On the issue of Adaptation.

A reliable source of debate is Indian cinema (of which Bollywood is often taken as a token representative, by mistake) versus Western cinema (Hollywood taking the role of Bollywood). This short piece takes a look at just one of the aspects which differentiates the two whilst not attempting to argue for which is better off. Adaptations.

If one takes a look back at the classics of Western cinema, one common thread running through them is that they are adapted from a book, which may or may not have succeeded on its own. And in the case that the author of the book is alive and kicking, then he/ she would most often that not be a part of the movie scripting team. This ensures that the basic premise of the book is not compromised and helps in capturing its spirit. The success of any movie depends on the strength of the script and also owes a large part to the conviction which the director and the cast have in the movie. This is where a movie adapted from a book scores , because the technical team of the movie and its cast have a solid idea of what their final outcome should resemble. And they take up such a project only if they believe in it.

Coming to Indian cinema, while such a system exists and has produced many a masterpiece, it is still not widely prevalent. It has been used most frequently by the established greats of Indian cinema , from Satyajit Ray to Adoor Goplakrishnan. One director who's an exception to this rule is Maniratnam. Though Thalapathi was a modern adaptation of a timeless classic, most of his other movies have seen him write his own script. This is possible though only due to his diligent research which again is dependent on books as the source.

A possible explanation is the strong oral tradition when it comes to passing on of stories. While India is very rich in its literature of the earlier civilizations, it is very common that even those stories are passed on from generation to generation through oral recitals. Another feature is the embellishment of the stories in songs, Villu paathu and Hari katha being two examples of its use in varied settings and cultures. This was evident in early Indian cinema where most of the movies were what Westerners would classify as musicals. A corruption of these ideals has what has led to the songs and item numbers which are used as stop gap and for entertainment rather than as a means to move the movie forward.

Having digressed a little, to bring back into focus the issue of adaptations, there are attempts being made in the Indian film industry of late to try and adapt novels into movies. However, the criterion seems to be more about the popularity of the novel rather than its adaptability. This curtails the creative freedom of the director because the popularity of the book would mean that the director has to try and stick to it almost verbatim. One wishes that in the future directors look at reworking popular and not so popular literature onto the celluloid. A happy marriage between the written word and moving images is critical for the success of both.

TN 03 FEB 2009

Well Well Well! That's one well each for the three Tamil Nadu players picked for the NZ tour's test squad.

I do understand that the world is not what it used to be and that people have lost their money and minds , but this is incredulous. Hail stones in Chennai last year would possibly the closest on the bizarreness meter. Mr N Srinivasan and Mr Krishnamachari Srikkanth, with their piousness firmly stamped on their foreheads, have gone on to tread a path no man has dared to and ,with great respect for the future generations , never will.

8 players from Bombay was the norm a few decades back and 6 from Karnataka was a given in the 90s. Then came the bad boy of Indian cricket. Dada would take none of this regional bias nonsense. He insisted that he needed 11 players who best represented the country, not 3 players who best represented each selector in the panel. I might have my own favorites and prejudices,, he decreed, but you shall not have any. To his credit, he delivered. Period.

But then one constant through all the 76 years of Indian cricket was the shabby treatment meted out to players from a few particular states. It was as though at the first selection meeting there was an 'un'lucky draw and the names of these states were drawn. To name a few of these states: West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having spent a considerable part of my ,still, early life in Chennai , I would take up Tamil Nadu to illustrate my point, and in order to not strain my memory too much I shall quote three names S Sharath, Diwakar Vasu and Reuben Paul of the top of my head.All these three may consider themselves pretty unlucky and the first one might be thinking he played in the wrong side of 2000 A.D.

While it is often stated that Sharath was plain unlucky to belong to an era coincinded with that of the Fab Four, it is a point worth wondering that another team mate of his, barely as talented as him got a break (that he failed to latch on it in the true spirit of most Tamil Nadu cricketers is another issue). It certainly would not have been asking for too much to name him at least as a back up batsman, but then he was repeatedly overlooked for players of lesser calibre. To his credit, he continued to pile up the runs and to the collective heartburn of cricket fans in the state he would repeatedly be overlooked.

At a time when decent fast bowlers were at a premium and left armers were an absolute rarity , unlike now, Diwakar Vasu presented a good option. That he would sometimes bowl left arm spin should have added to his chances. But then while many from across the nation were given a trial , he was not even in the fray. Add his reasonable batting skills into the mix and it becomes even more appalling why he never was given a break.

