang's daughter's house. That is one of the best choreographed VFX in a while. You know that the Yellow Jacket and Ant Man are so small yet strong when they viciously combat each other on the railway track and derail a train in their battle. But, from the perspective of the girl, it's just a toy train that merely flips and falls to one side. You are simply wowed and definitely have to admire the director's ingenuity and creativeness for such an unbelievable and memorable setting involving the two fun-sized pocket dynamites. 

Not to forget the dialogues. The Ant Man has really got some cracking one-liners that has surely left everyone in stitches. "Ant-thony". "No No. Not those 3 wombats". 'trail by fire..or water". Or the 'n' number of such situational comedies that simply lit up the screens alight with laughter. Ant Man was on the lines of The Avengers 1 which completely revolutionized the parochial and stereotyped view of how a super hero movie can be - entertaining yet funny, serious yet light-hearted instead of merely breaking down buildings and destroying cities - God knows how many times the Golden Gate Bridge was destructively demolished and quickly reconstructed using the CGIs!

We have had a whole lot of superhero movies that has been released this year as of date - Batman Vs Superman, Suicide Squad, X-Men, Captain America. But, none of them could even close to Deadpool that was screened in the very early time of the year.

Just like how the titular character has his face severely marred by the execrable actions of the villain, Deadpool is also beautifully ugly - in a positive sense especially with reference to its humorously dirty jokes and use of  abusive language and crude connotations in the movie. Deadpool is one whirpool of a wacko who is eccentrically childish and insanely funny with his utterance of profanities.

Right from the start of the first scene where the title credits read "A CGI character, A Gratuitous cameo" etc., you know that you are in for something different - something new - something original and Deadpool hit the nail on its head from its first frame till the please-stop-my tummy hurts- End Credits Scene.

There was not even a dull moment or a yawn-inducing or when-this-would-end kind of feel when you watch this movie. It's paced fast, Dementedly Insane. Bloody Humorous, Pun is Gorily intended!. And absolutely not at all a family friendly flick. Gosh! I am in love with my beautiful alliteration - family friendly flick!

Now, these are the sort of inside and pop culture reference jokes that has elevated Deadpool from being dead to being alive! I will just make my point here by giving small examples. "Did you see 127 hours? Spoiler alert". "You will come talk with Professor Xavier. McAvoy or Stewart. These timelines can get so confusing".  These are some of the decent delicious hilarity that is definitely bound to warm the cockles of your heart. Yes. There is plenty of violence. Brutal bloodshed. And with Deadpool's magical and surgical healing ability, it was like Ichor flowing in his body!

Deadpool was crazily ridiculous, lunatically zany and provided many a hysterical laughter that the sanguinary which splashed all over the screen did not cause much revulsion. It was more like watching a Tarantino film with dashing entertainment! 

Ant Man and Deadpool are the rare breed of super hero flicks that defy the conventional formulaic standards by being idiosyncratic and quirky from their genre yet it is these kinds of out of the bolt movies that really makes our innate child-like attitude to tune in and watch our much adored superheroes battling against their enemies and save the day time and again.

PS:

Why the hell did I write about Ant Man and Deadpool now? Simple. I wanted to watch something amazingly side-splitting and at the same time, it should involve super powers. What best can cater to such a need of mine other than to see back to back the soft, pleasant rib-tickling Ant Man and the crude, gross screamer Deadpool to make it a very gratifying day.

GoT Season 6 Wrap up: Part 3 (Concluding Part)

Acknowledgements:

Thank you for patiently reading through the GoT series blogs. This would be the last in the list. I am extremely sorry that they have been a tad too long. Just felt I wouldn't be doing enough justice if at least the major talking points of the season, the show and the author are not covered in their entireties. I have packed small surprises in the end. It's there in the middle as well! No no no. Please don't scroll down immediately. Kindly make your way through the end as such and have yourself a spectacular finish like the GoT Finale.... :) :) 

Continuing from where I left in Part 2 as it ended with me speaking on Women Empowerment,

From being a meek, blinded, weak and weak-kneed individual, Arya had stupendously transformed herself into a ruthless fighting warrior with due support from her Needle. It was a good retribution when she slits Walder Frey's throat right in his own backyard. Likewise, Sansa, who if you remember was a quixotically romantic person when she wanted to marry Joffrey, underwent immense upheavals with the Boltons and Lannisters to the extent that she was sangfroid and accepted the hardened fact that her bro, Rickon isn't going to see the light in the evening during 'The Battle of the Bastards'. She also shows and vents her frustration out to Jon that her intelligence could be of great help for forming the strategy to vanquish the dreaded Ramsay once and for all. But alas, it fell on deaf ears and Jon was made to look like a blundering fool in the fight! However, that small smile which Sansa gives at the end when Ramsay was torn apart by his beloved dogs told the extent to which she had rejoiced the horrific happening for all the monstrous atrocities that Ramsay had inflicted on her. Nevertheless, the journey of the growth and development of Sansa as a very practical and hard person is quite incredible.

