Star Wars: Rogue One - It's not Nastily Nasty!

There was a time in history when I used to be super excited whenever December arrived. Initially, during my school days, it was due to the Half-Yearly Holidays that used to co-incide with the New Year and gave me the much needed respite from the continual bombardment of assignments, tests and exams. After then, the month of Christmas had an extremely valuable present to offer me which even the Santa Claus cannot even imagine to deliver with his faithful elves and reindeers!

The one main reason why I used to smack my lips lusciously during the last month of every year was because of The Hobbit Trilogy. Peter Jackson was my Santa Claus for those memorable years when The Hobbit 1,2 and 3 were released following the LoTR trilogy which ended way back in 2003. So, it was indeed a heart wrenching and intensely saddening moment when the Battle of the 5 Armies came to a grinding halt. I felt all was lost when like a LightSaber the Star Wars was renewed again in 2015 - December again!

Instead of waiting for an excruciating 2 long years, the producers had decided to pitch in a spin-off in 2016 - December -  so that the tormenting hiatus is reduced to a year. Now, you know as to why I mentioned the December references earlier.

Star Wars: Rogue One - I went in with great anticipation, obviously and naturally, as it is STAR WARS. It did not turn out into a damp squib but at the same time SW:RO was not that great either.

Take for instance - Cassian falling off from the tower and apparently dies when Jyn and he try strenuously to retrieve and transmit the Death Star codes to the command ship. No one has to take Ayahuasca or any other entheogens to figure out that Cassian hadn't died but would make a dramatic entry in the climax. If the director and the script writer felt that it would be an out of the blue twist, they really need to put on their thinking hats and helmets! It was so obvious that Cassian hadn't died as:

a) Seen many such instances in Tamil movies where the hero play all the histrionics to create the illusion that he had died but eventually catches up and bashes up the goons in the last scenes.
b) Cassian and Jyn - the lead pair hadn't kissed yet! when he was attacked by Krennic.

The first half was like the spaceships jumping through the Hyperspace - fast, quick and instantaneous. But, the second half was dragging so slowly that it was like a child digging into their heels when we want  them to do something which they don't want to. It was extremely good to see the Darth Vader in his most ominous and menacing form striking terror into the hearts of the Rebels and the appearances of R2D2 & C3PO was the icing on the cake. Unfortunately, the problem with post-interval was that the action sequences seemed to go on forever like the creation and destruction that is continuously happening in our ever-expanding Universe! Likewise, there was a shallow emotional connect with any of the characters on screen. You should actually feel for Cassie and Jyn when they were been blown apart by the Death Star after all their heroics, exploits and travails. Sadly, it was like a non-HP fan watching Severus Snape being killed by Nagini and saying 'Big Deal!'.

Donnie Yen who had reprised the famous role of Ip Map was giving his swashbuckling kicks and stunts. He did justice to the monk's character. Still, something was amiss. Might be his screen share. or the director's lack of knack to extract his full potential. SW:RO wanted to be kickass and badass simultaneously but ended up short of being kicked in the ass!

The Importance of a Name

What is a name? At the highest level, a name is nothing but a word which is in turn stitched together with random letters from the appropriate language's alphabet soup (in this case, English) and given a specific pronunciation depending upon its usage and context. Digging a bit deeper like how we spade the ground to plant a sapling, the name is a label representing any object - living or nonliving - along with its meaning to recognize, identify the object correctly and understand it better so that confusions doesn't arise while communicating or expressing or participating in an interaction between/amongst us - Human Beings. Since, we are on the topic of words,

                        

              One of my favos that turned me into a hopeless and quixotically romantic

Shakespeare had rightly said when he observed and proclaimed "A rose by any other name is still a rose". Extending his pointed and succinct statement (Alliteration time again! :P), inevitably and inherently, the natural corollary of his pithy remark is that the object called rose can actually exist without the label or in other words, to be crystal clear, the name that we have imposed upon the object "rose" for our own convenience. It's like the evergreen Senthil-Goundamani comedy where Senthil says "Poova poo num solalam puipam num solalam neenga solra  maariyum solalam". (A flower can be called a flower or in the manner you say it!).

