Cheeni Kum

Ilayaraja has recreated three of his classics for Cheeni Kum. Its amazing how the songs sound contemporary even after a decade or so and not like a remixed version. Orchestration has his signature. Though the songs are good I wish the interludes in the originals were retained. May be it wouldn't have suited given the Bollywood's style of music. It is to be seen how this album is received by Bollywood.

Adieu Brain Lara.

I am not an avid cricket fan who watches the repeat telecast of a cricket match. But there is an exception. I would watch any day the masterful innings of Brain Lara. His stroke play is akin to a musical symphony. According to me there is no batsmen as stylish as Brain Lara. Thanks Brain for all those wonder ful stroke play of yours.

Collective Magic of IR, SPB and S Janaki

There is something unique and special in many of the songs that Ilayaraja composed in the eighties. It carries with them the inimitable trademark of his that even if you hear it for the first you can identify those as Ilayaraja’s compositions. One such song is in Kannada, which I heard in radio recently. I was left wondering how did I ever miss such a vintage Ilayaraja song. I soon found the song here. Do listen to the song which has the mesmerising magic of Ilayaraja, SPB and S Janaki.

Examination Days

Its examination time and I get to see while commuting in the bus students discussing about the exam that they have written and about the subject that they will write next. Seeing them reminds me of my days in college and in particular the examination days. Of all days the examination days are quite special. The days would be joyful if everything goes right else gloomy if one does poorly in the exams.

There are two types of discussion that will happen on the exam day. One is the discussion that we friends would discuss before entering the examination hall. One later, when we step out of the hall. On the day of the exam we would gather in the canteen and many of us will be in serious discussion with each other. Every one would have some part of the syllabus not yet prepared but would be hoping to get whatever info in the last minute from one who has prepared it well. A set of previous question papers would come in handy to at least to pass the exam if not to score more. While some would be quietly immersed in their books, some would be pestering others to let know them how to solve particular problems. Couple of them would play the role of jesters disturbing some and entertaining some.

When the bell rings to indicate that we should enter the exam halls, our bags would be packed and all the needed accessories like pen, calculator and the hall ticket would be pocketed. We would enter the hall and quietly occupy the seat marked with our register number. Answer sheet would be handed over and with another ring the question paper. While some would start writing immediately and some spend few minutes and start writing quite a few would keep staring the question paper for well over thirty minutes. Clear indications that the candidates think questions have come out of prescribed syllables. When the supervisor tells that the time remaining is only thirty minutes its time for us to scribble what ever comes to mind. What we write from this point on would not be illegible even to our own eyes!

When we step out of the hall, we would start evaluating our performance. Faces of all kinds, some smiling, some gloomy, and some emotion less, all could be seen at the college gate. We would assign marks to each question and see how much we might score. We would continue discussing about it when we are traveling back home in the bus. Some would rue their fate and some would be ecstatic oblivious to the fact that others are watching. Examination days are truly special.

Sivaji

Certain tracks of Rajnikanth’s Sivaji is now available. After the first listen, my opinion is that the album falls flat with all the high expectations over it. It does not reflect A. R Rehman. The A. R Rehman that I know is not seen in the audio tracks of Sivaji. As per the audio listing here, there are three songs and theme music. One of the duets has Udit Narayan as the play back singer. Udit Narayan for Rajni and I cannot imagine how the visuals with the audio is turning out to be! If one should go by the stills that have been doing the rounds it’s going to be awful. There is a theory that Rehman’s album should be heard over many times to appreciate his work with which I do agree. But with Sivaji the theory is not going to work out. Hope that atleast the movie is as much entertaining as was Baasha.

Comment

The following is Harry's comment to my post "FM Radio" in which I was critical of radio jockey's talks and the kind of programs that get aired. Harry makes a hard hitting statement.

You hit the nail on the head! You took the words out of my mouth!

