7am arivu - Where is the common sense?

You know that your evening is going to unfold as an unlucky part of the day, when M.S.Dhoni blasts the hapless English attack right after the moment you step out of the house. 7am arivu (seventh sense) just proved to be the perfect iodized salt rubbing to my evening wounds. I rubbished rumors and friends' opinions, went into the theater prepared to see a decent flick and everyone forgot to at least warn me that after the first thirty minutes, I should walk out.
The hype and the ''a film that will make Tamilans proud all over'' phrase doing rounds should serve as the hint for the vacancy in execution and serve as a possible cover up for innumerable flaws that unfolds faster than the story. 7am arivu is one of the flicks that tries too much and in the end comes up a cropper. It is not my fault that I am a Biotechnology graduate and that I know basics of Genetic Engineering because this movie makes a mockery of Genetic principles and procedures to a large extent (we watch movies too!). The director had cited places visited and necessary references in the end credits. He forgot to refer one major terminology- Genetic Engineering. Had he taken efforts to do so, 7am arivu would not have happened. The unrealistic approach of bringing back a dead person's character/skills by introducing the DNA into a another mortal human is purely theoretical. This procedure maybe possible, but definitely not in twelve days nor is this called Genetic Engineering. When the director can make sure he gets details like Ghulam Nabi Azad, The Chinese/American turmeric patent sagas etc. which are true factual incidents right, he confuses it with the other aspects. It is neither here, nor there and precisely it has mocked science because science is independent in certain regards even if this falls in science fiction genre of cinema as some people proclaim.
The storyline by now, is known to everyone and hence I am not going to mention it. The first half hour that is shot aesthetically was also a slight let downer, as it reminded me of watching a dubbed program in Fox History channel. As the movie progressed, the first thirty minutes that showcased Bodhidharman's journey to China and his contribution towards medicine and self defense seems to be the best phase of the movie. Why should Surya be a circus artist to have Bodhidharman lineage? He could have stayed back at his village or got a job as a courier boy, tea shop guy etc. This characterization has left me astounded and even the director's credibility is questionable. Surya as Bodhidharman, scores big with his eyes and martial arts display. Can anyone tell me why Surya remains sans shirt in duets or break-up song? It gives the feel that his acting talent is confined to his midsections.
The first half drags, yet manages to keep you interested thanks to the segment prior to the intermission. Shruthi Haasan looks gorgeous but hardly emotes any expression. Plastic is what she is throughout the movie. But kudos for mouthing dialogues that run for pages without any glitch. Johnny the villain surprisingly hogs the limelight for most of the movie, courtesy his brilliant body language. In fact, two stunning underplays in the movie are devoted for the bad guy.
A.R.Murugadoss has taken the 'drishti vaseekaran' concept to deeply that it makes the person watching the movie close his eyes in debilitation. The movie seems to go in the right direction and tries to grab the viewer's attention only to be afflicted by the stunt choreographer's voodoo and director's obsession to do things differently. The episode that transpires on a highway, is probably the most hilarious piece of action sequence to be drilled out at a serious situation. The ease at which Johnny controls the minds of the public, the sudden transformation of a slum dweller into a Kung-fu expert, somersaults by a salwar claded girl etc. that happens as the episode on the highway unfolds is sure to evoke huge laughter. I can applaud the director at least because for a change, 'villainism' is highlighted more than 'heroism'. Few scenes like the scientific discussions amongst scientists in a room digressing into a Tamil language lecture, the redundant times where the same DNA is shown over and over again ( which cannot be viewed through Shruthi Haasan's microscope) nor when she views objects without a slide specimen can not be encouraged even to a minimal extent.
Dialogues make their presence felt at times, just like Ravi.K.Chandran's cinematography. Let us just not talk about Harris Jeyaraj; this is his most forgettable outing till date.  
With a storyline derived from Assassins' creed, capricious screenplay, logical blunders that could be avoided and overdose of nativity preachings, 7am arivu is a disappointment. It has a commendable concept, but not the heart.

ODE to Sachin- a compilation.

Andrew Flintoff:
When you bowl at him you are not just trying to get him out, you are trying to impress him. "I want him to walk off thinking 'that Flintoff, he's all right isn't he? I feel privileged to have played against him.

Shane Warne:
"Sachin Tendulkar is, in my time, the best player without doubt - daylight second, Brian Lara third."

Viv Richards:
He is 99.5% Perfect.. I'll pay to watch him play. I think he is marvellous. I think he will fit in whatever category of Cricket that has been played or will be played, from the first ball that has ever been bowled to the last ball that's going to be. He can play in any era and at any level.