             From 0.00 to 1:58...Lol-o-Lol..But, the message is deep when we see beyond the humor

Why am I giving such a boring lecture? It is certainly not an obiter dictum or a fugacious flippant  (It's 'A' time again.!) assertion that is based on my personal experience, realization or understanding. Or, it may be also.! Anyway, You will know why soon enough. But, to get to the why, we need to have an experiment now so that the understanding is lot clearer and simpler. I request you to kindly give in your uninterrupted and undivided attention for some time.

Imagine......Imagine yourself walking in a big red house which has a beautiful green garden with tall eucalyptus trees surrounding it. You can smell the deep medicinal smell of eucalyptus now. Amidst the tall trees, yellow flowers like Kanikonna or the golden rain flower are growing with black bees and blue butterflies fighting with each other to get their share of nectar from them. 

Hope you have imagined till now. Just a little bit more and it will be over soon. Please do continue imagining that....

There is a big red rose right in the middle of your spectacular garden already occupied by tall trees, Kanikonna and teeming with black bees and blue butterflies. Now, hold on to that mental picture in your mind for a couple of seconds. Voila! The experiment is over and you have with passed with flying colors as long as you had involved and engaged yourself completely.

How did this all happen? 

We have been hard-wired, right from birth, to systematically match the words and their meanings to the objects so that the association to these impressions of objects happen naturally and automatically from our sub-conscious memory with us being aware of it consciously and unconsciously at the same time. Sounds labyrinth confusing?

No rose on a plant in our planet has ever yelled or said "Hey..I am called rose. Please call me by that name". And it is applicable to each and every word of any language - ancient or modern. All words are deemed relevant to the specific or general objects only from the point of view of our species. It's like Phoebe saying "Potato Potaato..Whatever"

         Another gem which has a rich meaning when it is looked through the obvious humorous side

At the end of the day, when you can ask a scientist what was the single most difficult aspect of his/her ground-breaking discovery, they will immediately and without any second hesitation say "naming it".

Naming is a nightmarish task for any Brand Consultant who would have come up with an excellent strategy to beat their competitors for their product by framing the essential Branding attributes, traits and personality to breathe soul to the product but ultimately find it extremely difficult to give the product a memorable, catchy, non-offensive in any language, unique and sound cool name. If the BC goes in for another criteria - to reflect the product's core benefit like Fair&Lovely as the brand's name - to get instant Brand recognition, they will surely go bald after tearing their head apart just to get the product's name right. THAT is the import, significance and value of a name. A complete dealbreaker between billion dollars and also-rans.

I will give one more example in our Indian context. 

Other than the DeMon implementation, Modi Ji is doing everything in his power to make it right for our country stand tall and proud in the global arena. But, whenever he flies to other countries to woo the investors, his name is being dragged and draped with mud and filth. The problem is not with him going abroad but with the way the media projects his tours as "Foreign tours", "Foreign visits" etc. So, from the common man's (read: the uneducated majorities) perspective, when they hear labels like "Foreign tours", "Foreign visits", they get the impression that our PM is relaxing and enjoying in his trips without taking care of them or the nation which gives Modi Ji a bad name despite he working hard for the welfare of the people. And his selfies doesn't help him either with the opposition launching an all-out attack on him whenever they get the slightest whiff of possibility.

When a person does not do anything and gets a bad name, it is justice. But, when an individual works tirelessly, produces results yet gets a tarnished image, in my opinion, that's wrong.

What can be done is to rename Modi Ji's "Foreign tours", "Foreign visits" as "Capital Acquisition Engagement" or  "Investment Magnetization Exercise" or "Investment Employment Collaboration" etc. that aptly reflects his tour schedule as sometimes he may visit the heads of other countries to create a sense of goodwill between the nations as well. So, the more complex the naming phrases, the better as the people will perceive that Modi Ji is doing something extraordinary and exceptional that no one has done before him when in reality he is only trying to convince the investors to start their operations in India. Likewise, such a renaming would effectively seal the lips of anyone and everyone who dare to raise the issue when he is away from our country for inking business deals.