"Commercial needs" doesn't, in any case, imply the stupid SMS and telephone line chatter I heard not only in Bangalore but also at Dubai, there with Malayalam stations. It is evident that someone suddenly 'discovered' this old and tired-out phenomenon discarded from 50s, 60s, and 70s North American radio (just as India has done with cell phones) and decided to ape it. As usual, with sad results - thanks to satellite television which is the reason Indians try to out-do the whites and carry imitation to comical exaggerated extremes! Having lived in the US and Canada for 39 years, with a degree in radio and tv broadcasting, and having listened to smooth, polished super-stations where the announcers make anywhere from $100,000 to $20 million (that is correct) or more a year, I believe I am qualified to separate the men from the boys in radio! These FM stations I heard in India and Dubai are amateurish, to say the least.
Many stations are going to automated programming in the U.S. and Canada, getting rid of the irritating motor-mouths. Who needs them? Listeners want more entertainment in the form of music, as can be seen from channel-hopping in North America. Take it to another extreme, and you have Indian AM radio. But, that is another story!

If these Indian and Dubai stations would only listen...:( The possibilities are endless for AM and FM in this part of the World, if only they knew what they are missing!

Harry , thanks much. You made my day.

World Cup

The world cup is turning out to be an interesting one. Who would have thought that the Pakistan would be the first team to be knocked out of the tournament or that the Indians would be pushed to the wall and the prospect of them making into second round a 50-50 chance? Herschelle Gibbs hits six sixes in an over and Ricky Ponting isn’t surprised for he thinks the ground was very, very small (which does not surprise me. If I remember right, when Lara scored 400 test runs in an innings Ponting didn’t have words to praise the effort). Bob Woolmer unfortunately dies. It’s all happening and for now I am looking forward to the India-Sri lanka game. I believe that match would go down to the wire and would be worth sacrificing one’s sleep in watching the Cricket.

If India should lose the match against Sri Lanka they would be out of tournament and who would be more upset than the Indian cricket fan? The Indian media which have been churning out programs that would make one believe that the world cup is what India needs most and nothing else. Nonsense is what, at least I find in those programs. One such stupid show is where a tarot card reader is invited in the studio to discuss the prospects of team and players. What I prefer is to just watch the game, draw my own judgments and predictions. I would not waste time in watching any thing else than the game itself.

World Cup Resolutions

Nirmal Shekar writes about resolutions worth considering with regards to the forthcoming Cricket World Cup. Read all the resolutions here. All his points are very much valid. I liked the following much:

Let us resolve that we will not elevate — apeing the tacky TV tripe peddled by sportscasters — the latest match-winning century by an Indian batsman into `the greatest ODI hundred ever made.' Even a cursory knowledge of history will be enough to realise that there were, indeed, a few in the past who could do a bit with the bat in World Cups. Ever heard of Viv Richards?

Let us resolve that we will never again say that Team India carries the hopes of a billion people and the prayers of that many are with Rahul Dravid's men. The truth — if anybody still cares for it in this age of ephemera, an age of boosterism and saturation coverage of popular sport in the media — is that a vast majority of that billion has rather more mundane everyday concerns. Their hopes and dreams are not hooked to the fortunes of the men in blue.

Let us resolve that we will not glorify the triumph as the `greatest achievement in the history of Indian sport' should Dravid's men come back with the World Cup. It might not even be the greatest achievement in the history of Indian cricket. Twenty four years ago, on a lovely English summer day, a bunch of one-day cricket minnows from this land beat one of the greatest sides ever to take the field in a World Cup final — Clive Lloyd's 1983 West Indians.

Let us resolve to revel in the glory of every great performance in this World Cup irrespective of the nationality of the performer. Let us not be prisoners of our passions and become sorry losers. It never did matter to me that Shane Warne wasn't Indian; nor did it matter to me that Pete Sampras and Roger Federer were unlikely to get goose-bumps when the Jana, Gana, Mana is sung. Tendulkar apart, these are the men who have given me the greatest sports-watching pleasure in recent times.

