Sivaji - Telugu - Review

A small review on Sivaji - The Telugu version.

1. Songs are out of the world. Remaining movie is right there on par with a Gemini TV serial. Production values etc are great for the songs and are totally ignored for the talkie part. The result is a jarring disconnect between the two.

2. Missing the Shankar mark. You feel his midas touch only in the songs. Rest of the movie feels like a regular B grade Tamil movie.

3. Missing the Rajni mark. Rajni is in almost every scene of the movie and has clearly lost his comic timing. His energy levels are down and it is high time he stopped romancing eighteen year old girls. The style elements are all in place but after a while you don't actually whistle when you see the same elements repeated umpteen times.

4. The movie has no continuity. It feels like a series of incidents and stops just at that. There's no proper story or an engaging screenplay. I doubt if Shankar really had a bound script before starting the movie. It feels as if the only story he had in his mind had exactly three words: "Black Money, Rajni"

SPOILER ALERT. STOP READING IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET.



5. Unbelievable holes in the script: Not expected in a Shankar movie. Since when has bringing the dead back from St Peters using CPR and shock treatment started working in 100% of the cases? And by the time Raghuvaran has laid his frail hands on Rajni - it is already thirty minutes (in cinematic time). By then even rigor mortis would have set in.

6. Take a hard disk which has password protected data. Take a sledge hammer now. Hit the hard disk as hard as possible to distort it completely. Now take the remains of the hard disk to some eminent organization like RAW. They will get the data on this disk in a day. CBI trying to use mimicry artists to get into the laptop is so 1970ish.

7. Rajni amassed 250 crores (10 dollars less. I stand corrected) in the USA by working as a software system architect? That means 50 million US dollars. Even with the assumption that he took about 20 years to get to this figure - he was saving at the rate of 2.5 million USD per year. Software System Architect? Where's that job buddy?

This is the worst Shankar movie I've seen and probably one of the worst Rajni movies till date. It reaffirms my faith that big directors when teaming up with big stars mess up things pretty badly. (STALIN - Murugadoss is another example though in restrospection - STALIN is handled in a much better way by Murugadoss.)

My verdict: Yawn. Wait for the DVD

Munna

A very short Munna review.

Saw it yesterday on Prasads' large screen.

The movie has one song too many and about three hundred and fifty eight twists too many. I mean, it looks like the director and the scripwriter had packed off all twists planned for all the movies for the next two years into this movie. The result is a confused product and a dazed spectator. In the middle of this dramatic emphasis on "twists" a vital component of the movie - story - has been relegated to the background.

It is disappointing to see such a half baked project from Dil Raju. While an invincible hero escaping unhurt despite being in the line of fire is a pretty common and routine occurrence in Telugu cinema, it is high time the makers take a note of the Law of Diminishing Returns. At some point, the gloss and the technical finesse stop compensating these inane and idiotic - heroism elevation concepts. Too much of thread work in the movie and an ear shattering background score every time Prabhas appears on the screen may provide an enriching viewing experience for about fifteen minutes. But continue this onslaught for three hours and you can only feel pity for the hapless viewer.

Munna is a bad product from Dil Raju. While the first half is tolerable, it goes downhill right from the so called interval bang aided deftly by an overdose of tear jerking sequences and unrealistic reactions by the acting fraternity of the movie.

Music is passable and Prabhas has nothing much to do in the movie - except to look like a macho man and mouth ferocious lines albeit with a wooden face. He manages to do it convincingly. Iliana is back to her crowning khatarnak glory. She will not be remembered for either her performance or her appearance in this movie.

Like an oasis, Kota Srinivasa Rao excels in a neatly written small role. Prakash Raj goes through the motions mechanically but convincingly.

All in all, Munna is an avoidable flick if you are looking for a good entertainer. On the other hand if like mindless violence and superhero movies that defy logic in every step of life, you will love this movie.

The choice is yours.

Some Musings

The doctor looks at the sphygmomanometer disbelievingly for a minute. "Why! Your BP is 150 by 100. And you are barely thirty."

I wait for the inevitable question. It takes him just about a couple of seconds more to pose it.

"Have you got your Kidneys tested?"

I tell him that I've been getting my body tested at least twice every week and so far nothing alarming has been found – provided we discount the extra pounds across my waist.

