King Kong movie review

The movie kinda sucks. Sorry, I know every other review says its the greatest movie ever made. The truth is the movie is looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong. I like long movies (i watched the uncut version of hum apke hain kaun atleast 50 times). However, there is a difference between a movie being long because there is a genuine storyline, and a movie being long because the director is totally obsessed with the cinematic world that he has created and cannot distance himself enough from the movie to spare his audiences. King Kong falls into the latter category.

Over 60 minutes into the movie, theres still no monkey. Thats actually good for the movie, because the first hour is well taken. Depression era New York is captured brilliantly, and Naomi Watts luminously fills the screen (she is stunningly beautiful). A whole load of chills and thrills later, the monkey finally makes his grand entry.

And then the movie begins running in an endless loop - Angry monkey, yells at everyone, thumps his chest. Angry monkey kills people (not with his hands but pushes them off bridges into ravines and other heights). Angry monkey eats bamboo and looks like a sad hermit (not easy to sympathize with him though). Angry monkey plays with pretty blond girl and glances soulfully at her. Repeat cycle.

I waited eagerly to watch the movie for two big scenes - the final one where King kong climbs the empire state building and wrestles helicopters, and the one where king kong battles dinosaurs. Both scenes have been brilliantly taken, and remind you that no amount of dvds or ondemand movies can ever replace the big screen. And then, both the scenes never end. They go on and on and on and on .......

The final verdict - do watch the movie in the theater for sure. Only thing, before leaving, meditate for a few minutes, chant the word patience to yourself 20 times, take your friends along and sit in a secluded corner of the theater so that you can chat with them and play games on your cell phone to tide you through the boring scenes.

Peter Jackson - have you ever seen a person with the job title Editor?

The simple life?

2005 is drawing to a close, and I cannot believe how time flies. We live in such a different world today. Even seven or eight years back, none of us could have imagined the speed with which technology would evolve. What seemed like magic even 10 years back is reality now, to a point where we take it for granted.

Example? When I was a little kid, I always dreamed of a magic machine - You could feed any question into it, and it would give you the answer instantaneously and I could magically learn about everything in the world. There would be no mysteries anymore. It didnt take long for the "magic" machine to evolve. Its simply a computer with a browser in which you type www.google.com. If there is any topic in the world, chances are some person in some corner of the planet has already thought about it and also posted something online, and google fetches it for you. Simple huh? Its no longer magical, and if google takes more than a second to return search results, I am already pounding my fists with frustration.

Which brings me to my next subject - Frustration. Agony. Aggravation. With all these big advances and changes, are we really happier? Consider advances in the field of medicine and packaging technology. There are atleast a 100 medicines easily available for different combinations of cold-cough-headache. Packaging technology has evolved to create safe medicine bottles that children cannot accidentally open. The result? Tylenol has desgined a cough medicine bottle soooo safe, even adults cannot open it. I spent an agonizing 30 minutes a few nights back desperately trying to figure out the childproof bottle cap with no success.

There are hundreds of cable tv channels. Comcast also has a super cool on-demand promotion where you can watch hundreds of movies with the click of a button, with rewind and fastforward features available. So did I have a fun weekend watching TV? No. I couldnt decide on a single program to watch, and I turned off the TV and blogged instead.

I bought a GPS to make sure I did not get lost during my road trip. Did it keep me safe and happy? Safe yes. Happy? Well, I did not really look out of the car window because I was too busy trying to fiddle with the instructions and make the darned thing work.

I stood in line to pay for 100 hours of dial up internet access at the VSNL office six years back, and I used to patiently wait all night to download one mp3 file. Today, if the transfer rate on my highspeed internet connection is anything lesser than a zillion megabytes per second, I lose patience and call customer service.

I read atleast five women's magazines december issues. Every single magazine was filled with tips on how to beat "holiday stress". For weeks, my coworkers asked me anxiously if I had prepared for the holidays (like an exam?).

Where are we heading in this super fast world? Are our lives really better? Or is it time to rexamine the truth in the phrase "the simple life"?

In praise of routine

I probably sound crazy saying this, but I love the daily grind, what others may call "mundane" routine. For me, it goes like this everyday
- get dressed
- battle traffic to work listening to Ramarajan hits
- make a big pot of coffee
- spend the whole morning tapping away at my comp (God knows what i do!)
- eat a toasted cheese and pickles sandwich from subway for lunch
- make some smartass comments in afternoon meetings
- strategically look very busy from 5:00 to 5:45
- drive back home listening to Fanaa in full volume
- Watch 2 episodes of Friends and 2 episodes of Sex and the city
- Eat maggi noodles and ketchup
- Watch the jay leno show and fall asleep

When the holidays start, i really feel lost. I guess its because work is really the only thing I have in this country thousands of miles away from home. When the work week starts, the five days of the week just fly and its friday before i know it. On a holiday, i can only wake up so late, and there are only so many loads of laundry that need to be done. Even if i make the most elaborate lunch, its all done by 12:00. After an afternoon nap and a cup of tea at 4:00, the entire evening suddenly looms ahead in front of me. What do I do?

Orlando - without the Disney Universal visit

I have already completed the Disney - Universal rounds. So I did'nt exactly jump for joy when we had to include Orlando in our Florida trip itinerary (we wanted to do an east-coast to west-coast road trip in Florida, and hence the mandatory central florida halt).

We reached Orlando late wednesday afternoon. After a massive all you can eat all-veggie lunch buffet at the Orlando Woodlands (great dosas, mediocre sambar), we couldnt muster up the energy for a theme park visit (by the way, to get to the "world's happiest place", does it just take a plane ticket, and an admission fee?).

If you reach the airport and go straight to Kissimee (where Disney is) and then drive to Universal in Orlando, its hard to get a taste of the real Orlando - a tranquil vibrant city. We drove to Lake Eola, which is right in the heart of downtown Orlando. Late in the evening, the one mile trail around the lake was filled with joggers and shoppers, along with geese, cranes, pelicans, and duck/geese families (the babies were the cutest!). There were little ponds around the lake, and a huge lighted fountain in the middle. It was the perfect evening getaway - a simple walk, fresh air and baby geese without a $50 admission fee.

Travel notes:
Parking was not hard to find (I was there after 6:00 pm). There is a Panera bread across from the lake. Grab a breakfast or lunch to go and enjoy it by the lake. Even though Orlando is located in Florida, do NOT let anyone kid you into thinking its warm and sunny all through the year. Winter in Orlando is fairly chilly, especially with the wind. You will need a light pair of gloves and a warm jacket. Woodlands and Khasiyat are your indian all-vegetarian choices.

I'm back

After three hectic weeks (moving house, travelling, and travelling again), I'm finally back home and back to blogging. Man, I love home. Home sweet sweet dearest home!

Kasthuriman Movie Review

I almost lost hope in Thamizh cinema (after watching Sivakasi and Maja), and then I saw Kasthuriman. I love Thamizh cinema all over again now! The movie is not perfect, but the film makers have made a commendable effort at good cinema.

Meera Jasmine and Prasanna are at loggerheads for a while, and then ofcourse become friends and fall in love. Meera initially appears to be a frivolous rich kid, but actually has a gazillion problems of her own. She and her mom live with her sister and her abusive husband. The sis's husband also wants to marry Meera, who tries to play the juggling act between warding off his advances, while keeping her sister's family peace intact.

Meera Jasmine is portrayed as the new pudhumai penn - She works as a day nurse, caring for elderly people and supports her sister's family, pays her way through college, and also pays for her boyfriend's IAS education and his dad's hospital bills. I was really impressed with this. Remember the days when the hero will tell the heroine "you sit at home, naa mootai thookiyavadhu unna kaapatharen"? Even today, 99% of Thamizh movies portray young women merely as brides-in-waiting, sitting at home while their annas and appas keep pushing themselves further into debt as they find a nalla mapillai. Things have changed so much in society these days - women are independent and confident, and many good men are no longer insecure and egoistic. Finally, a thamizh movie has mirrored this. Way to go!

Lohith Das (the director) has done a good job in keeping the pace of the movie entertaining, without the need for any "glamour" songs or audience pleasing stunts. Prasanna is dignified and sincere. Meera Jasmine's performance is very good - she portrays strength and vulnerability equally convincingly.

The one thing that I found extremely disturbing was Vinodhini's (Meera's sister) willingness to continue to live with her husband - she knows he is abusive, and she knows he is after her sister. She still wants to live with him? I just did not get this. She is not even financially dependent on her husband, as her sister is supporting the family. Kallaanaalum kanavan i agree, but, Kanavan pondati thalaila kalla thooki potta? appo kooda pullaanalum purushan?

The movie's climax disappoints. Throughout the movie, Meera Jasmine is strong and fearless. However, when her brother in law is beating her sister, she just meekly cries and feebly tugs at his sleeve saying "please dont do this". Her actions after this scene also did not make much sense. I have a question, but if i write that here, i will be giving away the movie ending.

So, go ahead, watch the movie. Support good thamizh cinema!

Someone is watching over me

I had one of those days, when everything almost goes wrong, but somehow miraculously doesnt.

It started this morning - typical december day in Chicago. It was snowing and I wanted to start my car ahead of time. So I ran out, no coat or gloves on, quickly started my car, and then ran back to my apartment, only to realize I'd forgotten my keys. I had not locked my apartment, so I was ok on that front, but, just to get into my apartment building, I need another key, which I did not have. I stood there in the cold, desperately trying the buzzer for ALL the other 10 apartments in my building. Not a single neighbour buzzed me in. Just when I was getting ready to start howling my eyes out, one of the residents of another building stepped out. I ran up to her, and asked her to help me out. I didnt think she could, as our buildings are not connected, but she had a super bright idea - she wanted to try her key. And it worked!!!! So thats miracle number 1 for me.

