3 Idiots

"Refreshing" "Superb!" "Rajkumar Hirani - Take a bow!" "Triple thumbs up!" - that was probably what I thought I'd say after watching the film that has Aamir in the lead and Rajkumar Hirani as the director. And Aamir was the only reason I watched the film first day first show. I came out of the theatre disappointed.

Story

Farhan (Madhavan) and Raju's (Sharman Joshi) classmate and roomie in the hostel is Rancho (Aamir Khan). Rancho is one kaliyuga Santaclaus, who spreads joy and goodness amongst people particularly his friends . Both his friends are not interested in studies and float around in college only because one has his family dependant on him to get a job and earn monies with his engineering degree and the other's father decided on the day of his birth that he would become an engineer. The Dean of the college Viru Sahasra Budhe/ Buddhi does not particularly like these 3 Idiots and goes all out to make these guys' lives miserable in college.

Rancho is a topper in class . And he aalakkufyes both his friends- Raju gets a job facing one number campus interview and Farhan decides to pursue his interest in wildlife photography. But then... Rancho goes missing! If the film had had a tied up with google the movie would have been over in 20 minutes. So all you idiots, thank youtube and facebook because this is a 2 1/2 hour 'film' film only 'coz this film has a tie up these and not google . And yes, you are a pucca idiot if you get to watch this film during the long weekend 'coz the ticket prices are going to go upar upar and upar only for this long weekend. Got it idiot? Now wait for it to come on Colours or some such Channel in the next 30 days. Don't waste your money - Idddiot!

Munnabhai part 3

This film should have been titled Munnabhai part 3. The do-gooder hero who is the kaliyuga Santaclaus, the humour, the overtly senti scene which are painful after a point, the music, the singer, the tiny moments, Boman's caricature, "Let's change the education system" - everything reminds you of Munnabhai

The 3 pluses

Cast : Madhavan is quite a dependable actor and he does what is expected of. Has Aamir tried to overdo the 20 year old bit rolling his eyes and scratching his head like a loser? Yes he does. Sharman is cute. Boman has played a similar role like this before in quite a few films but he is quite an 'entertainment' in the film. Kareena kapoor does a 'Jab we met' minus the pout. Big relief. So tick mark. Omi who plays Chatur keeps you in splits.

Humor: The film is honestly, funny. No no not the typical Bollywood sheniyan Johnny Lever kinds but with jokes that are not slapstick and annoying.

Sentientertainment: Raju Hirani is a master at pizhinchifying sentiness out of you with a tinge of humor and 3 Idiots is of the same type.

The 6 minuses

Cast: Despite Aamir trying to look young scratching his head, rolling his eyes etc. the kezhattutanam shows. Madhavan - '78 born. ha ha ha ! Semma joke! Aren't there 20 year olds in the country who could have played the same roles?

Sentiness : There can be only one or two high senti points in any film. If every second moment is one sentipan making you reach out to your handkerchief, it gets painful after a point. You guys tried it in Munnabhai and it worked (not for me though) but please this is getting repetitive Raju Hirani Sir.

Shantanu Moitra, Sonu Nigam : The music director is a great talent but very limited. The retro tune is Shantanu's forte` and that's probably why they sound rehashed. And why? why Sonu Nigam who sounds constipated in all the songs?

In-film branding: Such films make me feel good about the job I do which is on similar lines. The in-film branding is so blatant and blunt that I once again want to pat myself for the wonderful job I do with respect to branding. [Boss, you reading this one?] Television shots with Big TV branding (so Big you can't miss it), Phone rings with the Airtel ringtone (so loud it annoys you) and that stupid All izz well (Reliance Life Insurance).

Makeup

Aamir's makeup is really bad and he looks like the male version of Kajol in the Olay ad

"Idho doctor" moments

Bollywood / Tamizh films have these "Where is the doctor?- Here comes the doctor" moments. Those were the '60s and '70s where we'd wait for those predictable 'Police-in-the-climax' scenes in the MGR films. This film has many such moments the most annoying being the 'All izz well' when Mona Singh delivers her child. The scene was being pullllllllllll...led to the 'All izz well' moment so hard you have every other person in the theatre saying "All izz well" (Thinking about it, was that the real aim - getting people to shout brand taglines?)

Izzz All well?

You pay goddamn 200 bucks (there are losers who are going to pay more for the evening-night shows during this long weekend! ha ha ha) to be entertained for those 2 1/2 hours and 3 idiots does this dutifully.

But the film is so predictable oh-so predictable in the second half that you wish you had paid half the price and watched only the first half.

3 Idiots - One point something for each idiot - 3 out of 5

Tele-vetti takes a break!

The answers for Tele-vetti 24 are

1.Thalapathi

2. Kuselan

3. Rajadhi raja

4. Mannan

5. Sri Raghavendrar

6. Johnny

7. Sivaji : The Boss

8. Baasha

9. Moondru mugam

10.Ninaithale inikkum

11. Guru Sishyan

12. Muthu

13. Mullum malarum

14. Annamalai

15. Chandramukhi

The Aascar goes to

Filbert ;Balaji ; Karthick Krishna C.S and Sriram Murali - 15/15. Congratulations!

Scores:

Ananth K ; Hema ; Gayatri ; Chandrasekaran Krishnan ;Ganesh Kumar ;Sharanya Ramanathan ; Vinothkumar Gopal ; Vignesh K - 14/15

Sathya ; NAt Iyer ; Gradwolf ; Swapna ;Ambi ; LC ; Prashanthni ; Jesudoss, Janet ; 'Blogavathar' Pravin Shekar ;Manikandan - 13/15

Anantha ; Vivek ; Meera ; Praveen S ; Rajeswari ; Sridhar ; Archana Deepak ; Lavs -12/15

Krithika ; Gayathri Giridhar ; Padmashri -11/15

Aparajith - 10/15

Sachitta - 9/15

Tele-vetti takes a break for now. Will be back next year!

