'INSPIRED'

The wait for the Indian Tom Cruise is finally over!!! Look at our very own Chiyaan Vikram posing for a promo still for his upcoming movie Bheema.. Extremely disappointing to see such a rip off from such a big movie.. You have to hand it to the think tank though, they actually thought to shoot it from the other side.. Maybe this is Vikram's better side :D

Good music, talented director at the helm, huge production house backing the movie,a national award winner donning the grease paint and this is what we get.. Hmmm.. Still looking forward to the movie though.. Such huge expectations deserve something a lot better in return..

PHEW!!

It's been a hectic few weeks.. Absolutely no time to do anything at all and i must blame myself for bringing this onto myself..

For those of you who are reading this and don't know yet, i joined a consultancy firm in Chennai in august.. Been working there for about 3 weeks now.. Yes, I'm not taking TCS (i think :D).. But i feel completely justified by my decision to have a career switch given how many of my friends want to quit their IT jobs.. The pay isn't as much but work seems really nice and prospects of growth seem possible..

Pretty new at this place and hence don't know the people too well yet.. I've been warned what not to do in the office already though, things like when not to greet your boss and repent for it.. Work is getting hectic and deadlines are getting extremely unrealistic, which bring me to why i started writing this..

I miss my old life.. What time i got up was inconsequential, i could stay awake till five.. Now, i had better get to office by 9:30 (It's tough man).. Beach was routine, now it seems like a luxury.. Haven't been there since i started work.. I miss watching movies.. From close to two a day, I've come to a movie in two weeks.. The thing i miss most is not having to be so responsible for my actions..

Things don't seem to be getting any lighter.. The only thing that rocks about this is that i get paid for the hard work i put in, unlike engineering, where i paid to be told what to do.. Last weekend was the best in a few weeks now.. Went to bikes and had great fun.. It was great hanging out with all the guys again..

All this seems so sudden and unexpected that it's hard to deal with.. I sincerely wish i could go back three months just for a little while.. Maybe another evening at the beach with all the guys before they head their separate ways.. I can almost hear aerosmith singing "Dream on" :D

GRRRRR

The last three days have thrown some pretty irritating events at me.. I had ordered a book online to be delivered to Gau in the US.. Since it hadn't reached day before, i called the international customer care number they had given.. The lady's accent was by itself hard to decipher from and was irritating but to top it, she put me on hold on an international call for 5 minutes!!! She must be freakin stupid.. Frustrating..

To relax myself later, i decided to see a movie.. I read a review on IMDB about a movie called "Live Free Or Die", not Die Hard 4.0.. It said the movie was one of the best comedies the guy had seen.. This had to be the single most boring movie I've seen.. At least in TR movies, u have him for comedy.. This just beat that hollow.. Absolute waste of 1.5 hours of my life..

This however has to take the cake for most frustrating.. I went to the TCS office to see why they had put only 3 of us alone in Noida for training.. When we got there, the security guy stopped us and asked us to write our names in the entry log.. He called up the sourcing guy and gave the phone to me.. The bugger didn't even let me get into the damn building and shooed me off from their saying the decision has been made in the corporate office and there is no way i can change it.. The least he could have done is called us in and told us the same in person.. And to think these guys are from HR and are good in people skills.. God save us when we join TCS..

MISSION ECNR

Went to the passport office to get my ECNR stamping done.. It has to be one of the most irritating things you can do when you are vetti.. No idea why they didn't do it for me when i applied for passport.. Idiots made me go again for it and charged 300 bucks for it..

The place should be on the verge of breakdown.. Endless queues(there are so many of them) of people waiting for hours together.. All i could think of standing was Kamal's dialogue in Anbe Sivam where he says "India Oru Jananayaga Naadu, Ingu Queue La Ellam Wait Panidhan Aganam".. The ventilation there is pretty bad, so it all together makes for a very stuffy morning.. There are people outside the office who fill your forms in the proper format for a reasonable price, either 10 or 20rs depending on what form it is.. Makes our job easier..

The worst part about the place is that there is just one Regional Passport Officer for each task.. The queues become serpentine cause of this.. For the ECNR work in the second floor, i had to start at the landing of the first floor.. This in spite of me being there by eight and the office starting only by 10.. Chennai folks would easily walk away with any early bird prizes.. The fun part of the place is the variety of people you meet there.. Loads of comic characters..

Once you get through all that and pay the fees, they tell you that you need to come again in the evening to collect the passport, which is another huge queue.. I started at ground floor landing for that.. Thankfully this one moves pretty fast.. The Indian government should seriously consider either employing more people to have more counters or open another passport office.. Everything in online anyway, so synchronising shouldn't be a problem.. The irony of the entire thing is that even after i stayed there and did the entire thing, i still have no idea what the ECNR means and why i need to get it..

BUSTED!!!

It had to happen some time and it finally did today.. Had gone to Spencer today with a few of my friends (Try the Chinese restaurant at the new food court, really good).. On the way back, the fat man in the white shirt pulled me over.. Those guys use Walkie Talkies extensively.. He was using it then to contact the next guy to stop another bike..

I was caught on two accounts, Speeding and Driving in the wrong lane.. I was guilty of both offenses though.. Doing 60 on a 40 km/hr road and driving in the lane for buses on mount road.. Don't think he thought of either of this when he stopped me but was clever enough to point it out to me when i gave him my license..

It's just ironic.. For about 2 odd years, i used to drive all around Chennai without a license.. Never once have i been asked to pull over, maybe i was just careful then using all small lanes.. Now i have all my papers and I'm being asked to pull over time to time.. The guy bugged me for about five mins and then i had to pay him 100 bucks and leave..

I don't know if it was a lesson well learnt but it surely was a waste of hundred bucks..

STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP

This is what has kept me entertained for the past one week.. A new TV series called "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip".. This is a behind the scenes look of a comedy-sketch show.. The show stars Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet and Bradley Whitford..

The show is supposed to be a drama but it is extremely humorous.. The humour here is kinda intellectual at times though.. The Dialogues are absolutely brilliant.. The Matthew Perry-Bradley Whitford combo would give Chandler-Joey a run for their money.. Matthew Perry is at his best here..

Not sure if this series will come to India anytime soon.. For those who are vetti, download it and watch.. I must warn you though, each file size is about 350 MB.. I have 14 of them and am in the process of getting the , so you can collect them from me if you want..

GOOGLED

Hmmm.. Being as vetti as i am nowadays, i decided to check out the various things Google had to offer.. Pretty mind boggling given the scale of the entire operation.. It's almost as if anything you want to do on the PC, can be done on Google alone.. Mostly..

What started with a simple search engine (complex in nature but easy to use) has manifested itself into one of the world's biggest corporations and the growth only seems to be increasing exponentially.. A true marvel.. Hats off to Larry Page and Sergey Brin..

Now what prompted me to write this was 'Google Reader'.. Simply amazing place.. Anything that you normally want to keep yourself updated about can be read off just one place.. This could be anything from the latest news, sports updates or even updates on peoples blogs.. This eliminates us from having to go there each time to see if anything new has been posted..

