Chinatown Review - This Vishu, do yourself a favour and watch the movies on TV instead.

Vishu is here and you have 2 movies releasing, one each from both the superstars of Mollywood. Had a day off today, and we had both the movies releasing here in Chennai – Chinatown and Doubles. I was pretty much in a serious confusion as to which one to go for. Went ahead for Chinatown coz it was coming from the stable of Rafi Mecartin who had given the Malayalam industry some good movies like Punjabi House, Thenkasipattanam, Hello etc., But yes I guess records are pretty much like cricket statistics, you might have 20 centuries to your name, but eventually if you are out of form, nothing can save you. And it seems like that’s the story with Rafi Mecartin with their last outing Love in Singapore with Mammooty being a disappointment, and they seem to have missed the bus once again.

20 minutes into the movie, I realize that I have made a big mistake and now with theatres making you cram and park your vehicles, I had no option to even leave the movie midway, so there I was looking forward to spend 150 long mins in the theatre.

Chinatown has been set in Goa (how much ever you try and make Ramoji Film City look like Goa, it jus doesn’t work), the only place in India where gambling is legal. The story talks about two generations, and of three sons of three illustrious fathers meeting after twenty years. Enter Mathukutty (Mohanlal), Zachariah (Jayaram) and Binoy (Dileep) – three long lost friends who are forced to come back together as one of their uncles (Capt. Raju) suddenly popped up from somewhere with loads of money and a casino which he intends to hand it over to our heroes. So how they come together and get caught in a web of some 101 characters who are supposedly forced into the script (read Jagathy Sreekumar and that Hungarian Sumo Wrestler). Ohh and in between all this there is the villain (Pradeep Rawat aka Ghajini), who was the one who destroyed their childhood and separated the three friends. There is a whole Hangover type of situation that was created to bring in some laughs, but for me it ended up being another drag of 15 mins to a very dragging and boring climax. Normally you walk out of a theatre after a bad movie and you still remember 1-2 scenes that are memorable. Unfortunately for me, now such luck for me in this movie. There were some scenes that were absolutely made in bad taste and the ones that stands out for me is the one in the dhyana kendram and the whole nonsense about Dileep’s love failures. Suraj Venjaramoodu is someone I thought would be a saving grace, but here too his role is just to add to the confusion and shout out his dialogues. It’s as if shouting is the new comedy. The three heroines played by Kavya Madhavan, Poonam Bajwa and Dipasha are not even there in the movie for the glamour content, which makes me wonder why couldn’t the director and producer avoid having them and saving some money, but then if I think deep, I would wonder why couldn’t the producer director not make the movie at all and save all the money spent. Looking back at my review, I feel I have gone overboard with the negativity, maybe yes a few people in the theatre do enjoy such movies, unfortunately for me, I don’t fall into that group. Eod it just makes me wonder, do filmmakers really think majority of the audiences don’t have any taste? Come on guys, give us quality cinema like a Pranchiyettan or an Arabikatha and we will embrace you!

As I complete this review, I get a sms from a friend who went for Doubles and he writes “You must be lucky that you went for Chinatown as Doubles was pathetic” oh GOD, little does he know how lucky I was to have seen Chinatown.

Legacy of the Mallu Lungi

Hi all,

As usual I know its been a while.. Loads and loads of stuff happening, but then nothing much to pen about. Coz of the various things happening in life..my interest in blogging also seems to look like the recession…and hence the limited posts…but then if there is one thing that I like doing…then its this..so will have to try and bring up those interests again…and till then, I will end up putting stuff that I read here and there…and this is one such wonderful read that a colleague in office has sent, and hence it has to go up here. Enjoy the read.

AJ


'Lungi'. Pronounced as 'Lu' as in loo and 'ngi ' as in 'mongey', a lungi can be identified by its floral or window-curtain pattern. 'Mundu' is the white variation of lungi and is worn on special occasions like hartal or bandh days, weddings and Onam.

Lungi is simple and 'down to earth' like the mallu wearing it. Lungi is the beginning and the end of evolution in its category. Wearing something on the top half of your body is optional when you are wearing a lungi. Lungi is a strategic dress. It's like a one-size-fits- all bottoms for Keralites.

