Sreejith Panickar

Top Ten Malayalam movies of 2011

2012-01-08T16:27:00.001+05:30

Here is my list of Top Ten Malayalam movies of 2011, in the same order:

Adaminte Makan Abu

Top-drawer performances by Salim Kumar and Zarina Wahab coupled with an excellent script and no-loss direction. As the story developed, came along with it a comforting realisation of the film director in Salim Ahmed. To top it all, a wonderfully positive climax!
Beautiful

One to add to the revival of Malayalam cinema in 2011. Such films started bringing "Traffic" to the theatre and ended "Beautiful"ly! A simple story told lucidly and effectively. Neat portrayal of a strong script. VK Prakash's best yet.
Pranayam

A movie that made me travel with the characters and experience what they felt. Excellent casting and great direction. A sigh, a gleam in the eye, a fleeting smile, an averted face, all conveyed meanings hundred dialogues cannot express. The director proved yet again why his parents christened him "Blessy"!
Indian Rupee

A movie that provided ample space for an amazing comeback by Thilakan, by utilising his acting skills to its limits. He may have been banned from the industry for a long time, but I just got the feeling that he has been honing his skills further, inside the four walls of his house! Ranjith's directorial skills made the film even more interesting! Worth every single Indian Rupee you spent on the ticket!
Melvilasam

I was very late to watch this one. In fact, I watched this one only today. My eyes were glued to the screen for the entire length of the movie. Easily one of the best performances by Parthipan. An example for how an actor can perform even if he gets only very limited screen space in a movie. Also the film gave a strong "melvilasam" (address) to the debutant director Madhav Ramadasan!
Salt N' Pepper

A classic example of the Malayalam cinema of 2011. No big stars, no fancy dialogues, no great-impact story, nothing. There wasn't even a tinge of salt or pepper in the movie; it was all sweet! Matured acting combined with excellent direction is what made Salt N' Pepper taste sweet!
Traffic

The movie that paved way for a change in 2011. Again, no stars or fancy dialogues. Crisp script, brilliant editing, and superb direction! I had only one confusion after the movie ended - should I call it Traffic or Terrific?
Urumi

A period movie that did justice to the effort put into its making. Good casting, scenic locations, and brilliant camera added to the visual pleasure. A movie is a director's. But some movies are the screenwriters', some are the actors', and yet some are the technicians'. If there ever is a Malayalam movie that is a combination of all these, call it Urumi!
Khaddama

Shocking stories from the life of a (or many?) housemaid in a Gulf country. Kavya Madhavan literally lived as the character and displayed the sense of fear and helplessness in the maid's mind brilliantly. One of the best shows in her career thus far!
Manikyakallu

I would have placed Chaappa Kurish here, but the simplicity of Manikyakallu made me think again. A film need not necessarily convey a message, but if it does, "wow"! And Manikyakallu was just that, a simple story which retains its relevance in any society, anytime!

Movie review: Arabeem Ottakom P Madhavan Nairum in Oru Marubhoomi Kadha

2012-01-03T22:41:00.000+05:30

Watched the Malayalam movie "Arabeem Ottakom P Madhavan Nairum in Oru Marubhoomi Kadha". Learnt a few things about the Arabs. The movie can be reviewed based on those precious learnings.

Here are the learnings:

In order to catch you, the Arab police may follow you in a number of vehicles; but you need not panic. They may shoot several rounds at you; but no shot will find even a strand of your hair.
Arab security guards can hear soft sounds coming from a room, for example when a vase falls on the floor. But they cannot hear loud sounds, for example when a person wrecks a furnished office room by vehemently whacking everything he sees there.
Arab police doesn't have the sense to authenticate a video tape from a security camera, however tampered it may appear to be.
Arab police does not know anything about checking the fingerprints at a crime scene.
You may be the Chief Accountant in a company and the only member of staff who has access to the strongbox. But you can afford to be absent from work without informing anybody for any number of days. Nobody will complain even if you are not available on your phone.

But one thing that happens in one way elsewhere happens the same way in the Arab world too! You may not know the lines of a song or the steps of a dance, for example a dance performance at the bride's house on the eve of the marriage day. But the protagonists will learn the lyrics and steps automatically and will take the roles of the lead performers. Nobody, not even the actual performers, will complain!

Thanks Priyadarshan for educating me on the Arabs! I give the film 4/10.

Movie review: Beautiful

2011-12-26T23:32:00.000+05:30

I was not very keen to watch a VK Prakash movie after the hellish experience of watching "Three Kings". But a few things tempted me to watch "Beautiful" in theatre. First - the presence of my favourite actor Anoop Menon. Second - the lovely song "Mazhaneer thullikal" that became an instant hit even before the movie release. Third - the word of mouth! My friends who watched this film had a very high opinion about it. The reservation of Kairali theatre in Trivandrum for the International Film Festival prolonged my wait to watch "Beautiful", but once the film festival was over, I got my chance to watch it.

"Beautiful" is a film that presents various aspects of life from the viewpoints of various people in various walks of life. Money is there in abundance for Stephen Louis (Jayasurya), but he is unable to enjoy life to the fullest, as he is paralysed chest down. Though his movements are limited, his imagination and confidence are unlimited. He wants to experience life and the happiness it offers despite his inability to get detached from his bed or wheel chair. Stephen is surrounded by a group of people whom he trusts and another group of people that wants to see him meeting his death. The eyes of the second group are fixed on his Rs 200 Cr worth wealth.

Stephen is amusingly interested in friendship, music, and women. He comes across a hotel singer John (Anoop Menon) and wants to be friends with him. He sends his manager Kamalu (Nandu) to "purchase" his friendship and music. John and his team are struggling to release their maiden music album. Though John was reluctant at first, the attraction of huge money and the possibility of drawing Stephen to sponsor the album enticed him to accept the offer. Even in their first meeting John is not emotionally moved by the helplessness of Stephen. To a bemused Stephen, he presents the picture of a disabled man he sees every morning when going out for work. Their friendship buds very quickly and John comes to Stephen's house everyday to sing his favourite songs. He also takes him out and keeps him happy always.

The story takes a turn when Stephen's housemaid Kanyaka (Thesni Khan) steals money and runs away one night. Even then Stephen's worry is not about the money he lost but about the reason why Kanyaka was unhappy there. It is then that Alex (Tini Tom), Stephen's relative suggests to get a home nurse to take care of Stephen. Alex is the only one in the family whom Stephen trusts. Alex's brother Peter (Unni Menon) has been seeking ways to kill Stephen at the next possible moment. It is then that the home nurse Anjali (Meghana Raj) unabashedly enters the lives of Stephen and John, drenched in rain. More than her qualifications, her sublime features lure the hearts of Stephen and John, and she is readily accepted. Slowly, Anjali joins the group of Stephen's trusted aides.

John realises from an old school photograph that he and Stephen were classmates once. John is overwhelmed by feelings of guilt and in one scene he admits to Stephen that he also wanted to see his death, hankering for a share of his wealth. It is the warmth of friendship with Stephen that draws him to confession. Soon, the movie is back to the story of the two sides; Stephen's protectors and enemies. "Beautiful" is about the scenes that unfold.

As I wrote in the beginning, "Beautiful" presents various aspects of life from the viewpoints of various people in various walks of life. Stephen is a strong and healthy representation of a mind that thinks beautifully. Kanyaka is not worried at all about losing her virginity in a gang rape! Stephen's doctor (Praveena) talks fluently about her adulterous relationship and even comments that marriage is a license to have an extramarital relationship! Anoop Menon's character exhibits the difficulties a budding musician faces in getting fame and attention. He is also presented as a caring brother who wants to send his sister for higher studies even at the cost of their property. Then there are a lot of beautiful characters and scenes in the film! So, what's really beautiful in "Beautiful"? Isn't it a mix of several things - the career best performance of Jayasurya, the methodical acting of Anoop Menon, the seductiveness of Meghana Raj, the soothing songs by Anoop Menon, the lively music by Ratheesh Vegha, the pleasing visuals by Jomon, the no-loss editing by Mahesh Narayanan, the neat-and-clean script by Anoop Menon, and the stunning comeback by VK Prakash! Oops, if you were expecting my verdict then it's right there in the name of the movie itself! Go watch it! 8/10!

Mullaperiyar: The dam of politics

2011-11-27T17:28:00.001+05:30

Mullaperiyar is a dam built over river Periyar in Idukki, Kerala. Even though the dam is in Kerala it is operated by Tamil Nadu, on the basis of a baseless 999 year contract between the defunct governments of Madras Presidency and Tranvancore. It is baffling that even though both parties are not in power now, the agreement is still on. The water from the dam flows to river Vaigai in Tamil Nadu and is used for irrigation in four Tamil Nadu districts.

