Kireedom - Review

Kireedom, a remake of Malayalam classic is not that bad as everyone says it to be. The idea of remake should have popped up in early 90’s as the original came in 89. If this had been made then, it would have been a roaring hit. Now it has come almost after two decades, the story being inspired in parts by many Tamil movies (such as Sandaikozhi) looks very old and simple and usual.

This is all about the relationship between a father and a son and the father’s aspiration to make his son a police inspector before he retires. Ajith plays a role of a sincere son who in every aspect wants to fulfill his father’s dream. The role he has chosen here looks like he s keen in making a comeback with a bang. Rajkiran pulls out a convincing performance when the text book for this role was already scripted by Thilagan years back. In a movie which deals with father- son relationship, you can’t afford to have a big role for heroine and Trisha is more convincing to what has been given to her. The newcomer Ajay being very tall just screams out in the movie. Vivek’s role is a dud whereas Santhanam makes his presence clear with his wits. Vivek, who made a remarkable appearance in Sivaji fails miserably here and his scenes in the second half with Haneefa looks like the director wanted to apply some cine-formula into this. The water-tank and market scenes are unamusing and the theatre scene is a cliché.But why does he want to end Vivek’s role in a villain note.

GV Prakash’s ‘Vilayadu …’ is very bad in music and choreography and everything it related but he impresses with ‘Kanavellam…’, ‘Vizhiyil...’ and ‘Akkam Pakkam…’ He has to get special training for the BGM score from his uncle. Thiru’s cinematography is attractive and pleasing if you are person who observe this department in a movie.

The newcomer Vijay though not making an impressive debut here but just scores for making a Tamil remake living up to its expectations for the first time. This remake does more justice to the original than Chandramukhi did for its Malayalam original. This is not a usual Ajith masala-flick where he plays a local goon and his heroism but a movie where a hero turns out to be a loser in the end. If you have the mindset that Ajith films are crap and a flop, then please save your bucks else this is a ‘wokay’ kinda family entertainer and far better than many recent movies. This ‘Kireedom’ is worth watching once.

Sivaji - Review

I watched it twice in first 4 days of the movie release and I will be watching it few more times. This should say all about the movie.

The story is more similar to Shankar’s earlier films where the protagonist plays the Robin Hood role to uplift the society. But this time, the director deals with the black money in the society.

This costliest Indian movie starts with an unconventional introduction of Rajni, you had ever seen in your life.The introduction song of the hero comes a few scenes later but with a glossy Nayantara touch. Vivek, who pulls out a remarkable performance of his career with his one-lines saves the dragging first half and a weak screenplay. Every single dialogue he delivers fits into the genre of comedy so well. He is at his best when he delivers the punch in music shop. Shreya, who plays the coveted role of this film does show her acting skills where needed. Suman, the villain of the movie is the best of villains in recent Rajni movies. With Rehman’s music, Sujatha’s dialogues, Thotta Tharani’s expensive sets for ‘Sahana..’ and ‘Vaaji..’ and KV Anand’s cinematography, this movie had everything to become the blockbuster of the year but it all needed one name to just carry it with STYLE. The one man, which Indian cinema had failed to recognize.

No matter it’s a scene with Vivek or Shreya or Suman, its just one-man show all through the movie. The dialogue delivery in the tea-stall scene after the interval is just to prove a point that he didn’t reach this position in industry by luck but by his acting skills early in his career. Yes, people can’t afford him to do some ordinary roles. We want him to be always a larger than life character in his movies.

The first half of the movie shows Rajni in comedy and romance. The second half of the movie takes Rajni into aggressive role of taking revenge against villain that we always wanted him to do. The gimmicks of coin and chewing gum are incomparable. The scene where he imitates Sivaji, MGR and Kamal are the best you would witness in this movie. In the end comes the bald character, MGR that sets the theatre with whistles and whoops. This would be remembered forever like his Alex Pandian in Moodru Mugam. What a surprise package it would have been, if the images of ‘mottai boss’ were never leaked.