The next best thing in Google is that you get to do so many things with just one id.. The advantage of this is that you could use one service inside another and it takes zero effort.. The downside of this, which gau unfortunately is experiencing, is that if you lose the id, you lose everything.. And that seems to be a lot, given that Gmail and orkut have become integral to most of us now..

I recommend 'Google Reader' to everyone for how easy it makes looking up info.. Planning on testing all other Google applications too.. Will give you my opinion of the same in the coming days.. I heard Google is coming out with an OS.. If true, it could be as revolutionary as the iPhone maybe.. Wow, something to look forward to..

P.S If you are wondering why this picture for the logo, it was to portray the 'Magic of Google' given the broom etc (a la Harry Potter) :D

F.R.I.E.N.D.S Deleted Scene

This one is just hilarious.. Beginning of the eighth season.. Episode 803.. Just too good.. Damn.. I miss the show.. Spent two hours on youtube now watching all F.R.I.E.N.D.S bloopers and interviews..

Jack Jack Attack

One of the best animated shorts i've seen.. Hilarious.. Pre Requisite is that you should have seen "The Incredibles".. Pixar Rocks.. Just check out the other short animations by pixar on you tube.. Too good..

TO ZUNE OR NOT TO ZUNE

After all this time, I've finally decided to get myself an Ipod or Zune.. I've decided on the colour but not on what i wan to buy, comic.. I want you guys to help me decide.. I'll tell you guys what i feel about the two, form your own opinions and let me know what you think i should get asap..

The Ipod seemed the obvious choice.. Tested and proved.. Ease of use.. Slimmer than the zune.. Smaller too.. Not too heavy.. More than anything else, it has service centres across India too.. So worst case, service shouldn't be that big a deal.. On the flip side, it's too common and i am for Microsoft..

The Zune has its share of flaws.. Big, bulky and some concerns over the battery back up on the Zune.. The worst part about the Zune is that it can't be used as a hard disk.. That sucks and one of the main reasons i went against it.. It's advantage is that it has Radio and is Microsoft.. Unfortunately, no service centres anywhere in India yet..

Let me know what you guys think i should get.. While you are at it, also suggest what i can get engraved on the back of the player..

THE INDULGENCE TAG

Adi tagged me.. That is no reason for me to be doing this but i have nothing much else to do, so here goes..

Here are the rules:

1. Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.

2. Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.

3. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged.

(1)Movies are my life.. Language, Length, Cast don't make a difference as long as movie is great.. Unless Pam is in it :D

(2)My bike is my most prized possession.. I consider it my first love.. Always ready for a drive..

(3)I love Chennai and wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world.. Chennai Rocks man..

(4)I am becoming more brand conscious with each passing day.. Reebok remains my favourite..

(5)I love to sleep.. Given a choice would sleep 14 hours a day.. Very Very lazy..

(6)The beach is my second home.. Spent most of my engineering life there..

(7)I am indifferent to a lot of things unless its something to do with me or someone i really care about..

(8)I am an introvert by nature.. Take a lot of time to get close to people..

I tag:

J

Santy

Gaurav(If he gets his id back)

LORD OF THE NET

Go to www.isohunt.com and look at the most searched name there.. You'll stumble upon aXXo.. What/Who exactly is aXXo??

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=axxo

aXXo is some dude in some country (don't think anyone but him knows where) who comes up with the best possible DVD Rips of movies.. The quality of his releases have given him(or her??) demi god status in the Internet world.. The number of hits his torrents get is just phenomenal.. Most of his rips are 700 MB in size, which is advantageous given you can put a movie in a CD or six in one DVD..

All of aXXo torrents are available on www.darksiderg.com.. Pretty cool site for getting torrents.. I recently stumbled upon an interview that aXXo had apparently given,

http://torrentfreak.com/interview-axxo-the-most-popular-dvd-ripper-on-bittorrent/

Comic part, he says his country doesn't believe in Copyright Infringement.. Wonder where he is from?? The main advantage of having someone like this is for people like us in countries where movies get delayed for months and in some cases don't release at all.. The corporates might not agree but then again, if they release their movies on time here, we probably wouldn't have the need to download movies (Just being diplomatic here, Gonna download the movies anyway:D)..

This post is just a tribute to whoever that great man is who has brought hours of quality entertainment to all of us.. Long live aXXo!!

Rajini Speaks on Sivaji

Thalaivar rocks.. He just had what will probably go on to become the biggest commercial success in Indian film history and look at him talk.. Takes no credit for himself and says Shankar is the reason for all that is good.. This when each two bit actor gives punch dialogues about who is first etc.. Hats off to him for showing such humility even in spite of his stature.. As he would say, 'Cooool'..

BOSS

Magical would be the word to describe watching Sivaji.. Three hours of style, charisma and everything that is our superstar.. Saw the movie at mayajaal on Saturday.. Paid a little extra for the ticket but i didn't mind one bit, Rajni movie on the second day, WOW..

The new intro for Sivaji with a rather stylish 'Superstar Rajni' was welcomed with thundering noise in the theatre.. There were a lot of firecrackers outside mayajaal before the show but this would've overshadowed that noise..

The movie didn't start like other Rajni films where the hero makes a grand entry but this one was nice.. First half was really good just cause of the Rajni-Vivek comedy track.. The best part is Vivek's one liners and his punch dialogues.. Hilarious.. This half could do with some trimming though..

The second half started with a bang and just kept getting better.. The sequence at the tea stall is surely one of his best scenes.. The one when he meets the villain at the jail was also great.. 'Mottai Boss' rocks in the end..

Specific mention needs to be made about the songs.. 'Style' and 'Athiradee' were too good to be true, especially Rajni's intro in 'Athiradee'.. The sets for 'Vaaji Vaaji' and 'Sahara' were so colourful and must have cut quite a hole in the producer's pocket.. Rahman rocks.. Shriya and Nayantara are a treat to watch in the songs.. Sizzling hot..

If any other actor had done the same stunts, one would've rubbished him.. When our Superstar does the same, it's magic on screen.. I haven't yelled so much for any movie so far.. Surely gonna watch it a couple more times..

If there is one word to describe the movie, it has to be 'Coooll'.. It's a pity Indian Cinema doesn't give Rajni his due.. The biggest Superstar in the country just proves why he is just the best.. Thalaivar Rocks..

ULTIMATE BULB

Thought it would be an experience and went for 'Blind Date' at Satyam yesterday.. Saw the schedules daily and narrowed the choices of movie to either 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom' or 'Sivaji'.. Me being the fanatic that i am, was sure they'll play Sivaji.. Satyam on the other hand had different plans..

They premiered 'The Prestige', which was pretty surprising given the movie isn't even releasing this week.. That moment made me realise i wasn't the only Rajni fanatic there.. It was so disappointing, you could just feel it in the theatre.. Some guys just got up and left immediately.. I have no idea why i stayed and watched the movie, given i had already seen it two times before..

The movie was good though.. Noticed some finer details in the movie that i hadn't before.. I know that's a stupid reason for watching a movie but what choice did i have.. The best part was when we were coming out of the theatre.. AVM had organised their red carpet premiere of the movie at Satyam and it was filled with stars.. Great sight.. Wish i was part of the film industry too :(

A decent day i guess but I'm not going to Blind Date again.. The anticipation is bad enough and if they screw it up like how they did yest, then Grrrrrr..

