The Mughal Samrajya

Trust me to always do the reverse, in this case reading a series in reverse. I saw the book "Empire of Moghul- Brothers at war", at a book store and liked the gist given at the cover. The hardback book about the least talked about Moghul Humayun piqued my interest from the beginning and  Alex Rutherford had spun a historical yarn which was somehow more humanistic and believable.

And when i recently visited Humayun's tomb i felt something like what people call "deja Vu". 

Then i had to read the prequel, but woe betide, i searched and searched and had lost hope. And then flipkart came to my rescue. The first book in the series "Raiders from the North" is a novel full of information and sorrow and triumph.






Now, eagerly awaiting the next book, hope it will be refreshing tale of Akbar - The Great.

Blasphemy..

I am becoming a non-believer in fiction !!!

I have taken a temporary wow not to read them because i am really fed up. Nothing new in the horizon and hence i am turning to reality or so called versions of reality. Currently reading Marx!!

Its a little story...

Here is a short story i wrote....


The Wish


“There are two kinds of people in the world, the good and the bad. I know this because I am 5 years old and my patti told me so. I am already going to 1st standard and I can spell all the big words like ‘discipline’. Meenachi patti taught me all the big words. The house is all quiet now, it has been so from last Friday, I know it was Friday because they were showing Heidi on TV, its Friday now too but Amma is not allowing me to watch TV. She says we should not do anything for some time now because we are mourning. They are cleaning patti’s room because Amma says she is dead. “ Neena was chatting continuosly as usual to Shanmugam Chittapa , it was a relief that the child has not been affected by the death of her grandmother. Shanmugam Chittapa is Neena’s mother’s uncle and he is stone deaf. Neena had been very close to her patti, her father’s mother. Meenachi patti has been a widow since Jaganathan was a little boy, then he married Neena’s mother Shantha before finishing college against Meenachi’s wishes.

Neena was getting bored now and to add to her woes mother had scolded her for making a rukus in the house.” Mother has been acting strange after the death of patti, she chucked to herself because she knew the truth, her patti hadn’t died. She had gone to heaven. Patti told her already that she was going to heaven and all good people went to heaven and that everyone was happy in heaven. But her mother who never talked to patti before last Friday was crying , everyone was crying. They sang songs and all and there was music too, when got exited and danced, mother shouted at me. It was all so funny and father as usual was shaking and talking to himself. He had that coco cola bottle with him. He always became like this when he drank coco cola. Patti said I should never drink that stuff and I will not “ Neena was fast asleep.

It’s been a month since patti went to heaven and now it’s all as usual. Today I came back early from school. Last week lawyer mama came and read a letter written by patti , the group ups were all upset and were scolding patti because she gave them so little. Appa was very angry for he shouted till the roof came down. But I was happy for patti had already given me a gift before she went to heaven. She gave me box a magic box. I am never to open it until I am as big as next door Ruku akka. It was made of silver and it contained a mysterious stuff, her patti used to take something from it and put into her nose and then she will sneeze real hard. Whenever Neena asked her patti about the stuff in the box, she would say it had magic in it.

As her patti told, the box was really a magic box, if you close your eyes real tight and hold the box in your closed fist and wished for something you got it. She had wished for a new bag the other day and she got it. She has wished for gulab jamun last week and Amma had made it. She even wished that Janani would become her friend and they were close friends now. Everyone around her were starting to wonder how she got everything she wished for and she smiled within herself for she told her secret to none. It was her secret only”.

It was almost a year since Meenachi patti died and the house is a mess , thanks to Jagan, he is wasted. Last week the police came and there was a lot of commotion in the house. “When I came home today I went to the maadi room to get my books to leave for tuition and that’s when I saw father trying to insert his head into a rope hanging from the fan. I got real scared and started screaming and then everything became black”.

Neena knew why this was all happening, she knew it’s because; she had lost her magic box.” It had happened a day after Deepavalli when she went to play with Janani and her friends to the river shore. We were playing anju kal when a group of boys including Ravi came and started pestering them to get out of our place as they said they had marked that area for playing cricket. When I said I wont go, Ravi pushed me in the water I got all went lost my slippers . I came home crying and went straight to my room to find my wish box. I was going to wish that Ravi will disappear and go to hell when they fried everyone in big enna kadaais . Patti had told her that she should not wish any harm to anybody and if she did so it will make her bad. But she was only going to wish that bad Ravi would disappear that will not make her bad. Will it?” immersed in thoughts she searched for her magic box. When she was not able to find it even after half news was over she panicked. “Oh my God! the box is gone ! It’s because… of me? I wished for bad things, oh my God! Please forgive me. Patti , please forgive me” , Neena cried and was asleep.

