Live for yourself!

One day back in the early 80s, I asked my Amma why she was not cooking her favourite curry anymore. Pat came a response, “Appa is not fond of it”. I have seen her patiently remove chunks of tomatoes from her plate of Rasam rice. She was not fond of tomatoes, but that didn’t stop her from making Rasam with tomatoes in them, as my Appa could imagine lunch without it.

Almost all families have a story like this, isn’t it? Women always do everything for their family members’ happiness, not their own. Above examples are only tip of the iceberg of sacrifices women make for their families. They sacrifice/give in, to their parents, siblings – primarily to brothers and younger sisters; once married, they adjust for their in-laws; then, husbands; once children are born, their needs and wants are of utmost priorities. They are the most compromising lots when it comes to their friends.

Above mentioned may be simple things; but if you think deep, women in or after their 40s begin to feel something is missing in their lives. They always would have been busy with running households, going to full-time work, taking care of in-laws, busy with kids, their schools, homework etc, so much so that they completely forgot to give attention to themselves. When kids grow up, leave homes, previous generation pass on, do they realise that they have nothing to do with themselves and continue with their routines, still putting spouse’s welfare over themselves.

Ladies, just ask yourselves what makes you come alive. Nothing great in the World has been accomplished without passion. That gives you real pleasure. It can be anything, be it gardening, painting, music, craft work, writing, reading, charity work; the options are endless. Women’s biggest fear is what others might think.

Stop worrying about pleasing others so much; just do what makes you happy. Age is just a number. Go for long walks alone, take in the Nature. Plan for a trip to a place you have always wanted to go; gift that to yourself. Enjoy your “Me” time. Finding passion is not just about careers and money. It is all about finding your authentic self. Be engaged with your passion. Be happy and satisfied with yourself.

These days most educated men are extremely understanding and don't stand in the way of women wanting to do something for themselves. Looking at many women around feeling so lost, not just lost alone, but being unhappy for many opportunities lost; in some cases, feeling a sense of longing too. Embrace those women who are lost. Let’s all guide and support each other without being judgemental. Live and let live of fellow women! After all, 40s are the new 20s or 30s, however you want to take it!
PC: Google (I loved it)

Movie Review: Power Paandi

Power Paandi, a name for a Thamizh movie, would make you wonder if it’s one of those stock standard, mindless, mediocre movies. Let me tell you this. I would have felt the same, had my friend not told me how good the movie was. 

It is directorial debut of actor Dhanush. It is a delightful debut indeed. This is a film that’s subtly poignant, yet inherently likeable. Clean storyline!

First thing first, the casting; each cast is carefully chosen and in turn, each of them have delivered better than the best, be it the next-door neighbour’s kid, to the thugs who sell drugs, to the grand kids. What’s worth mentioning is that the grandkids act their age, with innocence, NOT those "பிஞ்சில பழுத்தது" types.

As for the main characters, Prasanna has done a commendable job! He has an arresting screen presence, emotes his role so well, torn between being part of the pseudo society we all live in, being the son who is caring, yet frustrated with his father. His grumpiness, frustrations are so relatable.

Rajkiran, what can I say! He has lived the part. He walks his way into the audience’s heart and stays there till the end. Dhanush makes a cameo role; so, does Revathi. The minute Revathi enters the scene, she steals the show, out and out. 

Some scenes are worth mentioning: the drunken Rajkiran talking to his son, scene where the elderly men meet Paandi, the confrontation by the grandson, when the grandson caresses Paandi's throat as he swallows his medicine, right after DD says “நாளைக்கு உன்ன பெண் பார்க்க வராங்க” to Revathi, Revathi gets up and has a little sway/dance of joy, and the mature, new age romance that brings smile, something very new to Thamizh movies; I can go on... 

Music, bgm are worth mentioning; Sean Rolden has done a clean job, though a little Ilaiyaraja-esque, I am not complaining. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the movie. Dhanush has set a high standard for himself as a director.

Movie Review: Visaaranai - Tamil

Visaaranai is an uncompromising and spine-chilling movie about abuse of power by the very Police force that is supposed to protect it's citizens. I have been a big fan of director Vetrimaaran since his movie AadukaLam. This movie is totally uncompromising for the need for commercial success. Hence, it has a place in the 10 must see Indian movies.

  

Pandi and his friends are immigrant workers in Andhra Pradesh. They are picked up by cops for a crime they never committed. They become voiceless and are taken advantage by those who in a vicious game where the voiceless are strangled by those with power.

Based on a real-life story of a man named Chandrakumar, Visaaranai is compelling, but not for faint-hearted. The movie is scary for its randomness with which Pandi and his friends get into situations that threaten their life. One can see how those in power can threaten those below them when Pandi's employer pleads with him to accept to the crime as he has been warned that he, too, might get into trouble. Vetrimaaran has done it again!

Verdict: Must see movie for true art movie lovers, but certainly not for the faint-hearted. 

Movie Review: Thithi - Kannada

It is rather easy to see why Thithi has been listed as one of the 10 must see Indian movies and made its way into Kamal Hassan’s list of 70 movies.

