Thalai's Thatuvam

Media spreads Hatred !

2007-07-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

It is widely known that the trailer of Superstar's SIVAJI was first screened on CNN-IBN.Most of the promos were being shown on it.The film was being hyped on one side and on the other side we have educated editors of the same news channel who are blogging about our superstar and to a certain extent promoting hatred amongst Indians by splitting us as Aryans and Dravidian's.

The first article on CNN-IBN website was by Anuradha Sengupta, titled 'Sivaji, The Boss. Of Crap' received more than 1700 comments.Knowing pretty well that she has hurt the sentiments of Superstar's Fans , she shamelessly wrote another post titled 'Thank you Sivaji'.This post also received more than 350 comments.In spite of knowing very well that these posts have hurted sentiments of millions of Superstar's fans and the entire Tamil speaking population, CNN-IBN never bothered to withdraw these posts.The cheap publicity tactics which is being carried out by the channel on television is being carried out simultaneously on the web too.There was another post written by Sanjeeb Mukherjee titles 'Rajini, The Blogbuster', out of sheer anger on the comments over the previous two posts. It is so unfortunate that these so called educated editors are just concerned about their cheap publicity and would go on to any level to break the unity in diversity of our great country.

If publicity is the ultimate motive, then they should have approached our Superstar.He would have given them plum roles in his future films and made them stars overnight.It is greatness of our Superstar who is so simple , approachable and at the same time is a true humanitarian.

Pigs will try to comment on the lion , but 'Lion will always Live and Let Live'.

Sachin adicha sixer , Sivaji adicha stretcher !

2007-06-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

Sachin adicha sixer , Sivaji adicha stretcher ! Believe it or not, this was put up at my office 'Thought for the Day' board.I was astonished to see this quote as it was supposed to be a board where people generally highlight the values for which my company stands for.There are nearly more than 15% tamil speaking population at my office but to my surprise i found that the craze of superstar is far more in AP,Karnataka and Kerala.

Though Sachin has stopped hitting sixers on the cricket ground , Superstar hit the entire world with a Sixer Sivaji.More than 2000 prints , 3000 theatre's worldwide, more than 25 countries , Sivaji has put India on the global map.

Though i have written so many posts about this film , it won't stop me from writing more or mentioning about this film in my next posts.Every dialogue of the film is worth a post.

Superstaru yaaru nu keta chinna kuzhaindaie sollum!

SIVAJI in UK Top 10

2007-06-20T02:10:00.000-07:00

He is known for making impossible possible and this time it's no surprise.SIVAJI has opened at number 9 in UK TOP 10 in terms of box office collections.

According to Sify,

Sivaji – ‘The Boss’ has debuted at No. 9 position. In its opening weekend, the film has collected £ 167,607 [approx. Rs. 1.36 crores] from 12 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 13,967.

Sivaji has taken one of the best openings for an Indian film in UK! In terms of screen average, the Tamil film has not only overtaken Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, but also surpassed Hollywood biggies like Fantastic Four, Ocean’s Thirteen and Pirates of the Caribbean in its opening weekend (June 15 to 18).

Hats off to you thalaiva for putting kollywood on world map. Now let’s give bollywood some run for their money.

The GOD appears again!

2007-06-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

Superstar of Indian Films RAJINI appeared on over 1000 screens across the world when his latest venture 'SIVAJI' released with a big bang.
The unprecedented hype was outclassed by the unprecedented crowds in movie halls where the film was set to release.The reviews about the film are really very good.

Review of 'SIVAJI' from INDIAGLITZ

Sivaji (Tamil) - The Boss is always right
IndiaGlitz [Friday, June 15, 2007]

Where do you start? Where do you end? How do you recapture cinematic magic, the captivating power and charisma of one man, who manages to transcend the rational faculties in all of us? How do you re-create this attraction of soul and heart? No matter what, no review is ever going to do justice to Sivaji –The Boss as no writer can summon the ability to bring in words the impossible swathe that Rajnikanth’s appeal cuts across various strata of the society.

Rajni’s movies are not so much art as appeal. Like mother’s cooking which is not about taste,

Rajnikanth on screen makes a bonding with your heart. It is about emotions, that maybe blind, but all real and very human. In Sivaji-The Boss, this surreal feeling gets a further magical touch in the form of techno-wizardry that Shankar has patented to be his in Tamil cinema.

When state-of-the-heart and state-of-the-art find a match, what you get is three hours of sustained entertainment that is at once a compelling phantasmagoria of trademark Rajni fun and typical Shankar grandeur. It is a case of desire meeting dream, and almost making it plausible.

The success of Sivaji-The Boss will eventually lie in the fact that both Rajni and Shnakar, with a huge individual constituencies of their own, have not had to break their preserved moulds. Where Rajni and Shankar meet is in their social sensibilities, in their populist propensity to convey, what the industry calls as ‘the message’..

Sivaji, in that sense, is a contemporary commentary on the state of the nation where as a dialogue in the film aptly sums it up as ‘the poor get poorer and the rich get richer’. Sivaji has many strands, each unique in its heft and heave.

Affordable education and health for all is one theme. Rooting out black money is the main one, however. Woven into this large tapestry is the bureaucratic bunglings, red-tapism and other issues that bug our quotidian life.

Sivaji is an everyday story that gets the sheen of a moral fable as well as the shine of fairytale, as Shankar stretches his imagination even as he compels you to stretch your threshold of incredulity.

Sivaji (Rajnikanth) is a rich NRI software pro. Son of caring parents (Manivannan and Vadivukkarasi), and the nephew of an ever helpful uncle (Vivek), Sivaji comes to India with the larger than life dream of running universities and hospital for the benefit of the poor. (The idea is smartly done when he talks of every riches coming to India, but beggary not going away).

Sivaji has to however contend with Adi Kesavan (Suman), a slimy crocodile of a educationist and a hospital owner. He has vested interests in not allowing Sivaji to get on with his ambitious projects. Sivaji, however, has his heart set. Despite running into a non-cooperating administration (the red-tapism prevalent is exposed in an irony-filled humour), Sivaji soldiers on. He unwillingly greases the palm of venal babus and politicos to get sundry permission required to build the infrastructure.

But Adi consistently turns out to be the spanner in the works and even goes to the extent of unseating the government to stop Sivaji in his tracks. In the meanwhile, Sivaji falls in love with a midlleclass Tamilazharasi (Shriya), who is the daughter of uncompromising parents (Raja and Uma Padmanabhan). Sivaji, with the aid of his uncle, goes out of the way to court the girl and her family. The scenes involving the two families are such a lark that they bring the theatre down in laughter. (Watch out for that riotous Deepavali scene when the families have some rollicking fun).

Tamilazharasi, despite the fear engendered after a fortuneteller predicts calamity for Sivaji if she marries him, finally agrees to be his life partner (the scene at the railway tracks where she accepts as him as his lover is both romantic as well as very humorous).

His light-hearted attempts to look fair are also very funny. But on the business front, the evil administration and wily Adi ensure that Sivaji loses all his wealth and all his dreams lie shattered as a dust heap.

Sivaji has nothing left in life, and in a heady taunt Adi tosses an one rupee coin, in an effort to say that Sivaji is now a beggar. Sivaji is now a transformed lion, he vows to use the same one rupee coin as the ‘investment’ to take not just Adi, but all the money sharks. Rooting out black money is his broad and dramatic theme. Along with his uncle, Sivaji plays smart, but under the law tricks, to shatter the wits of the villainous group.

The way Sivaji goes about is very gritty and provides the film with the right lift. The way he brings in all the black money, which he prises out of the evil hands, ingenious and inventive (it is through the hawala route).

Sivaji manages to build his dream projects with lot of arm twisting and sweet villainy. But Adi and the other baddies hit back, they plot and get Tamiazharis herself to reveal all the details of Sivaji’s modus operandi. They even kill him when in the custody of the police. But they cannot getthe details out of his personal laptop (it has all the minutiaes of his transactions) as it is voice-recognition password protected. Sivaji is however dead and the laptop would not budge for any other voice command (this is a smart usage of modern techno gizmo to carry on the narrative).

How can the hero die without finishing off the baddies? Well, there is an interesting twist in the tail. Watch it for the exhilaration and the sheer stylish audacity of it all.

Rajnikanth, looking very young and urbane, as Sivaji has amazing screen presence, proving once again that his hold over the masses has not waned even one bit. Be it his helpless anger at a system that is forever unobliging or his mirthful fun in romance or his chutzpah-filled approach to bring to heel the evil forces or his brio in the fighting sequences, Rajni has really put in a hard performance that matches his reputation. His kind of humour is so infectious that in the breezy first half, he and Vivek have the fans dancing in the aisles. The ‘punch dialogues’ though not all uttered by Rajni directly will make his fans happy.

Shriya, looking amazingly lissome with a body that is both bow and an arrow, is beauty personified. She is pleasant on the eyes and plays her pivotal role without any complication. Manivannan, Vadivukarasi, Raja and Uma Padmanabhan all have turned out impressive performances as the parents of the two.