It might seem fraudulent to some people who may lambast me saying that it is tricking and manipulating our own country people. Au Contraire, it is wrong ONLY IF Modi Ji does not go to other countries and persuade them for their investments. But, he is doing all these things. Isn't he?

To make it more comprehensible and easier - If I give you an apple for your birthday as a gift, you will definitely give a smirk and bad mouth about me to your friends after I had departed from the party. But, if I present you the same apple in a golden colored wrapper neatly tied with a red ribbon on top of it, you would squeal with delight.  

That is exactly what I am also suggesting. It is just presenting the same information (read: Foreign tours, Foreign trips) in new way.

So, the next time when anyone says "what's in a name"? Just point them to this blog....eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.. :) :) :) 

PS:

All the opinions, experiment designed and inferences derived from the comedy scenes are solely mine and no one is to be held accountable other than me if you have the feel that they are restrictedly right. The suggestion given is solely based on facts and my own qualified understanding of the subjects - Marketing&Branding.

Travel Diaries - The Trailer

"Once a year, go some place you've never been before" - Dalai Lama

The deeply revered and highly respected Dalai Lama was two hundred percent right when he made this profound statement.

Most of the populace have the perception that travel is an unnecessary expenditure or that travelling is a waste of money or a form of much-needed break to bring themselves from the brink of death due to their routine, tedious, listless and tiresome work/school lives so that they can revive and rejuvenate themselves.

According to me, travelling is a wholesome learning experience which pushes the boundaries of our rigid and hardened mental thought process to brighter and newer avenues which makes you to be open to fresher insights that life has to offer to us. Some have told me that it would be boring to learn even during vacation time. My take is that learn the right things but do it with fun and enjoyment so that you don't feel that a millstone is tied around your neck when you try something afresh.

Ever since a kid, I have been exposed to different kinds of destinations - from the usual and standard Ooty, Kodaikanal, Munnar, Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram to places of immense beauty as Taj Mahal, Jaipur Palace to more breath-taking, pun intended, places like Gangtok, Kullu-Manali, Shimla to holy places like Vaishno Devi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Badrinath, Kedarnath et al - I had visited them during my summer holidays when I was a kid. So, I was not a tyro when it came to visiting places or undergoing hardships during the course of the journey as in lack of food and sleep, extreme weather, knee and back aching bus travels etc.

My interest piqued further when one of my Team Leads at TCS had extensively travelled to wonderful and scenic spots in Europe during his tryst with his MBA in Netherlands. After slogging and clocking many a 7 day-a-week work schedule during critical delivery periods, I was actually looking for the right opportunity to ask my Boss for a two week break from work after he had given me a good appraisal during my yearly performance review which would be held during March-April. Unfortunately, my personal reasons forced me to resign from a prestigious organization as TCS. To clear my highly and heavily cluttered head, I resorted to what I liked to do - Travel.

For the first time in my life, I was completely free and totally uninhibited to do what and whatever I wanted to do in my life. There were infinite possibilities that were strewn in front of me like hay before a cow. I could have easily taken up to smoking, drinking, drugs or prostitutes. But, my moral compass was so strong that I took it as a test to my integrity laid out by God. By saying this, I am not saying directly or indirectly that whoever resorts to cigarettes, booze, weed or indulging with women of loose character to be wrong or bad. Every action has a consequence. Whether it's good action or bad consequence - that's the individual's choice. I wisely chose the right decision knowing how a wrong or even a potentially wrong action could affect everyone especially myself.

What I wanted was simple in this soul-searching expedition - have a sense of adventure infused with spiritualism so that it will lighten the immense burden in my heart and head that was giving me an extremely hard time. Though I fully left the tour itinerary to my travel operators, none of my traveled places were actually planned other than Dubai. It was mostly from other fellow passengers' suggestions and recommendations that I thought about my next place outside Tamil Nadu. 