What Dhoni was to the Indian team when he made his debut, Reuben Paul was to Tamil Nadu during his career. An extremely aggressive batsman, he would set an innings ablaze with his six hitting skills and was a very reliable keeper. Considering that there was a stage when Indian keepers did anything but keep their places , he must have been a contender at some stage. But then the selection policy was so strange that while a good keeper who couldn't bat would be dropped for being an incompetent batsman ,another average keeper who could contribute a bit with the bat was given the boot for not keeping well enough. Considering that the Indian first class scene at that point wasn't quite spoilt with such riches , a fair trial to Reuben might have been the way to go.

The common thread running through the careers of these three talented cricketers was the blind eye that the national selectors displayed towards them.

Fast forward to the present. Three Tamil Nadu players in the same squad is something unheard of. My memory serves up times when there were two at the maximum, and those too in seasons when Tamil Nadu and its players had done very well in the Ranji season. That none of these three will feature in the first eleven is a fact, but then if ever there was an affirmative action policy in Indian cricket selection, this is it.

Naan Kadavul : Aghori um Aghoram um

Those who had read this would have possibly been expecting this(not awaiting, expecting). So here goes.

What Hariharan Sriram was totally floored by: For a Bala movie the story, screenplay or the acting performances would possibly be the contenders for this, but then the winner ,hands down, are the stunt sequences. There may have only two proper fight sequences but they had an apt raw feel and the brutality of every hit sent a chill down the spine. Super Subburaya, super appu. The dialogues come a close second for being terse and meaningful. Not too many dialogues which do not create an impact. As a couple of characters say "Oru vasagam sonallum thiru vasagam sonna" and "avan romba paesa mattan , aana paesina vivaram aavum irukkum vivahaaram aavum irukkum".

What he was amazed by, but rather expectedly: Illayaraja's background score. The native feel that he's managed to bring in is something which only he can. Though slightly off key, strangely so, in a couple of places it was still the kind of music which enhances the movie. Not exactly Pithamagan levels, but infinitely better than his own magan.

What he was captivated by : In a dark movie, and this qualifies on both counts, the visuals need to be able to carry the impact and Arthur Wilson handles this more than competently. Watch out for some jaw dropping camera work in the final chase sequence and in the few moments before the interval.

What he felt let down by : The rather amateurish direction in the opening scene, giving it a soap opera feel. The poorly developed second rung of characters (barring Rudran's mother and Murugan). Although the lead pair have enhanced their acting reputations, one felt that their acting was repetitive and not as impactful as in Bala's earlier movies. The rather short screen time allocated towards the Aghori sadhus.

What he still can't get over : The acting and the screen presence of all the mentally and physically challenged people in the movie. Kudos to Bala for having utilized them as he has.

What he was pleasantly by : The humour quotient. From the scene in the police station to the one liners from Elee (a standout performance from amongst the physically challenged) Bala ensures that there are enough light moments between the emotionally heavy ones. The dialogues as earlier mentioned are a big help.

What he thinks are the standout performances : Pooja , for her acting and dialogue delivery in the last scene alone qualifies for this. The villain of the movie, (screen name Thandavan) seems to have gotten right into the skin of the character and will possibly be widely sought after in Kollywood after this. Credit to Bala for having yet again developed a very strong role for the villain. Arya can take the consolation price. :)

What he finds extremely funny : The U/A rating. Still unable to fathom which part of the movie the censor board found suitable for the U audience.

What his final verdict is : Having chosen to explore hitherto unexplored aspects , Bala manages to shock and awe and is now on his way to defining a stamp of his own, which no one can ever hope to replicate. A bit of a let down after Pithamagan though.

P.S : For every person you recommend this post to Google / Microsoft / Yahoo , which ever is not bankrupt by then will track you down and pay you $1000. And Ford will also give away itself for one lucky winner.

The porposal.

Warning: Slightly more understandable for Tamizh audience. Translation/Transliteration though attempted may not convey the 'joke'.

No, the title is not a typo. Let me explain.

End December. Radio Mirchi(Chennai) was having one of its year end specials, where the caller will have to call up and narrate the most "mokkai" thing he had done that year (an event which everyone except you seems to want to remember and share).

Caller: Vannakam Sir(Salutations! Sir.)

RJ : Vannakam .. sollunga. (Return Salutations! Please go ahead and bore us to death with what you have to say.)

After some banter which is least important and therefore omitted. (I forgot that part.)

Caller: Sir, na panna mokkayaan vishayam ennana.. (an event which everyone except I seems to want to remember and share is .. )

RJ(doing a tremendous job of feigning interest) : Ah.. Sollunga. (Damn!! (to himself) Tell me.(to the caller))

Caller:
Na romba naala oru ponnu kooda chaat panninden sir. (For a long time, I was desperately trying to hook up with this female on the internet).