The technique of wearing a lungi/mundu is passed on from generation to generation through word of mouth like the British Constitution. If you think it is an easy task wearing it, just try it once! It requires techniques like breath control and yoga that is a notch higher than sudarshan kriya of AOL. A lungi/mundu when perfectly worn won't come off even in a quake of 8 on the Richter scale. A lungi is not attached to the waist using duct tape, staple, rope or Velcro. It's a bit of mallu magic whose formula is a closely guarded secret like the Coca Cola chemicals.

A lungi can be worn 'Full Mast' or 'Half Mast' like a national flag. A 'Full Mast' lungi is when you are showing respect to an elderly or the dead. Wearing it at full mast has lots of disadvantages. A major disadvantage is when a dog runs after you. When you are wearing a lungi/mundu at full mast, the advantage is mainly for the female onlookers who are spared the ordeal of swooning at the sight of hairy legs.

Wearing a lungi 'Half Mast' is when you wear it exposing yourself like those C grade movie starlets. A mallu can play cricket, football or simbly run when the lungi is worn at half mast. A mallu can even climb a coconut tree wearing lungi in half mast. "It's not good manners, especially for ladies from decent families, to look up at a mallu climbing a coconut tree"- Confucius (or is it Abdul Kalam?)

Most mallus do the traditional dance kudiyattam. Kudi means drinking alcohol and yattam, spelled as aattam, means random movement of the male body. Note that 'y' is silent. When you are drinking, you drink, there is no 'y'. Any alcohol related "festival" can be enjoyed to the maximum when you are topless with lungi and a towel tied around the head. "Half mast lungi makes it easy to dance and shake legs" says Candelaria Amaranto, a Salsa teacher from Spain after watching 'kudiyaattam' .

The 'Lungi Wearing Mallu Union' [LUWMU, pronounced LOVE MU], an NGO which works towards the 'upliftment' of the lungi, strongly disapprove of the GenNext tendency of wearing Burmuda under the lungi. Burmuda under the lungi is a conspiracy by the CIA. It's a disgrace to see a person wearing burmuda with corporate logos under his lungi. What they don't know is how much these corporates are limiting their freedom of movement and expression.

A mallu wears lungi round the year, all weather, all season. A mallu celebrates winter by wearing a colourful lungi with a floral pattern. Lungi provides good ventilation and brings down the heat between legs. A mallu is scared of global warming more than anyone else in the world.

A lungi/mundu can be worn any time of the day/night. It doubles as blanket at night. It also doubles up as a swing, swimwear, sleeping bag, parachute, facemask while entering/exiting toddy shops, shopping basket and water filter while fishing in ponds and rivers. It also has recreational uses like in 'Lungi/mundu pulling', a pastime in households having more than one male member. Lungi pulling competitions are held outside toddyshops all over Kerala during Onam and Vishu. When these lungis are decommissioned from service, they become table cloths. Thus the humble lungi is a cradle to grave appendage. 

Smile = Rs 46??

Smile = Rs 46…! Now what the hell could that mean…is that a code name for a CIA operative, or is that password for my netbanking accounts :). Actually its nothing of that sort, for that matter its exactly what it reads…a smile is worth just Rs 46. Now if a smile was that cheap, shouldn't we all be having a smiling face rather than sitting and sulking the whole time. Shit…actually imagine if MSN, Gtalk and other IM clients started charging Rs 46 for a smile, how much money would they actually make, considering we netizens, just keep putting smileys on chats without any rhyme or reason. When someone makes us laugh, we have a smile, when we have nothing to say we put a smiley…and the list is endless.

As a kid, when we used to go grocery shopping with my family, I used to pick up something which would always have something tagged along with it, buy 1 get 1 free types…not just when I was small…I still actually do :) …and my Dad used to keep telling me that there are no free lunches in the world..and it kinda was proved to me couple of days back that there are no free lunches, and for that matter there are no free smiles also.

Couple of days ago, I happened to pass via Bengaluru and couple of friends were like, lets head to Koshy's (Parade Café) for breakfast. I have been to this place earlier, and it definitely is one of the oldest landmarks in the city and no two doubts about the fact that they serve some amazing continental breakfast. Yes it does have an uncanny resemblance to Indian Coffee House, but I guess that's due to a legacy they wish to continue. While we just kept waiting there for the rest of the group to join, who btw took so blady long to come, I ended up going thru the menu some hazaar times, and my eyes fell on this particular dish, aptly titled SMILE…worth Rs 46.

