Bhairava - Not a Godly Affair

Pongal Holidays and a movie of a big Kollywood star - a potent combo! I am not a huge Vijay fan but I did like the idea of watching the movie just a day after its release, if only to enjoy the cheap thrill of catcalls and whistles that accompany a mass hero's flick. And boy, I wasn't disappointed! 

The film opened to raucous and incessant whistling and jubilant hand clapping. It felt surreal. I enjoyed the moments and did a few dance steps albeit in a sitting position much to the dismay of my hubby. Duh!

The movie has Vijay written all over it. He is the ultimate savior; a do gooder, a one-man army, a sensitive soul who has equal amount of romance and dry humor in him! Where are such men in real life I ask? Sigh..

Does the movie has a story? Yes, it does but it gets undone by poor writing and poorer editing skills. To have a major star on board and still not enough chops to capitalise on it is blasphemy!

The humor in the movie was there but the actors in comic roles had nothing going for them though a couple of lines here and there elicited the customary laughs.  I liked the action scenes, especially the one in which cricketing heroes were the inspiration. The songs overall were below average; may be 2 numbers can be counted as decent fare. The theme track with the rustic, throaty singer had the theater grooving and as much as 4 of the songs did not warrant their presence in the movie.

The heroine is a pretty lass and what I liked about her presence was that she was not the typical anorexic female that we are accustomed to seeing. Her well-endowed stature gave me hopes that the young impressionable minds would not fall for the beauty standards of the waif thin actresses generally seen. Speaking of presence, many a scene had the hero riding his bike with panache. Had he sported a helmet, the film's preachy overtones would have gotten justified by walking the talk. It would also send a statement to his fans on riding safe.

The villain of the movie was not a caricature and his character was well etched. Even his second-in command had an amazing screen presence.

Strictly a one time watch. And yes chances are that you may feel a tad bored in the later half.

Dangal - A Crowning Glory

Copious reams of print has been dedicated to the movie Dangal. And why not? The ensemble star cast,the story, real life connections, the actual heroes all deserve the adulation showered. The attention to details is terrific beyond compare and the masala peppered with humour streaks keeps u breaking into chuckles throughout the movie.
Add to it the drama surrounding the Coach of the real life wrestler and the reel one, the movie is Box Office Bonanza.

Why I liked the movie ?

• I have not seen this year's other mainstream hits like Pink, Kapoor & Sons , Neerja... to make any cinematic comparisons. But I will definitely say this movie is a much needed shot of positivism. Be it the girl empowerment in an otherwise patriarchal set-up the girls grew up in or the conviction to believe in your dreams the movie screams hope, sunshine & warmth all over
• Never a dull moment or drop in pace. I need quick moolah- so bring in an item song- routine, that has been done to death in Hindi Films, has got a resounding thwack in this film. The strong story has not been frittered away in meaningless inanities.
• The story is only as strong as its cast ~ Dangal is a winner because the actors have done a superlative job of keeping the essence alive. Be it the young girls who initially balk, hide and run at the idea of becoming a wrestler to the beautiful and bold women these girls blossom to, all the actors have performed in an outstanding manner. The dedication and perseverance shows in every frame and the film sizzles in the collective glory.
• The songs in the movie also are the scene-stealers. The lyrics and music take the story forward with much aplomb. Besides the dialogues in the local dialect conveys various depth of emotions and I constantly whooped with joy and hooted for the wrestler during her matches. Such was the moving conviction of the story telling!
• My friends talk of the measures taken by the dad to turn the girls into hard core wrestlers and question his choices! Well, to each his own, but I appreciated the dad's unfailing resolve. Yes, to force one's dreams upon one's own kids does not always turn out for the better, but then if the kids show aptitude .. Why not ?

Dangal is a hard feat to beat ! 2017 movies... are you listening ?

Women...the giver, nurturer...

Today, International Women's Day is celebrated with much fanfare. It is heartening to see that the voice for equality between the sexes has gathered momentum like never before and the achievements of womenfolk lauded and feted world wide.
At my workplace today, women were decked up in all glory celebrating feminism....glasses were raised, self congratulatory notes exchanged and the mood was upbeat. The world looked beautiful!