They do a pretty good job of cleaning the main roads when it snows. But the side roads are always a mess. I made a right turn into this little side road to get into my office parking lot. Turns are always dicey when it snows, and this road was a complete mess. My wheels started skidding, and my car started snaking right to left across the road. Miracle number 2 happened. There was absolutely nobody else on that road. Neither behind me nor on the opposite side, and my car finally steadied itself.

I went out for lunch. I was going pretty slow, but the van driver to my right suddenly decided he needed to get on the left turn lane. Without checking his lanes, without looking who was to his side, he just jammed his brakes, and cut straight across two lanes to get to the left turn lane. I managed to brake in time, and my car (bless it) came to a complete stop, just a few inches clear of that %^$$##'s rear. I really thought i was going to crash, and i didnt. Miracle number three.

I ofcourse spent the rest of my day wondering about "thalais" and "thalapaas" as the famous saving goes. I guess all my mom's prayers for me do work really!

Dont let the bed bugs bite!

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS ARTICLE MAY SEEM BORING, BUT PLEASE READ IT FULLY. IF YOU HAVE EVER USED A SUITCASE EVEN ONCE IN THE PAST YEAR, THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS ABSOLUTELY RELEVANT FOR YOU

Snug as a bug in a rug. This phrase has lost all its cuteness for me. I read an article today in the New York Times about the rampant spread of bed bug infestation.

I was a victim too, in April this year. Here is the story.

For a period of over three weeks, I kept waking up in the morning with a swollen eye, swollen cheek, reddish bumps on my hands, neck etc. I spent days cleaning my apartment, and laundering my bed clothes, and still, there was no use. I even saw a dermatologist who promised me that I did not have any mysterious skin ailment.

Then finally, I had a breakthrough. I woke up in the middle of one night, as I could feel this intense irritating pain on my elbow. I immediately turned on the light, and there it was!!!! This big horrendously fat bed bug happily sucking the life out of my hand! Bed bugs are tiny little creatures, almost invisible normally. But when they feed, they bloat up to many times their original size, and are like these little balloons. I squashed the little son of a %^&$!!@ and from then on, it was an all out war.

I am a vegetarian, and I try not to kill insects, but the bed bugs were a different story altogether. I checked out a number of articles online and even called a few pest extermination specialists. They scared the living daylights out of me, by making it sound as though the only way I could be bed bug free was to move out of my apartment and BURN all my worldly belongings (really, no exaggeration. Apparently you cannot get away with just using baygon spray)

Well, to cut a long story short, I decided to take matters in my own hands and did the following:
1) Threw out my mattress, box springs, and all the bed clothes
2) Sprayed a bug repellant spray (specially for bed bugs on the mattress frame)
3) Sprayed the replacement mattress and box springs thoroughly with the repellant spray, and then covered the entire mattress and box springs with plastic mattress bags (so that if the replacement mattress had any bugs, they could not crawl out of the plastic bag)
4) Bought brand new pillows, sheets, comforters etc
5) Wiped the surface of all the furniture in my bed room with the bug spray (WARNING: i dont have children or pets, if you do, do not do this)
6) Vaccum cleaned the floor EVERY DAY (to get rid of eggs)
7) PRAYED
8) PRAYED
...100) PRAYED

Thankfully, the above steps eliminated the problem for me. I was really shocked to have had this problem, as I am very good with cleaning my apartment, and I launder the bed clothes almost every other week. Apparently, the bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness. Even the most spotless bedrooms could be infested. Bed bugs were eradicated a few decades back in the USA. However, over the past few years, most of the insecticide sprays have become pretty mild, and DDT has been banned in the USA. International travellers brought the bed bugs with them (via suitcases etc) and the bugs immediately made their way back into American homes, with no threat from the weak insecticides.

So, how do you protect yourself?
1) When you travel, keep your suitcase away from your bed in the hotel. When you return home and unpack your suitcase, DO NOT keep the suitcase on the bed. Better still, try not to bring your suitcases into the bedroom

2) Do not buy used mattresses or box springs.

3) When you buy new mattresses, there is the danger of them being placed along with old mattresses (that the delivery guy picked up) in the delivery vehicle. Make sure you vacuum all the surfaces of your new mattress and box springs before you make your bed

4) Check your mattress and box springs for tears, holes etc. If you see any, immediately cover them very tightly with tape

5) PRAY

Weekend TV/movie watch

* I started watching Bambara Kannaaley. I could not make it past the first 10 minutes

* Attention Surya - Please read this post: DO NOT DANCE. REPEAT. DO NOT DANCE. EVER.
(Case in point - Suttum vizhi sudare)

* Try not to watch sun tv on sunday night. There is a new series - Veppalaikari!!! (and you thought Raja Rajeshwari was bad enough). Luckily, the little kid in Veppalaikari is not as scary as the big baby in Raja Rajeshwari/Velan (dont remember which)

* Still cant stop laughing - The top ten songs' take on Sindhu Bhairavi and Sivakumar was hilarious!

Time flies and everybody grows up

When I was a kid, I would get really bugged when my aunts would visit once a year, and then go on and on about how much I had grown! Well, I've become exactly like them now. While away from Madras, things have changed so much, and all the little kids in my family have now grown into young adults! Prime example is my cousin's cousin. I always thought he was this little kid, but now, he has his own blog, and sounds totally grown up. I've added Bhargav to my links. He expresses the angst of a private engineering college student pretty well!! (havent we all been there!)

PS: Theres another cousin of mine. A totally happening Chennai girl now, and ofcourse, always the little baby to me! Check out Parvathi's blog too (gosh, i even remember the day her parents named her that!)

I'm really stuck in a time warp.

A good movie, a good song and good food

The good movie -

I watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and I loved the movie. Do drop everything you are doing, and watch it ASAP (even if you are a sworn muggle). I do not need to write about the story ofcourse, everybody has read the book, which is the most significant in the series. After three books that darkly proclaim the return of he-who-must-not-be-named, the Dark Lord makes his first full appearance in the thrilling climax.

The super long book has been condensed into a 2.5 hour movie. Although the movie tends to drag in the middle (especially the much-written-about ballroom sequence), the action sequences more than make up for this. The intial Quidditch world cup is thankfully brief. Especially thrilling are the various Tri wizard tournament contests. Daniel Radcliffe finally settles into his role, and may I say, could turn out to be the next heart throb by the time we see the cinematic version of Harry Potter and the half blood prince!

Speaking of heart throbs, Cedric Diggory is hot!

A good song

Ok.. This song is quite old now, but I finally got around to listening to it. Miss Independent by Kelly Clarkson.



Good Food


I made this greek(?) dessert called Baklava. My husband once bought this from an authentic Greek restaurant in Arizona and its taste was unforgettable. I watched Emeril Lagasse make the same dish on food tv a few months later. I am not a big fan of making sweets at home, but this recipe seemed simple enough. I finally got around to trying it, and it came out great! You really cannot go wrong with this dish. Its just the perfect combination of flaky layers of puff pastry, lots of butter, honey and nuts.

Try the recipe below, or head to your nearest ethnic Greek food store/restaurant
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30271,00.html

Thanksgiving again

Imagine being in Madras on Diwali morning. The whole city is celebrating, but you have nowhere to go and no family to meet. You are still in your night clothes, and you spend the day cleaning the house, cooking etc. Sounds like fun right?

Its that time of the year again here in the US of A. Only thing, its Thanksgiving. and the equivalent of the same scenario (as described above) happens every year for me.

As you can tell, I am not a big fan of the holidays. I have another two days to tide over (Christmas and New Year) and then, thankfully, we will not have anymore holidays till the end of may. Yeaa!!!! I love my routine - going to work, seeing people around me, being able to shop whenever i need to etc. Its really awkward when everything shuts down for a day, its freezing cold outside, dark by 4:00 pm, and then ghostly quiet.

Forgive my grumpy post.

As for the pressure to do lots of shopping on the friday after thanksgiving...dont even get me started!

Rasam and Chips

You have got to try this recipe, its the perfect comfort food for the winter.

1) Pressure cook 1/2 cup toor dhal with water and a pinch turmeric powder. When done, churn until smooth using a hand blender
2) Pour 300 ml water into a saucepan
3) Add 1 pinch hing, salt to taste, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 5 curry leaves chopped up, 1/4 cup tomato puree, 1/2 tsp tamarind paste (if using the dark variety) and 1 chopped tomato
4) Add 2 tsps store bought rasam powder (priya or MTR brand).
5) Cover the pan and heat
6) When the rasam starts to boil, and you no longer get the raw rasam powder smell, add the dhal
7) Add 1/2 tsp jaggery and boil the rasam till it "pongufies"
8) Remove from the heat and immediately cover
9) In another pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee, add mustard and jeera seeds and splutter. Add 2 curry leaves and pour over the rasam, and cover immediately
10) Serve garnished with a handful of chopped cilantro

Basmathi rice and Lays potato chips go really well with this. The tomato puree makes up for the lack of flavor in the real tomato. Also, rasam is a great diet food. You can eat as much as you want guilt free, as it is all water anyway!

MovieReview - Sivakasi... What the &*?!!?

I heard Sivakasi is a big hit and that Vijay is the next Superstar, beating even Vikram. I tried to watch the movie as objectively as possible. But really, the movie is sooooo full of bull^&%$%, its not even funny.