I kept wondering why such a thing appears on the menu. In the middle of all this thinking I had my mutton keema toast, sausages, bacon etc etc., Still kept wondering why SMILE…Like they say a man cannot really think when he's hungry…so finally when I was down with all my sausages and bacon, was I able to solve the mystery of the smile. After some deep thoughts I was able to conclude that you actually need to pay Rs 46 to get the bearers to smile…these guys just don't smile. Their natures are absolutely humble, they are friendly, they thank you when you leave…but you just don't see them smiling.

WOW..talk about selling ones product. Perfect law of economics – You only get what you pay for!! You are right Dad there are no free lunches in this world…or for that matter even smiles :) sheesh…if we had to pay for smileys then MS would have already debited my account with Rs 138 :( for my few lines of bak bak above!!

Am I with the right partner?

I have been promising to come here every now and then I know…but its jus been so busy with some 100 other things…and I promise it will be alive once again soon. But for now, I am just putting up a read that I received from someone…and it made so much sense that I felt it needs to be put up here.

During a seminar, a woman asked," How do I know if I am with the right person?" The author then noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so he said, "It depends. Is that your partner?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?"
Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind replied the author. Here's the answer.

 

Every relationship has a cycle...In the beginning; you fall in love with your partner. You anticipate their calls, want their touch, and like their peculiarity. Falling in love wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet." Picture the expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something happened TO YOU. Falling in love is a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few months or years of being together, the euphoria of love fades. It's a natural cycle of EVERY relationship.

Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts. The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship; you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage. At this point, you and/or your partner might start asking, "Am I with the right person?"

 

And as you reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when relationships breakdown.

The key to succeeding in a relationship is not finding the right person; it's learning to love the person you found. People blame their partners for their unhappiness and look outside for fulfillment. Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most common. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your relationship. It lies within it. I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this): The key to succeeding in a relationship is not finding the right person; it's learning to love the person you found.

 

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. You have to work on it day in and day out. It takes time, effort, and energy.

And most importantly, it demands WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make it work. Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery.

There are specific things you can do (with or without your partner). Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. If you know and apply these laws, the results are predictable. Love is therefore a "decision". Not just a feeling.

 

Remember this always: God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let GO!!

 

Ya ya…I keep promising to come here often I know…

Hi blog,

I know its been a while since I have been here and I know you have actually missed me..and yes I also do know that every other time, I keep promising that I would come often and write stuff. So finally I thought its time I sit and update stuff; today am actually here coz need to spend some time that I have on my hands. Sitting in an up shop coffee store on MG Road in Bangalore and waiting for a friend, who's toda sa late, so I don't want to look like a zombie doing nothing, so generally thought wud take out the laptop and type something…first thought wud sit on GTalk mobile, but then realized that I can't afford to let my battery dry out, as I have my travel back to Chennai tonite and wouldn't be able to charge till tomorrow morning..so the only next best option was the laptop…people actually here mistake me for some corporate weirdo sitting and working on a Sunday…how I wish it was that way…atleast the former if not the latter…although I know some people who sit in a mall and work so much on a Sunday…(ya ya who else but u, wud I be referring to).

Anywayz so that's what I am upto now...well how come in Bangalore?? Hmmm…Came down for the wedding of two of my classmates…its so nice when you actually see 2 people who been in love for sometime, getting married..its just a wonderful feeling that you have for them, and somewhere down the lane, keep wishing why such luck prolly didn't have anything to do with u, but then that's how life is. You don't get all that you want…haha…now don't we all know that this is just a reason to make yourself feel nice. So ya like I was saying came down here for that marriage..actually been away from Chennai for a week now…and it feels so nice. Went home to Cochin for a week…was just so lovely to be home. The weather was fab…I don't think there was ever a day when it didn't like rain for like some 10-12 hrs continuously. Sometime I just wish, I could find a job in Cochin, be at home…most importantly save up some money. But then as most NonResident Mallus wud say…Kerala is good for a holiday FULLSTOP…working there probably would be a very wrong choice…so its back to Chennai tomorrow, and back to work L