Rocket Singh : Salesman of the year

Married to a 'salesman' (ok ok sales head!), working with the sales 'peoples' everyday, I could relate to every bit of this film, the setting and particularly, the protagonist though I have never done this selling bit ever in my life.

Dhanda

It is a tried and tested - 'underdog turns winner' story for Shimit Amin's Rocket Singh: Salesman of the year. Harpreet Singh Bedi played by Ranbir Kapoor the fresh graduate gets a job in a company that sells computers. Harpreet ends messing up a client deal that puts an end to his field job. Asked to do cold-(telephone) calls passing on leads to his colleagues, he starts his own outfit - Rocket sales, from the premises of his present office . Business does well and his company ends up getting all the deals from his employer. But Ranbir gets into a mish-mash when the employer gets to know of this and is thrown out of the office ....And finally... finally beating all odds emerges the real winner. Sounds familiar no?

Deal

The story is very simple with no contrived scenes except for those with the big boss. More on that later. Ranbir Kapoor is superb. No overacting. Looks like a real sardar. The scenes between Ranbir and his father played by Prem Chopra are not the usual 'Papaji-Puttarji-Gajjar ka halwa' kinds. NO KIRRON KHER as the Punjabi mom! Infact, No mom at all.

Who is that guy who has played Ranbir's immediate boss? Good performance. Gauhar Khan is the itemized girl in the movie. Another relief was except for one song (which slackened the pace) there were no songs at all.

No deal

If there's one guy who has killed the film, its the actor who plays the big boss . Reminded me of 'Mirundanga Chakravarthi' Sivaji. His expression were so over the top. Was a complete misfit in the entire environment. Ranbir Kapoor's girl friend played by Shahzn Padamsee is konjam waste - a girlfriend only because this is a Hindi film and we need to have a so-called heroine.

The scenes were the rest of the team makes fun of Kapoor are very filmi. And the scenes where Ranbir has a conversation with the big boss on the phone, scenes where he talks about honesty, how he cannot let his people down etc look very familiar (Mr. Bharath, Padaiyappa types)

Commission, Bonus...

But after all this, Rocket Singh worked for me for its sheer simplicity. The first half was definitely better than the second. The dialogues were witty. The cinematography was neat and the art director didn't go about creating an artificial office. The set looked real.

If you have done sales in your life, you will relate to every bit of the film. I went for the film with my sales colleagues and we had a riot. And that's probably why this chamattu of a review!

Final Review - Rocking Singh : 3.5 out of 5

One song wonders

The credit to bring new voices in the tamizh playback singing industry should go to A R Rahman. Pre 1991 there were just a handful of male and female singers who ruled the industry for almost two decades. Earlier, most of the film credits had just two names in the Pinnani padagargal category - SPB, Janaki or TMS, P Susheela. I love SPB's voice but thinking about it now, imagine a whole lot of singers that were denied an opportunity to sing by the Jaambavan music directors of yesteryears only because they preferred to use the tried and tested 'hit' voices.

Most of you will not agree but you can't deny the fact that new voices added magic to the sound tracks of ARR, Harris, Yuvan etc.

But oflate, it has become overcrowded there. Music directors want to introduce a new voice in every new track of theirs. Result? A whole lot of people who sing a song or two and vanish immediately. And so, PR-giri, that is marketing themselves has become more important than improving their vocal chords.

Singers like Suchi and Shilpa Rao (Bollywood) are masters at this. Suchi's PR skills amaze me! Right from calling Aishwarya Rajnikant 'Aishooo' or pall-ilichifying at every party, she is a complete PR expert! And that's what is helping her get more singing chances. Shilpa Rao is a very boring singer. Lacks the lilt the voice requires for a 'Khuda Jaane' (Bachna aee haseeno) but man! her PR agent (yes she has one!) ensures she is part of every radio station's PR activity, award function, press coverage etc.

Last week as I watched the finals of Zee TV's 'Sangeetha Mahayuddham' I pitied all the me-too playback singers... same set of faces who appear in almost all music reality shows. Each of them who have been in the industry for almost 2-3 years, singing the same set of one or two songs in every medai.

Starting with Vinaya. I have seen her in almost all reality shows singing one song only which is 'Paalakkatu pakkathula'. Atleast this girl has a decent voice. Look at this character - Belly raj. Every time my dad sees him, he has only question "Paavam, ivanukku vera chance-e kedaikkaliyamma?" and dad has been asking this question for over a year now. And what's worse- This guy cannot catch the damn shruti! Vijay Anthony's favourite - Sangeetha. Again, sings like as if she's been starving for over a month and that too - only one song "Yean enakku mayakkam". Singer Rajalakshmi's one and only song is 'Kokku para para' but acts like she's one number seasoned singer.

How can one even think of giving peppy tracks like 'Pokkiri Pongal' to Naveen? The peppiness has to come from within. Pal tries to mukkufy his best to sing such tracks. The worst of them all - Srilekha Parthasarathy. Seven plus years as a playback singer and she ends up singing only one song. The moment she starts "Yelllo yelllo....(kalyanamdan kattikkittu)" you want to switch off. Another singer who thinks too much of himself - Krish. "Naa U.S return" kind of bandha! "Ayyo Krish, enda pitch-la paadamatengra?" Malaysia Vasudevan's daughter despo in PR thanking Harris Jeyaraj Saar in every interview of hers hoping he'd call her again after "Mundinam paartheeenee"

Singers like Harish Raghavendra, Krish, Unnikrishnan have such a pombala kural they should actually be singing for heroines than heroes.