I am really worried about two things right now - the state of Thamizh cinema, and worse, the attitude of the people of Thamizhnadu. Really, is Sivakasi acceptable cinema? And, is Vijay's behavior acceptable any way you look at it? Are we really going to have an entire generation of young Thamizh guys trying to hero worship and emulate his actions in the movie?

Vijay harasses Asin, and also promises her that if she "izhuthu pothified", all men would fall at her feet. What crap! Try telling this to the millions of Tamil women getting harassed in PTC buses every day, even when they are totally wrapped up and wear dresses resembling tents? So, what does Asin do? She falls in love with him!!!!!!!!!So much for women's empowerment.

Vijay breaks EVERY single rule in the election commission guidebook, trying to get his sister elected. I agree the Indian electoral system has its flaws, but, impersonating the opposition candidate (Prakashraj's voice) and allowing his sister to think that her husband is dead because of Prakashraj....does it make any sense really? Is it morally acceptable?

There was a time when the hero used to always be a good guy, and somehow successfully fight the villain. But now, anything goes huh? The hero can be an even bigger sleazeball than the villain? And what about the podhu makkal? They seemed perfectly ok with Vijay's election rigging?

And the worst is yet to come - the last scene of the movie. Prakashraj's wife throws away her thali, and gives the green signal to her mom (Mooli mungari!!!) to kill him. Cut to the next scene. There are a bunch of fights, and Ms.Mooli is ready to kill Prakashraj, then Vijay saves him, and then everyone shakes hands and acts like they are the Hum aapke hain kaun family!!!

Is this really where Thamizh cinema, Thamizh kalaachaaram and Thamizh panpaadu are heading?

The first day of winter

Feels like it was just yesterday when I wrote my blog about spring. How did the past nine months go by that fast? Its winter again in Chicagoland, with the first snow of the season falling yesterday. I always get sentimental when I see the seasons change and the snow makes me remember where I was last year and how far I have come.

A lot has changed, and I should say for the better (touch/knock wood). Nearly five long years ago, I was on my way back to Texas after a harrowing 36 hour journey from India that included four flight transfers. I had lived in the USA for over a year, and I still had mixed feelings. However, when I finally went through immigration and picked up my baggage at Chicago Ohare, I thought to myself "Thank God! I'm home". I was pretty surprised at myself, I had not expected to feel that way.

My career brought me back to the midwest from Texas, and after two years here, I'm finally living the American dream- buying a house. Its really overwhelming, and I cannot wait to move in. I'm dreaming up my living room - light birch colored floors, creamy yellow walls, little pretty plants everywhere, deep red, brown and gold accents etc etc.

I love the brilliant midwestern summers, the beautiful fall colors, and I think I can almost survive the dreadful winter. All through the year, the howling wind keeps me company.

I am finally home in the windy city!

I have been tagged

I have been tagged by Sunanda! I couldnt think of 7 things for each category though.

Seven Things I plan to do:

Spend two blissful weeks in my fav city London
Decorate my new house beautifully
Learn carnatic music someday
Be surrounded by babies

Seven Things That I Can Do:

Make the best more kozhambu and paruppu usili
Learn the lyrics for a song and then remember it for life
Come across as "paavum" even without trying
Stay at 100 pounds even with 2 muffins a day
Sing
Survive

Seven Things I Can't Do:

Not cry during a chick flick
Be streetsmart
Negotiate
Watch/play sports
Dance
Get my ass out of the sofa to exercise

Seven Things I Say Most Often:

What "concerns" me the most is .... (my fav line at work)
Is it time to go drinking yet?
Awww
Man...
Helllloooo

Seven (Untagged) People I Want To Tag:

Meera
My Mom
Karthik
Raji
Sangee
Hamsi
Neeru

Sun tv career opportunities

Never worry about your future again. Check out the job postings and business opportunities below! Thanks to Sun tv you can be well on your way to financial freedom!

Out-of-work older movie stars/former starlets:

Never made it in the big bad world of Thamizh cinema? Did not graduate from item numbers? Get ready for a fresh new career. Take a dabba of ponds dream flower talc, shake it all over your head, grab your mom's old sungudi saree, paint your face gray and you are all set! You can be the next famous on screen mom/mother-in-law.

Looking for job satisfaction? You can act in three different roles simultaneously! Act as the long suffering mother in law in the popular 12:00 pm prime-time-for-retired-ladies serial. Then, wear some makeup, rush over to the next set, and act as the bitchy mother-in-law in the popular 7:00 pm prime-time-for-working-women-just-back-home serial. Finally, untie your hair, look a little mysterious, and play the best role of your career in one of the many supernatural serials. Religious type? Find yourself a role in Raja rajeshwari!!

Look no further for job security. All these serials will continue for the next 40 years of your life!

In your early twenties? Want to enter the entertainment world?

But worried you can never compete with the Trishas or Asins? Know too much Thamizh to ever act in Thamizh cinema? No worries! You can now grab yourself big roles in mega serials. Excellent benefits! No need to worry about creating your signature personality or looks. Just wake up in the morning, take a center parting in your hair, wear a slick one-plait and a simple cotton saree, grab your handbag, and you are ready to go! Act in one serial in the morning as the long suffering sister, then, rush off to the next set to act as the catty sister in law. Finally, finish your day by crying copiously in your career-defining role as Radhika's 8th cousin sister! You do not need to worry about costume changes, nobody cares! You can get by with looking exactly the same in all the serials you star in!

Warning: If your body mass index is in the healthy range for your height, you could seriously be jeopardizing your career chances. Add 20 pounds, as unnaturally as possible, and apply soon for your dream supporting-sister/bitchy-in-law role! (sorry, the leading lady roles are reserved for out-of-work actresses)

Handbag manufacturers - Empower women! Make the kolangal handbag!

Are you suffering from a failing export business due to stiff competition from Gucci and Prada? Worried you can never make a bag that can even remotely compete with Fendi? Rest easy, you just found your dream market. Make the popular Devyani handbag!
Design specifications: Strap long enough to touch the floor. Should make the user keep clutching on to it for dear life. Body of the handbag needs to be big, black and as shapeless as possible. Dusty just-got-out-of-ptc-bus finish preferred.
Target market: Millions of loyal Kolangal fans and Devyani wannabes

Cloth bag(Thuni pai manufacturers)- Brand new market space! Target all harried Dads!

Potential business oppurtunity to make thuni pais. Target market will be elderly Gentleman who have a minimum of 6 daughters. Will help them carry fruits and other gifts as they make their rounds from one daughter's pugundha veedu to another. Need special compartment inside for storing youngest daughter's jaadhagam as dads make the kalyana tharagar rounds
Warning: You might face stiff competition from retailers such as Nalli who give away this classy bag for free. Differentiate your bag by giving it unique personality. Print pictures of the metti oli dad on all bags! First 1000 buyers will get their bags personally autographed by him

Celebrating Ambi mama!!!

DISCLAIMER:
I am posting this, totally unaware of any copyright violations I might be guilty of!I truly do not know who wrote this originally. I got this as an email forward and spent 10 minutes rolling on the floor laughing!

Ambi Mama is leading Brahmin relative" - Survey

A survey has revealed that 'Ambi Mama' is the leading relative among Tamil Brahmin families worldwide, with six in ten families having one of their own (a 60% repsesentation. Apparently, Ambi Mama held off stiff competition from Mani Mama (with 55% representation) and Baby Chitti (39%) for a well-deserved win.

"It's a great day for all Ambi Mamas. All the years of hard work – drinking coffee, criticizing the Indian team selection and complaining about blood-pressure – have finally paid off. Yay!", said Ambi Mama, a spokesman for the Ambi Mamas Association of Dear Old Rascals (AMBASSADOR), a division of the Hardcore Brahmin Organisation (HBO). [Editor's note – The previous sentence has been roundly condemned by the Society for Prevention of Abbreviations that are Needless, Dumb and Execrable (SPANDEX)]

Some of the stalwarts of the Ambi Mama team pose for a photographer, after blading him with outdated advice on the best cameras, film, and lighting.

Mani Mamas all over the world watched in anguish as the final results were announced, plunging them into gloom. "It's no fun being a Mani Mama anymore", said Mani Mama. " Maybe if I change my name to 'Ramesh Anna', I will have a brighter future", he pondered pointlessly.

The survey also said that a respectable number of families (or a number of respectable families, as the case may be), have a Vaidhi Thatha, Bangalore Anna, and at least one random guy named 'Chandroo' who is at all functions, but no-one can really place (and may not be related at all).

Predictably, bringing up the rear were non-entities like Driscoll Periappa, Jessica Alba Anni and Darth Vader Mama, which had zero representation. "Brahmins are way too conservative, dude!", complained Cleveland Shankar, one of the more modern Iyer boys (or boyz, if you prefer. We offer multiple-choice reading. You're welcome.). "When are they going to drop old duds like Venkatakrishnan, Suresh and Balaji, and start using hipper names like Jason, Beyonce and The Human Torch?", he asked, to wide applause from a group of people watching cricket on a nearby television.

Not all are happy with progress, however. "These youngsters are ruining everything by naming their children Archish, Dhruv and Plaha.", thundered Badri Athimber. " Can you imagine how it will sound? Dhruv Mama, Anamika Athai, Archish Chittappa – Ugh! Phooey! That is so not cool!!", he growled, using expressions of disgust picked up from his states-based co-brother.

When asked for their response, several Brahmins living in Adyar merely arched their eyebrows, pursed their lips, and continued waiting for the December music season.

The best south indian food!

