Archive for November, 2008

Dasvidaniya is a beautiful little story you’ll like

Sunday, November 30th, 2008

I was not happy with this movie even through the promos. I didn’t like Vinay Pathak – may be because he’s looking clumsy. And my wife second it, so I decided to watch this movie only because there were no options around.

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Saw the movie, and is in all praises for the flick. Great performance by Vinay Pathak, a simple clutter free story line, touching scenes, relevant comical junctions and a “good” ending.

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It’s about this guy who’s lost in his own world, kind of an introvert too busy with his check list of things. He’s diagnosed with Stomach cancer and how he copes up with it.

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No rib tickling comedies here, but the movie is filled with good light hearted moments that will put a smile on your face, also making you think about the sad side of things (happening to the actor).

If you like the no frills, non masala type, almost parallel type movies, Dasvidaniya is a gorgeous flick !

What can we learn as citizens from the Mumbai attacks

Friday, November 28th, 2008

The sad side of the Mumbai Attacks and the questions raised.

After almost 36 hours now (while this is being written), over 101 people have been dead and more than 300 injured, 3 top Police officials dead, and a lot more havoc. Now what does all this teach us?

India have been a country who has thrived many terrorist attacks earlier and this attack is different in the sense that Terrorists have dared to show up themselves. As a normal citizen this is shameful to me to have let known the rest of the world that in a highly secure area like Mumbai, nothing is secure and terrorists can simply drive in on a speedboat with heavy loads of ammunition and just break into a seven star hotel. That’s simply outrageous.

simple question. What kind of competency do we award our defense system and intelligence? Is there anything at all as intelligence?

As we all know, the intelligence of a country is in detecting attacks and getting the nation to pre-occupy with measures to counter attack the anticipated attacks. There is nothing whatsoever of this kind known.

Forget intelligence. What is the kind of professionalism and competency we hold in executing these operations? Army arrives 3 hours later and completely clueless about what the hotel is like, no layout plans, nothing whatsoever!

Unbelievable – or you tell me what is the right word to describe the act when two terrorists  escape in a police cab shooting the people around on the roads. And they move to the most secure area in the country with ease and get away with it? I mean, what sort of explanation can we give for these?

Two terrorists aged around 20, boys if I can call them let the entire nation stand on a stand still for almost three days and that too in a place like Mumbai letting more than 100 people killed ? That’s a serious issue.

Problems

Politicians – Leeches sucking blood from where ever possible. These folks does not deserve any applause at this moment or ever. They have been as good as pimps, helping none, but themselves.

The losers

Mr. Hemant Karkare, and the other two police men who took bullets in their chest for the citizens of India, and their families are the ones who lost in this battle. For what cause ? Is anyone going to learn anything from it? NO.

We will let the terrorists repeat themselves, proving that they are way smarter than the countries intelligence. Help them giving free advertising, and “hero image”.

Policemen like Mr. karkare will keep losing their lives. Political pimps will keep begging votes in their names and they will attend private parties hosted by the pimps.

But there is a rising happening. In the youth, in the knowledge empowered citizens of India, against the numb politicians, against our own inefficiencies, against our flaws in the system.

There should be drastic changes. In the power folks, in the system and the controlling powers of the country.

New and young powers who will live passionately to fight the risks should rise in to power and the pimps should be avoided and pushed away. India has suffered a lot, she cannot tolerate any more, for she is no second to any other country in the world and she needs to tell that to the world now. All she needs is a better motivated leader.

My middle finger to all those political pimps out there.

Pics and live updates on Mumbai Terrorist attack by bloggers and Twitters

Thursday, November 27th, 2008

It’s been more than 15 hours now since the whole hostage drama unfolded, and the blogging and twitter community have been catching up with it with a better pace than the Television media in India.

Some of the prominent updates were from Vinu, who has clicked more than  a 100 pics from the terror attacked areas of Mumbai, right through the night.

Watch the entire set of pics here

Vinus Blog

Kamla Bhatt is another Twitter enthusiast who have been following the story closely since yesterday night continuously through 15 hours on Twitter. Find her tweets here

How to lose friends and alienate people – A must watch

Thursday, November 20th, 2008

Just couldn’t stop laughing. Just couldn’t. It’s about this struggling writer (Simon Pegg) who’s trying way too hard to get into the celebrity high profile life. And the funny incidents in between.

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It’s probably the best comedy I’ve seen lately.

World Map showing the popularity of Social Media

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

This one is interesting. Just found this cool “new” world map, if it can be called so which maps countries by the popularity of the social media networks in the corresponding place.