The dam was built in 1895 and was predicted to stand a period of 50 years from construction. One must credit the British for making the dam stand for more than double its life. But each day from now is like a dangerous dagger following to stab you from behind. It has been 116 years since the dam was constructed, and it should supply water to Tamil Nadu for another 883 years! Since Idukki is the most quake prone district in Kerala, the risk factor is much higher in the case of Mullaperiyar. Already there is enough number of cracks on the walls of the dam, and each day more and more new cracks surface on it.

Kerala has been demanding the construction of another dam on its own, and continuing with the agreement which instructs it to continue supplying water to Tamil Nadu. But Tamil Nadu has been opposing to the idea of rebuilding the dam or constructing a new dam for it may take years for its completion. It is true that water availability can cause serious problems in the four districts of Tamil Nadu, but it is even more serious to play with the lives of people in four districts of Kerala. It is the duty of the government of Kerala to ensure the safety of its people. It is predicted that a quake of intensity 4 on the Richter scale can break the dam and can inundate four Kerala districts completely causing one of the greatest disasters in history.

Incumbents of Kerala government are trying to get national attention to this case, by meeting the centre every now and then and pleading for the construction of a new dam. That brought no mercy and luck other than oral considerations. Tamil Nadu has been showing its insane face and has been busy falsifying facts and passing statements full of twisted explanations. Its political parties, leaders, and celebrities are standing strong to kill the innocent people of Kerala. But on the other side, despite the uproars from the common people, no party, politician, or celebrity is willing to take some action against this inhuman stand of Tamil Nadu. A one-line statement of a celebrity is more powerful than the loud cry of a common man. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened here. Our parties are now trying to cause more problems to our own people by conducting strikes and hartals in our districts. These morons must be turfed out first. They should show their virility to the hostile state and not to their own people!

Already Idukki faced a few quakes this month, and there are predictions of other quakes in the near future. Kerala must follow its own ways to curb the potential disaster by ignoring everything else, and concentrating only on the welfare of its people. I don't believe in any democracy or law that have its eyes wilfully shut. Do it NOW and show the grit to fight the case LATER in the Supreme Court.

Shashi Tharoor's TED speech: A conscious attempt to distort facts?

2011-11-14T01:52:00.001+05:30

This video of Shashi Tharoor's TED talk made me write this. In the video, Tharoor visualises India as a soft power and lists out some of her qualities. When he mentions about India's pluralism, he takes an example of Indian politics which he knows best these days!

There is more to this pluralism than what Tharoor assumes. Actually, India is a country that gave the mandate to an Italian Roman Catholic woman who found a puppet in a Sikh who has not won an election (which is the foundation stone of democracy) under a Muslim President who was a better scientist than a politician any day, in a country 81% of which are Hindus with the majority falling in the neglected "General" upper class. Today everybody knows why the Roman Catholic had to give it to the Sikh and under what circumstances the Muslim became the President. Was it because of religious harmony or the political situations that prevailed at that time?

India is a country in which the real country-class is making a living by treating each single rupee precious and people like Tharoor spending several lakhs for the luxury of the Taj for a longer duration of 3 months when awaiting official residence! He speaks about the reach of communication channels to the common man and despite the development of the infrastructure he boasts about, the Internet continues to be costly in India. An impressive speech shows the skill of the orator and not always the merit of the content. Tharoor, you better speak about some presentable truth rather than trying to distort known facts to gain false pride.

Video is also available here

Sleazebags everywhere!

2011-11-06T14:16:00.001+05:30

Two examples:

Kerala minister PK Kunhalikutty presented all MLAs with Apple iPads, causing an outflow of ~50 lakh rupees from the state exchequer. Let more people die from starvation, let more children drop out of schools, let more farmers commit suicide. You may rest assured that our politicians will read all those news on their tablets.
Some gits hurled rotten eggs and tomatoes at Santhosh Pandit. Everybody has a right to criticise him, but nobody has a right to manhandle him. He doesn't deserve it; after all he is no rapist or serial killer, just that he made a crummy movie.

My first photography prize!

2011-10-22T14:27:00.001+05:30

A few weeks back, one of my photos had won me a special mention at the Yentha.com Online Photography Contest 2011. The judge was Sangeeth Sivan, film director and photographer. The prize distribution ceremony was held yesterday at The Capital Hotel, Trivandrum. I collected the prize from Balan Madhavan, renowned nature, travel, and wildlife photographer. The prize included a certificate signed by Pradeep Suthan, CEO, Yentha.com and a memento signed by Balan Madhavan. Here is a photograph.

I got to know yesterday that all the three photos I submitted had made it to the final round. :)

A special mention from Sangeeth Sivan!

2011-09-28T01:39:00.000+05:30

My photo won a special mention from Sangeeth Sivan, renowned film director and photographer, at the yentha.com Onam Photography Contest 2011! Feeling thrilled!

Here is the link to the news. Here is the link to the photograph that won me a special mention. :)

Mohanlal captains Kerala Strikers in CCL: My predictions!

2011-09-23T00:58:00.001+05:30

There is news that Mohanlal will captain the Kerala Strikers team in the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL). The team is owned by Mohanlal and Lissy Priyadarshan. My best wishes to the team. Here are my predictions! :)

Mammootty will announce his retirement even before selection, as doctors advised it was risky for a seventy year old man to get hit by the ball. Moreover he will be angry that his request for permission to use cooling glass while batting was turned down by the organisers. Prithviraj will arrange a press meet to record his dissent over the policy adopted for selecting team captain.

The team will manage to reach the semi final thanks to some good shows by Indrajith, Jayasurya, and Vineeth Srinivasan. But Prithviraj will score a 50 in the semi final and become the man of the match. In the post match presentation ceremony he will express his disappointment that he wasn't appreciated by Mohanlal for his match winning effort. But he will be happy that he was congratulated by the great batsmen Denis Compton, Victor Trumper, and George Headley. He also had 19 missed calls from Frank Worrell. When the presenter will say "I am surprised; all four died years back", Prithvi will retort "Oh is it? I am also suprised. Anyways, I will check with Supru once again".

And Kerala will enter the final! Due to good understanding while running between the wickets, as in all previous matches, Prithviraj will again make Asif Ali run out. Mohanlal will have some urgent engagement in the Income Tax Office and will be late to come to the ground. In a crunch situation, Lal will take the ground wearing a helmet that sports the Kerala team logo. Match referee Sukumar Azhikode will stand up and protest saying that he will not allow the batsman to have double protection for the head. He will demand Mohanlal to take off either the helmet or his wig. But even before Mohanlal could reach the pitch and take guard, third umpire Thilakan will flash the red light indicating the batsman is out. Jagadeesh and Maniyan Pillai Raju will be held up in the kitchen and cannot come out and protest. Kerala loses. Post match, AMMA will release a statement that the team will not play if there are umpires to officiate their matches in future tournaments.

Receive and send HTML type Windows Live mail on Windows Phone

2011-09-17T17:30:00.000+05:30

I am using a Windows Live (Hotmail) email address on a Windows Phone 6.5 (HTC HD2). The phone has a built-in program designed for using Windows Live applications. While it supports sending HTML messages, it does not have the capacity to download messages in that format. So, when you download messages to your phone, it displays the messages unformatted, even without proper line breaks. Everything, including the salutation, message, signature, and advertisement text (if any) appear in one long line, without line breaks. Imagine how annoying that can be!

There is an alternate way to download the messages in the HTML format without using the Windows Live application. That is to use the standard POP3 configuration. But the problem with this method is that the phone will search for all your messages on the server during each download attempt, even the messages that are already downloaded to your phone. Needless to say, the whole process takes a long time and drains the battery.

But there is a tweak to receive and send Windows Live email messages in HTML format on a Windows Phone.

Try the following steps:

Use the Windows Live web mail forwarding option to forward your incoming messages to your Gmail address. (Hotmail Options > Managing Your Account > Email Forwarding)
Configure a standard email account on your Windows Phone, of type Other. In the Email Address field, type your full Windows Live email address. Clear the check box asking whether you would like getting the settings automatically from the internet. Choose Internet Email as your email provider. (You may configure the settings by using your Gmail address in the Email Address field, but it fails irrespective of the following configurations as the system attempts to push outgoing messages through Gmail itself.)
In the incoming mail server, give your Gmail incoming server address, type, and user name. See https://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=13287 for more information on this.
In the outgoing mail server settings, give your Windows Live mail outgoing server settings. See http://explore.live.com/windows-live-mobile-hotmail-pop-settings-phone-faq for more information on this.