While Dubai, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Ladakh were meticulously planned by various tour operators, I chose to roam around Goa in the rented blue Dio on my own free will to be a pure traveller who is not tied to any ball and chain of the taut schedules.

The first tryst was to Dubai. Followed by Goa. Then, Thekkady. Following closely on the heels were temples of worship as Madurai, Kumbakonam, Trichy, Kanchipuram and Pondicherry. Engaged in a full-fledged Vipassana course @ Tiruvannamalai. Hong Kong and Thailand were next in line which was trailed by the Leh-Ladakh excursion. Finally, as a treat to my mom, I went to Singapore and ended my self-introspection Globetrotting cum Indiatrotting sojourn.

In Tamil, we have a figurative saying "Kashmir mudhal Kanyakumari varai". It means a very long distance. I rephrased it as "From Ladakh to Kanyakumari" as Ladakh is even more further than Kashmir!  The only thing which was missed out in this entire journey was the brilliant reddish-orange hues of sunrise and sunset in Kanyakumari. But, since I had already seen it earlier in my life, it did not matter and bother me much.

However, there were plenty of adventures like being almost trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants during a night time dare, an arduous trekking of almost 40 kms, parasailing in Pattaya, skipping with joy at the magical marvels of Disneyland, feeding a tiger, surfing & sailing, stunning panoramic view atop the Burj Khalifa, riding the fastest roller coaster in the world, enjoying the dry and cold winds of Ladakh's serene Buddhist monasteries, sizzling Singapore beauty and friendly Indianized atmosphere - this break off was indeed worth every penny, sorry rupee, for which I intended to travel in the first place - to ease the pain and torment that I was undergoing prior to TCS's resignation.

However, there is one place, sorry many places, that are still pending in my bucket list which I would love to visit at least once in my life whenever time and money permits:

a) Igloo Room in Greenland/Iceland and immerse in the dazzling colourful palettes of Aurora Borealis

b) Water Bungalow in the pristine, glistening and sun-kissed beaches of Maldives/ Bora Bora

c) Have a date with the Penguins in their own natural settings of the frigid white sheets in the magnificent Antarctica

d) Bungee Jumping and Glowing Caves in the adventure capital of the world - New Zealand

e) Skydiving in Dubai , Scuba Diving in Indonesia/Andaman, Hot Air Ballooning anywhere picturesque in the world

f) A true African Safari in Kenya meeting the Lions and Giraffes running and hunting feral

g) Get absorbed and captivated by the riveting architecture of the history rich Rome and Venice
    (Ofcourse, Dan Brown is the main inspiration!)

h) Swisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

i) Las Vegas 

j)  Finest cruise in the world

k) Russia
l)  Have the majestic Lord Siva's Darshan @ Mt. Kailash

Any other place which I feel worthy enough to be added in my bucket list shall be done as and when exposed to newer places and experiences through books and movies.

PS:

So, why is this called trailer? Because the main picture lies in the splendid mock-tail of adventures and spiritualism which I had the chance to glimpse, thanks to God's grace, courtesy the jam-packed itineraries prepared by the various trip advisers during the course of all my backpacking self-reflection jaunt. The big picture - Coming soonnnnnn...!! :) 

Arrival - The Materialization of Something Big - Part 2

Without much ado, I shall dig deep into the Earth as everyone knows about the famed and critically raved Cream Centre. So, I am sure I do not have to touch upon the topic of price and service as the premium paid to satisfy your linger is justified with the impeccable hospitality shown by the order takers. What is new then? Wellllllllllll.......

Imagine your friend tells you that there is a big reception with great unlimited food and they have the ticket to access the buffet counter. You ensure that your stomach is spick and span by having limited quantities of water with no/little solid viands so that you can wolf your way during the big event. I am sure this kind of situation would have happened at least once in your life whether you want to accept it or not. Nevertheless, the deep satisfied and contented feel that engulfs you inside is something which can relate to Po in the Kung Fu Panda! How does or what is the significance of this stupid imaginary story with respect to Cream Centre?  It will be known right after the full stop at the end of this sentence.

