the effect of integrity

jalti dhoop mein, halki hawaa chal gayi
mila barosa yaar ka, jaan phir sambhal gayi

khwaish sa sahi, zanjeerein pigal gayi
sabah neend ko maathe pe umal gayi
sunee sehraon ke hasrat pali hai
har toofan mein aaj yeh shamma jali hai

shaayad hai yeh dosti
yaa imaan kaa asar
aagey kya likha, humko kya khabar

why is it so?

rishtey, barose, chahat, yakeen
un sab ka daaman ab chaag hai
samjhe the haaton mein hai zameen
mutti jo kholi bas khwab hain

dil mein yeh shor hai kyun
imaan kamzor hai kyun
naazuk hai dor hai kyun

the wait...

choti raatein hain
kitni baatein hain
ab jo aaye ho, ab bathathe hain

thaamo hamein ab ek baar
thaamo hamein ab ek baar
intezar... aitbaar...
tumse pyaar itnaa karoon

A distinct musical dimension

Say Lounge music, call it contemporary, call it fusion - but nah, those names just dont fit this genre. Its just way past all that! In this case therefore- "Listening is believing" - I would say the ultimate in Indo-Global Fusion. Prem Joshua rocks! Start with the much acclaimed album MUDRA and then move on to AHIR and TARANGA. This is music which is truly captivating!

Just drive on...

Destination Hitz - I just happened to pick up this new album this week and I must say, for a drive down 'da city' this one is worth the rokda. Its a random mix of funky numbers, with vocals ranging from Kailash Kher to Shafqat Amanat Ali

The Top 5 being:

Chak de Phadde by KAILASH KHER
Bhula doh by RAETH
Jeena by SUKHWINDER SINGH
Yeh honsla by SHAFQAT AMANAT ALI
Chua Mere Dil Ko by SHAAN

Remember Shakti

Remember Shakti - a fusion music concert was held at Kamarajar Arangam on December 7. For the first time in Chennai (for a fusion concert) the hall was totally packed and the police had to divert vehicles coming in due to the parking lots overflowing. Needless to say, the show was simply fabulous! At the end of the show, the audience gave a standing ovation for a couple of minutes to all the artists!

John McLaughlin who originally belonged to the band shakti, created a whirlwind of fusion with carnatic and indian strains on his guitar. The eclectic blend of instruments and artists created a totally different musical ambience which was truly distinctive. Besides McLaughlin, the band had percussionist Ustad Zakir Hussain on the tabla and drums, the prodigy U. Shrinivas on the mandolin, V. Selvaganesh (Vikku Jr.) playing the kanjira, and Shankar Mahadevan on the vocals.

The surprise package was (who else but) Vikku Vinayakram himself! One of the veterans in Shakti. Vikku was pacy and totally rocking on his Ghatam with energetic rhythm. It was an aural and visual treat for any connosieur of music. Selva Ganesh, Vikku’s son proved that he is an undisputed master of the “kanjira” albeit he also performed on the mridangam and ghatam.

Zakir created new strains, thumps and beats with his repertoire of instruments. The best part came when he was playing two different rhythms at the same time, one hand generating one rhythm and the other a different beat altogether and it seemed as he was doing it with such an “ease of expertise”! - and as he ended his solo, the audience shouted back “WAH USTAD”!

Shrinivas was the fastest among the lot when it came to speed and fast-paced strains. His hands moving as fast as a speeding bullet! That was simply stunning to watch! Shankar amazed the audience with his speed, voice modulation and perfect timing with the rest of the group.

“The music was heavenly” danseuse Shobana told Shankar as he and the team came out backstage to meet some of us gathered there. Starting from Chennai, the group will perform in four other cities — Mumbai on December 9, Pune on December 10, Bangalore on December 13, and Goa on December 15. John McLaughlin’s `Mahavishnu Orchestra’ was an electric band that established fusion as a new and growing style within the jazz and rock worlds. After the band split McLaughlin worked with a low-key acoustic group called `Shakti’. This group combined Indian music with elements of jazz. Shakti was formed in the mid 1970s and has fans across the globe.