Anda ponnum oru naal vaanga beach la meet pannalamunu sollichu (That female also seemed to be desperate in equal measure and suggested we meet at the beach and take it 'forward')

Naanum romba espect panni ponen sir. (Like a hungry dog which rushes towards a bone with its tongue stuck out, I also agreed and went to the beach)

Anga poi paartha daan therinjudu, en life eh damage nu. (But after seeing her I realized the age old adage of The swelling is proportional to the size of the finger (like a flashback in a flashback, i shall translate the above back into tamil forming a rather confusing chain .. Viraluketha Veekam)) is totally true. So, my family, Total Damage)

Anda ponnum PORPOSE pannidichunga .. (That female being well versed in the life's teachings of answering the door as soon as opportunity knocks porposed, sorry , proposed, to me. )

RJ: Ennadu.. anda ponnu ungalukku PORPOSE panniducha?? (I really tried, but then just could not capture the essence of that statement in any translation. for (int i=0;i<(1/0);i++) {And no, the above is not a translation. ; })


P.S My inspiration for the above post is this. So any rude comments/ire may be directed there. Anything remotely positive maybe registered on the comments here. Thank you.

Slumdog Millionaire: A series of fortunate co-incidences

Lets play this little game. And no, this doesn't win you 2 crore rupees,oops 20 million.

You are a citizen in one of those first world countries. Close your eyes and tell me what are the images that you visualize when I say India. Like in Who Wants to Be Millionaire I'll also give you options to make your job easier.

a) Taj Mahal
b) Beggars (specifically child beggars)
c) Muslim dons
d) Religious riots
e) Slums
f) More slums

If your answer is all of them and not much else, you are on Danny Boyle's side.

Now second question. Which amongst the following are thoroughly realistic?

a) Policemen and constables conducting interrogations in impeccable English.
b) Boys growing up in slums who go on to become thieves to make a living and in the process gain something more than just cash, a British accent.
c) A game show being shown live across news channels with what seems to be the entire nation hooked on.
d) The contestant being recognized by random people in the street. The contestant then having finished his round, sitting alone in one of Mumbai's most crowded railway stations a few hours later.

Now, if you think the answer is none of the above then move over to my side. And sorry, you do not have much company here.

For someone who has grown up watching Pakistani terrorists and Canadian doctors speaking tamizh , the above points shouldn't seem like major issues. But then I choose to apply the same yardstick and therefore ridicule the happenings on screen. Besides the afore mentioned movies did not go on to win Golden Globes.

Frankly, Slumdog Millionaire makes for a riveting drama. If I was born and brought up in the UK I would have lapped up every single frame of the movie. But being an Indian most of the movie seems to me like short selling of the true India to pander to the sensitivities of the western audience.

As stated earlier I hold nothing against the movie or its basic plot and the execution. An adaptation of Q and A by Vikas Swarup, the narrative which crisscrosses between the present and the past, is a delight and is captured beautifully on camera, starting from the initial "chase sequence" to the game show. Every single actor fits the bill perfectly, from the young Salim and Jamal to Shaurabh Shukla as Sergeant(?) Srinivas. The movie , though , belongs to Dev Patel and Anil Kapoor. Dev Patel wins your heart (besides the money, of course) with an understated performance. But, I would stick my neck out and say that it is Anil Kapoor who delivers the film's best with a calculated over the top performance. Freido Pinto looks simple and stunning. AR Rahman's background score for this movie cannot escape mention in any review and to state the well known and the widely accepted, it is simply stunning.

On the whole it is a good drama and any more significance to it will depend on which side of the Indian border you reside in.

Aham Brahmasmi

This is possibly the significant preaching of Hinduism. This post though, does not deal with that aspect, as the author is grossly unqualified to comment on an issue of such deep philosophical significance.

This has to do with a certain movie called Naan Kadavul (a literal translation of the Sanskrit title). Not often does a movie let alone its trailer totally sweep you off your feet. Bala ,though, has proved in just 3 movies that with him you can only expect the unexpected. In 2 and a half minutes of sheer brilliance Bala has set the expectations from the movie soaring.

How many film makers would dare release a full length trailer with barely a dozen words spoken and all of them in a language foreign to the primary audience of the movie. How many film makers would showcase nothing other than a gory looking man hitting out at any one who comes in his way in an absolutely cold blooded manner for the most part of the trailer? No sign of the heroine, who going by the past movies of this director will not be the usual puppet like caricature as in most other movies. No time for a song sequence, as is the norm in any trailer of these parts. Its action from the word go, and for the next couple of minutes you are transported to a totally different world.

The stunning visual imagery cannot possibly be described in words. The camera has captured the gushing waters and the raging fires in a spectacular fashion. The music! Illayaraja! Be it the heightening of the tempo or the momentary silence , the grand maestro elevates the impact of the trailer every single second of its length.