Cream Centre organizes numerous fests running throughout the year so that everyone can have a good feast. For instance, they have the chatty Chat fest, sizzling Sizzler fest, picky Paratha fest etc. As the year was slowly drawing to its end, CC unravelled their other drooling Biryani Bash to draw in the crowds as a part of their Marketing strategy. 

My friend and I entered into CC after a fantastic brainy fodder through the Arrival. As we sat relaxedly in the comfy seats and munched upon the menu especially the hero of the day for which I hadn't had a morsel of food since previous night's dinner. Now, you know why I brought in the realistically imaginary reference earlier. In fact, we curtailed the size of the popcorn combo during our movie watch so that we can involve and relish in the sumptuous dish for the ravenous appetite that we were experiencing then. Our ordered items were Penne Arabiatta and the famous Hyderabadi Biryani and it took some time for us to smell their heavenly flavors. In the meantime, my evergreen Orange Sunshine Soda shone a bright light in our lives until our nibbles were spread on our plates.

Rich and Creamy with tomato sauce, Penne Arabiatta was damn good and it was exactly the right portion for the two of us. Sipping in strawfuls of Orange Sunshine, the hot and steamy HB made her way on to the table. The cordon bleu was delightfully and deliciously divine with her spices and condiments which was rightly mixed in the correct proportions to the t. It took us more than half an hour to finish the complete course of HB courtesy the immense portion that was being spread to us on a regular basis by the waitperson.  

Close to an hour after having serenely sunk our teeth into the fulfilling, gladdening and gratifying appeal to our palates, we sadly bid adieu to one of the great restaurants in Chennai which despite burns a hole in the wallet, it is indeed a place where memories are etched in the vapors of their satisfying food.

What started with the enrichment of our grey matter through Arrival ended with the arrival of HB and a big stomach!!

                                                           X--Concluded--X

  

Some Walls are Good!

Facebook posts are always a wonderful medium when it comes to expressing topical issues - be it movies, sports, songs, politics, personal life, professional life etc. - through direct, indirect or humorous route of mental articulation into an assertive voice that is made public and disseminated into the FB universe. From my stance, the posts really opens up your perspectives and different possibilities when we read other person's status on any issue when we meditate on it for a while and conclude whether theirs' is indeed right or our opinion is not wrong so that a person can be truly in touch with the reality instead of rigidly holding on to our own view that it is only right and another individual's wrong without hearing them out.  

Being a member in FB for a very long time, whenever there was/is an window of opportunity, I used to jump and swim into the deep ocean of Facebook to verbalize my thinking process on the matters at hand. Sometimes, a trip down the memory lane is so nostalgic and fun that you would wonder whether it is written by you even when you know it is.

The following would be one such compilation of some posts on my wall since 2009:

1. All of a sudden, the art of asking "Why ?" has rapidly diminished and vanished into thin air. WHY ?

2. The Best Love Story to be evaaaaa unfolded in history is not Romeo and Juliet's story but that exists between our very own grand dad and grand mom !!

3. Always getting confused y it is called a 'Flat' and we are living in a vertically upward structure !! 

4. The distance between the heart and the mind may be very less but the impact of the decisions taken by them is something beyond the realms of the comprehension of any distance !!

5. When "Destabilize", "Deregulate", "Deestablish" and all other "De" words have a negative connotation, then "Delight" ??? #English is not a funny but a 'pun'ny language

6. Considering his current notorious lack of form, guess, Dhawan must change his name to DhaWANE...!

7. What is the particular age in our life which is full of s**t??

Ans: GarbAGE..:P

# I am banging my own head

8. What happens when you click the picture of a beautiful port in a non-horizontal manner?

Ans: The Port becomes a PORTrait....:P

# 10 times head banging on the wall

9. Mani Ratnam Sir gave us an outstanding film 'Guru' that was based loosely on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani. Wondering what title he would give if he made a film on Vijay Mallya.