"ORIGINAL" SIN

Plagiarism and tamil music seem to go hand in hand nowadays.. A lot of songs we hear nowadays seem to be direct rip offs from songs of other regional languages or some foreign soundtrack.. All this discussion even without getting Deva into the picture, he truly has to be the king of plagiarism..

Yuvan Shankar Raja seems to be bit by the plagiarism bug too.. Some of his 'Original' numbers are

1.The song 'Walking Through The Rainbow' from '7G Rainbow Colony' is a direct copy from the background score of the movie Johnny staring Rajnikanth which ironically had his father illayaraja scoring the music.

2.'Jalsa' from 'Chennai 600028' is a copy of a song from the movie 'Jothi' or something.. Gau knows the name..

3.The music in the initial trailers of Chennai 600028 is a slightly indianised version of 'I'm Shipping Up to Boston' by 'Dropkick Murphys', The Departed theme music.

4.Not sure if the citibank music that comes on raaga is a copy from Pudhupettai or vice versa.. Someone told me the citibank is the original.. Not sure of that one..

5.The first 30 seconds of the song 'Yemmadi Aathadi' is a copy of 'yeah' by 'Usher'

For more on yuvan's plagiarism, see http://www.itwofs.com/tamil-yuvan.html . Link thanks to naveen.

Harris Jeyaraj too has a few such credits to his name..

1.The song 'June Pona' from 'Unnaale Unnaale' is a copy of the song 'One Love' by 'Blue'

2.The song 'Paatuku Paatu' from vetri is a direct rip off, no changes made even of the MJ hit 'Billie Jean'

What is more irritating than all this is the background scores on trailers.. I've lost count of the number of times the tracks from 'Warriors Of Heaven And Earth' by 'A.R.Rahman' have been used in these trailers.. I mean, if the composers can't compose a one minute musical bit for a trailer, he certainly doesn't deserve all the credit that he gets..

Tributes to other songs are fine.. Quite a few good ones recently..

1.'Ennama Kannu' in Thiruvilayadal Arambam

2.'Madai Thirandhu' by 'Yogi B & Natchathra'

3.'Ennadi Muniyama' in 'Vaathiyar'

I'm sure there are more cases of plagiarism in songs.. If any of you can remember any, let me know..

THIRD TIME LUCKY??

The summer this time was very exciting for movie buffs with four successful franchises releasing there third installment, all within 5 weeks.. With 4 weeks gone, i somehow feel disappointed..

The first to arrive was Spiderman 3 on May 4th.. Opened to the greatest opening in the history of cinema worldwide.. This was due to the hype alone.. When the substance of the movie was absorbed, the collections fell drastically with as much as a drop of 50% worldwide.. Great action sequences, spectacular visuals couldn't save this movie with a pretty lame ending and a wafer thin story line..

The next was Shrek 3 which released on May 18th.. I thought the first two movies were great but i almost slept through this one.. The weakest of the three movies.. The story here again is very poor and seemed more like an excuse to make a third film if not anything else.. There was so much scope for humor with 'Donkey' and 'Puss In Boots' but all was wasted.. Disappointing..

Pirates is my favourite of the three and i was pissed that it was releasing a week late here.. Somehow managed to see it the first day and this was the only movie of the three mentioned here that lived up to it's name.. My friends may disagree but i loved it.. A fitting finale to a great series.. I sincerely hope they make a fourth movie, they finished this one with a possibility of the fourth.. Great visuals, pretty good story and Johnny Depp made this movie a must watch for all pirates fan..

Ocean's Thirteen opens June 8th worldwide(Hopefully in Chennai too).. Going by initial reviews, it doesn't seem to be living up to it's hype but come what may, it can't be as bad as Ocean's Twelve.. The movie got bigger this time with Al Pacino joining in the fun.. Pity there is no Julia Roberts or Zeta Jones..

I had hoped for a better summer of movies but somehow don't feel satisfied.. Lets hope for better adventures from these stars next time.. Till then, "Drink Up Me Hearties, Yo Ho"

Life Is Beautiful

This article is tribute to all the people who have made the last four years of my life eventful and great fun..

Aarthi

Jolly character who keeps smiling for everything.. Nice fun to be with and probably the only one who thinks gau's jokes are great.. Pakka 'Family' girl.. Hope you get what you desire..

Adi

The unfortunate mumbaikar settled in Chennai.. Good company always.. The kodai trip rocked and wouldn't have happened if not for you.. All the best in the USA, hope you get a good roomie.. I heard someone from CS is coming to NCSU, maybe you should give them a chance :D

Ara

An extremely rocky friendship.. A guy who lives by his rules and one who forgets something everyplace we go.. Easily the guy I've fought with the most.. Have great memories of the bangalore and goa trip though.. All the best with CAT and at CTS..

Ani

The only person outside SVCE that i am close to.. Seems like a quiet chap but is extremely kd.. Have gotten thrown out of class quite a few times because of him.. All the best at UTAH, don't forget the Cuban Cigars..

Archana

The achiever of our department.. Overloads herself with too much work always or pretends to do so and bunks all classes :D I still think you are too chicken to say okie to a guy.. All the best at Infy..

Bala

My computer guide.. Still hate him for bunking so many days of college and getting away with it.. Very relaxed approach about what the future holds for him.. Hope you do something great with your talents.. Still waiting for the Vista Cd..

Bhavya

Seriyana Enthu Pattani.. Smiling most times.. The one thing everyone will remember her for is her 'hiyeeee'.. Remember, Curiosity kills the cat.. Rock on at CTS..

Durba

The eternal talker of our group.. Always has something to discuss about.. I have no idea how she can find so many things interesting.. Have fun at Infy, help Arch unwind..

Gaurav

Mokkai king.. Spent most of my engineering with him.. Extremely possessive of his friends.. Our Sodex Ho supplier.. Santy seems to have changed him lots, for good or bad, I'm not judging :D Hope you get into some cricket thing rather than TCS..

Haresh

The latest addition to our gang.. His logic for most things is pretty 'Different' to put it lightly..180 buddy, drives pretty fast.. Never getting into your car again.. The only guy who is surely joining TCS with me.. Yeh Dosthi, Hum Nahin Chodenge..

Hayu

Mistaken to be the padips of our class, this guy is a silent killer.. Has stupid tastes though(Linux sucks).. Not sure what his intentions are in the USA, all the best anyway.. Play Safe :D

J
Probably the only guy lazier than me.. Skips breakfast each day so that he can sleep longer.. Does useless things like playing Yahoo pool for most of the day.. Good company for watching movies.. Cricket Tomo??

Jan
My closest friend in SVCE and the one i turn to for advice.. Very emotional and takes most things to heart.. Always there when you need her and the one who has influenced me most in SVCE.. Have a ball at UPenn..

Narayan

The life of our parties, used to be at least, has other commitments to fulfil now :D Used to be very quick to anger but heard has changed a lot now.. Didn't imagine i would do my project with him but was great fun.. All the best at Infy..

Niranjan

Known this bugger for 13 years now.. Spent almost every evening at the beach or at JP with him.. F1 fanatic, loyal Kimi follower.. Also part of the elite 180 club.. Distracted young man who seems to be spending a lot of time on his phone nowadays.. Anything we should know??