Sir Don Bradman:
I saw him playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two...hi compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel! in reference to Sachin Tendulkar.

Barry Richards:
Consensus is that Sir Donald Bradman was the best batsman ever to play Cricket. Sir Don did not play One-Day Cricket but if he did, he could easily be Sachin Tendulkar.

Allan Donald:
"In my several years of international cricket, Tendulkar remains the best batsman I have ever bowled to. It's been a pleasure to bowl at the master batsman even though one hasn't always emerged with credit from the engagements."

"During our team meetings, we often speak about the importance of the first 12 balls to Tendulkar. If you get him then you can thank your stars, otherwise it could mean that tough times lie ahead."

Harsha Bhogle:
In the recently concluded IPL when Sachin drove Ishant Sharma to a straight drive, he said- "Open the text book..turn to page no. 32"

Andrew Symonds: wrote on an aussie t-shirt he autographed specially for Sachin. " To Sachin, the man we all want to be "

A.R.Rhaman
Well, I’m no Sachin Tendulkar you know, whenever he takes the field, people expect him to score a century before he loses his wicket. I can only give in my best and I always strive to live up to fans expectations, but it’s not possible to get an Oscar every time.

Virender Sehwag:
Both of us have come a long away and it is a great honour that Tendulkar thinks I come close to resembling him as a batsman. It is a great honour, like a dream come true. If I die tomorrow I'll be the happiest man because I played this game because of Tendulkar, and Tendulkar himself saying that I resemble him - there is no bigger compliment than that.

Mathew Hayden:
I have seen GOD , he bats at no.4 for india in Tests.

Ravi Shashtri:
He is someone sent from up there to play cricket and go back.

Mark Taylor:
We did not lose to a team called india...we lost to a man called Sachin.

Brain Lara:
Sachin is a genius , i am a mere mortal!

Barry Richards:
Sachin is cricket's GOD

Martin Crowe:
The shot played on this ball is only possible for the GOD of cricket.

Paul Strang:
What we [zimbabwe] need is 10 tendulkars.

Steve Waugh:
There is no shame losing to such a great player(sachin).

Shane Warne:
I would go to bed having nightmares of sachin dancing down the ground and hitting me for sixes.

Mathew Hayden:
His life seems to be a stillness in a frantic world... [When he goes out to bat], it is beyond chaos - it is a frantic appeal by a nation to one man. The people see him as a God...

Dennis Lillie:
If I had to bowl to Sachin I would bowl with a halmet on. He hits the ball so hard.

Steve Waugh:
After being defeated in the Coca-Cola Cup finals in Sharjah) "It was one of the greatest innings I have ever seen. There is no shame being beaten by such a great player, Sachin is perhaps only next to the Don''

Michael Kasprowicz:
Don't bowl him bad balls, he hits the good ones for fours."

Shane Warne:
I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player."

Wasim Akram:
Today, he showed the world why he is considered the best batsman around. Some of the shots he played were simply amazing. Earlier, opposing teams used to feel that Sachin's dismissal meant they could win the game. Today, I feel that the Indian players, too, feel this way. (Wasim Akram, after game at Hobart, CUB series, 1999)

Brett Lee:
You might pitch a ball on the off stump and think you have bowled a good ball and he walks across and hits it for two behind midwicket. His bat looks so heavy but he just waves it around like it's a toothpick. Brett Lee, on Sachin Tendulkar's batting, 1999

BBC Sports:
Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don't know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their television sets and switch off their lives.

Wasim Akram:
"I dont know what to bowl at him. i bowled an inswinger n he drove me through covers of d front foot. then i bld an outswinger n he again punched thr covers of d backfoot(for tamil fans-dai avan eppadi pottalum adikaranda). he is d toughest batsmen i 've bowled to.
''He shold live long n score lots of runs, but not against pakistan(smiling) "- on 24th april 2004 on espn Sachin's 30th B day program.

Sunil Gavaskar:
''India's fortune will depend on how many runs the little champion scores. There is no doubt Tendulkar is the real thing.

Richie Benaud:
He has defined cricket in his fabulous, impeccable manner. He is to batting what Shane Warne is to bowling.

Geoffrey Boycott:
Technically, you can't fault Sachin. Seam or spin, fast or slow nothing is a problem.

Eddie Barlow:
He is Sachin Tendulkar. I hope he stays Sachin Tendulkar. We need a new player, a player in his own way. He has a technique which is the hallmark of a great player. Everything indicates that he will be a great player and I am sure he will prove me right. Reminds me of Barry Richards.