'Sarakkum ila Murukkum ila'. Maybe.

10. NO TV serial in the world can match their twists & turns coz the mother of the kings of all mega serials begin today.....IPL!

11.AR Rahman will be now very busy in composing 'JAYA HO'...!

12. Sometimes, I can't stand my own PJs. That's when I decide to sit down! 

13. Everyone is copying surf excel. now, speed is good. Guess, next cadburys would launch an ad showcasing 2 kids wrestling over a bar of diary milk silk and say "fight is good" !!

14. 2 truths decoded from the 3 verdicts in the past one week - the RIGHT is not always popular and the popular is not always right..!!

15. I really don't get it when people say they want something in PDF Format when PDF, by definition and expansion, actually stands for Portable Document FORMAT..!

Whether you liked it or not, I leave that up to you to decide.

Arrival - The Materialization of Something Big - Part 1

Great food and good movie go hand in hand. It's like a romantic couple coupling their fingers together and walking along the beach as the sun sets down with a pleasant and soothing wind prevailing in the atmosphere. A fantastic combo!

My friend and I experienced such a one and only opportunity to indulge ourselves in an intellectually satisfying film and emotionally satiating victual. 

As with the standard template of any Hollywood flick, the Arrival starts with moving the pieces of the puzzles straight away by showing the present Amy Adams being involved with the US government to decode the Aliens' language and her past relationship with her daughter in a back and forth manner like a Tennis rally!  The movie pace is relatively and deliberately slow but the screenplay is in such a way that you don't have the feel that it is sluggish as the narration keeps you hooked up by the brilliance of the director. Before you know it, an hour has passed and intermission has arrived!

Just like the Anaconda which was shown to us with a tantalizingly patient and dramatic style, the 7-limbed aliens are also revealed to us in a similar fashion. But, the highlight of the movie is the systematic approach that Amy Adams tries to decode and learn the Aliens language by breaking down every word in the sentence to the point where the Government can know what is the intention for the foreign beings to land in 12 different places. 

Post-interval, you have a slight apprehension that 'Arrival' might take the regular route of bang-bang razing of cities with Jeremy Runner and Amy Adams heroically saving the day. However, the ingenuity of the director in the first half negates this possibility that the aliens will not be unfriendly as there is a specific dialogue for Amy Adams where she responds to Forest Whitaker "It's not true" when the Colonel makes a sweeping statement that aliens are dangerous beings without even having interacted with them. It is actually an eye opener and applicable in real life as it is only the deep mistrust, distrust and fear that is set in human beings which is responsible for people to be highly cynical and pessimistic about fellow beings leaving aside the Aliens.

The second half is a dazzling cerebral fodder with statements like 'Time is non-linear' which is completely opposite to the way that we perceive time in reality to be either linear or circular. Likewise, we are always used to flashbacks. In 'Arrival', we learn that the apparent past of Amy Adams is actually her own future. The scene where she interacts with the Chinese in future and the process in which her present unfolds to make that future happen is like a cyclical loop for which the Director deserves a pat on his back. Similarly, the cinematographer is worth a double pat on his back for the way he had choreographed the sequence where Amy Adams is shown against a pristine white backdrop with her golden hair dancing gracefully and gleefully in the background which really makes your jaw drop. It was nothing short of spectacular.

'Arrival' is the kind of cinema that the majority of the people may refrain from seeing as it neither possesses the thrilling dishoom-dishoom effect nor the overblown visual grandiose. This film is for those who really love to watch good movies being made in a thoughtful manner and to those who can understand and appreciate the director's touch.

PS:

I am not sure whether am I the only one who thought during this entire movie that the language of the aliens was akin to the famous patch of ink in the Inkblot test which ascertains an individual's psychology!

