Cul-de-Sac

This morning, upon glancing at a gigantic hoarding that illustrated the events scheduled to commemorate the stupendous success of DASAVATHARAM[100 days :)], I hastened to realize how dormant I have been with regards to this page. It could be that I have had absolutely nothing to blog about lately or I might have been extremely occupied with myself. The fact that it’s neither makes my ranting blatant.

Mayhem is a dangerous obsession, one that was never on my radar. Sadly, I seem to have started to show its symptoms. At the moment, I am as confused as a chess player unsure of what is happening five moves ahead. However, I am tempted to say I am not alone and for sure mine isn’t any worse than the current global scenario what with the proverbial U.S sub- prime crisis hitting rock bottom with stocks plunging faster than Michael Phelps, its ramifications seen from as far as Papua New Guinea, Andrew Symonds- who did the unpardonable crime of missing the team meeting in favor of fishing and subsequently getting axed, the Nuclear deal impasse or the Nano NO-NO, the list is endless. This isn’t, by any stretch of imagination, to say I belong to this cluster. Hell No. I guess judgment can be made only in retrospect and like the elite, I too am staring down an uncertain path. In modern society people have become stereotyped into saying, thinking and breathing a certain way of life. We are held back from saying what we think because of the social restriction, the rules, etiquette and the built-up inhibitions. Honesty can be as slippery as quicksand. How else can I explain my inability to work through a situation when as much as I try to break the ice with a certain someone, ice becomes iceberg. Maybe it is this brief moment, this philosophical outlook that makes me realize that growing up is the only option. It’s a timely reminder to be grimly realistic & cautiously optimistic.

Meanwhile, life goes on………

Friday the 13th

June 13 will always be close to my heart for more reasons than one. No other day in recent memory caut my attention as much as this day does, for it happens to be the BIRTHDAY of some one special. Yeah, DASAVATHARAM [:)] saw the light of day.

This was in the making for more than 2 years given its magnitude. There is no denying the effort that has gone into this masterpiece. The top technicians in the industry not only came together, but also gave their heart and soul in pursuit of creative excellence on a never seen before scale.

No one could have put it better than the man himself about his movie – Dasavatharam. In an interview to NDTV, Kamal remarked that they had thrown the ball as high as they could. Whether it would be a six or a four, they were all anxious to know. “But definitely not less than three”, he was undoubtedly excited.

Well, his efforts seem to ve paid off. Yes, Dasavatharam is certainly a milestone in Indian cinema. Kamal has once again proved that he is the FINEST actor in the country beyond doubt.
No other actor can pull off so many roles with aplomb, whether it is the 12th century vaishnavaite who gets tied to the Vishnu idol and thrown in to the sea or the scientist who is working on a bio weapon or the terrorist who is after it or the cop who is trying to unravel the mystery. I am clearly spoilt for choice. Screenwriting is one of the highlights of the film & Kamal has lived up to his billing .He has succeeded in painting Science, philosophy, religion on the canvas where each is succinctly different from the other. The dialogues need a special mention here. Some of them were of highest quality like “Remember Hiroshima”, the American terrorist tells the judo expert. “Remember Pearl Harbour” is the retort. I cudnt help but rewind to HEYRAM where a similar dialogue drew my attention (Kamal says “ I am a normal civilian “, “ But this is civil war “ was the repartee from Atul Agnihotri). This is another facet of this genius that he isn’t known for.

However, the film is not complete. Certain scenes r misplaced. At times the director appears confused. Some characters were unnecessary and some, inadequate. One would have expected Kamal to do his homework well before attempting something of this enormity. Given his track record, it would be hard to think otherwise. At certain places the writer was trying to out score the director. Kamal would be ruing his inability to play the characters other than his 10 -the ones that were played by asin, jayapradha, etc. Such was his domination & performance.
The weakest link in this film has to be himesh Reshammiya.Music is ordinary. Only couple of songs r passable. This film is certainly a feather on kamal’s CROWN. . Kamal, certainly, thinks ahead of his times, but technology is finding it hard to catch up with him. The film wud ve been even better had the climax been a bit slick. The Tsunami scenes were depicted extremely well. Two avatars certainly stand out –Balram Naidu, who did a neat job of mimicking to perfection TS Balaiyya and the 12th century vaishnavite priest, the latter’s performance wud drive even an atheist to the temple.

I felt Kamal shud ve spent more time on the editing table. The film cud ve been pruned further. Overall, it’s an excellent film, which is very different in every possible way from the mundane ones that release every friday. It’s a must watch film for every movie buff who craves for mature movies.

One can hate “DASAVATHARAM”, but NONE can ignore it.