Looking at the world from a pair of pink (pun intended) tinted glasses is good indeed. But reality is a very obnoxious fun spoiler.

Among many others, I  met the parents of  2 year old twins who had come to seek admission in to playschool. The lady was very docile and extremely gentle while the man of the house or so he liked to believe was the exact opposite. He threw his weight around his spouse and was rude to the extreme. Cutting her short when she spoke, chiding her openly and rather rudely for overwriting on a piece of information in the form and belittling her with his looks, I could sense the apologetic tone of the mother. It is when she filled the form with the annual income of their respective selves, I sensed the disdain the man could have for her. The lady was earning almost double than the man and I wondered if that could be his ego dampener. Or could it be that having grown in a patriarchal set up he couldn't come to terms with seeing his life partner as an equal and give her the credit for asserting herself.
After they left, I wondered about the quality of life the lady would be living. Supremely independent in all sense of the term but still aching for actual independence, her inner struggles and turmoils made me question the relevance of March 8...

Had I met the couple outside the professional front, I would have surely asked him to come off his pedastal a few notches...but, I just reassured the lady and held her dignified stand.

We the womenfolk have come a long way and while the positive glow of our triumphs far outwit any negativity, our contentment with the importance of the day should go beyond...we should deliberately seek to make each day, woman's day

Chennai Diaries ~ Trail #1

I have moved to Chennai!!! Five years in Trichy, a city that healed many a wounds and festered a few, the temple city that saw a new ME; it bid me a teary goodbye. With a heavy heart and an even heavier packer & mover ahead of us, we set off to namma ooru singara Chennai. For the past few months, I have been shuttling to & fro between Trichy and Chennai. Hubby got a transfer and I got a headache (hee hee). Well, the city is not new to me. My in-laws are Chennai vaaasees and I have been visiting them regularly. But any move brings its share of woes and I have been privy to many of them for the past few months!

It's been a month since I became a Chennaite. While I have gone back to work within a week of arriving, it's not been all work and no play.

I watched Uttama Villain - yeah the supposedly 'WOW' movie from the factory of "Yes - Kamal, he is still the superstar but needs to do something fast to erase this movie, Hasan". The story, if there was any, was pathetic and I was mighty surprised that the actor could go to such passionate lengths to make this movie. Clearly, the actor needs to introspect and re-position himself. Dancing with PYT's are no longer his cuppa!! But the panache & passion of the actor is spot-on.

To summarize, in the words of my dearest hubby - "Utama Villan - the life story of Kamal Hasan in the form of a docu drama sans the stage 4 brain tumor"

(Photo Source: Google)

It's just 10 days in to the summer vacation and the kids are mightyyyyyyy bored. So, I have them off to a mini summer camp of sorts. A musical, crafty way to while away 3 hours. The camp is gonna be till 15th. So some much needed respite there.

I also watched a movie shooting! The so hot TDH Vishal was in Besant Nagar shooting for some story and I watched ogled at him unabashedly. Pity, I couldn't click a snap, but yeah that few moments brightened my day !!!!

My Trails in Chennai will continue............ (I hope not!!!!)

Hifi in Bollywood - A Book Review

                               “The root of joy is gratefulness”.


Rishi is back with his second book. 

Before I give more insight on this; let me take a minute to say that I am immensely grateful to all those good people around me who understand my long bouts of silence. One such humble soul is Rishi Vohra. Rishi who was kind enough in sending his second book for my review and even more patient enough in waiting for me to post the review… A humble thank you Rishi.

Rishi's debut book  Once Upon The Tracks of Mumbai touched a chord and I instantly knew his latest offering would also have a warm humane connect. Besides, the book also promised to give an insight into the workings of hindi film industry (HiFI for the insiders) as Rishi himself was once part of this larger than life industry and his own struggles in the by lanes of Mumbai city have been etched.

Now to the review..

