Saroja

Watch it in theaters and till the credits fully roll-over at the end.

Dispelling Darkness

ADMK had called for mass "lamp lighting" to dispell darkness in TN by inviting "Amma" to herald a new beginning at Fort St. George. The event happened yesterday.

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Biting the dust(?)

He can be called the Asoka de Silva among Tamil cinema directors. He terrifies people making guest appearances in his movies. He is widely acclaimed as the "king of screwing up" heroes' images with movies christened after places in TN. His spell did not even spare the one and only Gabtun!

Here comes the king of crap Perarasu with his next venture, teaming up with Arjun. Huh!

Saawariya - சாவரியா?

Saawariya - is a recently released Hindi movie. If you are from Tamil Nadu, you would read it as சாவரியா.

Now here comes the beauty of Indian diversity. Saawariya in Hindi means "beloved" (source: google search results). And look what Tamil has in store for you. The word, in Tamil is always used as a question. Example : pOi saavariya? (meaning, why don't just go and die). Just like "gaandu" which means "irritate" in local slang. And we all know what it means in Hindi.

I heard Chak de India made brisk business down south and so if Saawariya runs to packed houses in Sathyam theater, imagine how black tickets will be sold - "சாவரியா, சாவரியா 40 rooba"...

என்னக் கொடுமை இது?

Thinking further in Tamil, what could be a sequel to Saawariya? How about "Seththu Poittiya"? ;-)

Festival Season and Ads

I caught up with this year's Deepavali special programms on Sun TV after missing out last year's. And whenever its a festival in TN and there are special programs, Leo coffee starring Arvindswamy leads the way. And of course there is, "VeLLikkizhamai... mangalam ponga" Meera seeyakkai thooL. இந்த pattern-அ மாத்தவே மாட்டாங்களா?

And I must say there are a plethora of pathetic ads out there - lead by 3 Roses and Reliance. On second thought, let the old Leo coffee and Meera herbal ads remain.

Now, this is ROTFL stuff - right at the top along with Fevicol, Tata Indica etc. simply brilliant!

=))

மலைக்கோட்டை

Started watching Vishal's "Malaikottai". Stopped after 20-25 minutes... முடியல. KG asked me if it was as in Vadivelu's "Mudiyala". Yes it was.

After "Malaikottai" Vishal seems to me like another Vijay in the making. He already has a stupid title "புரட்சி தளபதி" that is the copywright of Tamil cinema. You would know it better if you had cleared the TOTPM (Test of Tamil movies as Ph.D material)

The best comment came in "Madhan's Thirai Paarvai" (courtesy: Vijay TV). Here we go, the cartoonist in submile form...

"விஷால் வந்து... நெரய்யா நல்ல படம் எல்லாம் நடிக்கணும். நல்லா வரணும். ஆனா போர போக்க பாத்தா, அவர் படத்துல வில்லன் வந்து "உன் பின்னாடி யாரு டா இருக்காங்க"-னு கேக்கும் போது ஆடியன்ஸ பாத்து "இவங்க தான்"-னு சொல்லுவாரோனு கொஞ்சம் கவலையா இருக்கு"

Oh yeah!

Got this as a forward. Brilliant creativity yet again. வாழ்க தமி்ழ் சினிமா

Only we can do it...

Its always mighty funny watching bloopers and its additional comedy if its about cops. So how about official records in the Government valuing a bicycle at 90K, a bike at over a lakh, a boeing at Rs.1,600 and guitars classified under agriculture? Thats what the Tamil Nadu police have in their records.

Well, the best is yet to come - 15000 buffalos reported stolen in a single case and close to 100 FIRs getting filed before the crime was even committed!

இதெல்லாம் நம்மளால மட்டுமே முடியும்... என்ன சொல்றீங்க?

Think about this in another direction... We've just got the story for Vijaykanth's next movie :-)

I am just wondering what the case will be if we move up North. Bloopers volume 1,2,3... nu release பண்ணிட்டே இருக்கலாம்

MooLai... and the lack of it

The recent law enforced by the TN government to make it mandatory for two wheeler riders to wear helmets and the corollary to the law a couple of days later showcases two incredibly contradictory things

• A conscious effort on the part of the govt to enforce something that alleviates the lack of common sense on the part of the two wheeler riding public
• Lack of willingness to enforce the rule with whole heartedness. The second part exposes "government" mooLai or rather, the lack of it.

With the kind of people we have in our states, it is seemingly essential that there must be a rule to have common sense prevail. The govt. took a bold step in this direction with the intro of the helmet/seatbelt rule eff. June 1. The decision was conveyed in Feb and that gave sufficient time for everybody to get set and go ahead from June 1. Negligence led to last minute shopping and as a result many people ventured out w/o helmets at their own peril. The result - மாமாவுக்கு குடுமா குடுமா... field day for cops!

The rule is still not clear for several people especially in the suburbs who ask "Is this rule applicable in Tambaram?" That's a superb question because Tambaram is considered part of the city whenever the govt feels it has to be - CAS is one example.