Recently I had met this famous music director-actor-sinnnnnger in Bollywood (avaredaan!) . I had asked him on why singers come and disappear immediately. He mentioned that unless you become a music director yourself, you cannot survive in the industry for long as a singer. You may be a great voice but you cannot be assured of a hit every time. Because this would mean not only the music director remembering you and giving you an opportunity to sing but also the fact that the song needs to become a hit for you to make it big! He gave an example of Kunal Ganjawallah who made it big after 'Bheege hont tere...'. You hardly hear his songs these days. He is a fabulous singer but hasn't got the right songs in the last year or two.

That's probably why you see singers like Karthik and Shrinivas turn music directors. But imagine a whole lot of the singers above turning MDs... yabba, time for another post!

Tele-vetti 24

Tele-vetti 23 - Kamal 50! Aascar goes to Prashanthi, Boo, J Rajendran and Kaarthik A -13/15. Congratulations!

Thank you all for the wonderful response! Super show!

The scores -

• Padmashri, Bhargavi, S Praveen & Ramaswamy N - 12/15
• Sathya Praveen, Shobha Rao, Venkatakrishnan, Aparna, NattAnu & Nithya- 11/15
• Vinothkumar Gopal, Rajeswari & Jesudoss, Janet, Sacchita - 10/15
• Vivek Seshadri - 9/15
• Ambi - 8/15
• Deepa Kannan & L C - 7/15
• Ummon & Maddy - 6/15
• Inbavalli - 5/15

The correct answers

1.Moondram pirai

2. Moondru mudichu

3. Unnaipol oruvan

4. Soora samharam

5. Guna

6. Salangai oli (a) Sagara Sangamam

7. Maharasan

8. Aval appadithan

9. Sippikkul muthu (a) Swati muthyam

10. Punnagai mannan

11. Vazhve mayam

12. Manmadha leelai

13. Varumayin niram sivappu

14. Nayagan

15. 16 vayadinile

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Tele-vetti 24 - Rajni 60!

Identify the Rajni films [L to R , row-wise please]

One entry per person / Only one guess allowed - incase of two guesses the first one will be taken into account (I was pretty lenient on the Kamal quiz)

One point per correct answers - 15 points to be won

Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com

Last date for sending your entries - Saturday, 12th December 2009 - Happy birthday Rajni! [ Yes, I have advanced the dates]

Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com

Please do not post your answers in the comments section

ETA

The last date for sending your entries has been advanced to 12th December 23 hours 59 minutes :-p

Kurbaan

There are some films that are made to make you laugh, some films made to make you cry and there are those which are made only to be saavaduchyfyed by blogs like the one you are reading right now. Kurbaan - taana vandu maatara teeni for this blog.

The Goat n Horse Romance

Aatu-daadi Saif Khan falls madly in love with Kudara(i) moonji Kareena Kapoor when they meet in one of the Delhi colleges in which Madam is a professor. Saif is a visiting professor from God-knows-where and teaches God-knows-what. Thanks to Karan Jogar's extra budget for costumes, Madam Professorini wears A-line skirts and nice tops teamed with churidars and stoles. Aadu and Kudara(i) romance in the university, in Jama Masjid and all other places where Fanaa was shot. Not just the locales, the story isn't any different from Fanaa's. The US of A university where Kareena had studied earlier wants her back for the next semester, so Saifeena (Gosh! Don't tell me you aren't aware of this term! Gosh!) get married and move to the USA. Kareena realizes that her tottu burkha poatta purusan is indeed a terrorist planning a major attack in the US and the rest of the story puts javvu-mittai to shame.

It is also about...

Kareena kapoor's horrible makeup that makes her look on par with Kirrrron kherrr, Saif and Kareena's trying-to-be romantic chemistry which falls flat, Dia guest-appearance-only Mirza's award winning yet another guest appearance, Viveik Oberoi's yet another second hero attempt, Karan Jogar's yet another attempt in making films only and only for the US market, 'Aaapa' Kirrrron Kher's yet another 'Ittifaaq-ki-Kurbaani-ki-khaatil' tight closeup that scares you.

Some kostans

• Why does Omapodi's sorry Ompuri's moonji look like ellu-kollu bursting always? Was he made to read his biography penned by his wife Nandita Puri before he shot for the film :-p ?
• Why was Viveik Oberoi made to look five years older than Saifu baba with his (VO's) bad hairstyle?
• Kareena kapoor's false nails appear, disappear in a few nails and reappear in some, disappear in the rest again and again.What was the continuity supervisor doing on the sets? (Karan Jogar, if you haven't paid the continuity supervisor of this film yet... don't! he doesn't deserve it)
• When Saifu baba meets the dean, the dean asks him "What can you teach?" - Saifu says "I can teach the role of communities in ethnic domestic current economic socio some sh!+"

- Dai! At this rate, even I can be a professor in any US university teaching "varied" subjects including "How to manage Bangali colleagues who put Oscar award winning nadippu" "How to talk bade bade lingo in client meetings which nobody understands" "How to act busy in aabees" etc etc.

"Idho Police" moments

Almost all pre-2000 films have these "Idho police-e vandhachu" moments where a gang of Inspectors and constable 2 not 2s enter the climax to "Arrest him". This film has many such scenes. When you expect the FBI to be one number 'Gowravam Sivaji' types, they end up being CID Sangars. They appear out of nowhere, act like mechanic muthus cutting wires, running in chapels, stations and arriving at the last moment to arrest terrorists. Saif Khan is in the 'most wanted' hit list but roams around wearing coat-suit teaching Islam. Ennavo pongappa!

Sufi for Saifu

When in doubt, add an Allah, Khudafeez to the lyrics. Yes, Salim-Suleiman's background score is really good but the tunes are so... predictable. Shukhranaaallla is an oppari by itself. And like all Salim-Suleiman films this one too has two to three songs with a Sufi touch but like all the previous ones, they are nothing but clones of each other.