That's all! Now you can receive your Windows Live emails in HTML format and can still send your outgoing messages through Windows Live mail. This has an advantage over other methods. You will get all of your messages in both Windows Live mail and Gmail, including the sent messages. If you can add a rule for the incoming message (that is, if the From Address matches your Windows Live email address, then move the mail to the Sent folder), everything is perfect!

Update: If you are unable to bypass the automatic email configuration prompt when trying to perform the second step mentioned above, specify your email ID incorrectly (say abraham@hotmailk.com instead of abraham@hotmail.com). After you finish the configuration, go back to Tool > Options and correct the email ID.

Perarivalan's case: Justice delayed or justice denied?

2011-09-07T00:42:00.000+05:30

I read a few notes online recently, written by AG Perarivalan. If you don't know Perarivalan, he is a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi murder case, currently an inmate at Vellore prison, awaiting his turn to go to the gallows. In these notes, Perarivalan tries his best to prove his innocence by explaining how he was handled when put behind the bars. He says he was not allowed the rights even a convict is allowed to have elsewhere. I strongly decry this treatment by our police and want to see justice done in the end. If Perarivalan and co. are innocent, they should go scot free. Else they should be hanged until the last breath leaves them.

The writings of this man, who was just 19 when he was caught, amazed me. The impact of the words is so strong that you will inadvertently choose to be on his side. But I am miffed with a few things about Perarivalan. First of all, the usage of the word Tamilian in his writings and the support that he draws from Tamil Nadu, all for the same word. I wonder why Tamil sentiments are being exploited in this issue. A convict is a convict, not a Tamilian or a Malayali. It is high time we threw away our views biased by religion and region. For me, Rajiv Gandhi does not mean much. But there is no denying the fact that he was an elected Indian prime minister. Our blood boiled when we heard the hanging of Saddam Hussein, who was the chief of his own country. The same "we" do not seem to be one when it is a matter concerning our land. We can't be this frivolous. On the one hand we demand the hanging of Afzal Guru and on the other hand we want to protect Perarivalan, Murugan, and Santhan. I believe 90% of those who support or oppose do not know the facts. They just go by what their mind says. Perarivalan has good knowledge of the laws applicable in his case and is well read on topics that help regain focus and confidence. It is confounding to note that a man who had the liberty to read and write in jail could not sound off about his innocence all these years. Now that the mercy petition is rejected by the Indian President, maybe they (including the forces behind, if any) are using online campaigns as a last recourse.

In the writings published online, there is no real intent by Perarivalan to prove his innocence by reason. He gives anecdotes of the treatment he got after he was taken into custody. He does not seem to give an account of his relationship or 'no-relationship' with the other convicts. But there is an intentional attempt to say that all of the convicts are clean-handed. From what I understood, the demand of the advocates of the convicts was to commute the death sentence to life imprisonment. Life imprisonment does not, in any way, mean that the person is innocent. There is another view that 20 years is a long time for a person to be in clink, and that it is not fair to terminate the person's life after giving him only trouble for those two decades. So, in all likeliness, 17 years down the road, there will be more people to run an online campaign to save Ajmal Kasab from the gibbet. Truth should prevail, in Perarivalan's case, and everyone else's.

An Independence Day thought - Was our freedom given or taken?

2011-08-15T00:45:00.002+05:30

Today is the day of Indian independence. From our school books, library books, and cinemas we know about a half naked man who took the path of non-violence against the most ruthless country of the past. He started a lot of movements, pulled crowds into it, coordinated several protests, hunger strikes and talks with the British Raj. Unfortunately, those movements were to be left behind half way into it, and something new were to be taken up.

Think. If fasting unto death was a great option, couldn't have the man himself taken it up against the British as early as the 1930's and fetched us freedom? It didn't happen for some reason. So what kind of fear did he cause to the British? They were continuing with their individual and mass killings despite the non-violent talks. Was it non-violence that liberated India? "Yes" according to most Indians, but "No" according to Clement Attlee!

Gandhi never fasted unto death. But one did. His name was Jatin Das, a proud Bengali. He was arrested and taken to the British jails. He started his non-violent non-cooperation movement inside the jail by hesitating to take food. He went without eating for more than 50 days and finally collapsed and succumbed to death. The only known person to have fasted unto death during our freedom struggle. Gandhi didn't condemn his death and maintained a stand that he was taken into custody for his involvement in violent protests against the British. So, was Jatin doing it for getting his passport? Was it for earning himself some land? Was it for getting himself an employment? No! It was to free India!

But one sensible leader of that time went to the railway station to receive his body and carry the bier on his shoulders - Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose! Now, he, was a man of character. He believed that no real change in history has ever been achieved by discussions. He took the path of violence against the British Raj - an eye for an eye. A passionate youngster who was dismissed from college for slapping a British professor for his racist remarks. A strong administrator who passed ICS with fourth rank and refused to work under the British.

He rose to power in Congress by defeating Gandhi's candidate Pattabhi Seetharamaiah but left the role of Congress president to take up his own ways to liberate India. He sided with the Japanese and the Germans to fight the British in India. He formed an Indian government 'unofficially' and gained support from more than 10 countries. His government was well organised with a cabinet of ministers with clearly defined responsibilities. He collected wealth from the public for running the government in exile (from Singapore). Indian National Army grew in men and money. Indian fighters from India, Japan, Germany and other countries joined the INA. It rose to a strength of 80,000+. Arms were supplied by friendly nations. None of the Indian National Army fighters were left unattended. He gave them enough salaries to look after their families. A man who wished to walk with them for miles on foot when he had the luxury to use a vehicle. He recognised the capability and passion of women and formed a lady regiment also in INA. Under Subhas INA defeated Britain and got back a few North Eastern cities. INA soldiers were rolling on mud and kissing the soil of Mother India in ecstasy after winning the battle. But due to diseases and natural calamities, INA had to withdraw and surrender the place. He ensured that all the ladies in the INA were safely escorted to their houses. Bose handed over the cities officially and posted soldiers in the streets to make sure that no incidents of looting of wealth or assault on women occurred. Even the British were overwhelmed by the arrangements and they remarked it was admirable.

Well, you don't know Indian history if you don't know the heroics of this man. When in India, he was kept under house arrest with police guarding the house. Still the wise man escaped cheating their eyes! He fooled the British by his unidentifiable sub-marine travels during the Second World War. He made arrangements with Japan to fight the British in India. Finally, when Japan decided to surrender post the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, an understanding was formed between Bose and Japan. They would help him reach Russian border and the rest was up to Bose's own planning. They created a fake plane crash story to move the attention of the British away from him. Everything worked out. So, he boarded that flight in August 1945...

What happened then? Nobody had real proof of what happened next. News broke on Aug 23, 1945 that Bose was killed in a plane crash in Taihoku airport in Taiwan. The fools believed, the wise didn't. Indian government under Nehru accepted the death without any enquiry. US and Britain didn't believe it and they kept on probing it further. Protests grew larger and after 9 years of continuous fight in Parliament, some MPs decided to form an unofficial enquiry commission. Just then Nehru changed his stand and appointed a commission. The commission gave a report without even visiting the crash site in Taiwan! Government accepted the report; public did not. The fight went on. In the 1970's Indira Gandhi was forced to appoint another enquiry commission, this time the commission was someone who had shown interest in writing Indira's biography! The result was obvious - Netaji died in plane crash! The report was later torn and thrown in the floor of the Parliament by some MPs. Finally, Morarji Desai went on to state that the government rejects the findings of both commissions. A requirement of a third commission came in.

Just then some interesting things were happening in and around UP. An unknown man - a sanyasi - was changing rented houses in short times and was desperate to find a comfortable shelter, which he was not getting. The man never came out in the public but was going out in the dark, and was receiving esteemed people in his ashram at night. Who was he? Some, who got a chance to be near him - may be a doctor, may be a landlord - felt the man bore a close resemblance to some well-known person. Others only got to talk to him outside his room, with no option to at least peep inside and catch a glimpse of his face. They could only hear him.

In a night of September 1985, a few of his disciples took a covered dead body out of the ashram and buried it on the banks of Sarayu, all in a hurry, and under the little light the headlight of a motor bike can offer. Just then, the neighbours thought it was enough and they started shouting and reporting to the government authorities and police - that it was Subhas Chandra Bose!!!

