The Always Irrepressibly Exuberant and Buoyant Diwali Bash

Ever since I stepped into the sprawling and verdant Amrita School of Business to pursue my MBA, there is only one thought that lingers and runs through my mind like the still waters of the  Amazon for the past 3 years whenever The Festival of Lights was around the corner - "When will we be having the gala Diwali fest @ the quaint and charming Ettimadai Village?".What's so special about this significant fiesta? EVERYTHING!!

For those who haven't been a part of this wonderful occasion, I would like to give a small and brief primer to get yourself acquainted with the history of this lively celebration. DG Sir and Shobhana Mam has been the cornerstone of this buzzing-with-lots-of-life evento by laying the foundation for The Outreach Programme to spread its magnanimous and wondrous wings to the underprivileged children of the neighbouring village which is very close to our college. We used to teach the children without fail on every Saturday despite our hectic case studies and presentations. DG Sir and Shobhana Mam took this initiative one step further by organizing a mega Diwali event where the volunteers can contribute whatever they could according to their wish - be it monetarily or by being physically present investing their own time and effort to make it a grand success. Punctuality personified Shobhana Mam always gives me the dates well in advance to book my tickets for this high octane and engaging celebration when I became an alumni. It is not only just for me but also for all the other volunteers who wants to be a part of this highly spirited affair. Shobhana Mam goes the extra mile by also arranging rooms for us in our hostels by cutting across the university's red tapes effortlessly.

DG Sir and Shobhana Mam are one of the most adored and respected professors in the campus for their down-to-earth personalities despite their highly regarded IIT-IIM and PhD degrees from world renowned universities like Berkeley besides their laudable work experiences in MNCs like Ponds. Without any infinitesimal iota of doubt, it is a taken corollary that a wave of volunteers are always attracted to this extravaganza like a moth to a bright flame just because of their persona and their immense respect towards them.

The pre-Diwali fest organizing is as exciting and fun-filled as the main picture itself. Before the D-Day, DG Sir, Shobhana Mam, Guna Anna, myself and whoever is interested and willing would march towards the streets and markets of Coimbatore to buy the goody bags for the kids as well as the prizes for the competitions that would be held on the action-packed day. It has always been a good learning experience by observation for me to learn the management ropes in real life from the Ponds perfectionist when he negotiates with the shrewd and case-hardened wholesale traders who tries to fleece their customers to pocket some extra cash in their kitties. The entire exercise, which goes very late into the evening, is extremely eventful when we hunt for the cheapest and the best shops that sells our required plenty-of-items-to purchase-in our list like soaps, oils, powder, tooth brushes etc. for all the children living in that reduced circumstances. Once when the shopping spree is done and dusted, we head to our resting and nesting place - DG Sir's home and his specialty cup of hot and steaming coffee!

Just like how we throng to a Rajnikanth's new release with full of life and gusto, the expressions on the children's faces are worth an infinite zillion dollars! So much enthusiasm, effervescence and the sparkle in their eyes when they show their ardent desire to display their talents in front of others and be deservedly appreciated for their efforts - You can actually feel a tremendous swell of emotions rising within yourself when you witness the happiness bouncing and gliding on their cute faces. The programme kick starts with the "Kadavul Vaazhthu" and the chain of events ranging from Tug of War to numerous Sports Competitions to the famous Murukku-hanging-eating contest. Separate events are held for both boys and girls catering to all ages. The kids also participate with such keenness and intensity that you can see their raw potential in its true unadulterated nature. The children also sing, dance and perform skits to exhibit their uninhibited talent and simply wow us with their performances.

As we are on the heels of songs and dance, the volunteers are not left far behind. They also give an exceptional display of foot-tapping peppy and melodious songs and  mesmerize the audience with their hypnotic singing abilities. Vidhya Sagar, Vishnu, Vaisakh, Kevin et al have simply blown away our heads with their dazzling renditions on the latest popular numbers which literally makes the kids go crazy with much agog and dance wildly to their mellifluous tunes. Our special set of photo experts, courtesy Gobi, Ashwin and of course, our very own DG Sir, capture all the candid moments with such precision that you can feel their clicks to laugh rambunctiously like the delightful frozen moments themselves.