Rajitha

The first girl i became friends with in college.. Fought with her the most in 4 years i think, yet remains one of my closest friends.. Always been there when i needed her.. Underestimates herself way too much.. All the best with your 'endeavours' in Delhi.. Don't forget us when you reach dizzying heights..

Santy

This guy has way too much energy.. Always works with a plan.. Has a lot of skeletons in his closet which he doesn't reveal.. Very secretive at times.. 11th and 12th were great, especially the cycle rides.. Join TCS da bugger..

Shweta

She can probably sleep through a nuclear explosion.. Always yawning when in college.. Once a party starts, she's on her feet and keeps dancing.. Amazing energy.. The only one whose dance I've been impressed lots by.. All the best at CTS..

Engineering wouldn't have been the same without you people.. Loved every moment of it .. Tankoo all..

NATPE NATPE

My engineering life has almost come to an end (I have a paper in 8 hours time, WHAT THE HELL AM I BLOGGING FOR??).. Was just thinking about this song i had heard.. Easily one of the best farewell song i've heard.. Compares to 'Musthafa Musthafa'.. It's called 'Natpe Natpe' from the movie 'Whistle'.. Hear it whenever you get the time, now would probably be the ideal time given it's end of college and all.. The lyrics of the song is really nice, so hear it is..

natpe natpe ini natpil thithithoamnatpe
natpe ini engae sandhipoamada
varusham moondru enbadhu
oru nimisham aagi poanadhuviLaiyaattu
viLaiyaattu viLaiyaattaa
naam kaalil udhaitha pandhugaL
indru thondai kuzhiyil uruLudhu
indha uRavum indha pirivum ini engum kidaikkaathey
(natpe natpe...)

nalla puthagam poal nammai naamae dhinam vaasithoam
andha noolagam nadandhidumaa?
nitham aRusuvai arattaiyil pasiyaaRinoam
andha uNavagam maRandhidumaa?
ketta pazhakkangaL pala kathukkondoam
nalla idhayathai naam sumandhu sendroam
paadam solliyadhu kaiyaLavu
iLamai solliyadhu kadalaLavu
indru azhagaana kanavondru kalaighindradhae
(natpe natpe...)

andru yaaro endru vandhoam ingu mudhal naaLilae
indru natpil manam kai kulukkudhey
dhinam chinna chinna sandai poatta kaayam ellaam
indru sugamaaga valikkindradhey
engu aaN ennum peN ennum baedham
adhu yaen endru naam kaekka thondrum
endha dhisaigaLil nadandhiduvoam?
engae evarudan iNaindhiduvoam?
naaLai varum naatkaL idhu poala inidhaaguma?

Gonna miss you all.. All the best in whatever you do..

ONE FINAL FARCE

The end of what has easily been the worst world cup and no surprise, Aussies are champions again.. Just when everyone thought the world cup couldn't sink to further depths, Aleem Dar, Steve Bucknor and Rudi Koertzen proved that it could..

Rain playing havoc in the beginning already reduced this showpiece event (If you could call it that) into a 38 over per side game.. What followed was probably the best cricket I've seen in this world cup.. I, from the bottom of my heart don't want Australia to win.. I always used to tell gau, that if they ever had to win, it should be because of Gilchrist.. Yesterday was just amazing..

Touted as the best bowling attack in the world cup, Sri Lanka seemed to be right on target the first couple of overs.. Then it was pure genius from Gilchrist who was merciless in his attack.. 13 fours and 8 sixes with a strike rate of about 140 in a world cup final, WOW..

Sri Lanka put up a pretty good fight having been blown out of the game already.. When everything seemed to be going fine, the administration had to have one final say.. The three umpires are supposed to be the best in the world and them not knowing that 20 overs per side is enough is absurd.. It was pretty comic to see Ricky Ponting being called in between celebrations to be told they need to come back the next day to play 3 overs..

Common sense was lacking and this was obvious when images from the stump camera were shown.. It was pitch dark.. Hats off to Mahela Jayawardane to have accepted to send back his batsmen for the remaining 3 overs..

A befitting end to what has been a spiritless world cup.. Ironic that it had to happen in the Caribbean, which is known for it's fun, flair and flavour.. Australians are well deserved champions but this probably wasn't the best stage to showcase the fact..

STRANGER THAN FICTION

It's become a common occurrence in chennai now for it to rain on most festival days.. It happens every year for diwali, which may not be very surprising given the festival comes during the winter season normally.. It happens for every cricket match in Chennai (India might be out of the world cup, but cricket is still my religion).. Today, Tamil New Year's day, it happened again..

Why it rains on these days specifically puzzles me.. Is it a sign of good things to come or is it an acknowledgement of good things that were or am i just reading the signs wrong?? Having said all this, am i being too superstitious about the entire thing??

I'm sure science has a perfect explanation for the entire thing but even science might fail to explain the timing of these events.. This made me wonder if everyone involved in science research etc are atheists.. How would a guy who believes in the big bang theory also believe that god created man.. More debate on that later..

I believe in god but not sure how much i should read into all this.. Education has convinced me that there is reason for all this and it's not some white bearded man(god) throwing water down on earth.. But still, it's been hot in chennai for a long time now, why rain on April 14th specifically.. Strange.. I'm a believer, so I'll take this as a sign of good things to come.. Iniya Tamizh Puthandu Vazhthukal..

NATURE'S GREATEST PARADOX

I'm sure all the guys would've figured this out by just the title, I'm talking about women (It's nice to think of myself grown up enough to call them women rather than girls).. The picture probably tells you my opinion of them..

I mean I've tried understanding them but it is becoming just about impossible.. It's really hard to understand what they see in certain things.. Most times, we guys aren't given a choice.. We need to understand what they do even if it doesn't make an iota of difference to me or anyone for that matter.. They end up attaching too much emotional attachment to everything (I'm supposed to have the emotional range of a teaspoon according to them) which makes it hard for both them and us, hope they realise this sometime..

I'm not trying to be very critical of them.. I've been the smitten kitten quite a few times while talking to them and respect women for what they are.. This however doesn't mean I'll agree with everything they say or do.. I personally feel they have double standards but I'm sure the same argument will be thrown back at me.. Guys keeping girls on call waiting is wrong but for girls to do the same is okay?? I can understand chivalry but this is pushing it a bit.. Please realise we might be trying to score with some other girl on the other line :D

Hayu once told me Girls aren't worth all the trouble that we guys take to please them.. At that time, i used to think "There will come a time when he'll understand".. Now though, i think he might have understood it a whole lot better than i did.. The reason they are probably the way they are with us is probably cause we try too much to keep them happy..

As much as i would like to get away from all this, i don't think i can.. They've become too much an integral part of my life.. I just have to agree with the quote "You may love them, you may hate them but you just can't live without them"..

DEVELOPING NATION?? REALLY??

Yesterday my friend sent me a message saying the supreme court had stayed the OBC quota and i was genuinely happy.. Being in the general category, I'm sure a lot of us would've felt extreme anger whenever they say reservation in education.. Having been brought up in the society as exists today, we understood that nothing should value more than the merit of the individual..

