ROCKSTAR - Ranbir's entry to the elite league

A lot of us were really looking forward to watching this movie mainly because of A.R.Rahman's music. The Mozart from Madras had the world taken by storm by providing an album that encompassed music from various genres and feel.

The Question: Did the movie live up to the expectations?
My Answer: Kind of....

POSITIVES!

1. A.R.Rahman's music was already a mass hit...but the background score was stupendous.... Mohit Chauhan's voice was the perfect choice for Jordan (Ranbir Kapoor).... The 'Sher-o-wali Ma' track reminded me of the freshness displayed in the "Iyappa" track from the movie Boys (Tamil). Also, all the songs in the album have been given to perfectly match the on screen situation.Whether it is the freshness in Phir se Ud Chala, Joy in Katiya Karun, Darkness in Aur ho, Desperate Hope in Nadaan Parindey or Anger in Sadda Haq...... A.R.R proves that he is a class above the rest.
2. Ranbir Kapoor definitely!! The Kapoor kid has issued a stamp of authority with his mature portrayal of Jordan....a character that previously goes through many transitions due to the high's and low's of his life..... from a simpleton musician Janardhan Jhakad (JJ). We see 2 very different Ranbir Kapoors in the movie. Also, he carries simple scenes with natural acting rather than supreme overacting displayed by many of his current competitors. He could have screamed a little less at times...but still...on the whole...a performance worthy of a filmfare award.
3. Camerawork and Cinematography was great.....Superb locales and unique shots have become a common criteria for films to focus on, in order to cut competition... but the camerawork for songs like Sadda Haq, Nadaan Parindey and Phir se Ud Chala showed that the entire unit was soaking in the nectar of music composed by Rahman. That translated on to the visuals and the viewers were in for a treat. Most importantly, when Jordan performed on stage, the cinema audience felt that they were a part of his concert. To achieve that amount of realistic connection is commendable.
4. Imtiaz Ali has to be given credit for writing this story and attempting to make a movie like Rockstar. Lets face it...it ain't the run of the mill Bolly masala.....neither does it have a widespread target audience. So if Rockstar manages to recover it's cost and make decent profits, everyone will be pleasantly surprised..... But Imtiaz Ali made this movie for it's true meaning and essence.... kudos for that.

NEGATIVES! (Well i did answer "Kind of...")

1. Nargis Fakhri did have a new look ..... but honestly the audience gets an overdose of her....her character 'Heer' seems to stall the flow of the movie....Though Heer (in the movie) is responsible for the creation of Jordan the Rockstar, character Heer is mainly responsible for compromising the script and screenplay (mainly in the second half). 
2. SECOND HALF RULE!  It is an universal but unsaid law...."IF A BAD MOVIE HAS A GOOD SECOND HALF, THINGS MIGHT WORK, BUT IF A POTENTIALLY GREAT MOVIE HAS A POOR SECOND HALF (Even in relative comparison), THAT AFFECTS THE AUDIENCE ADVERSELY! " The First half of Rockstar is mind blowing....and the 2nd half just does not sustain the same amount of steam.....things move back and forth.....the audience lose the flow..... the main attraction in the second half is the video of Nadaan Parindey....Also, the movie ends in a weird manner that can be left to the audience's perception...
3. Direction, Editing and Screenplay missing a few tricks ...... Ali and gang have attempted a different narrating style and the movie tends to move in both directions. Also, songs are edited in portions....tracks used in different places....this formula works well in the first half , but loses itself in the second....can leave many people in the audience confused and irritated. 

OVERALL VERDICT!

• Rockstar is definitely worth a watch but don't go with too many expectations.
• It could have been great if the second half had more focus and structure.
• I am giving Rockstar 4 on 5 (Actually 3....but 1 point for A.R.Rahman's genius contribution) 
• Ranbir Kapoor is here to stay!

Velayudham: Vijay's redemption after Gilli

DISCLAIMER: By watching Ra.ONE first, i am hoping that my ability to write an unbiased accurate review has not been compromised..... May God be with me!


After such a long time, Ilayathalapathy Vijay gives me a reason to write a movie review..... After Gilli , Velayudham was the only movie that registered similar IMDB ratings of 7.2...