Scenes for Page-3 and mudugu sorinjing twitterati

Like all angreji philums, there's one number Oh-so-lovely love-making scene. Our makkal particularly the KJO and Juniorbachchan mudugu sorinjing twitterati make such a shoo-shaa about how aesthetically it has been shot, how poignant that moment is, how sensuous it is blah blah. C'mon it was yet another Jeyamalini-kind-of-villi stealing info from the anti-hero's draw after woo-ing him. Idhula enna steamy, hot-tu, sexy vendikedakku?

Ultimate climax moment

Saifu shot, Vivek Oberoi cluelessly running around, director desperately putting scenes with all sorts of people crying after the bomb blast hoping we will get some pheelings seeing them and all is over... and Kudira moonji asks Aatu daadi, "Tumhara asli naam kya hai?" (What's your real name?) and he says, "Khalid!" and she weeps and weeps endlessly. Audience wonders why she is sobbing. Is it 'coz she feels Khalid is such a kandravi name? Turns out that she's been living with her lauvvver and husband all this while without knowing his actual name. And worshtu! this scene movies into the moment where she walks and walks and walks towards the camera before we stare at the blank screen... and people wait for something to happen.... and.... and... the credits roll! Kodumaban! Kandraviban! Ban everything!

Finally...

Kurbaan is your same-old-fungus-infected story of Terrorist madly in love with a commoner. At least the director could have presented it better. The characters lack depth, they wander around aimlessly and Saif-Kareena look so not interested in the film. There's nothing in the film that makes us feel for the characters.

'Korattai'ban - 2 out of 5 - Its all about loving your korattai in the theaters.

DisCARD?

Fourteen years + four full-time jobs + seven years of freelance + umpteen designations = Twelve different sets of visiting cards, each bunch as big as a sengal.

The first ever visiting card I had with my name and the designation 'Production assistant' left me ultra thrilled. I was distributing it to all and sundry that mummy-gaaru thought I'd give one each to all those vettalappakku mamis during Navarathri. A redesignation in exactly six months and I had one box full of 'Production assistant' cards left unused. A year later after having distributed ten-eleven cards to junta around, I moved on...to a new job.

Yet another set of new cards in the new company. Within a month, the company underwent a makeover, so new cards with the new name (of the company). In a year, we had a new logo, so new cards again! And these cards were very well 'used'. With extensive shoots all over India, the ettupatti panchayattus, Kollywood- Bollywood gumbal were compulsorily given one card each only to see their "Wow, nice card!" reactions. Cheap thrills.

New job again. New card. Didn't use it much 'coz it was tata-bye bye in 7 months. Then came the seven year hits! Seven wonderful years of freelance-o-freelance. Seven years and like a typical bachelor-ini in Mumbai, moved from one house to another every eleven months. Every move, one new visiting card and each of these was a bare minimum of 100 visiting cards. Five cards for freelancer's sake. The company which engaged my services during this time, gave me a card that read 'Creative consultant'. It was too hep for me to say No. So, one more set of cards to the kitty.

Finally happy with sondha veedu and all and I thought I'd never have to make new cards with new addresses. But Vidhi had other plans (Wow, what a dialogue I say!)

I joined this company am working with right now, a few years ago. When I had joined, I was a part of 'Corporate Programming'. One bunch of visiting cards landed up within ten days of my appointment. Suddenly they decided to give it a creative name, literally... 'Creative services' .So new cards in six months.

Last week, when the promotion + redesignation letter reached me, I was konjam upset...I have to make yet another set of visiting cards.

Over the years, every time I discard the old ones, one senti feeling comes. What do you do with the old bunch of cards? Donate to the soda-butti GRE, CAT exam types who may want to use it as flash cards? Or use the other side to write "Happy Gruhapravesham! Best wishes......" instead of Green-blue-red-yellow roja flowered gifts tags on jagajakka gift wrappers? Visiting cards are too small for the blank side to be used for pictionary sessions, so out of the question there.

Whatever happens to the old ones?

(Pic : The pugazh and pe(ya)r I sambadichifyed diffused deliberately)

Perhaps play Mangattha or something with the old cards? Oru kai paakalama? Bring your cards, I say!

Presenting the new brand...

Earlier, full-on advertising was restricted to Deepavali, Christmas, Pongal and other festivities - 50% discount on this, 99% discount on that etc etc. Then came Valentine's day, Friendship day, Neighbours' day blah blah when Archies, Hallmark and others made tons of money asking people to gift their loved ones.

Telecom is one sector whose advertising is not restricted to any season - They obviously cannot say "Talk more this Deepavali" or "Wish your loved ones on New year's". Be it Aadi or Amaavasai people talk anyways. So these guys thought of something 'innovative'... they have created an 'occasion' for you to talk. Presenting the new brand in town - 26/11.

Post 26/11 - R R Patil is back, Kasab is still being interrogated, Karkare's bullet proof is still missing and nobody is doing a damn about it including people like me who show their angst writing blog posts at 7 in the morning. Honestly, I don't know what I can and could have done instead of thinking about slapping a certain section of the society, all day. I am angry... so bleddy angry! And adding to this are people using the 26/11 anniversary to promote their brand.

Talk between 'this' and 'that' time and we give the money to the Police force and supporting this is one 'poignant' 'heart wrenching' 'moving' 'in your face' commercial.

"Atleast someone is doing something and what's your problem?" you may ask. If the cellular brand was so interested in the welfare of the Police, they could have quietly donated X amount of money and 'talked' about it later.

I really really wish I could talk about more such stuff happening around but, for a lot of reasons, I can't.

Talai vaazhai ilai poattu...

H, S and J were my first friends in Mumbai and thanks to facebook and SMSes have been in touch with all of them.