After that things became really bad, her bag was torn, mother never prepared sweets nowadays and Janani went to town to study. “Everybody at house is crying, they say that father took something from his office and he had lost it. And they will send him to jail if he doesn’t return it.” Neena knew that if she got her magic box everything will be ok again, she ran to the pooja room . She knew that if she prayed enough to God and light a camphor God will give her magic box back. Neena was reaching for the camphor box in top shelf when a bundle fell to the floor. And out came tumbling from it her Magic box. She was overjoyed she took the box and went to her Amma. “Amma ! “ She trust the box in her mother’s hand and told her in all earnestness that if her mother “ Amma close your eyes and wish for anything ma, really ma it will come true this is magic box”. But Neena’s mother was so vexed and angry that she violently threw the snuff box of her late mother-in-law. And then she blinked.

“It was called diamond, that’s what came from my magic box. It was inside the brown powder in the magic box. And as I told you before, everything became alright at home. Now, I am going to get back everything good I wish for!” , Neena touched the little silver box in her pocket and smiled as she wished for those pretty red shoes she saw at the market.

Its an old world romance

I haven't blogged for a while and i have nearly forgotten what happened in my little world for long.

But here i am back to sharing my little world.
Lots of olden day romance movies was what i watched for some time now.

Pillow talk (Rock Hudson and Doris day)

The charming old story of ladies man falling for the strict good lady. The romance between  two people sharing a common party phone line in the days were telephone was a pleasure, a charming tale.

Tony Randall was really funny.














Lover come back (Rock Hudson and Doris day)

They really make a good pair. The same tale as above in a different advertising world circumstances. Here Hudson and Day work for different ad agencies with conflicting approaches. How Hudson cheats by making ad's for a non-existent product and  Day tries to get the contract for the product. Tony Randall as the rich boss of Hudson was hilarious, a good romantic comedy.










A Touch of Mink (Doris day and Cary Grant)

Doris Day is the recently unemployed good girl who the world wants to turn into a bad girl. Cary Grant is the no-nonsense man of the world, whose car accidentally splashes dirty water over Day. Cary drives away and Day is furious. Cary spots her entering a luncheon from his office and send his executive (Gig Young) to meet and apologize to Day on his behalf. Gig the depressed executive of Cary wants Day to scold his boss in person, but they meet and situations turn. Romance blossoms and its a good time pass. Audrey Meadows as Doris Day's friend was very enjoyable.












Come September  (Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida)

They make a dream pair and come september is a very enjoyable film with a great soundtrack.Hudson and Lollobrigida are couple who get together in September at Hudson's villa. However one September their plans go for a toss thanks to the villa manager (Walter Slezak) and the people who stay at hotel La Dolce Vista i.e the villa. Between the old pair and the young pair (Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin) its romantic fun.

It reminded me of so many movies in Hindi and Tamil i have watched before (obviously our people dont let go of a good inspiration, do they, " Love you Raja...", Anbe Vaa...)

Tamil movies of 2009 - The ones i watched

Finally, we have bid bye to 2009. Here’s a look of the some Tamil Films I have watched in 2009. The list is not exhaustive.

Ayan:

The movie is the masala flick of the year. With action, sentiment, villainy beautiful heroine, foreign locales and action scenes stolen right under the nose of the makers of James Bond and other Hollywood action flicks. It was a easy brainless watch that made me a tad uncomfortable in certain scenes involving the herione’s brother and such. But overall the movie was good and the music average.

If there is a musician I like after Illayaraja its Harris and this is not even his good stuff, a real disappointment. The acting of Surya was good, but it seems the guy is struggling hard to follow some mass hero style, its very sad.
Tammanna is about ok, could have curbed that over the op reactions a little, she’s got the time, isn’t it.

Villu:
One word for the movie – disaster.
This movie is really fun, it was like the producer had so much money he wanted to spend, that he gave a free hand in every department except the scripting department. Starting with very bad story, gaudy and baaaaad costumes, unnecessary locales, repellent mannerisms and punch dialogues ( I seriously wanted to punch the face of the guy who thought it up) and the copy cat music; the movie was the worst of the year.

Its like this thing called ‘kootanchoru’ we used to play while children. We kids without any knowledge of cooking would get all ingredients and pots and will cook up a fare which will have everything you know, rice, lentils, vegetables, fruits spices and all and so much in it that the final product will be the most un-edible stuff. We usually never ate it (did you think we were stupid or something) but gave it as an offering to the crows with much joy. I can’t but compare the makers of this film to the kids we were.

Better luck with your brains the next time around guys…

One final word - about the music in the film. Somebody someday is going to kill Devi Sri Prasad, the guy should be a real idiot or should be blindly courageous to copy such popular music and be happy about it.

And, oh please Vijay go attend a diction class for heaven’s sake and take Nayantara to the tailors on your way, poor girl I think her wardrobe was robbed or probably burnt.