I enjoyed the movie.... and wish to highlight the pros and cons..
THUMBS UP:

1. Interesting start.....Hero introduction very different from previous movies....
2. First half has a great narration style...
3. Throughout the movie, there are some good twists...hence the audience remain guessing and interest is sustained to a great extent...
4. Comedy quotient is high..beats it's Diwali competitors by light years....
5. Hansika scores high points with her expressions and lip sync, while Genelia looks ravishing! Both the heroines form a combo visual treat for the masses.
6. SANTHANAM...that should say it all
7. Vijay has given a good performance....he has excelled in the sentimental scenes with his sister played by Saranya... As usual , dance and action scenes are done easily by him... HIS USUAL OVERACTING AND ON SCREEN GIMMICKS have reduced by a ton...
8. Unlike many of his earlier movies....the story is good....very Shankarish  feel...appeals to the masses...deals with corruption and terrorism...

THUMBS DOWN:

1. Background score is good....songs are ok..but as usual...the timing of these songs seem abrupt and disturb the flow of what would be a proper fast paced movie..... commercial elements do compromise the quality of cinema in our industry.
2. Every Hero needs a worthy Nemesis....that is seriously missing here....
3. Unnecessary usage of ordinary graphics in certain scenes and song sequences....seems to be the trend...
4. Negative points for Director Raja's blatant visual xerox of Assassins  Creed (without even mentioning the reference in the credits)
5. Some scenes that portray crimes against women go past a limit...could have avoided those instances...
6. Negative points for Vijay's sudden attempt in the end to showcase his '6pack' abs (more like a 4pack)....not necessary..it is evident that he has worked on his fitness but this 'Ab' Craze among all heroes in Bollywood and Kollywood is 'ABS'olutely Irritating....

OVERALL VERDICT:

A good entertainer...paisa vasool for the entire family.... miles ahead of Vijay's usual movies...

Velayudham gets the mix right for a Diwali release....

Definitely worth a watch..

RATING: 4 / 5

DIWALI RELEASE VERDICT:

Watch 7am Arivu for script, content and Shruti Hassan  ;)

Watch Velayudham for maximum entertainment and paisa vasool

Watch Ra.One if you are a techno geek and have excess money to blow.

"My 2 Cents on 7th Sense" written by Naarayan Raghunath

Original link to the facebook note:
http://www.facebook.com/notes/naarayan-raghunath/my-2-cents-on-7th-sense/10150374243256730


Great concept.. could have been executed better.. some of my observations..

1. Introducing Bodhi Dharma to this part of the world.. ok fine.. agreed.. the CG and the first 15-20 mins of Bodhi's travel from Kanchipuram to China and he getting accepted as a master through a couple of instances.. very good.. till then I felt it was good.. Once operation code red is introduced, the movie becomes predictable..
2. Good launch pad for Shruti Haasan.. not sure that amidst so many heroines who are given just support roles in male dominated movies.. role is meaty bcos she is ulaga nayagan's daughter and had to be given a good launch pad? am not sure.. she definitely though does have to concentrate and improve on her dialogue delivery.. pathetic.. being the daughter of a self professed Tamil Poet :-) she needs to at least learn to pronounce basic words properly..
3. Surya has done his role well.. though he definitely does need to get out of his "ripping shirt off" scenes soon and transition to something else.. he is soon becoming south india's answer to Salman Khan.. he has worked really hard but dude.. enuf's enuf.. everybody is getting tired of it now.. 
4. Johnny Tri Nguyen - very intense, looks menacing through out.. does his fist do the talking most of the time.. would have loved to see a little lesser hypnoticism and more action.. :-)
5. Abhinaya  - such a great talent I felt after watching her in "Nadodigal" just comes for a few seconds?? Not sure if an actor like her was needed for that filler.. 
6. Some silly directorial mistakes like.. When Shruti haasan stands in the bus stop and she gets on to the elephant.. she suddenly becomes bare foot?? yen.. verun kaalula nikkanamnu venduthala? flash back shows Shruti spending considerable amt of time with Surya's family members at Kanchipuram.. everybody has only vague memory of her except one Anni who remembers everything?? yen michavangalukku yenna amnesia va?
7. The transition in the end to Bodhi Dharma - when the transition has not yet been completed.. Dong Lee thrashes him so badly that is impossible for somebody to even get up.. surya transforming physically.. eyes turning blue.. not required.. if the DNA is unleashed its not necessary the body form changes so drastically.. a natural depiction would have been better.. the ending was a little too aburpt..
8. Some concentration on how he actually cures the people.. brings back the magical medicine.. that wud have made it a little more interesting.. possibly taken some tips from "Outbreak"? 
9. Forgot to mention.. Ravi.K.Chandran's cinematography - absolutely brilliant.. the lighting and capture.. splendid.. hope he works in more tamil movies.. 
10. BGM and music.. I had already reacted on this earlier to an earlier music review by my friend Karthik Ananth.. Harris Jayaraj.. aiyoo aiyoo.. bad BGM.. felt like it was a jugalbandhi of so many copies.. the mandarin song was a nice move.. definitely not Harris's.. but atha twinkle twinkle little star tonelaya podanam? nonsense.. the movie's actual villain is not Dong Lee.. its this guy.. Harris on the edge had the audience really on the edge with some "mind blowing" background scores.. literally :-)) ARR's BGM scores would have definitely taken this to a different level.. 