Well! If so, it needed to be checked. The cry from the public was so loud and clear that the government ordered to seal his ashram and take the belongings to the Faizabad treasury. There, it left untouched for another 15 years! In the late 1990's the government was forced to appoint a third enquiry commission, following a court order. The commission inspected everything, went to the treasury, ashram, Taiwan, and Russia. He got official information from Taiwan that no plane crash occurred at the Taihoku airport in August 1945. Oh well! Then how could Subhas die! The commission wanted to explore the Russian angle and wanted to study the KGB archives there. He wanted classified information kept in the archives and sought help from Manmohan Singh. All he requested was a letter from Singh to Vladimir Putin so that he will get access to the classified archives and get information on Bose. Despite several requests from the commission, various organisations, and other people, Manmohan refused to write to Putin! Why!!! The commission went to Russia and studied only the declassified records, and came back without getting anything useful. In other words, the Indian government allowed him only to travel to and fro without offering any help that would enable him explore different possibilities. The commission wanted to talk to a Russian who is known to have information on Bose, but Russia stated he was not traceable!

Then? The commission studied about the saint. He was shocked to find the map of South East Asia on one wall of the Sanyasi's room in Faizabad! The normal structure of the house, the placement of its doors and windows were altered for the sanyasi to quickly know what was happening near the ashram. The commission opened the chests that were kept at the treasury. It contained all works of Charles Dickens, almost all dailies published in North India, plenty of PG Wodehouse, a lot of Shakespeare, Dastur, Huxley, Hugo, Walter Scott, Jonathan Swift, Homer, Charles Berlitz, George Adamski, Swami Abedanand, Will and Ariral Durant, IG Burnham, Henry Miller, Lewis Carroll, Omar Khayyam, Lobson Rompad and much more! Well! Will a sanyasi read this much? There can be sanyasis who read even more. But will they be interested in maintaining a collection of books and articles on Indian and world politics, Indian freedom, Russian politics etc, written by Nanda Mukhejee, Maulana Azad, Samar Guha, RC Majumdar, Leonard Mosley, Kuldeep Nayyar, Solzhenistsyn, Trailokyanath Chakrovarty, Tagore, Peter Sengar, Rajni Mukherjee, Sita Ram Goyal, Neville Maxwell et all? Well! There can be sanyasis interested in politics who may read this and more, right? But I bet you will not see with them rare photos of Bose's parents and brother, writings on Bose's death mystery, a British typewriter, a British Gillette razor, a Swiss magnifier, a Rolex, an Omega, a chronometer, a smoking pipe set, German binoculars, Philips Super FM auto frequency controlled transistor, National Panasonic tape recorder, Hitachi compact cassettes, and last but not the least - a large Indian tricolour!

By now, the commission already knew who the man was. Unfortunately, there was no sure material to do a DNA test to confirm the sanyasi's identity. All he could was to match the hand writings of the sanyasi with that of Bose with the help of an expert - and they matched! The commission submitted a report to the government - he said Bose died (considering age, and not evidence) and that the plane crash story was fake. Without any direct DNA evidence, he couldn't have stated the sanyasi was Bose, but he said the Russian angle needs to be enquired further. Manmohan Singh rejected the report without citing any reason. Why? He was asked by many, but the stand was that the government believed that Bose died in the plane crash! Only Manmohan Singhji knows how a person can die in a plane crash that never took place!

The commission also blew a whistle! He gave an interview for a documentary shoot a few months back. Without knowing that the camera was on, he said he was absolutely sure the sanyasi was Bose! This had created interest in media and public. The commission never denied it. He only said it was unethical to publish something which was taken without his knowledge! Isn't that a first hand evidence?

By the way, our government had tried earlier also to establish Bose's death. It was in the 1990's when Bose was given Bharat Ratna 'posthumously'. Well what is that? How can he be given it posthumously when there is no evidence of the death? This was precisely the question asked by a few who approached the Indian judiciary, and subsequently the court ordered the government to withdraw the award! It was a shocker to the Congress government, especially Pranab Mukherjee and Co.

So what happened then? It was in the mid-2000's that the commission submitted the report to the government. I was one of the few people who were following the case very closely. We Indians, I mean Indians from all parts of India and the world, united to form Mission Netaji (www.missionnetaji.org and www.subhaschandrabose.org), a national non-profit based in New Delhi. We took the case directly with the Indian government and asked a lot of questions, mainly to make all correspondence about Bose public - including information with the government on Bose post 1945 and the communications it had with Russia. To our disbelief and shock, the government replied that it cannot make information public, as it will affect India's sovereignty and relations with foreign countries! What did you just hear from me? Yes, you heard it right! That means, our government has information on Bose post-1945, but it is afraid to publish them fearing that it will have huge after-effects! What does that mean then? The news about Bose post-1945 is strong enough to stir India and the world even after 65 years of his so-called death in that plan crash. If he really died in the crash then why does the government fear?

Three more days from now - it is August 18 again! 66 years after the man is reported to be missing in open action. Why did Bose not resurface as the Bose the world knew? He was in disguise - as a sanyasi. The sanyasi was believed to have a strong intercontinental spy network so that he could even know what food was prepared in the kitchen of the British prime minister. Did the man die in 1985 September, or did he escape from there? No one is sure.

When you take pride in the fact that today is the day of independence, we must not forget the man who made India look the size it had in the 20th century. If you don't know the man who altercated with Hitler in Nazi Germany during his first meeting, the man who openly criticised Hitler for his treatment of the Jews, the man whom Britain had ordered a shoot-at-sight warrant against, the man who challenged "Britain doesn't have a weapon to kill Bose" - then you don't know who Bose was! If you don't know what 1946 Royal Indian Navy mutiny was, how Britain conducted the INA trials in Red Fort, why Mountbatten ordered the INA memorial in Singapore be destroyed - then you don't know whom Britain feared the most! Don't we need to know about him and his secret activities? Truth will come out once but newer generations will not excuse us for not asking back Netaji. Gandhi once remarked "Subhas aimed high and failed. But who has not failed?" But, has he really failed?

Now the big question - was our freedom given, or taken? The history we were taught in schools is centred on only a few people. What major activity do you see during the fierce part of the Second World War from those leaders? Indian leaders of that time assigned a lower priority to our freedom movement. As Michael Edwardes wrote in his book The Last Years of British India; "only one outstanding personality of India (Subhas Bose) took a different and violent path, and in a sense, India owes more to him than to any other man". We are already late by 66 years; we shouldn't wait any longer - ask the jewel back! After all, he is the man who made famous the slogan we exchange today - Jai hind!

Movie review: Urumi

2011-04-07T23:18:00.004+05:30

We all like to watch a movie that has a star-studded cast. Imagine those characters going back in time to show something unreal but exciting? What if those moments are daubed onto the film by an ace cameraman who himself is the director? A bang-up movie on offer! Seeing the crowds in front (in back, in sides, and everywhere!) of the theatre, I wondered whether I would be able to get inside to watch this film. Thanks to the online reservation facility at Kairali theatre Trivandrum, I could skip over the queueueueue (!) and ease into the seat much before the house became full.

Urumi opens with a yarn of the travel stories of Vasco da Gama, and how he gained control of the southern coast of India by trading in spices. Then it takes us to the lives of two young fellows who are in need of money to clear their debts. One of the friends Krishnadas (Prithviraj) gets an offer from a multi-national company to buy his mother's ancestral land for the purpose of mining. When he reaches the place, he is taken aback by a man of strange affectations to whom people take him. The strange man explains the spine-tingling stories of Krishnadas' forefathers to him. One of the forefathers, Chirakkal Kothuval (Arya) was a gallant fighter who avowed to boot out da Gama and company from his land. Though the fighter manages to menace da Gama, he eventually succumbs to a gunshot on board da Gama's ship, in an attempt to save the detainees on a hijacked ship Miri. In the process da Gama wrecks Miri with cannon shots and kills all the passengers. But Kothuval's young son Chirakkal Kelu Nayanar escapes from the ship and gets ashore. While the boy is dismayed at the sight of the corpses of the passengers being washed ashore on the beach, he is brought back to senses by a local boy Vavvali (played later by Prabhudeva) who then takes him to his house. There begins a life-long friendship. Kelu makes an urumi (coiled sword) from the gold ornaments of the people aboard Miri, who had ceded them to da Gama, begging for their lives.

