Rendu Rellu Naluge (RR4) | Telugu Film

What is a good movie?

The simple answer:

1.       Who is asking?

2.       Who has watched the film with all the attention it demands and been very fair with their opinions in sync with the Culture, other movies that are made|offered and an understanding of how this World works|goes about.

3.       Who we are talking to?

Well, that is not simple.

And there lies the answer.

Nobody can say.

For this viewer:

A good film has to

1.       Be Original. A Vision conceived and executed with all the respect (for the audience) and aplomb that befits the medium.

2.       About *real* people with *real* problems.

3.       Entertain the audience and make them think at the same time.

Let me see how Is where Rendu Rellu Naluge (RR4) fares on these criteria.

1.       It’s definitely Fresh & Original

An individual Tomatometer “Certified Fresh” J

See more @

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/

http://flixster.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/62674-what-is-the-tomatometer-

Just like an individual is (or can be) so unique if they follow their own heart & mind, a film has a very unique take on this Life & World – from it’s creator’s perspective. Often this is compromised for the box office results. These days, more than 100%. Not this film. Doesn’t have to be.

That said, the execution could have been better but is a small film. More like an indie movie.

2.       Real People, Real Problems

Full marks here..!

This is definitely NOT a film that will waste everyone’s time so callously in myth and unable-to-connect child-like  fantasies.

3.       Entertainment

It makes people laugh continuously.

Has a sophisticated sense of humor, wit & charm – especially the dialogues, light romance and beautiful songs.

And throughout, there are several serious themes running along| underneath.

A film that stresses the importance of Family and staying together no matter what, has to be meaningful.

Let me tell you right away, this is an Urban, multiplex Indian|Telugu Cinema. Not one of those films made to satisfy every audience [ Read http://www.academia.edu/569822/The_multiplex_crowd_audience_and_the_genre_film ] A film for everybody often slips into the category of a film for nobody. The regular commercial mass masala films that target the lowest IQ audience as the greatest common factor. Here is another good read -
http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/jc54.2012/PendakurIndiaMultiplex/2.html

What I'm trying to say is - as the society evolves, we get to watch specialized movies - we can pick and choose the films that are of interest to us [as individuals in the audience] - Variety instead of trying to do a "One Size Fits All" every time - which is almost impossible. I want to call this mode of thinking|System as "Progressive Cinema" (or) a better "Economically Viable Model" (or) such - that contributes towards quality - without sounding elitist. More personal, nuanced. The yearning for something better, new - almost a craving and a ravenous quest. We need "Good Films" - end of the discussion.

That said, RR4 is a “Family Film” with many “naughty bits” for the ones who would get them..!

The story is about the struggles of two young well educated|qualified Telugu guys trying to make it through the legal|immigration system|process that triggers so much of discussions these days – especially in the “Land of the Free” http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-the-gops-symbolic-fight-against-immigration-action/2014/12/02/a0a5d816-7a5b-11e4-9a27-6fdbc612bff8_story.html

Of course, things are seen from the narrow cinematic lens of Indian|Telugu movie – educated populace perspective - from the two male leads'  Indian angle on Immigration – and how it all changes towards the end – after having gone through so much – that is fun, relevant, tumultuous and affecting.

How can this be entertaining? The director Dharma answers this question emphatically with a Storyline that is pretty thoughtfully stitched in a resplendent film with so many unexpected twists and turns very emotionally. There are so many “Slice of life” incidents the audience will immediately connect to.

Apart from the two male leads - It is supposedly a buddy-comedy- bromance - but in actuality, is a romantic emotional drama with two lead pairs –

Shankar & Natasha

Abhi & Sarayu

and the girls do an excellent job as well –

along with great support from rest of the cast – with the following sticking out in our minds:

Bonita – The little girl

Pandey – The Coffee Shop Owner

Charu – The “weird” neighbor

Lawyer Khanna – The Immigration Attorney

Padma – Abhi’s Sister

Abhi’s Brother-in-law [an excellent, biting characterisation]

Qasim – The misleading, unscrupulous guy

Hansie – The strangely riveting  over-the-top villain Gang Leader

-          among many others.

None of these actors are professional actors and this is their first Feature film – including the technicians (who are mainly I.T Workers). But the film doesn’t look that way on screen..!