The awful thing about traveling is the lack of good food and sub zero temperatures inside airplanes (no amount of layers keeps me warm). I woke up this morning dreaming about my favorite comfort foods. I'll try and post recipes for these. If you are feeling blue, nothing cheers you up like these dishes!

1) Paruppu saadham with nei and plain keerai masiyal (not the keerai with paruppu) - Mom, could you post the plain keerai masiyal recipe?

2) Thick thayir saadham with maavadu oorgai (maavadu deserves its own blog, so more on that coming up later)

3) Poori and choley (made iyer aathu style)

4) Pulao and thengai paal kootu

5) Rasam saadham and chips!

6) Puli saadham - temple prasadham type (Paati will bring dhonnais of this from the Krishna kovil in gopalapuram! Who needs to go to heaven when you can eat divine puli saadham right in mylapore!)

7) Hotel idli and thengai chutney

8) Fat oily punjabi samosas

Watch this space for recipes!

Sun tv ads

The much-hated but always-watched sun tv has made a big entry back into our house. Heres what I noticed:

- The pattu pudavais are getting more spectacular year after year. The best I have seen this year is the kolam sarees (i dont know which saree company makes this)
- The most irritating ad is for Thamizh Murasu - especially the song Summa nachunu irukku - whats with everyone using "nachunu" and "adhu" in every sentence now?
- Previously, women alone were targeted by the regressive fairness cream ads. Now, men cannot escape too- I just saw an ad for a "fair and handsome" cream!!!
- I started watching kolangal and vikramadhithya after a gap of over 10 months. I have not missed a thing!
- I swear I saw some guys with colored hair!
- Radhika's araajagam on suntv continues (now with full support from Saritha!)
- The only qualification for becoming a model for thamizh ads is to be a fair north indian
- The guy who acts as the Vedhalam in Vikramadhithya still appears in EVERY other program, especially the irritating one where he says "break" in every annoying tone possible (he insults every single poor soul that appears on the program and they give him weak embarassed smiles!)
- It looks like the salwar is slowly replacing the saree (not just favored by college girls anymore). I still think that salwars can never beat the saree when it comes to gracefulness, especially for thamizh women
- People are getting more and more verbally abusive in the mega serials; men, women alike!

Immortal comics

Reading Chinmayi's post on Amar chitra katha comics, I immediately checked out their website - www.amarchitrakatha.com. The site is extremely well designed. Also, every comic's catalog listing is accompanied by a detailed introduction, which is very informational. Their Festival Focus section is a must-read too.

If you grew up in India, you do not need an introduction to Amar Chitra Katha comics. Their beautifully illustrated series cover a wide variety of subjects, right from Hindu mythology, Puranas and Jataka tales to stories about India's freedom struggle and great personalities (I even saw an issue on Kalpana Chawla's life)!

Every month, my parents would take me and my sister to Eshwari lending library in Gopalapuram. An elderly gentleman that works there is one of the greatest librarians in the world for sure (if you know his name, could you post it in the comment please). You can ask for any title, and he will know exactly where the book can be found! The library had bound copies, with 5 or 10 comics. I would borrow 4 of these bound comics and three Enid Blyton books. I read and re-read the 4 comics, till I could recite the entire stories perfectly (and ofcourse, my proud mom would then make me recite all these stories to my bored(!) but polite relatives). The comics even gave me an edge over my classmates in history class.

Here are some of the memorable Amar Chitra Kathas:

1) The one about how European discoverers tried to find India; It starts from Columbus sailing west, to Vascodagama finally landing in the shores of Kerala, and the events that leads to the birth of the East India trading company

2) Dasa avathar - We used this as reference, when we arranged our Dasa avathar dolls for golu!

3) The full mahabaratha series


I cannot remember the others for now, please do post your favorite titles!

When I think about the future, and where I would like to bring up my children, one of the big things in favor of Madras is the fact that I can take my kids to Eshwari lending library and they can spend their summer holidays reading all the Amar Chitra Kathas in print!

Open message to A.R Rahman - please stop the Thamizh kolai

I've never really liked A.R Rahman. I used to wonder if this was just some mindless prejudice, or because i like Illayaraja way too much (but I love Harris Jayraj too, so i'm not really partial right?)

Finally, after listening to three songs from Anbe Aaruyire, i know the reason. A.R Rahman is pseudo! What do I mean by that? Well, he is a regular Chennai dude, and he does have to earn his bread and butter by composing for Thamizh movies (Bombay dreams not withstanding). However, he tries to distance himself as much as possible from Thamizh (maybe he thinks this elevates him in some way?)Instead of simply letting his music speak for itself, he brings in singers who do not understand a single word Thamizh.

I am ok with the concept of singers singing in a different language. A lot of famous carnatic singers dont know Telugu. However, they make an effort to learn, understand, and pronounce every word perfectly. If Rahman wants to promote national integration by bringing in hindi singers, sure, thats great! But, is it too much to ask for him to make sure they dont mess words up?

Here are the songs at fault-

Mayilirage -
Music wise, A.R Rahman is FANTASTIC. This could have undoubtedly been called the song of the year. The lyrics are beautiful, beginning with the first line (Mayilirage varudugirai yennai). S.J Surya's favorite instrument is the thavil (remember Vaali's super cute sequence where Ajith sight adichufies Simran and you have a thavil-naadhaswaram combo playing the april maadhathil tune?). In this song, the thavil beats play in the background, almost throughout. A nadaswaram like instrument is also used. The male singer (Naresh Iyer) is soulful. With everything going perfectly, Rahman screws up big time by bringing in Madhushree.

She is a mediocre singer, and her thamizh is inexcusably bad. She thinks she is Alka Yagnik, and tries to sound like her. You can ignore the accent, but how can you forgive her pronouncing "kaadhal dhaan kal ezhuthu" as "kaadhal dhaan kal adithu" in the pallavi? She changes the meaning from "love is like words written in stone" to "love is only throwing stones"!!!! Also, mayil becomes "maaayil". "Iragey" becomes "irahey" and "Vaigai" becomes "Vaihai". Madhushree, did you know that there is no "h" alphabet in Thamizh.

If A.R Rahman is so anti-thamizh-singers, then he could have atleast used Shreya Goshal or Sadhana Sargam?

Thala Thala-

Sadhana does a great job, but the guy (and nobody seems to know who this singer is) does an even better job at thamizh kolai than Madhushree (if that were even possible). Heres what he does:
- Anai (as in water dam/hug) is pronounced as Aaanaaa (as in the hindi word for "come"). Was this intentional?
- Then kulam (big La) is pronounced then kulam (small la) - so "a pool of honey" becomes "a honey caste"!!!!!!!!!!

Rahman, did you lose your address book? You really couldnt find a single Thamizh singer? Or are they too fed up with your Thamizh kolai to take your phone calls? S.J Surya, neengalumaa?

Kushboo is condemned for trying to destroy Thamizh panpaadu. Why are we perfectly ok with A.R Rahman killing Thamizh itself? He need not apologize, he need not take residence up in some other state - maybe he could just rerecord the Ah Aah album using Thamizh singers? Or redeem himself in his next album atleast?

Movie Review - Ghajini

(image source: www.ghajini.com)

Story in a line:
Asin is killed by a dada because she exposes his lucrative illegal business. The dada hits Surya on the head, causing him to have short term memory loss (couldnt understand why the dada didnt think of killing him too). Surya takes revenge.

The verdict:
I loved the first half of the movie. The look of the movie is really fresh. There is no village hero seeking to reform Chennai. The hero is sauve and stylish (no catering to the masses here) and the heroine thankfully is dressed in clothes other than Saravana stores salwar kameezes. The movie is fast paced too.

But ofcourse, good things do not last. More on that later.

Surya underplays his role, and is super cute as Sanjay Ramaswamy. Asin's looks are a far cry from her debut movie, and she is sure to be the next number one in Tamizh cinema. She is chirpy (reminded me of Revathi) and certainly has more soul than the Trishas of the world. About Nayanthara...the less said, the better. Her clothes are all wrong, and her character is totally let down by the script writers.

As the movie progresses, the sodhapal factor sky rockets.

There are a bunch of unanswered questions. What happens to Riyaz Khan (the police inspector)? If Surya has attacked/killed him, why is the entire police force not searching for him? The script offers no explanation for how Surya traces all the people that he kills. Asin gets killed after a long, noisy, violent fight sequence inside and outside a posh flat in Besantnagar. When all this happens, there is not a soul around. No neighbours, no watchman, nothing! In Madras? Logic anyone?

Asin makes a big dialogue about how dadas destroy the morale of women and kill the progress they have made by exploiting them. In the end, when the villains beat Nayanthara up in a girl's hostel, a 100 girls watch, without a single girl budging. Can't a 100 girls take 5 goons out? How regressive is that?

And here is the biggest question of all...why is the movie called Ghajini?

Movie Review: Ah Aah...Aargghh...

(image source: www.indiaglitz.com)
When the director makes a Bharathiraaja style appearance in the beginning of the movie and gives a tuition lesson explaining the story, you already know you are in for some painful movie watching.

The basic concept is kinda cute. Surya and Nila are a live-in couple (wow! Thamizh panpaadu anyone?) and they break up. When apart, their memories keep them from forgetting each other and they finally get back together again. The novelty comes from the way Surya gives shape and form to the lovers' memories (its a fairly simple concept, we dont really need a lecture from the director to get it)

So, it could have been an ok movie. But then, Surya has this knack for overdoing things. He has a weird way of speaking (it suited his child-man character in New, he sounds plain retarded here). Surya also has a creepy Simran obsession, trying to make Nila look, act and talk like her (and seeming pale in comparison).