Kelu (Prithviraj) grows up into a well-built young man who always nurtured his mission– to lop off da Gama’s head with his golden urumi. In his quest, he comes across many people, starting with Chirakkal Bala (Nithya Menon) whom he and Vavvali save from the hands of a few scoundrels. Both the friends impress upon the Chirakkal King (Amol Gupte) and receive laurels and decorations from the king. Love sprouts in the minds of Vavvali and Bala. Kelu then chances upon Princess Ayesha (Genelia D’Souza), a martial arts expert who was already a threat to the Portuguese. Kelu saves Ayesha and her group of women from the Chirakkal clinks. Bit by bit, Ayesha starts believing in Kelu and joins him in his life and mission. Their collective effort to kill da Gama, and the influence of the tale on Krishnadas’ decision to say “no” to the proposal form the rest of the story.

The film is crafted so astoundingly that it succeeds in taking us back to the period in which the notional events unfolded. The magical visuals hesitate to leave our minds even after days of watching it. The hazy and scenic Malshej Ghats add to the visual pleasure, and so do the costumes and light sources used in the film. Director Santosh Sivan has paid attention to make the effects come out original; be it the roped-up fight scenes, the acts of dismounting from horses while evading swords, or the floating vessels in the sea - all looked natural and uncomplicated. Kudos to Shanker Ramakrishnan for making a screenplay that is crisp and dialogues that are so relieving that despite being a period movie, Urumi doesn’t have too many dialogues for the hero for personal aggrandizement. Deepak Dev’s music is special, and you can feel it along the entire length of the movie.

Casting is brilliant. The filmmakers deserve all the credit for their selection of Prabhudeva, Genelia, Nithya, and Amol for their respective roles. Prithviraj with long locks of hair and muscle overload appears a tailor-made hunk as Kelu. Prabhudeva steals the show with his playful expressions and ingenuous dialogue delivery. Genelia equals Prithviraj in fight scenes and sometimes enraptures the audience with the rubber-like flexibility of her wafer-thin build. The most beautiful Nithya Menon appears the best cover girl on earth as the puckish Chirakkal Bala. Vidya Balan’s was not an important presence in the movie, and was intended only for an item number in which she bowls over the protagonists with her tantalizing moves! The presence of Arya, Amol Gupte, Jagathy Sreekumar, Ankur Khanna, along with Robin Pratt complete a brilliant front row cast of characters. Pratt looked exactly like da Gama as seen in the latter’s portraits.

The bad? Actually, Estevao da Gama (played by Alexx O’Neill) was much younger when his dad Vasco journeyed to India the second and third times. He was only 19 when Vasco met his death! The film shows Estevao to be a more matured man, which didn’t look fit! The film moves rapidly in the initial few scenes that you may find it a bit uneasy to follow the story. Genelia had lips, but no proper lip sync! She didn’t seem to have put an effort to even open her lips in some scenes even when her dialogues where hitting the ear drums like slugs! And, I still don’t understand why Santosh Sivan decided to use the image of an old pistol in the movie title in posters!

Verdict

Urumi is a film that colligates two generations circuitously, against the backcloth of foreign trade. The older generation sinks into trouble by getting dragged into a trade proposal by the Portuguese and the newer generation infuses itself to pass up another trade proposal. There is a striking demarcation between the new generation that draws enjoyment from the alluring aroma of modernism and money, and the old generation that was rich in spice crops, culture and pride. Yet some common qualities are subsumed in both generations - the passion for the motherland, and the resolve not to lose it.

A movie is a director's. But some movies are the screenwriters', some are the actors', and yet some are the technicians'. If there ever is a Malayalam movie that is a combination of all these, call it Urumi! I give the film 8.5 out of 10. Go experience it!

Customer is King!

2010-12-14T01:51:00.008+05:30

A personal experience that can stand as an example for the protection of the rights of a customer - several tiffs, verbal wars, and exchange of emails involved! It is about a mobile handset, bought one year ago, had a warranty period of one year, used fully for one year; finally the manufacturer had to replace it on the brink of warranty expiration, with a brand new one!

I had bought an HTC HD2 in last December from Trivandrum, for around 37,000 rupees. The phone did not have any issues until an evening two months back. Its proximity sensor stopped working all of a sudden. Proximity sensor is a small equipment that rests under the front glass of the phone, which enables the screen go blank when the phone is kept close to the ear during a call. This would prevent the touch screen from responding to inadvertent swipes on it while a call is in progress.

Two weeks later, the touch screen also stopped working. I soft reset the phone a couple of times, and then hard reset it once, but that did not solve the problem. So I took it to the newly opened service centre in Trivandrum. When I checked the repair status on the same day, they told me that they were working on it, and it would be ready the next day. On the next day, I was told that the problems were due to water damage and so the repair and replacement of parts could not be covered under warranty. But since I was sure I never exposed it to extreme weather conditions, I told them to show me the proof. If it was a case of genuine water damage, why didn't they tell me about it on the previous day? I asked the same question and got the answer that may be the problem was due to the changes in humidity! I told them it cannot be categorised under the "improper use" clause and claimed for the warranty. Finally they yielded to my argument and promised that the repair and replacement would be covered under warranty.

Four days after submitting the phone to the service centre, they informed me that the phone was in shape and I could collect it on the following Monday. On Monday morning, they informed me that its volume keys were not working. Again, they cited water damage as the reason, and "no warranty" because of it! I never faced any issues with the volume keys. Since the phone was submitted to the service centre after hard resetting it, and the only way to hard reset the phone when the touch screen doesn't work was by using its volume keys, I argued for my case all over again. Finally they gave up the fight and told me that the replacement can be covered under warranty!

At this point, I really got irritated and escalated the matter to the HTC Asia Customer Management Team. They heard both sides and insisted that I should collect the phone after the replacement of the volume keys. I was adamant in my stand that I wouldn't take the phone back from the service centre, and claimed for a replacement since I did not want to use a handset that was made defective by the company authorised staff. Since the warranty period would expire soon, I didn't want to take a chance.

It was not easy convincing the HTC people. Everyday, they would call me twice and send email once about the phone status. They reiterated that a replacement would be possible only if the problem is reported within two weeks of purchasing the product. In my case, only two weeks were remaining for the one-year warranty to expire! After each passing day, I was getting more and more irritated. By this time, I had decided to give up on the quarrel and was planning to approach consumer forum as last resort.

I told HTC very clearly that if they are not ready to replace the phone, I would be forced to sue them; in which case I would claim for the complete refund of the purchase amount and compensation. I also gave them two days to think about it. A replacement was easy for them as the current market price of the phone is only 27,000 rupees. On the very next day, they called me up to inform that they were ready for a replacement! It was a long battle for protecting consumer rights; a battle that lasted for more than five weeks!

Moral: Customer is King. To make it more clear; a customer who protests is King! If you are aware of the laws of the land and the rights of the customer, you too can win your genuine case. In the case of mobile phone repair, water damage is cited as a common problem by the service personnel. No company provides warranty on such cases, and hence they can ask us to pay for the service and the replaced parts, and also cover their own mistakes in situations such as these! Don't buy their story, if you are sure about your case!

Ayodhya verdict: What we didn't hear...

2010-10-01T10:32:00.008+05:30

Like many others, I was also awaiting the Ayodhya case verdict with keen interest; partly because I wanted to know whether my planned personal engagements for the day would be impacted; and partly because I wanted to see this one get out of the way. As luck would have it, the verdict was welcomed by most; the nation did not burn!

It was a singular verdict which helped uphold peace and harmony in this land. There were no bandh or hartal calls in protest, contrary to the widespread apprehension. Even though various state governments had taken up ample security measures to maintain poise, it was not really required.

But on second thoughts; was it a good judgment that we heard? After going through various statement bits, I take the verdict with mixed feelings. Happy that nothing bad happened. But from a solely analytical perspective, I do not think the verdict did enough justice to the laws in this land. The task the judges had was to establish from traceable evidences, what existed in the disputed land long before. As in any civil case, they had to determine this first and give the judgment accordingly. But what did they do instead? They stated the mosque that existed there wasn't really a 'mosque', and that the place was believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram even before the mosque was built. So what should have they done? Give it to the Hindus, right? At this time, you may think that I am a Hindu fiend, which I am not! I, along with a majority, have the heart to welcome any verdict that is sane.

My point is simple and logical, as I see it. If we can establish that there was a temple in the disputed land in the very beginning, give the land to the Hindus and let them reconstruct the temple. If we can establish that there was a mosque in the beginning, give the land to the Muslims and let them reconstruct the mosque. The Muslims are now taking up the case with the Supreme Court. So, the actual Ayodhya snarl could be straightened out only after a few more weeks.