It is as good as any of the regular indie movies.

Shankar is a natural – switching effortlessly between comedy and serious scenes.

Abhi is your attractive, self-assuring Indian Romantic Hero who can flex a muscle (or) two when needed.

Sarayu is the beautiful, modern, professional Indian girl everybody wants to fall in love with..!

Natasha is the character you don’t see in Indian Films..! You can see her explaining the character much better in her own words here @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-ifJ85DFss

"She is full of surprises".

And all this is beautifully shot by the Cinematographer Srikanth Bujamel, set to lilting songs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuwEsDAy22c  and pretty good BGM by the Composer Srikanth Devarajan.

Overall, it is a very well conceived product that is sure to satisfy the progressive Telugu audience.

I didn’t mean to write this as an all glowing take on the film just to praise – so if I’m to rate the film – would give it 6/10 (or) a generous 6.5/10. You need to watch it to know why so. My negatives – things I didn’t like – go into that remaining 35 to 40% - but see and judge it for yourself.

I liked it a lot..!

Neeya Naana: Feminists and the view of them among family women

I normally hate feminists. Coz i don't know enough.

Initially while in/up to Engineering college, i used to talk like a feminist. Yes - Women should be free, be their own, this society screwed them up - that way.

I don't know when it all changed. May be while trying hard to make a good life for myself, probably forgot all that. Then there are these fake feminists like Suhasini and other women who do Balachander films ;) I started *really* hating them. And then... till today i kinda like them only for the reason that they are hot, wild with cropped hair etc., like actress Rohini. Now i agree telugu is a sweet language ;) And of course she is intelligent too.

But tonight - 5/25/2011 - it all took another massive turn. Made me realize what an idiot i have been. Thanks to Kavitha Sunder and couple of others, i have started watching this tamil program "Neeya Naana". It is quite popular but i know it only the last two weeks or so. Looking around for good ones, topics etc., even if old, i found some and watch it in the evening. But this one - on Feminists and the view of them among house wives - that is so very good. It shattered so many myths of common people. ரொம்ப ரொம்ப மதிக்க வேண்டிய விஷயம். Really very good episode (In Tamil Only - helps get the sequence right in this page - one by one). A flash back to what the culture used to imbibe in me growing up.

What stunned me is - how ignorant i'm - not to know of feminits authors Salma and Oviya. Anyone who listens to them will never ever talk or even think of *any* women badly. Life is good, again...!

Salma Link2 Link3

Nenu Prema Puli

Came to know about this film just couple of days before the special show today(11/7/2010) evening. Glad i could make it. The film is romantic...! It will be out on DVD soon.

Visit the film's facebook page

For whatever reason, i can't watch a film like any other normal person.So my opinions should be like from 2 or 3 different people ;(

Lemme try that now.

1) Normal Indian (telugu?) Audience.
First thing - i don't fully understand telugu - may be 30% - that too only by being a south indian, i guess. All my love of telugu is coz of people i have worked with in I.T - and of course the films, songs, the filmi people, their culture and - things too many to list. Just like any other society.

It's an unwritten law 67% (just some figure i made up) of the indian films SHOULD have romance...! as the main theme. Indians are romantic people...! Or romance-impoverished-in-real-life(?). Like - the German Idealism. The Romantic Poets. Romanticism. Remember the vintage hindi film songs...?! May be coz we are not used to girls growing up (whoever decided to keep the sexes separate...!) and dream too much. So yeah... romance and fiction built-in (among so many other things) - that's us indians. Of late, there are not many good romantic films - just like any thing else. Or may be the romantic notions too have changed. Now good romantic films => "fresh as mint". Beautiful people. Locations. Songs. Wafer thin story. Ye maya chesave was the last good romantic film i really liked (in tamil version VTV OR Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya. Here is a Review). Gautham Menon is apparently remaking it in Hindi.

Nenu Prema Puli (NPP) is a labor of love. For the filmmakers and probably, audience too ;)

There are four (almost)lead characters. They start the film with specific traits. View of the world. Ok, like or don't like love/romance/girls/marriage. Vikram...who hates female of any species. Prema...who hates to get married. Raju...who hates being an eternal bachelor. Kareena...who hates not being in love yet. I don't know what makes/made them so. Probably just 4 diff characters and how/why they came to be so may be another story altogether - or is irrelevant - or obvious or - i don't know. Imagine you start observing them when they are so ;) And they all(?) kinda change towards the end of the film. At least the lead pair definitely does. Now that is a somewhat beautiful concept.There is also a smart trick around which the film is built.