H called me last week after almost three years. "Come for lunch on Sunday, ela saappadu!". My first question was, "What's the occasion? Gruhapravesham? son's birthday? Appa's Shashtiabdapoorthy?" "No occasion, just land up at 11.30!" he said.

B and I promptly landed up at 12 . H and his lovely wife S greeted us and the strong vengaya sambhar manam welcomed us. H mentioned that everytime he'd call his folks in Madras they were busy attending some kalyanam, nischayathartam etc. to have ela saapadu. We folks in Bombay hardly enjoy this privilege. One ends up travelling to the distant suburbs of Vashi, Thane yearning for Ela saapadu in attendance-compulsory-family-dos and the food comes at a price... answering umpteen relatives' boring questions which are as predictable and boring as 'Tiraiulaga Kalai nigazhchis' in Sun, Kalaignar TV etc.

So, H decided to call all his friends and organize an ela saapadu lunch."Who needs an occasion for ela saapadu?" So true. Why wait for a wedding, kaadu kutthal, gruhapravesham to have namma ooru saapadu?

Yesterday's menu was - Rice, paruppu, moar kozhambu, arachu vitta onion sambhar, rasam, urulai curry, koottu, beans, moar, aviyal, vadai, paal payasam and ofcourse nei. The quality of any tamizh meals can be judged instantly by the paal payasam that is served on your banana leaf, first. It has to be creamy, thick and not white but beige-ish in colour. Yesterday's payasam passed this test and was soo yummy that I had to miss my favourite thayir saadam to have an extra helping of paayasam. The lunch was extraordinary!

We were around 20 of us and there was complete silence after the first pandhi. None of us could get up and everyone waited for someone to help them get up. I was soooo full that I couldn't manage a pic from the cellphone. The image above is courtesy this blog .

Have promised H and S that very soon we shall have the next party. Where's the party? Vennpongal, vadai, idli, masala dosai, chutnies, sambar-oda party at my place. Can't wait!

Tele-vetti 23

Tele-vetti 22 - Koo chuk chuk, Aascar goes to Praveen S - 4/10. Congrats!

Scores- Swap - 2/10 ; Ramaswamy N - 1/10 ;

The correct answers (L to R)

1. Murattu kalai

2. Thevar magan

3. 16 vayadinile

4. Moondram pirai

5. Thalapathi

6. Anniyan

7. Thillana mohanambal

8. 5 star

9. Kizhakke pogum rayil

10. Agni nakshatram

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Tele-vetti 23 - Kamal 50!

Identify the Kamal films [L to R please]

One entry per person / Only one guess allowed - incase of two guesses the first one will be taken into account

One point per correct answers - 15 points to be won

Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com

Last date for sending your entries - Kamalahassan's birthday - ie. Saturday, 7th November '09

• Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com
• Please do not post your answers in the comments section

Kelviyin Nayagiye...

Do you also wonder....

What the real purpose of a bed cover is? Agreed it helps you keep your bed neat and you can keep your bedsheet crumpled and cover it up with this and all that. But that even your poarvai can also do no? And when you sleep where exactly do you keep your bed cover? Do you have the patience to fold that 'boodagaara' cover and put it neatly inside a cupboard before dobakkunnu plonk yourself on the bed? Just curious.

How people manage to keep their nails manicured all the time? Do they carry their manicure set with them to office, in the train, in the bus/car , wherever they go and keep plucking those ever-growing cuticles? How is it that their hands and nails look so neat 24*7 ? My once-a-year manicure lasts exactly for ten minutes. Then from somewhere these cuticles start growing and look like ugly thorns.

Why all dog-owners sound alike when they say "He/she won't bite you" when you visit them when the monster has ITS (no he,she for me) big mouth open and big teeth welcoming you not to forget its ecchal on your dress that makes you go eeyyuuuuck?

Whether people who shamelessly nakki-fy the bosses at work - be it in person or on facebook etc have maanam , rosham and other elements in their body constitution?

Yours truly,

Kelviyin Nayagi

Rendu bottle... Oru plate... Aaru Dabba

Rendu bottle................................................ PAYASAM...

Oru plate fulllll ...............................SWEETS ...

Dabba Dabba-vaaa.............................TAPPASU...

Happy Deepavali to all bloggers, tweeple, orkutters, facebook-makkal, Space-rs and wave-log!

Mumbai ka maal 5

"Andheri se Bandra , Bandra se Dadar , Dadar se Mumbai Central ... " - Whatever you ratto-fied (Yes yes that is Hindi for manappadam ) or failed to ratto-fy in your school days, this you will when you spend some time in Mumbai travelling by trains. That's the monotonous train arrival announcement in the Western Railway platforms.

You will curse the system, abused in Marathi by ladies in the I class but at you cannot survive in the city without the local trains. Harbour line is the worst of the three - one drop of rain and the tracks get flooded. Central railway is very galeej. The crowded WR that is Western Railway is my choice. Hardly get to travel by train these days but I do miss my train travel once in a while.

Some coasters I had picked up from Loose Ends in Bandra.

Our weekend haunt for provisions, veggies, Kumudam, Ananda Vigadan, Idli maavu, Dosai, Idli and Tamizh cinema...

From Avaraikkai to A.K 47... everything available at..

One of these is 'engaloda ' station..

Designer Krsna Mehta has some stuff on the city - good to see, horribly expensive to buy but I like, very Bambaiyya you see- ayyo sorry Thackareyji, very Mumbaiyya, you see.

Annnacchi

Bigg Boss - the desi version of Big brother has an ardent fan in me. Watched almost all episodes of the first season. Was one of the 'privileged' few to get access to episode details on Bigg boss 2 even before they were telecast - the fights, the eliminations, controversies were known before hand and hence not much enthu-ness to watch season 2.