Interestingly, India and Brazil is a big cloud for Orkut. (In fact the only countries on the internet that is popular for Orkut)

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6 Out of the world designs that will make you drool over

Monday, November 17th, 2008
  1. A TABLE LAMP !! (Looked like an alien to me)
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    bud-light1
  2. A TABLE THAT CAN BE FOLDED TO CARRY WITH YOU (Where are the chairs?)
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    TABLE 
  3. A HUBLESS CYCLE (How does the damn wheels rotate?)
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  4. ASH TRAY? NO – SALT AND PEPPER (Tap..tap..salt)
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    SALTPEPPA1
  5. MOBILE PHONE?? NO IT’S A CASH REGISTER (Shame on you Nokia)
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  6. FAN CLOCK (There might be a cross over problem)
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Obama cannot use his Blackberry because of security issues

Monday, November 17th, 2008

After the election, it turns out that Barack Obama has to leave behind a lot of his old habits. One being his addiction to the Blackberry, which has been a constant companion through out his career and proved powerful during the election times, when it was attached to his belt.

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Now, the President of America, he being the latest one, has to go by the rules and code of conduct which will not allow him to use his blackberry.
Source

How sad ? In my opinion the Blackberry guys should gift him a custom one. May be / May be not.

Twenty Twenty Malayalam Movie is a good watch

Monday, November 17th, 2008

I just came back watching the movie Twenty Twenty and the feeling is like returning from a festival. It’s a full on entertainer movie, that has worked out really well for all sections, the fans, the masses and the classes. I was not fully convinced with the movie promos on the TV, and had already voted it as a gimmick just to pull off all Mamootty and Mohan Lal fans. But I’m glad to know that I was wrong. The movie is a good effort and like it could’ve easily been, there are no loose ends in the movie (almost, remember its an entertainer).

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I could’ve easily written this movie off as an experiment that went wrong just because of the star cast and the problems that could emerge as a result of it. Stars dates..schedules..budget..but clearly, there has been a sincere effort. The producer (Dileep) could’ve easily gotten all the money back within the first week, even with a mediocre show, just because of the star cast. But I must thank him for not going easy on it and pursuing a good story line. I think the full credits of the movie goes to the script writers Uday Krishna and Sibi K Thomas. Because in such a movie, without a good script there is nothing much the director can do. Joshiy, the director of the movie have done a not so bad job, if not excellent. At least he’s made sure that none of the stars roles overcast each other and where ever necessary, there is intense dram that Mohan Lal fans and Mamootty fans will like.

Special accolades should go for the “Tit for Tat” dialogues by Mohan Lal and Mammootty and also Suresh Gopi. That’s something I really enjoyed. Everyone would irrespective of whose fans they are.

However, the first half of the film was a bit yawn-yawn type with some “comedy” by Harisree Ashokan and team..when the movie catches pace, one feels what was the necessity for those first part comedy moments – if they can be called so. At least, the director should’ve understood that comedy is not just about “mis spellings” and throwing things around, or jumping into water.

Great performances by Dileep, Jayaram (with a mismatch pair that could’ve been avoided), Kavya, Jagathi and others.

A funny fact: Even though Prithviraj, Kunchako Boban etc are appearing only in a song sequence(with no dialogues whatsoever) with a gorgeous NayanTara, in the character names roll at the end, you’ll see that their names are also included. Nayantara – Diana, Prithviraj – Reji. :D

Overall a great entertainer worth watching with family.The only problem would be get tickets.

Google Local – Stickers for promotion

Friday, November 14th, 2008

Yesterday night, just found this interesting sticker stuck at a local eatery near Kaloor International Stadium, Cochin. It was stuck at the cashiers point.

On enquiry the owner said that some chaps from the Al-Ameen College stuck it for promoting Google Local. Sounds very interesting.

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Interestingly, Google has done this at Bangalore too.

All the movies watched this month

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

It’s been an addiction and looks like I’ve been adding up more and more thrillers to my collection. Here’s all the flicks I saw lately.

  1. Strangers – Great thriller. My type. Watch when there are no distractions around.
  2. Hancock – You’ll begin to hate Will Smith after this one.
  3. You don’t mess with the Zohan – Fun all the way ! Wait for the climax. It’s good.
  4. The Others – Again my type. Loved Nicole in this. Storyline is a little weak sort of though. More like sixth sense..alternate version.
  5. The Nines – Rubbish.
  6. Stigmata – My type…good thriller..great music..religious background…folks may not like. And yea..climax sucks!
  7. Wall E – Cute…fun…you’ll love it.
  8. The Contract – Time waster !
  9. Lady in the water – If you’re a Manoj fan..stay away from this. You don’t want to hate the guy.
  10. Stir of Echoes, The homecoming – Weak story..good presentation. Thriller (sorta)
  11. Mirrors – Good. Ok. Average. Nothing to impress you.
  12. I am Legend – Good one…sad ending (Heard there’s an alternate version.)
  13. Kidnap (Hindi) – Yuck ! The new dude wanted an image change just to prove he’s not all that chocolaty. Failed.
  14. Saroja (Tamil) – Though a remake of The Judgement Night, it impresses me. Premji Amaran does a good job, Jayaram does a good attempt…barely makes it.