Baasha

This is the scene which I like the most in the movie Baasha where Rajni says ‘Oole Po’. No other actor, I think could have done justice to that scene. I would also say that Baasha is also one of the finest entertainers. Nowadays watching films like Pokiri, Sivakasi and the like I am very much critical of actors like Vijay and Ajith. The reason is that they try to imitate Rajni. One gets a sense of déjà vu .I am not a huge fan of Rajni but I vouch for the fact there can be only one who can do movies like Baasha and make it entertain: that is Rajnikant. It is high time that the present breeds of actors realize that and choose scripts that are suitable to them.

Pokkiri

With nothing much to do in Chicago, I decided to watch Pokiri which is available in Internet. Thanks to a 24 hours high speed Internet connection at an affordable price in my hotel room the video streaming was good.

As for the movie, only hard core Vijay fans can enjoy it. I felt the movie had a hopelessly written screenplay. I couldn’t, even after watching the complete movie, understand what the movie was about. It is an outright Vijay movie with other characters having absolutely zero significance. Comedy track with Vadivelu was naïve. But there is one scene seeing which one would laugh out loud, watching Vijay in a police costume. Yes, Vijay is an IPS officer, a fact which comes to light at the last moment in the plot. Vijay should not even remotely think of donning police officer character in his movies. Less said the better about Manisharma’s musical score for the movie. I am not sure if Pokiri is a hit but Prabhu Deva should be more sensible and be more creative as he would be in his choreography, if he wishes to become a film maker of appreciable quality.

Chicago's Winter

The winter in Chicago is so harsh that after two weeks of stay here I haven’t had the opportunity to do any sightseeing but to stay in my hotel room or in office. Even to my office that is just a stone’s throw away, I have to take a cab. With just couple of more weeks left for my stay in Chicago and the whether not relenting I am afraid I might not see anything worthwhile. The trip to Hong Kong was better, lot better.

Chicago!

Here are some interesting quotes on the American city Chicago:

I miss everything about Chicago, except January and February.

- - - Gary Cole

Chicago is the product of modern capitalism, and, like other great commercial centers, is unfit for human habitation.
- - - Eugene Debs, 1908

I think that's how Chicago got started. A bunch of people in New York said, "Gee, I'm enjoying the crime and the poverty, but it just isn't cold enough. Let's go west."
- - - Richard Jeni

Satan (impatiently) to Newcomer: The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

- - - Mark Twain "Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar," 1897

Here is the difference between Dante, Milton, and me. They wrote about hell and never saw the place. I wrote about Chicago after looking the town over for years and years.
- - - Carl Sandburg, in Harry Golden, Carl Sandburg, 1961

Now why would I be writing quotes on the Chicago? Well I am now in Chicago fighting out the toughest whether that I have ever seen!

While most of the quotes that I have mentioned here render a negative impression on the city (the quotes are pretty old as well), I would blog about what I feel about the city in my future posts.

Raj Kumar – One of India’s Finest Singers

The late Kannada cinema icon Raj Kumar is widely known outside of Karnataka as the film personality who had grown to a stature such as to represent the Kannada culture. But what is not known is that he was an extremely talented singer. Its surprises me often that whenever someone discusses about Raj Kumar, his singing talent is hardly mentioned. In my opinion Raj Kumar excelled more in his singing than his acting. And I would certainly consider him to be one amongst the finest singers of Indian cinema.

Some of the memorable songs sung by Raj Kumar:

· Sadha Kannali …

· Hosa Baalina…

· Ide Raagadalli…

· Jeeva Hoovaagidhe…

· Nina nana Manavu…

· Haalu Jenu…(excellent rendition by the thespian in this song)

· Beladingalagi Baa…

· Anuraga Yennaithu Manaseke …

If there is one reason that I still at times tune into FM stations notwithstanding my dislike of them is just because to listen to Raj Kumar’s mellifluous voice.

Unreal Reality Shows

I have always maintained that the reality shows on television channels are not worth spending my time on. Whenever I come across such shows, particularly the ‘Big Boss’ kind that is on Indian television now, I feel that they insult my intelligence. And my views are strengthened more with the recent noise over the British television show the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’. I would switch over to watch Cartoon Network or switch off my TV rather than watching these stupid shows and the meaningless discussions about them on news channels.