P.S: Even thou I am a Kamalhassan FANATIC, I ve curbed my strong innate bias and tried to be as fair as possible while writing this article.

Single or Mingle????

Few things so drain our mind as the intricacies of liaisons. (Read Gen X).

Is it a must to get “HOOKED UP”? More importantly, is it worth???.. Does the sight of seeing someone go on a movie-dinner-double date make u crawl under the carpet?

Stop wallowing in self-pity. Just ask urself are you really lonely or do you want to be in a relationship just because its ‘cool’ and all your friends have one. Do you really want the phone running off the hook and having your newfound love ask you about your whereabouts every single minute of the day? Do you really want to tag him or her along wherever you go???? Do you really want to be told what to wear and that your favourite jeans are so passé?? And worst of all, do you want to stop talking to all your guy/girl friends you’ve known for years only because your partner feels insecure about them??

Quite often, though not always, ‘love’ becomes suffocating after a while. At times, so much so that people feel that they are losing their own identity and being only what their loved one wants them to be.

If u r in love, u wudnt remember any weekend when u had the freedom to go shopping alone or hang out with your friends. Boyfriends assume weekends r only for them. A “ COMMITTED” girl gives up talking to most of her guy friends bcoz “HE” feels insecure with them n she tends to lose her identity in the process. On the other hand, if u r single u have all the freedom to do what u want to do without being answerable to anyone.

Its true that being in a relationship gives you a companion but after a while it also starts interfering with your privacy. Its also bout setting priorities. One shudnt get in to a r’ship at the cost of one’s career.While it’s true that companionship is a beautiful part of a relationship, privacy is equally important. The tricky part is keeping the balance and knowing where to draw the line.The most beautiful relationships are the ones that give you space. You can go places if your partner is supportive. So, being in a relationship may not necessarily mean that you lose your independence. Sometimes, spending time alone can also get difficult.

Being single is not always easy, there are times when you just want to share that special moment with someone...but till that special someone comes along, enjoy some ‘my time’!

In fact, being single may be the most wonderful thing that could have happened to you. You can go out shopping alone without getting frantic phone calls from your partner to know your whereabouts, u can pamper yourself by experimenting with your looks without getting worried whether he or she will like it or not,u can go out with all your friends and flirt to your heart’s content without anyone stopping you from doing so. And, if you are still thinking whether this is the right thing to do, don’t trust your ‘conscience’, for it will never stop you from doing anything wrong, it’ll only stop you from enjoying it! You can grab a packet of popcorn and go out to watch your favourite romantic film without any one to laugh at you for sobbing through the film :)

The verdict is………

Just Friends???

Men are from Mars and women from Venus, friction between the two is inevitable and romantic feelings are bound to creep-in between, but can’t the two ever be ‘just friends’? The concept of platonic friendship still remains as unclear and confusing as ever. Opposite sexes are always ‘meant’ to draw each other, love, fight, and that’s about it. Or is it? The notion that the two cannot be plain friends seems to be changing, but the question is to what extent?

With women becoming more career oriented and independent, social and workplace friendships are definitely on the rise. Even the school time or college friendships are known to become stronger with passing time (if they don’t blossom into love). When in a group, men and women mix with one another freely, hang-out, share jokes and get along just fine, but when it comes to one-on-one friendship, it surely does get a wee bit tricky. After all there is but a thin line between friendship and love...

Yes, even in a friendship it’s the opposite traits that attract men and women to get close. It is a common fact that women love to talk. When in their girl-gang, they talk (read gossip) endlessly about everything under the sun - from make-up to men, from career choices to family to friends and from reel stars to real life issues.

Now turn to men and you’ll find most of them glued to the TV watching their favourite sport, guzzling bottles of beer, drooling over someone or wondering why women are SO DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. This may not be all that men and women do, but it surely does come close. Women can sometimes be very bitchy and says things behind your back but men say it ON UR FACE! Ask any girl who has consoled a heart-broken friend over endless phone calls and she’ll tell you that female friends do come with lots of emotional baggage and being with a guy acts as a breath of fresh air at times. The case with men isn’t too different either

But the thought of the whole male-female chemistry igniting is always thought lurking at the back of one’s mind. They start off as good friends, their intimacy eventually matures into love.
Endless movies that show childhood ‘just good friends’ growing up to be lovers.If a movie like Dil to Pagal Hai tried to prove that a man and woman can be just friends, the movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hai proved otherwise with a certain KHAN eventually falling in love with ‘friend’ Kajol.