Bigg boss Season 3 ie Triteeeya has begun with THE Big B himself hosting the show. No surprise here 'coz Jaya aunty / didi / taai/ paatti has obviously told him "Uppu, puli, paruppu velai ellam jaasti aayuduthu, Payyanukku velai illai, maatupponnu market sarinju poyiduthu, enakko Amar Singh-Singapore-nnu talaikku mela velai... aathula ukkandu enna pandrel? sambadikkara vazhiya-p-paarungo" . So thaatha is all set to bring back his so-called magic har shukruwaar speaking to contestants .

Khatron ke Khiladi became Anu alavum Bayam illai, KBC was Kodeeeeswaran on Suntv, Family fortunes is going strong as 'Jackitt'pot.. er... Jackpot - so why not Bigg boss in Tamizh? If Amitabh-ji can speak Ellahabad Hindi which he only understands, Kamal-sir can speak tamizh which nobody will understand - not even himself. And c'mon namma kitta illadha vetti contestants-a? Our peoples will give Hindi makkal likePoonam Dhillon, Raju Shrivastav, Raja Chowdhry etc a run for their money.

Here's my wish list for Annnacchi - the tamizh version of Endemol's Big brother /Bigg boss.

1. Raaghav

He is an all-in-all Anantharaman- music director, actor, television host but what does he do sitting at home everyday? This perutta sandegam has been in my mind for a long time. I have been seeing his 'Nanjupuram' promos on tv for six odd months now. This film has Raghav acting- doing music and all that. But no sign of its release whatsoever. He is not your regular serial actor also. So what on earth does he do sitting at home everyday when wife Preetha is off to make some money in the software industry? He can enter the Annnacchi house and make some money no?
2. Anandh Babu :

This is the latest picture of the great AB of Kollywood from a soon-to-be released film. Poor guy! Sambaadicchittu poatta Appa is no more and his (AB's) wig itself is getting old... so you can imagine his plight. With Annnacchi he can tell the world, especially Chinnathirai that he is still alive so that the Thirumurugans, Tiruchelvans and Tiruniraichelvans can think about casting him in Periyannan- Naattamai kinda roles in serials.

3. Ambiga

Endaanu? Chechi-oda fringe hairstyle enda mummy-kku valara ishtamaanu. I am personally wanting her on the show so that she can talk about Kollywood in the 80s, ARS* street/ garden / studio- that is *Ambiga, Radha, Sarala / Sarada (her mummy) and ofcourse the much-talked about kisu-kisu with 'Madurai-hurricane'.

4. Gangei Amaran

Gangei will be good fun to have in the Annnacchi house. Sons are busy in films and pals debts have been cleared now. So instead of sitting at home and giving "Illayaarajaa- Bharadiraaja naangellaam" kinda interviews , hosting 'Esappattukku kuttuppaattu' programs on SUNTV Deebavali special, he can do the same inside Annnacchi house and make some money.

5. Shanmugasundaram

We need veterans like Shanmugasundaram Sir in the Annnacchi house. Don't we want to listen to "Anda kaalathula Sivaji-saar kooda nadikkum bodu....." again and again? I want to. I shall make all efforts to get Shanmugasundaram Saar to be a part of the Annnacchi house if and when we have a tamizh version. "Ennnangaa.. ennaanga thambi neenga..."
6. Revathi Sankaran

Hallo!Escoos me! Who will cook in the Annnacchi house? Madam will not just cook but sing "Milaga varuthu podi senja , moola vyadi gunamaagum" in full folkish carnatic style. Doctor-singer-cooker in the Annnacchi house.

6. Thyagu/ Paandu

To me both belong to the same category. Actors who acted in about a dozen films in the last decade and for 'pazhagina dosham' Superstars and super directors are giving them tundu-beedi roles these days. These so-called veterans do nothing but adichify 'beer-chicken' in the evening. It will be good fun to see how such vettis pass their time in the vetti-erAnnnacchi house. I don't have peraasai. I don't want both. Either of them is good.

7. S N Surendhar

What lies beneath the cap? I am interested in knowing. The dupping voice for Mike Mogan and several other actors in the 80s and 90s. A regular at Illayaraja- Gangei Amaran's light music troupe, he was last scene in Sa-ro-ja in the wedding scene as a guest. I want to see him in the Annacchi house and also listen to his 'Kuzhandai yean azhardhu teryuma' dialogue from Mouna ragam which he has been saying for two decades now in every medai kutchery.

8. 'Disco' Shanti

Former item number, kanavu-k-kanni - what she must be doing right now apart from putting one number 'kudumba-ponnu-hence-wearing-taali-outside' act? Ambiga akka will give her good company. Disco-ji, Annnacchi house-kku vaanga ji.

9. Laxman Sivaramakrishnan

I am of the firm belief that we should have people from not just Kollywood in the Annnacchi house . Apart from appearing in television channels once a year from some or the other cricket match commentary, he must be doing nothing. Annnacchi house warmly welcomes L Siva.
Actually, we can categorize him as a Kollywood actor. Remember his one-scene act in Raja kaiyya veccha with Prabhu Sir?

10. Malini Yugendran This Singaari from Singapore is a reality show star having participated and hosted various dance and music shows. And yes, her husband 'Yugi' comes free as a participant with her. Haiyya!

11. Pepsi Uma

Thank you Creativetty for your suggestion.

God knows where Pepsi Uma has disappeared after her short stint with Kalaignar TV. Pepsi Uma can give a wake-up call to everyone in the morning with her "Naa nalama irukken.. neenga nalama irukeengala?" and say "acchaaho eliminate aayiteelaaa?" every Friday after the elimination.