I have no clue what I intend to convey thru this post, now you will be like which post of mine has anything to convey…haha…so true aint it…as the blog title goes, random thoughts from the heart, soul…wherever..!! I just love this city…Bangalore. Spent like 3 years of my life here…As some of you are prolly aware…after school, I spent like some 5 yrs in Chennai and then Bangalore happened, and when Blore happened, I had said to myself that I wouldn't go back to Chennai…but then fate had other plans in store…and for my luck - fate decided to have these other plans for me exactly during a point…wen I so badly wud have wanted to be in this city for reasons some of you might knw…anywayz lets not get there. There's something about this city that is so nice…prolly the weather…prolly the whole atmosphere…not to forget that place has good chic's too J. But yes this place has way too many phonies as well…I don't have to go too far to explain this point…there's this couple sitting next to me…I am so sure they aren't in love…claim to be like good friends…but the guy is giving so many straight fwd hints…hinting at something physical…the chic doesn't even seem to understand also…or maybe its just my corrupted mind…but hey who cares…as it is with all Aquarians my mind keeps wandering all over the place, and hence its interesting to hear others conversations…although I so badly don't want to…but then..hey I have never been able to control my mind.

Jus remembered…my friend had messaged some 10 mins back, saying shes here in like 10…which wud mean sometime now…so that's adios to blog for now…not promising anything this time, but I guess ya I will be back soon, and u really gotta be thankful to my friend, that she decided to come in a lil late…atleast that got me to write this much…as I conclude, I so wish to add another line from this couple next to me that I just heard now…
no Ajit…u cant get bitchy…no no…sign out…!!

Disclaimer…Ya I know this city is no longer called Bangalore, but Bengaluru…but its so blady diff typing that…so anyone who takes offence to it…am extremely sorry…

Oh shes here…pretty I say…!! J Well hey..I did say that I like this city…didn't i.. !!

I am alive…and the blog’s alive too…

Heylo people..

Wasssup…How you all doing? Just thought I put in a small letter aka post. I know I have been promising many of you that I would post one since Jan 1st...and hahaha today is May 23rd...what do i say?? Well been busy, with something or the other...

Nothing much has been happening, interesting stuff ya...keeps happening around...wl write about it soon...and I do mean soon...today just thought I wud give attendance and say that am alive :)

Oh yes...watch Angels and Demons if u get a chance...definitely it aint comparable to the book...but then the movie is pretty good...india release on May 29th...

Keep watching this space for more updates...

Ajit

PS - best friend...i love the answer you gave someone today....muahh :)

Kya ek ladka-ladki kabhi dost banke reh sakte hai…???

Hey all…I am back again…this time it's a lot sooner than expected huh…
Before you guys start to read this post, try and read the post prior to this..its connected in some ways…but before u get there, lemme add ki that ones pretty long. And for the ones who have read that and then reading this, am surprised ur giving me a 2^nd chance…well lemme try and not bore u ppl again thru this post also…

Well kinda free this weekend, so thought I would sit and do some work on the blog…which is why u see two posts on a day…now don't ask me whens the next one coming up, coz I honestly don't know…Before I start writing this post, lemme see what all I have been upto this past few days. Well nothing much to be precise, the week as usual passes with the regular work, which nothing much interesting is happening to pen about. Last evening went and saw Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi…don't even ask me how the movie was…I dunno if it was crap or not…but I know it wasn't great. The title of this post and the previous ones…I have got from this movie. Anywayz didn't expect too much from the movie, so wasn't disappointing…one can say. I kinda end up seeing every movie that's released…(oh yes that's one good about Chennai…any theatre, be it a multiplex or a single screen cant charge more than Rs 120/ticket)…so that's like an incentive to catch any movie…and the cheapest way to spend part of the weekend. Anywayz so that's what I did over the weekend.

Okay now getting back to this writing this post…what was the necessity to have this one after having written a boring one jus a few hours ago. Well the one prior to this…was about relationships and this one too continues to be abt relationships. Websters defines relationships as "A state of connectedness between people" And this necessarily does not mean that one has to be in love with another or be married or like kids say bf-gf to be in a relationship. There are many where u cant even define the connection. And there are some of these people in my life who I need to mention, esp when my last post was on relationships.

