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

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

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

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

Epilogue:

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

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

Spectre - A soulless spirit!

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

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

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

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

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

Chennai's Water Woes - Part 2

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

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

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

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

                                                                  X----concluded----X

Chennai's Water Woes - Part 1

“Water, water, everywhere,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, everywhere,

Nor any drop to drink.”

― Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rasavid Buffet - A True Value for Money Deal!

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

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

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

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

Sigree Global Grill – An extremely delectable and rich experience!

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

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

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

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

Epilogue:

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

A Bittersweet Diwali

Dum Dum Dum. Neither the atom bomb nor the hydrogen bomb had caused the loud and penetrative permeative sound on the eve of Diwali. Rather the reverberations were due to the thunderous crash made by the God of Thunder himself! Yes. Chennai, which had been stereotyped for so long as "Hot, Hotter and Hottest", ensured that those people chewed and digested their words through her lashy rains that were widely prevalent across the city since Saturday. It has been very long since Chennai had experienced such a heavy rain of this magnitude. Almost all the roads were completely flooded and cut off thus causing the city to come to a stand still. Surely, the tourists from Venice wouldn't have felt then that they were in a distant place far away from home! But, Varuna God did not show any sign of mercy and persisted with his relentlessness. Power was cut for more than 12 hours in many parts of the city as a result of the strong winds. Schools, colleges and even corporates were given a day off considering the potential threat and perceived risk of the incessant rains. Amidst a damp situation, around 3pm in the afternoon on Monday, the Lord of Rain decided that enough is enough and put the brakes on his super power so that the Chennaites need not have to wait until next year to celebrate Diwali with their family and friends. The festival kicked off, though in a very subdued manner, and the people slowly started to venture out of their homes after 2 days of imprisonment! The city was alive and kicking with rains still looming extremely dangerously on the horizon. Lord Varuna was still having the city in check. The people prayed and hoped that it was not a check mate!  

The happy festive proceeding began in full flow to match the city's floods that the dum dum dum noise was now due to the crackers. Time changes everything in a matter of hours! The sedated yet steady increase in sound and colorful lights culminated into a lively but moisty D-Day. However, the day which used to be punctuated with lots of 'damal dumeel' was rather politely interrupted with the occasional shots on this particular Diwali. The usually over crowded retail outlets were having a gloomy and sad facade on the radiant occasion. The rains were the prime accused for the cracker sales to have nose dived so sharply when compared to the previous years. This was very much evident from the fact that RSPM levels in Triplicane recorded a mere 90 microgram/cubic metre in comparison with 297 microgram/cubic metre from last year. Likewise, T.Nagar and Nungambakkam logged in 131 and 126 microgram/cubic metre this year from 180 microgram/cubic metre in 2014.

Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) are particulate matters with diameters less than or equal to 10 micrometres. As per the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) data, the RSPM levels have significantly plummeted by a mammoth 45.6% from 192.6 in 2014 to 105.6 in 2015. Though, it was still higher than the permissible levels of 100 microgram/cubic centre for a safe dwelling, this was still a positive step in the right direction for the levels of air pollution in the city to lessen during the Diwali time.

Despite all the data pointing out to the fact that the air pollution had considerably dropped, there were no such indications for noise pollution. Besant Nagar, well-known for its calm and peaceful residential surrounding, was the loudest with 83dB up by 10dB from last year. However, the average noise pollution in the city had gone down from 80.4dB in 2014 to 80.2dB in 2015. The facts look very promising for those 'green lovers' but not for the retails outlet owners whose bulky investments outstare them right into their eyes!

Though the Rain God may have played a party pooper on this festive day, the facts clearly indicate that this Diwali was relatively environment friendly to all the living beings and that this gala day was truly celebrated in the spirit of the letter of the festival.