Yesterday, i also realised that all these were false hopes.. All the politicians seemed unanimous in saying that the decision of the supreme court was wrong.. Every single one of them looking for political leverage.. Did we actually elect these leaders?? The worst part being that the petition had been put forward based on a 1931 census.. How is such data even valid in the present time??

The government should be trying to get students who will take India to the world.. Instead they are more worried about how many of them could be convinced to vote for them come the next election.. I mean, it's probably Karunanidhi's last term, can't he at least do something right before he leaves?? The entire world is moving forward and India is probably the only country where people are fighting to get a backward caste certificate.. Sometimes you wonder who the disadvantaged are that the government talks about..

I hate people like myself.. All this anger and we done nothing at all.. Having said that, i don't think most people know what to do when they come across a situation like this.. I sincerely hope though that someone does something about it.. If they do, they have my support.. Let us pray that all the struggle that so many students across India have gone through does not go in vain..

BLACK FRIDAY

Cricinfo's headlines read "A Billion Hopes Sunk" and i couldn't agree with them more.. Yesterday was one of my worst cricket viewing experiences and I've seen India crumble many a time.. The most famed batting line up in cricket was unable to achieve a target of 255 on what seemed like a batsman's track post lunch..

The captain and coach kept talking about the "process" and the "flexibility" that the team possessed but both of these wasn't seen yesterday.. The bowlers as far as I'm concerned did their job but were a little unfortunate in the beginning..

India has too many glorified batsmen.. They are treated like demi gods here.. I don't know if the players realise the importance they are given in this country.. I agree, there is too much pressure on them but failing so often and at critical times is simply unacceptable.. There weakness is exposed time and again when the play away from home, South Africa and West Indies stand as good examples..

I'm an ardent Sachin fan but his form off late has been disturbing.. A friend of mine told me about reading this..
"Has the day come when we're seriously talking about Sachin batting well against Bermuda?" one intelligent former Indian cricketer responded when it was mentioned in passing that the little man looked sharp in the last match. "
His triumphs have only been in India or against minnows.. Failed against South Africa and here against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.. He should dropped for a series at least, something that hasn't happened since he made his debut.. India should looking for an alternative.. Anyway, nowadays "Har Ghar Mein Sachin", So shouldn't be a problem..

There needs to be a change.. Players should stop living on past glories or one off occasions.. Greg Chappell's interview yesterday was pretty comic.. Most of his answers being "It wasn't good enough" or "This isn't the right forum".. Apparently, 18 months isn't enough to hone the skills of this team to at least get them to the 2nd round..

I hate it when India lose but yesterday was too painful.. I know it's just a game.. India losing also would've been okay but them doing so without a fight is a reality i don't want to accept..

300

Badly wanted to see this movie in the theatre but don't think i can for the time being.. So got the movie from Barry(Tankoo).. The movie created tremendous hype and i must say, it lived upto it..

The story is pretty simple and was given in the trailers itself.. A thousand nations of the Persian empire descend upon the greek land of Sparta, said to have the finest warriors.. How king Leonidas and his army of 300 men take on the millions of the persian army forms the story..

The entire story is based on Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name.. It apparently sticks entirely to the book without deviating.. There are just a couple of small twists in the story but guess they are pretty obvious anyway..

It's hard to believe the entire movie except one scene(not sure which one) was shot with a blue screen.. The movie looks great on screen.. The battle sequence being one of the best.. The movie does have a bit of gore though but it isn't over the top and i guess you need it when depicting a battle.. Gerard Butler does a great job as King Leonidas..

All in all, a great movie watching experience.. Would've been ten times better on the big screen.. A must watch for every movie buff..

(If you want to read more about the battle of thermopyle, read the book 'The Spartan' by Valerio Massimo Manfredi)

WRONG TIMING??

It's been the vettiest semester I've had in college.. So much fun.. So much oor suthifying.. Regained old friends.. Got closer to few people.. All in all a great semester so far..

We had a great few weeks planned ahead of us.. A trip to kodai to to escape from the Chennai heat was the first on our agenda.. Project had taken a back seat even before it had begun.. Don;t think anyone really cares.. I was living a dream..

Well, dreams do come to an end and so did this one.. In what can be called a freaky accident, a guy in my gym dropped weights on my leg and fractured my toe.. Real bummer considering i have been really enthusiastic the last few weeks about getting into proper shape.. Yes, I've put on some extra weight that i shouldn't have..

I didn't think it would be that big a deal but the last couple of days have been pretty tough.. Not being able to walk after having been able to do so all my life sucks.. Walking around the house itself has been very hard.. God knows what i would've done if not for my sister.. Love her..

To top this, had to attend CAT yesterday given how badly i had screwed up ATM in CAT1, my worst performance till date:) .. Thanks to Barry, Bill, Peter, John, Charles, J and Adi for helping me move around college..

All this ensured i miss the Kodai trip but guess it's getting cancelled now anyway.. TCS had to keep their fitness test next week.. Not sure if I'll be able to make it though..

The doctor is gonna plaster up my leg tomorrow.. I apparently need four weeks of rest minimum before I'm back on my feet, literally.. Don't know how I'm going to kill time.. Pity i watched all the movies i have, would've been the ideal time to use them.. Don't think I'll be able to make it to the scheduled trip two weeks from now, so guys have fun planning :D .. I sincerely hope my leg heals soon.. Want to get back to being vetti, oor suthifying and chumma driving my bike around.. Which reminds me, it sucks not being able to ride the bike.. Don't want to end my college life this way..

WHAT A FEAT!!!

There's just one word to describe this.. WOW.. Herchelle Gibbs hitting Van Bunge of Netherlands for 6 six's in an over.. The first time ever in ODI history.. Kudos..

GRRRRR

Chennai is getting extremely irritating.. I love the city but the last few weeks have got on my nerves.. All the latest movies release all over India except Chennai for god knows what reason.. Ghost Rider delayed by a week.. The lesser said about Departed the better.. Still no sign of The Number 23..

I would've been patient about it still but this week was the limit.. 300 openend to great reviews all over the world and they started playing trailers on TV saying it's releasing on the 16th.. Only yest did i realise it was for the rest of India and not Chennai.. Absolute idiots.. Wonder why they are doing this.. This is the one reason that prompts me to download most movies and watch rather than wait.. I'll make an exception for 300 though.. Hope and pray it releases soon..

BUDDING TALENT

Santy playing Unn Siripinil from Pachaikili Muthucharam.. Excellent given that noone taught him this song.. Kudos.. Santy Fox!!!

MY NEW PHONE

A full circle and i'm back with Sony again.. Got myself a new Sony Ericsson K750i.. A while back actually but forgot to write about it.. The phone is just amazing..

2 Mega pixel Camera, Unlimited video recording, radio and Mp3 support, Extendable memory.. Infra red and Bluetooth enabled.. All this and it costs less than 10k.. The only problem with the phone is battery which also is decent and lasts atleast a day of heavy usage..

If any of you are planning on buying a new phone, go for this phone.. Sony rocks!!!

WEST INDIES VS PAKISTAN

Perfect start to the World Cup, at least for West Indies it was.. The host nation taking on Pakistan at Sabina Park, Jamaica..