With all the energy expended and exhausted from the various activities, the next obvious conclusion is Food, of course! Lunch is always an indispensable happening where the wolf-hungry children and adults alike are served with Veg Biryani, Curd Rice, Fryums and Sweet. The collective effort of each and every individual, who does their earnest best to quickly walk, run and hop from one place to another for ensuring that everyone has had to their heart's content, is indeed a sight to behold! At the other end of the spectrum, another bunch of bubbly volunteers actively involve themselves to see to it that none of the gifts that had been purchased the earlier day is missed out while packing the goody bags. It is an extremely time-consuming and arduous task as we had to pack up the long list of items without overlooking or missing out any single present for any child. With seamless integration from the patient collaboration of the energetic volunteers, the substantially complicated wrap ups are done smoothly and efficiently. In fact, the whole process is actually made to look rather simple though it is way far from that!

By the fag end of the day, though everyone is dog tired to death, the atmosphere is still highly contagious with fire and vigour to still do more than what has been done. It is really an immensely satisfying feel when you know that you have been able to light up joy in another person's life and when it is children, the feelings and the emotions are thoroughly overwhelming and flowing like the thunderous Niagara falls. It gives us the sense of purpose and outwardness that life is merely not just simply working and getting yourself a hefty salary at the end of every month but is something way beyond that - to return at least something to the nature and society for the plenty of things that we are really fortunate enough to be born with - in short to live an enriching and fulfilling lives.

Just like how the Blue Chips and other Enterprises give a sterling performance on a Q-o-Q and Y-o-Y basis, the participants for this mega Diwali drive is surely to only increase exponentially with the coming years. DG Sir and Shobhana Mam - Without your tireless and persistently tenacious effort, the dashing Diwali blast that is being continuously held all these years would have remained a distant dream and a muted blast.

On behalf of everyone who has been a part of this wonderful event, I would like to thank you and Shobhana Mam for the fantastic memories that you have given us till now and going to give us in the future. Thanks a ton, Sir. Thanks a ton, Mam.

PS:
I had always wanted to write about this cracking experience for a very long time. Unfortunately, in order to cover all the essential aspects, it required a lot of time from my end. Forgive my adequately inappropriate timing of this blog, Sir. I will ensure that it is done a lot quicker from next time just like your snappy and exquisite photographs.

  

Ice Age: Collision Course - Aesthetically Impactful !

Just because the garnishings decorating the Biriyani is colorful and an eye pleasant, unless and until the Biriyani is cooked well and has the right ingredients to make it tasty, the beautiful finishing touches are nothing but a waste of time and energy. 

Ice Age:Collision Course begins with our Scrat who flies an alien ship to outer space when he tries to bury his beloved acorn and inadvertently activates the flying saucer in the process. What follows is a series of reactions that sets in motion an asteroid to head towards the Earth. Scrat really sets ablaze, literally and figuratively, the screens with his usual intense desperation to have a go at the nut which started way back in the first Ice Age movie when it was released during 2002. In fact, it is Scrat and Buck who saves this film from being blown apart without the asteroid strike.

The movie is gorgeous and visually stunning especially the Geotopia scenes. The effect is further enhanced and simply wowed when viewed in 3D. Unfortunately, the presence of a weak script completely lets down all the commendable work done by the VFX team. You don't have anything to say except Buck has a plan to divert the course of the asteroid from wiping off the existence on Earth and others follow suit not only to save the planet but also save themselves and their dreams. 

In this vapid adventure, Manny is very busy attending his family problems concerning his daughter and her fiance. He has some action sequences in the end and agrees to his daughter's wedding with Julian once when the world is saved. OMG! That was so unpredictable!! Even Granny has more role to play in this movie than Diego! Diego and his lady love are just a part of the group and merely walks, runs or talks without any substantial role to offer. Though the film has lots of puns to tickle your funny bone, you tend to get a bit irritated sometimes with Sid's antics and particularly the goofy characters in Geotopia. Geotopia is the boon as well as the bane for Ice Age 5. It was really amazing and eye-catching when the colours in every scene was made to dance on the screens with such richness and pleasantness. However, the silliness of the characters especially Shangri Llama really got under the skin to the point that I was internally screaming When-will-this-nonsense-get over.

Scrat almost destroyed one planet at one instance and wipes off the face of the Earth or Mars! in another.