I sincerely appreciate Murugadoss for introducing a great master like Bodhi Dharma to us.. you feel proud definitely when you realize that a tamizhan was behind the founding of the Shaolin temple.. a tighter script I felt would have made it a little more entertaining.. my take ..  but definitely a good one time watch.. to satisfy your curiosity..

Ra.ONE's Ten Commandments!

1. If you use an 'Ayyo' in every sentence and have a self portrait of yourself in a white dhoti, you are classified as a 'filter kaapi' South Indian.
2. 2 minute noodles can be consumed by a South Indian using his hands and curd in less than a minute.
3. Multi million Game Giants can exist in London....conversing only in Hindi and having Hindi clientele base.
4. In order to be a teacher in London, you are supposed to have your very own striptease video posted in the net for your students to obtain maximum 'gyan'.
5. If Indians see a Chinese origin guy, they will assume he is Bruce Lee.
6. Women don't care about losing their husbands as long as an improved version crosses the cyberworld and joins them in day2day life...
7. You can bury the dead Hindu in a casket and still take an urn of ashes to dispose off in Ganga....Now that's sentiment!
8. Wolkswagen vehicles can safely transport your wife and kid through a bus at 100 miles an hour without causing any personal injury. Also it can spin endlessly...till the hero and heroine have made their respective introductions.
9. Apart from three laws of Isaac Asimov that govern every Robot.... an Indian robot must be able to love, dance, sing and demonstrate 'Power Yoga'.
10. No amount of murder, action and mayhem will alert the police in any country. Your cyber baddie and goodie will run around causing widespread chaos till both their batteries drain out or when the game ends.

Still... a great movie ...worth watching once in a theater for entertainment purposes!

RA.ONE : MOVIE REVIEW (No Spoilers)

I am confused on what to write ...so i collected my thoughts and decided to give a crisp review analyzing the pros and cons of SRK's highly ambitious project.

In a nutshell...Ra.One .... Definitely a mixed bag .... but thats not what people want to read....so here goes....

Positives:

1. Great VFX and Sound effects
2. The Train Action scene is brilliantly taken..... (though slightly inspired)
3. ARJUN RAMPAL IS ONE MENACING VILLAIN!
4. Great to see SuperStar Rajinikanth's cameo on screen...
5. SRK and team have taken great effort in giving us a film that matches up to international standards with respect to the technical department

Negatives:

1. Poor music ....ordinary background score.....Chammak Chalo is the only tolerable piece!
2. The Direction and Screenplay is not tight ..... movie is already inspired by many sources...tends to lose focus....
3. SRK as a South indian might not even convince rest of india...forget about Tamil Nadu!
4. Rajini's cameo....boon and a bane...Rajini fans will be depressed to see the Superstar portrayed in such a manner..the graphics for the entire movie was brilliant...why screw up this potentially epic scene...i don't know if there was any offense intended...the idea was good...but execution...pathetic...
5. Movie is weak in the humor dept...and target audience is not as broad as expected.