Don't expect a glossy-funded-to-skies romantic extravaganza. This is a film made by sheer hard work and passion of a few people - their first venture - all of the actors doing it for free. (here i am mixing the person that i'm - not saying this as an audience).

Lemme define: Audience Hat (AH). Me. My Hat (MH). From the filmmaker's perspective (FH). So the above point is... Filmmaker's Hat FH (?!). This is easy instead of trying to do a 1) 2) 3) like i thought.

AH (continued):
The film starts off slowly and till 30 minutes or so - i was like - whatever. I could not bring myself to get involved in the proceedings and the scenes are too dry - couple of guys drinking and talking nonsense and about girls etc., Character building...! As with the current trend - esp in telugu comedies, there is this chakka/ali/9/drag queen character. Nothing against the actor - actually he was pretty good - but i hate such stereotypes as an audience.

The film gets interesting with the introduction of the female lead. Prema is good initially and then... simply sticks to her given role. Her thrashing Raju (in the beginning @ HotBreads, Herndon and in the end with a cricket bat) are just too good. WOW...! Vicious grace...!

Vikram carries the whole film...! The director should be very happy to have found him...! He conveyed it so well that you can feel the director talking to you. What more you can ask of an actor? He can be casual, light, breezy, dance, act, not camera shy. He totally rocks...!

Raju is good. Actually he too does the bulk of carrying the film...! Such a selfless performance...!

Most people will love Kareena the best. Probably the only sensible person in the film ;) But she doesn't have much to do in the film. And her character just has to yield to the female-lead towards the end and... most indian films don't do justice to supporting roles. But the best moments of the film - that great song...! - belong to her. They also mention Beneath a Marble Sky: A Love Story By: John Shors and The Time Traveler's Wife By: Audrey Niffenegger and the film also has something - but a different major theme - like the latter ;)

OK, let me be direct. A girl gets to live within the guy's body and comes to be cool about it after the initial "how the hell this can work/be?". That is the masterstroke. And it's done quite sensitively. The whole film is kinda built around it. And it can't get more romantic than that. IF you BUY that. Is where i find the link with The Time Traveler's Wife. There they say "Chrono Displacement" leading to paradoxes. "Meaningless fantasy premise... BUT if you buy that..!" like so many Hollywood films...! and then it delivers, esp for the Women folks... dreamy, surreal, emotional... a lot of unique situations, unexpected things that can be expected - opens up a huge scope for technical wizardry and an array of interesting things etc.,

At least for me, the two songs and their picturing is the highlight of the film.Which brings us to the music director. Probably he is the #1 talent (next to the director) in the film. Music made up for 70% of the film...!


Song Recoding for the movie nenu..prema..puli

Camera and other things - i'm not competent to make much remarks. Probably done with whatever funding that was available.(FH)

The film is good towards the end but... the accident (in the parking lot?! My Goodness...!), hospital scene etc., were like... watching a film from a previous century.(AH) The director must be a very romantic person. The initial film name "Aathma Raagam" is totally justified. There is a soul in most scenes, even when the characters are wacky. Probably he made so many compromises being a first film et al. but the sincere efforts shows in every frame.

Now My Hat (MH). Films can't please me much. I find too many holes. If someone asks me genuinely, i would give NPP only 3/10*. Towards the end, the director mentioned it may get aired as a telefilm which is where it belongs. Probably too good for a t.v drama/film ;) Also there are too many formula-scenes-and-characters and the film rarely feels fresh though i am being unfair here. I expected something like... lemme think... flavors ?. But even that was so long ago and between looking back and living now (if i see the same film now), i won't like flavors either.

Editing was bad...! Being the first film, don't want to cut & throw away whatever is filmed, huh...? The jokes are long (yawn)drawing type though some tickle too ;) Prema likes Ice Cream...! OK, we get it...! Don't make the poor girl eat some 50 ice creams...! I won't be having another for a couple of months now...!

