The lighter side of negativity: How to use humor to cope

This blog is for my friend, the most negative person I know. But don't worry, I'm here to help!

"Negativity is everywhere, but that doesn't mean you have to let it get you down."

Read my coping mechanism now...

Use your humor. Acknowledge that you are yourself a humourous person and make it work for you. 

Laugh at yourself yourself. If you think someone is coming heavy on you, laugh at yourself and let the heat dissipate in front of you, rather than anywhere else! Fancy this telling your body critics, "Thanks for the feedback! I'm working on a new look, I'm going to be the next big thing."

Vibe high. (As much as you can). Surround yourself with positive people. Does that help with your mood and outlook on life? Juz, make sure you feel good about yourself!

Ignore the negativity. Sometimes, the best way to deal with negativity is to simply ignore it. If someone is being negative, try to go talk to someone else or change the subject. 

While reading this piece, did anyone remember an old popular quote, "Laughter is the best medicine!"?

Musings of an ID Coffee lover

"I was certain that I'd not make it thru my probation. The stars have been kind to me this time! Can't believe I made it here!"

 

"Yes, this will be a game changer! You worked really hard and we're impressed."

 

Neeti had just moved to London from Bangalore. She's a young Indian woman in her late twenties and a developer by profession.

 

"In the first week of joining the team, although in probation, I was certain that I wanted to bring something special for everyone from Bangalore.

 

"And I knew that our office didn't have a pantry, so I brought you all some ID coffee decoction because you know how expensive food and beverage can be here."

 

“Justin: ID coffee? I've never heard of it.”

 

“Oh, ID is the name of an Indian coffee brand, without which I wouldn't be able to start my morning. The nicest coffee decoction I've tasted to this day! Just wanted to show a gesture of much I appreciate everyone here.”

 

“I love coffee!”, said Justin.

 

"You know, growing up in the South of India, filtered coffee or tea is a staple. We need a cup especially after a sumptuous breakfast of dosa and chutney."

She continues...

 

"Also, I can vouch I had never seen you on Zoom meetings without a coffee cup!"

Justin laughs and says, “Do you know, this coffee maker could cost five times more in London. This is a very thoughtful and generous gift. I would suggest you keep it for yourself, for your mornings."

 

"Not at all. I have put more thought into bringing these here."

 

The coffee connoisseurs finish their coffee and head back to their desks.

Neeti carefully pulls out a brown bag from her tote and sets it on her desk. She then began drafting an email.

Gourmet coffee from India

Happy to share some of the best coffee in the world with you all! Please come by my desk. Trust you all will love it.

Roy: An afterthought

What is wrong with critics these days, (suspect these opinion leaders are so much swayed by each other’s early impressions about a movie, and set a troubling trend). Considering their influence in the success of a movie, the onus of responsibility lies with a critic to first understand its concept, and Roy is such that it tests the height of one’s patience before it grows on you.

My words about Roy, the film.

Arjun Rampal is Kabir Grewal, an accomplished filmmaker and screenplay writer famous for his ‘Guns’ franchise. He is currently working on the script of the third instalment of Guns which is based in Malaysia. The crew decides to set out to Malaysia for the shoot although the story is far ahead from completion. Kabir from this moment goes through a creative slowdown and fails to finish the screenplay, much to the worry of the producers and the entire cast and crew of the film.

Ayesha Amir, played by Jacqueline Fernandez is a London-based filmmaker who is also in Malaysia (incidentally in the same hotel as Kabir) for a travel documentary. Kabir finds his muse in Ayesha, and after much persuasion Ayesha agrees to go on a date with him. Soon after the reports of their courtship surface in the media, Ayesha learns that she is his ‘Girlfriend #23′, a way the press keep track of his flings. She starts dodging him and leaves to London.

Meanwhile, the film shoot gets stalled due to an incomplete script and Kabir returns back to Mumbai. As he struggles to find a perfect climax to his story, he remembers a conversation he had with Ayesha in which she had a different vision of the ending.  Kabir finds his inspiration and goes on to complete the script. The movie becomes a huge hit.

The film is engagingly crisscrossed by another love story, the story of a reclusive art thief and his mistress, Roy and Tia. Roy’s new assignment is to steal one of the halves of a priceless painting called ‘Two Halves’. The right-half of the painting belongs to Tia. It is now when a love story unfolds, and also ends too soon after Roy’s mission is accomplished, to steal the painting. That’s the one half of the love story. What happens in the next half is what Roy is all about. And, will the ‘Two Halves’ paintings reunite again, with the right owner?

