A greeting on your birthday
For a very happy day
And then a year
That brings the best
Of everything your way
Enjoy your special day Monika!
*
You’re always very special
And you should know today
That you are wished the nicest things
That life can bring your way
Like warm and loving wishes
And happiness and cheer
And everything you need to start
Another happy year
May Allah shower blessings on you… Many More Happy Returns of the Day Monika ...
Love Always Haseem S Ibrahim
Because today's so special
it really wouldn't do,
to send one simple birthday wish
to last the whole year through...
So this wishes happy moments,
a day when dreams come true,
and a year that's filled with all the things
that mean the most to you.
*
Hope all that you do
Turns out happy for you
And all that you wish
Comes your way,
So each hour will bring
Every wonderful thing
You could ask of a wonderful day
May Allah shower blessings on you… Many More Happy Returns of the Day Amrita ...
Yuvvraaj basically begins as the story of Deven Yuvraaj (Salman) who is madly in love with Anushka (Katrina). He is a chorus singer where and she is a cello player in a musical group based in
The basic premise of the film is nice with music well entwined into as a character in itself. But where the film falters is the narrative. Ghai has been a master storyteller in the past but here he somehow fails to hold your attention in the first half. Things move at a snails pace and not entirely convincingly. Anil Kapoor’s character is the most important character of the film but barring the last few reels it has not been handled well. Also what was the need of those 80s style plotting relatives in a film like this? The second half however has a lot of drama in store and some really touching moments like those interactions between Anil and Salman in
Amongst the actors, Anil Kapoor impresses the most with his innocent act. Salman does well but is badly presented at times with inconsistencies in hair style and clothes. Katrina manages to hold her own in the crowd of actors. She never looked so beautiful before. Zayed suits his part perfectly. Boman does well.
Verdict: Though the film doesn’t entirely disappoint, it remains an average entertainer. Watch it for some vintage Ghai moments if you want to.
Rating: 3 & ½ Stars on 5
On your birthday,
I wish for you the fulfillment
of all your fondest dreams.
I hope that for every candle
on your cake
you get a wonderful surprise.
I wish for you that
whatever you want most in life,
it comes to you,
just the way you imagined it,
or better.
I hope you get as much pleasure
from our friendship as I do.
I wish we were good friends,
so I could have known you
from the beginning.
I look forward to
enjoying our friendship
for some of your birthdays.
I'm so glad you were born,
because you brighten my life
and fill it with joy.
Happy Birthday Ananthu..!
May Allah shower blessings on you… Many More Happy Returns of the Day Ananthu ...
Love Always Haseem S Ibrahim
Just how do you describe the journey of life and learning of one man, in an immensely fascinating and intuitive manner?
Life is a circle. You are what you are made of and you are what you make of yourself. Thus is the story of Surya, son of Krishnan, who grows up surrounded by the one emotion and bond that is, these days, sometimes forgotten and often underrated – love. His father Krishnan is his hero, his icon, the example he has to live up to. His mother Malini is calm, grounded, strong; a pillar of all that a woman and mother should be. And Surya’s inspiration for everything starts with their absolute love for each other.
It’s a normal, happy family and the strength of the children comes from the inner strength of their parents. Surya and his sister enjoy growing up with parents whose only advice to them is: nothing is impossible, not if your heart is pure and your dedication complete. This advice goes beyond the usual schoolchild and teenager’s academic stress, beyond peer pressure and beyond the emotional confusion only growing up can bring. The movie carries you on the strength of its narration and Surya is a child, becomes a teenager, then a young man on the verge of all the wonderful things life can give him, then a tortured lover, then a man emerging strong and at peace with himself, then a partner for life, then a true patriot and through all of this, a good son to good parents. In this journey, he encounters many things, many people; good and bad.
Meghna, the love of his life, the woman who made things bigger, brighter and more beautiful, even as she left him for a career and a future for herself.
Life’s tragedies that can wreak havoc as suddenly as a crack of lightning.
Immense pain that is a human being’s true test of strength – give in to the pain and perish or beget even more pain, only to emerge from it stronger?
New beginnings that are like warm sunrises after torrential rains.
Purpose and drive that keeps that spark in the soul alive and burning.
Priya and the hope in love which proves that love can never be lost, it simply moves spirits.
Cycle of life that calls for the loss of the physical self but shows one how immortal the self, thoughts and memories are.