Can't say much about the writing/dialogues. People can't get that from sub-titles too.

This is my first ever going to a special screening. The director introducing the film, the audience questions after, all the jubilant people - women & children - everywhere... such a lively atmosphere and it was like being in a family....! and i don't even know any of them...! Well, except one person, my friend. Will cherish this forever...! and thank Dharma Donepudi. If film making is a process, the life of the finished product - which it finds of its own - is another magical story/life in itself.

* That was harsh. Why only 3/10?. Well, there is something that bothers me about love in most films. It's love for the sake of love. I liked VTV because the hero wants to become a film director. There should be some central aim - motive - that drives us thro life. Around that we can have other things. But indian films show people in love for example, without going to work or anything else a normal human being is required of in life - (or) some rich girl in love with some rowdy from a slum/cheri (or) some guy will go to U.S/U.K/Australia to work as a CEO/VP the next day etc., Oh, my God, if only love and life are that easy...!

I might have missed many things coz of my limited-to-no telugu knowledge but other than Kareena - a GMU student living in the library? (anytime you want to find her, just go to the library...!) - in NPP too everyone seemed to be there "just" for the film ;(

That and other things...

Lemme make it more clear with my various hats ;)

AH Rating: 6/10
MH: 3/10
FH: 10/10

Talking about the film brought to my mind one of those nifty lil technique i read about sometime ago, the "Six Thinking Hats" method.

Someone asked me "what could have been done to please you and why you are giving 3/10"?
Now that is a difficult question and i don't know the answer. May be i can point to couple of films i really loved.

IMDB Audience Views:
Before Sunrise (1995) | Before Sunset (2004) | (500) Days of Summer (2009)
Trailers:
Before Sunrise (1995) | Before Sunset (2004) | (500) Days of Summer (2009)

Why? Coz they are *real*, indie, truly romantic without fantasies/gimmicks and each have too many good things to rave about. Of course they are one of a kind films but is what i yearn indian films to achieve... esp when we make so many boy-meets-girl-falls-in-love movies.

But i should not compare... But i can't help... But...

Only thing i'm concerned about is - what we different individuals expect/compare in our minds. Can't help being us, right? And coming to terms with a huge media like films... all on the "same page" is not gonna happen... in fact, that's part of the excitement too ;) I like romantic films of the genre - say Woody Allen's Annie Hall (1977). That was made in 1977 and still there is no such indian film. Or if i am to make it any less complicated... i liked Waitress (2007) too. Instead we see the current Hollywood films and jump couple of entire eras while current Hollywood itself doesn't make many good movies... Then again - Who likes what - Which is better etc., - Aesthetics, Taste - can't be defined - and is not for anyone to decide/say. Is why that 3/10 is strictly my personal opinion and i don't mean to offend anyone. Just MyHat ;)

Shirley Maclaine

Writing about "Please Give" triggered a chain of thought that went -

Terms of Endearment > Shirley Maclaine > How she looked like an angel in "The Apartment" and how much i always like her...!

Shirley Maclaine winning an Oscar® for "Terms of Endearment"

Jack Nicholson winning an Oscar® for "Terms of Endearment"

Nicole Holofcener

Love this film Please Give and Nicole Holofcener has done such a great job...! Such films are not possible unless you are the writer-director and pour yourself into it sincerely. Reminded me of another great film Terms of Endearment (1983) Films like these happen so rarely...!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2010/01/oh_please_womens_worst_impulse.html

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/0878835/

http://www.facebook.com/pleasegive

http://www.filmindependent.org/content/find-interview-please-give-writerdirector-nicole-holofcener

In a Holofcener movie, women actually have their own reasons for doing things — and these are even allowed to be bad reasons, and funny ones. The movie is about imperfect characters in a difficult world, who mostly do the best they can under the circumstances, but not always.
Roger Ebert Review

Why i liked Endhiran?

A good Endhiran trailer with Rajni himself at the end.

I normally don't like Rajni films these days - too hollow, formulaic and totally mass masala. Or for that matter any big film targeted at the Box Office - like Avatar, Iron Man etc.,

Thank God, Endhiran is not entirely so.

Robot, for an indian film - they thought thro the script - before spending so much of money. It came from two of the books written by Sujatha.