I am a huge Hindi Film Buff. Sneaking in film magazines like cineblitz or filmfare and secretly reading them was one of my favorite pastimes during my school days. Anything remotely revolving around the so called ‘Bollywood’ has me excited. So I looked forward to the second book which has Hindi film industry as its backdrop.
The protagonist of the story, Rayhan is one of those endearing Indian faces who like many other nameless Indians follows his father’s/parent’s ambitions. Despite harboring a raging passion to make it big in the Hindi Film Industry, he ends up pursuing a Finance degree in the US of A. But a few underlying pressures from his dad makes him concoct a lie and come back to Mumbai to follow his dreams.

On his way to living his dream, he encounters a mixed box of colorful characters like his maid’s daughter, Viola, Peter, his gay director and an egoist film star. How he juggles with all these characters while conveniently dodging his father’s calls and how the truth finally emerges solving the jigsaw puzzle of his life is the story.

                                        Now for the Yay's & Nay's
Yay's to

• Lucid narration and witty dialogues
• Self introspective mode of writing
• I loved the character of the cheery spot boy. Wish there were more characters like him in real world
• Breezy read
• I could empathize with Rayhan - the patriarchal mindset of the society that stifles him into doing things that his heart is not after is something I could connect with

Nay's to

• Hindi film industry could have been portrayed with much more depth. Yes, the topics of casting couch, drug abuse and closet gays has been shown but lacks the intensity and layered touch.
• Predictive twists

Final Word :-

A quote I saw on Pinterest would sum it all up

(Source:Pinterest)

Author    :   Rishi Vohra

Price       :  INR 299/-

Publisher :  Jaico Publishing House

Category : Fiction

Recommendation : A huge Thumbs Up!

God is a Gamer - A Book Review

A few months back I got a forward that gave a rather cheeky lesson on understanding Banking ----

(Source:uberhumour.com)

Well, we have come a long way from what banking was; modern technological advancements have made the realm of banking easy as well as dangerous. While the many merits of online banking cannot be easily explained, there is equally a virtual assault over innocent victims and an increase in cyber crimes.

I still have a set of wary elders who balk at the idea of net banking and prefer to do it the conventional way. Well, the murky world online does intimidate us but that means we have to be extra alert and cautious !

Talking of uber savvy technological advancements,Bitcoins are another milestone in the domain of virtual banking that promises to take the world by storm. Still at an experimental stage the term was first coined by Satoshi Nakomoto whose real identity remains elusive. It is speculated that the brain(s) behind the virtual currency may be one or a group of people and this train of thought has been given a rich and a well imagined identity by Ravi Subramanian in his latest book "God is a Gamer'.

I have read Ravi's The Bankster and loved his style of writing. So this book was immensely anticipated and it did not let me down. From the sandy beaches of Goa to the Congress in Washington, all traversing effortlessly between FBI head quarters and Mumbai's corporate board rooms, the book is a delightful blend of mystery, suspense, lust, love, and a heady mix of murder and heist.

Aditya, the ex-banker's Indiscape, the top Gaming company is in doldrums and when his estranged son returns , his personal and professional front sees an upswing. And then comes a murder and things go awry.

So who is the hunter and who is hunted? Read the book----

Verdict (Yay's & Nay's)

Yay to

• Juggling many parallel plots all over the globe, the book is well written and has a lucid narrative style. The fact that 99 odd chapters are kept short and crisp adds to the easy understanding. I did not have to constantly go back and remind myself of the characters. 

• Twists & turns keeps you hooked.

• Though loaded with technical jargon, it was easy to understand and relate to.

• Liked the punchlines thrown in the book. Sample these
• The world around you is changing—either adapt or perish.
• Shit was happening— but you have got to clean up the mess and move on.
• Reputation has no insurance.

Nay to

• The plot became predictable at the end though I liked the rationale behind the perpetrator's decision to wreak havoc.

• The many hues of gaming industry has been well explored and in that sense the book is strictly not a banking thriller.

• Sensuous tales weaved in between does not add anything to the story. I thought it was just to titillate the masses and hence totally unwarranted.

• While the story explains all about bitcoins, the wallet and its working, no mention of how to change them into real life currency.

• No mention of money recovered from Josh’s apartment being credited back to the customers. The liability of the service render could have been grossly reduced thereby.

