2010 - In a Nutshell

-       A memorable year, a year that I’d want to relive

-       A year that almost showed me the light at the end of the tunnel in my research,

-       Also, finally showed me the way the tunnel called professional life, and I hope to traverse the path and reach the destination soon.

-       A year that I saw God; attended one of the concerts in Jai Ho concert tour and witnessed some A.R.Rahman musical magic, in person.

-       Showed me how addicting a gripping TV series can be, and also probably showed why leaving a few things open-ended, is good. And the TV series is Lost. Never before and never again will I be able to see 10 episodes of a TV series back-to-back.

-       Showed me that I can have ‘followers’; I’ve spent a good amount of my 2010 on Twitter, and had a good time conversing with like minded people (a blog post on that coming up)

-       And the year I gave up on my friends, oops Facebook. I am a #youremember on Facebook now.

Amit Trivedi – Music with a difference

Considering the plethora of talent in the Indian music industry, thanks to the numerous talent hunts, it is not often that a singer or a music composer leaves an everlasting impression on you, in the very first song or album. With A.R.Rahman probably being the only exception who made it big in his first film composition Roja, I am sure many talented composers have come, established themselves after a couple of movies, and stuck on as a few of the reliable music composers before fading away or getting stereo-typed with the same music genre forever.

In 2009, there was a new composer who came with a promise and had a good outing in a relatively less-popular soundtrack in Aamir, which probably didn’t make a name for itself as much as the movie did (Trust me, Aamir has wonderful soundtracks including a great Sufi composition). Amit Trivedi, who calls A.R.Rahman as his god, made his presence felt in the Indian film music scenario with the cult classic Dev.D (an Anurag Kashyap movie that I am yet to watch), and instantly struck a chord with the youth of today with the number ‘Emotional Atyachaar’. The movie had a total of 20 songs in different genre and a majority of them became chart-busters, apart from blending well with the movie and its theme (from what I hear).

A musical journey of Dev.D began with Nayan Tarse, which floored me with just the attitude of the singer himself, following which I moved on the classically rich ‘Paayaliya’, which featured the best usage of the instrument Veena in recent times. ‘Dil Mein Jaagi’, ‘Dhol Yaara Dhol’, ‘Duniya’, ‘Ek Hulchul Si’, and ‘Yahi Meri Zindagi Hai’ had a fresh feel to them, which was probably earlier seen when A.R.Rahman first composed for Roja. And it came as no big surprise when Dev.D won the coveted National Award for the best Music of 2009, after being ignored by most award ceremonies, that relegated it to just a background score, rather than considering it as a complete album.

Amit Trivedi could have been yet another one-film wonder following Dev.D (or a two film-wonder considering Aamir). There were no albums from him for close to 18 months except the soulful ‘Iktara’ in Wake Up Sid and a composition ‘Bombay Bombay’ in the movie Striker. He made a wonderful comeback with the albums Udaan and Aisha in the summer of 2010. While Aisha was a routine romantic comedy with the storyline based on the premise of Emma, it had some immensely likeable music including the evening melody ‘Sham Bhi Koi’, the Punjabi dance number ‘Gal Miththi Miththi’, and a peppy title track. My personal favorite from the album was ‘Lehrein’, which features among my favorite tracks of all-time, for its sheer brilliance with the violin and Anusha Mani’s amazing vocals.

Udaan, as such, is a movie that moved me emotionally, because of its coming-of-age theme, which was very well-accompanied by the soundtrack that featured a gem of a track ‘Aazadiyaan.’ It will be blasphemy if I don’t mention the main strength of the movie apart from the performances. It is its subtle music. Probably the best example for a movie where silence is used as the strongest emotion, and its remarkable how Amit Trivedi underplayed the background score such as to make an everlasting impression on the audience.

At the fag end of the year 2010, Amit Trivedi struck back with another album ‘No One Killed Jessica’, which is currently on my ‘now-playing often’ playlist. The songs Yeh Pal, Dua and Aitbaar have grown on me instantly, while Dilli has been catching up too!