He takes his prescription pad and scribbles furiously. "I am not putting you on any medication. You just reduce your salt intake and walk daily for at least half an hour."

I politely point out that I've been doing all that already.

"Walking too?" he asks.

"Walking too" I answer.

"I am not talking about walking your dog. This should be focused walking – till you sweat."

I tell him I do that every day.

"Great." He says.

I add that I do climb stairs too every day – most of the days to the third floor of the Multi Level Car Parking.

He frowns. Then he asks me. "Rewind a bit. Tell me more about your walking."

I explain my walking process to him. It takes about fifteen minutes for me to walk leisurely to the MLCP.

"Boss, I told you it should be focused walking – sweating is important."

I nod and advise him to take a walk at 10 in the morning to the MLCP. "Ask me if you don't sweat."

He then takes back his prescription and writes boldly – the all important amendment – "Walk before or after sunrise. Walk fast – at least eight kilometers per hour – Half an hour of such walking everyday and no Avakaaya pickle."

I go home – sit on the couch and switch on the TV. The calling bell rings.

"Good morning sir. If you continue abusing the environment, this may be one of the final "good mornings" in this world"

I am taken aback. I ask him who the hell he is. He tells me that he is from Greenpeace.

I immediately grab his collar, "Boss, you've been taking around 150 rupees per month from my account. Tell me how to stop it."

"Sir, your contribution helps us in delaying the inevitable." He gasps for his breath.

"What exactly is the inevitable?" I ask him.

He takes the remote controller from my hands and shows me a report running on CNN IBN. "Sundarbans disappearing fast."

At the end of the report I take control of the remote controller again and ask the Greenpeace activist about what his organization is doing to arrest this Global Warming.

"It is not just us sir. Everyone needs to cooperate. Otherwise we are doomed."

"But haven't we already reached the point of no return? Is there anything we can do to stop this?" I asked him.

"Perhaps it is too late already. But then, we should at least go down fighting."

That's when I realize that I am talking to probably a knowledgeable bloke and not just a PR activist.

He has a list.

1. Replace all incandescent bulbs with CFL.
   
2. Switch off all those CFLs when you don't need them.
   
3. Get a solar water heater.
   
4. Do you know that the standby mode of your TV consumes 20 watts? Please switch the main power supply to the television off when you are not using it.
   
5. Get an energy efficient refrigerator.
   
6. Use public transportation wherever possible. Walk more. And cut down on trips which are not required.
   
7. Upgrade your car to a more fuel efficient one.
   
8. Travel less.
   
9. Recycle, Recycle and Recycle.
   
10. Plant trees if possible and protect trees.
    

"How did you commute to my house?" I ask him point blankly.

He smiles – "Route 2 from Secunderabad."

The very next day, in an Operation Council meeting in my office, I advocate some steps to arrest global warming.

1. Don't allow any car inside the campus if it has only one occupant.
   
2. Have a preset limit for the number of cars that can enter the campus and stick to it.
   
3. Strengthen the bus service to the office. Encourage employees to use the bus service.
   
4. Wherever possible – explore the option of telecommuting.
   

All this requires a paradigm shift in the way we look at life. Global warming is no longer a matter of debate. It is going to strike us full force. We may not be affected much but our kids will surely be feeling the heat. My one year old son is going to face it all.

Yes. It is already too late. Our little blue green planet is losing its sheen. Maybe God is just rectifying a glorious mistake called Earth. However we should all join hands to delay the inevitable as much as possible.

The list I have mentioned above is something we all can do. It doesn't require a great effort on our part to – say change to a CFL bulb or get a solar water heater. It is the little things that matter.

Do everything in your capacity to arrest global warming. If it means walking more – please do that and while you are walking – walk briskly. You will do wonders to your body.

Yes, it is very difficult to catch a bus to office at 6:45am. Yes, the car is incredibly convenient and comfortable. However it just needs a bit of time management. Sleep early, wake up early – enjoy the early morning dew with a fuming cup of coffee and then enjoy the bus ride to office when pollution is at its lowest.

Try doing that. I am shunning my car from today onwards and pledging my support to this activity. This probably will help me take care of my high blood pressure as well.