It was amusing to watch the two storylines run over each other and how Kabir and Roy are interrelated.

Ranbir as Roy remains low key throughout the film, perhaps a fear within if Roy overshadows the main cast. But again let’s believe it’s the play of the script here, Kabir is Roy, a case of character taking over the personality of its author. Kabir is very much laid back and to an extent boring, so is his protagonist. And, Ranbir Kapoor, I sure did miss his acting, but that’s ok because Bombay Velvet is just around the corner.

Arjun Rampal stayed loyal to his role as Kabir. Truly appreciate the actor for his no-nonsense acting, a rarely found trait in Bollywood these days! Surprisingly, it was JF who comes as the clear winner of three leads. She looks amazingly calm, resilient, and so like a diva from start to finish. In short, I loved Jacqueline Fernandez as Ayesha/Tia in Roy!

The film traverses a road less traveled by many in Bollywood, with lots of stumbles. The debutant director Vikramjit Singh does miss nuances of storytelling at times because certainly for a film like Roy it demands much more powerful dialogues and screenplay lest damaging comments by critics and movie goers ruin its stint at the BO. That said I don’t feel it is quite right to zoom in the flaws given that it’s his first venture. Hats off to Vikramjit Singh because he has risked his career and chose to give audiences Roy rather than sth like Chennai Express or Happy New Year.

Full marks to the story, full marks to the mind-blowing BGM! And about the music in Roy, I don’t even have to talk about it!

22 Female Kottayam – Review

UTHARA NAIR

Cast: Rima Kallingal, Fahad Fazil

Direction: Aashiq Abu

Genre: Thriller

Music: Bijibal, Rex Vijayan

Camera: Shyju Khalid

Editing: Vivek Harshan

One of the movies from recent times I thought will write about is 22FK. Aashiq Abu kills this time and brings forth an improvised look at the new generation of films.

Rima Kallingal as Tessa is an ambitious nurse from Kottayam whose wish is to work in Canada someday. She comes across as a coy and traditional woman however determined enough to make it big in her career. In the course of applying for a Visa, she meets Cyril (Fahad Fazil), a travel agent. He agrees to help Tessa obtain a visa. In a series of events, the duo fall for each other and Tessa moves in with Cyril just ahead of two weeks of her travel to Canada.

In a strange turn of events, Cyril goes absconding after he got into a brawl at the bar with an influential guy. While Tessa is alone in the apartment, she is brutally raped by Cyril's trusted friend Hegde On his return after two days, he vows to kill Hegde. As she recovers and tries to reassure Cyril, the incident is repeated. 

As Tessa decides to put her travel plan on hold, she's stuck with a double whammy. Tessa is arrested for allegedly carrying drug packets in her handbag. At the prison, she becomes acquainted with a notorious criminal and her roommate Subaida (played by Reshmi Satheesh) who also happens to have a heart of gold. With her help, she finds answers to all the questions that were haunting her until then.. The clichéd rebirth scenes of a bolder and suave Tessa follow as she prepares herself to avenge.

The story offers plenty of surprises before giving way to the final surprise. 

In the film, Tessa’s approach to dating Cyril, who is indeed still a stranger to her, looks a tad questionable as we ponder about the safety of Tessa in such an arrangement. However, the script strikes a chord with the young audience with its sheer honesty. The woman in the picture looks credible and grounded and characters like Cyril and Hegde always exist in every society. This film also witnesses a thumping comeback for Prathap Pothen as an actor. Thanks to Pothen, I now realize there are other actors as well in the South who can speak English other than Prithvi Raj!! :P

Fahadh does a brave act by choosing to defer again from typecast heroes. A multidimensional actor, Fahadh adds depth and charisma to his character. There is a void created for the growth of a new generation actor in the Malayalam cinema, and if Fahad sees it as an opportunity to fill it, the sky is the limit for him.  And man, he’s in the right direction!

Finally, this is Rima Kallingal’s movie. As Aashiq Abu has said, if there’s anyone who could perfectly suit to 22 Female Kottayam’s requirement, it should be Rima. She portrays her character with unprecedented charm, depth, and seriousness. She easily slips into the role of the charming and vulnerable nurse and takes the audience on a surprise with the twisting turns of events in the film. Your best performance ever Rima, and as you had tweeted, 22 FK is your baby!

22 Female Kottayam music – Addictive, Fresh!

Outstanding music by Rex Vijayan. The theme song, Chillane Ponveyil by Avial, is upbeat and original with its signature blend of rock and Malayalam film music. Melle Kollum has a soulful rendition, steeped in romance with good lyrics.