Ice Age 5 had the potential to be something big with the extraordinary set of characters and a major catastrophic event to hurt the Earth very badly but disappoints. Nevertheless, it is surely a good one-time pop-corn pass where you can laugh, enjoy, come out of the theatres and forget it.

PS:
I am sure you would have now understood as to why I used the Biriyani reference in the beginning of this review.

  

The Legend of Tarzan - The Swing is off the mark by a longggggggggg way

When there is something new in the market, obviously, a competitor will not be far enough. They will immediately jump on the bandwagon and ensure that the pie is divided for them also especially if the product is commercially successful. Among the many wild boy characters to have danced with the untamed and undomesticated animals in the jungle, Tarzan is also a person whose roots are predominantly influenced by Kipling's Mowgli. Numerous movies have been released under the eponymous character and The Legend of Tarzan is continuing the wild legacy now.

Disney's The Jungle Book was a highly successful visual triumph. The trailers of The Legend of Tarzan also promised a similar feast for the eyes. Does the promise set by the trailers satisfy the innate uninhibited and unrestrained free and true feelings of the audience?  

The elephant scene where Tarzan bows to a herd of crossing elephants is more than enough to say whether The Jungle Book or The Legend of Tarzan wins the battle of visual effects. The crowning glory goes to Disney's Jungle Book for their attention to detail and superior VFX. However, The Legend of Tarzan's only savior is their cinematography and CGI in an otherwise dismal film.

The background of Tarzan is assumed to be known to the audience and the story directly takes us to the plot where Tarzan is looking polished and refined in his suit considering his raw and feral nature when he was suited up only in his loins. Mbonga wants Tarzan's head on the platter as he killed his dear son. In a flashback, it is revealed that Mbonga's son kills Tarzan's mother, Kala and as an act of revenge, he kills the boy in a fit of rage. Samuel L Jackson wants to expose the slave trade in the region and accompanies Tarzan in his quest to protect the weak people. Unfortunately, SLJ is made a mockery in the movie and is reduced to a mere sidekick by providing Should-I-Laugh-for this scene humor. Similarly, Christopher Waltz, who has effortlessly reprised scintillating performances in his earlier films, has also played down in his role as Captain Rom. Two very talented actors' potential in the dumps. Even the romantic scenes between Tarzan and Jane did not evoke the intense love that was showed between them in the 1999 Disney version. There was no sense of even a remote feeling of sympathy or pity when the chief refused to be on his knees before he was brutally murdered or the tribal people captured as slaves and their villages burnt down though these two scenes should have been the gravitas of emotionally charged up scenes. It's pictured like "yeah..it happens..so what?" and makes totally uninvolved towards the characters at that point when it should have been otherwise.

Likewise, the legendary Tarzan swing, the highlight of the protagonist which should have been relished and devoured with gusto by the audience, was simply missing the He-nailed-it feeling and factor. It was like some Tom, Dick and Harry swaying through the trees. 

Overall, The Legend of Tarzan's trailer was way better than the movie itself.

The Jungle Book - A Tome of Endearing Memories

Before the advent and immense popularity of the Cable TV, Doordarshan was enjoying the liberty of being the sole monopoly as far as the TV channels were concerned. Without having an embarrassment of riches at our disposal, there was no choice but to watch what was being telecasted. Fortunately, there were really great shows that were showed to relieve the monotony in everyone's lives. One such awesome program was Rudyard Kipling's 'The Jungle Book' and his master creation 'Mowgli'. Growing up with Mowgli and the cubs along with Bagheera, Baloo, the troublesome Bandar Log and the minatory and blood thirsty Shere Khan, the Jungle Book was a tale of fearless escapades highlighting the core values of family,friendship, love and courage. When Disney announced that Jungle Book would be a live-action film and Jon Favreau to steer the ship, I was completely ecstatic and my expectations were over the moon. Does The Jungle Book live up to the expectations?

As you are already at home with The Jungle Book's storyline, it will be a completely boring and monotonous review if I were to narrate it even in a nutshell. So, looking past the narrative, The Jungle Book is nothing short of a mesmerizing visual extravaganza - the lush green forests and its rich landscape, the feral chases, the beautiful images of the animals so vividly and lifelike and the amazing steep climb to abandoned city and the city itself where King Louie resides - you just cannot single out a particular moment where the movie was dull as far as the VFX is concerned. It was so realistic to the core that when Shere Khan was doing one of his jumps, it felt like the murderous and scar-ridden tiger was springing on leaping on me - The power of 3D compounded infinity times because of the authentic and naturalistic setting.