Cell Phone Fantasy

Till very recently, I'd been a great fan of Nokia 3310 – a groundbreaking product from Nokia. I still swear by it while others swear at it – simply because it is the sturdiest phone I have ever seen. I have dropped it from a moving bus, a zooming auto and stepped on it three hundred and seventy two times. The phone simply doesn't budge.

It serves the basic purpose of a cell phone very efficiently – to make and receive calls.

However, a gift from a UK cousin made me change my handset to Sony Ericsson w800i – (In his own words – "We are exposed to the western world while you guys are toiling in India. Please accept this gift as a token of appreciation.")

While I disagreed with him about the "toiling in India" part – I couldn't refuse a gift. However I found it very complicated. (Coming from a 3310 loyalist – that shouldn't surprise you.) There are about four hundred functions in the phone which I seldom use.

After listening to my cribs – my cousin from UK asked me a question – "Say tell me Venu, what is the one feature you miss badly in your 3310?"

That set me thinking. What was that one feature I would practically die for?

Here's my answer. For a while I had maintained two cell phones – One for official purposes and one for personal. It was a pain to handle two cell phones. It would have great simplified my life had there been a handset that allowed one to use more than one SIM card!

Here's the explanation before you think I am crazy.

Let us assume there are two SIM cards – Official (SIM-O) and Personal (SIM-P). Let us assume there is a phone WTF1000j that can accommodate these two SIM cards.

When someone calls you on SIM-O:

The phone rings as usual and you talk. If another person calls you on SIM-P during your SIM-O call – he/she will get a busy tone. (I know that this decision is network dependent and not phone dependent. However I am talking purely from a user perspective.)

When you call someone:

The phone asks you which SIM to use. You select the SIM and the call is routed through that SIM.

Even if WTF1000j is nothing a dual SIM capability added on the top of the plain vanilla 3310, I am willing to trade off my W800i as, in my personal opinion, this is the most useful feature for any executive who has to maintain more than one phone.

My rant is over. In case WTF1000j or its variant is already in the market, please let me know the model number in the comments section.

Telugu Blog

"ఇది కలయా వైష్ణవ మాయా?" నమ్మశక్యం కాక మా ఆవిడని అడిగాను నేను - బషీర్ బాగ్ నుండి లక్‌డీ కా పూల్ అయిదు నిమిషాలలో వచ్చేసరికి.



"ఈ రోజు ఏమన్న శెలవేమో" చెప్పింది స్వాతి.



రేడియో లో మంగళంపల్లి బాలమురళి కృష్ణ గారి మృదు మధుర గాత్రం మనసును రంజింపజేసింది.



"పలుకే బంగారమాయెరా

కోదండ స్వామి పలుకే బంగారమాయెరా

పలుకే బంగారమాయే

పిలిచీన పలుకవేమి

కలలో నీ నామ స్మరణ మరువ జక్కని స్వామి..."




"శ్రీ రామ నవమి!" నాకు సిగ్గేసింది. ఈ డైనందిక జీవితపు నిర్విరామపు హోరు లో పడి మన పండుగలు కూడా గుర్తు లేని స్థితికి చేరుకున్నాము.



చిన్నప్పుడు బసవన్న గారు ఇంటి ముందుకి వచ్చి సన్నాయి మేళం తో సరదాగా సంక్రాంతి ని గుర్తు తెచ్చే వారు... భోగి పండగ అంటే రాత్రి అంతా నిద్ర పోకుండా ఇంటి పెరట్లో ఉన్న చెత్త అంతా ఏరి తెలవారేలోపాల తగల బెట్టి - ఆ మంటలు పైన ఉన్న కరెంట్ తీగలకు తాకుతుందేమో నని - నాన్న తిడతారేమోనని భయపడి ...



పానకం తాగి వడపప్పు తిని - రాముడికి దండం పెట్టేసి - అందరి ఇళ్ళకి వెళ్ళి - ప్రతి చోట మళ్లీ పానకం తాగి - ఆ రోజులు మళ్లీ వస్తాయా?



"ఏ తీరుగనను దయ చూచెదవో ఇన వంశోత్తమ రామా...

నా తరమా భవ సాగరమీదను..."




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అయ్యో చెప్పడం మర్చిపోయాను - శ్రీ రామ నవమి శుభాకాంక్షలు - ఇది చదివిన వారందరికి



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