Maybe one shouldn’t spoil a good friendship by bringing romance in it or maybe good friendships turn into good romances, but questions arise only when other people start talking. What happens to an otherwise healthy platonic friendship when tongues start wagging and suspicions about the ‘real’ sense of that friendship do the rounds?

So be it opposite natures that attract men and women to be friends or just plain compatibility, cross-sex friendships do happen and most times both friends cherish it more than a same-sex one. Though even today eye-brows do rise when a girl hugs her guy friend and falling in love with your ‘friend’ is a possibility, there is still a lot to look forward to when two people from the opposite sex become ‘just friends’.

Grim Reality

To date, no one has expressed precisely how the ICL, or those involved with it, will harm cricket or at least harm it in any way different to how the IPL might.Players who signed up for ICL have not only been banished from international cricket, but possibly will be banished from first-class cricket, and any other means they have of making a living.Some have been prevented from carrying out their broadcast commitments because of their ICL involvement. Soon media outlets might be barred from covering matches because they have given coverage to the ICL.Al Qaeda has a new friend in the form of ICL signatories and it shudn't come as a real surprise if George W Bush bans the ICL in all forms in the forseeable future. Organisations that employ ICL players - banks have been advised to terminate those players' contracts. If this isn't a witch-hunt, what is?. In any case, in Pakistan and India, where the PCB and the BCCI have arguably harmed the game more than nurtured it, who or what is to say their monopoly can't at least be questioned?
The BCCI is the only board to benefit financially from the IPL and it is the only board to stand to lose if the ICL thrives.These men are not dopers, or match-fixers but are those who have served cricket honourably. Some do not see an international, and thus lucrative, future ahead of them, so they choose to somehow secure themselves financially. Some are just plain greedy. But what have they really done to have their careers sabotaged? Legal action may be inevitable. It is sad, for these are not matters where a hammer is needed, where force is deployed. On the contrary, the players running around in the IPL, it will be the numbers in their bank accounts that will hold more value than those on the pitch.
Welcome to the new world!

Where is the real woman????

A friend of mine recently mentioned in her blog that shopping is the key to a woman's happiness and it’s the easiest route to a woman’s heart. Well, I wonder there’s more to it than meets the eye. We can spend an eternity assessing that statement. Why doesn’t a girl propose? …. Why is it that only the guys pop that question?????…. I have my own take on women. They can’t be expected to stretch the bounds of hospitality. It does not take a degree in psychology to say that every woman has an inbuilt ego, sometimes inflated. They r an enigma and their mood swings more viciously than Irfan Pathan wud with a red cherry on a green top!They often live a charmed life at the cost of men.Lets face it, if a gurl asks a guy out, u can be sure that 12 times outta 10 he is gonna accept her and if its the other way round, n more importantly if she declines, end of story.PYAAR becomes YAAR????Whether like it or not, she is never going to see him as a friend again and talk normally to him ever after.Its just how ppl r . 1 in zillion girls can tell u face to face - sorry it wont work out so lets be friends as usual and NO GIRL i know of has such frankness.Once u tell a girl u like her, according to the average girl, you are no longer her friend. She sees you as a betrayer, although she will never accept it.so what does a woman really want???? where is the real woman?????
No doubt this blog may not only raise a few eyebrows, but a few broomsticks too!! ... But who cares??? INDIA IS THE LARGEST DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD :)

P.S : Based on others’ experiences, none are (THANKFULLY) mine. Have always been single!

Deja Vu!

Why do People blog????

Why, exactly, do people want to have other people read these ramblings? Many are incriminating! Ask a blog addict why he or she does it and you'll get a range of answers that tend towards the "because it's easy" or "because it's fun". Some people need to be the center of attention. It makes them feel good about themselves to tell the world what important things they've been doing and what profound thoughts they've been having. Curiously, while this looks like the most obvious reason for a blog, I think it's probably the least likely reason, since it's too shallow.A lot of people want to be published writers. Blogs make it happen without the hassle of getting someone else to do it or having to write well—although there is good writing to be found. Some is shockingly good. Most of it(ahem ahem) is miserable.If you think I'm a complainer..well....
I am Veeraraghavan, employed with Essar Steel Limited since sep 2006,Vizag.Pucca Chennaite, been there for the most part of my 22 years of existence in this planet but work( unfortunately) made me to relocate here.For starters, this city of destiny is one of the major port cities of India which has incomparable scenic splendor with exotic beaches, green hills and valleys lined next to the vast untouched shoreline. Though the city has developed into a major industrial hub with petrochemical, fertilizer, jute and sugar industries, the latest entry of giants like Satyam[ :)] and Wipro has brought Vizag on the world IT Chart. Everything said & done
CHENNAI POLA VARUMA????????