It was also a great scene especially the flirtatious smiles and confabulations when Yara meets Dany and forges an alliance with Dany in exchange for her to rule the Iron Islands. The banter was simply too good to be true between the two power laded and strong-headed ladies.

                                                 The Sabaash Conversation...!

In spite of all such good happenings, you simply cannot forget or ignore Cersei, however bad and vile she is. She single-handedly masterminded and destroyed the Sept and the entire Tyrell's generation sans Olenna when Cersei was to be brought before the trial. It was only Margaery who knew something was awry and something sinister was going on right beneath their noses when Cersei refused to show up. Just like the wood-headed Jon who refused to hear out Sansa's know-hows on Ramsay, the High Sparrow was so self-righteous and self-satisfyingly smug that he was blown to smithereens before he even knew what hit him even though Margaery made valiant attempts to tell him that a big tragedy was on the horizon. The cruel and sadistic grin which Cersei gives when she sips into her drink was more than enough to display her callous, ruthless and cold-blooded feelings that she had been harbouring for all of them who died in the Sept not to forget the the wicked 'Shame, Shame' she utters when Sept Unella was left alone with Gregor. I really don't want to even know what happened to her! The icing on the cake for Team Women in S6 has got to be Olenna Tyrell for the way she completely sews the Snakes' mouths when she is in deep discussion with Ellaria to take revenge on Cersei.

                                        No? Good. Let the grown women speak..!

But, the best reaction of the season award should undoubtedly go to Sam Tarly when he has his first sights on the thoroughly imposing, utterly overwhelming and absolutely amazing racks of lakhs of books in the Citadel. It was like when you meet Rajnikanth or Salman Khan during a flight journey and you tell them 'Hello' and the extremely excited, enthused and emotion you feel when they also say 'Hi' in response! Kudos to the VFX team who had burnt their midnight oil to create such a mind-numbing, gorgeous and a scorcher of an eye candy setting.

                                       That Single overpowering reaction said it all..!!

Speaking of Kudos, GoT has always had some scintillating BGMs throughout the course of all the seasons. However, E10, in particular, is by far THE BEST of all - the gloomy, haunting, shady and sinister overtones of the scenes were perfectly captured and presented delightfully in a rhythmic cadence of the sudden rise and fall in the terrific and chilling piano backscore to the extent that the music not only complemented but also dominated the gripping screenplay right till the very end until the Media Player can play no more. No nominations are even needed to be there for the music category for this year's awards as the undisputed winner is GoT. 

As we are on the lines of undisputed, sex and nudity had formed an integral part of the GoT universe like Tom and Jerry! It was really heartening to see that the two essential components were kept to a bare minimum, pun is wickedly intended!, but a lot of emphasis and stress was given more to the plot, story, music and VFX in S6. Hope this trend continues in the next season as well.

I am not much of a conspiracy theorist. But, from what I have seen and the signs given in the show is that Cersei might turn out to be a Mad Queen and murdered by Jaime (Reminding you the Prophecy here!) which may earn him the moniker 'The Queen Slayer' as well. Dany and Jon may end up marrying each other and destroy the White Walkers with Snow and most of the men like Little Finger being killed in the battle. Valar Morghulis! Remember?  So, No brainer. Dany might ascend and sit comfortably on the uncomfortable throne provided she is also not killed which would eventually leave us with only one worthy contender - Sansa - to rule in the event of Dany's uneventful death. Also, maybe, we get to see Jaime and Brienne romancing each other more after he kills Cersei. But, Valar Morghulis! So, Jaime might have to die as well.

Last but not the least, the dull murmuring of the choir starts to sing, the flags gently sway, the impressive dragon faced, gold-plated ships floating forwards in the water, the choir antes up their tone to mesmerizing degree and hits the high note consistently with regular crests and troughs like a musical sinusoidal wave, the cameras from the top view shows the gigantic shadows of the formidable dragons cast upon the ships below. Suddenly, the redoubtable and awe-inspiring dragons swoop down with their loud screeches flapping their mighty and powerful wings by nonchalantly dipping them into the water before rising up and swiftly flying towards their mother, Dany who is in the fore front of all the ships gracefully smiling with her friends. The camera shows a captivating and breath-taking fleet of ships en route to Westeros with the potent dragons waiting in the wings, literally!, to wreck havoc and destruction in the coming seasons.

