Ghajini:: Technical Analysis - Hindi vis-a-vis Tamil

Sometime all that you need in life is a second chance. AR Murugadoss got it, he grabbed it and made it count. All the shortcomings of the attempt in Tamil were removed in the Hindi version and you get a nicely made movie to watch. So the verdict is watch the tamil version till the scene where the villian removes all the memory aids that Surya has and then switch over to the Hindi version for the remaining part of the movie.
Screenplay:
In this department the director has worked and tinkered with the crass and hopeless climax sequence of the Tam version and has given the audience a very absorbing and intelligent climax sequence in the hindi version. Just this one aspect has left the Hindi version much more watchable and enjoyable. The people who have watched the tamil version will remember it for its very confused,lengthy and the very stupid climax. Technologically the climax stunt was a brilliant piece where the stunt between Surya and the double-act villians was brilliantly shot. But the effort that was taken did not pay off as the build up leading to that fight scene lacked the elements of a good screenplay. Further some of the scenes got too gross for the public. The hindi version's screenplay is much more robust.
Aamir vs Surya
We might be comparing apples and oranges here but since the movie is a remake the comparison is inevitable. In the role of the flambuoyant Sanjay both the actors carry themselves professionally. But the Sanjay Singhania is a more serious person than the Sanjay Ramaswamy. The naughty and mischievous persona that Surya portrayed had a kind of light hearted humor in it which enhanced the character of Asin. Aamir looked more serious kind of a person. In the role of the Amnesiaic Sanjay the actors have given a flawless performance. One area where Aamir scores over Surya is the physique.
Asin vs Asin
It has virtually been a repeat performance for Asin in the Hindi movie. But for the dialogues in hindi the scenes are just the same without any change. These scence won rave reviews in the tamil version and the director has done well not to tamper with them. Asin comes out with the same kind of vivacity and spontaenity that won her accolades in the tamil cine field and shot her to stardom in Kollywood. In a prophetic note, may this augur a good run in the Bollywood too.
Music:
This is the area where the Tamil version scores over the hindi version. The songs are very good in the hindi version. But they were just great in the tamil version. The "oru maalai" and "sutrum vizhi" numbers in the tamil version list among all time superhit songs. The hindi song failed to touch a chord like the tamil songs. Also the lyrics were a lot better in the tamil version. They had a nice feel to it.
Overall its a good movie. People who have watched the tamil version have something different offered in the hindi version. People who haven't watched the tamil version, well you will definitely like the movie.

Wild Boar Incident.....

My school days were spent close to Nature. The campus was actually extending into the Indira Gandhi Wildlife sanctuary areas. The school grounds used to jus merge into the hills of the western ghats. So sighting wildlife was never a problem. After I joined there in my sixth standard I had the opportunity of seeing animals like the wild boar, snakes or birds at various times. But never had a first hand encounter with any of them. Then in my seventh standard i had my first wild boar chase.

People who have not been to Sainik School Amaravathinagar might not relate with the landmarks I am gonna mention in this account. My due apologies to them but they will still appreciate the encounter.

I was in Chera Juniors that time and it was the summer of 95 or rather August of 95. I remember that because on that lazy afteroon we had a ceremonial parade practice in our games kit but with Boots,Belt &Cap(BBC). As usual the squad had left before I came out and hence I decided to take the short route.The plan was to go through the ground behind the kalyana mandapam, cross the thorn bushes, reach dyanchand ground, jump the gate and run to the oval ground across the road. This is a route that countless students before me have taken time and again.

That day actually someone was with me(I forget who) and the two of us set up at a brisk jog. Just after crossing the small ground that is behind the kalyana mandapam we were just about to run into the gaps in the thickets when there was a rustle in them. Whoa! out came a pair of Boars. Actually I was puny at that time and they seemed huge. I guess the animals too did not notice us. But the presence of the beasts up close freaked us out and we changed our course.

There is a path over there leading to the MI room from the side of the amutham canteen building and we sprinted along that route. To our dismay the Boars were also running behind us. In case we jus ran and leaped across the small stream of water that flows in that route. The boars turned into the stream and ran away along the stream. We then reached the cadets road near MR PC's house and joined our squads.

It was a nice warm up run before a parade session, but the animals really got the adrenaline rushing into my head. In my later days in the school the panic was gone and I came to like watching those creatures......

R

The need to cry

Sometimes I am amazed at people who can be very emotional. That is because I find myself highly lacking in that depertment. I can be happy, sad, disappointed,angry, depressed etc etc. But I have never expressed all those emotions properly. Particularly serious is the case with crying. There of course have been a lotta tears flowing outta my eyes but they have had less to do with emotions and more to do with spicy food.
I do remember the last time I cried as a result of an emotional condition. That was when the family who had come to school to visit me for the first parent's visit day were leaving. After that I do not remember any particular instance where i have actually cried. Yeah I have been very sad on occasssions better left without mention, but have been crying. Well one question is "Is it for the better or worse?" Another thought could be " Does this mean you are strong or are u weak?" Does this mean you are afraid to show your emotions and are hiding behind a persona?