Finally you cant blame the actors the guy who sold the story and made also it, he is the real culprit -Prabu Deva.

Aadhavan:
This movie was marketed and ran mainly of Surya, a mediocre fare. I can’t understand why they put so much effort to make bad movies. Sometimes, it makes me angry for them, for I am sure the people who were involved in this film will also be really unhappy watching some of their genuine efforts going waste because of a bad story.

Padikathavan:

Really nothing much to say… Danush in his father-in-law influenced bad boy in good boy clothing works this time around too. And I better not say about Vivek’s so called comedy.

Naan Kadavul:

The movie was very disturbing. Sometimes you don’t want such harsh reality in your face, the actors were good. Especially the villain and the team of people he keeps under him. I somehow don’t think they acted. Pooja was excellent. This girl deserves the national award for this role-seriously. Arya, what he scored in his looks and mannerisms has lost it in diction and acting.

Good work Bala, but no once mores………

Vennnila Kabadi Kuzhu:

Sometime when I heard the movie name before its release I thought, comeon…why do you have to make movies on sports, its going to be bad. Chennai -28 and Chak de India were hits because they were a break from usual, so now why does someone want to make it a routine.

But I was wrong. The movie was a sincere attempt, one which showed the lives of small town kabadi players which inspite of being a sad story was actually a satisfying watch.
All actors including the team players, the patron, the girls everything was perfect. The comedy was a comedy with a lace of sadness. I liked the film.

Mayandi Kudumbathar:

A clean and neat film with so many directors (and the best actors in them). It was like reading a very good novel when I watched the film. It’s a tearjerker yes.
I especially love the acting of Manivannan, the person who acted as his handicapped nephew and Ponvannan. My respects to them.

Peranmai:

I action filled surprise. Creating and crafting a story with local elements and not sounding stupid is really a feat and Kudos to the director S.P. Janathanan for it. Jayam Ravi as Dhuruvan is very convincing in his portrayal of the forest guard. The character was in so many ways good, the portrayal of the knowledge and simplicity, the indigenous peoples trust and their courage and skills is so good, it’s a movie which incorporates them without being preachy, though trying to be preachy.
I felt a tad uncomfortable in the beginning scenes involving the antics of the schoolgirls. By the way all the actors were excellent choices. Ponvannan as the opportunistic and racist superior of Dhurvan is one character which I remembered so well. Some of us would all have experienced such people in so many places. The stunt was worth it. They could have concentrated a bit more on the music though. The ending is the master stroke in its irony.

I really wish they would make more such movies, only with a little more refinement it would be great.

Eeram:
This thriller from the production house of Shankar was a good entertainment, with no gory scenes it managed to send down a chill. The casting of Sindu Menon, Aadhi, Nanda and Charanya is apt. The movie had a very tight screen play, good music and very apt sets. I didn't find any unnecessary scenes and the pace and detailing were good too. Arivazhagan has done a good job in his debut film.

Good films are being churned from Shankar's stable. But the one's he directs are big on money and low on content it makes me wonder why?


Nadodigal:

Everyone liked the movie, but I hated it. It’s not because it was bad or anything, its good very good. But, very hard to digest, while watching the film I was angry and spitting at the stupidity of the three friends trying to help the useless boy and girl and losing everything. The scene where the guy loses his leg under a tyre and when the guy goes deaf ………..My God I really hated the pair, and when they were fighting for useless reasons I wanted to bang their heads together. One word – Excellent Samudrakani, though a story with harebrained characters I really watched a movie. It was after such long time that I got involved with the story’s characters. I was literally talking to those people while watching the movie. "One of a kinda movie".


Pasanga:

The story of boys, the ever good talented and the bad and incorrigible and in between’s was a delight of the summer of 2009.

I went with a smirk to watch the film came back smiling of the cinema. It’s a rare movie I wouldn’t hesitate to watch with my parents and family and one I could watch again and again.

All the characters were there on screen, no one really acted, no improbable sets, no action, no kuthu dance and lovely romance between the sister of Jeeva (Sobhikannu) and uncle of Anbu (Meenakshi Sundaram). There are fights between parents and between children and it remains so. The little boy(bujima), the brother of Anbu is one cute character.

My favorite was Jeeva, the boy has talent and also he reminds me of someone I know.

Music is beautiful, the song “Mazhai indru varuma varuma …” keeps repeating in my head. Good question isn’t it. Mazhai Indru Varuma Varuma? Lovely lyrics.

Pandiraj has name of one director’s film I enjoyed watching, and hope that he will keep up to the name. All the best to you !


I haven't to watched films like 'Pokisham', 'Pazhasiraja' and others as they got mentioned as good one's too.Planning to do it this year.