Vivek as Rajni’s uncle is in great form. His smart jokes, all specked with contemporary idiom, are a delight and make you break into a chuckle spontaneously

Suman, in a larger than life villain role, is an inspired choice. His dark coolers-covered face convey the subtle evilness dramatically. He has understood the script and shaped his character to a nicety. Livinsgstone, VMC Hanifa, Ravikumar, Solomon Pappaiya, Bose Venkat are also in the cast.

What of the songs? Well they have been picturised, squeezing in all the creative imagination of Shankar. The graphics work in the Athiradi song is as good as in any Hollywood flick. Rahman’s techno rhythms come out brilliantly upbeat on screen. The Sahana song, set in a classy glassy framework, is another testimony to Thota Tharani’s inspired work and Shankar’s penchant for such aesthetic ideas. All of Rahman’s songs get the right ambient backdrop to look like a piece of inspired dream. Shankar’s inspirational visual ideas provide that. The re-recording, slightly loud at times, however, matches mood and menace.

K V Anand’s camera is first rate all through and covers the screen with amazing feel and richness. The stunts have been captured, making all the action come so close to reality. The lighting is consistent and clear that you feel as if having a real peek into the scheme of things.

The climax fight, with all the attendant graphics, is full of gritty energy. Peter Heynes fights, though over the top in places, matches the needs of modern films. Starting with the fight at the music shop till the one on the terrace of the college, Peter and his boys have literally shed blood to make it all come alive on screen.

Sujatha’s dialogues, very seamless and natural, captures the angst of living in India now. The flavour is richly conveyed in everyday idioms without any apparent effort.

And that leaves us with Shankar. It takes extreme courage and conviction to dream of and bring to life what he has. Shankar, who has set high standards for himself from his very first film, with dramatic fights, colourful songs, inspirational sets, has surpassed himself in Sivaji. Matching the stature of of Rajni and the production house AVM, Shankar has unveiled an urban fantasy that is at one rich in specifics as well as real in intent. The big idea of rooting out all the black money, though seemingly tall, gets the right touches from the filmmaker who knows how to make the mix of technology and human aspirations work on screen.

Rajni and the production house AVM, Shankar has unveiled an urban fantasy that is at one rich in specifics as well as real in intent. The big idea of rooting out all the black money, though seemingly tall, gets the right touches from the filmmaker who knows how to make the mix of technology and human aspirations work on screen.

Shankar keeps the tempo and the traction going all through with an adroit mix of comedy, action and issues. This is his patented style. And then there is the well-established style of Rajni. Shankar’s humanism in larger than life canvas and Rajni’s mass-oriented fun and feeling seem nature-born allies.

The two have synchronised beautifully in Sivaji, which, to describe in the trendy and the omnibus description (which Rajni uses ever so often on screen in this film), is cool.

The Great German Comedy Part -1

2007-06-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

Germany has been really great and also funny till now. Funny not for me but for those with me. There were many more incidents which made onlookers look more curious at me.

Let me start with my great cooking experience. On Sunday evening I was feeling very hungry and my friends had given me prior warning that I won't get anything to eat at the shops. I thought it won't be case and I decided to walk upto the main street to see whether I got something to eat. I went to an ice cream shop and asked the lady, 'do u sell burgers’? She gave me a stare which threw me 50 mts away. I am still figuring out the reason why she gave me such a stare. Next I went to a cafe and saw cakes kept. I was really happy but again was a bit frightened as I had to avoid another ice cream shop embarrassment. I slowly went upto the guy and asked, 'I need a portion of this ' pointing to a cake with plum topping. He cut and gave me. He asked for a 1.6 euros and I gave him. Wow, that was my lunch.

Then i came back home, slept for sometime and then tried my hand at cooking. I am not a great cook but I have got certificates from my wife. She says I cook decently. I struggled deciphering the hot plates and finally got started. I made Maggie and this was probably the best Maggie I have ever made in my life. Best not for the sheer taste but for overcoming so much tension and finally had a peaceful dinner.

Yesterday, I had been to the supermarket ALDI.I entered through the 'Entry’. I wanted to buy watches, but unfortunately i did not get any. Something was going inside my mind and by mistake i tried to come out though the 'Entry’. Bang, an alarm rung and I was totally caught unaware. The entire junta at the super market was looking at me. I just tried to give a weird smile and ran out through the exit.

So far i have not seen a single traffic jam, but for breakfast I have seen only bread butter jam.

Willkommen nach Deutschland !

2007-06-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

After almost 3 years in this IT industry, I got an opportunity to travel abroad. I am currently in Germany on a two week official assignment.
As it was my first trip, I was excited as well as tensed. A new country, new people, new language, new culture and most importantly totally new food was awaiting me. There were initial jitters but i soon overcame it when my colleague joined me at the airport ( He is also a first time traveler ).We got calling cards and checked whether all the documents were ready , cleared customs and also finished the security check in. Hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrah we were called to board our Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt. When we were boarding, the crew asked us to take magazines and i quickly saw a magazine named Capital and grabbed it as i did not have an i-pod or any other book to while away my time in the flight.48B was my seat and i put my luggage above my seat and started glancing through the magazine which i had taken. To my surprise the only English word that i could find on that magazine was 'Capital’. I was just smiling over this goof up of mine and was thinking deep within myself what could be my next goof up. Thankfully nothing major happened and reached Frankfurt and later checked into my hotel in Walldorf.

Watch this section for more action from Germany.

Sivaji - The BOSS ( Bachelor of Social Service )

2007-05-30T08:40:00.001-07:00

Exclusive trailer of Super Star's Sivaji was telecast on CNN-IBN and is currently making big waves all across the world.

The Great Indian Rubberstamp !

2007-05-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

It's presidential poll times in India, is our president just a rubber stamp or something more than that ?

India has mostly had people with wisdom as it's president, be it Rajendra Prasad or Radhakrishnan or Abdul Kalam.Our politicians have so far selected the best available for the job.It used to be an unwritten law that a vice president would become the next president until Abdul Kalam broke the jinx.Actually seeing , A common man doesn't have any say in electing his president.Though it is said that we indirectly elect him etc , it's all just on paper.It is said that our elected MLA/MP should work for us . Ha Ha this is the greatest joke.I have never seen most of the MP's/MLA's work for the society instead they indulge in all sorts of criminal activities like human trafficking , drug peddling etc.Will these representatives of the common man think and select a good president for us ? And if at all they select , will a president function without political boundaries?

This year's presidential polls has thrown up lots of names including Amitabh Bachchan ,Karan Singh and current ministers including Shivraj Patil and Pranab Mukherjee.It is said widely that Pranab Mukherjee or Bhairon Singh Shekwat have a good chance of making it.unfortunately Abdul Kalam would have to make the way for the next president. It is most likely that Abdul Kalam would take up teaching and spread the importance of knowledge and patriotism amongst Indian children. I strongly believe that Abdul Kalam should be given a second chance but none of the top political bosses would support me on this. ( Great minds don't think alike is it ? ).

Whoever becomes the next president , he would still remain India's Greatest and the Most powerful rubber stamp unless the common man has a bigger role in choosing his president!

20 years later...

2007-04-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

I was wondering the other day when i was having 'Veppilakatti' , whether we would be able to get it after 20 years. "Veppilakatti' is one of those items which are used as a substitute for pickles while having curd rice.I was amazed by the indifference shown by the newer generations to the making and eating of traditional food. It is most likely that items like Veppilakatti might become extinct in the near future.

It is not only specific to Veppilakatti but also to lots of dishes and few vegetable preparations including Vazhapoo poriyal( Banana flower) , Vazhatandu poriyal(Banana stem) and lots more. earlier Vazhapoo and Vazhatandu were regularly used in our day to day cooking and now it's one of the most rarest vegetable which we get to see.Vazhapoo is highly recommended when there is a stone( gallbladder stone or kidney stones ) in our body.people are seen hunting for it when they come to know of ailments inside their body.Sundakai(Turkey berry) is one such vegetable which has almost become extinct.Once famous sundakai vethal is seldom used these days.manathakali keerai(Black Nightshade) is another important green which has a rich medicinal value.Though greens have retained their popularity ( thanks to the dieting ladies ) , manathakali is seldom used in spite of the fact it is very rich in vitamin B.

These are few items/vegetables that came to my mind, there are lots more. It's not only animals which are becoming extinct these days but also after the advent of masala and chinese dishes , many old and medicinal indian dishes are losing their importance in our day to day life.

Next time I'll tell you how to make the above mentioned items. He He ;-)

'Sivaji' postponed :-(

2007-04-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

Thalaivar's Sivaji is now all set to release on May 17th . The theory being 8 ( 1+ 7 of 17th ) is a lucky number for director shankar and his films which have released on dates with number 8 have been super hits.

I simply don't understand this logic.We normally go in for this superstitious beliefs only if we lose faith in ourselves and in the almighty which rules us all.When our thalaivar ( almighty of the industry ) is with us then why do we need to believe on superstition ?

Think Shankar Think !

Is Indian cricket going the hockey way ? Here's the answer...