In any Bala movie, the actors doesn't matter ,for, with a story as powerful as his, the actor playing the lead pales into insignificance and only the character remains with you and this time promises to be no different. Arya , who has given his everything for this movie for two years looks to have done a fantastic job. The other sadhu who seems to have been given quite a bit of prominence in this trailer is one of the many characters I am dying to see being etched out on the big screen, come Pongal.

In the rather unlikely event of the movie being a total disappointment, I'd still take this 2 and a half minute thrill a second trailer ride to 95% of the movies being released. To quote a very famous dialogue, "idhu verum trailer daan.. ! ".

Jaipur, Bhopal Delhi .. this is the headlines

Note: The title is a slight rejig and english version of this song.

The so called semi-final is now over.

The recent election was influenced by wide ranging issues on both the national front and the local front. While in state elections, national issues seldom come to the fore, this time it seemed likely to be a totally different scenario because of the enormity of the national issues, terrorism and price rise. The local issues included pricing of rice(Chattisgarh) to Meenas(no, not the actress' fan club) vs Gujjars (Rajasthan) to deaths caused by Blue line buses(Delhi).

Democracy in India keeps challenging the so called obvious patterns and theories and this time was no different. The so far highly safe Anti-Incumbency factor thrown out of the window with three out of the five state's populace retaining their existing governments.

One another point which has been emphatically made is that however big the national issues might be, in a state election local issues gain a lot more predominance. Case in point are the results in Rajasthan and to quite an extent even Chattisgarh. In both the states experts did not give Congress much of a chance. While they went on to claim Rajasthan, they also put up quite a fight in Chattisgarh. If the national issues had been at the forefront then BJP would have done even better in MP and Chattisgarh.

Development and Mr.Clean images are becoming more and more prominent in the eyes of the public. There is a new crop of Chief Ministers coming up who are increasingly being seen as corruption free, a refreshing change from the times of the past when the point of debate was who was less corrupt. BJP has benefited heavily from the good image of its chief ministers (Modi, Raman Singh and SS Chauhan) and Congress has its own trump card in Sheila Dixit.

A trend which has not been possibly highlighted enough in the mainstream media is the rising clout of the BSP. It is starting to make its presence felt in almost all North Indian states. What is more significant about its victories in this set of elections is that four out of the five states (barring Mizoram) have been bipolar states since the emergence of the BJP in the late 80s. So, to be able to make the kind of inroads that it has indicates a growing clout and meticulous planning and execution. With a maverick leader who is a past master at social engineering, we can expect more of a role for BSP in the upcoming LS elections.

Extending on the above point, it'll be interesting to see how the BJP builds its relationship with BSP. With a bitter past, relations will certainly not be cordial. However, the BJP needs the BSP more than the BSP needs BJP, considering that BSP is capable of garnering 40 - 50 seats in the past stronghold of BJP, UP. What will possibly go against the BSP joining hands with BJP is BJP's anti-minority(primarily Muslim) image given that BSP in itself does not have a presence in those communities and Mayawati will be trying double hard to gain a footing there.

The biggest winner from this election is possibly Sheila Dixit. To make it a hat trick of wins in the national capital is no mean achievement and to do so given the general tide against the Congress at both state and national level is even more extraordinary. A margin of 43-23 is the icing and the cherry on top of the cake. But come general election, one may expect the BJP to sweep the seats in Delhi given the totally different issues on hand and that it will possibly be much better prepared by then.

Vasundara Raje would have probably realized that charisma and an urban centric image does not help winning elections. Her handling of key issues left a lot to be desired, especially the Gujjar agitation which also left her alienated from her core constituency, the Meenas.

As stated earlier both SS Chauhan and Raman Singh benefited from their clean images and the anti-incumbency at state level was stemmed a bit by the anti-incumbency at the national level barring which the scales might have tilted in favor of Congress, atleast in Chattisgarh.

Rajasthan and Delhi in particular. present the first setbacks to Arun Jaitley, BJP's golden boy when it comes to election management. Having seemingly perfected the art of micro-management of elections , he now has to sit back and analyze what went wrong. Even their previously successful strategy of maximizing the number of fresh tickets to avoid public backlash against non-performing sitting MLAs has failed them in Rajasthan.

Congress, on the other hand, will be forced to retrospect more on the lack of strong second rung leadership. The only state they managed a convincing victory, Delhi, was due to the charisma and the larger than life image of Sheila Dixit. While the Congress has already started trumpeting Rahul Gandhi as the next great Gandhi and the man with the midas touch, it has to hasten the process of finding strong regional leaders and resolve the issue of infighting which is costing it majorly. Sonia Gandhi will now have to start taking concrete measures on finalizing possible alliances for the LS elections because not many of its current partners would want to carry the 'risk' of being seen as the partner of this government, come election time.

Let the games begin!!