The songs from the film are likely to live in my playlist for a very loooooong time! 

My verdict: Don't miss it! :)

Electric, Mesmerizing, and Feverish!

Review - Bryan Adams Live in Concert , Bangalore

Feb 13, 2011 is one of the most memorable day for a rock fanatic like me. The ambiance at Palace Grounds, Bangalore was like a gift to music fans, and there were peeps like me traveling from neighbouring cities to sing along with the legendary Bryan Adams. So in fond remembrance of those who missed the charity concert (Save the Children), here goes my review:

The concert starts with a dash of desi colour  to the concert by the Shiamak Davar dance troupe. And then the 51-year old rock star runs into the stage, strumming his guitar and crooning our all time favourite, ‘We Will Rock You'.

The true rock spirit and enthu of the crowd was echoed when the familiar voice said, ‘Hi, I am Bryan'. He began with the hit portions of ‘Everything I Do.’ Being the eve of Valentine’s Day, love was so in the air, the atmosphere just terrific.

The entire crowd switched to electric mode just when Bryan performed his ever-loved classic ‘Let’s make a night to remember,’ followed by ‘Run To You,’ ‘18 Till I Die,’ ‘Summer Of 69,’ and ‘Here I am.’
After ‘Summer of 69,’ the fever touched a new high, and the hungry fans were seen screaming "Encore". My group was standing in the middle of the ground, so it was getting difficult to watch him up and close, never mind, we enjoyed the music and the atmosphere around. As we were preparing to leave the venue, it was amusing to see fans outside waiting to get our tickets.


This blog post has also appeared in the Variety section of Views Journal, an online news and features portal. To read the article, visit http://www.viewsjournal.com/variety/68-electric-mesmerizing-and-feverish.aspx.

KOCHI WELCOMES YOU...

Get Ready For The Battle...

11:29 pm, Dec 31, 2010

Recapitulating the fine moments of this wonderful year now... Thanks to all who have made this year really memorable...
Wishing all my readers a very very Happy New Year 2011... May this year bring all goodness and happiness to all...

Good Wishes,
Uthara

"Bell has no sound
till someone rings it,

Song has no tune
until someone sings it,

Never hide your feelings
because it has no value till someone feels it!!!"

A touching SMS I received today :)

Life In A Metro

Yes it seems I have successfully completed 365 (and still counting) days since I first got down at Chennai Central railway station, my ‘Buland Darwaza’ to a world outside the skeptical alleys of Kerala.

The knick knack shopping, bingeing on pongal and chutney, traveling by metro railway (with and without ticket), commuting to work in Chennai MTC buses, walking in the December rain, loading pirated DVDs into my bag, the 24x7 local FM channels, clicking away pics of happy kids (as a respite to my boring desk job), thanking cordial strangers for showing direction and speaking broken Tamil and being happy at the end of the day... life in Chennai and a metro city for the very first time has been nothing short of pure adventure, happiness and little boredom strewn in between.

And oh yea, did I miss out my eat-out experiences in Velachery? I used to stroll around the suburb after my work hours and go on a gourmet therapy. Chennai is one of the finest places to find great food joints, local and international. It's pure fun to experiment a food joint a day and savour on the local delicacy. Also, it's fun to get into an ice cream parlour, look around and ask "Is this a new shop? I just came in to check what is out here, Thank You". C'mon, you needa have a count on your calories right?!

Ever attended an interview for a private detective post? That is so beautiful and so crazy, well, I have had. I was hailed as a detective in the embryo by the famous private detective, doing detective jobs on Sundays in Velachery area! The master detective told me, "I can see a bright detective in you, Ms. Uthara." Thrilled at my potential designation, I came back home singing some famous detective numbers, apparently excited about my new role and also the scope to earn a few extra bucks.

A month and half passes by, but no intimation from the man in black suit from Scotland, the dandy Mr. Cholan. No regrets here since the meet up was fun, adventurous and a perfect staple for discussion with my friends back home in college. (at the time of writing I was still in college).

Life is riding on high since my coming to Chennai. I feel the place lets you take some fresh lessons on the value of independence, culture, politics, add to all, the importance to shed inhibitions in one's life. Of course, I wouldn’t dare to experience this had I been in Kerala, since women rarely do feel safe after twilight.

Till date, I have explored very little in Chennai and most of the things to be done still hog around my wish list. Movie reviews take the lion’s share of the blog posts here, ironically the reviewer have never had the chance to go out with her friends to a multiplex and catch the new movie watching experience!