"Shankar, I completed my work satisfactorily. Hereafter, there is no tension to me, even the film will become as my last one!" - Sujatha.

Endhiran is based on his two novels "En Iniya Iyanthira" and "Meendum Jeano".
http://entertainment.oneindia.in/tamil/exclusive/2008/sujatha-passed-away-280208.html
http://600024.com/the-forgotten-sujatha-connection-with-endhiran/

Very few writers are respected in india - their views considered in such a huge media like cinema where things are ruled by ego, $$$, glamor, charm, pulp, foolish instincts, hard-to-break patterns and what not.

Shankar thinking thro with and learning from Sujatha.
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFS7s6zzjl8
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmXFgN8f14s

Did you notice they talk about Zeno’s Paradox in Endhiran?. Only Sujatha could have written it in a tamil film ;)

Not many indian films have much thinking leave alone it be original. These days people love one or more Hollywood films and mix them up to make up a desi version - for the indian audience...! While Robo too has many influences, it's pure "desi" entertainment at it's heart and has several genuine moments. It's carefully made like a Hollywood film with/for indian sensibilities.

"Shankar proved that he is the master of catching the pulse of the audience. As the movie unfolds, directors like me could see the growing confidence levels of Shankar and at the same time humility and sincerity to the core. Definitely, Robo has set in motion a much difficult yardstick before Tollywood, and to that matter Indian cinema. More than technical brilliance, what matters is the sincerity in one’s thought and action. Robo is like a yogic experience on the celluloid" - Director Rajamouli.
I liked his Magadheera. Though it's somewhat weak and old-school, has all the elements you would expect from an entertaining indian film - pucca commercial director, as a friend mentioned - and so went on to become a huge hit and is totally deserved. And i agree with his view of Shankar, at least of Robot.

I expected it to be an ok film as i don't think of Shankar much. But he surprised me. Put his heart & soul & sweat in every frame and imagined the film so well. I can't think of another indian film where things are as thoroughly thought out and each scene executed so meticulously. Shankar saying it's his "pet project" is justified well. Done their home work alright. Endhiran is Shankar at the top of his game. Don't think he can reach this level again. People say "Who is the Black Sheeep..?!" is their favorite scene but for me - even the Robot walking out the first time and enjoying the sunlight and breeze is a beautiful scene you normally don't see in a Shankar film.

And then Rajnikanth.

Someone in Hollywood becomes popular playing Superman, Spiderman, Batman or the Joker. You put in all of these characters and more into Rajnikanth - who is a living legend than some character in a comics book - to reach the people. It's the reverse and so hard to imagine another person like that. People can't understand this phenomenon(nor can it be explained) unless they been thro themselves.

"This is Rajnikanth, and he is no mere actor—he is a force of nature. If a tiger had sex with a tornado and then their tiger-nado baby got married to an earthquake, their offspring would be Rajnikanth." My Goodness...! SUPERSTAR Rajnikanth! The biggest movie star you've probably never heard of.  By Grady Hendrix - The slate article

And here is one more attempt to understand Rajnikanth.
The Last Indian Superstar

It's a Rajni film...! Nobody needs any review (or) ratings...! At least in Tamil Nadu. And the BO Collections are a given. And still... Rajni was true to the role. And they made merry with his star power only after the interval. There is always a good actor inside Rajni and we get to see traces of it again in Endhiran. More than anything - Rajni is supposedly a good human. Or atleast is a self-made-man, constantly evolving, learning and been thro so much. We can see it all in Endhiran. The maturity that comes through. Sure he evoled so much as an actor too. When you know the world and things, it simply shows in the person. Another attractive aspect of the Rajni myth is that he is always portrayed very manly and treats women like little girls but with respect. I don't know if it's his real personality in life too. Picked it up from Clint Eastwood? See The Pursuit of Heroic Masculinity . Rajni is one of the most carefully created celluloid & public image.

Nobody would dare to compare a Vikram, Vijay, Simbu (or) Dhanush film with Rajni's. Even Shahrukh Khan says - pls don't compare me with Rajni - when people talk about Ra. 1 along side Robot.

Most of the jokes in the film won't make much sense to people other than tamil nadu. Others should not forget they are watching a dubbed film.