Greg Chappell:
He is a perfectly balanced batsman and knows perfectly well when to attack and when to play defensive cricket. He has developed the ability to treat bowlers all over the world with contempt and can destroy any attack with utmost ease.

Abdul Qadir:
I Was fielding in the covers Tendulkar came out to bat in his debut Test at Karachi. I still remember Waqar Younis was at his peak form at that time. Tendulkar tried to drive Waqar through the covers off his very first ball in Test cricket but was beaten all ends up. But I walked to captain Imran Khan and told him 'this kid looks very good' and Imran agree with me.

Sir Garfield Sobers:
I have watched a lot of Tendulkar and we have spoken to each other a lot. He has it in him to be among the very best.

Peter Roebuck:
Sometime back I had written a piece that said that Sachin's the master and Lara a genius with his head high up somewhere. That's it!

Jeff Thompson:
Sachin is an attacker. He has much more power than Sunny. He wants to be the one to set the pace. He has to be on top. That's the buzz about him.

Ian Healy:
Tendulkar is the most comouncy pitch with Hughes, McDermott and Whitney gunning for him he only had 60-odd when No 11 came in. I've seen him against Warne too.

Mike Coward:
Sachin's the best. I've had this view since I saw him score that hundred in Sydney in 1992. He's the most composed batsman I've ever seen.

Hashim Amla:
Nothing bad can happen to us if we're on a plane in India with Sachin Tendulkar on it. Hashim Amla, the South African batsman, reassures himself as he boards a flight.

Shahrukh Khan:
"Maybe the country doesn't pray for me like they do for Sachin Tendulkar, but I know I'm on a good wicket as well. "

Martina Navratilova:
"Sachin was so focused. He never looked like getting out. He was batting with single-minded devotion. It was truly remarkable. It was a lesson." Tennis legend joins the Sachin Tendulkar fan club after watching him bat at Sydney.

Alistair Campbell:
After loosing to India in the Coca Cola Cup final at Sharjah in November '98
"He has everything a top batsman needs. Tendulkar is a classic example of a player being so good that his age is an irrelevance"

David Boon:
"Technically he stands out as the best because of his ability to increase the pace at will"

Cricket Historian Vasant Raiji:
"I have always felt C. K. Nayadu was the best. I now think sachin has the honour of being the most outstanding batsman of all time."

Steve Waugh:
"You take Don Bradman away and he is next up I reckon."

Adam Hollioke:
"In an over I can bowl six different balls. But then Sachin looks at me with a sort of gentle arrogance down the pitch as if to say 'Can you bowl me another one?'"

Tony Greig:
He is cool, has magnificent temperament, and is so mature you tend to forget his age. I can't think of any other example of a player who has so dominated the world before the age of 25.

Allan Border: (after India won the Coca-Cola cup )
"Hell, if he stayed, even at 11 an over he would have got it."

Ajay Jadeja:
"I can't dream of an innings like that. He exists where we can't."

David Gower:
"In the last session in Nagpur, when the Indian chase was still on, Tendulkar hit a reverse sweep, an orthodox sweep and a lofted cover drive to (Ian) Blackwell. They were all exquisite cricket shots. To play those shots deliberately in such quick succession, off almost similar deliveries, was genius. That was a little jewel, just those 3-4 minutes.
"It reminds you how very few people are special. It was a case of great thinking and good technique."

Peter Roebuck: ‎"On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt in one of the stations. The train stopped by for few minutes as usual. Sachin was nearing century, batting on 98. The passengers, railway officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the century. This Genius can stop time in India!!"

My Dostana with the Dosa and Chutney.