12. Singer Anuradha Sriram

When was the last time you heard her in a movie song ? No, am not talking about the umpteen music shows which she hosts/ judges where tadukki uzhunda she starts to sing. Apart from giving her vetti-ness a break (!) at The Annnacchi house, the purpose of inviting her to participate is also to check if her atrocious dressing sense will continue in this reality show as well.
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HOST

No Kalaignani, Ulaganayagan, Superstar, Supreme star as Annnacchi host. Why worry when we have the great Ilayathilagam Prabhu Sir with us? I mean, who else but Prabhu Sir can add that vetti-ness to our 'Annnacchi' show? Nothing doing. It is Prabhu... Prabhu... Prabhu all the way as Annnacchi's host.

Tele-vetti 22

Tele-vetti 21 - Chavalier Nadigar Thilagam special Aascar goes to Boo - 11/12. Wow, super! Congratulations and thank you everyone for your enthusiastic participation.

Scores:

Chandrasekaran Krishnan - 7/12 ; Ambi - 5/12 Jesudoss, Janet and Swat - 4/12

The correct answers for Tele-vetti 21: [L to R]

1.Thillana mohanambal (Oh-so romantic train scene)
2. Saraswathi sabadam (Naaarayana... Naarayana)
3. Thirumal perumai
4. Karnan (side profile ellam to show kavasam)
5. Veerapandiya kattabomman (unique costume colour)
6. Ambikapathy [Sindhanai sei maname...]
7. Kandhan Karunai (What style!)
8. Thiruvilayidal (Evergreen Dharumi scene)
9. Sampoorna ramayanam
10. Thenali raman
11. Padikkadha medhai (Engirundo vandhaan...)
12. Tiruvarutchelvar

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TELE-VETTI 20 Aascar award winner Swap - 5/10 . Congratulations!
Scores: Aparna - 4/10 ;Janet, Jesudoss - 2/10 ; Chandrasekaran Krishnan & Praveen - 3/10.

Answers: [L to R]

• 1.Aboorva sahodarargal – Appu and Raja in the car
• 2.May maadham - Madrasa suttipaaka
• 3. Aayudha ezhuthu – climax
• 4. Sivaji: The Boss – Thalaivar leaves the airport
• 5. Kaadhalan – Oorvasi Oorvasi
• 6. Kadalikka neramillai – Enna paarvai undhan paarvai
• 7. Vaaranam aayiram – Anjala..
• 8. Mouna raagam – Karthik gets beaten up by the cop
• 9. Enakku 20 unakku 18 - Sandhippoama
• 10.Raaja Parvai – Andhi mazhai pozhigiradu

Tele-vetti 22 - 'Koo chuk chuk'

• Identify the Reyil films [L to R]
• One entry per person / Only one guess allowed - incase of two guesses the first one will be taken into account.
• One point per correct answers - 10 points to be won
• Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com
• Last date for sending your entries - Thursday, 8th October 2009 [the day I complete two years of vettiness in my aabees that gives me more time for such tele-vettiness]

• Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com
• Please do not post your answers in the comments section

Wake up Sid

When you watch some films you instantly tend to connect with a lot of things. Wake up Sid is one film that I could connect in a lot of ways. To start with it is a very 'Bombay' film, Konkona's flat reminded me of my PG accomodation in Bandra and the crazy 80 year old house owner (in the film its one of the neighbours), my dear friend Ush's sis Raji who was promptly accompanied me to every PG / flat I went to looking for an acco,to check if it was an 'okay' flat (replace Raji with Ranbir), Konkona's fetish for cleanliness - yes yes sooo me

I liked the film only for the above aspects.. That's it.. Nothing more!

21 year old Sidhart Mehra a.k.a Sid is this rich kid whose dad Anupam Kher business interests him the least. Doting Punju mother Supriya Pathak's English p@%% him off. His college life revolves around fun friends, partying, ipod, clicking random pictures and so on. He meets Aisha Banerjee (Konkona) in the college farewell party. Aisha has just moved to Bombay from Kolkata in search of a job and they become friends.. only friends-nothing more. Post college Sid tries to be a part of his dad's office-fails miserably and flunks his final exams as well. Thrown out of the house 'coz of his attitude he lands at Aisha's one room flat and so do they fall in love? Does Sid get responsible? Watch Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya.

Wake up Old

"The treatment and look are very fresh" - One would have said this had this film released eight years ago before Dil Chahta Hai. Its 2009 and we have seen umpteen such films in these eight years. The lazy rich kid in Bombay driving expensive cars, his 'sleep.eat.party' attitude, a responsible girl in his life... we have seen it all and there's nothing new the film gives you.

Wake up Good

Anupam Kher is very good as Sid's dad. Very understated and effective performance when required.. no "Tu mera beta .. me tera papa" kinda senti dialogues. Supriya Pathak does come across as a typical doting "gaajar ka halwa" mummy that we have seen in quite a number of films but she is likeable. Had it been Kirron Kher, you guys know how this paragraph would have ended.

Sid's friends - Laxmi and Rishi who comes in the Colgate Fresh ad are cute but here again, nothing new.

Yes - Cinematographer Anil Mehta does make a difference. Simple work. No 'Ajalagujala' framing and all that. Just what is required for a film like this.

Ranbir fits into Sid's shoes comfortably and no other actor could have done justice to this role than RK.

One very very very good thing that I reallllly liked about the film - Konkona is 27 and Ranbir is 21. They don't hide the fact that Konkona looks older than Ranbir.

Wake up Bad

The film revolves around two people - Ranbir and Konkona who are there in every frame. C'mon! For two hours and fifteen minutes or more you seen only Ranbir or Konkona or both in every scene. That gets to you after a point... which is the film's first 30 minutes.

The story just doesn't move forward. Once you have established that Sid is an aimless idiot or Sid moving into Aisha's flat etc why does one need to say the same thing in different scenes/ different forms?

