Bala gets his priorities wrong - finally.
In a movie that loses its sense of purpose somewhere in the first half of the first half, the only thing that really stands out is Bala's whole hearted attempts to bring to the screen a part of the world (which you can personally witness less than a mile from wherever you are in India, but yeah) that has been completely forgotten even as the world continues on its evolution spree.
But like I read somewhere, at the end of the movie, it leaves you with one nagging question, "What was he hoping to achieve?" That beggary in India is not what it seems like? That there is an horrifyingly elaborate syndicate of bad guys who make beggars what they are today? We all know this, Bala. And yours is not the first movie to bring it out. Ok, if it is not about completely about physically challenged beggars, it is about agori swamis. What about them? Yeah, they exist. So ? In a Bala movie titled “Naan Kadavul”, the least I expected was intelligent dialogues about theism/atheism and with all due respect, I have been in theistic discussions in ninth grade that have been more progressive than this.
When we talk about cinema and how them being realistic is a good thing, there is only so much realism that the modern day viewer can tolerate. Make no doubt, Pithamagan was realistic. But it was still cinema. The idea of an undertaker who has never seen the social side of the world falling in love, realizing what a friend is.. All this makes up for a good plot and it was carried out to perfection.
But in "Naan Kadavul", where is the plot? There is this guy who believes he is God, there is this guy who makes the life of fifty others miserable, there are these fifty others whose lives are made miserable by a guy and then there is this girl who delivers some of the most rhetoric dialogues towards the end of her ordeal that leaves no doubt in the viewer's mind as to what is going to happen to her next. Hell, I didn't even get to see Arya ‘s performance(in a role that you rarely get to see in Tamil Cinema) as much as I would have wanted to. Comedy in the movie is brought out by the people who Bala hopes to bring to light. Though not as hilarious or as slapstick as they sometimes are in his movies, they were ok. To which, you can sit back and say, “Not Bad”. But god damn, it is Bala. And Not bad is just not cutting it. What was the tape like musical voice that Pooja sings in? Couldn’t somebody have noticed that and said it didn’t fit in well?
Bala – stereotypical?
Mani Ratnam during the music release of Naan Kadavul said, “I’m here as a fan of Bala”. Now, that is a compliment. Which means, you live up to it. What is it with Bala and lead actors(heroes?) who talk less, have an almost non-existent social life and manage to impress one girl and can beat the crap out of just about anybody? What is it about his movies and the lead actor/actress being killed at the end almost on general principle? The good thing about the other three of his creations is that he pulled it off. Here, not so much.
I m not trying to think in callous terms. There were just too many scenes showing physically challenged people at camera angles that was designed to make people go, “che.. ayo pavam”. Doesn’t he know that half the people who would be in the theatre are the ones who turn out and look out the window every time somebody with a burnt hand hands it to ask for money. All the characters are people who we can pretty much get to see almost anywhere in India. Was the idea behind making a movie on them to incite public outrage and bring to justice those who traffic in human misery? I’m sure Bala is sensible enough to know that the people who would be able to do something about it would be watching his movie in an AC theatre too relaxed to care, and the ones who would care to do something about it would be watching it a not so posh theatre too weak to able to do something??? Or was he trying the sympathy chord to resonate with the audience? If he did, I am not sure it worked. I was sitting in an AC theatre myself and I could see people visibly not impressed with the movie. Bala has a good heart going by the motive of the movie. I’m not sure movies are the right way to combat your angst against this injustice you have elucidated.
Bottomline : Bala is truly one of the greatest directors Indian Cinema has had, which is exactly what makes “Naan Kadavul” disappointing.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Monday, October 6, 2008
Ignorance is fun.. Saving the Earth? I don't know..
We were having coffee today at 12 pm(perfectly normal in this place) after class and were having one more of those keeping-in-touch-with-reality conversations. After drinking my coffee, I crushed the cup and casually threw it on the ground. I looked up to see the “ugghhh” look on 3 out 5 faces around me. A fourth one decided I didn’t even deserve a dirty look. For a second, I felt a pang of embarrassment. Embarrassment, mind you, not guilt. Preethi, one of the faces that was kind of enough not to give a dirty look or turn away, bends down, picks up the cup I threw and walks to the nearest dustbin and chucks it in. Two more faces decide to turn away. By this time, the first face who had initiated the turning away process had finished her Appy drink contained a plastic bottle. And my initial feeling of embarrassment turned to a toned down version of amusement. Meanwhile, Preethi comes back, sits down, gives me a smile and starts eating something out of a non-degradable plastic bag. My amusement turned to laughter. This is where I think the environmentalists have got it all wrong. Maybe even fundamentally.