Seems rather simplistic, doesn’t it?
Just what we thought to ourselves before we stepped into the movie hall and were engulfed by the music and visuals and words of each and every character Gautham managed to paint in fluid colour. What we thought would be a boring, long-drawn melodrama (“The extraordinary story of an ordinary man; and no macho twist to the tale? You have to be kidding!” this is what we thought) turned out to be, at least in bits and pieces, the stories of our lives, with characters all of us have met or lived with at some point in our lives. Beautifully told and intricately woven, Vaaranam Aayiram is a tale on the backbone of realism and beautiful music.
Speaking of music, here is an orchestra of melodies that will at once make you laugh, become wistful of those oh-so-beautiful years and get into the verve and mood of the moment. From the background score to the situational numbers and of course, golden oldies sung in Gautham and Suriya’s own voices, this music forms the structure of the entire movie and the attention to detail even while painting blending melodies is superb. Gautham Menon and Harris Jayaraj have brought in influences from the 60s and 70s, the restless rock age of the 80s, the fusion sounds of the 90s and the quietly confident original pieces of today.
Vaaranam Aayiram impresses visually, in terms of colour and environment, but perhaps this clarity is because of the clarity in each character and not so much in the actual visuals.
Editing-wise, this is probably the best work
The actors are simply superb, in the sheer simplicity of their roles and thus, maximum impact. One just cannot pick a better actor than another because they are in their element in this movie.
Except Suriya, of course. He is nothing short of brilliant and it is no mere flattery to say that he has (while doing this most difficult job of being a father, teenager, young lover, deranged addict and a man with a purpose), simply risen to standards of histrionics far above the rest of the industry. The hurt rage in the underdog schoolboy’s eyes; the gleam of love and enthusiasm in the young lover’s gaze; the intolerable pain of separation and solace found in hallucinogens; the torturous path back to normalcy; the newfound sense of purpose and meaning; the rekindling of love and passions – this time, mature and lifelong; the closure of life’s cycle (which is also the beginning of the same cycle for another)… all these emotions and nuances have been brilliant portrayed with his eyes and body language; so much so that even if this movie doesn’t go on to become a box-office success, his work will be critically acclaimed for a long time to come.
Simran is Malini is, simply, Simran. Fabulous with her iconic representation of a strong, silent and calm mother.
Sameera is Meghna, the quintessential modern young woman, with career plans and dreams of her own.
Divya Spandana is Priya, who is the fragrant, yet tough flower that has always bloomed around Surya, but went unnoticed until he went through his own heaven and hell and came out stronger, more mature.
Every single member of the Photon Factory team and Gautham’s regular band of filmmaking brothers – both the Karthiks, Rajeevan, Meghna… small, but noticeable roles…
All these characters made Vaaranam Aayiram complete, every step of the way.
Perhaps the only drawback of the movie is its length. At 3 hours, it’s a daunting task to think about watching a movie as deeply introverted as this. But once the tale begins, there is no putting down this story. Especially when you glimpse many parts of the director’s life through this movie – his own family, experiences growing up, his pain, his turmoil and his strengths. It gives one the feeling of coming just a little closer to the stars and seeing them for their fallibility as clearly as their sparkle.
Verdict: It is impossible to talk about or “review” a movie such as Vaaranam Aayiram without turning it into a spoiler. So all we will say is, watch it, be moved, be inspired and be touched that after a long time, someone has made a movie which a is a beautiful blend of reality and fantasy and through both these realms, manages to capture the essence of a human being.
Rating: 4 & ½ Stars on 5
The James Bond franchise isn't known for its employment of top-tier action directors, but the series has made it this far with an agreeable roster of journeymen filmmakers. What I fail to understand is the hiring of Marc Forster to helm the 22nd installment, "Quantum of Solace." Did I miss the kinetic mayhem of "Monster's Ball?" The sexual electricity of "Finding Neverland?" The searing emotional complexity of "Stranger Than Fiction?" It floors me that Forster was even allowed to say the name James Bond in public, much less call the shots on this, one of the superspy's lousiest outings. Yeah, yeah, I know: he's good with actors. Well, good with actors with a terrible eye for action in a Bond film is a cocktail to be shaken, stirred, and immediately spit out.