When I was engaged in a daily dose of 'Googling', I came across the wiki page of Dosa/Dosai. I was not surprised to see 30 types of Dosais, but the clear omission of one special startling type of Dosa was surprising. The sole purpose of this post has a bit of an underlying hope, that wiki will include the Dosa which I experienced in 2008. The title is just for the sake of it. Or maybe its me trying to create an alliteration of sorts. Dosa is not any Danny and hence 'dostana' does not have any pun intended by any stretch of human's perverted imagination. So set aside your S.J.Suryah cloak and try to read further if you feel like doing so. I assure you this has nothing outrageous or sacrilegious. Now coming back to the other D word in the heading. Dosa. This post will give an account of not any dosa, but the one that has the stamp of my college. I bet my United States application visa, you possibly wouldn't have tasted something like this, yet it falls in the category of Dosa.
Dosa is made of rice flour and lentils and I have my doubts even in the basic stage of preparation. It is a staple food of the Vindhyas and below. I have to agree to the T because this Dosa staples the upper palate and the base of the mouth and it is quite a task to swallow and speak within five seconds.
Strange enough or coincidental, that special dosa, (lets call it The Dosa) is served in my college only on Wednesday. Some research done on Wednesday will make one understand that it is called 'Humping day'. (Seriously, I have nothing to do with the seemingly repeated puns) I wonder if that has some relation with how The Dosa pans out in our plates when served. This Dosa, has nothing crispy about it. In fact, it is the best surrogate for the sugarcanes and hard nuts used in the Vicco toothpaste advertisements. The time of grinding done and the subsequent swallow to the food pipe depends on three factors.
1. How desperate one wants to have this piece of unique dish, irrespective of unfinished record works or paying that one final visit to your friend etc.
2. The manner in which you swallow it- taking small pieces, or minute pieces. Don't even think about large portions.
3. How well you utilize that chutney given along with the dosa. It's directly proportional in this case.
A word about that chutney- this again is a special chutney one won't be able to endure outside Jeppiar Nagar (area where my college is situated). The exact components and ingredients of the chutney is yet to be deciphered by the students. In hindsight, taking this up as a research project/final year project is not a bad idea at all. You are subjected to full funding from the college and even a potential best project award. This should help students reap high benefits- at least earning 'foodie respect' among your comrades. From the development and maturity of my taste buds, where south indian foods played a paramount role in shaping them up, I can say it has an abundant dose of some nuts obtained from the ground (ground nuts per se ), some ABC masala and of course coconut. This should serve as a good test for Mallika Badrinath and Sanjeev Kapoor.
The size of the dosa will excite the nerds who have a zing for geometry. It is circular, but when served on your plates, it hardly seems circular. You ask for one dosa, will invariably result in having 0.5 or 1.5 dosas on your platter. The thickness will remind me the heels of a girl's footwear- pretty comparable actually. White/ Pinkish white is the color of the dosa and chutney respectively. At times, this parameter is used to bring out the difference between the dosa and chutney. Most or at least my plate is filled more with that drugged chutney than the dosa. The days I have been late to college, will result in me forced to have a dosa whose appearance is similar to the hairstyle of the old Sehwag- imagine his entire scalp as the dosa and the black specs of strewn hair corresponds to the over cooked parts of the dosa- perfect example of leaving a bad taste in the mouth.
All said, it is this Master-chef material that has motivated and urged many students to attend college on Wednesdays without fail. Its never the lab sessions, believe me! There is an exclusive bunch, who munch more than 2 dosas with consummate ease. I hold them in very high regards as it requires proper use of the well maintained teeth and will power. On a personal note, this breakfast material has made me not to wander my thoughts about when the clock will strike a dozen. Thank you dear dosa. Yo have made me a tougher guy. You have made me realized the importance and necessity of water while eating. It would be totally rude if I do not christen you. Henceforth, you shall be called the St.Jos'Dosa. (Copyrights reserved).  

ROCKSTAR redefines the outlook of Indian music- Review

Oh! A.R.Rahman, thou art the ROCKSTAR!