2007-03-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

Is Indian cricket going the hockey way ? This was the question that was posted by me way back on Nov 22,2006.

http://kadikudi.blogspot.com/2006/11/is-indian-cricket-going-hockey-way.html .

The answer is for sure a big YES.

Readers will agree to the fact that India has now hit rock bottom in both Cricket and Hockey.We all know what the reason and also the ways to clean it but the administration concerning both the games are deaf and indifferent to it.

The million dollar question is whether anything at all will be done to improve our country's performance in these games.

I have some hope.... Do you ?

What a sight ;-)

2007-03-20T01:40:00.000-07:00

Baap of all Politicians

2007-03-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

Born at 4 places on 3 different dates , a nepali citizen who escaped from jail for a murder and a two time MP from Tezpur,Assam M.K.Subba is surely 'Baap of All Politicans'.

Countdown begins for the BIG BOSS !

2007-03-01T21:06:00.000-08:00

It's 45 days to go for the biggest magnum opus of Indian Film Industry - Sivaji to release.

The film is scheduled to release on April 15th with the maximum number of prints ever.

The combination of Superstar Rajnikath + Shankar + A.R.Rahman + AVM Studios is rocking.The Audio will be released under the AVM Banner.

Watch out for this section in the days to come.

Idli to Upma in 5 Mins ;-)

2007-02-26T02:45:00.000-08:00

Off late cooking has become an important past time in my life. I have been trying out new dishes, not doing them from scratch but something like a remake, i.e taking a dish which has come bad and doing some repair work and churning out something which is new and very tasty to eat.One such experiment on few stone like idli's made by me, led to Idli Upma.

Steps:

Initially we would have to keep one utensil ( kadai ) ready.We need to finely cut onions and tomatoes and keep.

1) Make stone like idli's into very small pieces and sprinkle water on it's top.

2) Take an utensil ( kadai ) and put oil.Fry mustard , jeera , red chilly , urad dal , bengal gram dal till it becomes golden color.

3) Add green chilly, coriander and curry leaves as needed for taste.

4) Add and fry the onions and tomatoes which you have cut and kept.

5) Put the cut idli's into the kadai and fry them for a minute.

Wow..... Your delicious Idly Upma is ready to eat !

Next week i will teach you how to make Basmati Upma. ;-)

Salaam - e - Junk

2007-02-20T00:40:00.000-08:00

I had recently been to Hampi and my friend had a thought provoking post about a racism of a different kind happening there.Dammy and I decided to make it more interesting for the readers as we tried to add more and more junk as comments.Find below the post and the junk which followed.

Disclaimer: Dammy and Vasu are not responsible if people became insane after reading the comments.

Racism

It’s not because it’s the hottest topic now that I am writing this blog. It’s because of an incident that happened very recently to me on a trip to Hampi that left me so shaken.Hampi, a place so amazing that the whole town is listed as a national heritage site. Indians as well as Foreigners throng the place to visit the engineering excellence of the era that once was. Musical pillars, pin hole cameras, secret passages, are a few of the wonders of the town that was built a few centuries back.The Hampi Bazar is a place where lots of local people sell their wares. From stone carvings to Rajasthani bags, you have it all. A friend of mine went over to one of the many hand carts which sold assorted chuky jewellery like bangles, ear rings, belts etc. etc. and started looking around. The woman in charge got angry and told her that she could only touch or look around if she has an intention of buying something. Her attitude made us all angry, and we moved away, but near enough to see that when a foreigner came by, she was all in smiles and she herself came forward which a shell belt and tied it round the lady’s waist. We were appalled by her behavior and thoroughly pissed…. The only satisfaction was that the white lady in question did not buy the belt…..Here, the whole country is screaming their heads off for people making racist comments at Shilpa Shetty and here we were being discriminated racially in our own country. In our own country we discriminate amongst our own people on the basis of religion, sex, caste, colour of skin, accent and so many more things…. Can we expect nething better from some other country?

Dammy said...
Bina .. yeh kya ho gaya ..Anyways .. it is just business re .. doest look ike racism ..Maybe she was fed up of all the indians who wud daily clutter her shop and eventualy buy notihng .. in the process not alowing the foreigners to even see what's on sale..Even if u buy .. wud u pay 10 times the price assome foreigners wud ..If she was rude .. maybe u can crib .. but if u imagine her as an illiterate woman trying to feed her 4 hungry childeren .. then maybe u wud feel like going back to humpy and donating her some money .. ;)But then that wud hurt her .. make her ashamed of herself .. I am sure u dont wanna do that .. So, what shud Bina do .. ??What will solve this problem and save blogger from such crap comments..
9:11 AM
Bina said...
Dammy I am not as good a person as you are. If someone is bad to me, I can't be good to her :-)))
7:05 PM
Vasudev Udhatya said...
Dammy, yes may be it's business.But she should treat everyone as her potential customers.Do you think Bina doesn't have money to pay 10 times as to what the foreigner would have paid? she should have been more courteous.In business it's only courteous and being poilite that sells.If you are rude no one would bother to look at you.Even in our very own IT industry , would we respect managers who are rude ? She may be a mother of 4 children , then in the eyes of every customer she should see the hunger of her children and try to sell it to them at any cost.Even in the might walmarts you are allowed to touch and feel the product and then buy.The have so much money and then can be 1000 times more rude than this lady , but then what matters is customer relationship.At the end of the day , the money in the lady's purse depends on how she respects her customers.
9:03 PM
Dammy said...
okay . lets debug this junk ..Please dont compare this woman with Walmart .. she does nto have the skill neither the volume in sales to behave like a walmart salesperson ... She is just trying to maximise her profits with whatever little she can sell ..Anyways, i dont think any of us wud pay 10 times the price even if we have the money .. I am not really defending her hear .. just trying to figure out why she had to be rude .. maybe she doesn't have any specific reason .. in which case I wud just congratulate myself on "another junk in the blog" .. hehe .. sounds like just another brick in the wall ..And the real question here is .. what shud be done ?sarcastic idea - make it a must for all vendors there to be "not-rude to Indians" certified. Only then can they sell something in Hampi .. And urge the foreigners to buy only from such vendors... Ofcourse we wud be the ones giving out those certifications after a thorough check by Bina with her rudeness meter. Maybe then, they wud build a temple for her..May "Dammy" save u all from further junk .. unless a devil comes up and decides to delete ths comment ..
12:12 AM
Vasudev Udhatya said...
Let me also join debugging this junk. Well i accept the fact that the lady can't be compared to a walmart sales person.May be she has more reasons and the sole reason is not mere hunger of her 4 children.Lets first analyze the reasons in depth the reason and then decide what corrective actions can be taken.Reasons for her rudenes:1) Probably her drunken husband would have beat her and asked for me.2) Probably she has a sick mom and the frustration at her home is showing at us.3) Probably she did not get ration that day as a result she is rude.4) May be they are bringing some licensing policy in hampi and as a result the police are asking for bribe and thats the reason she's got pissed off.5) May be we look like the people who tried to kidnap one of her children as a result she shoo'd us away.6) May be her grandmother was the personal assistant of the foriegner's mother when she was in india.
1:10 AM
Dammy said...
hmmm.. she is in the wrong family .. pity her .. she is the only developer there!! .. rest are all damagers ..Acid Test for wud be damagers :he/she shud be sent to Hampi and asked to get us something from that shop .. ;)
1:48 AM
Bina said...
looks like both of u don't have ne work... WHY MY BLOG?????@Vasu : u are going to be assgned lots of work...start debugging deferral@Dammy : Where are the chocolates? No work after coming down to India? Help Vasu with deferral then.... :-P
1:54 AM
Vasudev Udhatya said...
no no.. all damagers should be sent to hampi.. so when they get shoo'd away by this lady , they'll learn a new management lesson.
1:54 AM
Me said...
Looks like ur blog was easy to read but the comments is taking time. Will read through this later :((
2:34 AM
Bina said...
@Meera: Thanks a lot... don't read through all their junk comments
2:40 AM
Dammy said...
Some junk found in a travel book from 2500 AD which found it's way back to 2007 via "junk finder" algorithm proposed by the Father of multi-dimension travel .. World heritage sights in Karnataka - Belur, halebid, hampi and BINAMPI .. Binampi is a small village near Hampi .. built by the local vendors during the period when "Bina's non-rude" certificates were valued more than degree certificates ...Inside this temple is the idol of Binadevi .. u need to present chocs as prashad .. german chocs are preferred.. On the walls u can find sculptures of her friends ..There is a lot of hstory behind this temple which reflects Indian culture and practices during the 21st century ... a must visit for all foreigners ..PS : Make purchases only from vendors with valid cerficates .. recently there was a "duplicate bina non-rude certificate" scam .. which is being investigated by CBI ...
2:51 AM
Me said...
@dammy: Please visit Manipal's mental health ward immediately. Your condition is critical. Psst: I thoroughly enjoyed the bina devi part though :D
3:06 AM
Bina said...
I completely agree with Meera that Dammy mental condition is unstable. Maybe the winter in Germany had some adverse effects on him....We have to watch out for Alex also when he comes back...PS: Much as I hate to admit it, I enjoyed the post Dammy...especially "On the walls u can find sculptures of her friends .."
3:14 AM
Vasudev Udhatya said...
Next to BINAMPI we found another small village , it was called MEBAAAG. It seems there existed a 5 star international hotel over there sometime around year 2005 -2007. The name MEBAAAAG was given to that place by all the indian tourists who visited that international hotel during that time.The hotel was supposed to provide the best of services like giving tea/coffee in unwashed cups, providing accomodation in an AC room without power , well that was not it .. people who would stay there never even bothered to visit the bar and restaurant at that five star hotel.Our dear friend ME visited the hotel when she was a developer, but later on when she became ME I.A.S batch of 2008 , she took action against this five star hotel.The owner of this hotel was bribed by a local politician by giving a five star and as a result the owner of this five star hotel was arrested in a five star scam and was hanged. After the hanging of the owner of this five star hotel , ME I.A.S decided to build another world heritage site and titled it as MEbag. But to everyone's surprise the place came to be knows as MEBaaaaag as people seemed to run here and there because of the Bhoot of the hotel owner.Bhoot Unkill - 3's shooting took place in this 8th modern blunder of the world. Now ME I.A.S is the role model of many youngsters who wanna clean up the corrupt society.As a result in 2500 , the government is planning to promote 'Lets restart corruption again' as they feel the standard of living of government employees have gone down.But the main opposition party MERESS is against this and as a result the plan might be deferred to a later year!
3:48 AM
Dammy said...
Looks like not just vendors .. all people in Hampi need to be certified .. whoever fails can be made a damager .. I read this somewhere..twinkle twinkle little star ..u shud know what u r ..once u know what u r ..mental hospital is not so far ..and then it dawned upon me .. I am a doctor who is supposed to cure mentals ..Right now I am experimenting on converting a normal human to a mental .. that way I can remove the word mental from dictionary .. if at all by that time .. people still happen to us dictionaries ..I hate only word in english dictionary .. and that's Mental .. echo in the background .. mental . mental .. ramana .. ramana ..
4:39 AM
Vasudev Udhatya said...
This blog seems to be really motivating... or is the comments.. saturday morning at six and am writting a comment.. he he. :-)@ ME - The centre of focus is the sales lady and not our dammy.So lets speak about the lady's mental condition and then come over to investigate whether german winter causes mental fatigue.Was the lady correct in driving away bina and her friends from the shop is the one crore rupees worth question. If you feel the answer is YES then type HBC Y or if feel NO then type HBC N and send it to 0000.
7:06 PM
Dammy said...
HBC N 0000 .. bad lady ..May be this is the oppurtunity life wants to give u all - the tourism industry seems to be in a pathetic state in Hampi .. go there .. open a good hotel and a tourist shop .. create a brand name .. give it publicity .. build a chain of your shops in all world heritage sites in India .. then maybe after 10yrs .. u can even open 1 at eiffel tower .. ;)So, when r u 4 moving to hampi .. office mein kitna kaam karogey .. try something diff .. ;)
2:55 AM
Me said...
@dammy: You shd def read Veronika decides to die. What makes you less mad than those in the asylum is relative. I think you shd be locked up, its dangerous to have you sitting four cubicles away :D@Vasu: IAS batch of 2008 and a corruption free society. Yeah RIGHT!!@Bina: am so sorry that your blogspot is in such bad hands.
10:30 PM