Amit Trivedi, the rightful successor to A.R.Rahman, you sure have arrived, and we just hope you don’t fade away or get stereotyped. Best wishes for a successful long musical career, we sure want to hear more from you!

New blog on A.R.Rahman music

Along with another friend, I've begun blogging about my thoughts on A.R.Rahman music at a new location. We hope to have regular posts there (much more often that what I have here).

Here's a link! http://rahmania.posterous.com/

Good times....

I've been blogging a lot more compared to 2009, and on a few topics I'd never have thought I'd blog about. For instance, I'd never have penned something about my parents, if not for BlogAdda's Father's Day and Mother's Day contests. If not for their 'Moments of Madness' contest, a lot of my childish stuff would have never gotten showcased to the blogger world. And to think about it, I won an award for that entry too!

Life has many small things which are beautiful, worthy of some expression of thought! And a blog helps realize those.

Thank you BlogAdda, for featuring me as the notable newbie of the day! Something that made my day!

Endhiran - A True treat to the Rajini fan boy - PFC review link

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“Originally published on Passionforcinema.com”

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Here's a link to my review on Endhiran. My second post on Passion for Cinema :)
(Broken link) http://passionforcinema.com/endhiran-%E2%80%93-a-true-treat-to-the-rajini-fan-boy/

For more than two years, a Tamil movie that has been in the spotlight even during its making process itself is Endhiran or Robot. An idea of the late Tamil writer Sujatha, was in the process of being visualized on screen by Shankar, who calls it his dream project as well. With the initial choices of the protagonist being Kamalhassan and Shahrukh Khan, the role finally ended up going to the Rajinikanth, with whom Shankar had previously worked with the blockbuster Sivaji. In addition to the buzz that surrounds any Rajini movie and a Shankar movie, this movie was the talk of the town for its budget alone. A staggering Rs. 185 crores!!! While movies like Ghajini and 3 Idiots boasted about their revenue to be above Rs. 200 crores, here’s one movie made on a comparable budget. While it is no unknown fact that a portion of the budget went to the female lead Aishwarya Rai and the music composer A.R.Rahman, it still is a budget that’s probably not going to be surpassed until Shankar surpasses it himself.

While I choose not to review the movie completely or divulge the storyline, the movie Endhiran is a must watch for just it’s grandeur. The old formula of many movies ‘No logic, only magic’ holds, and full credit must be given to Shankar for being able to realize his imagination on screen wonderfully.

The movie involves Dr. Vaseegaran (Rajini) who creates a robot Chitti (Rajini again) and how his life, and more importantly the robot’s life changes through the course of learning how to live in the world of humans, is what forms the crux of the movie. Sana (Aishwarya) is the ladylove of the scientist and is one of the reasons for the change in Chitti’s life.

Special effects and animation play a major role in the movie and these are truly inspired by Jurassic Park, Godzilla, Terminator and the like. But, what must be appreciated about this movie is that, the special effects don’t look forced or artificial, and hence it looks like a top-class movie technically. Whether it’s when there are hundred guns in Chitti’s hands, or when hundreds of Chittis make many different formations in the climax sequence, the special effects are one among the best seen in Indian cinema.

Coming to the performances in the movie, it sure is Rajini’s way all through the movie. As the robot scientist Vaseegaran, he’s underplayed the role with no heroics or unnecessary dialogs. He sure looks good with the new hairstyle and beard, apart from the cool scientist glasses. Chitti, the robot, on the other hand is what makes the movie what it is. Whether it is the comical instances during the first segment of the movie or the time when he realizes a few human feelings or when he gets on to be the destructive Robot, it sure is one of Rajini’s best performances. Be it the sarcasm, the style, or the evil laughter, it is a Rajini that has not been seen on screen in a long time. This can definitely be said that no actor (even Kamal or SRK) would have fitted this role or carried out this role this way. Just for the fact that this is a Rajini movie, and audiences consider him to be a larger-than-life actor, this works.