                    X--to be concluded--X

AYM - A 'Thalli Pogathey' Bike Ride

Neil Armstrong famously once said "One small step for man, One giant leap for Mankind". Modi Ji rewrote this highly well-known statement in his own style according to our context as "One giant step for man and woman, One massive leap for all Indians" when he struck everyone with a blasting and powerful boomerang this past week. Modi Ji and his crew kept all the cards close to their hearts till the paradigm-shift-moment arrived. Just like a magician who pulls out a rabbit from a hat, Modi Ji did not just let the cat but a roaring tiger out of the bag causing a tremendous buzz across the vast lengths and breadths of our country that would have even stunned the bees by such an enormous buzz of activity!

So, what does Neil Armstrong and our PM has got to do with AYM review? No more delays as we had enough of AYM delays!

First up. It's spoiler free.

Second. I would really want to applaud GVM for giving us all with AYM in such a manner.

Third. It is easily Simbu's best performance till date. He simply aces through every scene - be it he making jokes on his real life or his earlier character in VTV, Will-I-get-caught or not-scenes when he looks at Manjima, his complete changeover into a determined individual to fight back - Simbu is one of the towering pillars of AYM. 

Fourth. AR Rahman. Man! and Woman!! AYM's music had been creating a sensational flutter ever since "Thalli Pogathey" single got released in January. For more on AYM's music, do check out: AYM Music Review.  

Beyond the songs, the BGM was perfectly in harmony with the setting and mood of the film that it took the entire film to another level along with the movie's scintillating cinematography especially in the 'Thalli Pogathey' Song. Oh. My. Gawddddd. Nope. That was not in Janice Style! 

'Thalli Pogathey' cinematography was as mesmerizing as the song itself. It was ruddy brilliant. Not going to reveal anymore. Just watch it. IN THEATRE. I had envisioned a certain picturization for it when I listened to the song all this while - Simbu and Manjima have a break up and the song pops up as a dream sequence in either Simbu's or Manjima's. But, GVM brings all his experience to the fore and gives an out of an world experience in the most unexpected moment of the film that it really elevated the song to beyond the describable words of articulation. Hats off to GVM for even conceiving such an idea. 'Thalli Pogathey' truly lived upto the director's claim as 'best picturized song in a long while'.

From a warm, friendly and when-they-will-say-I-Love-You moments, AYM turns a big 360 degree riding into the second half. It was very intense. Poignant. GVM holds the reigns of the screenplay tightly with sufficient freedom for clap worthy, hooting and laughing jokes smuggled into the gripping second half, here and there, from time to time. For a debutant, Manjima sizzles in her portions, pun intended. You will know why I said pun for "portions" when you watch the movie.

Now, the most important question - What relevance does Modi Ji has got to do with this review?

Just like how our PM safe-guarded the secret of the Brahmastra 'Black Money', GVM has kept one vital information away from everyone in all his teasers and trailers. No. I am not going to reveal it but if you are a very logical and analytical person who will not cave in to the emotional leash thrown in by the director, you can easily find out the big Brahmastra as early as in the second half itself. 

There was one nagging question which was bothering my mind right from the start of AYM as to why Simbu was so beefy in the movie. Good luck to you for figuring it! Unfortunately, I was sucked into the romance-emotions that my sense of judgement was skewed and awry beyond the permissible limits that the surprise indeed came as a pleasant hollering from my end.

There is also another suspense that is netted throughout the movie. But, it was very evident to me this time considering the hype and did not come much as a big shock or surprise when the beans were spilled out. Good luck again for figuring that out!

Only Positives. No negatives? The biggest let down of AYM has got to be the hurried finish during the climax in this otherwise awesome GVM-ARR-Simbu magic. Also, I am not sure why a couple of lines were added in the "Showkali" song. It was so lazily added during the editing stages that those 2 lines were like a fish out of water! 

AYM has something in it for everyone - action, romance, comedy, the ever realistic and relatable scenes ,like playing cricket using hands as bats, that's prevalent in all the GVM movies, superb songs and amazing cinematography. But, it is definitely a must watch for all the love birds out there who will definitely hum 'Thalli Pogathey' when they are out of the theatres just like everyone else.

The wait was indeed worth it.

'Thalli Pogathey....Ennayum..Thalli Poga Solladhey'.....Still humming but alone!!!