There are tons of songs, an irrelevant side plot and with Surya gabbing non stop, you cannot reach for the mute button on your remote fast enough.

Maybe Surya should have retired after Vaali?

Weekdays just got spicier

The brightest spot of every week day used to be watching the 200th rerun of Friends episodes. Things are now even better. WB is now playing Sex and the City every weekday at 10:00 central (sorry TBS, tuesday and wednesday wasnt enough).

Here are some of the best quotes from the most fabulous serial ever.

Bake? I use my oven for storage

Can a relationship still be a relationship without the zsa zsa zsu?

My marriage is a fake Fendi

When i had to choose between dinner and Vogue, I chose Vogue. It was more fulfilling

She is fashion road kill...

I was emotionally slutty. I revealed too much too soon..

I am someone who is looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love.

...The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous....

Love you Harris

Dhoorathil nee vandhaley en nenjil mazhai adikkum...
Miga piditha paadal onnai udhadugalum munumunukkum....

I know I know, I am the last person in Madras to discover Kaakha Kaakha songs. Better late then never though!

Vande Mataram in the clouds

Every year, I get terribly homesick come August 15th. Its malarum ninaivugal all the time. We had these grand independence day celebrations in the school quadrangle (and I was among the few that would faint regularly because we would stand in the hot sun waiting for the chief guest for over two hours). Finally, the chief guest would arrive, and after singing Janda ooncha, they would finally let us go into the auditorium for the cultural programs (including the mandatory bhangra and speech about national integration). Those were the days.....

I was in BE second year during India's 50th independence day. Even the biggest cynic could not have stayed immune to the all pervasive patriotic fervour that day. My friends and I wore salwars matching the tri-color, and everyone was singing A.R Rahman's Vande mataram (maa tujhe salam).

(image source: www.amazon.com)

I'm not a big Rahman fan, but he truly outdid himself with this song. The lyrics are fantastic -

Tere paas hi main aaraha hoon, apni baahen khol de,
Zor se mujhko gale lagale,mujko phir woh pyar de,
Tuhi zindagi hai, tuhi mere mohabbat hai, tere hi pair mein jannat hai,
tuhi dil, tu jaan, mamaa...

The background music is cleverly understated. Mainly dominated by percussion instruments and Rahman singing "maa", the song conveys the majesty of India and the profoundness of the phrase "Vande Maataram". The song picturization was innovative. The camera captured India's earthy tones and the colors of the flag beautifully. My favorite shot was that of a little baby girl (wearing a rajasthani outfit) and staring into the camera with her big beautiful eyes.

Seven years later, flying back to Chicago on friday morning after a lot of delays and cancelled flights (American airlines), I experienced one of those classic moments.. The sun was shining brilliantly through my window, the clouds were far below, and closing my eyes and listening to Maa tujhe salam on my mp3 player, I was transported...Who needs wings to fly, when music can make your soul soar?

PS: In the same album, check out the track titled "Revival". It is the original Vande Mataram sung by Anuradha Sriram. I do not have any words to describe this composition

Hey guys, this one is for you

I received this hilarious forward from my friend. Sorry guys, its all true!

NEW EVENING CLASSES FOR MEN
OPEN TO MEN ONLY - ALL MEN WELCOME.
Note: Due to the complexity and level of difficulty, each course will accept a maximum of eight participants. The course covers two days. Topics covered in this course include:

DAY ONE:

HOW TO FILL ICE CUBE TRAYS
Step by step guide with a slide presentation

TOILET ROLLS – DO THEY GROW ON THE HOLDERS?
Roundtable discussion

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAUNDRY BASKET & FLOOR
Practising with hamper ( pictures & graphics )

DISHES & SILVERWARE: DO THEY LEVITATE TO KITCHEN SINK OR DISHWASHER BY THEMSELVES?
Debate among panel of experts

LOSS OF VIRILITY
Losing the remote control to your significant other – Help line and support groups

LEARNING HOW TO FIND THINGS
Starting with looking in the right place instead of turning the house upside down while shouting “It’s not there!" “You’ve moved it!” or “We’ve run out!” - Open forum.

DAY TWO
EMPTY MILK CARTONS: DO THEY BELONG IN THE FRIDGE OR THE BIN?
Group discussion and role play

HEALTH WATCH: BRINGING HER FLOWERS IS NOT HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH
Powerpoint presentation

REAL MEN ASK FOR DIRECTIONS WHEN LOST
Real testimonial from the one man who did

IS IT GENETICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT QUIETLY AS SHE PARALLEL PARKS?
Driving simulation

LIVING WITH ADULTS: BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR PARTNER
Online class and role playing

HOW TO BE THE IDEAL SHOPPING COMPANION
Relaxation exercises, meditation and breathing techniques

REMEMBERING IMPORTANT DATES & CALLING WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE
Bring your calendar or PDA to class

GETTING OVER IT: LEARNING HOW TO LIVE WITH BEING WRONG ALL THE TIME
Individual counsellors available.

Maniratnam's magnum opus!

Just read in rediff today that Mangal Pandey's producer Bobby Bedi's next 200 crore venture is Mahabarath, directed by none other than Maniratnam. Work for the movie starts in 2006.

Remember Thalapathi? Maniratnam had reprised the classic Karnan story as Rajni's life story, and glorified the Karnan-Duryodhan friendship with the Rajni-Mammoty relationship. Many scenes in Thalapathi were inspired by the Mahabarath!

If this news from rediff is true, it surely could end up being the greatest movie in indian cinema. I cant wait!

Book Review - how not to write...

Finished two bad books in one weekend. They do not write good books anymore do they? I'm trying to remember all the good books and stories I have read (like the Gift of the Magi or classics like To kill a mocking bird), just to remind myself that good books still exist.

A long way down - Nick Hornby

The author has taken every random thought that filled his mind over the past year and filled 352 pages of the book (what a waste of rain forests). The story line is simple - four strangers end up meeting on top of 10 story building in London, all intent on killing themselves. They end up not doing so and form a weird support group. There is nothing redeeming about the end of the book - three of the four characters' lives are a lot more screwed up than what it was when they decided to jump off the building. How depressing!

PS: I checked out the reviews for this on amazon.com. Most of the reviews were favorable. I still stand by what i say, i prefer simple books that have a real story.

Trump - Think like a billionaire - everything you need to know about success, real estate, and life - Donald Trump

Hubris. Egotism...add any other words you can think of here. Even the title is silly - does Trump really think he has the authority to tell the reader everything they need to know about life? Is life made up of the apprentice and saturday night live (two shows that i have never ever seen even once).

Instead of teaching you "everything you need to know about success, real estate, and life", you get Trump's two cents on everything from why the UN is failing as a peace organization (because they did not have the good sense to award Trump some New York renovation project) to what kind of pet you need to have (pitbulls - no, trophy wives- most certainly yes).

Stick to your copy of how to make friends and influence people . . . you may well be on your way to getting a raise, paying your mortgage and marrying your college sweetheart. Who needs billions?!

The blissful book worm

I've gone back to my first love...reading! Try to borrow these on your next library visit.


Harry Potter and the half blood prince - Much better than Order of the Phoenix. Though this book has over 600 pages, its a great page turner and the end of the book is kinda sad (though i can almost guess why the person who killed someone had to commit the murder). Rowling has cleverly woven in serious adult issues such as racism, class differences and believe it or not.. the war on terror into the plot! On the flip side, this book is most certainly not for kids below 16, and reading about Harry Potter's love life is way too weird!


The Historian - by Elizabeth Kostova
If you like reading about history, medieval europe, travel, and vampires, this one is for you! I have been listening to the audio book. Though the narrative is rather slow, this first time author manages to hold the reader's interest.



The Five people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom -
This is a tiny little book, ideal for inflight reading. It could have just been a short story, some how, the author manages to stretch the plot out to fill 208 pages with wide spaced text. The writing style is pretty similar to that of R.K Narayan. The message conveyed by the book was actually very touching - about how all our lives are inexplicably interlinked with each other and how our tiny actions make huge differences in the lives of other people.


Digital Fortress, Angels and Demons by Dan Brown -
Dan Brown's books are entertaining, but he is worse than the current tamil cinema script writers. All his books have EXACTLY the same formula -
Nerdy professor (who plays a lots of sports) meets Brilliant female researcher/historian/scientist who is also totally hot; they have to crack a piece of indecipherable code within exactly 24 hours or some catastrophic event will destroy a major establishment which in turn will threaten world peace. Oh, and by the way, the main character in charge of the major establishment is actually the villain. In angels and demons, the Vatican is threatened, and in Digital fortress, its some National security agency. Both the books are the same otherwise. But, I am not complaining. The novels are fast paced, and good enough to help you survive a delayed american airlines flight from atlanta to chicago!

There are a bunch of non fiction books that I am reading too. Watch this space!

The onsite-ies - top 21 things they do!

Source: A mail-forward from my friend!

Top 21 things an Indian does after returning from abroad (the
onsite-ies)

21. Tries to use credit card in road side hotel.

20. Drinks and carries mineral water and always speaks of health conscious.

19. Sprays duo such so that he doesn't need to take bath.

18. Sneezes and says 'Excuse me'.

17. Says "Hey" instead of "Hi". says "Yogurt" instead says "Curds". Says "Cab" instead of "Taxi". Says "Candy" instead of "Chocolate". Says "Cookie" instead of "Biscuit". Says "Free Way" instead of "Highway". Says "got to go" instead of "Have to go". Says "Oh" instead of "Zero",(for 704, says Seven Oh Four Instead of Seven Zero Four)

16.Doesn't forget to crib about air pollution. Keeps cribbing every time he steps out.