The Chennai Concert Circuit

Heartbeat Ensemble

"Heartbeat" is an ensemble of carnatic music and fusion styles pioneered by Ghatam Karthick and is a regular feature during the kutcheri season. Karthick is accompanied by Embar Kannan on the silent violin and by Raju on the Mandolin. This is one concert a connosieur shouldnt be missing out on! - Watch out for Heartbeat in the coming weeks in the city - Check out their show timings on Kutcheribuzz. [More on Heartbeat]

Remembering Rafi

It was a mammoth event. One which diehard fans of Mohammed Rafi, Kishore or Lata ought not to have missed. `Nostalgia,' the show featuring Mohammed Aslam (Paatshala/RDB) and a few other artists at the Kamarajar Hall, Chennai, had an imposing 40-piece orchestra with Raguraj Chakravarthi as conductor. You just had to close your eyes to be transported to Rafi's duniya. [More on Remembering Rafi]

nocturnal thoughts

At night
At night I gaze and think of you
At night I wonder can this be the end or is this all that's left
At night I wish we could go to the way things were
At night I lay and think of us
At night I realize there's no more us
At night I dream of us together again
At the break of dawn I realize it was all
At Night

That don't impress me much!

The Chennai police will now go after lawbreakers in Hyundai Accents. Hundred upgraded Accents have been gifted to the police force by Hyundai. - Yahoo News.

That sounds great. But the alarming levels at which traffic rules are being violated is what makes it look wasted! Moreover, the cops are taking this as a ‘publicity stunt’ - even this morning, a cop in a hyundai pulled up at a bank premises near a signal, having no sense whatsoever that he would be blocking vehicles coming at the back. Now, why did he do that? “well, ahem, just to talk to the security guy casually on some rules and the usual blah blah stuff”.

So much for the ‘makeover’. This makeover comes in as the sales of cars like the Hyundai Accent and Tata Indigo are dipping into red. So to speak, was it really a makeover/friendly gesture - or just “good riddance” for the automobile major.

Whatever, one thing’s for sure, not only are the CCP gonna burn up more gasoline via the exchequer, they would pretty well add spice to the existing ’cacophony’ on Chennai roads.

As Shania Twain would croon - “Okay, so you got a new car eh, that dont impress me much!”

Bloggers' Park !

...a unique and exclusive event for Bloggers, this weekend at the TIDEL Park, Chennai.

Check it out!

Pyar ke side effects

09/06. Rahul Bose is back.
The OST of this flick is truly 'bindaas'.

The new composer on the block 'Pritam' and lyricist 'Mayur Puri' create an offbeat mileau with a distinct blend of genres.

Other films from Team PNC

Jhankaar Beats
Chameli
Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi
Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena
Ankahee

and it so happened....

Four people try to make things happen desperately in their Life.
Later on, they would wish it never happened that way.
What if it just happened otherwise?
What if ? - well, thats what this movie is all about.

Yun Hota To Kya Hota?

A couple of scenes which I really admired:

- shots of the Golden Gate bridge (over titles)
- state of helplessness portrayed by Irrfan Khan
- remarkable characterization – Tilottama and Rajubhai

Only if:

- The movie had a better background score
- Better songs

I wonder:

- whether the director was in a hurry to end the film (or)
- was a substantial part scissored on the editing table

From great acting to directorial debut, Naseer certainly has come a long way. Naseer's son Imaad Shah debuts in this movie.

Krishna - in a different shade

Mystique myths

Manikanthan's mind wavered a bit. In front of him stood a beautiful woman. With hair that touched the ground; in the wind that was blowing, it swayed like a wave. Her eyes white, as white as milk. Her eyes enticing, one could get lost it the depth of them. Her eyebrows an absolute arc, as if it belonged to an apsara. She was no less than an apsara.

'Now I know why the devas fight over women,' thought the young prince. As he took in the beauty in front of him, his mind wavered a bit. "Who are you? What are you doing here? This place is not safe," he said. She turned her head towards him. She had a smile on her face, and a look of admiration. In awe of the young warrior, she replied, "You do know me. Moments ago you were in a battle with me. I am the Mahishi, the one with the face of a buffalo. You killed me and the devas celebrated by showering flowers on you, by hailing you as the saviour. If you are as kindhearted as they say, if you are the saviour indeed, now is the time to prove that."No, you can't be Mahishi. You have such a sweet voice, you are such a beauty."

"Of that, let there be no doubt. I became Mahishi after the gods cursed me. My name is Leela."

"And how can I help you?" "Marry me, you must. For it were you who saved me from the curse.

And you cannot leave me here in the forests, on the banks of the Azhutha, where tigers and leopards roam freely. And death hides in every nook and corner." Ayyappa stood there in thought. Deliberating. She was asking for the impossible. I have pledged to be a brahmachari. Not for me the pleasures of love and comfort of wealth. I was born a prince, but I will live like a sanyasi. Not even Bhishma did that. And then my mother wants her son to be become the king, not me. "The Sun rises only in the east. It is a truth that can't be changed. As is my brahmacharya," said Ayyappan, the prince who knows only giving, like Karna of the Mahabharata. Leela was madly in love with him. She could think of only one life, with him by her side. She begged and cajoled, then she insisted. "If I ever have a husband, it will be you. My word is as precious as yours. There is no life for me without you," when she said this, her face was filled with sadness, but determination. And that swayed Ayyappan, the prince who knew only to give. 'My birth was an improbability. I had to be born of Hari and Hara, two men. But it happened. Now I have to give a similar boon to Leela, the woman in love with me, whom I can't ditch, for I am responsible for her plight,' so thought Ayyappa.