The West Indies made a great comeback while batting from the situation they were in.. Marlon Samuels and Brian Lara led the way followed by a Blitzkrieg by Dwayne Smith.. Umar Gul and Rao Iftikar were the pick of the Pakistan bowlers..

The West Indies struck early blows and followed it with wickets at periodic intervals.. Dwayne Smith again played a vital part getting the wickets of Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam.. Dwayne Bravo was amazing both while bowling and fielding.. Shoaib Malik was the only one who put up a good fight scoring 62 off 54 balls..

Dwayne Smith picked up the man of the match with a fine performance.. A great team effort by the West Indies and a thoroughly deserved victory..

WORLD CUP

The mega event has begun, the one we've all been waiting for (i have atleast).. Gonna ensure many sleepless nights for everyone.. Probably the most unpredictable world cup so far given the rise and fall in form of various nations..

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that India should win the world cup.. They seem a pretty balanced side with lots of flexibility.. My ideal semi finalists would be Australia, South Africa, New Zealand (atleast for Stephen Fleming's sake) and India.. Lets see what it ends up as..

Ooh Aah India, Aaya India.. Ladega Toh Jeetega!!!

AMAZE '07

Indian Institute of Planning and Management(IIPM), Chennai had organised a concert by Shaan, KK and Anuradha Shriram as the finale of their culturals on March 10th.. I hadn't heard even heard of this place till then.. Nice way to get publicity..

The turnout for the show was very poor.. They bumped us all in front since there were too few people.. The returns from the show go to some charity apparently, so that's my good deed for the week(Yaay!!!)..

The concert began about half an hour late.. KK started off with Yaaron and sang his regular set of songs Tadap Tadap, Strawberry, Pal etc.. The highlight was Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai.. Amazing Performance.. Loved it..

I still have no idea why they asked John Britto's dance group to perform.. We conveniently used that time to go have dinner.. Pretty Unimpressive.. Next on was Anuradha Shriram.. An okay performance.. Couple really nice numbers mainly cause i like tamizh music (which most people there didn't seem to)..

When Shaan came on stage, it was dhamaka again.. Started brilliantly with Main Hoon Don ( or Shaan).. He was amazing.. Pity he didn't sing any Rahman songs though.. All three singers finally came together for a few numbers.. Shaan and KK did the 'O Podu' chorus when Anuradha Shriram sang Gemini..

They ended the night brilliantly with four tracks.. 'Dus Bahane','Koi Kahe', 'It's The Time To Disco' and 'Where's The Party Tonight'.. The three of them did a small medley of songs after this.. Suchitra of Radio Mirchi fame compered the show and she looked hot.. All in all, a great day.. Super fun..

NEW ZEALAND ROCK!!!

I didn't want to blog about this again but it's just too tempting when the Aussies lose.. Imagine a team breaking the same record twice in a span of 4 days.. Amazing is not the word..

Aussies began brilliantly and set a huge target of 347.. Hayden scored 181 which is the highest score by an Australian.. I guess the Aussies will now begin to expect losing whenever they score more than 330.. Brilliant batting by New Zealand.. Superb whitewash..

Some stats about the match courtesy cricinfo,
1. New Zealand's total of 350 for 9 is the second-highest in a successful run-chase.This result also means that the top four successful run chases in ODIs have all come against Australia.

2.This is also the first time since 1997 that Australia have been blanked 3-0 in a bilateral series.

3.Matthew Hayden's unbeaten 181 has now become the highest ODI score in a losing cause.

4.The 26 sixes blasted in this match - 16 by Australia and 10 by New Zealand - equals the record for most number of sixes in a game.

5.The only two players who have been a part of all four highest run-chases are Michael Hussey and Nathan Bracken, and neither has done a bad job in these games. Hussey has notched up scores of 88*, 81, 105 and 13 - 287 runs at 95.67 - while Bracken has taken 9 for 218 from 38.3 overs - an average of 24.22.

6.Hussey has the unflattering record of having lost every ODI he has captained.

The Aussies were in enough trouble already and their next blow came today when Mathew Hayden fractured a toe.. This means that he also is highly unlikely to participate in the World Cup..

A Day that belonged to New Zealand.. A series victory that was well deserved..

PACHAIKILI MUTHUCHARAM

Gautham Menon's fourth outing as director comes with a lot of expectations.. After handling 2 cop stories (Same story told twice actually), he moves into a new territory, life of a middle aged man..

The movie begins with Sharath Kumar and his happy family.. His son's illness slowly brings about some tension between his wife and him.. He meets Jyothika then on the local metro, one thing leads to another and infidelity comes into play.. What happens from here forms the rest of the story..


The best part of the movie was Harris Jeyaraj's music.. 4 beautiful songs, but i wish they had pictured 'Karu Karu' properly instead of using it as background score.. I thought the 2 twists in the second half were good though none of my friends seem to think so..


Jyothika's performance was easily the best in the movie.. Sharath Kumar and Andrea played their parts decently but they should both learn how to emote in songs.. Milind Soman would've made a really convincing villain if not for the dubbing.. I still don't understand why Gautham Menon keeps using his own voice for villain characters..


3 things i learned from the movie,
1. Never talk to pretty lasses in the local metro (Madhavan should be told this :))
2. Never go to any resort on the ECR stretch
3. Never expect so much from a movie just cause it's by Gautham Menon


A mediocre effort which i would rate above 'Vettaiyadu Vilayadu' but not up to Minnale or Kaakha Kaakha..

POKKIRI

Supposedly the best pongal release.. Also marks Prabhu Deva's debut as a director in Tamizh.. I must say i expected more from this movie having seen Nuvastante..

Starts off in standard vijay style, with him bashing up twenty guys and an intro song which also features Prabhu Deva.. What follows is what we have already seen in umpteen movies.. Asin falls for Vijay.. Love blossoms with no reason.. She thinks he is the bad guy right before the interval..

How vijay proves that he is the good guy and how Prakash Raj is captured finally forms the rest of the story.. Typical masala vijay entertainer.. Normally one of the highlights in his movie is songs.. Only 2 songs stand out here though 'Vasantha Mulai' and 'Dole Dole'..

Vijay is the only one who stays in your mind after the movie.. Nasser, Napolean and Prakash Raj play their respective cameos well.. Asin's role is absolutely meaningless.. They could've reduced the amount of blood in the movie though..

Surprisng how a movie like this can get so much fame while a movie like Aayitha Ezhuthu is put down.. Anyway, If vetti and nothing else to do, go watch this movie..

A DAY TO CELEBRATE

I guess Mcgrath's expression says it all, yet another day to forget for the aussies.. The phrase 'yet another day' normally figures with an Aussie win but the tides seemed to have changed now..

Aussies began the day brilliantly by posting 336 for four with brilliant knocks from Haddin, Hussey, Hodge and White.. Hodge is becoming very consistent.. Shane Bond was excellent given how quickly the aussies were scoring with figues of 9-4-39-1..

I don't know what inspires New Zealand to play so well against the Aussies.. A great cricketing rivalry.. New Zealand chased down the target with 10 balls to spare.. Ross Taylor scored another century which laid the platform.. Supporting knocks form Fulton and Mcmillan saw the kiwis home..