I still await the opportunity to bask in the sun in Besant Nagar beach, visit lot more temples and churches, explore the nightlife in a discotheque on a New Year eve, go to Mahabalipuram (my new Telgu friends have promised that they’d accompany me one day), do high-end shopping in a department store, attend movie and art fests, and so on and on and on.

If you feel to share some free tips on sight-seeing in Chennai, please do it right away. Extending the discussion to the comments board...

PS: Some of my visual testimonials.

                                                   The Little Florist In West Mambalam 

 Crowd Across Ranganathan Theru On A Diwali Day

Chennai's IT Highway on OMR, my new neighbourhood (courtesy: Wikipedia)

There's No Magic In Guzaarish

,

Reviewing Guzaarish, it's a catch-22 situation (at least for me). If I say the movie is ‘Perfect… So Close’, I fool myself and if I tell the movie did not satiate my senses (or any one), it could send wrong signals to the lovers of art house films, since very few films like this are produced under big banners in India (Especially, the Bollywood). Hence, the director must be applauded for his courage to consider yet another off-beat plot after the Saawariya debacle.
The plot unfurls in a grand bungalow in the silent outskirts of Goa city, inside lives Mr.Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik Roshan), a former great magician, now quadriplegic for 14 long years. Since then he has been looked after by his nurse Sophiya (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan). An author of his own league, a RJ who teaches values of life and infuses inspiration in the minds of people who have nearly lose faith (and of course plays great songs on radio) Ethan still is not happy with his life, so urges his lawyer friend Devyani (Shernaz Patel) to get him the right to die in dignity from court.
Eventually, his plea gets rejected by court whilst Sophiya wins her case in legal separation from her casanova husband. The protagonists confess their love for each other and decide to marry on the penultimate day of Ethan’s life.
Now to the question hour, how is Ethan going to end his life? It highly rivets me. What if he made a U-turn on the next day? The probability is far too less, but its still there. Maybe, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has a sequel in his mind. :P
The acting department did a fine job and it is Aishwarya who shines all the way in the movie, thanks to a perfectly written role. Hrithik is equally good but his role is marred by a shoddily-written script with holes as big the size of craters. I could not see an extreme urge in Ethan to fight his case out, some screen time is simply wasted by the director showing Ethan taking radio votes to crystallise his opinion. The plot is banal as it doesn’t convincingly answer as to why Ethan wishes for death other than his lawyer parroting an argument that can even be said by a 10 year old. Given the serious subject of euthanasia, the treatment of script must be serious enough to drive home the point of the issue to the audience. Guzaarish lacks punch dialogues, neither it has memorable quotes on life by any of the characters present (since, that forms the plot).

A word about music and melody in Guzaarish, SLB has got a decent start as debut music director (also not to forget his “Yoon Shabnami” from Saawariya). The song ‘Udi’ rendered by Sunidhi Chauhan rocks with some Spanish flavour blend with however, run-of-the-mill Bollywood tune. The soundtrack by KK is a flop, interestingly it is Shail Hada who brings life into the melody "Tera Zikr" with his totally rocking vocal, let alone the stunning choreography perfected by Hrithik, the magician and Monikangana Dutta.

Whatever be it, I can’t stop myself from saying that the lose script of Guzaarish is almost a perfect lift of Mar Adentro, a 2004-Academy award winning Spanish movie that I had always loved to review some day. Watch Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside) instead; jam-packed with stunning visuals, perfect cast (though this paraplegic hero is not a hunk like Hrithik) and most importantly powerful dialogues on values of life, this movie just doesn’t get off your head so soon. Oops, this post is supposed to be a review on Guzaarish!

From Chennai To LA: It’s Robo Da, Robo Da

You must be thinking why in the hell would one need a review to catch a Rajini flick. Well, it’s a common question to which there is a pretty easy answer. I too like to associate with the whole brouhaha surrounding the release of this sci-fi extravaganza on planet Earth.

So finally I did catch up Enthiran after long wait (Gasps). So in fond remembrance of those who still nurse a disappointed heart for not able to watch the film until, I unwrap my findings.

The story is about this scientist (Dr. Vaseegaran) who has given his life and blood in the creation of his masterpiece, a humanoid robot which he intends to use for humanitarian purposes. Meanwhile, Dr Vasee’s efforts bore fruits and a humanoid is ‘born’ and they call him ‘Chitti’. A replica of Vasee, the robot only lacks human emotion but the scientist after much deliberation succumbs to the pressure of his senior scientists and upgrades him to produce human emotions. The story takes off from here when the robot falls in love none other than Dr. Vasee’s girl friend creating a love triangle.
Will Chitti fall into the hands of the evil? How audacious will it be like if robots are subjected to misuse? All this is answered as the movie climaxes to the end.