• There was no single hero. Was there a hero or a villain ?

Final Word :-

All in all , a thriller that promises to bare the cloudy waters of life online. 

Author    :   Ravi Subramanian
ISBN        :  9780143421399
Price       :  INR 299/-
Publisher :  Penguin
Category  : Fiction 
Recommendation : Thumbs Up !


Thankyou Blogadda for the autographed book.


This review is a part of the Book Review by Bloggers at blogadda. Participate now to get free books!

Postcards from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thekkady

Want to experience an up, close and personal affair with wild life? Well, Thekkady is the place you gotta be. We went for a 2 day trip (+ of course the commute to & fro) in the first week of March; just when the exam fever was at its peak. This meant the place was relatively uncluttered. All we spotted was a bevy of newly married couples busy locking eyes with each other. They sure need to come back again to enjoy the sanctary :P :D
Thekkady is the home to a sprawling wild life sanctuary named after the Periyar river. This perennial river has its source in this sanctuary and hence the name to the sanctuary. The sanctuary is a rich repository of flora life and is abounded by evergreen and moist deciduous forests and grass lands. Herds of elephants, sambar deer, gaurs, nilgiri langurs, Indian giant squirrels, sloth bears among others grace this forest and cavort with ease in this natural habitat. Besides many winged beauties including Cormorants, sun birds, kingfishers, thrush, mynas go about their life with a chirrup & flourish. Spread over Patthanamithra and Idukkki, the sanctuary along the western ghats is nature at its very best. A massive portion of the sanctuary had been converted in to a national park since 1982 and hence visiting tourist can enjoy wild life at close quarters.

The sanctuary was declared a tiger reserve in 1978. But it is a matter of sheer luck if you happen to spot the striped majestic beast as they generally don't appear during the day. However sighting other animals keeps us enthralled.

We stayed in Aranya Nivas, a  Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) property . A lovely resort situated inside the wild life sanctuary, the hotel offers a variety of eco tourism programmes like wildlife boat crusies on the periyar lake, nature walk, hiking and rafting, Jungle safari, elephant ride and plantation tours so that the visiting tourists can go back satiated and soul happy. Except for the rafting and plantation tour, we managed to explore quite a bit of the options. However the 2 day trip was just not enough and left us completely hungry for more.

Boating on the Periyar lake gave us a peek into the wildlife. The tickets were arranged by the hotel on our intimation to them saving us from standing in a mile long queue.

We saw herds of bison, sambar and elephants leisurely trotting along the banks of the lake.

 Besides, the boat ride gave us a glimpse of many birds happily perched on the tree stumps. It was a pleasure clicking these birds and my hard disk is full of the various nuances of these birds.

Just before we left for the boating the monkeys on the pavement leading towards the lake had us mightily amused.

While in the sanctuary, we also explored Gavi Ecotourism..... Gavi as the pamphlet let us on is situated along the fringes of the tiger reserve.We went by a jeep arranged by the hotel after getting the permit a day before. The 20 km or so ride through the jungle early in the morning was a refreshing journey.

Gavi simply did not warrant a few hours stay. With its lush grass lands and dense forest, the place spells P.R.O.M.I.S.E to keep us enchanted. But we contented in staying on just to enjoy a boat ride and a nature walk. 

We were accompanied by a guide, a local fella named Kasinath. He was a treasure trove of information. The nature walk accompanied by him saw us climbing highs and lows of the forest. He so expertly guided us and also showed us the cardamom plantations explaining us how it sustains the livelihood of localites

The highlight of the 2 day trip in Thekkady was a mommy & baby elephant that had come down to play in the lake and after having a thoroughly refreshing bath went ahead and has all the fun in the sand.

All in all a trip etched with tranquil and sweet memories....

How to reach :-

Cochin International Airport - 5 hrs
Madurai International- 3 1/2 hrs
Nearest Rail Terminal - Kottayam
Drive down from Trichy/Madurai - Around 4 hours.

While the park is open throughout the year, the best time to visit would be after september till march. However nothing to stop you from packing your bags right now and go wild-life seeing!