Keeping your campus clean as opposed to saving the planet. If Reshmi or Veena(two of the five faces) had told me that I was a disgusting animal who couldn’t keep my surroundings clean, I d have agreed with them. One hundred percent. I clean my surroundings once in a while, but I ve never bothered to(actually unable to) keep them clean. Maybe the embarrassment from such a statement among a group of friends might have even prompted me to pick the cup up myself. But instead there was an inclination towards this idea of I m not doing anything to save the planet. In fact, I was almost condemned with the act of quickening the execution of Mother Earth.
I don’t know.
The field of vision for the environmentalist trying to save the earth stops with the nearest dustbin. Of course, there is this argument of do-your-bit. But still, for an issue allegedly as serious as the destruction/execution/decay of the Earth, don’t you think it deserves more than just no plastics in a 2 metres radius. Don’t look at me. I don’t believe the Earth is dying. Call me ignorant. Shove all the scientific data into my face. Make me sit next to Al Gore for the next 2 days. Let’s say I still stand strong or rather stubborn on my belief that the Earth is not affected by plastics. But you on the other hand believe that the Earth is dying. Let me re iterate. The Earth, the planet on which you live, the place that provides you food and water and shelter, the place where you found your true love and bought your first pair of branded jeans(in a plastic bag, but that doesn’t matter) and the place that accommodates at least a hundred people you know and care about is actually DYING. You are telling me in some years, the Earth will actually cease to exist and with the Earth so will we. You know all this. And yet, for something as serious as this, you actually make yourself believe that the best you can do is pick up a plastic cup and throw it into the nearest dustbin. Is the contention that arises with I’m-doing-my-part argument of any perceivable significance for an issue that you deem as serious as this?
I don’t think so.
Like I said, I feel there is something fundamentally wrong with the way the environmentalists are pushing this matter. So the way I see it, throwing a paper cup on the ground is wrong, but throwing a plastic cover into a dustbin actually gives you a feeling of adding a few extra seconds to the life of Mother Earth? Why don’t you stop using plastic in the first place? Veena asks me what will the packaging industry do then. Well, I appreciate your kind heart, Veena. We need to take a stance here right? Either go with Mother Earth or with the packaging industry. I m sure we can find substitutes for the plastics we use everyday. But it requires time and effort. How many of us are willing to give that? Or a less painful solution. Don’t buy anything that comes packed only in plastic. I’m sure Preethi could do without eating that thing(man, I need to find the name of that). Or if it is an inevitable purchase, then demand for a paper bag. Or take your own bag. Bringing the Shoppers Stop bag down to your room and carefully placing it inside the dustbin, somehow doesn’t t appeal to me as an effective method to save the Earth. How do you know the plastic is safe and secure in the dustbin? In my defense, the paper cup may have even acted as manure for the soil, or it may have even created employment opportunities for another rag picker. Have you ever cared to think about what happens to the plastic bag after you render your services to mitigate the imminent threat it posed??????
Find out in The Life of the Plastic bag..
PS: Ignore the grammar errors before, now and after.
Keeping your campus clean as opposed to saving the planet. If Reshmi or Veena(two of the five faces) had told me that I was a disgusting animal who couldn’t keep my surroundings clean, I d have agreed with them. One hundred percent. I clean my surroundings once in a while, but I ve never bothered to(actually unable to) keep them clean. Maybe the embarrassment from such a statement among a group of friends might have even prompted me to pick the cup up myself. But instead there was an inclination towards this idea of I m not doing anything to save the planet. In fact, I was almost condemned with the act of quickening the execution of Mother Earth.
I don’t know.
The field of vision for the environmentalist trying to save the earth stops with the nearest dustbin. Of course, there is this argument of do-your-bit. But still, for an issue allegedly as serious as the destruction/execution/decay of the Earth, don’t you think it deserves more than just no plastics in a 2 metres radius. Don’t look at me. I don’t believe the Earth is dying. Call me ignorant. Shove all the scientific data into my face. Make me sit next to Al Gore for the next 2 days. Let’s say I still stand strong or rather stubborn on my belief that the Earth is not affected by plastics. But you on the other hand believe that the Earth is dying. Let me re iterate. The Earth, the planet on which you live, the place that provides you food and water and shelter, the place where you found your true love and bought your first pair of branded jeans(in a plastic bag, but that doesn’t matter) and the place that accommodates at least a hundred people you know and care about is actually DYING. You are telling me in some years, the Earth will actually cease to exist and with the Earth so will we. You know all this. And yet, for something as serious as this, you actually make yourself believe that the best you can do is pick up a plastic cup and throw it into the nearest dustbin. Is the contention that arises with I’m-doing-my-part argument of any perceivable significance for an issue that you deem as serious as this?