15. Says all the distances in Miles (Not in Kilo Meters), and counts in Millions. (Not in Lakhs)

14. Tries to figure all the prices in Dollars as far as possible (but deep down the heart multiplies by 43 times).

13. Tries to see the % of fat on the cover of a milk pocket.

12.When need to say Z (zed), never says Z (Zed), repeats "Zee" several times, if the other person unable to get, then says X, Y Zee(but never says Zed)

11. Writes date as MM/DD/YYYY, on watching traditional DD/MM/YYYY, says "Oh! British Style!!!!"

10. Makes fun of Indian Standard Time and Indian Road Conditions.

9. Even after 2 months, complaints about "Jet Lag".

8. Avoids eating more chili (hot) stuff.

7. Tries to drink "Diet Coke",instead of Normal Coke.

6. Tries to complain about any thing in India as if he is experiencing it for the first time.

5. Pronounces "schedule" as "skejule", and "module" as "Mojule".

4. Looks speciously towards Hotel/Dhaba food.

3. From the luggage bag, does not remove the stickers of Airways by which he
traveled back to India, even after 4 months of arrival.

2. Takes the cabin luggage bag to short visits in India, tries to roll the bag on Indian Roads.

1. Tries to begin conversation with "In US/UK ...." or "When I was in US/UK..."

The Lean Veggie - Easy pasta salad /stir fry

The ingredients list for this recipe may seem long, but the actual dish is very easy to make and tastes like gourmet italian food with a touch of meditteranean! Some of the ingredients are optional. You can also add more veggies and make this a hearty meal!

For the pasta:
* In a big microwaveable dish, add 1 cup pasta (i used macaroni shells, you can even use penne, fusilini or tortelini), 2 cups water, 1 tsp salt
* Cover and cook till pasta is done (about 15 minutes). You can also prepare this on the stove top if you like
* When pasta is done, wash in cold water and drain completely

For the dressing:
* In a big bowl, whisk together 2 tbsps olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp cracked pepper powder
* Chop 1/4 cup olives (greeen) roughly and add to above olive oil mixture
* Mix in the crumbled feta cheese
* Finely chop 5 basil leaves and add to the bowl (optional)

For the veggi stir fry:
* Prepare 1/2 cup finely chopped onion and chop 1 clove garlic
* Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a non stick pan, and saute onion and garlic till soft (add a pinch of salt)
* Stir in 1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach and 1 chopped roma tomato
* Add salt to taste, 1 tsp dried italian herbs and 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
* Cook till raw tomato smell disapppears, but do not let the mixture over cook. Tomatoes should not be pulpy

To finish up the dish:
* Mix pasta with the veggi stir fry, and mix in 1 tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)
* Transfer the pasta and veggi mixture to the big bowl where you have prepared the olive oil - feta cheese dressing
* Mix thoroughly. Check the taste, add some more salt and pepper if you like.
* If you like, add some basil pesto salad dressing

Movie Review - War of the worlds

(Picture source: www.waroftheworlds.com)

Story in a line:
Aliens want to take over the planet so they try to destroy mankind. Tom Cruise saves his family

The Verdict:
Spielberg rocks. Dakota Fanning is the best actress in Hollywood. Tom Cruise cannot act (though he tries real hard)

Virivaana Review:

The movie succeeds in a number of ways (making it extremely watchable). An eerie doomsday like atmosphere is created, and sitting in the theater, I was absolutely involved. The special effects are so good, I almost jumped out of my seat a few times. The alien's destructive tripod machines are brilliantly portrayed - with their blaring horns and huge headlights (which make them look like they have eyes!)

The father-daughter relationship has been portrayed well. Dakota Fanning (cheers to her make up artist) looks adorable, and acts brilliantly (only Spielberg and Maniratnam can make children act this way). Even her constant screaming is not irritating, and you really want mankind to win the war of the worlds so that a child like her can grow up to see a happy world!

Being a big Spielberg fan and an even bigger sci-fi fan and believer in ET intelligence, I was waiting for this movie with great expectations and I am not entirely disappointed. The war of the worlds is a dark movie, brilliantly shot, and pretty entertaining. Unfortunately, the movie ends on a disappointing note with a complete fairy tale ending, almost resembling M. Night Shyamalan's Signs. Also, Tom Cruise's mediocre actiing casts a big shadow on the movie's overall impact.

I try to not sound too critical, but really, we HAVE seen this story before, in movies like Independence Day and Signs. Also, Spielberg subtly copies some of his own stuff (like the long fingers of the aliens stretching out ET style, and the mechanical probe searching for humans - very similar to the small spider-bots in Minority Report)

Ok, now about Tom Cruise. His crazy actions in the past few months will be recorded for posterity in the hall-of-fame for biggest celebrity blunders! Hey Tom Cruise...this is a SPIELBERG movie!!! People will watch it anyway! Did you really think you could appeal to all the thaaymaargal in the audience by your antics on Oprah? Its the height of narcissism!

So is the War of the worlds worth a trip to the movie theater? Probably yes...but Spielberg, can you please make your next movie without Tom Cruise?

Incredible but true

The King

Ilayaraja's path breaking Thiruvachagam is releasing on June 30th. It is a devotional album, with the songs of Manickavasagar. All the compositions except one have been sung by Ilayaraja himself. According to Ilayaraja, his life's purpose on this earth has been fulfilled because of this body of work!! Here is his interview in the hindu.

Ilayaraja composed and sang the Janani Janani song in a divinely beautiful way. I cannot wait to listen to a full fledged devotional album from him.

I truly wish i could meet Ilayaraja just for a second, and say "thank you for your music". Ilayaraja's lilting compositions have enriched my life so much.

I could have had a dead-boring day at work, with a lonely evening at home ahead. I can get caught in the middle of a 5 mile traffic backup on the highway. But, all that I need to do is play an Ilayaraja song on the car stereo, and I am transported instantly. My spirit soars high above the backed up cars and I am instantly transported right to the heart of beautiful Tamizhnadu and I am home!

The true Anniyan Review

Is Anniyan a good movie? Sorry, no. It is mediocre. It could have been a good movie .. if Indian and Chandramukhi had never been made. However, they were; So the psycho Anniyan character keeps reminding the viewer of Indian thatha and because he also has multiple personality disorder, you almost expect him to sing ra ra sarasaku ra ra!!

Ok, the movie is not that bad. Vikram's Ambi is irritating at first, but his character slowly grows on you. He is hilarious in the TTR sequence in the train, and he is way too cute when he gives a love letter to Sada's parents. Vikram may end up getting flak for the Remo character - but I personally think he manages to pull it off too. Anniyan is the weakest link - his voice is weird, the eye darting is freaky and the hair-in-front effect makes you want to tear your hair out!

On the positive side, the theme of the movie is extremely thought provoking. Are we all not guilty of poor civic sense when in India? Hasnt public apathy become a way of life? Shankar needs to be applauded for talking about issues that people no longer think of as issues. However, after establishing a good solid story, and signing on one of the most talented actors, Shankar gets lazy, and copies Indian's screen play, mixes in concepts from the movie Seven and finally draws inspiration from Sidney Sheldon.

To top it all, there is a frame by frame remake of Matrix 3's big fight sequence (where neo fights hundreds of Mr.Smiths). This fight sequence has been picturized extremely well, showing us what Tamizh cinema is technically capable of - unfortunately, all of us have already watched the Matrix, and even from a story perspective, this sequence is absolutely contrived.

Of the supporting cast, Prakashraj is brilliant as always and Vivek reaches his peak! Sada? She carries on the tradition of totally mediocre Shankar movie heroines (remember not-so-pretty Ash in Jeans, overweight manisha in indian, jaded manisha in mudhalvan?....Genelia was an exception).

The songs are a big disappointment - they have been picturized poorly and are a big drag on the screenplay. Iyengar veetu has been totally wasted. It could have been imaginatively picturized, instead you have big gaudy indoor sets, lots of extras, and Vikram dressed in Raja costumes.

Ok, it is not entirely fair to say Anniyan copies Chandramukhi. Anniyan was probably launched even before CM. However, the two movies even use the same lighting techniques when the protagonist shifts from personality to another.

Shankar cheats when showing the alternating personality shifts between Anniyan and Remo. The shots have not been taken continuosly, Vikram's hair length and texture changes every 2 seconds. Vikram is a fabulous actor, Shankar need not have employed make up and lighting tricks to highlight the personality differences. Vikram could have just shown it through his acting.

There is another major gaffe. Sada does not recognize Remo's face; she does not even suspect once that he is Ambi. She does not realize his identity when he turns into Anniyan, but the second he talks about rules, she immediately knows its Ambi!! Also, Anniyan is smart enough to learn Java and HTML and makes his super hi tech website, but then he logs into his website from his home computer, making his ip address totally traceable. Is he not even smart enough to log in from a net cafe?

Sorry Shankar, I still dont get it. Where did you spend the 26 crores?

Crazy T.Nagar!

Here is a hilarious blog about the perils of shopping in T.Nagar. It is a must read!

Being a resident of Thirumylai for 21 years, i always prefer Luz corner over Ranganathan street. However, luz has no nagai kadais worth mentioning. So, during my visit to Madras, a week before my wedding, I decided to brave the heat and headed to Prince Jewellery in Panagal park. I entered the store, and it was a good 25 minutes before I could even get to within a foot of the sales counter. I could not believe the kind of crowds, and that too, at a shop selling gold!! (and people say India is not shining?)