And then he said, "If I ever marry anybody, it will be you and only you. The year no new devotee comes to see me, I will marry you. Till then you will live here by my side, right next to my hut. My devotees will come to see you as they come to see me. To them you are the Malikapurathamma. And I give you my word, I won't look at any woman other than you."

* * * *

Leela is in a bad mood. But she has no one to turn to, no one to confide in. In this isolated hill, she has been staying alone, alongside Ayyappan, for many years now. In solitude, in the hope that one day her love will meet success. But a news has come that troubles her. And she doesn't know whether to believe it or not.

"Lord, have you heard what I heard? All these years I lived trusting your word. Never did I trespass into your quarters. Now, a woman says she came here, and even managed to touch you," Leela blurted out. Ayyappan didn't know what to say. He also had heard the news. Now, some people are fighting for entry of women into his home. Television channels are holding debates, so are newspapers. Some talk of gender justice, some others of belief. In the din everybody has forgotten about Leela. Nobody respects her love for him. How sad.

Ayyappan was lost in his thoughts. And Leela was complaining. And her voice grew louder and louder. Even the divine are not immune to domestic quarrels.

satire in a different blend

chaste tamil - cenn tamizh
digs at cola wars, celebrity endorsements, psu jobs, riots
commendable dialogue delivery, a weird moustache!
shades of mgr and shivaji ganesan
pulikesi is simply satire in a different blend

thoughts over the week

....some of the things that we have to live with, in our country.

thunderstorms
riots
bombings
power cuts
heat wave
heavy traffic jams

When the mind slips away

a glimpse into the life of a professor and a great pandit, an intellectual individual challenged by bipolar disorder. he becomes a nomad, is taken to be deceased by his kith and kin, only to be later found by his mother at Haridwar.

a poignant portrayal by Mohanlal, myriad expressions, splendid cinematography, shot at beautiful locations in Haridwar and Rishikesh. Padmapriya makes her presence felt. raveendran's music is soft and easy on the ears. shajun karyal keeps the viewer engrossed in this gripping tale of emotions and strife.

vadakkumnathan is true to its name.

Ragasiyam

"yeano unnul thayakkam, unn mounam kollum
udhattyil poi-yai maraithaal, unn idhayam sollum"

why do you hesitate, your silence just kills
hide the truth in your lips, and your heart reveals them

beautiful verses from Ragasiyam

OST by The Sound Junction

french flicks

Taxi 3 is a French film directed by Gérard Krawczyk. It is a sequel to Taxi written by Luc Besson and directed by Gérard Pirès in 1998 and to Taxi 2 directed by Gérard Krawczyk in 2000.

A gang of thieves calling themselves the Santa Claus Gang are wreaking havoc, and the police are unable to keep up. Police Captain Gilbert (played by Bernard Farcy) is distracted by a Chinese reporter (Bai Ling) writing a story on his squad, detective Emilien's wife, Petra, has just announced that she's pregnant, and taxi driver Daniel (Samy Naceri) is in the midst of a relationship crisis. After a string of mistakes in which the thieves outsmart the police time and time again with a reporter there to record it all, Daniel and his super-taxi pitch in.

Commisar Giber (Bernard Farcy) has you in splits and Daniel (Samy Naceri) is his usual self with his love for cars and speed, with more gadgets in his taxi this time around. Marion Cotillard as Lilly is impressive. Sylvester Stallone makes a cameo at the beginning of the movie as a taxi passenger.

Tres bien Samy Naceri and Frédéric Diefenthal!

Check out a short sequence!

When life just slips away

Ankahee. That which has been left untold.

This tale of infidelity, desperation and deceit keeps you glued to the drama unfolding. The sheer fact of Life slipping away from one's hands, a doctor in this case, is quite intricately captured by Vikram Bhatt. Shekar's (Aftab) world gets ripped apart as he gets tangled in a relationship with a manic depressive woman. He lends a helping hand but is caught into a whirlpool which seperates his wife and daughter from him forever.

The gentle background piano score and the lustre backdrops lend a unique soft effect to the film. However, certain dialogues and expressions leave quite a telling effect on one's psyche. The synthesis of serenity and neurosis gives the narrative a cutting edge.