OVERALL VERDICT:
Ra.One promised a lot....delivered in a few areas...failed in certain....Kudos to the entire team for the hard effort...worth watching once in a theatre...

Ra.One is like a tasty Dosa served with poor chutney and sambhar..... Satisfaction...Almost!


RATING: 3/5

PS: DON-2 Trailer is awesome....i am sure that is gonna make for Ra.ONE's mistakes...though i detect a serious Prison Break Influence! :)

RockStar Music Review: ARR Achieves Musical Excellence

Note: a collection of my live facebook reviews for the entire album assimilated into a single write up for the reader's convenience. :)


Rockstar .... Imtiaz Ali and Ranbir Kapoor's magnum opus, has been one of the most awaited albums of the year....mainly because it marks the return of A.R.Rahman to the indian music industry after a pretty long hiatus. And Boy!!!! Has the maestro delivered or what!!! Tremendous....14 songs...each one brilliant in it's own right.

Phir se Ud Chala.....magical sound....Mohit Chauhan is unbelievable.....when bass, harmonies and rhythms kick in after 90 seconds....song is outta the world!

Jo Bhi main.....loved the promo!! and Love the song even more...yet another leaf taken from Pink Floyd's book...Rahman has decided to bring progressive rock to Indian industry! Superb feel......awesome bass by Keith Peters!!

A.R.R's mastery over indian folk music continues with 'Katiya Karun'.....has a Kabhi Neem Neem touch initially but then westernizes due to impressive arrangements....rustic vocals.....will be a rage in the north!

Kun Faaya Ku....let's see....a sufi song ....qawwali with A.R.Rahman and Javed Ali...already a divine combination...love the way the initial chords are played on the harmonium! :) FTW!!!

Sheher Mein - a simple song...but great concept....shows the way a band develops a song and evolves it's structure...... Karthik and Mohit Chauhan's vocals compliment each other very well...i am sure the video will be very interesting! :) after 2 minutes....when the guitars and strings join in....then the song improves dramatically! :) then a mystic qawwali interlude....people will love this on multiple hearings!

Haawa Haawa is ARR's genius work exploring world music...fusing elements from Turkey, Israel and Spain....with ARR's trademark strings and melodian ..A masterpiece/..... this is for the elite music savvy audience...second guitar interlude is fantastic.....Great number!

Aur Ho - A.R.Rahman has used the feel he generated in the bgm of 127 hours to create this song....great arabian touch to all the western arrangements! Sung brilliantly by Mohit Chauhan once again.....great anger and melancholy in the lyrics and tune.....

Nadaan Parindey.....a great start....awesome drummings! THen ARR's voice kicks in! :) superb bass....live drums is always a treat to hear it....A dream for me ...always wanted ARR to sing a Rock song!!! Mohit Chauhan starts of tangentially with beautiful chords on the guitar...the guitars and drums sound phenomenal..superb sounding....then a scale shift... great to hear...and now a Guitar Solo! :) a complete musical package.....one of my favorites in this album!

Tum Ko - its been a while since we heard Kavita Subramaniam sing! when the chords and tabla kick in, that's when ARR's touch comes in....song is very much in the ARR feel of Puthiya mugam, Roja and Anjali...KS's vocal tone is superb ....ARR brings out the best in her....this is so far the best track melody wise .... Amazing Strings.... main forte....

SADDA HAQ!! great singing by Mohit Chauhan....superb guitaring...nice rockish organ tones used for providing chords.....amazing harmonies to boost the 'Sadda Haq' 's feel! This song scores the highest in terms mass appeal..Will be the cover of this album for sure! guitar solo in the first interlude is outta the world....great support by piano and pads....some awesome jazz and blues chords inserted in certain portions...might be difficult to detect..but the presence is definitely felt....the end is a resonating example of musical grandeur by the Mozart of Madras!

Tum Ho - the love melody that we can generally associate Mohit Chauhan's voice with...naturally he has done complete justice to it...Suzzane's voice is very soothing in the background....great chords and bass..... This track will be a sure hit.....it is 'THE LOVE SONG' of this versatile album.....tune is got an unique flow to it....

Tango for Taj ..... mesmerizing instrumental music by A.R.Rahman.....the bass guitar and strings support the accordions and piano in such a manner that we tend to forget the world and begin our own tango......superb music!! FTW ARR!!!