First off, though Robot is a movie Of Rajini, For Rajini and By Rajini (of course it’s Shankar’s from a screenplay by his own), every other character have willingly given their full support for the movie and is very evident. Each frame seems effortlessly perfect which indicates the amount of work gone behind-the-scenes. The film set outclasses and puts into shame every other sci-fi film produced in India, if not the Hollywood. Did you notice Vasi’s robotics lab looks like a mini BARC!

Aishwarya has equally been a saving grace in Enthiran. Her character Sana fits so perfect like a flash drive on a PC port. The song sequences are fully or mostly reliant on her dream moves. Tell me any other Indian actress who can rule both the classical and western genres of dances as natural as this 50 kg Tajmahal (guess I am gushing, but can’t help it).

Conversely and quite disappointing to the fans of Santhanam, the script does little justice to his role and is mostly given a Cntl+Alt+Del in the movie. But nobody complains as long as we get good doses of Robo Da and his antics. Danny Denzongpa as Dr. Bohra did a good job too. Even Kalabhavan Mani in his cameo as Pachaimuthu, a tribal who Sana tries to flirt with to avenge her boyfriend, Dr Vasee was engaging.

The music composition by AR Rahman is a massive enabler of Enthiran. After the super star Rajini’s credit and the movie title, most of the wolf whistles inside the cinema house was reserved for AR. But did you think he must have listened to Black Eyed Peas’ Boom Boom Pow from the album The E.N.D more than once and got inspired by it? Well, I obviously got a dejavu whilst listening to Irumbile Oru Idaiyam. On the whole, I felt the tunes are fresh, convulsed with melody and sophistication albeit any mention of it here to reiterate his genius as a music composer.

So Bollywood watch out, Rajini is back with a bang in Enthiran. What a movie! Go, see it and tell me what you think about it!

Diary Excerpts

“Aum Namah Shivaya…
Oh, Lord Jesus…
Ya Allah…
Hare Krishna…
Bless Me, Bless All…
- Yours Chosen One, Uthara”

I was excited to start using my new pen, so I gave it a ceremonial inauguration. I said some sweet and flattering things to it, hoping to impress it and win its good will. I know it's silly, but it's just something I do every time I start using a new pen.

Dabangg proves why Salman is the greatest human entertainer in B-Town

Dabangg has unleashed a terror of fan frenzy and wolf whistles and continues to reverberate the cinemas dotting the Indian subcontinent. The effect has only reinforced the unpredictable yet so dominant, Salman Theory of Entertainment on BO.

When its all Salman affair, you never wish to know if the stuff comes reheated or refried. Forget that goes around the film, story, cinematography, whatever. Time and again this man proves why he’s still Bollywood’s baap of kitsch, a loner who is enough to boot out the top movie reigning the BO (forget his London Dreams or Main Aurr Mrs Khanna).

The movie opens up to reveal a bit about the dysfunctional childhood of Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan, thanks to his father's demise and subsequent remarriage of his mother (Dimple Kapadia) to Pandeyji (Vinod Khanna). Makhanchand or Makki (Arbaaz Khan) becomes his half brother and sows seeds of separatism at home. After 21 years, Robin hood Pandey is born. Meet this corrupt and ‘dabangg’ police officer from Lal Gunj, a small town in UP.
Whilst seen chasing some local goons, Chulbul stops at glimpse of beautiful Rajo (Sonakshi Sinha). Song follows. Rajo doesn’t wish to marry until the death of her father and Salman says he wish her dad hit Parlok at the earliest. Golly, he does. Due to some indifference with his half brother Makki, Chulbul vows that his marriage will be held before his younger brother. For this, he brings his khaki colleagues on Makki’s wedding day and easily hijacks the mandap and other accompaniment meant for the couple and weds Rajo. The USP in the film are the insane, larger-than-life and seriously comic dialogue of Chulbul. Watch him ask pundit ji whilst seated in the mandap, "Kshma ke jiye pandit ji, thodi si walking kar le?"
Cheddi Singh (Sonu Sood) is the spoilt antagonist in the film and home-breaker of Chulbul’s family. Its about at the end Makki realizes he has been used, he apologizes and teams up with Chulbul.