Then comes the shocker of the decision to revoke the rule for lady and child pillion riders. Do any of those law enforcers have something called "Brain"? Its the pillion riders who get fatal injuries most of the time. And the obvious next qn is "What about men in the pillion"?

A step ahead... from the crooked thinker - "what about people getting a free ride on the way?" Are they expected to take and wear helmets? ;-)

A step further ahead, the whole exercise seems to be an effort to sell helmets and make commission eh?!? Another scam in the making?!?

TV pips Gold & PC's

May 11, Chennai : Colour TV beats Gold and PC, emerges Champion!

This is not Equestrian and these are not Horses' names. This is TN elections - the war of freebies as "Cho" Ramaswamy puts it.

It has been the closest elections in recent times and people have given a mandate to the DMK front to form the next Government. This is one election where the anti incumbency factor has played a very very small role. It has more to do with what is offered for free! I am very unhappy with what has turned out as people have come and voted blindly. There are hundreds of welfare issues that would weigh much, but the freebies led by colour TV have appealed to most people more than anything. Shame on us!

A simple second thought - as simple as "who will repair that free color TV?"- could have spurred a different line of thought among the voter, leave alone thinking of welfare schemes whatsoever. I personally feel no need for a change since the Govt was doing pretty decent. And now, the person who is going to lead the state is the most undeserving MLA - he has been to the assembly only once during the past 5 years - great job as an MLA isn't it?!? Damn it! Chepauk voters are perhaps the most anserine among all!

Perhaps in the forthcoming elections there would be promises like 'they are giving 15" TV, we are giving 17" with remote and a guarantee of free repair', "we will give TVS50 as opposed to the free cycle given by them" and many more like this. Read this to know about other potential offers that may spruce up in the coming years.

Other matter now: The star of the show is certainly our favorite - the one and only "Gabtun". A vote share of 10% for a 6 month old party is just great! Lok Paritran's 37K votes in Chennai is a herculean start for them. Kudos to them! Way to go!!

Stats now - something I like very much :-)

Tambaram has got the highest victory margin of 48K plus votes.

Singanallur in Kovai Dt. has got the lowest - 14 votes!

Overall, this election bears testimony to Goundamani's words - "freeya kodutha phenoyil-a kooda kudippan"

My Vote!

May 8, 2006 was certainly a memorable day in my life - I voted for the first time. I was glad that I could make it having spent nearly 4 hours to get my voter id card. I went to a nearby school that was the booth at around 7.30 and was pleasantly surprised to see about 150 people in the men's queue and about 50 on the distaff side. The other ward queues had about 50 in each of the queues. "Very decent", I said to myself. Barring a few probs with the voting machine, everything else was a nice experience in itself. I expected a 60% + turnout and it was heartening to see close to 70% polling.

One thing I did not like - the dye that is marked on the left index finger. Man, its supposed to be a small straight line this time. But it was a big cross on my finger! My colleagues burst into laughter seeing that and likened me to an accused :-(

A(a)d(i) A(a)d(i)

Step into a textile showroom anywhere in a city in Tamil Nadu this time around and you'll be overwhelmed by the fanfare there. And especially if you are from another state, you'll be bowled over just by the ambience. Its "Aadi" Sale and people try to cash in on what is being offered this time around. Or so they say. But its really the shops that make the most of the common man's mindset. Something is offered for free... what do we do??? You guessed it right... That happens on a large scale here. By the way, just go about asking a section of the people how their "Aadi" shopping was, a month or two later, most of them would end up cribbing!

After all too much is being made up in the name of "Aadi" sale. And the effort put in to rake in people is minimal. Quite simple as well. Rope in a film heroine who has had a good round oflate here in Kollywood, write the worst possible lyrics, shoot a song, advertise discounts. And boy! you find people all over the place. And the hype is extended a month or more before and after "Aadi". One shop has it this way... "Aadikku munthaya arpudha thallupadi". After that its "Aadi" and if they have leftovers perhaps we'll have one more round christened "Aadikku pinthaya aavesa thallupadi"! Not to blame the shops, its the people who are so foolish in being carried away. Of course the best example of people being fooled with elan is "Akshaya Trithiyai". Simple strategy man!

Coming back to the way the ads are shot, almost every shop follows the same thing. None of the famous film songs are spared. They will take care to ensure that you hate the original. And recently, the famous "Maalai Maatrinal.. Kothai Maalai Maatrinal" has been tampered with by a shop and its crap of the highest quality. A flurry of similar ads go blaring on the FM and TV. And to top it all, one of these ads is aired in Telugu at around 8.40AM. I can never forget this particular one. We'll be enjoying a tasty breakfast in the food court when this ad will tell us "Hey, enough... get back to work before your PL steps in or you'll be in for worser stuff!!..." :-)

Huh... afterall when somebody is there willing to be fooled around, monkey business is bound to flourish. Let me end up with my favorite quote... "Long to reign over us, God Save the King!"