The Dichotomy of Fame - uniqueness to the core.....no body can use the shehnai in this fashion...western fusion.....taking the melancholy out of a shehnai is a tremendous achievement and A.R.Rahman makes it look very easy!...after a minute, there is some superb guitaring as well.....and the chords....OMG! :) ARR you are in ur elements for sure....suddenly when the bass kicks in...the feel becomes more darker....superb transition...Love this piece of work

The Meeting Place.......celestial start....chords have a heavenly feel...and he has used the tone of signal disturbance as a music tone ...the Genius!!! OMG!


CONCLUSION:
Rajinikanth is the SUPERSTAR of movies...
Rockstar is the SUPERSTAR of Bollywood music ....
A.R.Rahman is the SUPERSTAR of music....
When a person can give you a music album that has 11 songs and 3 instrumentals...each one ...exemplifying musical excellence...with genres transcending from sufi to Rock to Pop to Turkish and Spanish music ... a kaleidoscope of international music... What is left to review!!
Rockstar is A.R.Rahman's most perfect work in Bollywood till date....
Time for another filmfare and National Award! Jai ho!

RATING: 10/10....Two thumbs up.....must buy for this season!

CinC Abheri!

http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/song_details/8657887

My first attempt at carnatic fusion.....an instrumental version of the song 'Nagumomu' in Abheri Raag...

violins by Balaji Sivasubramanian....
keys, melodian, mixing and arrangements by yours truly...

Hope you like this effort!

And After India won the Prestigious World Cup, presenting Ten Reasons that make M.S.Dhoni a LEGEND forever!!!

(Another Note i had written on FB before, once India emerged victorious!)

1) Forgetting the final team composition before the opening game of a world cup! "One other guy won't play" - India captain MS Dhoni is momentarily stumped while naming his team after the toss in the opening World Cup game against Bangladesh (the missing player was Ashish Nehra)- source CRICINFO

2) Openly declaring to the other teams that our biggest weakness was our fielding, hence inviting the challenge of other teams exploiting our fielders during the games! " You may put hybrid fuel in the car but the cylinder, the engine, everything, needs to be like that." M S Dhoni's reply to whether India needs a fielding coach- source CRICINFO

3) Not only had the guts to pick Piyush Chawla in the squad , but play him against South Africa after the debacles Piyush faced against England and Ireland! MSD had the guts to back himself up against the wishes of a billion and that seriously requires guts!

4) Openly criticized the Indian team's batting after the game against South Africa targetting players who played irresponsibly during the batting power play - incidentally this caused our only defeat in the CWC2011....to South Africa! "You don't play for the crowd, you play for the country " MS Dhoni holds nothing back in his criticism of India's collapse in the batting Powerplay against South Africa in Nagpur- source CRICINFO

5) Once again ... MSD survived the post match trauma and pressure after letting Piyush play and bowling Nehra in the last over in the match against the Proteas!


6) Had faith in USELESS/YUSUF Pathan and Piyush for most of the tournament, but when it mattered the most, he had the mentality to accept his mistakes and rectified it by playing S.Raina and R.Ashwin in the most crucial games! The result speaks for itself!


7) MSD built a team that inherited his sense of calmness and cool attitude. India had the hardest path leading to the final against Sri Lanka with a quarter final against Australia and a semi Final against Pakistan. But all our MSD had to say was " Till the full stop doesn't come the sentence is not complete" - MS Dhoni metaphorically implies that the success of India's World Cup campaign hinges on the result of the final-source CRICINFO


8) By putting his faith in Yuvraj Singh even through the hardest phases, Dhoni unleashed India's greatest cricketing talent since the Little Master in the World Cup. Yuvi's form with the bat and bowl was the crucial link that gave the perfect balance to our side. Technically MSD followed the 7 batsman + 4 bowler theory....but he had prepared his team so brilliantly that we never looked a bowler short!