Ankahee courts observant silences on many occasions. Pritam's background score is evocative. Mere Paas Aaa, Socha na tha and the theme music blend with the sequences. In one restaurant sequence the director appears as one of the guests at a table. There are hitting dialogues which give you a sudden jerk - "Why do you have to be so devoted to me? Why is it always about me?"

Ankahee. This tale is about Vikram Bhatt's affair with Sushmita Sen. Or so they say. The character of Sushmita portrayed in this film raises many a question in your mind.

Is all the glitz and glamour really worth the ride?

Corbett National Park

Rule No.1 - Don't get down and walk in the jungle. Never, if you're in a place like Corbett!

No other bollywood movie captures the mood of a jungle this well. Debutant Director Soham brings out the world of the jungle in a truly breathtaking style. Crisp cuts, awesome cinematography and a stunning background score create a new genre. You literally fall in love with the jungle.

"Kaal" shows us how it is to be done, without degrading the genre or stepping too hard and fast on those peripheral scares. The best thing debutant director Soham Shah has done is to take his ingenious plot into the great wild outdoors - the Orbit Park.

End of the movie, a few words and sounds still linger on....

"Saab - Yeh Core Area hai - Route # 5. Bahut Khatarnaak hai"

"Kuch log shikar karneatey hai, kuch shikaar ban jaate hain"
"When you enter the jungle, you're a stranger to the animals"
"1300 kms of dense forest. This jungle has its own rules"

Truly in awe

** "unnai kandene mudhal muraii
ennai tholaitheney naan mutrilumaaii"

I saw you for the very first time
I lost myself in totality

This song holds me in awe and nostalgia. The soft bass
and the sensual flute create a truly spellbinding effect!

** OST - Parijaatham

nocturnal conversations

the magic in the night catches me in awe

the darkness that surrounds
and the silence that prevails

i look out of my window and
gaze at the stars that seem so low

adore those talks till the moment i yawn
that instill a sense of belonging even after dawn

the soft laughter that travails through my ear
the gentle smiles which i can still hear

i just love this era. this moment in time.

i wish it lasts
more than just a lifetime.

when we crash into life

CRASH.

the name implies an obvious genre.
the script reveals a different story.

the blur of lights. the blur of life.

Poignant storyline. Adept editing.
Music that touches many a chord with the heart.

Scenes interspersed with emotions, music and thoughts.
A movie that makes you think, makes you feel the pulse of life.

Need I say more?

Someone stroked gently

Someone stroked gently....

someone stroked the virtual veena on my mind
strange thoughts set the tone on my mind
with a tired sigh, with a wavering mind
the twilight waves goodbye, albeit with a heavy heart
today, someone stroked the virtual veena on my mind

even the moon today seems like the scorching sun
the colorful spring today feels like sober rain
your heart, shattered like broken pieces of glass
like the poor bird that flew high but got bruised

amidst the mist (slowly) like the rain that drifted away
like a lamp flickering in the wind, who is that waiting
your face resembles a bird that has lost its feathers
the strained heart wipes away the rainbow in the mind
and you, like the flow of tears, remain....



Aaro veral meeti...

aaro veral meeti manasil mann veenaiyil
etho vizhi neerin shruthi meetunnu mookam
thalarum thanu vodey - idarum manam odey
vida vaangunna sandhye - virahaadrai aaya sandhye
innu, aaro viral meeti manasil mann veenaiyil

vennilaavu polum ninakku inn eriyum venal aayi
varna raaji meetum vasantham varsha shokham aayi
ninndey aardra hrudayam thooval chillu udanya padam aayi
irulil parannu murivetu paadum oru paavam thooval kiliaayi neee

paathi maanya manjil pathukkey peithu ozhinja mazhayayil
kaatil minni maayum vilakkaai kaathu nilpathu aarey
ninndey moha shakalam - peeli chirag odinjha shalabam
manasil menanju mazhavillumaaikum oru paavam kanneer mukilaai neee

passing through the aisles of time

There was a shimmer and then a light
That, my friend, was you in a new land
The light that shone bright, became brighter
And before we knew, we were friends in thoughts

Little did we realize that we would embark?
On a journey, not many, took off with élan

There are times we’ve spent simply walking
There are times that we’ve spent conversing
Amidst myriad flashes of humor and delight

And then those moments of mirth and joy
When you made me learn some of life’s ploys

Those simple countless laughs that we shared
Will never go forgotten even when we’re grey-haired

When the twisting kaleidoscope, moves us all in turn
And as you begin yet another new voyage

Let us aspire that we shall reach heights and still remain
The best of pals that this epoch can retain

when you venture out

working on a venture that would create paradigm shifts
make an impact on the careers of many an individual

a dream on the footsteps of time
a dream which will take off soon

a thought that would excite young minds . . . .