Chennai Rediscovered !

2007-02-19T23:37:00.000-08:00

My Mom had been asking me to read this book by S.Muttiah since my childhood. Madras Rediscovered speaks about the history of Chennai ( madras ). When i managed to qualify for the mastermind semifinals at my office i decided to take up this book as my specialization so that i could have a look at it. Now 3 months after the semifinals i read the book and it was really worthwhile. The book starts with the discovery of madras city by Francis Day after East India company obtained a small strip of land from king Venkata-3 and it's divided in many chapters including business houses , sports , education etc. There is a mention of my maternal grandfather's name in this book as he was one of the founding members of the Madras Cricket Club (MCC).This book is a must for all those people who were born and brought up in Chennai. This book is available at Landmark for Rs 320.

Terror strikes again !

2007-02-19T02:45:00.000-08:00

What is happening in my motherland ? Blasts in Samjauhta Express have killed over 66 people and left more than 100 people injured. The big question is "Is innocent killings the solution for Kashmir" ? I don't know who is responsible and who are all to be blamed but no one will ever forgive people who are behind these horrendous acts.

Photo Courtesy - CNN-IBN

Valentine's Day

2007-02-13T22:33:00.000-08:00

Wiki on Valentine's Day -

Saint Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day is on February 14. It is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other; sending Valentine's cards or candy. It is very common to present flowers on Valentine's Day. The holiday is named after two men, both Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines." Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. The association estimates that women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.
In the United States, the marketing of Valentine's Day has tagged it as a "Hallmark holiday." A recent trend has been to refer to February 14 as Singles Awareness Day.

This Valentine's Day is very special for me and most of my friends as it's their first Valentine's Day after getting married.

I would like to wish all of you a Very Happy Valentine's Day !

Police .. Is it only for the rich and the elite ?

2007-02-12T21:50:00.000-08:00

Noida has been in the center of all controversies for the past few months now. It all started with the high profile kidnapping of Adobe chief's son and then the brutal Nitahari killings.

The UP Police acted really fast in the kidnapping case but the same police acted indifferent when poor people complained about their missing children in Nitahari.Every life is equally precious and probably if the police had taken swift action it could have saved many innocent lives in Nitahari. Is Police there for the safety of common man ? THINK !

Men In Blue ! Can they bring back the Glory?

2007-02-12T05:07:00.000-08:00

Leaving all the controversies behind and laying to rest all the speculations , Team India for World Cup Cricket 2007 was announced today. These 15 men will have to bring back the world cup last won by Kapil Dev and team in 1983. The biggest question is do they have it in them to bring it back ? Lets just sit and pray for their success.

The Squad:
1. R Dravid (captain)
2. SR Tendulkar (vice-captain)
3. AB Agarkar
4. MS Dhoni (wicketkeeper)
5. SC Ganguly
6. Harbhajan Singh
7. KD Karthik (wicketkeeper)
8. Z Khan
9. A Kumble
10. MM Patel
11. IK Pathan
12. V Sehwag
13. S Sreesanth
14. AR Uthappa
15. Yuvraj Singh

Match Fixing resurfaces!

2007-02-12T04:25:00.000-08:00

Match Fixing scandals have been haunting many players in various teams of the past. Just prior to the biggest event in the history of cricket , The World Cup 2007 it has again resurfaced in the form of Marlon Samuels. The West Indies team have always known for their integrity on and off the field always.Will this be the first taint in their cricketing history? Lets wait and find out...

Postcards from Hampi

2007-02-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

The above picture depicts chinese travellers.

Wow.. whats this?

The Ruins !

Old Wine in a new Bottle ;-)

2007-02-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome once again to Thalai's Thatuvam !

A virtual reopening was done yesterday evening in presence of my friends Scene , Rags , Nammu, Dammy, Bina and of course my dear wife Rammoo.

Thalai's Thatuvam is now 45 posts old and slowly marching towards the first landmark of 50 posts. The irony of this blog is neither am i 'Thalai' nor there are any 'Thatuvam's ' from my side , But still i am so fascinated by this name that i wish to keep it for some more time.I will try my best to provide good contents in times to come and if not then I'll at least try to change the look of my blog. ;-)

Many Thanks to all readers !

Justice for Professor

2007-02-07T00:59:00.000-08:00

Mata Pita Guru Deivam !

In a country where 'Guru' or Teacher comes before God, it is disheartening to know that Prof. H.S.Sabharwal was killed by students at the instigation of petty politicians for not conducting student elections on time. Prof H.S.Sabharwal was assaulted by few members of ABVP and was announced dead when he was taken to hospital. Prof. Sabharwal was supervising students elections at Madhav College Ujjain.

The Madhya Pradesh government which is run by RSS-BJP is said to have been shielding the ABVP activists as ABVP which is the students wing of RSS-BJP. Prof Sabharwal's son has moved to the supreme court for impartial hearing of the case as justice would not be got if the case is conducted in Madhya Pradesh. Already 4 witnesses in the case have turned hostile and more are expected to turn hostile as influential politicians are involved in protecting the killers.

A professor is a ladder who doesn't mind his students climb over him to reach the glory.A professor is always a professor and remains as one who tries to impart values and knowledge but his student go on to become world leaders , businessmen and professionals , thanks to his professor's teaching. Don't you think we should fight for the justice of prof. Sabharwal. THINK!

Postcard from Belur and Halabedu

2007-02-07T00:27:00.000-08:00

Belur and Halabedu Temples - Karnataka

Morale Booster

2007-01-31T22:03:00.000-08:00

The win against West Indies at the recently concluded Pepsi Cup will be a morale booster for Team India.With world cup round the corner, many people feel that the team has sorted it's batting woes and can give a good performance at the world cup.

Lets pray that Team India performs well at the world cup and also hope that there aren't any team selection goof up before the world cup.