No Man's Land

Last weekend I had a chance to watch the movie No Man's Land. The Hindi film Lagaan had lost the oscar for 'best foreign film' category to No Man's Land. Rightly so. No Man's Land deserved the oscar and other numerous awards that it had bagged.

A powerful movie showcasing brilliantly the futilty of war. The film brings out the hatredness among waring regions, the hypocrisy that prevails in the media, the uselessness of United Nations splendidly. The story is universal. Consider any war torn regions the film fits aptly everywhere. Appreciate the director's talent in narrating a sensitive story seriously and with great wit.

Do grab the DVD if you haven't watched No Man's Land yet.

FM Radio

Many new FM Radio stations have come on air in Bangalore in recent past. I believe this is the case in many other metros in India. Radio listeners will have many choices now. But I have found them wanting. The talk of the radio jockeys leaves lot to be desired. To listen to a good song I will have to bear senseless chattering of the hosts, ads lacking in creativity and many songs of not my liking. The most irritating is the lack of sense in the talks of the hosts. This is more so if two or more are conducting the show. And I can’t understand why a radio jockey should repeat a catch line of the radio station a hundred times every minute. It’s painful to ears to listen to same wordings again and again. Add to this the listeners interacting with the hosts and sending SMS. The hosts will have to keep repeating the numbers to dial in and message. All this makes me to avoid the FM radios particularly when I am traveling and switch on my iPod which is loaded with songs and podcasts of my preferences. I do agree there are shows which are worth listening but those are few and far between. I can enjoy songs with my iPod sans all things that are boring with the FM radio stations. I hope the quality of shows improves, given the powerful media that it is, with people at all levels of society listening to it, imagine how effective the FM radios would be in bringing about a useful change.

Indian Cricket and Fighting Spirit

Rohit Brijnath is one sports columnist whose writing I follow keenly. He writes for The Hindu regularly. Be it Cricket, Athletics, Tennis or any other sport, he writes with great élan. Read his comments on the recent slump of Indian Cricket here.

"Fighting is many things. It is the constant warding off of impatience. It is battling the waistline. It is the honest struggle to lift personal standards. It is the desperate hanging on to concentration…Part of the contest of sport is not with opponent, but with the self, the ability to find faith and courage when the hands quiver. Furthermore the great player separates himself from the pack because he asks more from himself than others do"

Indian Cricketers should learn from their mistakes and others else they could well forget about the World Cup.

Post Cards from Hong Kong

more will be uploaded in flickr soon

Hong Kong!

I was in Hong Kong last week on a work related assignment. Being on my first visit to any foreign land, it was quite an experience. The city is beautiful, densely populated with numerous high raise buildings. It surprises me on how a city could be so clean notwithstanding its dense population. The attitude of people does matter not just of the authorities, isn’t? I had no difficulty in moving around the city. The city is very well organized to give the visitor knowing English a pleasant stay. But I being a vegetarian who refrains from egg as well it was a tough time. I couldn’t find even a single Indian style restaurant in the commercial hub of the city where I stayed. Nor was I able to spot many Indians, residential or as visitors.

Hong Kong is methodical in contrast to the city in which I live. The Bangalore authorities are planning to establish a metro rail system in the city. It would be many years before Bangaloreans could see metro rail system as good as it is in Hong Kong. Having traveled in the Bangalore city buses regularly I found the metro rail system in Hong Kong too could to be true! The city is costly as well. And it’s a shopping paradise. If you have got the money then Hong Kong should be one city that you would love to be in. In the next post I shall publish some more of photos that was taken during my stay in Hong Kong.

Question

Read the following question in the Last Word column of New Scientist :

Is it true that if the Earth's atmosphere extended all the way to the sun, then the noise the sun makes would deafen us all? How much sound energy does the sun create? And what other effects would manifest themselves?

Pat Morgan, Greenock, Renfrewshire, UK

Interesting question I felt. I think the answer is yes. The Sun sound would deafen us all.