If a court is to take into account the upshots a verdict can create, one may have to say abrasively that it becomes an establishment without any legitimate purpose. Stretching the thought, how can a judge award death rope to a terrorist, if he/she feels it can potentially stir up a communal riot in the country? Law should be free from all entanglements, and be the same across the land for which it is applicable. A court should not try and assuage people and communities. There is a government that is supposed to take care of all the political and communal backwash. For me, this verdict appears nothing better than dividing a cake and satisfying everyone with a piece of it.

Photography: A new hobby?

2010-07-22T01:16:00.000+05:30

I have graduated from point-and-shoot! I bought a Canon EOS 1000D DSLR camera. I will host the photos on Flickr.

Tag: Not racist, but not gender-free!

2010-07-12T13:04:00.007+05:30

A tag! After a long time! I have not been a regular blogger these days, but the football world cup was a wake up call for me to come back and write something here. But as my favourite Italy were sent packing in the first round itself, I didn't find anything interesting that gave me a drive to continue. I was sitting comfortably, and wow! - I am tagged by Dhanya!

This seems to be an interesting one, which wants me to look back deeply and find out some content to be written here.

First - the rule

Have you ever wanted or done something your gender is not supposed to?

If you are a woman,

Have you ever wanted something that is considered ‘manly’? Like a basketball, a cell phone, a dog, a camera or a new laptop? A new car or motor bike? Ever wanted to be a pilot? A doctor or not a nurse? And the manliest want of them all – The remote!

As a kid did you enjoy playing with a bat and a ball?

There was a time when books were considered ‘manly’, women authors had to pretend to be men – would you say books are still rather manly – women should want to embroider and crochet?

If you are a man,

Have you ever wanted something that only women are supposed to want – like bags, shoes, clothes, creams, perfumes, babies, flowers? A peaceful home and a happy family? Have you ever been afraid of the dark or of insects?

As a kid did you ever want to play ‘teacher-teacher’, cooking or did you like playing with a doll? Have you ever enjoyed cooking? Bought something in pink? Loved chocolates?

Are magazines and books, TV News and blogs for men or for women?

Religion and God? Pets? Politics? Air planes and cars? Technology? – Who should want them, men or women?

The tag condition is – list at least ten things you have ever wanted or done which your gender is not supposed to.

Here I go!

Cooking - I don't know whether this can completely be associated with women. 99% of the hotels that serve delicious food employ men in their backend. Anyway, from my childhood itself, I have observed that it is the woman in the family who does all the cooking. I have never found a lady who proudly boasts that she goes to work and that her husband does all the cooking and baby care. So I believe, even though cooking is not something strictly associated with women, they love to master the art. I am not a good cook, but I can judge the required quantity of ingredients in a dish reasonably well. I have also won laurels from many (mom, and wife, who else?) about this gift of god!

Soaps and perfumes - I am someone who likes to experiment with different brands. In my childhood, my bathroom was filled with the good old smell of Cinthol Original. But later on, I started exploring different makes, different flavours, and different colours. I have even used Gladys beauty soap, which is branded as a ladies' item! :) Same is the case with perfumes; but here I don't like to experiment with 'pink flavours'.

Magazines - There are a lot of magazines on the stands that are intended for 'men'. But I never found any substance in them. I am a keen reader of Vanitha and Grihalakshmi. From the advertisements that are published in these women-only magazines, I can bet the makers know the male readers outnumber the female readers! :P

Fancy ornaments, dolls, baby wears - I like buying those fancy dolls, bangles, ear rings, and bindis! I never thought it to be something that only women should shop. I have bought a lot of such stuff for my mom, wife, and niece! I must confess, on several occasions, I had to ignore the chuckles of the lady staff in such stores. I think I am an okay shopper of baby wears too. I like those cute sparkly dresses for the little ones.

Arranging items in drawing room - Whenever we do a rearrangement of the items in the house, save for the drawing room, I leave everything to my wife to decide. I find great interest in 'putting things to place'. (Hope my wife is not reading this!)

Sorry Dhanya, I thought a lot, and just couldn't go beyond these five listed items! I guess it would be easier for a woman to list all the ten items. :P

Match review: Italy vs Slovakia

2010-06-24T22:03:00.002+05:30

Slovakia gave me a heart-break in Johannesburg! Italy had a realistic chance of going through to the second stage with even a 1-0 win against Slovakia. But what we saw tonight was different. It was a resurgent Slovakia that played against the world champions. Italy made the two changes in their starting line-up, that I had predicted in my last blog post. Claudio Marchisio and Alberto Gilardino were left out. They replaced Gilardino with Antonio Di Natale as I expected, but Gennaro Gattuso was the replacement for Marchisio. They also paid the price for this decision. They had to call back Gattuso and induct Andrea Pirlo in the second half; all too late.

It was a poor defence that spoiled Italy's chances in the world cup. There was nobody to safeguard Federico Marchetti and their goal. Even Fabio Cannavaro and Giorgio Chiellini were playing forward. Daniele Di Rossi didn't have any role to play in the match. Di Rossi is at his best when he can play as an attacking midfielder. The out-of-form Riccardo Montolivo was passing the ball to places where there was no Italian player! Fabio Quagliarella was the livewire they were looking for, but it was too late for his guerilla strikes too. They played well towards the end, but it was their lapse in defence that denied them a win and place in the second stage.

It is sure that there will be some changes in the Italian team soon. This could be the last international tournament for some of the players including Cannavaro, and also for the coach Marcello Lippi. There is hope for Italy in young bloods like Simone Pepe and Quagliarella. Italy are out, but the shows goes on! Waka... waka...

Match review: Italy vs New Zealand

2010-06-20T22:53:00.002+05:30

The match between Italy and New Zealand in Nelspruit was a crucial encounter that could give a clear picture to the standings in Group F. But instead, this match turned the group wide open. Probably this is the one group in which all the four teams still have a very strong chance of qualifying to the pre quarters.

It was a painful start again for Italy. They conceded a goal in the beginning for the second successive time in two matches. But as in the first match, this was an eye opener for the Italians. They controlled the game for the whole part of the remaining 80 minutes, except for one instance towards the dying moments of the match. It is only fair to say that Italy dominated the game, but Mark Paston was the only one who stood between them and a deserved win. Full marks to the spirited New Zealand goalie who could give his country a great chance going into the last group game against Paraguay.

Italy's substitutions seemed to be misfit and illogical. It was for no specific reason that Simone Pepe was replaced with Giampaolo Pazzini in the beginning of the second half. Pepe has great capacity in taking amazing curves from corner kicks. If he was there in the second half, they would not have required the service of Riccardo Montolivo to take those corners. His kicks flew away without purpose. Another substitute Mauro Camoranesi was not generous enough to pass the ball on to his team mates.

Even if Italy could not post a win in the first two matches, they still have a very strong chance to move to the next round. All they need to do is win the last group match against Slovakia. This would definitely give them a berth in the pre quarters. They might even go through with a draw in the last match, but then things would depend on the Paraguay - New Zealand match. But I don't think the world champions would want to do that. They should get the services of Andrea Pirlo from the beginning, and the off-colour Claudio Marchisio should be left out. Antonio Di Natale should play in the starting line-up instead of Alberto Gilardino. Hope to see the same controlling game from Italy in Jo'burg, but with better finishing touches.

Match review: Italy vs Paraguay

2010-06-16T01:51:00.003+05:30

Italy has always been a slow starter, especially in world cups. For their world cup opener against Paraguay, they had to pick four relatively new international players in the start line-up. Paraguay gave them a run for their money by scoring first unexpectedly. The header from Alcaraz was too good for a misplaced Gigi Buffon. One would have thought that this could put the world champions on the back foot; one because it was a shock, and two because Italy's recent form hasn't been any great.

But what we saw in Cape Town was a focused and resilient Italy in the second half. There was only one team in the second half and all the time the ball was in the Paraguayan half. Simone Pepe for his known speed was too good for the opposition to handle. He played along the right side in the first half and along the left in the second. And quite rewardingly, the equaliser and a breath of life came back to Italy from his corner. All De Rossi had to do was make the contact with the ball at the right time. Italy would have been in a better position had Montolivo not wasted a golden opportunity in the first half. What was relieving was to see Camoranesi taking the field in the second half. Marchetti's replacement of Buffon came as a surprise.

With New Zealand holding Slovakia in the dying stages of their group match, all the teams can rest on one point each, much to the relief of the world champions. Italy now faces New Zealand in Nelspruit in their second Group F match on Sunday.