As the famous Greek saying goes "A face that could launch a thousand ships". In the case with Dany, it is not only 1000 ships but also her nearly indestructible dragons as well! 

BRING ON THE IMAX FOR S6 E10..!! ...Magizhchi...:) :) 

PS 1:

Just like how Rama saved his Brahmastra for the last, I had saved the sweet devil for the best. She not only stole my heart but also stunned it.  Yes. I am speaking about Lyanna Mormont. This badass character is the favorite for everyone as the screen blacked out for good this year. Young. Fiery. Strong. Authoritative. Commanding. Highly Pragmatic. No Nonsense Attitude. Self-Assured and Masterful. 

That inspiring and rousing speech she gave still lingers in the mind and gives me goosebumps which not only left Jon Snow wide-eyed but also me. House Mormont remembers! The North remembers!!

Lyanna Mormont is the find of S6. It would be good if we get to see her more in S7 and S8. Oh. But wait. All the so-called favorite characters are the first to be killed in this show.. :'(

PS 2:

The one epic scene which simply blew everyone's head away. At least mine. Plug in your head phones. Needless to say, keep the volume to the max and revel yourself in the aural concoction of intensely stirring beats and vocals.

                                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCMaaC1tyPg

Hope you had a great time reading my GoT based blogs as much as you love watching the entire series.

Thanks again...!

                                                           X--------Concluded--------X

GoT Season 6 Wrap up: The Rocket just started exploding at the Right Moment - Part 2

Until the 1996 World Cup, the fielders were sprayed all over the park and the teams followed a standard template to have wickets in hand to have a go at the bowlers in the final overs of the match. The 15 over rule introduced during the Wills World Cup marked a significant and important moment as the entire Cricketing landscape underwent a sea change especially with the dashing Sri Lankan openers - Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana - firing on all cylinders with the fielding restrictions in place. The maverick pair broke the traditional and stereotypical mindset of playing risky shots only during the dying overs of the innings by scoring at will in the first 15 overs taking advantage of the new rule, consolidating slowly and steadily in the middle overs and blazing all guns in the end overs. Just wait for a moment. You will know why I brought in the small yet momentous cricket history for the review.

GoT S6 started off really well with the resurrection of Jon Snow during the 2 episodes, then saw a lull in the subsequent segments with a strong peak when the White Walkers stormed the cave and Hodor was killed in the process. There was another brief respite when the show's pace was going slower than the slowest Sunny until Arya Stark took back her identity in E8. Just like how the batsmen in Cricket provided the much needed impetus to have a impactful finish to their innings, GoT burst out all the fireworks in their kitty with 'The Battle of Bastard' and an IMAX deserving E10. Yeah. You read it right. I am willing to shell out 350 bucks for this episode if 'The Winds of Winter' is screened in the IMAX format. I will discuss more on this as the review unfolds.

Jaime had nothing much to do in the season except being a negotiator with Blackfish and having a subtle romance with Brienne when she failed to persuade Blackfish to make him come out of his senses to surrender to him and escaped in a boat. Infact, Davos had more role to play than Jaime throughout S6. There were traces of sparking romance in the air between Dany and Tyrion when she emotionally anoints him as 'Hand of the Queen' 'Clever Fellow. Can't argue with his logic' - This dialogue totally sums up Tyrion's tryst until the dawn of S7. On Sansa's request and beseech, Little Finger comes in the nick of time and saves a desperate-for-help Snow army when they were about to be shellacked by Bolton and his men. He also sweet talks her to accept his proffer that she become his queen when he is at the helm of the Iron Throne someday in the future - a tempting offer made by the shrewd, astute and calculating Petyr Baelish but turned down by the experience gained Sansa.

Speaking of Sansa, S6 had evolved itself into a mighty show of Women's Empowerment. What I mean by this is that you can see the girls and the women taking the matters into their own hands by breaking themselves away from the enormous shackles of manipulations, restrictions, lack of freedom etc. that were cruelly chained to them by the barbaric and egoistic men. They have changed the entire ecosystem in S6 with their brave, daring and courageous moves and tricks that will give even Varys and Little Finger a run for their money.

We will start with Arya. 

                                                      

                                                                 X--End of Part 2--X

                                                                   (to be concluded)