This was a day to celebrate not because of the Aussie loss but their fall from dominance.. Cricket was getting a bit boring with Aussies winning everything they played.. With 2 succesive series losses and 4 losses in a row, guess all teams will be a bit more confident to take on the might Australian side..

I'm sure there will be arguements like Aussies played without 5 of their main guys.. Even if Ponting, Gilchrist and Clarke had played, i don't think they could've scored faster than what Haddin, Hodge and White scored today.. Lee is doubtful of playing the world cup anyway, so no point saying he'll strengthen the team..

This incidentally was the second highest run chase ever in ODIs.. The three greatest run chases so far are,
438-9 (49.5 overs) South Africa v Australia Johannesburg 2005/06
337-5 (48.4 overs) New Zealand v Australia Auckland 2006/07
332-8 (49 overs) New Zealand v Australia Christchurch 2005/06

Aussies at the recieving end all three times.. Hmmm, guess greatness has a way of showing itself.. To be a little fair to the Aussies, they have the fourth highest run chase ever..
330-7 (49.1 overs) Australia v South Africa Port Elizabeth 2001/02

This loss meant that South Africa move to the top of the ICC cricket ratings.. Hats off to them.. Like i said in my previous post, i sincerely hope the Aussies bounce back but not enough to win the World Cup :).. Wishing them all the very best..

GOLIATH FELLED??

We've witnessed some great cricket the last couple of weeks.. India showing what they were capable of, both at winning and losing.. South Africa coming back very strongly in the last 2 one dayers.. None of this was as surprising as to what happened to the Aussies..

Going into the finals of the VB series in grand style, they were expected to take the trophy home with ease.. What followed was absolutely spectaculer.. England was a team that was tarnished by media and cricket legends all around the world just a few weeks back.. Making a great comeback, they made it to the finals of the VB series..

Inspired by great batting from collingwood and a superb performance by Andrew Flintoff, England took the series 2-0.. Aussies knew they were in all sorts of trouble with Ricky Ponting admitting that aussies wouldn't make it into the World Cup semis if they played this way.. Kudos to England for a fine achievement..

The next problem facing Aussies was the World Cup squal selection.. With Gilchrist making himself unavailable for the first 3 weeks and Symonds in serious doubts of playing, the Aussie team doesn't look so strong on paper.. A surprise was the exclusion of Stuart Clark.. No idea what they have against him..

If all this wasnt't bad enough, nightmare struck Australia today.. Australia took on New Zealand in the first ODI of the Chappell - Hadlee series.. And for the first time since 1979, they were bowled out for less than 150 runs in a completed first innings.. Shane Bond just ripped through them.. What followed was worse.. For the first time in cricket history, the Aussies were beaten by ten wickets.. Hats off to New Zealand..

All this isn't very encouraging before the World Cup.. Brett Lee now is down with a knee injury and is in serious doubts of playing the world cup.. Ponting and Clarke are fighting a Back and Hip injury respectively.. With half the squad in injury or in doubt, one seriously wonders if this world Cup will see the fall of the Aussies..

Another interesting info about them is that the Aussies have been at the top position in the ICC rating ever since they were started in 2002.. If they lose the Chappell - Hadlee series, they will for the first time, move to second place..

A very gloomy month for the aussies but i sincerely hope they come back.. I surely don't want them to win the world cup but it wouldn't be a proper tournament without a really good Aussie performance.. We just have to wait and watch whether this Aussie team can bounce back..

STAR ROCK

The occasion was supposed to be Gau’s birthday but due to some late planning, we never did make it that day.. So, decided in college itself and made plans to go there the next day.. Chennai has too much traffic at seven in the evening.. Most of us got delayed and we finally made it there at 7:30..

This is the second time i'm going there and i thought the place was different from how i remembered.. For one, they were playing loud music (read 'loud').. The place was a lot more crowded than the previous time..

Each one of us ordered our favourite drinks.. Santy did too, he had Fruit Punch :).. The best part of Star Rock is the pop corn, chips etc they give.. It's free and it's unlimited.. They were playing great music, loud but great.. We were laughing for everything anyone said.. Great time..

The excitement for me was on the way back.. Was driving gau's bike and we were joking.. Turned to the right to say something to gau and didn't see the bike parked ahead of me.. Some idiot frying peanuts in the middle of the road.. I hit the guy's bike, just a small part of his bike.. Santy later told me i knocked off that guy's indicator and some damage to his rearview mirror.. Panicked and immediately drove like crazy.. Took some crazy turns and saw some guy chasing me.. Finally slowed down to see who it was and it turned out to be Santy!!! Sucker..

Went to the beach from there and laughed quite a bit about it.. Great night, super excitement.. I should thank my lucky stars i didn't have a bigger mishap.. This is to the man of that day, Happy Birthday Gau!!!

THE PRESTIGE

This was movie watching at its best.. The movie has a huge starcast.. Hugh Jackman, Chritain Bale, Scarlett Johansson and Michael Caine with Chritopher Nolan at the helm..

Just imagine starting a movie with Hugh Jackman dying.. Don't worry, this is no spoiler.. Sets the tone of the movie brilliantly.. The tagline describes the movie perfectly "A Friendship, That Became a Rivalry...A Rivalry, That Became a Battle."..

Two upcoming magicians, Hugh Jackman and Chritian Bale go out of their way to ruin each other's career.. Their friendship is embittered by one incident which makes them rivals, and this becomes an obsession to be better than the other one.. Brilliant story, an even better screenplay.. The last 30 mins of the movie is absolutely electrifying (literally, watch the movie and you'll realise why)..

I can't think of any two actors who would've pulled off the 2 roles like these guys did.. Hugh Jackman was just awesome in a role that needed to show obsession and loss at the same time.. I never thought Christian Bale was a great actor but this movie changed my mind.. He seethes evil into his character.. This is a pure evil vs evil battle.. Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson are perfect as supporting cast..

Most credit for this movie must go to the director.. To visualise of a story like this shows his creativity.. Magic is no simple thing.. Christopher Nolan achieves it here with great applomb.. A must watch..

For those who want to know what the title means,
The Pledge : the magician shows the audience something that appears ordinary, but is probably not, making use of misdirection.
The Turn : the magician makes the ordinary act extraordinary.
The Prestige : the effect of the illusion is produced.

AUDIO COUNTDOWN

I've decided to start putting up a songs countdown whenever a significant number of songs have released between each rating.. So here goes my current list

1
Song : Thoduvaen
Movie : Deepavali
Composer : Yuvan Shankar Raja
Singer : Haricharan

2

Song : Karu Karu

Movie : Pachaikili Muthucharam

Composer : Harris Jeyaraj
Singer : Naresh Iyer, Karthik, Krish

3

Song : Unnakul Naane
Movie : Pachaikili Muthucharam

Composer : Harris Jeyaraj

Singer : Bombay Jayashree

4
Song : Pogadhe
Movie : Deepavali
Composer : Yuvan Shankar Raja
Singer : Yuvan Shankar Raja

5

Song : June Pona

Movie : Unnaale Unnaale
Composer : Harris Jeyaraj
Singer : Krish, Arun

Special mention to Unn Siripinil from Pachaikili Muthucharam and Unnaale Unnaale title track.. Yuvan and Harris have been giving some great music for a while now.. Hmmm.. Wonder if Rahman's reading this..