The filmmaker is a good storyteller, but this is evidently the work of cast and crew who gave stellar performances by living the characters. In the recent trend and poor churn of good movies in Kannada industry, this film stands out.

The death of Century Gowda, a patriarch, sends his family, particularly his grandson, into a tizzy. The family land is still in the dead man’s name and Century Gowda’s son, could not care less about transferring ownership in his or his son’s name. But the grandson cares, and what he does to try and secure the land forms the rest of the story.

The villagers carry the story on their shoulders and the entire action culminates in the eventual thithi (funeral) of Century Gowda. One would expect a film about a funeral to be sombre, but the director takes the theme of death, greed for inheritance form the crux of the movie.

As morbid as the name sounds, Thithi is a film with an emotional chord that is entertaining till the end.

Verdict: I loved the movie for it reality and rawness!

Movie Review: Court - Marathi

This Marathi movie tackles some of the nation’s many ills: colonialisational impact of the British Raj - still using laws set by them, generational and sectarian conflict, a certain infrastructural liability that no one seems to address, be it, the Governments, legal system or the society.

The movie revolves around the trial of a singer accused of inciting a sewerage worker's suicide, sets intricate stage for this court room drama.

It is intense, and in the end you are left feeling helpless and disgusted that legal system. 

Verdict: It was okay!

Review: Antaheen (Antoheen) Bengali

Antaheen (Antoheen) or Endless wait in English - Bengali movie, one of the 10 movies listed in the link below. Well, how did a Thamizh, who does not understand Bangla/Bengali get to watch this movie? Thanks to the following link, shared by Dulquar Salman in Twitter.

http://www.plumeriamovies.com/10-fantastic-indian-movies-y…/

The movie is about love and relationships both on and offline, between people inter-related, and also between 2 strangers (offline).

This movie has a line-up of some of the legends of Indian cinema I know of; the casts are amazingly good (Rahul Bose, Sharmila Tagore, Aparna Sen & Radhika Apte. The movie is good, though the story is too predictable in the end. Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, the man who gave us “Pink”, seems to have decided to take his holiday on the side, while filming the movie, as the movie moves in such a relaxed and with slow pace.

Apart from the acting, I think the brightest part of this movie is 'the music. There are definitely some very good moments, but I think the ending could have been better. I liked it but while googling for the music director, found out that the movie was awarded National film award for Best Film in 2010. I am unsure if it is worth winning National award.

PS: Watched the movie last week along with one Marathi and a Kannada movie. Reviews of them follow soon.

Review: Maragatha Naanayam

Maragatha Naanayam, a horror-comedy film that stands out from every horror cliché (not that i watch many). This is a laugh-out-loud horror comedy with a terrific fantasy twist added to it.

The plot revolves around hunt for a rare, historical artifact called Maragatha Naanayam, that is guarded by the ghost of it's first owner, King Irumporai. In order to procure it, the hero and his close friend seek the help of three ghosts. What follows after, forms the crux of the story that is out and out hilarious.

The film takes it's time initially, the pace at which it starts, though all over the place, eventually falls in place and kicks in. Jokes, body languages of characters, choice of characters were all very apt. Unlike even most comedies these days, the humour is not in bad taste but outright funny.The film scores high on both comedy and horror genres.

Verdict: A MUST WATCH!

Movie Review: Magalir Mattum

After having high expectations on Magalir Mattum, for one, the line-up of star casts, two, a women centric movie from director Brahma, who gave us குற்றம் கடிதல், I was little disappointed.

The movie is about 3 women who are part of households where women keep themselves into a life within four walls, with guilt and believing that the family would crumble if they did anything that's out of the norms of typical housewives. 

Then, there’s Jothika, a documentary filmmaker who’s shown as a modern woman, always dressed in tees, shirts and pants, suggesting that she is modern and leading an unshackled life.

Sadly, the characters are broadly defined, but more emphasis could have been given on them wanting to free themselves by breaking away. I am no expert in film making, even for a lay-person like me to think there are possibilities to elaborate on the story, the director has lost the opportunities. The flashbacks were too much and over time gets annoying. May be that’s the latest trend in movie making, imposing flash backs as scenes rather than talking about it.

Scenes between Saranya and her husband, who does nothing but drink and sing Ilayaraja hits, with the preludes and interludes, are by far the best. Saranya’s character is so relatable. I have seen women like her. By culling few flash back scenes, director could have used Urvasi’s comic sense to the max. This actress is by far one of the best after Aachi and Savithri. Banupriya’s character is interesting, but not meaty. 

Despite all these, I laughed many times with dialogue deliveries of Urvasi and Livingston's rendition of IR hits. The end was very stock standard, filmy, though pleasant. If you happen to be one of those guilty housewives who believe the whole household will crumble if you get out, then, go and watch the movie at the theatres. You won’t be disappointed.

This movie did not impress me as much!

Movie Review: Aaranya Kaandam

http://www.plumeriamovies.com/10-fantastic-indian-movies-y…/

Aaranya Kaandam, a movie made in Thamizh, is the 1st of 10 Indian Movies recommended in the link above. As someone who loves real, raw movies, this list is a WOW!