National Geographic top photo of 2006.

2006-12-21T02:08:00.000-08:00

Python Eats Pregnant Sheep !

Photograph courtesy: New Straits Times (Malaysia)

News courtesy: National Geographic

Gandhigiri continues ..

2006-12-20T21:18:00.000-08:00

Yes.. This time it's not me who is affected. ;-)

Ms. J as we all know is getting married to Mr. J and as a result she is leaving the project. Now the big question was who will take over Ms. J's tasks? It was really a difficult choice for our manager. Finally it was informed to all of us that Mr. P would take over the pending tasks of Ms. J and continue in this project for 6 more months (Rest of us would return back to our original teams). The big irony is that Ms. J was never assigned any work. I am wondering whether this is project management or is it actually project damagement.;-)

Is blogging an armchair activism ?

2006-12-20T02:50:00.000-08:00

I have heard about armchair philosophy, armchair politics but this was the first time i heard the term armchair activism. In a news item on CNN-IBN yesterday evening, this term was used. Blogging is nothing but an armchair activism, People who don't like to go on the roads and fight for the cause take up blogging and fight for the problems over the net. Is blogging really an armchair activism?

It can be argued for and against. I am not too sure about the statistics but my gut feeling is that most people who don't like to face consequences for speaking what they think right engage themselves in blogging and express their opinions without fear. But there are many more who do go to roads, fight for the cause and also blog about the same. Take for example the reservation issue; there were lots of protests on the road as well as on the net. There were lots of blogger who fought for it on the roads but not on the net. Raising your voice for an issue is important; it doesn't matter whether it is over the net or on the road. Your voice should be heard and if you feel you can make all the deaf ears hear what you write then you have made your point. For the media the protests on roads make it to their headlines and shows but not the protests carried out on the net and probably it is because of that missing masala news for the media, they have resorted to calling blogging as an armchair activity.

Finally to conclude, "Pen is mightier then sword but in recent times, Keyboard's have become mightier then pens or swords".

My new Jacket ;-)

2006-12-20T02:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all my current teammates for this cute gift.

Happy Birthday Superstar !

2006-12-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

Superstar turn's 57 today.Like his age , his charisma, popularity and fame continues to rise every second.Wishing our superstar a very happy birthday.

What can Gandhigiri do to you ?

2006-12-10T22:06:00.000-08:00

Lage Raho Munnabhai's astounding success at the box office has revived Gandhian Thought and Philosophy is a big way. 'Gandhigri' is now a household word and many are trying to practice it in their daily life. But there are times when gandhigiri can actually let you down and here is an account of one such incident.

Date - 6-9-2006

8 of us joined a new project which was supposed to be for 2 months with very strict time lines.

Date - 19-9-2006

It was another calm tuesday, 2 people from our gang were allotted work and were occupied,rest of the junta including myself were getting absolutely bored.It was the time when lage raho munnabhai and it's gandhigiri were creating storm at the box office. The jobless folks from our gang decided to watch LRM afternoon show. Three of us were involved with some other activity and hence decided not to come to the movie.It was left with 3 of us , Ms S , Ms J and of course myself. As my wife had earlier asked me to watch LRM with her , i said i would not be coming to the movie.So Ms J and Ms S set off. Immediately after they had left , Ms J got a call from the lead regarding some work which was to be assigned.Since she was not at her seat , the lead called me. I had to pick the call knowing pretty well some major work would be assigned to me.I picked the call and as expected by me , i was assigned one of the most difficult work that was assigned to our team.

Date - 11-12-2006

Two months of sleepless nights , weekends at office , skipping dinner almost everyday, lost 8 kg but most importantly managed to complete my work on time. Ms J was not assigned any work, in fact her marriage got fixed and she has been having a great time since then.Ms S was also let scot-free for sometime before some work was assigned to her without setting any deadline. she's also in cloud nine with her dance performances, nicknames ( Psycho & Tube light ) and of course her ever increasing admirers list. :-).

Moral of the story :

IT Gandhigiri

1) Watch movies during work hours to avoid assignment of work to you.

2) Married people have higher chance of work assignments happening as they are unable to freak out with friends and team mates . ;-)

3)Work is most important, worship it.And when you complete it, start blogging about it.

The suspense unfolds ;-)

2006-12-10T21:41:00.000-08:00

Yes Finally.. It is a Nokia 6070 mobile phone , which most importantly has a radio and it can support all FM channels.It's really Sakat Hot Maga !

http://www.nokia.co.in/nokia/0,8764,88360,00.html

Sivapathikaaram - A cleaning powder that actually tries to clean.

2006-12-09T04:28:00.000-08:00

Sivapathikaaram is another film which throws light on india's political system.It is another film that tries to educate the public about our dirty political system.

Sathyamurthi (Vishal) is a student of lexicon college madurai.His dad is a watchman in the same college. As expected sathya is the best student of the college, as rightly said by him the taste of education is more delicious for the underprivileged who have never got a chance to study( hope our Reservations Neta and HRD minister Arjun Singh is listening to it).sathya's professor is Prof Elango(Raghuvaran), he is an ex collector and currently his passion to clean up the society and educate the students as to what is correct and wrong drove him to take up teaching.sathya's department undertakes a project of conducting a opinion poll for a by election , which pits them against the losing candidate.The losing candidate tries to implicate the college in a false case and as a result of the violent clash between police and students , 40 innocent students and college staff get killed in a fire accident ( masterminded by the losing politician ). One amongst the dead is sathy'a father.How sathya avenges his father's death forms the climax.

The story is similar to the one's which have actually come in the past 2-3 years.what makes the difference is the question which the director asks the audience.To become a doctor MBBS is necessary , to become a lawyer BL is necessary but for becoming a MLA being 25 years is sufficient. Is it high time that we need some basic qualifications for contesting polls too ?

A year younger ! :-)

2006-12-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

I turned a year younger today. :-)

Yeah... it's my birthday and it was really special. This year was truly awesome for me , A very special person in my life who has bought lots more than mere happiness in my life.With all the happiness, encouragement, care and motivation i feel that i have become a year younger today.

She surprised me with a gift, the suspense of which she maintained till 12 in the night.I guess all of you would also be eager to know the gift which i got from her.Ha Ha Ha ... let me also maintain the suspense for a few days. ;-)

Indian Football needs better treatment!

2006-12-03T21:02:00.000-08:00

It's always been a rare sight to see India playing international football matches.It is more rare for India to win an international football match.The results at the recent Asian Games football tournament have been really good and positive for our football team.In group D, they drew with Hongkong in the first match 1-1 and beat Maldives 2-1 in the second match yesterday.So far the team has been very promising with young players like Bungo Singh , Surukumar Singh, Pradeep Pappachan, Steven Dias, Climax Lawrence and Bhaichung Bhutia have been really good so far.
It's a major win for India after a very long time , the last time is saw Indian football team playing really well was at L.G.Cup at Vietnam.

Unfortunately no one seems to support team India when it comes to football.The Indian government refused to sponsor the team for Asian games 2006.The team has been sent by AIFF without the financial backing from Govt of India.The win against Maldives was not covered by any major channels like 'CNN-IBN' or NDTV.When it's a time where the much hyped cricket and hockey teams are showing no results , football team should atleast be motivated if not promoted by our local media.

Indian Football team infact has a very good history. We have qualified for the 1950 World Cup finals in Brazil, but could not appear as we still played bare feet at that time.The Indian team also won the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games gold medals in football. In 1956 the team finished fourth at the Melbourne Olympics.Well the big question to be answered is whats holding back the AIFF and the Indian Football team. Well that could be another post. :-)

Links: BBC Sport - "What's holding back Indian football?"

Is Indian cricket going the hockey way ?

2006-11-22T22:57:00.000-08:00

"India dealt a Durban drubbing" was the headlines which cricinfo carried today it is the similar story that has been happening for the past 6 months now. Match after match Team India's performance had been going from bad to worse,Board has seen lot many controversies in the recent past and I can confidently tell that Team India is not capable of winning the world cup atleast for next 4 years.Reasons for this low are many and it makes no sense to speak about it again and again as no one seems to be bothered about it in the Board.Fingers are being pointed at Greg Chappel , Kiran More , Sharad Pawar , Jagmohan Dalmiya , Lalit Modi , Rahul Dravid , Middle Order - Yuvaraj/Kaif/Dhoni/Raina and ofcourse the current bunch of selectors Chappel has always been in the limelight ever since his tussle with Saurav Ganguly.His coaching methods were considered to be faulty by many of yesteryear cricketers of Team India but the big question is whether Team Indian players are mentally and physically competent to accustom themselves to the caoching methods of Greg Chappel. Raina was touted as the player for future and his future now is surely uncertain.Many thought he was a Tendulkar in making and I sincerely hope he doesn't end up like Parthiv Patel.
I would not like to talk about kaif and Yuvaraj , It would be better if they start playing proper cricket rather then spending time for shooting Ad's. Our very own Vice Captain Viru is another big let down so unfortunate that in Tennis we normally have a non-playing captain for Davis Cup but these days Captain of our Indian Davis Cup team Leander Paes is a match winner always and our Indian Cricket team has a non playing vice captain for more than a year now.