A lot of nonsense is being written these days of A.R Rahman. As usual, whenever someone is too popular in india - or for that matter anywhere in the world - people just get too critical - and find reasons not to like. Many reviews mentioned Rahman is so-so in Endhiran. I don't agree. Background score could have been better but Endhiran is a film with huge scope. Shankar lived with the story in his mind for 7 or 8 years before the film went on the floors. No music director can do justice to the project. That said - the songs totally rock...! Ask Radiohead to compose for a film and give a hit album at the same time...! Or ask John Williams to give songs across all genres for a Steven Spielberg film. Why all that - is there any other music composer in india at the time of making the film that Shankar could have approached?.

Lemme give an example.

The intro song - Pudhiya Manitha - is all about the Robot. Some guy creating a thing with all the good positive intentions - and it's more of a melody and meaning-oriented to the theme. It's not about Rajni. No intro song for Rajni...! And then when the Robot turns dark in its mind - Arima Arima - agrinai-yin arasan naan - with it's aggressive tunes and lyrics and Rajni's murderous steps. "AgriNai" means Nouns reffering to animals, plants and non living things like rocks - or in this context "the king of the non-living". At which point it becomes a Man-vs-Machine (better yet Creator-vs-Created) thing as one review pointed out. Now how many indian films think thro their songs?. And what has thinking's got anything to do in a RAJNI film? ;)

Now some general thoughts and notes.

Whenever there is a Rajni film - there is just too much - in the media. Several people write 3 page articles why Rajni films are crap - as if going against something so huge brings them some kind of an identity (or) they are in possession of never heard of wisdom - at the cost of others ;)  There are the Rajni hooligans who go to any extend to defend anything with Rajni. Now add to the mix people from other states/regions/even countries too. There are not too many things to like in this world. It's a pity when people can't genuinely enjoy a simple thing - like a film or some mannerism or such.

Ticket prices are $20 in NOVA, $30 in NJ, $40 in NYC. That's such a deplorable thing.

Danny Denzongpa in tamil sounded too much like (late)Raghuvaran.

Every frame looks so bright and beautiful. Cameraman Rathnavelu Interview.

My punch lines for the film would be -

The Boss is here. Better than ever. ;)

Rajni De-Wormed

Films are about myth-making. Here is a great chance to live the Rajni myth.

While watching the film - you will be thinking - feeling like - this is what happens when a good screenplay, $$$, mind and actors - everything comes together. When there is a favorite environment, anybody can raise to the top.

Madras brings to memory so many things and filter coffee is one of them. The film strives hard and to some extent, achieves that flavor. Now don't ask me what is that. I don't know ;) I think it's when they show the family oriented, father/mother, lot of women in sarees, jewellery shops etc., i guess. Like how you feel shopping around at Panagal Park or such. The feel for the place - or the homely feel - if you may. It's like how the Hindi films build up to and achieve the marriage scenes with everyone around, dancing etc.,

Rajnikanth image should be patented (or his younder daughter Soundarya has already?). Otherwise how can we explain someone whom we still want to see how he was 30 years ago?. It's like the Superman, Spiderman, Batman images. Marvel Comics would have made a killing by now, if they were in india. Make RoboSapien toys.

My Verdict:
It was good. Rajni's second daughter said it right http://movies.ndtv.com/video.aspx?id=166914. Actually Rajni keeps getting better after so many films..! When two Rajni-s are cross, it's a freakin volcano. The screen just erupts...! Kamal, Rajni both bring out their best when bad. Shankar too is very imaginative, for a change. Great effort from these two (three, if you may). It will take a long time for another indian film to come out better than this. If i'm to make one point on the minus side - it may not suit the tastes of people other than (big)cities in india - even with the Rajni factor. As long as people don't try to compare it with Transformers and so many other Hollywood films(Mask, I Robot etc.,)  they have seen - and go just see it as an indian film - it's a blast...! Makes no sense paying attention to inane articles and reviews ;)

Here is an elated fan's response after seeing the film.

Another opinion i value.

Shankar's blog post on Endhiran with the Balachandar letter.

Ilayaraja, Raga and Systems Thinking

I need to make this post better - later when i have some time.