Watch Dabangg For –
The charm of a reckless Salman Khan that has apparently reappeared after a long break. Well guys, here is it. Salman Khan is back with a bang. Dabangg is a serious Chulbul Pandey affair. Watch him shake his pelvis, spurt out craziest dialogues ever in his signature carefully careless manner and the starry charisma he has whilst emoting drama on screen, its lovely. We loved this man’s fake moustache and his Ray Ban glasses pushed on to the back collar to let us await his next dialogue "taki mujhe aage aur peeche ka dikhe". The fight scenes offer you a heady potion of the Matrix sequence in Main Hoon Na, the quintessential southern influence (Rajni), Jackie Chan and The Hulk.
The beautiful Sonakshi Sinha truly deserves a mention here and does her part so well as a rustic belle and later as Mrs. Pandey.

Music. Needless to say, if you guys had enough of Salman, savour some great melodies by Sajid-Wajid. Munni Badnam Hui/Zandu Baam by Lalit Pandey may top the charts and get good press, but seriously there is nothing earth shattering than to watch Malaika Arora khan hopelessly ape Bipasha Basu in the song Namak Isque Ka from Omkaara.

Though it is not worth two thumbs, watching the 'Dabangg' Robin hood Pandey from UP was largely paisa-vasool for me. "Complete entertainment...."

Movie Review

Alice In Wonderland(2010) Is Straight Like Pasta, Minus The Taste

I wouldn’t call Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland a disappointment. But this one has a script that is straight like pasta, not in taste, however.

A composite of Lewis Carroll's Victorian fantasy novels, 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking-Glass', the movie opens with the engagement party of Alice (Mia Wasikowska)and Hamish (Geraldine James), a dandy and fastidious young gentleman. I must confess watching his perennial scowling face had given me a hope of some real grinning moment, which, however did not realize.

Alice gets strayed from Hamish and people who surrounded her and follows a rabbit. She falls down to a hole to find herself in the Wonderland aka Underland. While she feels she is still under delusion, nothing helps the old anthropomorphic friends to cure the air of distrust about Alice. The good inhabitants, save Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp, doubt whether it is the same Alice they had met years before.

The magical Underland has a futurist scroll which details the historical timeline of land. It hails Alice as the saver of the kingdom of Underland from the clutches of evil Red Queen. To this, she has to slay the Jabberwocky, a gigantic dragon-like creature and restore the kingdom to the banished White Queen (Anne Hathaway) the blood-sister of the reigning queen.

Can the day-dreaming Alice slay the gigantic Jabberwocky and set the kingdom free? Will she return to her own world and answer some the questions about her own life? And, this forms the later half of the story.
To sum up, the memories of this mediocrity hardly lingers as you step out of the movie hall.

A word about performances.
Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is charming and makes a statement with her expressionless expression like Bella in the Twilight series, minus attitude. Blame it on the script, Hatter doesn't seem to amuse you with his crazy antics and embarrassingly falls flat in displaying emotion. Whoever told the Hatter was a visual treat was lying to you. In fact, it is the Red Queen, Tweedledum and Tweedledee and even Hamish who rock you with some laughter every time they pop on the screen.
Did I miss out someone? Oh yes, the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). Though the character may lack the punch still provides a shot of laughter, thanks to her expressions and that secret recipe to make Alice short.

Music
Danny Elfman infuses life into a movie otherwise forgotten with his marvelous piece of music. However the background melody is heavily underutilized throughout the film. The music track “Tripping out, spinning around” by Avril Lavingne is a wonderful gift from this movie to all the pop music buffs and for wannabe singers, try this song for some music audition. :)

Be Proud!!!

Hey readers, just call me genius, I don’t mind. And ‘Be Proud’ as you have just entered a blog that has been featured in the ‘Blog Watch’ column in the New Indian Express (Kerala Edition) on some Sunday in December, 2009. As late as late can be, I am still flashing the ‘exciting news’ here.

Obviously, I missed it out to mention then, but trust me it really happened. Ask my ex-classmate in Calicut University, now a journalist with the New Indian Express, Kochi, who was the master brain behind this operation. This is a classical case study of free publicity gone underutilized!

The moral of the story: news should be served as hot dog with image or video support as the least authenticity you can provide. Apologies for letting slip this norm. The image of the newspaper column featuring my blog will be updated in case I find it whilst eating groundnuts in some food joint. (Situation may vary)

Cya around, friends!
Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6" Display, Graphite - Latest Generation

Movie Review - Milenge Milenge

Expectations would naturally be up on a Kareena-Shahid starrer post Jab We Met, but Satish Kaushik’s Milenge Milenge doesn’t have much to offer.