Aishwarya Rai is the same pretty lady who made her appearance in Shankar’s Jeans more than a decade back. While, she does look slightly aged, and has very little to contribute to the movie, a lot of focus is on her during the song sequences, which are of Shankar’s signature style. With her voice dubbed (Savitha), she does get on to the nerves at most times, and it almost seems like a competition to the role of Asin in Dasavatharam (in terms of irritability!).

Danny Denzongpa as the competing scientist and Vaseegaran’s professor Dr. Bohra also has very little to do in the movie which is dominated by a destructive Chitti in the second half. The comedians Karunas and Santhanam have literally nothing to do, and the supposedly comic scenes are not funny either.

The other hero of the movie is cameraman Ratnavelu. In capturing the wonderful locales of Machu Pichu in Kilimanjaro and in the locales that come in ‘Kadhal Anukkal’ song, he’s done a really stunning job. While paying attention to the computer graphics on screen, is really easy to lose focus on the scenes captured, and he sure makes each frame look wonderful, without hurting the eye much.

The music by A.R.Rahman is surely not his best (which has been the case in the recent years), and a lot of songs seem to be forced into the second half of the movie (four of them). My personal favorites Arima Arima and Kadhal Anukkal have the expected grandeur on screen, the former technically and the latter visually. Shankar, as always, has shot each of the songs aesthetically, and the location for Kilimanjaro and Kadhal Anukkal are locations that are new to the Indian audience. Cutting down songs like Chitti Dance showcase, Irumbile Oru Irudhaiyam would have made the second half crisper.

Director Shankar is one person who has a good vision, both in terms of screenplay, and in terms of delivering what the audience will like. He utilizes the on-screen image of Rajini to the greatest extent possible and it sure works! While, a compromise was seen in Sivaji taking this image into account, I feel this movie gave the perfect opportunity to Shankar to show his skills as a director directing a star of Rajini’s stature.

Endhiran is best watched in a theater, with audience who cheer for every scene in the movie. And it sure deserves it! It sure made the Rajini fan boy in me and many others satisfied. As a friend puts it, ‘If Endhiran cannot satisfy a movie experience, nothing can satisfy. Dot.’

 

A soul departs, the voice remains....

Not many would have missed the female voice in the Rangeela track - Hai Rama. A voice, that along with the versatile Hariharan, made a thumping impact on the audience, and give Urmila Matondkar a new voice on-screen. It was Swarnalatha, a singer who made quite an impression on the music lovers in the country by this track.

The music fans in South India knew her as the singer of 'Aattama Therottama', a popular number from Captain Prabhakaran that was made lively onscreen by Ramya Krishnan. In a very unconventional yet charming voice, Swarnalatha achieved a breakthrough in the early 90s with her rendition of Poovoma Oorkolam, and there was no looking back. She was also the female vocal lead for the song Raakamma Kaiya Thattu (Dalapathi) that went on to become one of the top songs in a poll conducted by BBC.

As a Rahmaniac, I've listened to a lot of her songs ever since A.R.Rahman came into the limelight. Starting with Usilampatti Penkutti in Gentleman till Kummi Adi from Sillunu Oru Kadhal, Swarnalatha has been an integral part of his albums for more than a decade. Listing a personal favorite among them is a difficult task, however the two songs that will remain closest to my heart are Evano Oruvan from Alaipayuthey and Poraale Ponnuthaayi from Karuthamma. She also won a National Award for the Best Playback Singer - Female for the latter song. A few of her popular tracks include Mukkala Mukkabla (Kadalan), Maya Machindra (Indian), Kadhalenum Thervezhudhi (Kadhalar Dhinam), and Kuchi Kuchi Rakkamma (Bombay).

Though I am not a music expert, it was clearly evident that Swarnalatha was one of the very few female singers who could reach the higher octaves with ease, especially in songs such as Mel Isaiye (Mr. Romeo). And she voiced for my favorite actor Jyothika in Poovellam Un Vassam for the song Thirumana Malargal Tharuvaya, too! And, one song that I loved after repeated listenings (thanks to Sun Music) is 'Maalaiyil Yaaro', and I still feel no one else could have done justice to that song other than Swarnalatha.