9)M.S.Dhoni said this about Sreesanth before the final " The only person who can control Sreesanth is Sreesanth. It is beyond my control and I don't think too much about.". Yet MSD took a shocker of a decision to play Sreesanth in the final . It nearly cost us the World Cup. But Dhoni was cool....realized his mistake and made amends by juggling the bowling resources, fielding positions and of course, batting brilliantly! Also Dhoni shocked a billion by backing Nehra to play in the Semi Final against Pakistan instead of the nation's favourite Ashwin! His gamble paid off, but his humility was such that he acknowledged in the post match conference that he was wrong in reading the wicket!


10) AND LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST! M.S.Dhoni will remain a legend for the way he lead from the front on April 2nd 2011, getting India the World Cup after 28 years. Right from the inception of the game, MSD maintained his composure even after losing a controversial toss to Sanga. His attacking field positions were a treat to watch. His timely bowling changes were often bamboozling to the opposition. His dare devil Never-say-die attitude had infused into the blood of our team to such an extent that even at 31/2 , chasing 274 in a World Cup Final, Gauti and Kohli played positively to set the stage for a contest.And Mainly MSD's outstanding innings of 91* , peaking at the most perfect juncture in the history of Indian Cricket! His attitude of facing challenges head on, and soaking the team's pressure enabled him to play an innings of a lifetime. FINALLY, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the greatest cricketer ever, a man who had achieved every other accolade in the game other than a world cup medal....completed his illustrious career's only missing piece...thanks to MAHINDER SINGH DHONI!


MAHINDER SINGH Dhoni!Your methods work well, and you are truly INdia's greatest captain of all time....Commence the celebrations and the preparations for building the team for CWC 2015. Cause nothing will hurt the Australians more than India winning a World Cup in their own Backyard! M.S.DHONI....Take a bow....You are the new icon of Indian Cricket...a true Legend.... India loves you...and INdia is proud of you!

PRELUDE TO THE ICC CWC 2011 Finals:A Moment of truth before the 2 Legends clash today at Wankhede!

(I had written this article as a note on Facebook before the Finals. This one is close to my heart and wanted it to be a part of my blog.)

As we are nearing the World cup Finals...2 nations...Both are in a trance thinking about a potential 2nd World cup win....Hope people also realize that 2 of the greatest cricketers - Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralitharan are in the fag end of their glorious careers and both are trying to bow out on a high! Just typing this makes me emotional! Hope you play longer Sachin, irrespective of today's outcome....We need you...You still have lots to offer!Anyone who has taken your presence for granted is already feeling the pinch!

We cannot imagine any one else wearing the no 10 shirt and running out to the middle to open the innings for our country.

Difficult truth: WE KNOW THAT SACHIN WILL NOT PLAY FOREVER.
Another Difficult truth: TIME DOES NOT STOP
However, when Sachin bats, our nation unites......people from different castes, creed and religion cheer in unison....rivalries are forgotten.... Harmony prevails........Pure Euphoria......all happening during the moments of Sachin's innings....Basically TIME FREEZES.

Sachin has managed to achieve this feat, where even Gods have tried and failed. No wonder he enjoys an immortal status! What makes him even more divine is the fact that he still has that childish spark that began 21 years ago...to contribute to the Indian Cricket Team's success...not to forget, an immense sense of humility....He has reached heights in the game o f astronomical proportions, yet his simplicity confounds every person in the planet!

How does one motivate him or herself when they themselves are responsible for shattering every record in the game. Think about it...imagine waking up everyday and telling yourself..."the only person I have to beat in cricket is Sachin Tendulkar"!!! Thats what Sachin has done all through his career....Focussed on his game...not bothering about critics...stayed away from controversy.... Letting his bat do the talking....

After seeing his career progress over the last 2 years, we have all started believing Phoenixes. He has risen from the Ashes.....appearing more invincible than ever.

Thank you Sachin for inspiring all of India.
Thank you Sachin for all your dedication and hard effort to serve the team loyally for the last 21 years...
Thank you Sachin for uniting our country and bringing smiles and joy to a billion people!

You are right now in your prime form....Hope you play even after the World Cup!

I know how much this Cup means personally to Sachin. It is the only kind of success that he has not tasted. Hope he gets it....But even if he does'nt....so what!! World Cups are for mortals ;).

If the World Cup is the biggest prize to cricketing nations, then Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is the biggest gift to Cricket!

India is proud of you! India loves you! Go SRT!

Jai Hind!