The strength of a good animated movie is only as strong and good as its voice cast. Fortunately, The Jungle Book has got a tremendous set of performers who has literally unleashed a fresh breath of life into all the characters. Kingsley as the wise and protective Bagheera with his deep silky vocalization was mind-blowing. Idris Elba was more than menacing and frightening in his adaptation as Shere Khan. Lupita as Raksha made me to turn on the water works at places where she fiercely defended Mowgli out of her true love for him. Similarly, the rest of the characters had the apt voice cast to give a fantastic viewing and aural experience. But, it was Scarlett Johansson in her portrayal as Kaa that really cast a spell not only on Mowgli but also upon everyone just as the python's hypnotic ability. Though Kaa's role was very power-punching and highly effective even in the very minimal time, it could have been better if Kaa had been given some more screen presence so that the audience would have been immersed in the trancing expressions of Scarlett Johansson. 

Ever since its creation by Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book has been running wild through cartoons, animated pictures etc. for more than a century. This faithful adaptation to the novel was simply dazzling for the sheer amount of time and effort in bringing life to the characters by the VFX team and cinematography. Though the program was in Hindi and I couldn't understand the dialogues word for word, I still managed to sit through the show for its peppy title song and see Rudyard Kipling's creative brilliance in all its splendour. The Jungle Book made me to relive my childhood days where I used to sit hungrily in front of the TV and watch Mowgli's daring adventures and his final face off with Shere Khan. Everyone in the 80s and 90s era would feel the same. This Jungle Book is a spellbinding blast from the past experience.

The Secret Life of Pets - A Warm and Overt episode worth watching once

There are millions of Minion fans across the world and it was a fantastic marketing strategy on the part of Illumination Entertainment, the makers of our beloved Minions, to showcase a short film titled 'Mower Minions' just before The Secret Life of Pets began its obvious and frolicsome journey. The Minions created a laugh riot which was actually whacking hilarious than the actual movie despite their very short screen presence. It goes without saying that the Marketers had the intended and desired animal magnetism (Pun intended!) on the crowds for their latest venture by cleverly employing and taking full advantage of the gibberish-speaking and ludicrous yellow-coloured creatures.

The Secret Life of pets is no secret at all! At least for us and not for the pet owners in the movie. It shows us how the pets lead their lives once their caretakers step out of their homes to work in a very comical way. Max gets ruffled when his master, to be very precise - mistress, adopts and brings home a big brown dog named Duke. Like with every normal being, Max feels that Katie would be showering her love and affection on the newcomer rather than on him. Duke also intimidates the poor and small Max with his sheer size. Things doesn't go as expected when the 2 dogs share a mutual resentment and animosity that escalates into their capture by the Animal Control along with other stray animals. It is here that we are introduced to the apparently innocent but really adorable bunny, Snowball. Living in the sewers with countless discarded pets by human beings, Snowball and his crew are set out to have their revenge on the former masters for their betrayal and gross injustice by abandoning them when their masters felt that they were no longer necessary. Whether Snowball has his way, what happened to Max and Duke relationship is revealed in an entertaining manner by the director. 

There are no big twists and turns in the film but it has got plenty of laugh like a drain (Again, pun intended) moments - The Dachshund getting its back rubbed by an electric mixer, the gluttonous Chloe resisting and finally yielding to its food temptation from the refrigerator, a Poodle blaring hard core music and has a rave party in his home, animal puns along with the antics of Max's friends and Snowball's accomplices. The mother of all risibleness has got to be the scene where Chloe is shown on the gigantic screen on Youtube. 

The Secret Life of Pets is a good family weekend watch with kids especially if you love animals. You will relate even more if you had or are having a pet dog, cat etc., treating them with equal respect and considering them as your best friends. A tear or two would be definitely shed from your eyes when the last scene disappears from the screen.