After the suicide of his beloved, traitorous lover Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), James Bond (Daniel Craig) is on the hunt to find the organization who forced her hand. Under strict orders from M (Judi Dench) to keep his investigation free from a sizable body count, Bond can't help his brutish ways, setting off around the globe to pursue Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"), a member of the terrorist organization Quantum. Teaming up with like-minded assassin Camille (Olga Kurylenko, "Max Payne"), the duo chase Greene to South America, where the concerns of oil production lead Bond to revelations of more insidious power plays at hand.
2006's "Casino Royale" was the official reboot for Bond, stripping away the sugary gloss of the Brosnan efforts to bring the character back to the Connery golden years. It clicked beautifully, with director Martin Campbell shaping a gritty, slippery, emotionally resonate Bond film that reminded audiences all over the globe that there's still some excitement to be had with this nearly 50-year-old film series. It was a startling commercial and artistic success, and rightfully deserved its immediate status as one of the best Bonds to date.
"Solace" takes everything that was so painstakingly built by "Royale" and burns it to the ground, and the blame falls solely on Forster, who really has no business making a film of this size. "Solace" is a challenge he can't crack, and his desperation to survive the picture reverberates through every deadly scene and half-baked bit of conflict. The whole film eludes Forster's skill level, a sensation that pinches the hardest during the action sequences.
"Royale" didn't reinvent the wheel, but it gave the camera some fresh fine details of combat, the Parkour touches being especially welcome. "Solace" doesn't have much in the way of thunderbolt action choreography. Instead, it has edits. Loads of them. To watch "Solace" genuflect to the god of blur makes my heart ache, reducing every violent gesture into a million little pieces of information, using chaos to somehow pass for ruthless authority. "Solace" has enough problems trying to trump the Jason Bourne films for fight choreography inspiration, it doesn't need purposeful visual perplexity to gum up the works further. A perfect example of Forster's malarkey is found at the film's opening, in which Bond, dressed in black driving a black car, is chased by evil henchmen dressed in black driving black cars. Any audience member who can make sense of the monochromatic mayhem underneath all the breakneck cutting deserves a medal and a signed Daniel Craig photo.
Whatever swell ideas that swim to the surface during the remainder of the film are promptly snuffed out as well. Bond infiltrating a top secret Quantum meeting during an extravagant outdoor opera (the Bregenz Festival in
With Forster brought on board specifically to corral the actors, it's hard to find fault with the steely concentration going on during the film. Craig remains a flavorful Bond, it's only that he doesn't have much to amuse himself with during "Solace." With Greene's not-all-that-diabolical scheme (he's a corporate stooge with an bizarro Al Gore imagination) eating away most of the short running time (100 minutes), Bond is left on the sidelines, only sent into the fray to bed banal Bond girls (unappealing actresses Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton fail to arouse, especially after Eva Green matched Craig so spotlessly in "Royale"), hydrate stale dramatic loose ends, and bear the brunt of Dench's shrill performance, which removes the elegant MI6 confidence of the M character to turn her into Bond's constantly harping Bubby.
There's no antagonistic tension between Bond and Greene, no criminal voltage for the actors to embrace and the audience to dine on. The screenplay makes little effort to strike up any sort of combustible chemistry between the characters, preferring to invest fully in Greene's ecological deceptions and tedious global politics. Today's Bond film might not itch to offer a larger-than-life, hands-on-hips villain, but there should be something sinister, anything, to zero in on and treasure. Amalric is a marvelous actor and communicates Greene's wormy ineffectiveness with twitchy polish, yet as a Bond villain, the character is a featherweight distraction. I don't care how topical Greene and his energy-siphoning ways are. Once the climax arrives and there's little reason left for Bond to obliterate the bad guy, there's obviously something seriously defective within the screenplay. "Solace" treats delicious comeuppance as a burden.
Verdict: Forster doesn't know what film he's supposed to make with "Solace" so he bungles the entire shebang in a quest to smudge his fingerprints everywhere. Positioned directly as a sequel to "Royale," the stars were lined up here to continue the greatness that was reignited; to construct a different direction for the series that wouldn't offer glacier surfing or Denise Richards; and to present a bruiser Bond who enjoys the sound of cracking skulls over the clinking of cocktail glasses. Instead, "Quantum of Solace" turns 007 into a bore. Even worse, he's a bore with once killer moves that are impossible to appreciate viewed through Forster's distorted touch.
Rating: 3 Stars on 5