 The thing with A.R.Rahman, is for no fault of his, he makes people expect something different every time with bated breath. He gives the ardent music buffs, the oxygen to breathe; churns out chart-busters every single time with little effort in terms of publicizing it. His music speaks a million words.  His track record is always on the upswing and that is why even a teaser promo trends in Twitter. Imtiaz Ali's penchant and eye for quality music is blatantly evident when one listens to the tracks of Rockstar.
The three instrumentals - Dichotomy of fame, Tango for Taj and Meeting place are connoisseur's delight. Simply magical and mellifluous is 'Tango for Taj', and 'Dichotomy of Fame' is sure to stimulate goosebumps on your anatomy. 
'Phir se ud chala' is the perfect start to the album, that ably rides to the senses of the listener thanks to Mohit Chauhan's wonderful rendition. It is further accentuated by the soothing strings of Mandolin/Guitar giving a new dimension to the number. The gradual tint and the late take off is something that makes this linger long in the mind. A breezy romantic ballad, deserves attention.
The next track is the slow, anthemic ' Jho Bhi Main' rendered sincerely by Mohit Chauhan. The song has a moody-rock feel to it and thus ends up being a part of the soulful rock. The fact that A.R.R has made this one as lively as possible, with the 'yaya..' deserves special mention. 2 minutes into the song, Mohit gives his best and the outcome is that the listener invariably nods in appreciation. With a Pink Floyd-ish touch, this song is essentially a winner and has brand ARR stamped all over it.
'Katiya karoo' reminds one of Rang De Basanti and the brilliance of Harshdeep Kaur is conspicuous throughout the song. The song interspersed with guitar and desi beats is sure to be lapped up by the masses from north and south. The striking feature about this track is how beautifully A.R.R maintains the tempo and doesn't deviate from the native feel. Put those Punjabi dancing shoes on. Its time to 'ting-a-ling-a-ling'
If one thought Rahman has given his best with 'Khwaja mere khwaja'- think twice. Prepare for another divine ride filled with pure bliss. If God were listening to this, He sure would wear a smile on his visage. ' Kun Faya Kun' probably has to be the best Sufi compositions in mainstream cinema after 'Khwaja mere khwja ' and 'Arziyan' ( Delhi 6) . The popular adage -'Music breaks all religious barriers'; and this song stands testimony to that. Ohhhhh.. the trio of Rahman, Javed Ali and Mohit makes you feel in peace with the world. A masterpiece from the magician.
'Sheher Mein' is one of those rare conversational songs that doesn't make you hit the skip button. This  is a peppy song which needs to be appreciated for the editing, sprinkled with dialogues and the amazing use of a gimmicky tune. Sung by Karthik (not sure which one) later improvised by a simply fantastic Mohit Chauhan makes you go search for words. Watch out for the brief pause at 2:33 and the subsequent pick up. Genius at work.
'Hawa Hawa' is the litmus test for Mohit Chauhan, as this sees him lending his voice for a Spanish/Mexican/Arabic feel good  number. It reminds one of 'Udi Udi' from Guzaarish. The groovy voice of Mohit helps him pass the test with very less effort. This track probably is the experimental one of the lot, as one cannot fathom at this point how the song finds a place in Jordan's career.
The true pain, frustration ( I guess so) of a rock artist is brought out profoundly by 'Aur Ho', that takes Mohit Chauhan's credentials to unprecedented levels. The honest pensive touch works wonders for the song. This song starts of with a highly haunting chorus that beautifully paves way for Mohit's dramatic high pitch singing. A.R.Rahman's perfect choice of instruments and the decision to give the singer more scope than the bgm, to bring out the emotion makes it seem a classic.
'Tum Ko' probably is the seemingly weak link in the album, as it falls short of creating an impact for no mistake of its; blame it on the ingenuity and grandiose of the other tracks. This song gives a very south indian melody feel to it, more so due to the rendition by Kavitha Subramanium than anything else. The romantic feel is not at all hampered by the use of tablas and thus can be termed as a pleasant outing for the singer.
'Naadan Parindey' is the perfect homecoming number for a rock star. Rahman jumps into the action and make us groove to the sheer magic in his music. The song reverberates with energy, zeal after a slow orchestrated beginning. The brilliant use of acoustics, strings intervened between Mohit and Rahman's scintillating rendition makes you hit the replay button. One dhamaal number is 'Naadan Parindey'. Watch out for the guitar solo from 4:28, sure to bring you down to your knee.
'Tum ho' reminds one of 'Waiting for you' ( Jootha hi Sahi) and shows us that the slow, romantic Rahman is alive and kicking. Another confirmation that versatility is his middle name. Haven't I mentioned enough about Mohit Chauhan? I will continue to do so. He has got to be one of the finest singers of this generation. The enthralling usage of piano, which has become quite a rarity nowadays gives full monty to this song.
 The next track is the one that has caught people's imagination far and beyond. Rahman sucks us into his music from start to finish in this track ' Sadda Haq'. Orianthi ( Michael Jackson's guitarist) joining hands with A.R.Rahman has winner written in bold, all over it. The songs engulfs us thanks to the anthem feel running throughout. It is actually a Stoner Anthem. If you haven't head banged before, this will make you do it. For once, a song makes the adrenaline rush through the body and makes you pump out in high decibel the addictive ' Sadda Haq, Aithe Rakh'. The song has the energy, anger, frustration arranged proficiently in a hardcore rock package that makes one go crazy.
The lyrics like: ''Oh! Eco friendly, the protector of nature; I am also nature (where is my protection) " and " How can you preach the truth, whilst you can't stomach it!" gives a radical and rebellious feel- true elements of a rock star. This song is a slap on the face of hypocrites.

Bottomline : No house-mix. No lounge mix. No multiple versions. 14 unadulterated out-of-the world tracks. The one year wait has bore fruits of immense flavor that has Rahmanism embedded all over it. A rare occurrence when the director's idea and the music director's feel sync big time, giving the ardent music followers of this generation, their holy grail of sorts. You have outdone yourself. *Take a bow, A.R.Rahman, again*