World Cup 2010: Italy team preview

2010-06-09T01:38:00.006+05:30

Regular readers (if any!) of my blog would know my interest in sports, especially in cricket and football. It is time for football fever again as the 2010 world cup kicks off in Jo'burg. As always, my favourite team is Italy, irrespective of whether they win or lose. Last time (in 2006) I wrote the preview of the Italian team on my blog. This time, for a change, I wrote it for www.footballkerala.com. You can read the article here (Shortened URL at http://bit.ly/9cHtcv)

Movie review: Bodyguard

2010-02-25T01:15:00.007+05:30

Bodyguard is a film which made news even when it was being made, not for the hero, but for the heroine. Nayantara was making a come back to Malayalam film industry through this film. Even though she has made several appearances in Malayalam movies, none of her performances so far, Rappakal included, cannot be deemed telling. Bodyguard gave her ample room to 'act' and not 'show'.

Jayakrishnan (Dileep) is a young man who appreciates an aberrant ambition, which is to become the bodyguard of some prominent person. One day, he hears about Asokan aka Asokettan (Thyagarajan) a popular businessman in a nearby village. He goes there seeking a job as Asokan's bodyguard. Though the people in the village welcome him with great hospitality, he is treated with apathy and disdain by Asokan and his family members. He meets Ammu (Nayantara), Asokan's daughter who initially feigns that she is a servant in Asokan's house. He mistakes Ammu's brother (Appa Haja) as a womaniser attempting to beset Ammu and attempts to save her. In the effort he severely beats him up. Albeit admitting his mistake, Jayakrishnan is drummed out from the house. On the recommendation of someone who both Asokan and Jayakrishnan know, Jayakrishnan is called back to the house where his fascination of becoming Asokan's escort comes true. Later Jayakrishnan saves Asokan and family from a murder attempt which increases his credibility and acceptability in the family. On seeing a potential threat to Ammu's life, Asokan appoints Jayakrishnan her bodyguard in college, for which he even arranges for Jayakrishnan's admission in college! Undoubtedly, Jayakrishnan tops the class!

Annoyed with the attire and attitude of the bodyguard, Ammu and her friend-and-roomie Sethulakshmi (Mithra Kurien) play a trick to get him away from them. Ammu initiates an anonymous call to his mobile and beguiles him into believing that she loves him. Ammu fakes her voice and calls from a caller ID restricted mobile so that Jayakrishnan gets no clue as to who the caller is. The way this gab is transmuted into a strong virtual relationship and the consequences of that relationship form the rest of the story.

Director Siddique follows the conventional pattern in portraying the wicked bodyguard as a super hero, college topper, and even a rank prospect! Dileep was his usual self and Nayantara impersonated her role with ease and elan. Thumbs-up to the little boy who storms in with his impressive looks and presentation skills in the dying minutes of the movie, even though the diary story is hard to digest! The movie lost its continuity in the last fight scene, in which, all of a sudden, all the characters were seen in a totally different place than the one showed in the previous shot. The film presents an out-of-the-blue climax, which is interesting yet totally inane from a pragmatic perspective. Overall, despite the obvious downs, Bodyguard is a watchable movie. I would give the film 6.5 out of 10.

Movie review: Happy Husbands

2010-02-02T22:45:00.007+05:30

Happy Husbands is Saji Surendran's second directorial venture. Even though there wasn't much in it, his first film Ivar Vivahitharayal was a decent hit. Therefore much was expected from the second, especially because it showed off three heroes and four heroines. Titles of both movies make enough reason for sparking curiosity in people's minds. This time, the name being an oxymoron may force more housewives to drag their husbands to theatres!

The movie begins with the reason why one of the heroes is not a happy husband. Krishnendu (Bhavana) is leery of her husband Mukundan (Jayaram), a media mogul. She believes there are beautiful lasses in all the places that he goes to, and fears that he might even develop relationships with them. She sees her friend's (Samvritha Sunil) husband as a perfect hubby who is romantic and well-mannered. She believes that Mukundan's behaviour can be bettered by urging him to be friends with Rahul. Both wives don't know that Rahul (Indrajith), the ideal husband, is nothing better than a self-trained fraud who falls for drinks and divas. Mukundan and his associate John (Jayasurya) who know the real Rahul, try their best not to make the friendship materialise; but Krishnendu forces him to join the philanderer's company. Rahul takes Mukundan to a bar dancer Diana (Reema Kallinkal) one evening. To conceal his meeting with Diana, Mukundan starts telling lies to his wife. Meanwhile John gets into a love affair with Serena (Vandana), a psychology student. The attempt of the three to make the John-Serena wedding happen, and to avoid Diana from their lives form the rest of the movie.

The film is scripted and crafted well. I thought Indrajith was the best amongst the three heroes and Reema amongst the four heroines. Bhavana overplayed her role and never looked like a real life housewife. I wonder why Mukundan was afraid of his meetings with Diana! He later admits that his mind swayed slightly after he met up with Diana. There were no scenes to prove it, which is a serious bug in the movie! Suraj Venjarammoodu and Salim Kumar are the usual essence makers, with the former appearing from the very beginning. He is still going on with the Trivandrum slang, which is boring at times. How far can him be cast in the same mode! Salim Kumar does a double-role, which came out well. The scenic beauty of the film is worth mention, which is made even livelier with the beautiful Malaysian resort presented in the second half. The film is a complete comedy, but not without a story, even though told several times by several people. Overall, despite its little flaws, Happy Husbands can be described as a movie that would not debilitate your senses for more than two and a half hours. I would give the film 6.5 out of 10.

Review: HTC HD2 mobile phone

2010-01-02T02:25:00.003+05:30

Happy Twenty10 to you! Finally, I decided to come back and make another post. My last post here, a review, was published more than two months back. I am back with another review; not a movie review this time though. It is about my new GSM mobile handset - the HTC HD2.

I was happy with my Samsung Star. But the honeymoon ended in six months. I had to change the screen, upgrade the unstable software, and even go for a complete motherboard replacement. But aye, you Star owners don't worry. It must have been a rare problem. Some of my friends are using the Star and they are quite pleased with its performance. So I consider my case as a rare one. But after facing these problems, I was constantly searching on the Internet for a decent handset. I wanted to buy one which has plenty of features, and so did not consider the cost factor. The phones that made it to the final round were Apple iPhone 3GS, HTC Hero, and HTC HD2. All had their advantages and disadvantages. Though it is a very good phone, I didn't like the shape of the Hero. I also wanted a bigger touch screen. The preferred choice was the iPhone 3GS. But some factors like its lack of Bluetooth data transfer facility, flash (both camera flash and webpage flash), and FM radio made me think again. To add to it, I had to purchase the phone from abroad, unlock it illegally and use here. So, the option came down to the HD2, the Windows Phone. I referred a lot of sites, read several reviews, compared its specifications with other phones I considered, and finally decided to own one. But owning one wasn't easy either. Its sale had not started in India. A few weeks later, Tata Docomo started selling it through their Dive In stores. But the problem was there was no Dive In store in Kerala. In a few days, they opened one in Kochi, and another one popped up in Trivandrum in the following week. The best thing is that Docomo does not want you to buy their connection along with it. So, I could use my Vodafone SIM with it.

HTC HD2 is a Windows Phone that comes with Windows Mobile 6.5. The phone has the biggest touch screen on a mobile. It is a sheer pleasure to use the giant capacitive screen. Since this is a capacitive screen, you don't need a stylus to work on it. The phone has a fast processor and more than decent RAM capacity. So, the phone is really fast! In case if you buy the phone from a Docomo Dive In store and take a Docomo postpay connection along with it, you will get 500 MB of free data per month for six months. I checked with Vodafone support and sadly their GPRS settings will not work on Windows Mobile 6.5. So, I had to go for Vodafone Mobile Connect for Internet. Now the price - I bought the phone for INR 36,269.

So here goes the review; hopefully the bullet list is better than a detailed and elaborate one.