It was from A.R.Rahman that I got to know that this singer with a unique voice and a humble nature was no more. It was a moment of sorrow for me in an otherwise joyous 'once in a lifetime' experience of an A.R.Rahman concert. You will be missed by us, but your songs will remain etched in our hearts for the years to come!

In her own lines,
'Andha Kuzhalai Pol Azhuvadharku, Athanai Kangal Enakillaye'

(From Evano Oruvan - Alaipayuthey, which translates to, I just have two eyes to cry, unlike the flute with many eyes (referring to the holes in the flute)).

A few of my favorite tracks featuring a few popular ones and a few unnoticed gems (as always):

Evano Oruvan - Alaipayuthey
Ulunthu Vedaikaiyile - Mudhalvan
Kuliruthu Kuliruthu - Taj Mahal
Thirumana Malargal - Poovellam Un Vaasam
Poraale Ponnuthaayi - Karuthamma
Senyore Senyore - Kannathil Muthamittal
Hai Rama - Rangeela
Madrasa Suthi Paaka Poren - May Maadham
Hai Rama - Rangeela
Sunta Hai Mera Khuda/Sollayo Solai Kili - Pukar/Alli Arjuna

Indian Sports: Beyond Cricket?

At the recent world conference on Mathematics, the World Champion in chess, Vishwanathan Anand, was not conferred a PhD in Mathematics. And the reason for this was that, he is not an Indian. It was after some enlightenment that he is indeed an Indian, that this folly was realized and the HRD ministry tendered an apology to the Grandmaster.

(Image Courtesy: http://tortik.wiki.lc/?page=viswanathan-anand) 

Such is the state of a sport (and its stars), other than cricket (and of course the cricketers). For a person who used to look upon Mr. Anand as an inspiration to achieve greater heights in life, this was indeed a great disappointment. Agreed that the nation eats cricket and sleeps cricket, but it sure needs to have people in responsible positions who can think beyond cricket.

And to top it all, Mr. Anand is a part of the 'Olympic Gold Quest' that has been formed to support the country's elite sportspersons and talent towards the Olympic endeavor. It would indeed be a slap on the face of the government, if Mr. Anand continues to serve on this Board. But, I sincerely hope that Mr. Anand continues to serve on this board, because that is the only way for a sportsperson from a non-cricket background to get into in the spotlight despite the step-motherly treatment by the corporate sponsors and the government agencies.

If Mr. Anand not staying in India is a reason for this non-Indian stature, why raise make a fuss about an ABCD Sanjaya Malakar on the American Idol or Sunita Williams' India trip? They don't even represent India, and the government and the media put them in the spotlight for so long.

Indeed this step-motherly treatment towards the sportspersons of merit must stop! I am sure there are lot more Saina Naiwals, Vijender Singhs, Abhinav Bindras, Sushil Kumars and others hidden in the country, thanks to this form of ignorance in India. And they need to be unearthed!

Indian Media - Does it report responsibly or does it just sensationalize?

(This is an entry to BlogAdda's contest 'Is Indian Media misusing its freedom?' sponsored by Pringoo.com)

No serious news follower would have missed the expose carried out on a self-styled god-man by a leading Tamil entertainment channel. A late night crime reporting show that it was, brought out the hidden life of the god-man and showed his non-celibate side being in compromising positions with a yester-year leading actress. For a show that is at 10:30pm, though we don’t expect non-nature audience to be viewers of this show, it was indeed scandalous on the part of the new channel to air an almost X-rated video footage on national television. And the following day, the channel lost it totally. The footage of this tape found its way into the most watched news bulletin in Tamilnadu and by the Tamil speaking population across the globe. Following this, this footage made its way into every other news channel in the country. Whatever may be the gravity of the situation, there are indeed some ethics that a television channel would want to follow, in at least censoring the segments that may be X-rated. Was the channel working towards the expose of the god-man genuinely, or was it working towards sensationalizing a not-so-important issue and gain target rating points (TRP) to boost its advertising revenue? This is a question that even a non-MBA graduate can answer.