Iraivi - An Earnest Ode to the Goddesses

Riding very high on the back to back successes of the supernatural-con 'Pizza' and the gangster- comedy 'Jigarthanda', Karthik Subbaraj's 'Iravi' was, undoubtedly, one of the hotly anticipated movies of 2016. He has carved a very fine niche for himself as an indie director who goes against the mainstream masala routines that regularly hits the theatres on every Friday and most of them doesn't even see the daylight, literally and figuratively, by Saturday morning! Does Karthik's 'Goddess' satisfy the hunger of her famished devotees for an objectively good film?  

With the exceptions of 'Vaali' and 'Khushi', SJ Suryah has been hurling himself headlong on the slope of steep descent especially after he chose himself to cast in his movies. By the end of 'Iraivi', I was like where-was-this-SJ Suryah-hiding-all this while. My God..Okay..Goddess! Beyond the shadow of modicum of a doubt, SJ Suryah, as the struggling and hard drunkard, is the show-stealer amidst a competitive showcase of fine acting display by all the major characters in this close to 180 minute very long story. Be it the scenes where he speaks with Yazhini or where he reforms into a teetotaler or the mind-blowing climax performance where he calls up Yazhini and says that he doesn't love her but only his drinks and goes on a soliloquy about the may-haves and could-haves, Suryah has given the performance of his lifetime by portraying and really living as a continual alcoholic who has his issues with his movie's producer and how it has deeply affected his relationship with his wife and others. His hysterical spectrum of pain and anger, his calm demeanor when he is reformed and the climax - Take a bow, Suryah, Ji !

As Michael, Vijay Sethupathi has rocked the scenes by being consistently unfaithful to his wife,Ponni, on more than one occasion - going behind her back to Pooja or sentenced to imprisonment for killing the producer in a fit of mad rage or his naivety for trusting Jagan or his reactions when his own daughter calls him 'uncle'. His confrontational scene with Jagan in the pre-climax sequence where he tremendously holds up his boiling anger and slowly walks towards the door but erupts uncontrollably when Jagan makes the slightest of threats to him to treat Ponni well which showed the intensity with which he had seen through the role as Michael. It was very much reminiscent of the famous 'Manmadhan' scene where 'Mottai' Madhan breaks open Seenu's head but here it is in a much more powerful and aggressive way. In Michael's case as well, we see he wants to get reformed after he is in jail and wants to spend quality time with his wife and kid but by certain quirk of fate, he is met with the sad end.

Just as I was thinking that the National Award winner Bobby Simha was being more than under utilized, Karthik Subbaraj gives us a meaty subplot in the second half. I was literally wowed and shell-shocked when he makes a reference to Kanagi during his college lecture. That was one of the most hard hitting dialogues I had encountered and which I am sure would have created a big disturbance in real life had such a highly forward and progressive dialogue been written 15 years ago. I was literally clapping hard for the barrage of tirade about how the women are being toyed, thrown around, oppressed and repressed by the men for centuries together when he was telling his mother for his justification that he intends to marry Ponni because she doesn't deserve a person as bad as Michael. As things get slowly unfurled at the fag of the film, it is revealed how he had schemed against Michael to be with Ponni and give her the life which she deserves but is pulled into the abyss of his own death through his own actions.

Hey..This is Iraivi...and You have spoken mostly about the douchebags in great detail....I can see, or hear, your mind voice magnified to infinity times! Yeah yeah...The last is always always and specially reserved for the best.

Persevering Patience. Exemplary Endurance. Gritty Grit. Dogged Determination. Fighting Fortitude. Resounding Resilience. Tremendous Tenacity but ultimately Total Betrayal. Dreams Shattered. Ambitions Broken and finally, Silent Resignation and Acceptance. Ponni's and Yazhini's life symbolizes the real and true life of millions of women across the world who are subjected to the atrocities of man's whims and fancies to satisfy their gigantic male ego. Anjali as Ponni has pulled the rabbit out of the hat through her stunning performance in her complex character.

Kamalini Mukherjee as Yazhini actually left me in tears at certain portions of the movie especially when Yazhini still loved Arul, trusted and hugged him tightly when he said he has turned a new leaf even on the day of her engagement. That showed her intense true love for him. Likewise, for Ponni, I was giving a resounding clap in the theatres when Vijay Sethupathi asks her whether she had slept with Jagan and the way she resolutely responds to his distrustful and distasteful doubt.