Indian bowling has also never been so low with Irfan Pathan is no where near to finding his lost form and the lost magic which he displayed in the tour of pakistan.Munaf/RP/VRV have never matured to the International arena yet.Munaf did a good job yesterday but will he sustain is the big question.Agarkar ahs been good and bad in shades , he has never been a match winner at all.India has lost many toght matches when he has come to bowl the dying overs.Zaheer and Balaji need to come back, give good performances and stay without injuries to strengthen our bowling department.Kumble and Bajji have been good in almost all occasions.

M.S.Dhoni ne sirf 2-3 baar Dho daala usko baad voh bhi fuse ho gaya.Kirmani questions his basic wicket keeping technique , leave alone his weakness to the rising ball.Dinesh Karthik is undoubtedly Team India's best wicketkeeper and also a beter batsman when it comes to crunch situation.

All's not wrong but the road to this world cup has almost ended for Team India with absolutely no hopes of improving it's performance.Hopefully better administration and a mature selection policy could prove vital for Team India's preparation for next World Cup. As the saying goes "Kapil nahin to CUP nahin" , all we need is a charismatic player like Kapil Dev who can double up as a batsman , bowler , 'playing' captain and most importantly a potential match winner.

2006-11-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

NDTV summers inIIMC @Vidarbha

Deepak Dhamija - IIM 'C' .
Prior to joining IIM C , Deepak was actively involved with several NGO's in and around Bangalore. He was actively involved with Spastics Society of Karnataka, Samarthanam and also carried out several Tsunami relief work.People like Deepak can surely bring a smile and change the lives of the poor farmers for good.Well we can also bring a smile in someone's life if we want too. Lets also do something for our society.

Tuesday Timepass

2006-10-17T02:08:00.000-07:00

I had to pass time on a tuesday evening... so i took this test of first 9 questions which told i am HITLER..

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Then i took the test for 18 questions and i was JFK...

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Finally i took the test which matched me with a movie ...

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Courtesy- Meera

M.G.R - Nadodi Mannan recreates Magic !

2006-08-23T00:03:00.000-07:00

M.G.R popularly called as Puratchi Thalaivar and Vadhiyar made his debut in tamil films in the year 1936.He did not gain popularity until his role in the film Rajakumari which released in 1947.
M.G.R rose to stardom by playing characters which portrayed him as a saviour of poor. M.G.R's most important movie was Nadodi Mannan(produced and Directed by MGR) which released in 1958, which seeded a change in the history of tamilnadu's politics.Nadodi Mannan was supposed to be a super hit during that period... well was it only during that period ? Not at all ... Even 48 years after it's release, Nadodi Mannan creates the same magic in tamil screens.This film was re released recently in couple of top screens in chennai and the film recreated the same magic it created in 1958.
Probably Late M.G.R would be the only leader who can win an election even now if he contests. :-)
Vazhga Puratchi Thalaivar ! Valarga Thamizhagam !

I am back ....

2006-08-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

after a very very long break... :-)

What is happening ?

2006-07-12T02:28:00.000-07:00

9th July - Agni 3 fails to clear maiden test.
10th July - GSLV-F02 launch unsuccessful.
11th July - Sringar - Grenade Attack on tourists. 8 dead.
11th July - Mumbai - Serial train blasts. 150 dead.

Past three days have really been bad for my motherland India.
Agni 3 would have put us on par with China in terms of nuclear technology,GSLV-F02 would have ushered a new era of DTH and telecommunication in India.
The back to back blasts in Srinagar and Mumbai have raised eyebrows as to how safe is India ? Are we becoming too soft in tackling issues like terrorism?Should the government continue with it's policy of appeasement?

India is surely moving through a very sad phase. My condolences to every family in Mumbai and Srinagar who have been victims of yesterday's terror attacks.

2006-06-27T02:52:00.000-07:00

Sivaji sold for 90 crores !

Super Star Rajni's forthcoming film 'SIVAJI' is rumoured to be sold for 90 crores and it is supposed to have been purchased by none other than SUN TV.Super Star Rajni + Shankar + AVM does seem to be the hottest combination in the Indian Film Industry.If the rumour comes out to be true then SIVAJI would be the film to have been sold at the highest price in the history of indian cinema.Super Star is undoubetdly the BAASHA of Indian Cinema. :-)

Marcus Allback scores the 2000th goal in FIFA World Cup

2006-06-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

Marcus Allback's goal in the drawn match between England and Sweden was Fifa World Cup's 2000th goal.

It is 76 years after France's Lucien Laurent fired the first goal on 13th July 1930 in Montevideo.

Marcus Allback's Profile:

Allback is often used as a substitute striker because of his ability to sneak a goal near the end of a game and he has done this for the national team at important times in the past.
He uses his strength in the penalty area to hold off defenders and has a powerful shot.
"Mackan" is based at FC Copenhagen in Denmark and has played in the Netherlands, England and Sweden.
Allback featured in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2004 UEFA European Championship.

Click on http://eur.i1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/i/eu/fifa/do/mgen.pdf for information on Fifa World Cup's milestone goals.

Happy B'day Illaya Thalapathy !

2006-06-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

Illaya Thalapathy Vijay celebrates his 32nd birthday today and this year it is going to be a low key affair after his home production "Aathi" bombed at the box office early this year.

On Wednesday, Vijay the educationist distributed notebooks, text books and educational aids worth Rs 5.5 Lakhs to the poor students at his JS Hall. Said Vijay: “Frankly I like to spread knowledge by providing financial help towards educating the weaker section of people, who cannot afford it”.

Our Illaya Thalapathy is indeed a very noble soul.lets wish him a very happy birthday and lotsa of luck for his next venture "Pokiri".

Punch King Perarasu to direct 'Perarasu' Vijaykanth!

2006-06-16T01:23:00.000-07:00

Courtesy Moviebuzz and Sify.com
Perarasu after giving three back to back hits with Vijay and Ajith is all set to direct Captain 'Vijayakanth'.

Vijaykanth with his new found aura around him is going to start a film Murasu scripted and directed by Perarasu to be produced by Sri Surya Movies A.M.Ratnam. The shooting for the film will start on July 1 in Chennai and will be Vijaykanth’s Diwali release.This new combination of Vijaykanth- Perarasu- Ratnam is sure to be hot in the trade. And ‘Murasu’ (drum) was the symbol of Vijaykanth DMDK party in the last elections. Vijaykanth with his new found image as a politician had performed impressively in last elections and became Vridachalam MLA, and now the trade feels that he is a sure bet at the box-office.
Perarasu with his story, punch line dialogues is going to give that extra edge to Vijaykanth and his fledging party. The captain has been impressed by Perarasu story narration and script which he feels is “awesome”. Remember that earlier Vijay shied away from Murasu as he was not happy about the script!

Captain's film titles 'Perarasu' is yet to see the light of the day.Hope 'Murasu' brings him more popularity and is the key to becoming the CM of Tamilnadu.

Captain's website - http://www.vijaykanth.cjb.net/
Murasu - Election Symbol of DMDK.

2006-06-15T02:46:00.000-07:00

Raghu the Elvis from Chennai

This my best friend Raghu a.k.a Elvis of Chennai.He is seen with his newly found love - 'His Guitar'.

A well deserved lunch :-)

2006-06-15T01:26:00.000-07:00

The crucial Testing phase of my project got over yesterday and some of our project mates left for Germany yesterday night.
We are jus two of us from the team here in bangalore now and we have decided to share our daily experiences with our coffee table pals who are in Germany now.

With our beloved Psycho Damager not coming to office today, we decided to have fun.We had been constantly harassed by him for nearly two months now. Harassed is a too lighter term for him. :-) . He would never allow us to have a coffee in peace , leave alone letting us to have our lunch happily.

We decided to go to Techpark mall to have our lunch and we had three restaurants to pick from, My favorite was of course 'Sindbad' but Y's favorite was 'Civet' but we had an understanding and went to KFC. Y had a 2-1 meal and I was happy eating our Desi Veg Thali.
Y was excited seeing a dozen chinese folks at KFC , they work for a company called MISYS in ITPL. We discussed about the chicken burgers that are sold in china and India , about KFC and McDonald's , and at one stage we just stopped talking and started enjoying our food as it was too yummy, of course you can't compare with u'r home food.After having the meal , we moved to a juice shop called 'Pure N Natural'. I was little excited seeing it in ITPL , it was the first time I saw it at ITPL.'Pure N Natural' is a coimbatore based juice shop and I was immediately explaining Y the significance of Coimbatore and Juice shops(Pazhamudhir). We had a Strawberry Milkshake and were looking at the cute little candies at 'Sweet World' Shop there found candies in various shapes and sizes - eggs , footballs and even denchers.

We decided to have a fag and walk back to our building. On the way, we met a tender coconut seller and drank a tender coconut each was immediately explaining Y the importance of having a coconut water. We reached our building and a sense of joy was all around our face.
Yes we made it!We spent some good quality time when our damager was not around.