FIRST LOVE

This post is to pay a tribute that means so much to me and has been a vital part of the last four years of my life, Besant Nagar beach.. It all started in 11th standard i guess.. Going for a small ride along the beach after IIT classes. . The frequency of visits slowly started increasing and last year i'm sure i went there atleast 250 days (I'm not kidding)..

This has become my favourite hangout place.. Initially just friends meeting up and chatting.. Then came the craze of frizbee which died out due to some unfortunate circumstances.. We had made it a point to meet at the beach and play frizbee during every day of our exams.. Awesome fun..

Over the last year and a half, have started parking my bike in front of JP, sit there for a while and then go to beach.. Juice Point (JP) is a small coffee shop at the end of the beach.. Lovely place, guys will just love it.. Do go there sometime..

Niru has been the one guy who was always ready to come to the beach.. I remeber so many times when we've messaged each other saying "Beach?" at 9:30 and we would both end up going there at 10:00.. Or stopping at the beach at 10:30 before going to stay over at some friend's place.. Thanks for those wonderful times mate..

This place is not only about all the fun, it has seen my sad times too, which is what makes it great as a whole.. Whenever i am upset or angry, i immediately take my bike and head to the beach.. Go to JP, complete 'formalities', have a coffee and chumma sitting helps getting back to normal.. I've had quite a few arguments here (Some pretty serious).. But when you leave the beach, you still find yourself somehow calm and free of worries (atleast i do)..

The beach has given my friends and me a lot of wondeful memories, pity i can't quote most things here.. Gau will remember a couple.. Meeting up in the beach at ten in the night to discuss 'current developments' and its consequences.. Making Niru and me go in search of things along the entire stretch of the beach..

We've had a lot of hilarious moments here.. Niru giving his various theoris on stars and what not.. Each guy commenting about people walking past.. Referring to various directions to look in 'Machan, super hot chick at 3'0 clock'..

I could go on and on about this place.. I hate one part about me though.. Been going there all this while and i keep forgetting the name of the monument in the picture (Yes, it has a name).. This place has been integral to me for the past few years and i have no idea what i'll do without going there every week.. Hope TCS has a heart..

BABEL

Just got back from watching BABEL.. The title means 'A scene of confusion and noise' and that is exactly what the movie portrays..

An american couple (Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett) go to moroco to spend sometime alone.. When Cate gets shot at, all hell breaks loose.. America immediately say it's terrorism.. Everything that follows is confusion..

Simultaenously, story moves to San Diego where Brad's house keeper takes his kids across the border for her son's wedding.. Here again, the cross border conflicts arises..

The last track is that of deaf-mute chinese girl who feels lonely and alienated.. A small thread that connects all three stories is what forms BABEL..

While each part was shot brilliantly, the thin connection doesn't have much significance.. Some sequences that were particularly well shot were the Boy going to the cops saying he only shot the ameriacn and that his brother wasn't at fault, Brad pitt's anger when the ambulance doesn't come & the scene that follows and finally, the scene when the house keeper is deported back to Mexico.. The finale with the girl willing to begin life afresh was also well written..

I'm now not sure what the Indian government uses as guidelines for censoring.. If the level of nudity and blood shown in the movie is allowed, then i see no reason why AXN should be banned.. Wierd..

As usual we guys ended up laughing for lots of mokkai's (Thanks mostly to ara).. Nice movie experince.. I still don't see how this movie beat 'Departed' to win the golden globe though.. Realistic cinema is the order of the day i guess..

MOVIES I LIKED IN 2006

The Departed
Probably 'The Movie' of the year.. Huge star cast.. Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin.. Directed by Matrin Scorsese.. Doesn't that say everything.. The movie talks about moles in the Boston State Police and moles in the mob.. A great story (adapted though) with amazing screenplay made this movie a must watch..

Pirates Of The Caribbean : Dead Man's Chest
Marked the return of one of my favourite characters, Captain Jack Sparrow.. Savvy?? It is tough to match upto a succesfull prequel, but this one did that with effortless ease.. Hats off to the writers for bringing so much creativity on screen incorporating real life legends in reel life (Davy Jones, Flying Dutchman etc).. This was the movie i liked most in 2006.. Lots of twists and turns with a finale that made everyone sit up.. Did we just see what we think we did?? Can't wait for the third movie..

X-Men 3 : The Last Stand
Probably the most anticipated movie of 2006.. So much hype around it given the popularity of the first two movies.. What a way to wrap things up.. Amazing is not the word.. Cyclops was removed from the story and a couple of new characters added.. Wolverine and Jean Grey stole the show.. It's a pity they killed the character of Charles Xavier but that scene did take the movie to a higher level.. The last scene was the best.. Great movie, Great series..

Lucky Number Slevin
I'm not sure how many of you have even heard of this movie.. Still hasn't managed to release in India though Sathyam has had the poster there for a really long time.. Starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kinsley, Josh Hartnett and Lucy Liu.. This had to be the best screenplay of 2006.. Extremely funny when it needs to be and serious simultaneously.. Josh hartnett comes up with a brilliant performance.. Highly recommended..

Rang De Basanti
Indian movie of the year.. Formidable cast, Rakhesh Mehra at the helm, A.R.Rahman music.. Everything was perfect.. A movie that made every Indian realise that he/she has a voice too.. The impact was mainly due to the cast.. Aamir Khan, Atul Kulkarni, Kunal Kapoor and Sharman Joshi played their parts to perfection.. Maddy was good in a brief cameo.. The man who stole the show though was Siddarth.. A south indian making Bollywood look up to his performance (Kamal still doesn't have that hold over them) is not a simple thing.. Kudos to Siddarth.. To all of you, Rang De Basanti!!!

Lage Raho Munnabhai
Yet another sequal this year.. This year has been really good as far as sequels are concerned (atleast the popular ones).. Great movie, no two ways about it.. Extremely funny and heart warming.. If Rang De Basanti followed Subhash Chandra bose, this spoke about Gandhigiri.. I don't think anyone else could've pulled off the roles played by Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani.. Great story, excellent screenplay.. This movie would've influenced more people than any other this year..

Don
Now, this is one movie i'm sure will meet with mixed reactions.. I haven't seen the original Don, so i didn't go to the theatres wondering if SRK will be better than the Big B.. Good story, nice twists and extremely stylish.. SRK played both parts perfectly.. Wasn't too impressed with Piyanka Copra.. Boman Irani is becoming really good at negative roles.. This movie may not be highly spoken of or win any awards, but it delievered what it promised.. Entertaiment..

Pattiyal
There have been many tamizh movies talking about gangsters this year.. But this movie stood out due to it's presentation.. A story about 2 orphans and what happens when they become hired hit men.. Perfect casting was the trick.. Aarya as the perenial drunkard was fun to watch.. This was probably Bharath's best role upto date.. Playing a deaf and dumb isn't easy but he seemed to do it with great applomb.. Terrific acting.. Certainly my tamil movie of the year..

It's a pity only one tamizh movie made it into the list.. Here's hoping to another great year of movie watching..