You tend to meet people almost on a daily basis, but there are some who live an inprint in your life. My parents have been my biggest pillars in life…already written about them, in the previous to previous posts. And then there are friends. I have never had someone like a best friend, till about 3 months back. Never knew what a best friend meant. But right from school, at every stage of life, I have ended up meeting people who have been a special part of my life. Not gonna write stories on anyone, just a quick short snippet of each of them. And I am sure people who knw me really well, wud knw that there wont be any mention of any male friends in this blog…haha…kya kare hum to aise hi hai J Actually no lemme mention 3…there are these 3 guys from school…how I hate them and how I adore them…been the thickest of my pals for a long time now…2 of them recently got married, which makes me wonder that I am next in line…SHIT..!! and the 3^rd one…salaam PPP…

School like I wrote in my previous post has been an amazing experience. Made some of my greatest friendships there…some got lost, some remain dormant, few keep in touch…and very few are still close. One such person is the subject here. Known her for about 12 years now…really long. I dunno when was the first time I met her, I guess it was at tuitions…I still rem the first time I saw her, she was in a black pullover. After school, I think we have just met once, but we have been in touch. She's been the only one from school that I have been in constant touch with. And the best part is, I am meeting her next week, at her marriage. Unfortunately even if I want, I just cannot skip it.

Then there's my Chotti. I jus love her…I was supposed to be her local guardian here in Chennai. I know I have totally irritated her. Now shes at the other end of the globe, so the irritations are quite less…and the only thing she has to ask me when we talk is.. "When are u finding me a bhabhi"… arre chotti ab mein kya karu if whoever I find…either it goes kaput, or like recently…they have a bf J

MBA…hmmm…some really good friends from here. Some pleasant memories, some really unpleasant memories. Okay I dunno how to write this…Ajit has a person can talk to anyone and everyone. There are few people he cant talk to…for some reason or the other. One such person is Miss. V (now Mrs btw)…this girl was so damn cute, I dunno how I missed talking to her in the first year of MBA. We jus never spoke. Then fortunately for me and unfortunately for her, we ended up doing our internship at the same place and even the same project. I guess God had written that she wud have to bear my nonsense. I just cant write about her, one of the most special people in life…who's been there when I have always wanted someone. Shes happily married to her bf of 5 years…and they both are jus so warm people. There is this one person I never spoke during my MBA and I have no clue as to why. But now that MBA is over…we kinda chat on a daily basis…Jus makes me think, how come I missed chatting up with her in college... Another one from MBA…and this chic is the first person I spoke to in college. We hit it off really well initially and then suddenly for some reason…we just stopped talking for 6 months…she gave me the most weirdest of reasons….made me buy it also. Calls me her entertainment…she jus hates me…and I jus love irritating her to worlds end…and I knw wen shes gonna read this…shes gonna hate me even more…that's the whole point. This is one total bindaas chic...shes now become my roomies new drinking partner whenever she lands up at Chennai. Final person I met during my MBA years…we have so fought with each other…we have done things together that I could have never imagined…its been a great ride with her…unfortunately I cant write more, as the fear of opening up a Pandora's box…seems very close…There is this one more person I have met during MBA…myself V and this girl did our internship together…me and her have had some serious wonderful laughs then…and we continue to…

At work…there are these 3 girls…who I absolutely adore…Two of them I adore so much that I hate them for creating my profile on shaadi.com and sending interest invites to one dozen girls…arrrrgh I cud kill them for it…all three of them are absolutely cute, fun to be with…and more so like my partners in crime in a lot of things…Ohhh how can i forgot this final girl from work...although we work from different locations...what do i say abt suppandi...shes jus adorable..!!

I know there are people that I have missed in the course of this post…its not on purpose…its jus that I don't wanna end up with an even bigger post…!!

Nope…I haven't forgotten u my best friend…can I ever. So much about you has already been written in my previous posts…that I just dunno what else to write. This is one girl who I know can give me competition in everything I do…but the best part is that both of us know competing against each other and winning wudnt be childs play. We are like two peas of the same pod..everything abt us is so damn similar…from the smallest of things…to the biggest. She can totally irritate me at times with regard to certain things, but she also knows that it doesn't take me too long to irritate her also. Someone who I look forward to meeting as often as possible and someone who I truly miss. Its been since 3 months since we have met…and we are jus thick pals. The other day someone had a comment on my blog asking how come one can become best friends in such a short span. I dunno if this is a movie dialogue or if I have read it somewhere…but the answer is "kabhi kabhi ek dusre ko samajne mein ek ghanta kaafi hai…and kabhi kabhi ek zindagi kam ho sakti hai"

Going back to the title of my blog…kya ek ladka aur ladki kabhi dost banke reh sakte ho…?? Kyun nahi…rehna chahiye toh reh sakta hai…but the blady problem lies in the "rehna chahiye toh"…now if you ask me that…I wud prolly reserve my comments…kya kare there has to be food for thought always…!! J