As we are on the topic of response, no one can take anything away from Pooja. She comes in for a very few scenes but leaves an impactful impression on the audience through her immodest, brazen and unflinching portrayal as Malar when she declares that she wanted Michael only for her own carnal pleasures and even had the gall to tell Vijay Sethupathi right in front of his face when he comes to ask her for alliance. Karthik Subbaraj has really created a very strong bold character for the Tamil audience - the likes of which has not been seen for quite some time.

The intelligence of the director is out there in the open when he beautifully used rain as recurring trope for freedom as well as for restriction from the point of view of the different women. Also, the way he showed the clapping monkey toy to tumble down to explain how the subsequent scenes were going to turn out really made me to sit in awe and admire Karthik Subbaraj's Iraivi though the movie was constantly punctuated with alcohol, profanity and blood.

In the end, this TRIDEVI saga really punches you in the face with a heavy message to the society in a very subtle manner.

PS:
Though the review is a bit overdue, I really wanted to pen ,sorry, type down my thoughts to wholeheartedly acknowledge and appreciate the gargantuan intellectual effort by Karthik Subbaraj.  

Did Shane Carruth borrow his brains from an alien bank?

Browsing for the best time travelling movies to have been released till date and the internet, melodiously and crystal clear loudly, sang the glory of 'Primer' in one voice. Touted as one of the best for the time travelling concept, it was said that Primer will make 'Inception' look dumb. This piqued my interest further as the 'Inception' was one of the most original and daring sci-fi film to have been ever made in recent times. With its never-heard cast and director, it was nothing short of blatant irreverence to say that an out-of-nowhere film as 'Primer' was a cut above the brainy masterpiece as Inception. However, it was only after watching the 60 minute odd debut movie by Shane Carruth that I understood as to why the tall claims that it is better than Inception was actually true and not mere claims. Needless to say that I had to chew my own personal belief when I watched Primer even for the second time and still couldn't make head or tail out of it.

Made on a shoestring budget, Primer is a straight forward heavily complex movie that will definitely give the non-linear narratives a run for their money. It's all about how 2 engineers accidentally discover a time anomaly and then build a machine to make themselves rich. Unfortunately, absolute power corrupts absolutely. The story becomes giddyingly ingenious, dizzyingly intricate and amazingly confusing that by the end of the movie, I felt like someone had kept a big boulder on top of my head and was breaking it to pieces with a hammer. As soon as Primer got over, my first reaction was to type in Wikipedia and understand what the hell I sat through for the one hour I was watching it. Regrettably, Wiki's explanation was again too much for this Vicky! Never have I explored the vast corners of the Internet to get some understanding on the matter at hand particularly for a film. But, yes. Primer deserves it. Close to 6 hours and the web was teeming with tons of information on the subject yet the overall picture was still hazy. Such is the level of labyrinthine complexity of the plot that it made not just my head to scratch but millions across the world to lose their sleep over and help people like me by shedding some light on this please-make-me-understand movie. There was actually a note in one of the websites that there is a real research paper written on Primer. I was not sure whether it was a grapevine but considering the amount of scientific jargons that were used in the first few minutes of the film to explain the technicalities, it could have been very well true too. By the end of it, there had been at least 9 timelines existed in Primer with the constant shuffling of the original and future Abes and Aarons. But, strictly speaking, only Shane Carruth would know for sure how many timelines were played out in Primer!

Just like Primer, his next venture 'Upstream Colour' was also written, directed, produced, edited and starred by Shane Carruth besides having control over the cinematography and background score. Though Upstream Colour is not as utterly baffling as Primer, the plot would still definitely make you to be all at sea if you don't watch and understand this wonderful sci-fi very closely in your first viewing. The colorful cinematography with its poignant BGM added the extra level to the story's intricacy of how a parasite's life cycle is traced, what are its effects on the people which makes them oblivion to the fact as to who they are and eventually culminates into a face-off at the end. I have ensured that there are absolutely no spoilers in this slow yet stupendous cerebral cinema outing. 

Steve Carruth is the rare breed of audaciously authentic thinkers in this age of mostly reboots, remakes, prequels and sequels in Hollywood. Considering the degree of complex density he has cleverly and tightly packed in his two day outs,The Modern Ocean is sure to be a cracker especially it is going to be Shane's first big budget film with top stars like Keanu Reeves, Daniel Radcliffe and Anne Hathaway. Awaiting the sail soon.