26/11/2008 is a date not many people would be able to forget. The Mumbai attacks on this day made it to the news channels all over the world, with some major reporting all around the round. The media sure had its moment of glory, by capturing the footage of a terror-accused, something that even the police couldn’t get. But, what was disappointing about this reporting was that it was also probably one of the most irresponsible reporting by the Indian media. The blasts had disturbing images of dead and charred bodies, injured people and more importantly that of people, whose loved ones were dead in the blast. The news channels didn’t show any responsibility in censoring out these disturbing images on national television for a while. Also, just to gain TRPs and once again sensationalize this national disaster, all the news channels began interviewing the victims of the blast and the loved ones of the dead ones in the blast. The last thing that some one who is in such a situation would want to do is to explain what happened inside the hotel where the blasts took place. Whatever happened has happened, and we need to take steps to get these people to lead a normal life. Instead, the news channels only ended up grilling the already depressed minds of these people, just to make their own bread and butter out of these victims’ grief. It was also a very disgusting sight that the editor/owner of one of India’s leading news channels brushed aside a witness’ statements, just because it was not sensational enough for him to air it on his news channel and moved on to the next witness. What responsible media would have done and should have done is to help the help people in the blast area get back to normalcy, and aid in the police and army’s rehabilitation efforts.

A Hindi movie made based on a popular and best-selling Indian ‘novel’ garnered a lot of attention in the media and amongst the public. The reason – the book’s author was unhappy that he was not given enough credit for his contribution to the movie and that the film’s producer and director took credit for the story. The author raised a hue and cry about this situation, resulting in press conferences given out by both parties – the book’s author and the film’s production team. In one of the press meets, the film’s producers lost his cool at the media and asked a reporter to shut up. And this was enough for the news channels to magnify this issue and blow it out of proportion. At the end of the day, we are not too sure who gained from this – whether it was the producers of the movie that made more than Rs. 350 crores, or the author who found a new fan following. But surely, the media houses which kept track of every single movement that the two parties made, thus made sure that the viewers have their eyes glued to the screen, as thought there was a natural calamity, and eventually made idiots out of the idiot box viewers.

Off late, a news item that’s garnered national attention is not that of any national calamity or disaster, but that of the marriage of the captain of the Indian cricket team. The Indian cricket team skipper married his school friend, and this was enough to have our news channels splash pictures of the bride, the groom and the many link ups that the captain had. After all, a wedding is a private life event and anyone not invited to the wedding should respect the privacy of the bride and groom parties. Instead, the media goes into the details regarding who was invited to the wedding, who made it to the wedding, and more importantly where the couple first met and how their relationship blossomed. This was the exact same situation that happened when a former Miss World got married to the so-called first family of the Indian cinema, or the actress who made it big, thanks to her Big Brother win due to the racist slur got married to a London millionaire. I am sure the Indian public deserves better food for thought, than the generic gossip that cricket and Bollywood have been churning out for decades.

There’ve been many instances apart from these where the media has misused its freedom of reporting, expression and thought. These include instances where a former prime minister of India voiced out curse words against the current chief minister of Karnataka, the publishing of photos of a dead model in compromising positions with her significant other, or creating a ruckus thanks to intentionally misread celebrity twitter statements. Sadly during an election, the opinion polls of each of the news channels show a different figure thanks to the different political parties that they are biased towards. (This is the case not only in our country, but also in the so-called developed nation, United States of America.)

Thanks to the mushrooming of TV news channels every day, it seems like anyone with a good command over English, an opinion and with some financial backing can open a new channel of his own. And to maintain their position in the TRPs they end up resorting to cheap gimmicks. This needs to change! The news media in India needs to understand that the thoughts of the Indian public have grown beyond what it sensationalizes, and responsible and unbiased reporting is what the public demands.

Originality
Risk