Pros

Screen size: The screen size is 4.3 inches, which is almost 11 cms diagonally. This is the biggest screen on a mobile phone until now.
Display: Even though the phone supports only 65K colours, the display is the best I have seen on a mobile, thanks to the HD screen. It is brilliant for images and videos.
Looks: 10/10 for the design and looks. The phone also comes with a handy pouch. You may find the pouch a bit tight initially, but it will loosen up in two days.
Slim: Even though the phone carries a huge screen, it is so slim; just 1.1 cms of thickness.
Capacitive touch screen: It is a joy to experience its iPhone like touch control.
Unlimited contacts and call log: Self explanatory. I think this depends on the available memory.
Camera: Comes with a 5 MP auto-focus camera with dual LED flash. Great for outdoor shots. You can also tap the required part on the screen and take adjust the focus. There is a problem of a pink tint in the pictures taken with the HD2. But a fix is available for that on the HD2 support website now.
Calculator: Has a scientific calculator in the landscape mode.
Digital compass: Has decent accuracy. It is possible to calculate the distance to the required location using Google Maps and the digital compass.
MP3 trimmer: Suppose you have a lengthy song, and you want to set a particular portion of that song as your ringtone. How? Quite possible with the HD2. The phone has a very good song trimmer to make ringtones from music files.
Phone search: A brilliant search facility that searches the entire phone, mails, messages, notes, tasks, MS Office, calendar, help, and other files and returns the results in a jiffy.
Home screen: The home screen displays the time, weather, upcoming event, alarm settings, date, and shortcuts.
Lock screen: The lock screen displays the date, time, upcoming events, and missed notifications. You can tap the lock icon and the phone will display the missed events. Instead of locking the phone by sliding the lock icon, you may go directly to the required event by tapping the lock icon and sliding the corresponding icon.
3.5 mm headphone jack: You can plug in your own headphone using the 3.5 mm jack of the phone. You can also connect the phone to external speakers this way and listen to some loud music.
Headset: The phone comes with a quality headset. It contains dedicated music keys using which you can play and pause songs, change tracks, or even seek the 'now playing' song.
Weather wallpaper: You can set weather wallpapers which will display animated weather effects on your screen, by downloading the current weather of your city from the Internet. For example, for a rainy weather, the phone screen shows showers on it with a wiper clearing the water drops.
Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube ready: I tried the Twitter application, which is brilliant and quite easy to use. It has settings for URL shortening host selection, photo host selection, and notification control.
Menu bar: This is a welcome change from other phones. One may feel it a bit difficult in the beginning. But a host of options appear in the home tabs which is very convenient and easy to use.
Processor and speed: The phone comes with a Qualcomm 1 GHz Snapdragon processor. With it, you can launch, use, and close applications in no time. Just try changing music tracks or seek a track for a feel of the processor speed.
Threaded SMS view: Like in GMail and iPhone, you can view your messages with each contact in a threaded view.
Scroll facility: The text on webpages and that in documents can fit themselves into the screen even if a zoom view is set.
Pinch zoom and multitouch control: With two fingers, you can zoom in and zoom out photos, documents, and webpages (Opera only). Double tap the required part in an image for zoom in and zoom out effects.
Internet experience: Thanks to the big screen, speed, and pinch zoom, using the Internet is a great experience with the HD2.
Calendar and appointments: The phone presents a brilliant calendar and an MS Outlook like event organiser. You can also view the year calendar, thanks to its big screen.
Reject calls with SMS: Suppose you get a call while you are in a meeting. If you want to let the caller know that you are busy, you can click the option 'Send Text' which will send your pre-configured message to the caller.
Intelligent ring: The phone will automatically reduce the ringtone volume if the phone is moved while it is ringing. This is helpful if your phone is placed on a table.
Mute ring: You can hold the phone upside down while it is ringing, to mute the ringtone.
Pocket mode: The phone will automatically increase the ringtone volume if it is kept inside a pouch or a bag. A really useful feature.
Auto backlight: The phone has a facility to adjust the backlight to suit the light settings of its surroundings. A good feature that provides a clearer screen even in bright sunlight.
Micro USB cable: The charger which itself is the data cable, has a micro USB connector so that you don't need another charger that comes with a proprietary pin measurement.
Business card reader: Open the business card reader and point your camera to a business card and take a snap. The phone recognises the details and allows you to save the card holder to your contacts list. You can also edit the details if required.
Contacts navigation: It is so easy to navigate to the required contact. You have three options; one is to scroll using your finger, two is to use the find button, and three is to use the alphabet listed on the right side of the contacts page.
Contact history: When you select a contact from the contacts list, the phone presents your complete contact history with that person. This includes SMSs, mails, appointments, and call history.
Data card encryption: You can encrypt the contents of the memory card so that the card contents can be read only by your phone.
Expandable memory: The phone comes with an 8GB micro SD card. The phone supports up to 32GB of external storage.
Other features: WiFi, 3G, GPRS, EDGE, GPS, Bluetooth, Stock Alerts, Opera and Internet Explorer browsers, Digital Camcoder, MS Office Mobile, SIM Manager, Connection to Windows Marketplace, Voice Recorder, PDF Viewer, Windows Live Mail and Messenger, Windows Media Player etc.
Install programs: Self explanatory.
Automatic data configuration: The phone detects the available data configuration settings and it can implement the settings automatically.

Cons

Back cover: The phone has a metal back cover which cannot be opened easily. My finger nails got damaged twice. The third time I sought the help of my brother to assist me in opening the back cover.
Internal memory: The phone comes with only less than 600 MB of internal memory. But it comes with an 8GB micro SD card and supports up to 32 GB of external storage.
Data counter: I didn't see any option to view the downloaded or uploaded data.
Keyboard: I have been using Samsung Star's small qwerty keypad and I found the HD2 keypad a bit difficult to operate with both hands when composing a in the landscape board. The phone is that big!
Data service check: The notifier 'E' appears at the top of the screen always. This appears as enabled when data service is available. The notifier automatically fades itself when data service is not available. I didn't see any option to disable this automatic check.
Weather display: I didn't see any setting by which the once activated weather settings can be removed from the home screen.
Windows Live account deletion: I didn't see any setting by which the once activated Windows Live account can be deleted.
Powerful flash: The camera comes with a dual LED flash, which when used close to your shooting object produces only white pictures! Wonder why? The flash is that powerful. So, you will need to adjust the distance to the object for better pictures with the flash on.
Cost: The phone is costly.
Windows: Yeah, the phone may hang occasionally. If nothing works, you may need to open the back cover and press the red button to soft reset the phone. This must be a Control+Alt+Delete option!

Verdict

The HTC HD2 is a brilliant phone. It has more features than what you may find in another leading phone in the same price range. It will be nice if most of the problems given in the Cons list could be corrected. This is undoubtedly, the best phone I have used or seen. I would give the phone 9 out 10.

Image: HTC

Movie review: Pazhassi Raja

2009-10-27T00:59:00.018+05:30

History book in school teaches a student that the first Indian insurrection against the British happened in 1857, in Meerut. But more than half a century before that, a Malabar king had taken his brand against the British. That is the historical importance of Pazhassi Raja. This big budget Malayalam film by Hariharan-MT-Gokulam Gopalan chronicles the dauntless life of that patriot who sought the help of tribes and muslims in assisting his force to win back the control of Malabar.

In one line, Mammootty as Pazhassi Raja was perfect. I can't imagine a different face for this gallant warrior. Even then it is to be doubted whether his supreme acting skills were tested to the limits in the film. In fact, the film is about Pazhassi's plans to fight the British and how his men and women attempt to accomplish them. The valiance of the Raja himself seemed to be softened in the movie, but that gave enough room for others to showcase their abilities too. Action sequences are handled by his two trusted aides-de-camp - Edachena Kungan (Sarath Kumar) and Thalakkal Chanthu (Manoj Jayan). Sarath Kumar was brilliant with his screen presence, matureness, and actions. It is wonderful to see the two 55+ year old stars of South Indian film handling things with ease. Sarath Kumar stood out as the best actor in the movie. Manoj Jayan did very well as the head of the Kurichyars. Padmapriya was at her supreme best and fortuitously, she got enough opportunities to display different moods. She graciously cavorted through the jungle in adventurous scenes. At times, she was a silly lass looking forward to be with her man. She was equally brilliant in moments of exhilaration and devastation. Suman as Pazhayamveedan Chanthu gave out the expressions of a dishonest officer who later sided with the British. He was brilliant!

The early shots involving Jagadeesh and Jagathy were nothing less than nettling that it dampened the overall effectivity of those scenes. Lalu Alex was a let down as Emman Nair. This actor has been in the industry for about 30 years, and it is so saddening that he knows only one way of acting. The very same expressions, the very same dialogue delivery, and the very same movements as seen in his cinemas. Harry Key was unimposing as Assistant Collector Thomas Baber. His expressions and body language seemed very amateurish.

The visual beauty and sound effect ensured that there never was a draggy moment in the entire length of the film. The dissatisfactory aspect of such a mammoth film was the want for punching dialogues. The film boasts about visualising only the real incidents that happened in the life of Pazhassi Raja; but I doubt that. The movie is to be prised as it is an awesome tribute to a collective and audacious effort to uphold human rights, which sadly, failed to materialise. I would give the film 8 out of 10.