Turns out it was Akshaya thrithi - a concept that has become the new craze. Its a day in the last week of april, and its supposed to be a nalla naal; if you buy jewellery that day, you get riches all through the year I suppose! Over the past few years, jewellery stores have ads with pious looking josiakaarargal advising people to buy atleast a gundumani worth of gold that day (or what happens i wonder??!!). Dont even get me started about the Adi Kazhivu sales!

Its only a matter of time before the memorial day, thanksgiving day, mother's day, father's day, secretary's day, increase-your-greeting-card-store's-revenue day plague hits India (if it hasnt already)

Move over Starbucks - Krispy Kreme rocks

Starbucks has hundreds of new stores opening, and many more scheduled. Target stores have them, coffee carts inside offices sell overpriced stale cups (my office cafetaria made crappy coffee so that we were forced to head to the cart!) and so on. People stop at their drive throughs every morning, spending atleast $2.00 (assuming they just get a plain coffee) every single morning! With 52 weeks a year, 5 working days a week, thats $520 a year!

I can never understand the Starbucks concept. I can give the laptop show-offs the benefit of doubt; they may be business travelers or people new to town who do not have internet connections yet, or people on vacation who have to desperately check their email. But, why do so many people sit there and just read books and old newspapers? why won't they go home? Students bring their books and "study"!!??! (the height was even desi students in my university would do this in the coffee shop at the Borders bookstores - would they sit in saravana bhavan and do assignments? edhukku indha vetti vilambaram?!!)



For some genuinely good coffee, try Krispy Kreme's coffee next time. Get the smallest size; as they fill the cup to the brim with black coffee, pour away 1/4 of the cup and fill it to the top with half-half and add 1.5 packets of sweetener. Its almost as good as madras coffee (and it better be, they claim their coffee is as good as their doughnuts)

Jagadhanandhakaraka Lyrics

You can find detailed lyrics (with meaning) and swarams here

Kanaa Kanden - Tamizh cinema for grownups

Intelligent tamizh cinema! There used to be a time when every year, there were gems from Manirathnam, KB, and Vasanth. A new generation of directors in tamizh cinema may just be in the process of bringing the golden years back!

Kanaa Kanden is path breaking in many ways - an intelligent scientist for a hero (ofcourse, he still resorts to adi dhadi, but hey, the producer has to make his money). I still cannot get over the heroine (Gopika) - She has the nerve to walk out of her arranged marriage. When the mapillai and her rowdy anna try to threaten her, instead of hiding behind the hero crying, she fights back and says "nee enna force panni thaali kattarapodhu naa enna summa irupena?" etc etc. Srikanth and Gopika are first roommates, and then.. hold your breath.. they actually have a live in relationship, and finally take their time to get married! No big lectures on whats right and whats wrong here.

There is no thangachi sentiment, and no small town hero beating up all the rowdies of Chennai. Instead the hero wants to establish his own salt water desalination plant and they get trapped by a ruthless "kandhu vaddi" lender - Prithviraj. Prithviraj is another big plus point of the movie. He is the perfect villain - smart, savvy, and infuriating enough. His "hey it hurts" dialogue rocks! Vivek is hilarious as usual (but dont watch it with your kids or your parents).

Watch Kana kanden! its truly different cinema.

Turn back time?

My sister sent me a link to this article in the Hindu regarding entrance exams.

JJ has taken the really controversial decision of abolishing improvement exams and common entrance exams. From now, only 12th marks will be considered for entrance to engineering, medicine etc in Tamilnadu.

Parents will argue the merits/demerits of this decision for the next 10 years (and 11 std and younger students all over will be rejoicing). Whatever people may say, I think this is a fabulous decision. The entrance exams have always been way too difficult and not applicable to real life professional skills at all (what is the logic in making an overworked student choose between a)0.0000495 or b)0.00000495 or c) 0.0000945)??

On a personal note, my super padips sis scored more than 98% in 12th exams and ranked 23rd in the state. But, thanks to the entrance tests and the reservation policy, she went through hell before getting a medical college seat (she finally got into a private medical college via the waiting list). If the common entrance tests had been abolished a few years back, my sister would have been in MMC. The lives of many deserving students would have been totally different (would you believe it, many students scored less because of the graphite pencil grading concept - you got screwed if you tried to erase and redo an answer).

Anyway, better late than never. Thanks CM! (and goodbye Excel tutorials!)

The power of Google Maps

Google introduced its google maps about four months ago. After years of getting lost thanks to yahoo maps and mapquest, google maps is a great invention. Plug in the directions, and the map that you see is interactive (so is mapquest, but google maps is a lot more user friendly). Its like laying hands on a big paper map and having a magnifying glass zooming in every street. Also cool is the ability to do local searches (type in an intersection and the type of cuisine you want and google maps out all the restaurants) nearby.



CNN had this really good article today about how developers (not the google guys) use data from outside databases and combine it with google's mapping technology to give users really useful information.

I find this concept fascinating. Thanks to this website, you can actually enter a location type, and district in chicago, and know which bar or car wash to avoid because of its crime history!

With the Housing maps site, which combines data from craig's list with google maps to identify houses/rentals on a map based on your criteria.

Right now, these sites have been developed by people not officially affiliated with google - many actually do it out of their own interest for developing new sites, and as a service for their community. However, many companies have expressed interest in combining data with google maps.

Chinmayi's blog

Chinmayi's Blog: With a good classical background, Chinmayi has a refreshingly different voice. I listen to her Noodhana song everyday on my drive to work and I kept wondering which raagam it is based on (cinema songs are rarely based on one single raagam). I found the answer in her blog - Nalinakanthi for the most part. Endhan nenjil neengadha and Manam virumbudhe unnai are other songs in this raagam (manam virumbudhe's pallavi is in turn is based on manavyalakim - for more on copied songs, check out this link). As a bonus, there is a detailed analysis of an Ilayaraja song by Chinmayi's mom (who appears to have a lot of carnatic music knowledge)

Sudhish Kamat's blog::
Copied and pasted the following from my friend's email:
Sudhish kamath writes for hindu regularly. This is his personal blog site. He gives an insight about working for a newspaper. He gets paid for watching movies and travelling (and ofcourse writing a review on them)!!

The greatest bookstore

Here is the post that inspired me to write this: Tilotamma's blog

For two years, I lived in Luz corner in Mylapore, a block away from the beautiful Luz Church. In the sidewalk opposite my apartment, there was a huge used books "shop" - there were no walls, no billing counters - just mountains of books on the sidewalk, guarded by old pieces of plastic sheets (luckily for the books, it almost never rains in Madras!)

For a long time, in all my ignorance, I thought of it as just a big dump. When I started college, I heard people mention a famous used books store in Mylapore. I realized that it was Azhwar kadai, the "dump" opposite my apartment. I was still sceptical, but I went there anyway to get an engineering book.

I tried to find the store owner. There was an elderly man sitting on an old chair. He had a long white flowing beard, and was wearing an old white veshti. At first I ignored him, looking for someone else (ignorant me). He finally offered to help me. Turns out, he was Azhwar himself. I reeled out the name of the book, and he gave me a choice of two different authors for that subject. I was absolutely shocked.

The book was not for any popular beginner's engineering subject. It was for a course that few people take (in production engineering). If he could immediately recognize the name of the book, and list all the authors in that subject, he HAD to be the greatest librarian. He did not need any dewey decimal system - he just disappeared into the book pile for a few minutes and found it.

I saved Rs 350 that day (by not buying a new book) and had a profoundly humbling experience. How quick was I to dismiss someone just because his appearance did not fit into the narrow definitions of what we generally think is sophisticated?

There are many stories about all the rare books that can be miraculously found in Azhwar kadai. It is truly a Madras treasure. I just hope that the Madras Corporation does not do away with this gem in an attempt to "beautify" the city.

The Nayakan Controversy

(Picture source: www.vikatan.com)

Time magazine listed Nayakan and Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy in its top 100 movies list - the response from Bollywood? They are protesting!!!! This really drives me crazy. Instead of taking pride in the recognition of one of the best Indian movies of all time (Nayakan), the age old north-Vs-south indian divide has set in, with Bollywood questioning why their "great" movies were not included.

When someone compiles a list of good movies, they just include the ones they have seen. There are thousands of good movies made all around the world - you can only rate the handful that you watch. For example, rediff interviewed Subhash Ghai (!!does he really know what good cinema is?) and Vipul Shah and published their favorites. Both their lists are called "INDIA's best films" - and neither has a single non-hindi film. Do both the directors think that the best Indian movies are all hindi? Are there no good movies in Malayalam, Tamil or Bengali? When hindi directors cannot even list one indian movie outside hindi cinema, how can bollywood criticize Time magazine's list for not being comprehensive enough, and for not including hindi movies?

Also, I cannot digest the fact that Bollywood is actually trying to talk about good cinema. In the 50s, 60s, and 70s, some great movies were made. And Richard Corliss should watch the Guide - not including Dev Anand's masterpiece is really a glaring omission. However, after the great promise in the mid nineties with movies like Hum apke hain koun and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Bollywood has never risen above mediocre fare (no, Lagaan was NOT a classic).
And Mr.Subhash Ghai, do you really think Taal is one of the top 10 movies of indian cinema?????!!!! Perhaps you could learn about both movie making and modesty from Manirathnam?

Staying home

I hate going out. Seriously. Why do people find pleasure in dressing up, getting into the car, pulling a map out, driving for half an hour, and then battling huge crowds at shopping malls or stand in endless lines at various tourist attractions or go to a restaurant that does not even make good food?