I am sorry - Konkona Sen is over-rated in my opinion. She fits the role of a writer/ journo whatever but when in doubt, she rolls her beautiful eyes. The renditions are so predictable with that lazy tone of hers.

Don't understand this thing about Bong directors- Do they have to have to have a 'Bong' character / actor in every film of theirs?

Wake up Bored

Like 'Special Dosai' 'Special Sambar' there should be a category called 'Special actor' - one who does 'Dumped-at-the-last-minute' 'NRI maapillai in two scenes' kinda roles . Rahul Khanna is one. Almost every woman I know has a crush on him but sorry not for me... not anymore. He looks like a druggie and wanders about aimlessly in Wake up Sid.

Production design- A large part of the film is set in Konkona's bachelor pad and so it required a li'l bit of colour and prop-ing but this could have been slightly understated, I thought. Agree that every prop, dhurrie, curtain looks great but they look too clean and good to be true.

Wake up Yawned

It is not one of those films that will make you run out of the theatre screaming "Ayyo saamy aala vidunga" 'coz as the story m...o...v....e....s forward predictably, you also sit back and enjoy its little moments but at the same time you don't mind getting out of the theatre to answer calls or reply to those umpteen unattended "How are you?" SMSes from friends.

Wake up Glad

Being a part of the media industry has it very own advantages - Like free tickets for films like these. Had I spent my own money watching a dud like this the tone of this review would have headed elsewhere.

Wake up Dud

When the storyline is so predictable, one looks for other aspects that make the film enjoyable - like a Jaane Tu... for example. In Jaane Tu...we knew where the story was heading but there was something in the film that made it immensely enjoyable.

In Wake up Sid- the casting is nice, the cinematography - good, dialogues are perfect but still there was something missing - The story perhaps!

Wake up Sad - 2 out of 5

Tele-vetti 21

Tele-vetti 20 still on...

This Tele-vetti 21 is to celebrate Chevalier Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan's piranda naal on October 1st.

• Identify the Nadigar Thilagam films
• One entry per person / Only one guess allowed
• One point per correct answers - 12 points to be won
• Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com
• Last date for sending your entries - Saturday,3rd October '09

• Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com
• Please do not post your answers in the comments section

Tele-vetti 20

That was a tough quiz. Congratulations to all those who participated in Tele-vetti 19

... And the Aascar goes to Nitya - 5/8- Congratulations!

Other scores:

Sachitta - 4/8 ; Praveen S - 3/8 ; Swap - 3/8 and Ambi - 3/8

The correct answers for Paatram pazhasu quiz pudusu are:

1. Boys [Senthil scene]

2. Unnal mudiyum thambi [Samayal song]

3. Aboorva sahodarargal [four villains' dinner party]

4. Saamy [Trisha saves Vikram]

5. Paalum pazhamum [title track]

6. Maya bazaar [Kalyana samayal saadam]

7. Azhagi [Un kuthama...]

8. Michael Madana Kaama Rajan [Sundari neeyum]

Tele-vetti 20 - 'Madras nalla Madras'

• Identify the tamizh films with the scenes/songs shot in Madras
  
• One entry per person / Only one guess allowed
• One point per correct answers - 10 points to be won
• Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com
• Last date for sending your entries - Monday,5th October '09
• DOUBLE CLICK TO ENLARGE PIC



• 

• • Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com
    
  • Please do not post your answers in the comments section

Tele-vetti 19

Tele-vetti 18 Aascar winner Vikram S - 10/10 - Congratulations!

Scores:

Lavs - 7/10 ; LKS - 9/10 ; Preetha - 6/10

The correct answers for Rahman Raagas:

1. Sonnalum ketpadillai - Kaadhal Virus

2. Azhagana ratchasiye - Mudhalvan

3. Nazrein milana - Jaane Tu ya Jaane Na

4. Madrasa suthi paaka poren - May Maadham

5. Theeyil vizhunda taena - Varalaaru

6. Naan paadum - Duet

7. Vayendral vanakkam - New

8. Yaakai tiri /Fanaa - Ayudha ezhuthu / Yuva

9. Behka - Ghajini

10. Vidaikodu engal naade - Kannathil muthamittal

Tele-vetti 19 - 'Paathram pazhasu quiz pudusu'

• Time for The Aascars on Tele-vetti 19
  
• Identify the tamizh films with these 'Paathram shots'
  
• One entry per person / Only one guess allowed
• One point per correct answers - 8 points to be won
• Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com
• Last date for sending your entries - Monday, 28th September
  

  

• Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com
  
• Please do not post your answers in the comments section

ETA:
Sachita - You were right. Have deleted the old one and uploaded another picture. Not to worry about the numbering.

விளம்பர விளையாட்டு 33

Identify the ten advertisements in the picture grid.

Email your answers to blogeswari {AT } gmail {DOT} com

• Ten points to be won - One point per correct answer

• One attempt per person - One guess per advertisement, please.
  

• Email your answers to blogeswari {AT} gmail {DOT} com before I post the next quiz. The next quiz will be posted after Sunday,the 30th of August '09
  

The answers for விளம்பர விளையாட்டு 32 are

1. Rin

2. Sugarfree

3. Domex

4. Gold winner

5. Veta [Vivekandanda Institute has been rebranded VETA]

6. Sunsilk

7. Fair n lovely antimarks

8. Pureit

9. Tata docomo

Results for விளம்பர விளையாட்டு 32 .

Lavs wins with 8 1/2 out of 9. Congratulations!

Ambi - 8 out of 9 ; Mugilan - 7 /9 ; Sumi G and Swap - 6/9 ; Manikandan and Ramaswamy N -

4 out of 9 ;

Good luck for விளம்பர விளையாட்டு 33. Please do not post answers in the comments section.