I don’t think so.
Like I said, I feel there is something fundamentally wrong with the way the environmentalists are pushing this matter. So the way I see it, throwing a paper cup on the ground is wrong, but throwing a plastic cover into a dustbin actually gives you a feeling of adding a few extra seconds to the life of Mother Earth? Why don’t you stop using plastic in the first place? Veena asks me what will the packaging industry do then. Well, I appreciate your kind heart, Veena. We need to take a stance here right? Either go with Mother Earth or with the packaging industry. I m sure we can find substitutes for the plastics we use everyday. But it requires time and effort. How many of us are willing to give that? Or a less painful solution. Don’t buy anything that comes packed only in plastic. I’m sure Preethi could do without eating that thing(man, I need to find the name of that). Or if it is an inevitable purchase, then demand for a paper bag. Or take your own bag. Bringing the Shoppers Stop bag down to your room and carefully placing it inside the dustbin, somehow doesn’t t appeal to me as an effective method to save the Earth. How do you know the plastic is safe and secure in the dustbin? In my defense, the paper cup may have even acted as manure for the soil, or it may have even created employment opportunities for another rag picker. Have you ever cared to think about what happens to the plastic bag after you render your services to mitigate the imminent threat it posed??????
Find out in The Life of the Plastic bag..
PS: Ignore the grammar errors before, now and after.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Read on...
There are three things I have been wanting to do for a long time now, blog(4 years), learn de guitar(11 years) and grow up(22 years).. Since the last two aren t gonna happen anyway, I thought I mite type some crap and get started on the first one.. But you see the problem with blogging is the same one with interviews. You can sit and pretend to be something that you are SO not and get away with it. People may find out eventually, but still… it’s a little unfair right? So I ‘ve been reading a lot of blogs lately by people some of whom I know personally.. And I couldn t help wondering how different thoughts on air can be from the ones on paper.. The cynic that I am, I choose to believe it is to portray urself in a light that aint coming from the sun… … So before I start writing about politics, religion, sports, what I think about SRK, etc, etc I feel I should give people a fair chance at knowing what usually goes through my mind before they spend their precious few minutes reading stuff I write… See, I respect your time.. Respect that nobody ever gave me… Well, anyways the conversation given below is when I lost my tenth and twelfth grade marksheets 5 months before I was scheduled to leave to the US ( in TN in times like these, 5 months is a little less than 6 mins), was interning at a place where the ppl I stayed with were great and the ppl I worked under couldn t care less, and got calls for b-schools that I thought was some horrifyingly elaborate practical joke some friend was trying to play on me and god decided it would be fun to put stones in my kidney… in short, THE SUBASH PLAN was breaking into pieces even before I was done planning it…
Me: hey mach
Ashwin: wat doin? in hostel or home?
Me: just reached home from madras.. was there for the past coupla days
Ashwin: wat.. u were in madras? U shud ve told Me..
Me: last minute plan.. on account of soMe personal work.. tat wasnt happenin.. so decided i mite as well be at hoMe
Ashwin: hmm.. okie..so hows de event organizing goin?
Me: leavin tom.. i m in the event and res mgmt team for kriya.. and jaynth s uncle said yes so gotta get in touch wit him.. jobless and yet busy.. how was the concert?
Ashwin: there was this one band called udaan.. from MCC .. strings like.. and then there was this band called stoned.. their lead g was awesome but nothing else!! So when are u Meeting AD s uncle?
Me: depends on when I can manage to put on a few extra pounds so tat the textile firms of the world don’t look bad..
Ashwin: no clothes???
Me: proper ones
in fact, Meetin AD s uncle wud get postponed cause of this!!
Ashwin: sheesh!! dei borrow something da! clothes when has that become a problem!
Me: i cant think of anybody else who can manage to walk into 5 shops lookin for shirts and walk out empty handed.. seriosuly.. its become a big problem to me due to lack of serious problems..
makes sense?
Ashwin: loads.. u are jobless!
Me: i guess so
Ashwin: and well being in that position for the last two months.. i am able to relate!
Me: he he.. spoke to Rakesh? his girl sent him adidas tracks cause he told her he started jogging.. and a newspaper clippin which showed holiday spots in south india
Ashwin: yeah!!
Me: and circled one sayin her choice and this guy is typing codes at some god forsaken place.
Ashwin: but i got the news from the other end... as soon as she started planning to send him something.. i tried to change her idea.. but well u know girls!