The fight in music shop would have been perfect if comedy was not forced into that. The fight in drive-in theatre is a bit too much but the end of it is just ‘wow’. I liked it. The small fight in the farmhouse is the best in this movie. The song sequences are just a proof that it’s an expensive movie and the painting to everything around sets the trademark for Shankar. ‘Athiradee…’ song is a visual masterpiece and a treat to watch Rajni dance.

Though Shankar had failed to make an impact with the story and screenplay, he had just got everything what every Rajni fan would have wished him to be. Only for the first time, you will go for this movie expecting Shankar to do something. But the second time and from then, it is just for the one man you would hit the theatre again and again.

For a general viewer, if you had liked Shankar’s Gentleman and Anniyan you will like this even more and for Rajni fans, “THE BOSS ROCKS”.

“Six ku appuram seven da, Sivaji ku appuram evanda”

Life in Chennai Metro: FAQ

This FAQ is just another humble retaliation to all the Chennai-bashers and non-Tamilians who live in other parts of the country and have no idea of how great is life in Chennai. This would also serve the purpose of answering all those myths about Chennai.

Is Chennai a costly place to live?
No. It is very cheap compared to Bangalore, Mumbai or New Delhi. The house-rent was not even into my consideration in my monthly expenses when I lived happily in midst of that busy T-Nagar crowd.

Is Chennai very hot?
Yes, Chennai is hot and humid as it lies on thermal equator and also on the coastal side. Every different place has got different climatic conditions. This isn’t worth an argument if an IT guy asks this as we sit inside office throughout the day without having any knowledge of what is happening outside. But there are beaches where you can go out in the evenings to get fresh air. I miss those night walks in Besant Nagar beach after 10pm.

Do we get north-Indian food in Chennai?
Yes. You get to see more north-Indian restaurants than the number of Tamilnadu restaurants in Bangalore, Mumbai or New Delhi. I would rate the taste of Chennai ‘kayyendi bhavans’ (road-side shops) more than a high class sagars in Bangalore. I really miss those ‘podi-dosas’ near Natesan Park.

How can I communicate in Chennai as people over there don’t speak Hindi and they are all Tamil fanatics?
Yes, you will have problem with language if you know only Hindi. But the people are not Tamil fanatics, they just don’t know Hindi. If Chinese or Japanese does the same, you admire at them but when it comes to Chennai, they are fanatics huh?
By the way, Hindi is not our official language but English. If you argue that Hindi is our national language and you can speak in India, so do we. Tamil is our regional language and we have all the rights you claim to possess to speak Tamil in our region. Also why single out Chennai? It is the same condition in Kerala but no one makes a fuss about that.

Do we have night life in Chennai?
If you refer to the availability of food after 9pm as night life, then yes we do have. Or if you are talking about pubs and discotheques, yes there are few. But it is not life in night is all about. FYI, the closing of pubs by 11 in the night is not the most horrid thing in our country to happen.

Do we have multiplexes in Chennai?
Sathyam. This one word should answer all your queries on this. This Cineplex is far better than PVR and Inox. I still remember the sound of that pop-corn munching in a Bangalore multiplex when watching Harry Potter.

How do we get to travel inside city?
You have buses and local trains to connect all parts of the city.

I heard that Chennai auto-rickshaw drivers loot your money. Is that true?
Not always. Yes, there is no meter-system in auto-rickshaws. They charge you based on their mood and not the distance. But if you know the place, you can get a better deal out of them. But lately the problems I have been facing in Bangalore are all the same with meter system. They start the 11/2 meter at 8 in the night which is supposed to be after 10. Even worse, they come to only places where they get customers returning from that place. But I have not received a single mail (even a hoax) saying that Chennai drivers threatened an IT guy and looted the credit cards and money which I receive often about Bangalore.

How bad is traffic in Chennai?
You get jammed in traffic signals. (I think that’s what signals are for.) You get hardly struck in roads unlike my daily episodes of traffic jam here in Bangalore.

Is Chennai a very conservative place?
People in Chennai have other better work to do than making an issue for your skimpy clothes and other stuffs.

PS: I lived in Chennai for 4 years and living in Bangalore for 3 years.