Whatever the thoughts, personally I have tried to cry and give vent to my feelings. But then realised that you do not try and cry, it just comes automatically. I came to conciously think of this in my VIII standard( Then u might guess that i have really put in a lotta thought). In the school I studied "the macho" is omnipresent. A guy's worth was decided by how much he could push himself to do. The better guy was the one who could run faster, longer and could do more push ups than anybody else. There during the farewell i saw some of the most "Macho" guys breaking down into a sea of tears and that got me thinking. Will I be crying on my farewell day? The day came and I was not crying. Actually I was feeling good at having had such a good life in the years I spent at my school.

Later years I saw people crying really hard, but the reason was obvious. They jus had one peg too many and that got them lachrymose. Another peg and they will automatically stop. Stories apart, what really makes people cry. I have not got an hypotheses that is even remotely close to explaining the phenomena and sure as hell I am no psychologist. I guess loads of professional psychologists may have done their Phd theses on the subject.

I just hope someone will make me cry. And maybe that's the one who is the one for my life....

The Emperor of Dishes

In my pre-blogger days, when I was struggling to start a blog one sweet lady friend of mine suggested" Rambo, write about food no." I have taken that suggestion. According to me the greatest culinary accomplishment of mankind is "The Biriyani".
So Biriyani it is... The undisputed emperor of all the dishes in the world. According to history the dish made its beginnings when soldiers in the field in their attempt to save their effort and time for cooking started cooking rice and meat together along with an assortment of spices. Later some blessed and gastronomically creative soul(s) in the kitchens of the Nawabs of Hyderabad refined the recipie to the level of a fine art. Say what you may,but nothing leaves you contended like a plate of good biriyani. It is a wholesome, healthy, tasty and really economic alternative for lunch and dinner(given an oppurtunity i will have a biriyani for b'fast too).
I prefer a biriyani for a host of reasons like:

• Whatever be the choice of meat chicken,motton,beef,prawns,fish etc , u name it there's a biriyani for it.(personally my favorite is the chicken)
• You don't have the hassle of choosing a side dish for it.
• It comes in a plate that is just the right quantity for one person for one meal.
• And it is really really tasty.

I judge any hotel by the kind of biriyani it serves. Any hotel that is worth its name should get a chef who can create a plate of fine biriyani which appeals to your palate.

So folks happy biriyani meals....

R

Starting my blog

I always intended to start writing my own blog for over 6 years now. But I never came around to do it until yesterday. Seeing the people around me blissfully blogging away reminded me constantly as to how woefully inexpressive I am. Everytime I thought about the impending start of my space on the web, I was daunted by the prospect since I intended to attempt at creating it in a systematic manner. I was running after creating a perfect blog. I never could identify what is it that system that I am looking for in my blog. Sometime I thought i would write a chronological account of how my life unfolded(kinda deep... I know) and on others I thought I would write about the personalities of myself and the people I meet and on and on. In the end I just was going round and round trying to get the logical starting point for creating the "Blog of the Century". I failed to understand the spirit behind the entire concept. There is no logical beginning to this attempt.
So after a highly extended period of procrastination which I rationalized to myself as pursuit of perfection, I have actually started my blog. The first couple being tributes to the planet Earth and the Human Race.( I just couldn't help it... I needed a symbolic anchor).
Now that it is started I now feel the freedom to write about anything. Its a good feeling now to feel free to write. So all you people out there who want to get going with a blog and not really getting around to do it.... Just post once and things will start moving.
R

The Human Enterprise

Some things never cease to impress me. Be it travelling on a train, riding a bike, speaking over the phone or even writing with a pen. Have you ever wondered about the amount of enterprise by generations of men and women that have gone into the way we live our lives now.
I definitely have. Sitting on my bike I do wonder at the marvel; a simple turn of my wrist can propel me forward. Hit the brake and I stop. A guy sits in the cabin of a crane and a push at the levers lifts stuff that weigh tons.
The basic components that are at work here is the wheel and some levers. This in various engineered combinations through intelligent use of concepts of physics have made things like a locomotive pulling a train, or a plane flying in the sky etc a commonplace affair.
It instills a feeling of wonder at how much mankind has achieved and a sense of humility at how little I have done.....
R

Can we save Earth????

There is this constant refrain that we hear from all the environmentalists.." The ozone layer getting depleted" " The ice caps melting" " Global warming" " The earth in danger" etc etc. So is it possible to save the planet.
Well I have to disagree. I appreciate the school of thought of the famous novellist Michael Crichton. In all the heat of discussions(I guess it contributes to the global warmins as well) the crux of the issue is lost, forgotten, dead and buried. Who is in danger here??? Is is the earth or us....
Now the issue is clear. The earth was still there when it was just a ball of fire. It is still there after millions of years. It has gone through a a few iceages without any trouble. It the guys like the Dinos and Dodos who were there earlier but not anymore....
So it boils down to a simple problem " It is the species Homo Sapiens who is in trouble and not the earth". The mantra is not "Save the planet". Rather it is " Save our Souls"
R