The story is about Priya (played by Kareena Kapoor), a college-going woman who holds no career ambitions but all dreams about her soul mate who she thinks will meet her soon. Incidentally, that leads her to rendezvous with an illusionist (played by Khirron Kher) who tells her she would soon meet her life partner in some far away land.
To her disbelief, she gets the chance to lead a dance program in Thailand as part of international youth festival.
Whilst walking across the beach, she identifies Immy (played by Shahid Kapoor) as her life partner that the illusionist had mentioned in the cards. They bond together but soon part ways after Priya comes to know that he was fooling around. Immy begs her for a second chance. As redemption, she asks him to write his telephone number on a fifty rupee note and uses it to buy a book on which she jots down her number and sells it off to an old bookstore.
The essence is, if the destiny of their relation still holds true they will surely end up meeting again. Remember the not-so-old Hollywood flick, Serendipity? A thankless rip-off though.

Three years pass by and Priya laments her decision to put destiny to test. She decides to trace the where-about of Immy and sets off to Delhi. To her disbelief, she finds back the fifty rupee note and puts Immy’s telephone number on dial only to realize that it was his day of marriage. But a turn of incidents lead his marriage being called off. And the rest is Milenge Milenge.

This film is laughably absurd. In between all the drama, one is even forced to take lessons on anti-smoking and drinking that is far too uninspiring. I really hope a non-smoker does not start smoking after this.
A word about the music, Himesh Reshammiya does it again with his mass-produced songs which seem all alike.
Apparently, the film which tells about the power of destiny in life itself seems to have got destiny engraved way too sooner in just about a day from its release. Milenge Milenge is just a run-of-the-mill movie with a blast of retro-style romantic garbage. Watch it at your own risk.

Lucky!!! No Time For Love...

For me the aura about celebration of the most powerful emotion on earth was felt exactly a month ago while I was busy weaving verbal images for Le Royal Meridien's Valentine’s Day ads. I was forcing to drown myself in the ocean of love to come with some magical words(Gosh! Am I trying to convince I had never fallen in love?). That’s not true. (:-) / :-( )

Then I saw the day approaching. Shops were all stacked with valentine gifts, cakes, and curio on the eve of the ‘D-day’. After my retail therapy in T-Nagar and Pondy Bazar, like on all Saturdays, I was coming back to my den (yes! I am a Leo) with some cheese buns in my bag.
Well, I was thinking why people wear that lovelorn look on their faces in the eve of Feb 14. I really do. Why don't they divide the heavy emotions of rejections or not finding love, in little possible ways? (See the third person narrative I used just now. I am a typical Indian, which is why I pretend the feeling of love and rejection is alien to me and I am a good gal always, …Ghanta aall iz well…)
Ok follow these steps; as advice is always free at any time, any day. Take it or Phenk it.

Hey singles! You are blessed that your Feb 14 falls on a Sunday and have enough time for an extensive retail therapy. Get yourself a pair of lenses or a statement eyeglasses. Or if you find that lavishing attention on yourself couldn't work a magic, give out those cheese buns in your bag to the children of lesser fortune. You will be blessed, dear. Empty some of your wallet into alm trays. Or if you want to donate in other ways, visit a local NGO. Use the 75% discount chance and buy some clothes for brothers and sisters living on streets. I have seen children walking without footwear in the scorching heat of Chennai. 

Take the spiritual route. It helps too, if you're sure there's a canopy of some Super Power over humanity. 

And hey, THIS WORKS!!! Turn down friend requests on Orkut, FB, Tagged, whatever, just like the way you were rejected by your bae. Turn down all stupid requests, unless they're buddies - you don’t want to lose friends in the heat of the moment, am I right?

Nothing works than penning down pieces of your own life history and pretend you are some author.  You'll be amazed how tougher times in life indeed turn to be the most productive ones.


Spend time with your friends, family and people who think you are special to them, and still more, rely on the ubiquitous music, TV, Internet, books, food, what not, to get you sail through this special occasion of love. Why would anyone feel lonely when there's so much options to dive into? 

When we think about the people who are less fortunate than us, it can put our own problems into perspective and may leave us feel… Lucky!!!! No Time For Love…

Hello Readers!!!

Today is the last day of the first decade of the second millennium. So I will give it a miss if I do not blog on this very special day of 2009.
This year made me an independent and responsible big lady and at the same time marks the end of my fun-filled college days. This year had given me loads of experience, fun, and sad moments alike, sad that I miss my friends in college, the time when I knew nothing about the challenges of a world in real out there.
“And there… I can see a star shining ahead…
Is that me? I am waiting :-)”
I wish all my readers a very Happy and Fabulous New Year 2010...

Home New Home!!!