Me: really.. i thought it was cool
Ashwin: man..u are a romantic eh.. maybe that holiday thing wud have worked with me.. but tracks.. u gotta be kidding me!
Me: again..only when i m jobless..
Ashwin: a GF who wants me to jog.. thats break up material ;)
Me: nah..its more complex.. a girl who s encouragin me to do somethin which the whole world knows i wont give two shits about and cares enough to send me somthin thinkin tat it mite actually motivate me.. thats mad over Me material
Ashwin: thats more like being in love with the person she wants me to be and something i can never be! ;) u are thinking the 'glass is half full' way today eh! :)
Me: no.. i m thinkin there s atleast a glass in de picture..
Ashwin: well i prefer to hope there isn't i have the disgusting habit of being futuristically pessimistic... kinda like if ever there is a glass bottle its Meant to be broken way ;)
Me: no.. it aint disgusting.. this way.. ur either constantly proven rite or sometimes, very rarely if the bottle doesnt break, pleasantly suprised
Ashwin: yeah!! :) thats true.. i am a true follower of murphyism!
Me: i dont think u choose to be it.. murphyism is universally true.. either u shut up and agree with the system or u believe in the tooth fairy..
Ashwin: well its more of a rule then a choice!
Me: yeah.. my point
Ashwin: there is no way but to agree with the systemm.. the only other possibility is to get screwed and agree after much afflictions
Me: yeah.. in de first case u have the advantage of knowin u gonna get screwed.. u can make peace to wats comin… know somethin?
Ashwin: exactly.. expectation can alleviate the impact of the blow..wat? that we are the last person in the world that an optimist will want to talk to?? ;)
Me: yeah.. i get this feelin we are the two most screwed up souls in de world..
Ashwin: well screwed up so much that the equally screwed up world seems straight to us!
relatively speaking!
Me: true.. is this a form of buddhism? this isnt rite.. why are we even talking about this??
Ashwin: buddhism?? whoa it says the saMe thing.. man was gautama as screwed up as us??
Me: i read some where tat everybody s stupid.. the rite way to be stupid is to be stupid and not know u r stupid..
Ashwin: yeah.. :) Never argue with a fool… people may not be able to tell the difference.. an anti analogy for that!
Me: hmmm
Ashwin: well there is this religion soMewhere in south aMerica... where people are supposed to let bees sting them.. salvation it seems!
Me: to the bees i guess.. wat a fucked up world..
Ashwin: yeah.. customs like these make Me wonder why we pursue our religion.. to them ours may seem just as ridiculous! and as such there can be no view or opinion that isn't relative!!
Me: true.. this is where Einstein got it wrong..
Ashwin: then there is no way to be absolutely sure or there can be no way anything can b absolute
Me: there is no way at all.. everything is so ultimately dependent on individual perception.. so in a population of 6 billion, laws, rules, principles all becoMe Meaningless to the sane mind..
Ashwin: exactly.. :) cause rules are based on fraMes of righteousness.. which is closely linked with perception.. but fraMes of perception differs from one individual to another..
Me: again true
Ashwin: as such there cant be even one true judgeMent.. i wud say even the thought that everythin is relative is wrong! and in all possiblity a man can actually get the vision of god when he is being stung by bees.. i just cant tell!
Me: true.. and congrats.. u just scored the insane stunt bonus for screwed up thoughts
Ashwin: ha ha.. insanity is of two kinds da..
Me: yeah?
Ashwin: well its either the enlightened insanity or the given up in life insanity
Me: and I suppose we belong to the first?
Ashwin: yeah.. and the world may see us as screwed just as we see them ;) cause we all are either already screwed or gonna get screwed no matter wat.. knowing u are gonna get screwed may help u ease it but its not gonna stop it!! we may just widen our asses a bit to make it easier!
Me: he he
Ashwin: well do u judge people soMetiMes?
Me: yeah.. soMetiMes
Ashwin: hmm.. have u ever wondered.. how we would be judged by others?
Me: only if they know rite?
Ashwin: yeah..
Me: not a problem then..
Ashwin: well good.. u are better along the path.. i try to but cant judge people.. kinda like a syndroMe.. i end up questioning my own stance in the equation :)
Me: wat are u talkin abt.. u judge and move on..
Ashwin: well on wat basis do u judge??
Me: no basis.. just generalization of actions over a long period of tiMe which does nt enter my book of tolerable acts
Ashwin: ha ha.. hmm.. that actually makes it easier..
Me: its a book tat i use when i coMe across the saMe ppl again.. that book actually helps Me deal with them soMetiMes
Ashwin: well yeah handle people better..
Me: yeah…
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