This is a simple story about a gangster head, played with ease and class by surprisingly one of the yesteryear’s heros, Jackie Shroff. The movie starts off with his inability to get it up :)  and then, him refusing to accept that he is ageing, a hard truth that he is no longer the don. Then there occurs conflict with his senior henchman, Pasupathy, played superbly by Sampath Raj, on a cocaine deal. The movie takes twists and turns based on the decisions each of the main characters make and it changes the plot.

 The director has avoided clichés and so the movie is unpredictable till the end. The climax is not something one would expect. This film is very Quentin Tarantino-esque! Music by YSR is very good and apt for a gangster movie with 80s music playing realistically in the back ground without being jarring. The movie is quirky, has dark tone and humorous at times too, surprisingly for a gangster movie. In the acting department, everyone has meaty roles to play and has done a neat job; a special mention to the young one who donned the role of a son of a good-for-nothing man. I loved the scene where Pasupathy, asks the young man, “Unga appa romba pidikkuma?” and the boy hesitates for a second and replies, “Appidi ille – aana avar enga appa”. This might touch a chord in many sons about their fathers.

Overall, a good gangster movie, worth being listed as one of the 10 fantastic Indian movies, probably overlooked or not watched due to lack of awareness. I am glad Dulquer Salman had shared the link in Twitter! 😊

Movie Review: Vikram Vedha

One of the most anticipated movies in Thamizh is here. 

If you thought Maddy was getting an awesome intro from the audience, hold on!! The intro for "Vidhi", aka Vijay Sethupathi was roaring. The whole theatre, including self went "oooohhh".. 

A memorable role for Maddy! He looks hot; Has acted so well, all stylish. Vijay Sethupathi, on the other hand, is all rough, rugged, laid back.. Good to see outstanding performances by two actors from totally different schools of acting, though I must admit, VS is way, way ahead in performance. 

Storyline is simply based on Vikramadhitya and Vedhalam, beautifully scripted, narrated as a cop-gangster story. 

There are some loose ends of course, like there's no chemistry or depth in Vikram and Priya's relationship. BGM is good, but not that great. Songs are mediocre. 

Overall, it is a movie not to be missed, be it for Maddy or Vijay Sethupathi! I loved it! To me, it was Vidhi all the way!

Review Nibunan, a bilingual – by Arun Vaidyanathan

It is a brilliant crime investigation story in recent times, in Thamizh cinema. The killer, after sending a parcel, sets scene for the crimes that follow. Before the team led by Arjun and his able juniors, could work out what the doll and the mask sent were about, first crime happens. Then, the cat and mouse game starts with the killer leaving trails of clues for the next one. At one point the hero realises he is the next target. He needs to race against time to catch the killer, despite a big setback health wise. After intermission, one begins to start the guessing game on who the killer could be. 

The lead man, Arjun Sarja, is a man who has completed 150 movies, parallelly held his position and fort with giants like Kamal and Rajnikanth; He needs to have something in him, to have stayed on for so long. The man is so fit, he puts many young actors to shame. He has always been under rated I have felt. He has had huge fan following amongst men for his action roles, but the man caught the attention of many women in Gentleman, Mudhalvan and finally, with Rhythm, he won many hearts too. In this movie though, he plays his age. He looks very pleasant on screen. Kudos to the director for this!

Prasanna, time for him to do either a full-fledged comedy movie (loved his comic sense) or hit the other end of the spectrum with action role (he looks hot). He must have been inspired by Arjun. He has done full justice to the role given to him. His reaction when called a “constable” still brings smile to my face, even after few days. Varu, this woman has talents in abundance too. I watched her in Vikram Vedha and now this; she is an apt choice to play the role of Vandana. Sruthi has done her role well, though her role is not meaty. Rest of the casts were good. At one point, I was wondering why Vaibhav was there; later, I began to suspect him to be the killer. Good move!

The story is compelling! However, the screenplay could have been tighter. No thriller movie will stand well without good cinematography. Arvind Krishna needs neither introduction nor any further superlatives to describe his work. Edge of the seat feeling is not possible without great background score. Navin Chandar has excelled in every way. I have never appreciated anyone’s background music other than Ilaiyaraja. I loved Navin’s work! “Oru kodi kanavugal kanne” beautiful lyrics!

A big thanks to the director for not succumbing to trend with item songs and tasteless comedy tracks!

I generally like subtle emotions in acting. There are some scenes in this movie that made me go Aah! One such scene was where Arjun and Sruthi, while walking out after hearing about his health condition, see an elderly couple. Arjun holds Sruthi’s hand right then. I felt, despite being a fearless guy on duty, he was still a human with his innermost fear surfacing. Good one there, director sir! Your subtle signature is everywhere in the movie.

Overall, a great thriller in a long time! My verdict: must watch at the theatres!

PS: thanks to couple of friends who asked me and to the lovely person who messaged me saying that she was expecting a detailed review, just like my exceptional taste in many aspects, be it music, art, clothing and accessories. This review is for you 😊

Disclaimer: This is an unbiased review!