We Miss You !

2006-06-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

Our coffee mates have left for Germany yesterday for work and fun . We wish them lotsa fun and hope they get a chance to watch the World Cup Live.

AlL tHe BeSt !

Arrest warrant against Vijay !

2006-06-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

Arrest warrant against Vijay
By Moviebuzz Saturday, 10 June , 2006, 18:21

An arrest warrant has been issued against Vijay, director Perarasu and producer A.M.Ratnam by a court in Tamilnadu for not presenting themselves in the court after three summons were issued.The Magistrate in an Arcot court has issued the arrest warrant against Vijay and others after a lawyer filed a case against them for showing lawyers in bad light in their super hit film Sivakasi!

Courtesy Sify.com

Here's mine tooooooooooooooo !

2006-06-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

find your element at mutedfaith.com. Thanks to Meera/Damy and Joy.

1 Day to go for World Cup

2006-06-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

One day to go for the World Cup.. It's one of the most exciting and popular sporting extravaganza.

The first match will be played between Germany and Costa Rica.
Some Facts
Germany
1) Current FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking: 19.
2) WC honours Three times world champions (1954, 1974, 1990).
3) Continental Titles Three times European champions (1972, 1980, 1996).
4) Star Players - BALLACK Michael , KAHN Oliver.
5) Coach - KLINSMANN Juergen.

Costa Rica
1) Current FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking: 26.
2) WC honours Last sixteen 1990.
3) Continental Titles Seven times CCCF champions (1941, 1946, 1948, 1953, 1955, 1960, 1961), three times Concacaf champions (1963, 1969, 1989), Central American champions (1993).
4) Star Players - WANCHOPE Paulo , MARTINEZ Gilberto.
5) Coach - GUIMARAES Alexandre.

The second match will be played between Poland and Ecuador.
Some Facts
Poland
1) Current FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking: 29.
2) WC honours 3rd place (1974, 1982).
3) Continental Titles None.
4) Star Players - ZURAWSKI Maciej.
5) Coach - JANAS Pawel.

Ecuador
1) Current FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking: 39.
2) WC honours None.
3) Continental Titles None.
4) Star Players - LARA Christian , DELGADO Agustin.
5) Coach - SUAREZ Luis.

Inspirational Start !

2006-06-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

I never thought the Rich would help the needy and show any sort of kindness.Rich whom I have come across in my native city were always those with a damn care attitude , not only to the poor but to the society in general Rich have always tried to show their power,arrogance and what not.
Today it was different.. The girl who had traveled in my bus was an exception to the so called arrogant rich.I had always thought that those who had struggled atleast once in their life would have the nature to help others as they would have been in the same situation atleast once before. A girl who could not see got into the bus , there was no place to sit and she was struggling to stand, she could not stand firmly because of our great bangalore road bumps.Our Rich girl immediately got up , made her sit , got her the tickets and also gave some consoling words to her to give an inspiration start to her day.

It's a general saying that "Charity begins at home". I differ , not only charity but any act of kindness,generosity,help everything should begin at home.There is no use in doing charity outside when we are not willing to take care of our parents.There are so many Indians who have settled in USA who show a damn care attitude towards their parents.

Kudos to the "Rich Girl with Kindness" for making an inspirational start to my day!

2006-06-06T02:40:00.000-07:00

Vallavan - He knows what to do !

Simbhu's maiden directorial venture is Vallavan.he's not only directing but he's also the hero , has sung coupla songs in this film and also written lyrics for a song in this film.This film is said to be a rollicking high school murder mystery.One of the most awaited film this year for kollywood.
Music released recently and one song "Kadhal vandurichi" is surely gonna top all charts.
Songs can be downloaded at http://www.tamilmasala.net/main.asp?id=287.

Hope Vallavan turns a bigger hit than Manmadhan for our Little Superstar SIMBHU.He surely knows what to do. :-)

Friday Night travel :-(

2006-06-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

I've been traveling to chennai for the past two years every fortnight on weekends , I have had so many memorable and eventful trips, well the one I undertook last Friday was equally eventful.
I still remember how difficult it was to get a ticket to chennai on Friday nights in a ksrtc bus.
During my days as a project trainee , I have traveled to chennai in a lorry , shared van, sometimes even standing for 7 hours was fun at those times , you would have something to cherish at the end of the trip , a feeling of schievement , a feeling that you dint succumb to the pressure of not getting tickets and you showed your protest against those private operators who used to charge exorbitant rates:-).Well did I say getting tickets to chennai on a Friday is difficult ? Not any more; Asking me why ? Thanks to this organized selling of black tickets undertaken by KSRTC officials.

A Volvo ticket starts at 650 and goes upto 1000 on a Friday night ( Actual Cost - 450) Rajahamsa tickets cost start from 400 and go till 600 ( original cost - 200).These tickets are sold by touts who used to work for private transports canvassing people to board the semi sleeper's of sangeetha and other private operators,they used to get 30-50 bucks for selling a ticket for a private operators by selling KSRTC tickets they are assured of a minimum of 50-70 bucks per ticket.

Modus Operandi involves booking of tickets in every KSRTC bus that leaves on Friday nights to chennai.There are 4 people involved in selling these tickets in platform number 24 bangalore to chennai and they sell these tickets to people who are in desperate need of tickets and have not booked for the same 4 people have excellent rapport with every bus conductor and police constables in the bus stand and the office in charge of the platform of them get a share of the tickets sold big question is what is wrong in buying from them ? Well I would not like to be robbed either in broad day light or under the romantic moonlight. I would instead pay 100 bucks extra to Govt of Karnataka and travel in a special bus arranged by them in case of overcrowd.

No wonder why all KSRTC online counters say they don't have tickets for friday night busses.Almost 75-100 tickets are sold in black and atleast 200 bucks are made for every ticket. Doesn't the total amount collected look staggering now ? Now the big question is Can we stop these touts from selling tickets and making personal profits ? The answer is Yes ! How ?

1) Say no to black tickets. if no one buys those black tickets then they would have to incur personal loss of atleast 75 * 200.

2) Don't complain to local constables standing in Majestic bus stand.They are also hand in glove in this operation, they would threaten you for dire consequences like how i was threatened.If possible complain to Lok Ayukta or some other organization where u'r identity would be protected.

What next... Well am patiently waiting for the next Friday in my life !!!

Carlos Valderrama - Adding style to soccer !

2006-05-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio nicknamed El Pibe ("The Kid") was born in santa marta in 1961.This former colombian soccer player is considered as the best soccer player in the history of colombian soccer.

Colombia a country devastated by drugs , only saving grace is the game of soccer.Valderraa with his enormously dyed blondish orange hair is the most important sporting icon.This short midfielder is know for his ball control and can increase or decrease the pace of the match at his own will.

Valderrama has captained Colombia during the 1990/1994 and 1998 World cups before announcing his retirement in 1998 having received 111 caps and scored 11 times. he has been awarded the South American Footballer of the Year for 1987 and 1993.In February 2004, Valderrama ended his 22-year career in a tribute match with some of the most important football players of South America, such as Diego Maradona (he couldn't play), Enzo Francescoli and José Luis Chilavert.

Valderrama is the only Colombian to feature in Pele's 125 Top Living Football Players list in March 2004. No one can forget the match when Colombia famously beat Argentina 5-0 in Buenos Aires(Argentina) in 1993 during a World Cup qualifier.

Valderrama - Truly Worldclass.

3 Crores for Thalai !!!

2006-05-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

Ultimate star Ajith has signed another film for a whooping salary of 3 crores.
This film would be produced by Sujata cine arts along with Adlabs Mumbai and would be thalai's summer release of 2007.The director and crew of the film would be decided very shortly and the shooting would commence in november.Well it is good news, that Kollywood is getting corporatised and film making is turning more professional.

Thalai's Next !

2006-05-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

Thalai Ajith's next film would be produced by Mohan Natarajan. It is almost confirmed that Asin will be Ajith’s heroine in the film whose shooting will start sometime in mid-June.This would be Ajith's diwali release.

The first film of the same pair "Godfather" is yet to see the light of day. This film is set to revive the Amaravathi days of ajith.( Ajith was launched in Amaravathi by selva in 1993) .The actor has almost shortlisted selva who directed his first film Amaravathi. :-)

Hope our Thalai would have some success with his new venture.

My New Geyser...

2006-05-30T00:09:00.000-07:00

I have bought a new USHA Lexus Josh 15 ltr geyser. Sadly after using it only one day the tube connecting the water pipe to the geyser burnt. :-(
The big question is "Did the tube burn coz of overheat" or "The geyser was actually shocked to see me taking bath" . :-)

Courtesy: Swati

Ticketless Travel

2006-05-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Ticketless travel is an offence and punishable with fine and imprisonment.
In bangalore, ticketless travel is quite a normal site.In this city ticketless travel is forced.

For any short distance travel,conductors of BMTC buses refuse to give tickets, they collect 2 Rs and put them in their personal account.There are many people who like to travel this way leading to a revenue loss to the goverment and the transport corporation.