What is so special about Ilayaraj songs? One thing - people those days believed in huge systems. And spent their entire life mastering a system. IR, for example - Carnatic Music http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnatic_music Concepts: Sruti Swara Raga Tala Melakarta. And this - something like English Grammar - he applied so rigorously to - say folk - or the mass entertainment film songs. Is why we can't expect such a perfection from others easily.

"Maya Malava Gowlai" raga and "Madura marikozhundhu vasam". http://blog.karthiksankar.com/tag/raga/
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1241404476261 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW88k8JFx0Q

More @ http://geniusraja.blogspot.com/2010/03/strawberry-flavored-cleverfolk.html

From the net
samaja vara gamana--hindholam
idhazhil kadhai ezhuthum frm the film unnal mudiyum thambi--lalithaangi
ooru vitti orru vandhu (film is karagattakaaran)--shamnmugapriya
bho sambho siva shambo--revathi
malare mownama(film is karna)---dharbari kaanada (Vidhya Sagar)

This composing technique like a fish hook thrown into your memory is so hard to remove, no matter how many more decades you age through.

If there is another person i respect so highly like IR, it is Raveendran This guy can't do a song without a carnatic base ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCmsZbarARE

Nadal U.S Open 2010

Probably the most honest and correct judgement about oneself i read in a while.

Q. You've achieved so much over these brief years starting maybe with the clay court streak and then winning in so many different circumstances. In the big picture, we sort of debate what are your greatest strengths. What do you think your greatest strengths are as a champion? Is it strokes or focus, willingness to make changes, attitude? What do you think are your two or three greatest strengths?

RAFAEL NADAL: What's my best thing? I think the mentality, attitude on court I think always was good for me. I am positive on court, and I fight all the time. But not the only thing. Positive attitude is not only fight on court. I think I was able to listen all the time to the coach and to have adjustments and to be ready to change things to be better and to improve. So probably that's was the best thing for me. If we talk about the game, for sure for me I think the best thing that I have is my intensity on court, no? When I am playing well, the intensity always is high. The rhythm is high. Sometimes yes but not always I have easy winners or with one shot winner, but I can have winners after three, four shots having a great rhythm all the time, no? So the focus on court I think was -- that's similar, no, the rhythm and focus. I can, I think, play at the same rhythm and the same level long time. So that's what I think my best thing is.
http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/interviews/2010-09-13/201009141284439013666.html

Q. I'm just wondering what you saw then you I'm sure you weren't sitting around thinking what he's gonna be possible of. Are you amazed at the adjustments he's made to get where he's gone?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's just great for somebody who had so much success as he did, very young age, and to be able to continue motivating himself to perform his best each tournament, each match he plays regardless who he has across the net. You just have to put a hat down for this guy, everything he does on and off the court. Great champion, great person, and great example of an athlete.
http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/interviews/2010-09-13/201009131284432531409.html

More than his game, i think the person is what made him so many people's favorite.

Life Quotes

"...My father said against this suggestion, the human istn't becase of the society in the first place here, but because of itself. And if everybody behaves in the best way for himself, he will as well for the society. If God creates somebody in order to become a painter, he would serve the human beings in a bad way, if he becomes at the end a lawyer. If he becomes a painter, in the original interest of God, he would do the world and the god the biggest service. This sows itself through the inner desire, which leads to another thing, which you have to follow. How would you know otherwise what you would like to do in life?" - From "Indian Summer" by Adalbert Stifter

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative, there is one truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." - Goethe

Joy Division

Been thinking of writing about them for quite some time. Thanks to Grant Gee's(see video below) "pop culture can be cruel for people of certain disposition - the poets and thinking types" - as if it strikes a chord in me - provided some impetus.

It's not the "tortured poet-singer-musician" image i like about Joy Division. Somehow their music seems truer than most out there. It's very emotional and you don't want to see a man like that. It's powerful and modern. It's pure art. The dark and brooding lyrics soaked in anguish. The guitar riffs. The deep voice. It's just haunting...!

New Dawn Fades

24 Hours

Love will tear us apart

Atmosphere

Heart & Soul

Joy Division (The Miriam Collection) DVD - Tony Wilson

Control, The Movie - Official Trailer

The Cult of the Lads From Manchester

Haunting Songs of Heartbreak, Done by a Man With Experience

Grant Gee on his Joy Division Documentary and it's review. Another review.