With just over a year of its construction, the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Calicut, has finally moved-out to the brand new building near the CHKM library premise. Prior to relocation, the department was located in Chenakal (a local place name), aka the "Chenakal University" as informally termed by the student populace.
The foundation stone was laid on February 11, 2008 by the University Vice Chancellor Prof Anwar Jahan Zuberi.
The new building, with a cost estimate of Rs 64 lakhs, comes with the state-of-the-art digital arts facilities, an impressive audio-video and multimedia laboratory, promisingly to continue the legacy of producing quality journalists as ever before.
The traditional Kerala-model mix of architecture adopted in design of the building resembles a typical Naalukettu, with its inner central open courtyard (Ankanam) only. The central focus is the roofed porch attached to the central structure with two columns for support that leads to the vestibule.
The first floor which is construction-in waiting is proposed to be allotted for the Department of Political Science. An idea to construct a seminar hall in the floor is in discussion and work will start anytime with the approval of the Syndicate.
The Assistant Executive Engineer Abdul Gafoor K, Department of Engineering, is the man behind the house design. Built in 805 square meters area, the ground floor counts an office room, five rooms for the HoD and teaching faculty, AV lab, multimedia lab, library, restroom for ladies and two washrooms.
The need for a sophisticated building and latest technical facilities in a changing media scenario is a dream come true thanks to the Vice Chancellor Prof Zuberi who had helped in all ways to speed up the construction process and last but far away from least, the Former Department Head, Sasibhooshanan Nair, who was the chief planner, supervisor, architect, all in all.
The department thanks all who have been instrumental in making the project come true.

For the exclusive image gallery, visit our Dept of Mass Communication & Journalism website at: http://univmasscom.org/univ/image

"Never Say Diet"

Hang on…I m not here to give you suggestions on how to easily fit into that size-zero designer apparel as does the title too suggest, but hey, I would rather insist you to see thro’ the glasses of Ladies Against Skinny Diet.
Enough is enough with all the annoying news about the size-zero fad and its stars eating out the main headlines of news channels and the lifestyle columns of national newspapers. It seems as if the Indian media too is out to prove the ‘beauty before brains’ theory right. To top it all there’s this dangerous entrant these days, the cosmetic surgery, with its experts and advocates vowing on their new-found happiness in their social and love life by going under the knife.
Now, it is not that we should be against this all, but the ‘beauty’ is being continually stereotyped. Being fit and looking beautiful is always great and pleasant to the eyes but at stake is the concept of a wholesome diet and natural physique. The age where stars make it out to support for gay rights and so on with point-blank media backing (also, I m not against gay rights in India; indeed would be happier to see them join the mainstream), why don’t they see the flaw already within their system? And that is what it makes the whole game ridiculous.
Being smart, smarter, smartest isn’t enough, the way a woman look is far more important than what she has to say. Consequently, a media report claim that 90% of women lament on their natural physique as opposed to mere 45% in men.

Flip through any lifestyle mag for that matter; half the articles try to persuade readers for getting it perfect. If I quote a magazine “Lose those last 20 pounds, look sleeker, you will have it all- the perfect marriage, loving children, great sex and a rewarding career.”
Here, why do we impose the standards of beauty on women when majority of them are naturally larger and bulkier than the sculpt-like models? The reasons are galore. In the first place, it is the economics of running pure business. We all know by presenting a model difficult to get and maintain, we usher in a plethora of cosmetic and diet products and it’s no surprise that there are vested interests.
Consequently, the results are wary too as you read about the teenagers and women by and large are keen on fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative abuse, and self-induced vomiting. And the reason? They feel that they might lose their spouses to younger women or because they want to look as good as someone else. The pressure is rising by the day.
I take cue from my experimental diet to imitate a Brazilian model’s skinny diet, a solitary carrot for 24 hours of metabolism. Of course, I ate 5 carrots that day, but nearly fainted at the end of the day. Amazing how they work 365 days, yes?

Hence, a solution must be found on the media created hype about skinny diet and related issues. In the first place, fashion industry should put a ban on models looking ultra-thin. Let’s not forget the recent story of a model who died of cardiac arrest, thanks to her love-to-hate-food resolution. Till now, supermodels meant super-thin. Why don’t we instead solicit voluptuous and realistic models to drive in the concept of positive body image; being skinny is no role model.

Still want to cut those extra calories? Then snub all fatty foods, eat three balanced meals and maintain high metabolism right through the day.
So all the average-sized ladies (and others), this article is for you; ‘feel special, feel hatke’ as losing calories is not all that counts in one’s life that need to be perfect. Shun out your skinny diet, and be a total foodie as it doesn’t come to all. Take Care!