I had boarded a BMTC bus from Hoody to ITPL, a route which has jus 2 stops between it.The normal ticket cost would be 4 Rs on that particular bus.The conductor collected 3 bucks from around 10 people who got in and pocketed the cash without issuing tickets.When i asked for ticket the conductor said "For ticket you need to pay 2 Rs more ". I paid the extra money and collected the ticket.To my surprise none of the remaining commuters bothered to get tickets.

Travelling without tickets leads to a big revenue loss to the transport corporation and government. we should not only ensure that we buy tickets but also make sure that others also obtain their tickets.Huge costs are involved in maintainence of these busses and without our support this can't be done.We have always complained that bangalore busses are not good and the goverment is not taking any steps to maintain it, we need to strongly say NO when a conductor forces us to travel ticketless.

BMTC'S Appeal :

To enhance our status as the world class transport system where customer care reigns supreme, all that we need is your total cooperation and understanding in all our endeavours.
Help us to maintain the vehicles, bus stations and bus shelters neat and clean by

not dirtying them. They are your own and protect them as you would protect your
properties.

Avoid vandalism and avoid showing your ire on the buses. If they are damaged,
you are the loser.

No footboard travel, please. It may endanger your precious life and also block the
way to the passengers trying to get in or get down.

Avoid pilferage. If you do not buy ticket or pay less without demanding a ticket,
you are only losing, as the money denied to BMTC is benefit denied to you, the commuter.

If you happen to see any BMTC vehicle deserted, kindly take the trouble of informing us to the BMTC Control Room, (Tel.No: 2952522, 2952422) for your own benefit, as the break down of a BMTC bus is the break down of commuter's movement.

CITIZENS' CHARTER

We have brought out a charter for the benefit of our esteemed commuters, which provides all information on BMTC and defines all our activities and pleads for your cooperation for our continued service with improving its quality systematically.

Carpenter speaks CRM :-)

2006-05-29T06:53:00.000-07:00

Ramesh came to bangalore from a small town in UP called gorakhpur 13 years back with absolutely no knowledge about anything.He had a big culture shock, he did not know the language,did not get this favorite food and most importantly did not have his family around.
He started working under a small civil contractor and did helper's job for his carpenter.He gradually learnt the art and now has become a renowned carpenter.In this 13 years not only did he mastered word work but he also mastered some of the most finer points of customer management.

He came over to fix a main door lock of my flat at 7 on a sunday morning ( even god's would be sleeping at that time on a bangalore sunday morning:-) ). He then started taking the measurement and started putting holes with super precision.He kept the lock and adjusted the position and drilled the wood and then placed the lock and tightened the screws.My front door had a new lock within minutes of ramesh's arrival.

While working on the lock, he had something really important to make.He started saying that his living depends on the precision.Even a 1 mm difference could lead him to starvation.There is no point in doing a work in haste, a low quality work would surely have an impact someday.He strongly emphasised the fact that customers are gods and they need to be happy always with his work.
He said timely delivery of a bad quality work would lead us no where , a good work even marginally behind the schedule will keep the customers happy.They would wait two extra days rather than having a shaky door for life. :-) [ Hope the managers working in IT are hearing this].

These days we give a lot of importance to delivery schedule and compromise on the quality ( atleast companies into IT services do this). It's always a trade off between time and quality.Hope we deliver better quality and keep customers happy rather than delivering a faulty product well ahead of schedule.

My Latest Love - Sansui Hardrock 29 Inch CTV

2006-05-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

I am a proud owner of a Sansui 29 inch CTV :-).
It was always a dream to buy a bigggggggggg TV and i finally realised that dream on 28th may when i bought a new Sansui 29 inch CTV.I had to buy it coz World Cup is round the corner.
The price of this model 14k and it's got features such as 200 channels/700 W Audio /5 band audio equalizer and much more. It's comes with a warranty of 3 years.
For more details visit http://www.sansui-india.com/aboutus.html.

House Warming of Golden Star A-104

2006-05-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

I could not perform a House warming ceremony for some personal reasons but i surely can perform a Virtual House warming ceremony out here.
Welcome You all to my new den @ Golden Star.

Henrik Larsson - The Genius from Sweden

2006-05-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

USA 1994 saw the Swedes upset several top notch countries to qualify for the semi finals of the world cup.The swede attack of Tomas Brolin , Martin Dahlin and Kenneth Andersson stung the Russians, drew the Cameroon and the Brazil teams to qualify for the 2nd round and eventually finished 3rd in the tournament.
After the resurgence in 1994, the Swedes dissapointed their fans by not making it to the finals of World cup 1998.They did qualify for the 2002 World Cup with the birth of their Super striker Henrik Larsson.

Henrik Larsson knew he wanted to be a professional soccer player from the time he started walking. His dad gave Henrik a ball when he was just 16 months old and from that moment on, he spent most of his free time playing soccer. There was a soccer field right beside Henrik Larsson's home in Helsingborg where he, his two brothers and several other kids in the neighborhood would play soccer every day. Henrik Larsson loved soccer but he didn't always like school. He had problems with some of the ignorant buttmunches in his class. Henrik's father is from the Cape Verde Islands off the West African coast. Sweden is very blonde and blue so Henrik's roots stood out. "There was a lot of rascism in Sweden when I was young. Back then it was unusual to have a black kid at school. I was one of the few, so I had to stand up for myself," says Henrik Larsson.
Henrik Larsson's dream of becoming a pro came true at the age of 21 when he was signed by Helsingborg IF. He was among the league's top scorers and was picked to play for Sweden at the 1994 World Cup which was played in the USA. Henrik Larsson scored the winning goal on a penalty kick in a quarter-final game against Romania and became a hero in Sweden.
In 1997, Henrik Larsson signed with Glasgow Celtic of the Scottish Premier League. His goal-scoring abilities, enthusiasm and wild dreadlocks made Henrik one of the team's most popular players. In 1998, he helped Celtic win their first Scottish title in 10 years. He continues to be one of the best players in the Scottish Premiership and is leading the league in scoring in 2001-2002.
In 2001 he won the "Golden Boot" award for being Europe's top goal scorer, with 35 league goals. His total in all competitions that season was 53.
Larsson's international record is impressive with 34 goals in 88 games, many of which he played in midfield or as a winger. He has always made his mark on big occasions and has scored at two World Cups (1994 at which Sweden came 3rd, and 2002), and two European Championships (2000 and 2004).In 2003, he scored two superb goals in the UEFA Cup Final, although opponents Porto went on to win 3-2. His goalscoring feats on the continent for Celtic mean he holds the record for number of goals scored for a British club in European matches.
In 2004, after having moved to Barcelona, he scored against Celtic in a Champions League match. After the game he said "It was very difficult for me to celebrate my goal because I had so many great times here...".[1] In 2004, The Swedish Football Association bestowed upon him the accolade "greatest Swedish football player of the last 50 years."
His decision to retire from international football met with much dismay in his homeland and there was much clamouring for him to return to the team for their campaign at Euro 2004 in Portugal. Despite initially maintaining his decision to retire, turning down overtures from UEFA President Lennart Johansson and the Swedish Prime Minister in the process, he eventually returned to the national side at the behest of his son, and to great effect, scoring three goals in four matches and leading Sweden to the quarterfinals, where they were defeated in a penalty shootout by the Dutch.
In January of 2006, Henrik announced his decision to leave his current club F.C. Barcelona and return to Sweden at the end of his current contract in July 2006, revealing that he politely refused a verbal promise by club president Joan Laporta to extend his contract to the end of the next season. Larsson thinks that at 34 and having a very successful career behind him, it is time to retire from Barça and enjoy his last years in his homeland.
In April 2006 it was reported that team mate Ronaldinho said of Larsson- "With Henrik leaving us at the end of the season this club is losing a great scorer, no question. But I am also losing a great friend. Henrik was my idol and now that I am playing next to him it is fantastic. He is a real friend and that is a pleasure. I just want to enjoy the remaining time he has with us rather than dwell on what we will be missing when he's gone. I haven't tried to convince Henrik to stay at Barcelona. I respect him so much that I can't try to influence his decision. It's something he has thought about for a long time. I'm not happy he's leaving but I'm not going to pressure him at all. At Henrik's age many players announce their retirement from international football but no one I know his age is at the great physical level Henrik is at right now. He could play at the highest level for a long time."[2]
Barring any serious injury, Larsson is expected to feature at the 2006 World Cup in Germany where he will team up with Juventus star Zlatan Ibrahimovic in what is likely to be his last World Cup.
In May 2006 he was given the honor of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by the British Embassy in Barcelona, in name of Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to British football during the years he spent playing at Glasgow.
At 35 will Henrik Larsson show his magic at 2006 destination germany ? Lets wait to see his boot do the talking...

World Cup Football 2006 - Destination Germany

2006-05-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

The most awaited festival is about to start in 22 days - World Cup Football.
32 teams are fighting against each other to win the prestigious crown of this most popular religion of the world.
As a mark of respect to this game,let me post "Player a Day" - info about some of the not so well known but yet very important players of this game. Watch this space for more info..