I call myself a home bird. My husband thinks I'm plain lazy. Theres also tremendous pressure at my workplace. Friday afternoon at work, everyone wants to know what I plan to do during the weekend. And if I dare say "nothing much", my over zealous colleague will do internet searches and give me printouts of boring things to do. And ofcourse, she has to follow up monday!

By the time its saturday afternoon, I run out of excuses to stay home (lunch is done, laundry done, no movies left to see). So I try to be a sport and suggest "fun things" (while my inner voice silently chants "just watch food tv and sleep all afternoon")

Anyway, cnn.com totally vindicated my stance. 76% of people surveyed are planning to spend memorial day weekend at home. Guess i'm not the only home bird around.

Sorry Ash fans

Picture source: http://www.aishwaryaworld.com/ashattimedinner.html

This post is not for Ash fans for sure. The past few months saw a big publicity blitz for Aishwarya Rai in the USA. Appearing on the David Letterman show, CBS's 60 minutes and Oprah, Ash's publicity machine tried to tout her as the world's most beautiful woman. Turns out that People magazine did not think so, and she is not listed in their 50 most beautiful list.

Dont get me wrong, I AM a patriotic Indian. I do feel happy when indian talent is recognized in the USA or UK, but I do feel there is more to our national pride than Ash (complete with a fake accent, plastic smile, exaggerated hand gestures and lots of eye rolling).

There are fabulous movies being made in India, and I wish people would continue appreciating those movies, instead of trying to push the "most beautiful woman" idea to people whose concept of beauty is very different. Also, the big bollywood musical fantasy (that Andrew Lloyd Weber and Gurindher Chadha so desperately tried to promote) does not do any justice to real indian cinema.

Fraud alert - Blockbuster

A few months back, Blockbuster video announced with much fan fare that they abolished late fees. Turns out that you only have a seven day grace period. After that, you will be charged a 1.25 restocking fee, and after 30 days, the full retail price of the video minus the rental charges!

True, Blockbuster cannot afford to have customers rent and keep videos for ever. But, the advertising really made it look that way. This was not disclosed anywhere in the advertising, and if there was fine print, it must have appeared for one nano second. Thankfully, New Jersey has filed a law suit. Check the details for here:

http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/18/news/midcaps/blockbuster_suit/?cnn=yes

As for me, after paying $9 ($4.50 for renting and $4.50 for being late by a day) to Blockbuster, I will never rent there again. Netflix rocks!

Nayakan - all time best

http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/0,23220,nayakan,00.html



Tamizh movie fans rejoice! Time magazine has included Nayakan in its list of 100 all time great movies. All the critics who dismissed Nayakan as a Godfather clone have been silenced! Here is my 2 cents on one of the best films Tamizh cinema has ever made.

Nayakan saw the coming together of the three kings- Manirathnam, Kamal and Ilayaraja (sadly, the three of them never made another movie together again, and none of their later movies were on par with Nayakan either)

I dont need to write a lot about the story - runaway boy becomes angry young man, who becomes the super cool don, who then ages into a sad soul who cannot figure out if he is "nallavanaa illa kettavanaa".

Nayakan can easily be counted among Kamal's best movies. True, Kamal was "inspired" by the lead stars of Godfather. But, he played the roles of both Al Pacino and Marlon Brando (something which neither of them could have done). Hollywood lore has it that Marlon Brando stuffed pieces of tissue paper into his cheeks to achieve the jowly Italian patriarch look. Kamal faithfully copied this and chewed vethalai throughout the second half of the movie to make similar facial expressions. As the angry young man, Kamal looked both vulnerable and extremely believable. And, was he hot!!!

Ilayaraja's music.....no words can do justice...he is the greatest!

Time magazine critic Richard Corliss gives Maniratnam his due credit in his write up:
"His movies, often dramatizing social unrest and political terrorism, churn with narrative tension and camera energy that would be the envy of Hollywood directors, if they were ever to see them".

The screenplay is racy, and manages to retain its sensitivity even in violent scenes. Maniratnam has been criticized for his clipped artificial dialogues. Actually, he thinks in english and then literally translates them into tamizh. There are many dialogues that have become classics like - "neenga nallavara illa kettavara?", "naalu per nalla irukanumna ..." etc.

Many of the scenes are so well taken, the movie should be prescribed viewing for any film making course. Here are some of the best:
- When Kamal's son dies, and he does the famous "uhaa haaaha... " cry
- Kamal getting mad at the doctors and nurses in the hospital because they refuse to take care of a poor child
- Kamal and his daughter fighting because she disagrees with him (kamal really slapped the actress during the shooting!)
- Kamal and his daughter meeting in Nasser's house

I could write another 1000 words - just get the video and watch it!

Beautiful Chicago

http://www.flickr.com/photos/96015646@N00/sets/364789/show/

Spring flowers

http://www.flickr.com/photos/96015646@N00/sets/364794/show/

Madras Pictures

Dont miss these realistic photos of Mylapore, swamimalai etc.
http://www.rajeshkrishnamurthy.com/plog/archives/cat_india.html

Movie Review - The Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

The house of wax may end up being a bigger hit, but this movie is by far one of the most delightful that I have seen this year. Delightful is the right term for this movie - the story is sci-fi, but absolutely whacky!

Story in a line:
Arthur thinks the biggest problem in his life is his house being demolished as the city council wants to build an expressway. Turns out his life is going to turn more complicated - the planet is demolished to make way for an inter-stellar expressway. He and his ET friend hitchhike rides and try to make their way about the galaxy with some help from the eponymous guide to the galaxy and a seriously depressed robot.

The verdict:
The humor in many scenes is subtle. Some seemingly funny lines actually have deeper philosophical undertones (like the scene where the voice-over describes the life of the whale that is falling towards the ground). The story is full of irony - the Vogans are powerful enough to demolish the earth but they are bureaucracy obsessed (they need a form signed by the galactic president to proceed with the demolition) - the galactic president has a secret second head for himself in which hides the smarter part of his brain, so that he can appeal to all kinds of people and look presidential!!! (familiar?!)

Worth the 9 bucks?
Unfortunately, I do not know how many people will actually get this movie (the house of wax is a bigger hit) and this movie may probably not be successful enough to become another mega franchise. If you are a sci-fi fan and if you are ready to watch a truly different movie, this is well worth the 9 bucks and the pop corn. This is neither star wars nor the matrix. Its just a genuinely funny wild ride.

Lollu Express is back ...well, almost

The site was in hibernation mode for a while, but i saw two recent movie reviews - for Kadhal and M.Kumaran. The Kadhal review with the description of madurai dads and their leather belts is too funny. Check this link out:

http://www.lolluexpress.com

Anniyan Rocks! - The music review

(image source: www.anniyan.com)

I have not heard all the songs yet. I cant move past Iyengar veetu azhagey. It starts out with one of the best keerthanais Jagadhanandhaka, recorded typical Thiruvaiyaru style, and then blends into a really romantic number in a Naatai/Gambeera naatai. Hariharan and Vairamuthu compete for the top honors. Vairamuthu is going to win tons of praise for these superb lyrics:

"un pol azhagi pirakkavum illai, inimel pirandhaal adhu nam pillai!"
"un pol chamathu ulaginil illai, kadhalan chamathu kaadhalil thollai!"

Hariharan is in top form, especially in the "kadhalin vaguppil maanavan dhaan pandidhane!" He fully leverages his ghazal expertise (yes, in a traditional carnatic song!). Harini is good too.

(Here is the link to MS's Jagadhanandhaka. http://www.musicindiaonline.com/l/1/m/artist.14/)

Sukumari.... Its ok... (and i say that with some effort). It should probably grow on you. Shankar Mahadevan is really good in this song, he gets the brahmin accent perfectly. I dont know how the tamizh makkal will accept this style of pronounciation in this day and age (even my grandmother doesnt speak with this accent!). There is some weird chorus before this song, and so we have one more addition to Harris Jeyaraj's dictionary of weird words! (omohoseeyaa is still number 1! even my one year old niece used to burst out laughing each time she heard this!)

Speaking of weird words, what does Rendaka mean? The song is pretty catchy though. Shreya Goshal reaches impossibly high notes and sounds fabulous. Maybe Harris could have just used the beat in the beginning of the song in all the places where he used the chorus?

As for the other songs, I half-heard them once and only caught a bunch of english words stuffed into the songs to make them sound "modern" for the "youth". Another song sounded like a big ad jingle for nokia (i do hope theres no product placement) with lyrics likening the guy to an america varaipadam (is that really hot!!???!)

Anyway, who cares? I'm listening to iyengar veetu for the 25th time!

Movie Review - Mumbai Express

Dear Mr.Kamal

Please, stop. Let this be your last "comedy" film. In your next film, please do not do any of the following:

1) Have an accent - we've seen enough of it in PKS, Thenali, etc
2) Play the part of the super cool dude - one panchathanthiram was enough
3) Act innocent and play a dumb guy, with some form of disability (in combination with some weird accent)
4) Have Manisha Koirala as the heroine (nothing personal against her, but after she has acted in X rated hindi flops, she really shouldnt be costarring with you and Rajni anymore)
5) Treat movie making like a production assembly line (was there really any difference between thenali, pks, panchathanthiram and mumbai express?)
6) Sing all the songs in your movie. Remember SPB?

As your loyal fan, if i want to see a comedy caper, I can just rent the Michael madana kama raj video again. Sun tv also plays singaravelan every other month. So, do save yourself the trouble!

Hey by the way, do you remember Hey Ram, Unnal mudiyum thambi, Thevar Magan, Mahanadhi, Salangai Oli, Nayagan, Anbe Sivam etc and the time when virtually every oscar entry from indian cinema was a movie from you?